In the Time Machine movie J pointed out that there WAS a "two-people-at-the-same-time problem", that Alexander showed up early at the date, told Emma to go home, and disregard his being upset when she didn't show up. I didn't catch that, my bad.

But I still don't see how fate insists that she must die because the time machine was built. Was fate aware of Alexander's intentions?

I've often wondered about the multiple universe theory. When I first thought that all the universes started at the same time and that some are just more similar to ours than others, perhaps with just one difference of someone's decision, I can accept that, at least in theory. But when I learned that this wasn't the theory, that, according to the theory, a new universe is spawned at someone making a decision, one universe housing one decision, and another universe housing another option of that decision, I ask, how did the universe judge that this was a potential juncture? Hmmph!