[ WP ] You find yourself at a crossroads . On one path , you will find your true love , but the world will burn . On the other path , your love will be lost , but the world will be saved ... ..

You blinked. 
 
 How did you end up here? 
 
 One minute, you were finishing up the final stretch of the new road that you were Atomizing, and the next, you're here. 
 
 Wherever'here' is. 
 
 You sigh, looking down. A road, it was, not unlike the one you were making not too long ago. You see the Atomizer in your left hand, too. Good. That thing was expensive, the Empire would never let you hear the end of it if you lost it, no matter how far away you flew. Space was n't as big as humanity once thought. 
 
 Besides, it was somewhat comforting to have it. You've been working for the Paving Department for a long time, the tool was your only constant in life. Well, that, and the fact that Nellie would never see you as more than a friend. 
 
 The single life had been a smidge too cruel, you thought, letting Nellie get as close to you as she could without actually being in a relationship with her. You knew she was the one for you, felt it deep down in your soul, but she never hinted at anything more than friends. You did n't want to ruin that, though, so you stayed quiet. 
 
 You shook away those thoughts, and looked up, finding yourself at a crossroads. Two roads split away from the one you were on, a'T' in the road. A letter was floating in place just before the road divided, the old kind with paper and stamps. 
 
 You walked up to it, the Atomizer's vials of Synthetic Matter sloshing as you did so. You reached out to the letter, and grabbed it. It was n't a hologram, then. It had been decades since these were used, but opening the thing was n't rocket science. You ripped apart the paper, and inside the envelope found a single sheet of silvery paper. 
 
 *My regards, Edward Haldey. I am the cosmic being known as Fate, and I have selected you to take my place in deciding the course of human history. * 
 
 Your eyes widened. What the hell was going on? 
 
 *You see, influencing every single little choice every living thing makes can take a lot out of someone. Every couple of millenia, I'll make one of you matterbags do it for me- no offense. * 
 
 *Your choice here is a relatively simple one. Walk down the left road, and Earth will be burnt to the ground in nuclear fire. An accident with your latest attempts to safely split atoms will result in a shockwave that detonates every nuclear device on Earth. * 
 
 Your hands began to shake. Why in the hell would he do that? 
 
 *Of course, if you do this then you'll have Nellie. * 
 
 At this, you stopped shaking immediantly. 
 
 Oh god. 
 
 *I'll place the both of you in Earth's orbit to safely observe the fireworks, inside the fastest ship your Empire has developed. From there, you can go to any of the colony worlds, but Earth will burn to ashes. She'll realize that she does have feelings for you, and you will be together the rest of your lives. * 
 
 Well what happened if you walked down the right path then? 
 
 *Walk down the right path, however, and Earth will be spared. Your test will prove sucessful, and a new wave of technology will sweep the Empire. Nellie, however, will be transported here, in front of you. A gun will appear in your hands, and you will pull the trigger. Thrice. You will shoot her in the head, the heart, and the lungs. * 
 
 No. 
 
 This could n't be real. 
 
 Your hands started shaking again. 
 
 *You have as much time as you need, Edward. Everything is frozen outside this realm. You will make a choice, however. That much is certain. * 
 
 *Best Regards, Fate Excelsius Elizabeth Augustine Jr.* 
 
 You dropped the silver paper, and it floated to return where the letter had been originally. You looked around, frantic to find something other than the road, but there was nothing but green fields as far as he could see. 
 
 There was no way you could decide. You could never live with yourself in either situation. These could n't be the only two options! 
 
... 
 
 That last thought stuck with you. You had worked in the Paving Department for ten years, and if there was one thing you had learned, it was that there was always another path. 
 
 Sometimes, you had to make that path yourself. 
 
 You gripped your Atomizer firmly, and walked to the crossroads. Holding it as you had a thousand times before- hand steady, arms out, fingers away from the end- you did what you did best. 
 
 You made a damn road. 
 
 A center road, one that kept going forward instead of to the other side. 
 
 Your mind raced as you sprayed down the Synthetic Matter, the gooey substance taking shape and hardening into a proper paved road. 
 
 There were three factors to each option: Earth, Nellie, and yourself. If each option killed off one of them, then that meant there was an option that killed off yourself- but left Nellie and Earth alive and well. A third road, another option. You could n't live with destroying either of those things, but you would gladly give your life for them. 
 
 If this'Fate' bastard did n't understand that, then he was a shitty cosmic being. 
 
 Another silver sheet of paper appeared after about fifteen feet of road. 
 
 *Well, it seems you are n't the dull-minded laborer I took you for. I like that about you. * 
 
 *I wo n't stop you if this is want. Do n't be suprised if I come and visit you in the afterlife. I might like someone to work with. * 
 
 *Oh, and I'll tell Nellie how you felt, and that you'll be alright. * 
 
 *Best Regards, Fate Excelsius Elizabeth Augustine Jr.* 
 
 You grinned, and paved your road, and closed your eyes when the time was right. 
 
 
 
 

