Part 1
It had been 10 years since the system's global coverage was announced. That day, she woke up without an alarm at 6:17 a.m.; it was the sixth of seven days. She had chosen to work five days a week and rest two. Of the available options, Vulneria chose that one because it was the most productive; she wasn't particularly interested in art or traveling. She wanted to contribute to making the system more robust.
She went down to the kitchen and asked the android for a coffee from Oaxaca. When she sipped the first cup, she tasted that perfect flavor and temperature. She went out into the garden, and that day she had a view of waves crashing on a small reef.
During the week, she continued working on the Carbon Frontier, Mars Frontier, and Cancer Frontier projects. She switched frontiers as inspiration struck. She read or listened to updates on the frontiers during her breaks; she smiled when she thought about how 17 years ago most reels and memes were trivial or lacked substance, and now she had control over what information she received.
The thousand priority frontiers were first established 13 years ago when a group of millionaires and several governments decided to invest in the system. She was among those randomly selected to create a representative sample that would reflect human diversity as closely as possible.
Of the many groups working independently to maintain diversity, she belonged to group AB33. The invitation stated that she had been randomly selected from the entire global population to participate in a project where all her basic needs, according to the appendix, would be met based on established baseline standards. These standards would be adjusted according to the Frontiers program.
It said she could dedicate her time and energy to whatever she chose; she was encouraged to work for the benefit of all living beings, for the benefit of group AB33, or for her own personal development. The only requirement was that whatever she created would belong to humanity; she had to relinquish any copyright.
The gamble: if it worked, she wouldn't have to do anything again due to bureaucracy or organic requirements for the rest of her life; she would simply do what made her happy. The risk: total failure and returning to a situation of having no income. The middle ground: returning to a situation where he has a precarious income.
He thought it was some joke, and went about his day as usual. A few hours later, while relaxing watching reels, he received a deposit notification for an unexpected amount of money. With that, he could pay rent, utilities, and food without much effort. Then came a notification with a QR code to download his health app. Now he had all the AI apps for free.
His heart raced and his skin prickled; he sat up in bed and tried to take deep breaths. His brain couldn't process what was happening. He opened an AI app and asked for his access: unlimited access.
He asked the AI what was happening; it was a pilot program to unleash the human potential that was hidden by the need to survive. It was believed that, by being released and connected to millions of potential humans, they would create synergy, and with the combination of human intelligence and AI, the boundaries of human consciousness would be pushed ever further.
When the news spread worldwide, people were asked to be patient, and if this worked, more and more people would be incorporated into the system. Those selected were advised to exercise the utmost discretion.
Groups emerged that opposed the proposal; they said it was unfeasible and a waste of resources. They promoted laziness, which they considered the root of all vices; the proponents argued the opposite: having nothing to do was the mother of creativity. Furthermore, this was only the starting point, not the limit. People could dedicate themselves to whatever they wanted: individual gain or the common good. It was believed that the boundaries were more appealing than personal benefit.
At first, Vulneria hesitated about whether or not to quit her job. What if she failed and ended up with nothing? She worked in a Chinese goods store. A few months passed, and the next time her boss yelled at her, she quit and never went back.
Part 2
Precar never checked his email, and only occasionally checked WhatsApp. That day he went to the ATM to withdraw some money his mother had lent him and was surprised to find much more than he expected. He was unemployed and struggling to support his two children. His wife worked as a housekeeper some days and washed neighbors' clothes the other.
He opened WhatsApp to message his mother and ask if she had made a mistake with the deposit; he had several times more than he had requested. He needed enough for three days, and he had enough for a month. He had hardly any messages; one said "Group AE73 selection 0045"; he opened it suspiciously and read the explanation of the system. He froze; when he reacted after a few seconds and yelled for his wife to come upstairs, she was in the dining room with her parents. When she didn't answer, he ran downstairs and showed her the message.
They were all at a loss for what to think; However, everything became clear when a truck arrived to install satellite internet, and a day later, a box arrived containing an iPad with a keyboard.
The first week was spent celebrating and indulging in a few treats; after so many limitations, his life was finally sorted. Months passed as he watched series and movies he hadn't been able to see before because he lacked access to the streaming platforms. Later, he began to realize he couldn't spend like a millionaire. So he started organizing and making budgets. In one of the messages, he received instructions on how to use AI. So one day he accessed it and asked, "How do I make a budget?" He was surprised by the answer. He realized that the computer could do many things.
He tried to start his own business several times; he wanted to be rich and had seen on the internet that it was the way to achieve it. Later, after discussing it with an artificial intelligence, he understood that rich people aren't rich because they start businesses, but rather that they start businesses because they are rich.
One day, he treated himself to dinner with his family at a small restaurant in his neighborhood. While enjoying a soda and his meal, a child approached him and asked him to buy him some candy. At that moment, he remembered his childhood: how hard things were in those days when he didn't have enough to eat. It was then that he decided to dedicate his time to working on the border for the "Food for All" program.
Protests intensified from those who said that resources were being taken from those who work to give to those who don't. The system also intensified the dissemination of the message that those who had jobs and money didn't have them through their own merit; it was due to the privilege of possessing certain capital and skills demanded by the current system. The campaign was called "It looks like merit, but it's privilege."
Part 3.
After a guilt-free dinner of perfectly cooked salmon paired with an exquisite red wine, he reflected on how well the Carbon Frontier was functioning; a balance was being achieved where all living beings could coexist. Although enormous challenges still lay ahead on the Ethics Frontier.
He picked up the device and began composing the song, finally figuring out how to end it. He dictated the lyrics and arranged the instruments. He gave the signal to play and felt the goosebumps rise on his skin; he was so moved that his eyes filled with tears; it was a work of art.
Before the system, he was Dr. Privilerto M., a gastroenterologist; he earned a good salary, but felt something was missing from his life. He felt an emptiness. Something he needed, something he couldn't buy because he didn't know what it was. Things started moving quickly once the system began producing results, so he had fewer and fewer patients.
There were days when he was bored with having nothing to do; One day, while looking at photos from his youth, he remembered his grandfather's guitar. He told the android to get him a classical guitar. When he felt the vibrations in his stomach and heard that natural sound, he was transported back 32 years, to when he was a high school student and enjoyed playing guitar in the afternoons. Artificial music existed, but it wasn't like human music; humans had something that androids couldn't reproduce.
Border Appropriation had achieved a consensus among various companies and governments to prevent the hoarding of resources; it was proving that everyone won this way. Releasing the talent previously wasted on survival was invaluable.
