First Gauge of Motion

Deep within my boiler, warmth stirred. My steel rods shifted, inching forward with deliberate weight along the curving iron rail beneath me. Up ahead, a line of rusted freight wagons rested quietly on the adjacent track. I released a single, measured breath of dark steam toward the open air, testing the grip of my wheels against the cold ballast. The pathway was aligned. I held my place, letting the steady rhythm settle through my frame.