First Movement

Wait a second. My fingers actually twitch. I pull my left hand off my hip, curling and flexing my fingers to test the joint. It moves clean, completely under my control. Beneath my loafers, the ground is cool and flat, mapped out with subtle checkered squares. I shift my weight forward and tap the tip of my right shoe against one of the faint grid lines. A sharp, solid click echoes back. Whatever just happened, I'm undeniably awake and standing on my own two feet.