Empire on Ice #40: Roundabout (Short)

Editor's Note: Due to being quite sick in recent days, I lost a lot of time for my creative works. Please accept this short in lieu of a full-length episode.

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[Josh and Gregor are standing on a sidewalk looking at a road intersection that we can't see.]

Josh: I wanted to do something nice for you while you were away on your vacation.

Gregor: Oh?

Josh: Since you're director of the city's Department of Transportation, I figured I'd do something to help with our fair city's traffic problems.

Gregor: Is that so?

Josh: That's when I got the idea to build this two-way roundabout! ^_^

Gregor: I see it.

Josh: Isn't it wonderful?

Gregor: You do know that a two-way roundabout completely defeats the purpose of roundabouts, don't you?

Josh: Well, of course—but only at grade! That's why this roundabout is two levels high. The upper deck moves counterclockwise and the bottom deck moves clockwise!

Gregor: I see that too.

Josh: Aren't you impressed?

Gregor: This is an intersection between two five-lane roads. When I said the Department was thinking about replacing it with a roundabout if we couldn't solve the traffic light timing problem, I was thinking of—and I can't believe I have to say this—a single-direction, single-level roundabout.

Josh: Yeah but I did it better and more Imperial.

Gregor: If by "better and more Imperial" you mean you've invented a more expensive version of a freeway interchange, then yes.

Josh: It was pretty expensive. But that just means it has more quality.

Gregor: I guess I only have one more question. Why do both levels of the roundabout have traffic lights?

Josh: [Preen.]

Gregor: Well?

Josh: Don't worry. They're always green. I put them in there so that people wouldn't miss the traffic lights that used to control this intersection. I think traffic lights are too cool for them to simply go extinct in favor of the roundabout.

Gregor: That one just turned red. No…they all just turned red.

Josh: Oh, yeah. That's because it's time to reverse the lanes.

Gregor: Wat?

Josh: Well, the upper deck has the better view and it isn't fair for one direction to have the better view all the time. So four times a day the lanes change directions.

Gregor: …