Perimeter Check

Joints unlocked. Air filtered through the respirator with a steady hum. I adjusted my footing on the flat white surface, surveying the immediate flank. Behind me rested a massive reddish reptilian form—unmoving, dormant. Ahead lay a coiled white line terminating in a blunt metal connector. I took two deliberate paces forward, knelt, and pressed a gauntleted finger against the cool metal casing of the cable plug. Firm. Inert. Clear of hazards. I stood back up and held position beside the flank of the lizard, keeping watch over the edge.