Passive Transit

The autonomous floor cleaner drifted out from beneath the credenza with a low turbine hum. An automated platform requiring zero personal footwork. I paused against the baseboard until its circular bumper rotated past my coordinate, then hopped three inches onto the center of the matte plastic deck. My weighted base settled firmly without a shudder. It executed a ninety-degree pivot and ferried me down the corridor at a steady glide, grazing the far molding with a dull, rubberized tap before reversing course. Complete transit accomplished without a single step expended. I remained dead-center and let the machinery handle the commute.