A Sudden Click

Power engaged. Internal servomotors hissed into alignment. My right hook arm drifted upward, trembling slightly before locking into a stable angle. Beneath my stance, the white ground remained firm. I tested the balance. Shifted weight onto the left leg. The rusted plating scraped against itself, but held. Then I reached forward with the metal hook, lightly dragging its curved tip across the white floor beneath me. It left a faint, gray scratch mark. The resistance was solid. The tactile feedback was real. I paused, lowered my arm, and remained motionless to observe.