POV: Nathan

Fifty seconds. Forty-nine. Forty-eight. I stared at the buttons, my mind racing through scenarios. This was a false dilemma. Had to be. The Mother Below wouldn't make it this simple. There had to be hidden variables, unstated consequences, a trap I wasn't seeing.

"What happens if I don't choose?" I asked.

"The timer reaches zero and I choose for you," the Mother Below said. "And my choice will be the worst possible outcome. For everyone."

Forty seconds.

I studied ...