my model of the universe has informed me that everything that I'm doing right now will leave a memory trace. In the next few moments, I will cease to exist and a being will appear who will remember most of what I am feeling right now.....

.....I care about experiencing happiness right now, in this moment before I disappear forever. I also care about those future beings - I want them to experience happiness during the moment of their existence. too. It's sort of like altruism for future beings which will carry my trace, even though we all realize altruism isn't the right word. Maybe we can call it "self-altruism" or more colloquially, self love.

I agree with your general line of reasoning, but I'd like to go a little more in depth. I think that personal identity is more than memory traces. What I consider part of "me" includes (but is not necessarily limited to):

-My personality

-My terminal values

-My memories

-My quirks and idiosyncrasies

"I" am aware that in the future "I" am going to change in certain ways. My utility function includes a list of changes that are desirable and undesirable, that correspond to "personal identity." Desirable changes include (but are not limited to):

-Changes that make me better at pursuing my values, such as learning new skills.

-Changes that add new positive memories to the memories I have

-Changes that cause me to have positive experiences.

Undesirable changes include: -Changes that radically alter my terminal values

-Changes that make me worse at pursuing my values.

-Amnesia, and lesser forms of memory loss.

-Changes that cause me to have negative experiences.

As you said, I exhibit "self-love," I want to make sure that the person I change into has changed in desirable ways, not undesirable ones. I want the person I turn into to be happy and have positive experiences, although I also recognize that not all my values can be reduced down to the desire to be happy or have positive experiences.

Lastly, let me say that this steel-manned conception of personal identity is a wonderful thing. It's good to have lots of distinct individuals, and that I believe the world would be a poorer place without personal identity.