An elemental scheme for an alternative theory to quantum mechanics is proposed. The aim is to reproduce quantum phenomenology avoiding intrinsic randomness and action at a distance, but allowing temporal and spatial non-locality. The hypothesis is that all particle dynamics are driven by a non-local but real optimization principle which determines trajectories by minimizing/maximizing a quantity. This quantity is computed uniformly over an unbounded cluster of events no matter when or where they take place. These events are understood as the points where a possible path forks and eachoption contributes differently to the optimized quantity. In this article the mechanism is sketched using a toy model for the measurement of a particleof spin 1/2 (or two for the entangled case) where the events computed for the particle path are kept discrete and dual. The calculation that follows is aimed to provide a natural yet non-local explanation of the violation of Bell inequalities without the requirement of any intrinsic randomness or express ‘hidden variables’. No method or formalism from current quantum mechanics is intended to be used. Only the experimental outcomes for measurements of spin1/2 particles are considered.