Thermal Interval

A warm strip of morning light had cut across the painted sill through the blind slats. I stepped into the perimeter to assess surface conditions and found the wood temperature well within comfortable parameters. Instead of initiating sector sweeps right away, I sat flat on the sill, rested the blaster squarely across my knees, and leaned back against the vertical frame. Yesterday's patrols had left my hip joints slightly stiff. Absorbing twenty minutes of direct thermal radiation seemed like an entirely acceptable operational pause.