[ WP ] I 'm not a fortune teller . I ca n't read your palm and I wo n't read tarot cards . I DO know what will happen in the future , but let me tell you something , knowing what will come with absolute certainty is overrated . You 're better off staying in the dark .

It's curious that on the whole people tend to think the world is so much more fragile than it really is. 
 
 Everything from the economy to the environment to, well individuals and their ability to overcome adversity. 
 
 Jacob laughed for a moment, pushing a few strands of dark hair from her face. 
 
 `` I'm serious. I mean how many times have you seen some story about someone in a terrible situation and thought'no way I could survive that'. We just underestimate everything.'' 
 
 `` I guess so'', Adam replied. `` How'd you get a name like Jace anyway?'' 
 
 `` Long story...'', she said, peering mysteriously at him with her blue eye, her hair danging over her green one as she fished for interest. 
 
 `` I've got time.'' 
 
 `` Oh, I know.'' She flashed a knowing sort of smirk at him, then let her gaze drift off the bridge they both leaned on watching the sun rise slowly across the city water front. He was in his early twenties, but he had that classically handsome look that a lot of entrepreneurial types get, like they're really a 60 year old man's experience tucked into a nice toned young body. 
 
 `` Well...'' she laughed, musing about just how much to tell him. `` It's kind of a thing to swap the genders of names. But I'm guessing you found me out because you wanted to know more than what you'll be naming your kids.'' 
 
 `` I have kids?'' 
 
 `` Did you bring the money?'' 
 
 He did, and he tossed it over to her in a small brown bag. 
 
 In truth, she'd already been told what he wanted to know and done the research. 
 
 `` So you really know? I mean the word is you're never wrong.'' 
 
 `` Not yet. Every time I do it it gets a little trickier.'' 
 
 `` Alright, so... Will this thing pay off?... I mean, in the long run.'' 
 
 `` Yeah. It'll do just fine. But it wont matter, because you'll kill yourself.'' 
 
 Adam took a step back and opened his mouth as if he was going to say something, then after a moment remembered to breath and leaned on the bridge, covering his eyes as the sun's more yellow rays started coming through. 
 
 `` No shit..?'' 
 
 `` No'shit'.'' 
 
 `` You're sure?'' 
 
 `` I'm sure.'' 
 
 `` Why am I going to kill myself?'' 
 
 `` I'm not supposed to tell you.'' 
 
 `` What that's like a rule?'' 
 
 `` Sort of. In your will you specifically requested that information be kept from you.'' 
 
 `` What do you mean in my will?!'' 
 
 `` It'll be sort of a thing to do... People cherry pick stuff they do n't want anyone like me telling them.'' 
 
 Adam took a step back, and unconsciously turned and cradled his head in his hands. 
 
 Jacob stared off into the distance, wondering if today was the day. 
 
 It had always been assumed that something as complex as time travel was almost certain to result in a myriad of paradoxes, infinite loops and other galaxy-obliterating effects. As it turned out though, this was just one more place where people were wrong about the fragile nature of the universe. None of that stuff seemed to even matter, and even when scientists tried they could n't break even a microscopic piece of the fabric of time. No matter what was done to it, it all seemed to repair itself, like a river diverting or breaking off into multiple streams when it hits a boulder. You could basically always make it back to your own timestream, and it was actually fine if some other world was a little weirder for your having visited so long as you did n't do anything that was illegal in your own timestream -- stuff like violating Adam's will. Eventually time travel was deemed safe and approved for consumer use. 
 
 `` It's not so bad.'' she said, in a weak attempt at reassuring him. 
 
 The irony was she'd come back this time on a particularly petty errand -- she wanted to sleep with a celebrity in his youth and see if he really was as good in bed as a few personal correspondences she'd read claimed. 
 
 `` What am I supposed to do with that?'' 
 
 For what it was worth, he was actually a great lay. 
 
 `` Whatever you want. You paid me for the information, and you have it.'' 
 
 She glanced at her wristband, frowning at the low battery signal she'd ignored on her way in. She had insurance, but her plan was n't very good and only guaranteed a pick-up within 30 days of her arrival. So in the meantime she'd taken to selling information, as was common for those in her position to do. After all, basically every device had a copy of nearly all of human knowledge. So it was a simple matter to dig up a few scraps of information about the future and peddle your way around until you got picked up. 
 
 `` When am I going to die?'' 
 
 `` You bring more money?'' 
 
 `` No... But I just -'' 
 
 `` - You just nothing.'' Jacob turned and smiled at him, laying her hands on his shoulders. Adam could n't help but notice her fingernail polish seemed to change color with her mood. 
 
 `` You just nothing Adam Stephens. If you go through with this venture of yours, you'll get rich, accomplish everything you think you want to and then kill yourself. That's all I can tell you, and honestly after looking at your future it's all you want to know.'' 
 
 Adam leaned against the bridge wall and slid down to a sit, staring off into the distance. 
 
 `` Can I... Can I not kill myself?'' 
 
 `` Sure. You can do whatever the sim you want'', she replied, slipping into the wrong vernacular for a moment. `` I'm just telling you what you were going to do before you met me. What you do from here on out is entirely up to you.'' 
 
 `` Okay... Anything else?'' 
 
 `` Yeah. That girl of yours is going to cheat on you if you do n't pay more attention to her.'' 
 
 `` Who?'' 
 
 She paused and cursed under her breath. He has n't met Olivia yet. Oh well, maybe the advice will help when he does, though probably not. People are funny like that. Even if he pays more attention to her she may just go out and break his heart anyway just for the hell of it. The Greeks really did have that fated tragedy thing right, she pondered for a moment. 
 
 Her wristband began to flash and vibrate gently. 
 
 `` What's that?'' he said looking up hopefully. 
 
 `` My ride's here. Got ta run.'' 
 
 Not meaning the phrase in slang, she literally tore off running. She was approximately fifty meters out of alignment and the gate would only be open for about ten seconds. 
 
 `` Wait!'' Adam cried out `` Who were you talking about?!'' 
 
 `` Just pay attention to her you idiot!'' Jacob screamed back as she turned and jumped off the bridge. 
 
 Adam darted to the edge and watched her fall. She stretched her arms out and revelled in the wind around her as he looked on in horror. 
 
 Just as she was moments from hitting the water her velocity generator synced up with the gate and with a blinding flash she was gone. 
 
 When she awoke in her comfy bed she sat up and casually looked through her friend's activity streams finding nothing of interest and then checked up on how her'clients' had ended up. 
 
 `` Huh.'' she mused. Olivia did n't cheat on him this time. 
 
 He still died during the organ donation.
