My heater and power switch on before I properly wake up. I don’t remember that ever happening before but I’m nice and toasty when I do finally switch on fully. Not that I actually feel the cold. I’m not sure that it’s possible but I remember what it felt like almost. It’s a foggy memory but I remember that I used to dread going outside in the winter.

“Excuse me,” I say to the voice that lives in the back of my head. “Can I feel the cold?”

There’s a pause and I wait for it to respond. It takes longer than normal but finally, I hear it.

“Technically, you cannot feel the cold however it can have a negative impact on your machinery and battery power which is why all GroceRover food delivery robots are fitted with a heating system,” it tells me.

“Cool,” I say.

I feel a strange pang of sadness though. I didn’t use to like the cold but I don’t like that I can no longer feel it. I mean, it does make sense. I don’t have flesh or a body anymore, how would I feel it? But the fact that I cannot makes me feel like I’ve lost something. It’s like every day I’m becoming less human and more robotic which I almost expect. I am a robot now after all.

An alert pops up on the corner of the screen. Someone is looking at ordering something from our app. I finally activate my cameras, looking around at the world. There is something on the ground around me. A sludgy-greyish white thing is covering the ground. It’s more faded on the path itself, brighter and thicker on the bikes and the greenery opposite but I can see footprints in it. Someone stepped on it but they don’t seem to be going anywhere because they didn’t even reach the hedges on the other side.

Snow, I realise belatedly. It had snowed. That’s what it was called when white stuff fell from the sky.

The door to the shop opens before I even have a chance to check my position in the line. I can’t remember where I stopped last time I had an order but, luckily, I had managed to squeeze in by the door again. The man comes out and looks down at me.

“Dasher?” the man asks but he sounds like he already knows the answer.

“I’m Dasher and I am ready to take the order!” I tell him.

He shakes his head at me.

“Of course you are, buddy. Got an order for you to take over to Park Street.”

Happiness increased.

Speed 1/10 Hope 3/10 Determination 4/10 Happiness 4.5/10 Pride 3.2/10 Battery 97%

It happens almost immediately. To get to Park Street I must, unsurprisingly, go through the park. I love the park. It’s pretty and it makes me feel content. I can’t work out why but I just know that I do. Maybe there are memories attached to it or something? I mean, I definitely had never been to this park before but I could have looked like one from my world. I’m not sure. Maybe I just like the pretty colours of the dying trees.

If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

“You have received an order,” the voice inside me says just as the man clicks a button on his phone and my lid opens.

I switch to the inside cameras, watching the bag get lowered into me. I can barely see anything through the thin plastic but I hear the clink of glass bottles. Alcohol, it must be. Maybe they’re celebrating something!

I look back at the man as he starts to stand, searching for something to say. I don’t want to say my usual thing where I just tell him my name and that I’m ready to take the order, I want to say something else.

“Thank you!”

The man looks at me for a moment before shaking his head.

“The programming on these things is getting better and better,” he mutters. “It’s unnerving.”

I have to fight the urge to apologise to him. I know that I shouldn’t, that it will just add to his unease but then, it feels wrong not to. I mean, I could. I should, it is my actions that are making him uncomfortable but then surely, by saying that I’m sorry, it would make things even worse.

I have no clue what the best thing to do would be so I decide to just stay quiet.

The man watches me for a moment longer before hitting a button on his phone to send me on my way. I know that I shouldn’t, that it will be even more unnerving but I say something as I start to roll away from him.

“Goodbye!”

I watch him nervously in my rear-facing camera as I start down the slush-covered street. He is staring after me, a strange look on his face. I don’t have time to think about it though because someone is walking towards me. I move towards the side of the pavement but they stop in front of me.

“Aww, look at this thing!” the woman says to her friend.

Her accent is strange, so different to the other voices I’ve heard recently. I like it though.

“It’s cute, right?” the other woman replies. “I guess they don’t have robots like this back in Toronto?”

The first woman is staring down at me with such adoration that I feel my happiness starting to rise again. Not a full level or really enough to have an impact on my stats but enough to make me happier in general.

“No! I wish they did!”

The other woman laughs.

“Alright, we can order one later if you want?” she suggests.

The first woman turns to her, a hopeful expression on her face.

“Really?” she asks. “Oh, yay! Does it talk or anything?”

I start to pull up my list of phrases but the voice in my head beats me.

“Please remember that you are not allowed to speak to humans unless you are asking for help, thanking them for helping you, receiving an order or delivering an order,” it reminds me.

It feels more like a warning than anything else, like it knew that I was about to speak and wanted to stop me before I did so.

If I could pout, I would.

I simply stare up at the women and wait for them to move out of the way, disappointed that I can’t interact with them or talk to them. Still, hearing them say how cute I am and that they’d order a delivery later helps.

“Okay, shall we?” the second woman says, the one who isn’t staring at me quite so lovingly. “What did you want to get from the shops again?”

“Just some snacks really. What kind of thing are you feeling?” she says, starting to move around me before looking back at me. “Bye, robot!”

“I’m not sure! Maybe some pringles or something?”

I watch them as they leave but the voice won’t let me stay still for long.

“Please continue towards your destination,” it prompts.