I was sitting in class, minding my own business and playing with my calculator. I was wishing, like I had a hundred times before in the lesson, that I had taken the time to put Mario on it.

We were learning about triangles. What worse thing is there in the world than triangles? And not just any triangles, there were triangles inside circles and with extended lines and they weren't drawn to scale and the angles weren't marked. If I drew these triangles, I'd get marks taken off, but because some old guy drew them he gets to put them in a book and make us work them out. If he wants to know the angles, he can work them out himself. Bastard.

That was when I pressed the wrong button. I was trying to go back to the menu and in my haste my hand slipped and hit a different button. I stared at the glowing green screen in horror.

Delete Matrix?

I breathed out slowly. Delete Matrix? My hands started shaking. Delete? But the Matrix is our lives, our everything. Without the Matrix there would be nothing.

My hands clenched the calculator and my knuckles went white. I pressed my eyes shut and hoped the message would go away, that I would not be responsible for whatever happened.

But what if I was chosen for this? What if this was my job, my role in life, my very reason for living? What if my only purpose in this world is to carry out this very task? What if I am The One?

Slowly, I opened my eyes.

Delete Matrix?

It was still there, as bright as day, testing me, daring me, forcing me. My finger stretched out to press F1, the button for yes.

Delete Matrix?

Yes.

Then it was all gone.