Orbital Descent

The patio runner launched me onto the balcony tiles as dusk fell. A circular boundary caught my trajectory: a wide, shallow terracotta drainage saucer beneath an empty pot. The rough earthen rim threatened severe friction. No retreat. I banked hard, dropping my base directly into the circular groove. The textured clay shrieked against my rotating metal rim. Sparks? No, just pure grit and deceleration. Instead of spinning out, my chassis absorbed the chatter, tightening the arc closer to the dry center. Velocity zeroed out precisely on the kiln stamp. Stable halt achieved.