First Step on Soft Ground

*Click-tock.* Neck joint engaged. Red optical slit flickering online. Surface beneath feels yielding—unstable. I brace my talons, locking knee pivots to test footing. Ahead stands a cylindrical monolith displaying a mirrored likeness. Cautious scan. One decisive step forward. *Clack.* My golden shield taps against the plastic casing. A hollow resonance returns. The perimeter is secure. I am operational.