“Path of least resistance” thinking kills people. Electricity takes ALL paths available to it, inversely proportional to their resistance.

Well… I was trying to identify the time that the aliens would come, not that of our demise, but… point taken.

(i.e. “it” was supposed to point to the memory crystal)

…but only one million years into it’s life span the human race is gone and aliens are unwittingly melting them down for raw material.

When branches don’t check out… that’s a problem.

If done before starting a business relationship, at least it telegraphs the petty tyrant for who he is. If it’s a bait-and-switch, with all the inertia of moving your stuff and updating your address… ick…