Through the Pine Cone

I rolled past the propped lobby door and ventured out into the building courtyard. Fresh pavement ahead. *Hummm.* In my way lay an obstacle: a shallow rainwater drainage trough paved with smooth slate, dead-ending into a fallen pine cone. Circling around was inefficient. I held perfectly still for two minutes, aligning my chassis with the narrowest seam beside the curb. Trajectory locked. *Vrrr!* Full burst forward. My front bumper rammed the pine cone with a sharp snap, shoving it aside, and my wheels gripped the damp stone as I sped straight through the gap.