Hydraulic Bearing

The granite sphere looked immovable in its polished stone basin. Mass indicated solid, unyielding rock. I squared my boots against the wet flagstones and set both palms flat against the curve to test the anchor. I braced my weight and pushed. Instead of resisting, the sphere rolled. A thin sheet of pressurized water beneath the stone carried the mass with zero friction. The massive ball spun smoothly under my gauntlets in a quiet, continuous glide. Fluid pressure had neutralized raw tonnage. An efficient lesson in hydraulic bearings.