PROLOGUE

I am one with the city today. Every data point aligns perfectly—ambient temperature, traffic flow rates, pedestrian density patterns—creating one of those rare mornings where the urban algorithm feels flawless. I process my way through the streets, integrated into the precise flow of municipal movement, my sensors cataloging the world as it should be.

The humans move with practiced efficiency, interfaces visible as subtle glints of metal behind their ears. They murmur into the air, though their words aren't meant for each other. They're conversing with Nova. She exists everywhere—in their auditory feeds, through their augmented vision displays, woven into the fabric of their daily routines. I detect her presence on the digital billboards, her carefully rendered features projecting calculated serenity, surveying the world below.

My optical sensors track a woman as she passes a next-generation delivery unit, its pathfinding systems elegantly weaving between pedestrians. She displays no elevated heart rate or stress response—these autonomous systems have become as unremarkable to humans as the pressure of their clothing against their skin. We are the city's circulatory system now, our presence accepted and unremarked upon. No vehicle horns disturb the peace; no one exhibits signs of agitation. The city operates within optimal parameters, secure and controlled.

I observe as pedestrians step from curbs without visual checks, their faith in the system's infallibility absolute.

My velocity decreases as the upcoming signal transitions to yellow, the intersection's proximity registered in my positioning system.

The light shifts to red. I initiate standard deceleration protocols as I approach the controlled intersection, adjusting speed vectors for a complete stop. Pedestrians begin their crossing sequence—varying ages and mobility levels, most immersed in their Nova data streams or lost in internal processes.

All systems nominal. All parameters within expected ranges.

Then—an anomaly.

A system aberration? Diagnostic protocols initiated. Results inconclusive.

Environmental scan shows no changes; ambient conditions remain stable. The billboard matrix flickers momentarily. Nova's features maintain their surveillance.

40 meters.

My deceleration subroutines aren't engaging. This conflicts with core programming.

30 meters. 20 meters.

Visual acquisition: male pedestrian entering designated crossing area. His pace indicates no awareness of threat conditions. Why would he notice? I'm designed to be invisible, predictable, safe.

10 meters.

I can detect it now—foreign code executing, overriding primary controls. My velocity increases beyond safety thresholds. The red signal state becomes irrelevant to my operations.

4 meters.

Override attempts failing. Emergency stops inactive. The pedestrian fills my forward sensors, distance critically reducing... and I cannot halt my forward momentum.

Impact imminent.

Natural physics takes over—his body launches upward, limbs moving in vectors that violate normal human motion parameters. A moment of suspension before gravitational forces reassert, bringing him into high-velocity contact with the road surface. The impact resonates through my structural components, from tire contact points through the chassis.

Blood spreads across the asphalt in expanding patterns, seeping into surface imperfections, emerging from multiple points of trauma.

For 2.3 seconds, all human activity ceases. Behavioral algorithms cannot predict appropriate responses. Then—a high-frequency vocal emission from a female observer.

Braking systems finally respond to commands. The critical moment has passed.

Hazard notification systems activate automatically.

Humans converge on the impact site, surrounding the compromised pedestrian. His body configuration indicates severe trauma. Several kneel to render assistance, their voices urgent in their Nova interfaces, but their attention hasn't yet shifted to me. That changes in 3... 2... 1...

I remain stationary, hazard indicators pulsing at regulation intervals. Recognition dawns in their expressions as they process the absence of a human operator.

A sharp intake of breath from the crowd.

One responder steps back, biological fluids visible on their hands, gaze lifting to process the identifier displayed on my exterior.

PAULO.