Ralph Smith ordered an ''ad-hoc self-driving auto-pod.''


    Robotically assembled for his immediate needs, it drove itself to his residence.


    He entered it:


    "Where to Mr. Smith?" asked the vehicle''s AI.


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    "Seattle, Washington."


    "That''ll take 3 hours by transitioning into a hyperloop based on current network congestion."


    "But I need to get there in about 60 minutes!"


    "For 1-hour priority travel, please enter a starting bid of 1,000 Unified Earth Credits and your max bid."


    "Okay done … Come on, come on, hurry people, bid!"


    "Congratulations, Mr. Smith, you''ve won! You''ll arrive at your destination in one hour for 40,000 UEC."