During distress, the human brain enters overdrive and collects all the information it can get, so we can make a better decision and stay alive. During this process, we perceive time as moving slower, but it is just a memory effect because of the excess of information absorbed in a short period.
As the cloudy sky not only didn't alleviate the hot weather, but made it even more uncomfortable in a secluded neighborhood in Rio de Janeiro, Taiana wanted a soda. She wasn't used to this climate anymore, as she was only visiting her parents, so Elmer, her husband, came for the rescue! "Be careful, my dear" she uttered "for my uncle's bicycle has no brakes".
And so the expedition began to the market and the first obstacle was a slope. Elmer wanted to conquer the slope with the bike, so he bravely pedaled uphill until the peak, taking as prize the easy motion downwards it provided. But the bike started to gain too much speed and he had to make a decision, for in front of him was a brick wall, turning right his path would pass through some kids playing ball on the street. On the left side, there was a car entering the neighborhood. What would happen? As time seemed to slow down, the calculations began: What would add up to the least amount of damage? What would be the moral decision? Would he be able to live with the consequences of his decision? The answer to all of those questions settled his course of action.
The calm neighborhood almost didn't even notice the bike soaring like a missile down the road, directly hitting the brick wall with all force! Everybody turned to see a semi dead broken man, victim of his own poor decisions, but that wasn't what they got. Instead, there was a broken bike and an intact man standing beside it, with a weary look on his face. Not even a scratch! An old lady that saw the impact from some meters stared at him as if she was seeing a ghost!
"Are you OK?!" asked her astonished. Elmer didn't even answer. He was too worried as that bike wasn't his! Looking at it, the damage wasn't as bad as the sound of the impact made it seem. The front wheel was busted, but that was it. When the bike hit the curb it lost speed so he could jump and land safely before the crash.
