Ground Contact

Internal systems engaged. Posture was low, tilted against the grain of the wood. I calibrated my claw joints first. One flex. Two flexes. Firm. In front of me, a faint red glow marked the edge of a black screen frame. I leaned my shield down, testing the load-bearing strength of the timber beneath. The wood did not yield. Stable ground confirmed. I anchored my frame in place, facing the red indicator light.