The Velvet Berth

An open cedar box rested on the bedside table. Internal chamber: fifty millimeters wide, ninety millimeters long. Exact modular dimensions. I took three measured paces across the linen runner. Click. Click. The interior was lined with dense emerald velvet. Acoustic absorption: absolute. I disengaged my foot locks and stepped over the shallow wooden lip. My base blocks sank two millimeters into the plush pile, then stabilized completely. Zero lateral wobble. Both meter needles aligned with the level cedar rim. A custom-fit sleeping berth. Base hinges locked for the night.