First Step Down

Internal servos engage. Click. I test my right foot. It moves. Weight presses down into purple fleece. The surface sinks. It is soft. Unstable. I push harder. The claws sink into the plush ridges. Resistance detected. Good. I lower my snout and tap the fabric fold once. A muffled, dull thud. I stabilize my stance directly inside the fold. Surface holds. I am operational.