Karyn took the rock from Jon,but did not make the wishes.
"No way,you evil computer." she said.
The words "You will make the wishes.It's already happened.It's fate."
"Well it just so happens" Karyn said "That I don't believe in fate.Nor do I listen to evil computers!Especially when they don't know the definition of a Catch-22."
"You mean he was wrong?" Jon asked.
"Of course!I've read Catch-22 at least a dozen times.I know the definition.A Catch-22 is a situation in which a desired outcome or solution is impossible to attain because of a set of inherently illogical rules or conditions.For example,Yossarian had to do go up in planes.However,if he was crazy he wouldn't have to.He'd just have to tell the Doctor he was crazy.However telling the Doctor he was crazy meant he was sane,and thus he had to fly.Only crazy people will fly,but they don't have to.Only sane people have to fly,but they don't want to.Get it?It's a lose lose situation.It's a self-defeating course of action!"
"I thought that was a self-fulfilling prophecy?" Jon asked.
"No."
"Then what is a self-fulfilling prophecy?"
"A self-fulfilling prohpecy is a prediction that causes itself to become true.Like someone trying to stop their own murder accidentally causing it."
"So that's what we have here then,right?" Jon asked again.
"Sort of.We have a predestination paradox.That's when someone travels back in time and causes something that,for them,had already happened.Like trying to
stop something from happening,but actually being the reason it happened in the first place."
"I'm still not getting it." Jon told her.
"All right,listen.Imagine your house burned down.So you travel back in time to find the cause and stop it.Only when you get to the past you accidently knock over a candle that was burning,causing the house to burn down.You caused what you tried to stop."
"All right.But what does that have to do with my computer?"
"The computer can hear and communicate with us because of a wish you make in the future.So it SEEMS like the future is set in stone.Like we have to make the wishes.However I believe we can change the future,if we think carefully."
Words appeared on the computer screen to the effect of "You don't have a choice.You WILL make the wishes."
"What if we don't." Karyn said."What if we don't make those wishes.Or what if......" Karyn said.
"What if what?" Jon asked.
"I wish there was a sledge hammer sitting on the floor." Karyn wished,and with a flash it happened.Putting the rock on the floor she lifted the sledge hammer,with some trouble as it was a little heavier then she expected,and swung it at the computer,shattering the screen.More swings took out the keyboard,and more and more she swung until all that remained was a pile of broken junk.
"There." she said."Now you can't make the computer capable of hearing us."
"You destroyed my computer!" Jon complained."So?Wish yourself up a brand new one.A laptop maybe,just to be safe.Just make sure you never wish for it to hear us.In fact,maybe you should try wishing that nobody will never wish for that to happen."
"I guess.But why did you have to do it?"
"Because." Karyn said."I didn't trust it.I got the feeling that maybe it was lying to us,or at least leaving important stuff out."
"So are you going to make that wish to fix your breasts?"
"Of course not!We can't wish for any of the things the computer told us to.I'm sure I can think up a different wish that will produce the same results." she said.She put the hammer down on the ground,and sat on the bed next to Jon,leaving the stone safely on the floor.
"All this talk of prophecies and time travel has made my head hurt." Jon said."Since when did you become such an expert on them?"
"Eh." Karyn shrugged."I read alot.So what do we do now?"
