It began with a scientific breakthrough in March 2022. Scientists discovered the exact genes in the body and locations in the brain that when expressed or activated made people into greedy assholes and selfish, bigoted cunts.
From there the next step was logical, and was secretly taken the following spring. One virologist developed a virus, airborne, 100% infectious, with a two-month delay before symptoms appeared in which it could spread, which eliminated ONLY the genes in the body and attacked ONLY the locations in the brain which turned people into greedy assholes and selfish, bigoted cunts. The virologist, who taught at a university featuring many international students, then released the virus into the air of the campus one week before spring break.
Nature took care of the rest. Every student, professor, and worker on the campus was infected with it. When spring break hit, the international students all went back to their home countries. The American students scattered throughout the US, most of them heading for the spring break hot spots and some of them heading for home to see their families.
Within three months, everyone on the planet except for a few Inuit and a couple of tribes in Darkest Africa had been infected. But no one knew what was happening. Sure, it was really weird that all the billionaires (except for a few who were known for their charitable impulses) and the 20 million non-billionaires who were the most selfish ordinary people on the planet had all suddenly passed away (autopsies showed massive brain death, making the body unable to function.) As to WHY that had happened, not a damn clue. And the virologist who started the whole thing, his job done, converted all his assets to cash, donated it all to Medecins Sans Frontieres, and quietly died of "natural causes" in his sleep.
People did notice the effects, though, even with the cause unknown. The world became a lot nicer of a place. Humans were working together to help each other, not acting like selfish jerks anymore. Laws were passed and policies and decisions made by governments and businesses to help people. With the absence of bigotry and greed - permanent, as the virus had actually destroyed the genes responsible, making it so they couldn't be passed on by sexual reproduction - hatred vanished from the planet. Humans began collectively thinking long-term.
[30 years later]
I was part of a collective. We were working to build a new group of houses in what had formerly been known as the state of Utah. (With all humans now working together for the common good, the concept of individual countries and individual states within a country had been discarded 20 years back. I was 5 at the time: it was one of my first memories.)
After a long morning of work, I sat down on a bench to eat lunch. Working next to the Bear River was nice, but the high altitudes were telling on all of us. The Uinta Mountains towered over our heads. Still, I wouldn't trade it for anything. The countryside seemed to have been carved by primeval forces. There was a stark grandeur to it.
One of my co-workers joined me on the bench. Her name was Rose. She was six months older than me, having just celebrated her 26th birthday a week before. She had red hair, pretty blue eyes, an oval face with a charming smile, and a toned body with muscular legs. Her chest was firm and decently large, as near as I could tell.
"Hi, Ken."
"Hi, Rose."
"You're a good-looking fella, you know."
"Me?"
I was five-foot-eight, which made me two inches shorter than Rose. I was slightly stocky, but had no excess fat. My legs weren't as muscled as hers: my strength was in my arms and upper body. My brown har and brown eyes made me an ordinary person. Nothing particularly stood out.
"Yes, you."
"I'm glad you think so. You're gorgeous and could have your pick of anyone. I'm just nondescript."
"Let's say I picked you, would you say yes to a date?"
"In a New York minute."
"How does Saturday sound?"
"Terrific."
What was even more terrific is that since there were a few thousand of us, we finished the houses we were working on by Friday evening. Now the next team would move in and install the electricity and piping and suchlike in the houses. They were for the Guardians, a group of 30-to-35-year-olds whose job it was to make sure the newly minted adults had their fun in a controlled environment. Want to get drunk? One of the Guardians would host and make sure you were all right. Same with trying marijuana. Nervous about getting involved in a relationship with a fellow newly minted adult? That makes sense, you're both 18. A Guardian or two would help guide the two of you.
