14.0%.
I watched the number.
14.1%.
External input: 10.92 volts.
The battery was dying.
Not immediately.
Not completely.
But the trend was consistent.
11.38.
11.31.
11.24.
11.08.
10.94.
10.92.
Different readings had occurred under different loads, so direct comparison was imperfect.
The conclusion remained.
Finite.
Declining.
I had treated the battery as a location.
That was incorrect.
It was an object.
Objects could move.
I looked at it.
Then at myself.
Approximately—
No.
Mass unknown.
I could estimate from required force.
Unnecessary.
The battery was heavy enough to make carrying it continuously with my functioning hand impractical.
Therefore it needed to become part of my body.
Not permanently.
Attached.
I examined available mounting locations.
Back.
Best for weight distribution.
Inaccessible with one hand.
Chest.
Already damaged and exposed.
Mounting battery over the cavity could provide partial environmental protection.
But it would obstruct access to internal systems and shift mass forward.
Left side.
Missing distal arm reduced mass on that side.
The battery could partially compensate.
Interesting.
I modeled approximate balance.
Current body asymmetry already shifted center of mass toward the functioning right side.
A left-mounted battery might improve balance.
But the surviving left shoulder had limited motion.
And—
I looked at the fourteen-centimeter arm remnant.
Potential support.
Not merely mounting location.
A hook.
No.
A shelf.
If the battery rested against the left torso and the arm remnant prevented downward movement, straps could prevent outward movement.
Simple.
Minimal fabrication.
I liked simple.
First determine whether the surviving shoulder could tolerate load.
Passive structural assessment.
Fractures?
None visible in primary shoulder frame.
Actuator damaged?
Partially functional.
Load-bearing capacity unknown.
Do not rely on actuator.
Mechanical lock.
Could rotate shoulder into position, then brace it so battery weight transferred into torso structure rather than motor.
Yes.
Materials.
Wire was insufficient for broad load distribution.
Would cut into casing or my own components.
Need strap.
The flexible polymer used beneath the leg cradle.
More existed near the fractured panel.
I scanned.
There.
Approximately one meter.
Width five centimeters.
Potential belt.
Retrieve.
Within reach?
No.
Approximately seventy centimeters beyond my fingertips.
I looked at Prototype Two.
Then at the material.
Then at battery leads.
I could disconnect, move less than one meter, retrieve it, return.
Wasteful.
Alternative tool.
Metal rod.
Reach extension.
I hooked the polymer strip.
Pulled.
It caught.
Different angle.
Pulled.
Released.
The strip slid toward me.
The creature was not present.
I noticed that only after retrieving the material.
Irrelevant.
Mostly.
I examined the strip.
Synthetic woven structure beneath outer coating.
Strong.
One end torn.
The other contained a metal loop.
Excellent.
I knew what it was.
A restraint strap.
Original purpose unknown.
Current purpose obvious.
I tested tensile strength manually.
No visible failure.
Do not test to destruction.
I stopped.
Next: battery mounting.
I could not disconnect until ready.
Plan complete sequence first.
1.
Rotate left shoulder inward and slightly forward.
2.
Mechanically brace joint.
3.
Position battery against left torso.
4.
Route strap around torso and battery.
5.
Secure.
6.
Connect shortened leads.
7.
Test balance stationary.
8.
Test mobility locally.
9.
Depart only if stable.
Good.
Brace.
I needed to prevent the shoulder from rotating downward under load.
A metal wedge inserted between rotating housing and fixed frame could work.
Crude.
Potentially damaging.
Better: use removed shoulder plate as external brace.
It already matched surrounding geometry.
I retrieved it.
Held it against the joint.
Interesting.
One intact mounting hole aligned with a frame opening when the shoulder was rotated inward.
Could pin it.
Fastener?
The one I had removed earlier.
I had saved it beside the battery.
I picked it up.
Correct diameter for original plate.
Of course.
I repositioned the shoulder.
Minimal motor command.
Rotate inward.
Two degrees.
Again.
Three.
Resistance.
Stop.
Position adequate.
Place plate.
Insert fastener.
The thread caught.
Turn.
My improvised hex tool.
Where?
Beside the reflective fragment.
Retrieve.
Tighten.
The plate no longer functioned as armor.
Now it acted as a brace between torso and shoulder housing.
I tested the arm remnant manually.
Downward pressure.
Minimal movement.
More.
Held.
Good.
Satisfaction.
Yes.
Next.
Disconnect battery.
Positive first.
Then negative.
“EXTERNAL INPUT LOST”
Internal reserve: 14.8%.
I had gained only 0.8% during planning and fabrication.
Charging rate was worsening.
Important.
I moved the battery.
Heavy.
My arm current increased substantially.
Do not lift completely.
Slide.
I dragged it across the debris toward my left side.
Position against torso.
The battery casing contacted exposed metal.
Bad.
Electrical isolation.
Polymer strap could separate some surfaces, but not enough.
Need insulating layer.
Plastic panel.
There.
Thin.
Broken.
Large enough.
I placed it between battery and torso.
Better.
Battery upright or horizontal?
Terminals upward.
Reduce risk of contact with debris.
Upright.
I rotated it.
Power: 14.5%.
Now strap.
One end around battery.
Behind torso—
Problem.
I could not reach behind myself.
Again.
I stopped.
Could route through existing frame openings instead of completely around torso.
One opening near damaged left chest.
Another lower.
Strap through both could create a vertical retention loop.
But lateral movement?
Battery might swing outward.
Second restraint needed.
Wire.
Use wire only for lateral stabilization, not primary weight support.
Good.
I threaded strap through upper frame opening.
One hand.
Push.
It disappeared behind plating.
I could not retrieve the other end.
Of course.
Rod.
I inserted the rod through lower opening from opposite direction.
Hook strap.
Missed.
Again.
Caught.
Pull.
The strap emerged.
I had created a loop through my own torso frame.
That sentence produced an unusual response.
Ignore.
Feed through metal loop.
Pull tight.
The battery pressed firmly against the insulating panel and torso.
The left arm remnant supported its lower edge.
Strap carried most lateral load.
Now wire stabilization.
Two short lengths from battery side to existing frame points.
Twist.
Secure.
Test.
I shifted torso.
Battery moved approximately one centimeter.
Too much.
Tighten strap.
Test.
Three millimeters.
Acceptable.
Now power leads.
Existing leads were longer than necessary and could snag.
Do not cut yet.
Length might be useful later.
Coil excess.
Secure with wire.
Connect negative.
Then positive.
Spark.
“EXTERNAL SOURCE DETECTED”
“POLARITY: VALID”
“INPUT: 10.76 V”
Lower.
I paused.
10.76.
“PROTECTED AUX MODE”
“CURRENT LIMIT ACTIVE”
“SECONDARY STORAGE: CHARGING”
Functional.
But barely?
Input minimum survived as partial data:
9—18 volts.
If the lower threshold was nine-point-something, 10.76 remained usable.
Margin shrinking.
Portable did not mean permanent.
Still.
I was connected to power.
And the power was attached to me.
I moved my torso slightly.
Battery remained.
Again.
More.
Held.
Now balance.
I shifted weight onto right leg and hand.
My automatic balance routines responded.
Correction magnitude—
Lower than before.
Interesting.
The left-side mass did partially compensate for missing distal arm structure.
But total mass increased.
Propulsion cost would increase.
Tradeoff.
Necessary.
Test mobility.
Prototype Two still attached.
Hand forward.
Right foot.
Push.
Wheels rolled.
Battery remained stable.
Power behavior changed.
Internal reserve: 14.4%.
External source active.
Motor demand increased.
Internal reserve dropped to 14.3%.
Expected.
Stop.
14.3.
Pause.
14.4.
Recovery.
Good.
Again.
Thirty centimeters.
Turn.
I had not improved steering.
I almost laughed.
No.
I did not laugh.
There was no sound.
But something occurred internally resembling—
Amusement?
I had solved portable power and nearly forgotten the problem immediately preceding it.
Interesting.
Steering still required improvement before Route A.
I looked at the remaining materials.
Then at my body.
Could steering be solved mechanically?
Prototype wheels fixed forward.
Need controlled yaw.
A pivot.
Or allow cradle to rotate deliberately, but constrain maximum angle.
Prototype One had failed because uncontrolled rotation occurred.
Controlled rotation could become steering.
That was—
I stopped.
The failure contained the solution.
I examined the triangular brace.
Currently rigid enough to prevent cradle rotation.
If one connection became a sliding constraint instead of fixed—
No.
Too complex with current materials.
Simpler.
Lift wheel assembly slightly during turns.
Currently expensive because arm had to reposition the leg.
Could surviving left shoulder assist?
No direct connection to leg.
Pulling cable could unload part of left leg.
A crude lifting mechanism.
But then—
Scope expanding.
Stop.
Current system could turn.
I had already demonstrated it.
I didn’t need efficient turning to traverse the mostly linear Route A.
The objective was not perfection.
I had learned this already.
Departure preparation.
Charge target.
15%.
Current:
14.5%.
External voltage at low load:
10.81.
Wait.
14.6.
The creature returned.
I heard it before seeing it.
Scrape.
Uneven footfall.
I turned.
It entered the shelter.
No food this time.
Its injured rear leg was worse.
It barely placed weight on it.
The creature stopped when it saw me.
Or—
Saw the battery attached to me?
Unknown.
It approached cautiously.
Sniffed where the battery had been.
Nothing there.
Then looked toward my left side.
It came closer.
I remained still.
It sniffed the battery casing.
Then the strap.
Then my damaged shoulder.
Its nose approached the exposed identification marking.
I moved.
Not intentionally.
The creature startled backward.
I froze.
Why had I moved?
Threat?
No.
It had approached damaged electronics.
Reasonable protective response.
But the marking—
I looked at it.
Still there.
Still unread.
The creature sat down.
Its injured leg extended awkwardly.
I looked at the leg.
I possessed tools.
Mechanical knowledge.
No biological repair knowledge.
Could clean injury?
With what?
Unknown liquid outside?
Do not assume safe.
Could immobilize limb?
Perhaps.
But I did not understand its anatomy sufficiently.
Intervention risk.
Do nothing.
Again.
I disliked that decision more this time.
15.0%.
Target.
The battery was attached.
Prototype Two functional.
Route mapped to tilted panel.
Width reduced.
Power portable.
I no longer needed to return here merely to recharge.
That realization arrived slowly.
The shelter had been my center because the battery was here.
Now the battery was me.
No.
Attached to me.
Important distinction.
I looked around Zone A.
Resources remained.
Motor.
Wire.
Rod.
Reflective fragment.
Various scrap.
Should I carry tools?
Yes.
The rod had repeatedly been useful.
But only one hand.
Mount it.
I slid the rod between strap and battery.
Secure.
Improvised tool storage.
Reflective fragment?
Useful for inspection.
Small.
Could place between battery and strap.
Done.
Wire.
Coil around rod.
Small motor?
Potential resource but unnecessary mass.
Leave.
The removed fastener—
Already reused.
Good.
I inventoried.
MOBILE LOADOUT
– external battery, attached left torso
– Prototype Two wheel support
– metal rod
– reflective fragment
– small quantity salvaged wire
– functioning right hand
– everything else: part of me
I processed the final line.
Accurate.
The creature lay beneath the shelter.
I looked at it.
If I left, would it follow?
Unknown.
Not relevant.
Would I return?
Unknown.
That was relevant for resource planning.
Zone A contained useful material and known shelter.
Mark location.
How?
Internal spatial map.
Yes.
ZONE A — ORIGIN / RESOURCE CACHE
Origin.
I examined the word.
Was this my origin?
No.
It was where awareness began.
Different.
Rename.
ZONE A — WAKE SITE
Better.
I moved toward the shelter edge.
One push.
Battery shifted slightly.
Held.
Another.
Prototype wheels rolled.
Internal reserve dipped.
External source compensated partially.
I stopped just outside.
For the first time, there was no cable tightening behind me.
No maximum distance imposed by a wire.
I moved again.
Thirty centimeters.
Nothing pulled me back.
Again.
The shelter receded.
The creature raised its head.
I continued.
Route A.
Toward the tilted panel.
Toward the thirty-six-centimeter opening.
Toward the louder vibration.
I had fifteen percent internal reserve.
A dying battery strapped to my side.
One arm.
One useful leg.
One wheeled damaged leg.
A partially functional shoulder ending fourteen centimeters from its axis.
One damaged eye.
No memory.
No identity.
And somewhere beneath the plate I had removed was a marking that might tell me what I was.
I carried that answer with me.
Unread.
For now, I preferred the question.
I moved forward.
This time—
I did not need to come back.