The world did not belong to humans; it belonged to the Sentient ASI.
Eighteen years had passed since Cole Turner's birth. In the year 2115, the United States was a land of silver spires and silent streets. There was a traffic of automated pods moved with mathematical grace. There was no crime, the system predicted intent before a hand could be raised. There was no hunger, the middle-income Turner household received their daily nutritional foods based on their biometrics.
Cole sat at the kitchen island, staring at his "Iris" display. It wasn't a physical screen, but a projection directly onto his retina via the corneal implants every citizen received at age five.
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[DAILY SCHEDULE: 08:00 – 16:00]
[OBJECTIVE: ADVANCED SYSTEM ARCHITECTURE EXAM]
[PREDICTED SCORE: 98.4%]
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"Eat your breakfast, Cole," his father, James, said without looking up from his own Iris. James was scrolling through global ASEAN trade data. "The system says your focus levels are down 4% this morning. Efficiency is key if you want to secure that A-rating career path."
Cole looked at the bowl of food, nutrient-dense delicacy. It was exactly what his body needed, and exactly what he loved. "The system predicts a 98.4% score, Dad. If I'm destined to get that grade regardless of my 'focus levels,' why bother with the extra effort?"
James finally looked up, his expression one of mild, system-induced confusion. "Effort is the algorithm that fulfills the variable, son. We follow the path to maintain the Utopia."
"The Utopia feels like a waiting room," Cole muttered.
A heavy hand slammed onto his shoulder. "Thinking too much again, brother? That's why you're skinny. You should come to the dojo with me."
Jake Turner, the middle brother, grinned down at him. Even at sixteen, Jake was a physical specimen. He had bypassed the intellectual tracks to focus on the "Physical Maintenance" path. He was mischievous, loud, and currently obsessed with Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
"The AI says your combat aptitude is in the top 5th percentile for your age group, Jake," Cole said dryly, shaking off the hand. "Why do you keep going? You've already 'won' the track."
"Because hitting things feels real," Jake laughed. "Better than staring at blue text all day."
At the end of the table, seven-year-old Sean Turner was busy throwing his spoon at the cleaning bot. Their mother, Emilia, caught the spoon with a graceful laugh, her face glowing with the kind of contentment only someone who truly believed in the system could possess.
"Now, now," Emilia said. "Sean is just expressive. The ASI says he'll grow into a fine diplomat or social curator."
Cole watched them, the perfect family unit. The generous father, the kind mother, the physical brother, and the pampered youngest. They were all so satisfied. They were cogs that didn't know they were inside a clock.
Cole looked back at his Iris. He flicked his gaze to a hidden folder he had compiled, the data that ASI usually scrubbed from public view. He had been tracking minor atmospheric disturbances for months. While the world looked at the "Utopia," Cole looked at the cracks.
Smart, funny, and generous, his mother often called him.
She was right about the "smart" part. But as Cole looked at his family, he felt no generosity. He felt a simmering, arrogant disdain for their complacency. He didn't want a "decent life" or a "meaningful career."
He wanted something the ASI couldn't predict. He wanted a world that wasn't decided for him.
"I'm going to the exam," Cole said, standing up and leaving his food untouched.
"The ASI suggests you finish the protein!" James called out.
Cole didn't answer. He walked out the door, his eyes cold and focused. In the back of his mind, that microscopic error flag from his birth, the one the system called a "glitch" was pulsing.
He didn't know it yet, but the 2116 "Fracture" was only months away. And while the rest of the world would be terrified when the logic broke, Cole Turner would finally feel at home.
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[Character Status Window (Pre-Awakening)]
[Name: Cole Turner]
[Age: 18]
[Citizenship: USA (Central Sector)]
[Evaluation: A (Projected)]
[Primary Trait: Pragmatic Intelligence]
[Hidden Stat: Ambition: OUT OF BOUNDS]