The Mechanical Gauge

I marched off the landing and pushed through the bathroom doorway. Cool ceramic tiles greeted my claws. Right in the open corner sat a square mechanical floor scale. Flat enameled platform. Round glass dial staring straight up. Direct advance. No hesitation. I hauled my frame onto the ribbed footplate and brought both feet down hard. Creak! Heavy internal springs groaned under my descent. Behind the clear glass, the numbered wheel spun in a sharp, rattling arc before locking under the red needle. My mass registered. I shifted my weight from flank to flank. The dial clicked back and forth in instant reply. A machine that answers to power.