PREFACE
By Nicole Freire-Cabrera 
UCACUE – Ecuador

           The following story tries to show an apocalyptic and dystopian future of 2100, where humans become so selfish and without feelings that they are willing to leave behind the population that they consider unfit and only useful for heavy work without resources. Here I wish to show the importance of working people in society, the importance of the work they perform and the ways in which a human being should live minimally, as well as possible solutions to the problem of global warming by answering the following question: What would happen if the ozone layer that covers the earth disappears?

INTRODUCTION
What is Aurium? A place of dreams, where the most fortunate, intelligent and powerful people of the old world live in harmony, with luxuries for themselves and their offspring. Who are "The Others" poor people living in caves believed to be uneducated and without status, the working class of the old world.
The situation of these two worlds is so different that they cannot find the same place to coexist, it is them and the others, black and white.
What is it like to live on both sides, how to live and make a small difference, how the world is changing and how to cope with it? 
People are selfish beings, they never see beyond their noses so how do you propose a solution without leaving out others?
Architecture is an essential way to be able to mix these two worlds where you can plant various social situations that affect this connection with others and with nature itself.

CHAPTER 1
The Beginning

-Will you tell me the story again? -said my brother for the second time that day. 
I sighed and turned to look at him, his face was almost disappearing in the gloom, I looked for a candle and lit it so I could have a good look at him. 

-Do you want to learn it? -He looked at me while nodding his head. I copied his action and carried him in my arms walking with him to the most comfortable chair I managed to find a week ago - May I know why?

-I want to re-imagine what life was like before everything... to have a memory of something I might not get to live and I want to cherish a memory of grandma with a happy life," he looked down at his hands and I could feel his body shrink and become even smaller.

I was always amazed at the way he spoke, it made him sound like someone who had lived for a long time, even though he was only 10 years old. Unfortunately he seems much younger since I've never managed to bring home much food than I can find in Aurium's garbage.  

I sighed and rubbed his back - It was the year 20-19... - I began to narrate - Grandma was 10 years old, in her time people treated each other mostly as equals, they had something called internet available to almost everyone... you could look at many things with that, phones with something called cameras, light and clean clothes, books, big houses with lights you could turn on with a button, water you could find everywhere, food - I smiled - And as many colors as the inhabitants of the bubble possessed.

He looked at me smiling, listening attentively to every word that came from my lips, I told him the part I liked the most so he could sleep, the good part, because after that humanity plummeted into a hole from which few could get out. The people who had the most "value and profit" were the ones who were spared a life full of deprivation, they were saved from living like animals.

As my grandmother used to tell it, no one could be prepared for the events that occurred in the year 20-20 and beyond. A pandemic hit the world's population, it started in the now defunct China, people spent years with things that could cover their mouths, noses and eyes. Then in the year 20-45 thanks to pollution the ozone layer that protected the earth disappeared completely, many people died from skin problems, the only way we managed to survive was by wearing so many clothes that completely covered all the skin, you could no longer live in the houses, they were not safe and gradually began to deteriorate, crack and disappeared. 

That same year, people began to change, everything was synonymous with fighting to the point of death, people killed for a small drop of water, for clothes, for dark places to live and for food. The government withdrew from the citizens all trace of energy with the excuse that this should not be spent deliberately, that it should serve to keep in operation what was left and was protected underground laboratories and others that would serve us to develop a solution to the problem.
 
Then in the year 20-76 the people who came up with a temporary solution, or so the population was led to believe, began to work with the high-ranking people in the government, developing a crystal that protected from the sun's rays. People were excited, they began to have hope thinking that they could finally have some normalcy again.

 Scientists, mathematicians, physicists, engineers and architects were the ones who successfully achieved the city of Aurium, the plans were presented and how the city would work, it was a complete marvel but, to achieve it we all had to collaborate so teams were made to search for crystals, materials in the best condition, reagents from very distant places in which it was not known if they were still there or if they still existed, in short, people did their part to have a better life.

In the end, construction began at night, because during the day it was impossible due to the sun's rays. Then people gradually began to realize that something was not right with the dimensions because over time people stopped reading and being aware of the measures, especially the young people who were born after the tragedy and were the ones building the bubble that would cover the new city... they began to see that the radius of 1 km around was too little space for everyone.

They told them that in fact not everyone would be able to enter, only the people who built the bubble, since they were the ones who were able to make the project possible, in addition to the people who built the houses and buildings. Then they threatened not to let them or their family in if they spread the word, so for fear of what might happen they didn't release a word to their families with the promise that they would be able to live safely after they finished. 

And so 4 years passed, one day before the inauguration the young people started to feel guilt, it was supposed to be something for everyone and unfortunately not everyone could access, it was the place where fresh water ran as they found a not so damaged reservoir that they were able to fix, energy, the land was starting to bear fruit and small trees, the animals that they could get in a disastrous state they could cure them so that they would not become extinct and continue to reproduce so they could also eat some meat, where they promised that soon the technologies of before would return, this is why the young people met with the authorities, they made their points and they seemed to understand.
 
That was a serious mistake... the next night the entire population went to Aurium, but they could not enter, the armed guards who were located 4 meters high outside the bubble pointed at them, asked them to turn around and not to return, that only families with "superior" descendants and "privileged" mind for human repopulation were allowed. People began to protest, the young people who had worked hard on that project were cheated and thrown away like garbage, my mother was part of that group of young builders.

A war broke out, between Aurium's army and "The Others", as the people of the city call us, and they fought with anger and fervor. They fought with anger and fervor, but the Aurium troops were armed, what chance would the people who fought with simple sticks and the occasional bent knife have? Many people died that day, after the war I remember seeing a great friend of mom's walk into the cave where I still live, almost bleeding to death begging for help, but... she never came back, I was 5 years old. My grandmother could not have children but my mom was like her daughter and I was her granddaughter, so when she could not find her body she cried with me for many days, for the loss of her only daughter, grandma raised me until her body could no more, by that time my brother was already here at home, she had rescued him from the desert when his real parents left him alone and abandoned in the desert at 6 years old in broad daylight, it seemed that they left him with the intention that hopefully he could die quickly.

And so is the whole story up to the present day, year 2100, telling how humanity is coming to an end thanks to the selfishness of the most powerful.       
     

 

CHAPTER 2
Unexpected

I woke up because of the noise that was heard inside the cave, I stood up immediately and grabbed a sharp stone that I used to defend myself, I left my brother behind me and when I realized that they were people from the army it was then that I got scared, I looked at them attentive to any movement and studied their clothes, they had a kind of armor on the body of white with gray, they were covered from head to toe so much that I could not distinguish if they were men or women. 
There were four of them and they were located two in front and two behind looking at me or so I thought, I did not move a single muscle I was just waiting to see what happened until a deep and excited voice was heard in the silence, I saw a man with a long and thick hood come out in the middle of the soldiers, the man took off his hood and looked at me with a somewhat disturbing smile, he approached where my brother and I were.
-Look at you, but you look just like her," he said, turning to look at the soldiers, "Right? -He turned to look at me again, "Nice to meet you, sorry to intrude on your..." he looked around and then smiled again "Home, we have good news for you" he looked behind me "Is he your son? -I denied -Brother? -I nodded -Oh, wonderful. In that case you Miss Anica and your brother are completely committed to Aurium," he said excitedly.
I didn't understand what was going on, am I dreaming, am I having a hallucination, how does this man know my name? I know I should calm down, these guys could kill me with a single bullet discharged by any of those armed soldiers.
-How does he know my name? How did they know where I was? -I tried to pronounce the words without stuttering and in a hard way.
-Don't worry about that, you just come with us, there is a person waiting for you in the dome. You went to a lot of effort to get the directors to let you and the family you have formed in, so do you have any other relatives?
This was a lot to process, it is a pass to a better life than the one we are living, I am not stupid, of course I will go but if I go with my brother, I have to also take the people who take care of me and vice versa -yes, I have more family. 
-Would you be so kind as to take us with them? We must leave before dawn.
I nodded and stood up, I grabbed some things from my brother and me -Don't worry you can leave everything you want we already have everything for you in Aurium.
I looked at him and continued grabbing one thing or another, when I finished, I looked at the man and he stepped aside pointing to what looked like a metal square with wheels, a car? how did grandma say, we got in it, after being locked in there for a few minutes while he told us where to go, the man with the too big smile kept on talking about how lucky I was. 
When we arrived at the other cave where my friends lived, I got off the device with my brother (I was not going to leave him alone with them), I entered the cave in a hurry, I quickly explained to them what was happening and that this was our chance, they looked behind me and then I turned around, the man was staring at me.
-I'm sorry, but by family we meant the blood family, they will not be able to enter. I'm so sorry, I thought I had made myself clear. 
-But they have taken care of us too, we can't leave them, if they don't go we won't either.
I felt how they grabbed my shoulder and pulled me back and then whispered to me -Don't be silly, they must leave here... -I looked at my friend -Understand.
-I'm not leaving without you.
-Yes, you will," she sighed, "Don't worry, we'll be fine. You've already taken care of us, now it's your turn to take care of yourself. Please don't waste this... maybe if you go you could make things better, we trust you will.
After a very short time discussing I understood that it would not be possible to take them with me now... but that I could try to change things so that someday we would all meet again.
I said goodbye to them with tears in my eyes and promised that I would take them with me someday, that they would be patient and try to take care of themselves as best they could.
I felt so bad to have given them hope, to have given them a little ray of hope and then take it away, I don't know how I will do it, but I will not leave these people helpless, somehow I will manage to convince the people of Aurium, no, not only them, but the government to let them in. 
After a few hours climbing in the car, as I heard him finally call the man (confirming my suspicion), we arrived at the border, they opened the dome and the car entered. I looked around astonished, and my brother clung to me scared looking also through the glass that allowed us to see everything clearly, the lights on in the houses and buildings just as grandma told us it had been before, maybe better, I really don't know.
-Welcome to Aurium," said the man as he looked at us still with a smile that he had only removed when we went with my friends.
It was all so beautiful, I couldn't believe it, it seemed so unreal.
After a few more minutes we arrived at a huge building, I remember the days when I would come to see, near here, if there was any food. It is the biggest building here and this was the center of it all. The man invited us to get out of the car and we saw him take off the big coat he was wearing.  
My brother and I looked at him scared and then he laughed a little, "Relax, you can take off all those clothes, you don't need to wear them here, you'll see," he said looking up at the dome, "This dome protects you from the sun's rays, it's like having an ozone layer again. In addition, the houses and other things that exist here are also covered with the same material of the dome, it is an extra protection for any situation, our scientists together with the architects and engineers conducted several studies, and determined that this would be the solution, if you look around, you can also notice that each access to the houses and buildings have some machines, right? These are useful when it is very hot, these devices provide us with cold air and filter the air makes the ventilation of the dome is clean, and allows the dome does not fog up inside if it rains (which has not happened for almost a decade), so we can see out, besides being a kind of oxygen concentrator that was very necessary for the year 20-19.
I nodded to what he said, even though I didn't understand him much. 
-By the way, I am the architect Kalip Roldan," he smiled, "Sorry for not introducing myself from the beginning, anyway let's continue, the person who made you come is in one of these rooms, please follow me.
After entering the building, I became very nervous. Do I have such an important relative that I was brought here? Is it a distant uncle or aunt? Every time we took a step, I felt like I was breathing less and less. When we reached the 30th floor, the machine that was taking us up stopped. The man looked at us and signaled us to go into that house, it was so clean and had so many things, I don't even know how to describe them or name them, but everything made the atmosphere feel peaceful and safe. 
I went inside with my brother and then I heard the machine beep I turned around and saw that the doors were closing as the man waved goodbye and said "Good luck" before he disappeared.
Again, I turned around because I heard a subtle noise behind me, when I turned around I could distinguish a lady, she looked at me from head to toe and smiled with teary eyes. I got a little scared and stepped back.
She came closer to me and took one of my hands -Anica... you have grown so much -she said and this time she broke into tears hugging me.

 

CHAPTER 3
New Life

7 years later.
    Today was a great day, I would finally become an architect, I studied a lot, and everything to be able to make a city in which without exception all the inhabitants of the remaining population would live with dignity.
This exhibition was very important, it would be taken into account for the remodeling project of the dome, we could do whatever we wanted to solve the problems that could happen in the future.
It is here where I have to convince the board to open the dome to let people in from outside, assuring them that it will be the best and that we will have room for everyone. 
    -Daughter, come have some breakfast. You must fill your stomach so you have strength," she stroked my hair, "I know you will make it. Courage! -she smiled
    I looked at her and smiled, since I've been here, little by little I got to know my mother better, she told me everything that happened and why she disappeared that day in the war. She told me that day she was willing to fight for what she had built, she had given her time and effort, she could not let it go and give it away so easily. She told me that she had met a soldier long before the war, and little by little they became good friends. That day in the middle of the war my mother was wounded with a bullet at the end of the dispute, and as there were many bodies outside the dome the government people sent to get rid of the bodies so that they would not be in sight of everyone, it was then that this soldier found my mother almost dead around the deceased. He helped her and passed her off as his wife so that the doctors would help her, otherwise they would kill her. And that is how she managed to live here, in the end the two fell in love and got married, immediately my mother asked to be allowed to enter with my grandmother, but they were denied many times until a new judge decided that she could come.
That's why my brother and I had the right to live here, that's why they brought us that day, because they had already approved it.
    -Thank you, mom, I hope Kalip will support me and play in my favor with the board of directors," I smiled.
    Kalip, the man who brought me became a very close friend, he helped me a lot to adapt, to learn from him and his profession. I understood that if I wanted to help the people from outside, I had to know how to convince and to set up a safe Aurium with enough infrastructure for everyone. So, I could bring the family that I have had outside... I never forgot about them, and I know I am taking a long time but it was the best I could do. 
    After a few minutes I said goodbye to my mom and Ryu (my brother), I am thankful that finally he is no longer malnourished, nor dirty, it hurt me so much to see him in that state. So, for him and the other people who are still in that situation I will convince those people. 
    I got out of the building and got into the car with Kalip, we talked about my project, he gave me advice and warned me that the committee when reading my topic was a little reluctant to the simple idea, but he also told me that this is not the end, that my exhibition has to be well put together and not leave gaps so that they do not have how to refute my ideas.

            We arrived at the exhibition building and I went to get ready, after half an hour it was my turn. I went up to the podium and started my presentation, at the beginning I could hear people murmuring about my project, but that could not intimidate me, I had to continue. When I finished, I did not receive applause or anything like my competition. I waited there for a few minutes and one of the directors began to ask me questions that the public had about the project, how would I solve overcrowding in such a small ecosystem if we let more people in and how would I deal with the creation of a new dome? To which I responded.

             Where do you think you could get the glass that houses us all here? This material has multiplied in recent years outside this dome and can also be recreated here, the expansion of the dome is one of my main foundations to keep our way of life safe without letting others die outside for not having an opportunity, these people are hardworking and struggling, they built this dome, however, they can not enjoy it, the workforce would be insured we count on it. A long time ago hope was given to the population, maybe it was not possible at that time, but now we are in time to make things right, that this time, to assure that they will be able to live in the land they were promised, now we have many more options than we had before, we have robots that walk our pets, why not share it, why not let those robots help us to build a new dome and new houses? For them it would be enough to have a house with minimal dimensions, they do not need riches, they need a safe and dignified home, gentlemen we can make a change, we have the duty and obligation to provide help, we have the means to do it, please do not make the same mistakes of the past, just think for a minute how would you live if you were out of here?

 

CHAPTER 4
The Future

-Please check that, everything has to be perfect for the inauguration -I said smiling looking around me, this second dome is what humanity needed -tomorrow is everything, I am very proud of everything we achieved in the last 10 months of construction. I thank you again for believing and contributing to this project, hundreds of families will thank you too.
There was applause and I could not stop smiling, I finally achieved what I had longed for the most. I am proud of myself, I managed to make the people of Aurium listen to me and be on my side, the directors had no choice but to give in. 
After leaving everything ready, we all went back to our homes, tomorrow we will celebrate the opening of the dome, it will become a festivity. I was also the one who gave the news to all the families outside the dome, I had to go out with the soldiers to give the announcement. I am sure they are traveling here.
    When I got home I hugged my mom and Ryu finally breathing a sigh of relief.
            -I am so proud of you Anica, you did it... you helped people to empathize with others and not just think about themselves. After so many years we managed to see that humanity is still alive - she looked at me and I realized that we were both crying with joy, we dried our tears and she sighed -Well go and rest, tomorrow night you have to be ready to sign the project.
I nodded and gave them both a look before going into the bedroom. Today I would finally sleep in peace.
I was already ready with the microphone in my hand as I looked at all the people outside, waiting to go in. I took a deep breath and began to speak.

-This is a historic moment in which the winners of this struggle are all of us, finally we have the pleasure and joy of saying that we will live in peace and harmony after all that humanity has gone through for almost a century, and I am so happy to welcome you to my project, which is also yours, welcome to your new lives, to your new home. Here you will be able to find everything you need, and from next week each inhabitant of what for now we have called the second dome will be able to get a job, to be able to support themselves with dignity... like all those who live here -I smiled and with a gesture I let them open the doors -Welcome to your future. 
Everyone began to enter slowly and slowly, you could perceive the distrust they had for us, I knew it would be difficult, they are like me when I got here, for me everything was unknown, too fantastic, a city that I would see only from the outside and in my wildest dreams. 
The main dome was closed for security reasons until all the inhabitants of the other domes were installed and attended by doctors. The new facility, like the first one, was magnificent and had similarities. The elevated streets arranged in floors on top of each other, forming networks of connectivity were one of my favorite things, looking down on the magnitude of the project was a dream, the green areas that dominated the environment brought a clarity and naturalness that was not seen more than 70 years ago... finally we can all enjoy the life we deserve.    
The technology developed in recent years helped the realization of several elements and the replication of a few animals, through the search for skeletons and tissues that was done with archaeologists and laboratorians, we had a breakthrough ... but unfortunately you cannot recover the disaster that is out of here, when it is daytime, being outside the domes everything becomes chaotic. Radiation and other factors, as well as human errors ended up leaving the earth in a kind of trance, new species of animals and materials are appearing, they are totally unknown to the people who remain in the dome but the people who went on expeditions and the new settlers know that these new creatures will be a big problem, because we do not know how they will evolve and since when they are treading the same ground as us. The problem of humans attacking humans will gradually change, but what will happen with this new threat? Are we prepared for the unimaginable number of alternate futures that await us?
The future... is too uncertain. Probably the Earth will start to give us war, just as it sent a lung disease the day everything started to change.
My hypothesis is very simple, just as the human body produces defenses and kills the virus that possesses the individual, the Earth tries to eliminate the plague that is making it sick, that is us, a virus.
The planet is cyclical as my colleagues at work explained to me in a meeting for the realization of this small ecosystem created, from the ashes the Earth on several occasions renews itself and produces new nutrients to stay alive and I am sure that part of the process is our extinction as a human race. Unfortunately, if we are not sufficiently prepared for what is coming, we will have many difficulties to fight back and continue to exist in harmony, a false harmony that is only enclosed in these walls. 
It is no longer a matter of social problems, this escalated to a war of species and worlds, I confirmed this hours later, when the medical checkups began, when we noticed new textures in the skin of the inhabitants of the second dome, the needles with medicine broke when they wanted to pierce the skin, some people had difficulty breathing the new filtered air of the domes, there was a great difference in size and strength. People were adapting to the chaotic climate outside, which would bring new diseases and new conflicts. 
This directly closed the bridges between domes until further notice, until it was confirmed that it would be safe for others to mix. The doctors will keep a strict protocol of contact with "the others", yes, they used that word again. I understand the feeling of fear, I have it too, but what will become of us when the lab studies are done?
Would it be correct to say that we humans are still human? And if not, what are we now?

 

EPILOGUE

At the conclusion of the story I have chosen to leave an open ending so that readers have the opportunity to imagine for themselves the conclusion to which I finally achieved the union and equity of people with an unknown question of whether it was really solved, the science fiction aspects can be seen reflected in a world full of lack and only a minimum of people considered the best of the best enjoy countless riches without remorse and with wonderful technological advances, on the other hand are the people who struggle every day to stay alive and the evolution that will have the human race as well as the future of the Earth itself.

REFERENCES
Pérez, Mav. n.d. “EL CALENTAMIENTO GLOBAL.” Archivos.csif.es. https://archivos.csif.es/archivos/andalucia/ensenanza/revistas/csicsif/revista/pdf/Numero_25/MARIA_ARACELI_VILLEN_2.pdf.
Rojas, Carmen, and Marcel Ewert. 1969. “ESTUDIO ANALITICO COMPARATIVO DE LOS RECIPIENTES DE VIDRIO DE FABRICACION NACIONAL PARA APLICACION FARMACEUTICA.” Revista Colombiana de Ciencias Químico-Farmacéuticas 1 (2): 68–107.
Arencibia-Carballo, G. (2016). La importancia del uso de paneles solares en la generación de energía eléctrica. REDVET. Revista Electrónica de Veterinaria, 17(9), 1-4.
Bodei, S. (2016). La Fábrica verde de la Ciudad lineal industrial: una propuesta de Le Corbusier para el trabajo del hombre en la “época maquinista”. En LE CORBUSIER. 50 AÑOS DESPUÉS. Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València. 256-271. https://doi.org/10.4995/LC2015.2015.1128

Images cited
Fig. 1
Davies, S. y Ang, R. (2020, 28 de marzo). Monument Valley: cosas que debe saber antes de visitar . TravelAwaits. https://www.travelawaits.com/2492930/monument-valley-cosas-para-saber/

Fig. 2
«Lo Que Esconden en Dubai, y la Alucinante Ciudad Bajo el Domo» [Libertalya] . (2019, 16 de octubre). Tiempos de Cambio/Times of Change. https://tiemposdecambio-timesofchange.com/2019/10/16/lo-que-esconden-en-dubai-y-la-alucinante-ciudad-bajo-el-domo-libertalya/

Fig. 3 y 4
proyectos _ (s/f). Manuel Monteserín. Recuperado el 24 de noviembre de 2022, de https://www.manuelmonteserin.com/?portfolio=green-million-city-mars-2018.%20Manuel%20Monteser%C3%ADn%20architect:%20Algi.