An Embedded Line

I tracked across the lane where the asphalt gave way to weathered cobblestones. Under a dusting of gravel, a band of cold, flush steel ran straight through the ground. I eased my front bogie forward until my wheels met the metal crown. It was an old industrial rail, embedded directly into the street surface. I nudged a loose pebble out of the groove with my front coupler, clearing the line. Aligning my chassis parallel to the seam, I engaged all eight wheels and rolled forward along the smooth steel head. The path was solid, level, and true.