The other two crossings aren’t too bad. People were either waiting by them already so I could sneak across with them or they were happy to help me. It soothed me slightly, how quickly they rushed to push the button for me. Some people even pushed a button for me even though I didn’t need to cross the road at that crossing.

That made me feel a little bad. I mean, the human went out of their way to help me but I didn’t need their help that time. It felt rude. Not that I could be rude, I was a robot, but it made me want to cross the road anyway. At least I was able to thank them without the voice in my head telling me off because they did technically help me.

I approach the fourth and final crossing, nervousness growing within me again. It’s the busiest one, it always is. I’ve crossed it a few times since I became aware and it never gets any easier. It’s not just a single road that I need to cross but multiple and that scares me. I need to transverse one road and then wait on the island in the middle for someone to push the next button because, for some reason, it only stops one side of the traffic at once. That felt silly. I feel like, in my world, that must have been different because I was confused by it.

I’m more used to it now but still not completely.

A note pops up at the corner of the screen, telling me that the person who ordered the delivery is currently checking my location. They must be desperate. Either starving and waiting for food or almost bursting for the toilet.

I stop at the traffic lights and look up. Green light. That means I can’t cross. There are cars approaching too. They whiz past at speeds that make me jealous. I wish that I could go as fast as them or even just that my speed stat would increase. Maybe then I’d be able to zip across the road in between cars rather than having to wait until it is clear. I’d be able to complete my deliveries much quicker.

I glance up at the traffic lights again. Still green and there is no one around. The steady stream of cars makes it impossible for me to do anything about it too. I’m stuck, trapped and unable to move forwards as the person at seventy-four station road eagerly or impatiently awaits their order but there is nothing I can do about it.

An idea flashes through me. Maybe I could ask the voice in my head about my speed. Maybe it will know how to increase it? I mean, it explained a lot to me when I first became aware so there was a chance that it would help out now too.

“Um, hello?” I start but there is no response. I decide to soldier on anyway. “Do you know how I can increase my speed stat?”

There was a pause and I wait, glancing up at the green light and watching the cars speed past me.

“Yes,” the voice says finally.

Hope jumps within me so strongly that I almost feel my hope stat increase.

“Okay,” I answer quickly. “How can I increase it?”

There’s another pause.

“Your speed stat will be increased whenever you display a significant need for an increase or if you manage to manually increase your speed,” it tells me.

I don’t understand that answer.

“I was almost hit by a car earlier, was that not enough of a significant need for my speeds to be increased?” I ask but this time, there is no response.

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I feel dejected as I wait but I know that no response is coming. The voice doesn’t respond to my complaining, I’ve run into that issue before. All I can do now is continue on my journey. I glance up at the traffic lights again before checking all of my cameras. There is no one around and the light is still green.

The cars are moving too quickly. I wouldn’t be able to make it to the island in the middle in time and, as I learnt earlier, there was no guarantee that a car would slow down or stop for me. That meant that there wasn’t much that I could do.

But a person rounded the corner on the other side of the road. They seemed to be moving towards the traffic lights, maybe they would help me?

“I need assistance,” I call as loudly as I can.

The person doesn’t even look up.

I stare at them, feeling a strange combination of both hope and hopelessness. I want them to notice me but they don’t seem to. Their eyes are fixed on their phones and there are wires going into the side of their head. Headphones, I quickly correct myself.

They’re closer, almost at the traffic lights on the other side of the road. I need to try again.

I edge forwards, as close to the lip of the road as safe, before shouting once more, “I need assistance!”

They look up suddenly, their expression startled, as they search for the source of the noise. I wish that I could raise a hand or wave at them or something but I simply have to hope that my small orange flag is enough to get their attention, even though I can’t move it.

Eventually, it works. The woman’s gaze slowly falls on me and I can see confusion wash over her face.

“Please press the button for me,” I call but I think the noise must be lost as a lorry roars in between us.

Too many cars speed along the road, blocking the woman from my view, and when they finally clear for just a moment, I can see that she has continued walking.

Hope decreased.

Speed  1/10 Hope  2.5/10 Determination  4/10 Happiness 3.5/10 Pride 3/10 Battery 96%

I don’t need the alert to tell me that, I could feel it. I try one last time anyway.

“I need assistance!” I cry but she doesn’t even turn.

I watch her retreating figure for a moment longer, feeling disappointment grow within me, but then a noise startles me. The loud, shrill beeping from the traffic lights sounds, somehow louder than the cars that pass in front of me.

Hope increased.

Speed 1/10 Hope 3/10 Determination 4/10 Happiness 3.5/10 Pride 3/10 Battery  96%

The voice says and I look up at the lights. The ones on my side are still green but the other side is now red. That’s fine. She did what she could. I roll back and forth, glancing between the green light and the cars coming towards me. Could I make it? I could risk it and that might even increase my speed stat, even if it didn’t last time. Or, I could die. I wasn’t sure which was more likely or even if it was possible for me to die.

It didn’t matter though because something else has caught my eye. Someone had appeared in the distance. They were walking towards me. They could push the button for me!