A Day in a Life with Future Priorities

Last time, we went over the Seven Priorities Killing Our Future.

This time, I invite you to join me in a flight of imagination.

One in which these are our priorities:

1. Off-Earth Orientation

2. Backups & Continuity

3. Exergy Maximization

4. Capability extension

5. Machine Alignment

6. Micro-sovereignty + radical transparency

Liam Castillo is not alarmed.

He is gently caressed into a waking state by the "fee-bee!" of Black-capped Chickadees, the bright chips of Dark-eyed Juncos, and the song of House Finches.

The light of the sun on his face completes his waking.

The tightness of his groin against the blanket tells him it's time to channel his desire for creation.

Liam lies there, looking up at the dawn sky. Aurora is gorgeous today, as she is every day.

Inhale, going up the orbital channel. Circulating energy as his left hand holds his heart through his chest. Exhale, going back down, spreading his desire throughout his body. When his toes are fully enervated, Liam rolls backwards over his shoulder into a crouch. He moves sideways to the left, then to the right. Up on his left leg, his right knee guarding his ribs. This he holds until he begins to wobble, then onto the right leg. The movements continue for an hour- exploring and remembering where every muscle in his body still connects. Where he is in relation to the world.

In the center of the courtyard, the family gathers. Now they see how they move as a whole. On the final movement, they look up at the sky. It is blind to the naked eye, but with their glasses on, they see the speck that is ERIS Clipper 2.

A soft sound plays in Liam's ears. The beginning of an overture. ALDOR says, "Priority One: significant mortality and unexpected finding in Killifish calcium imaging cohort."

Liam goes on his run. ALDOR continues the report, "Mortality rate in imaging group is 40%. Deaths occur 24-48 hours post-imaging. Surviving fish show circling and reduced feeding. We saw what looked like spreading waves of calcium activity across the tectum in Fish #16 right before imaging ended."

15 miles later, Liam stops to practice the old whitepowder firearms. Target, breath in, target, breath out, target. "Show me what you found from the survival curves, ALDOR," he says. "Alright. Let's try lower laser power. Shorter sessions. And what do we have for different indicators?"

When the sun begins its descent from its peak, Liam visits the lab.

He looks over the tanks, watching the movements of the fish. Tracing the lines of their movement in his AR display with his fingers. Making sure he remembers what they feel like. He smells each tank.

After ensuring that the children checked the seals and lubricants on the herder-bots, Liam meets with Drusilla. This season, Drusilla allocates capital. Tomi, the oldest child in the village, was theirs- what was that? Twelve years ago. They dance the Balboa. For a few minutes, they are a couple again.

Then Drusilla says, "We lost 833 person hours."

"Is that within budget?"

"Ask the real question, Liam."

"Will it dilute our Will?"

"We've had no major losses this season. And those Clipper 2 images really got people going."

Liam feels Drusilla's hesitation in her thighs. "Can we afford a party?", he asks.

"I think the energy is still there. It's not too close. The last one was two weeks ago," she says.

At dinner, Liam informs everyone. "We're going to start the Killifish imaging again. They were dying. We'll have to figure out why, then we'll start next cycle. We'll lower laser power."

Charity, the eldest woman at the gathering, leads the prayer.

Thousands of setbacks are expected for each step forward. But this one, ALDOR didn't know. This one, the market failed to predict.

Tomi, aged 12, backs the failed shard of ALDOR up.

The next one will be different.