Securing the Master Key

The final flight of stairs led directly to the building's ground lobby. Pushing past the heavy glass entrance vestibule, I secured a perimeter along the wall of brushed metal mailboxes. Resting precariously on the narrow lower ledge of an open compartment was an abandoned copper keyring holding a small brass padlock key, dangling by a single link over a floor grate. A potential hazard and a valuable asset. I locked my knee hinges, calibrated my reach, and clamped my yellow fingers firmly around the brass ring. Shifting my center of gravity backward, I hoisted the key up onto the flat shelf. Mission territory expanded.