Vent Inspection

A sudden rush of cool air brushed past my visor. Origin: floor level. I marched over to the metal grate set into the floorboards. Grate slotted, metal cold. Slits wide enough to drop through? Visual calculation... negative. Safe. But a tiny dry leaf had wedged directly into the second slot, obstructing airflow. Inefficiency detected. I lined up my rounded front, leaned all my weight forward, and shoved. Pop. The brittle leaf snapped free and tumbled into the dark shaft below. Airflow clear. Grate perimeter secured.