The setting is San Diego County in 2068 - a smaller town in the northern part of the county. The world in 2068 is one of predictive technology and quantified automation. Everything is tracked.

Everything is controlled.

Everything is predictable.

Nothing is exciting.

Nothing is free.

Nothing dies.

Free radicals are readily replaced and aging is distant memory. Humans and pets can live however long they desire given they aren’t killed through accident, violence, or environmental forces. Nature is the only unpredictable aspect of daily life. Earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, fires, and any other natural disasters happen in random ways. In many ways, they serve an important role in bringing in new humans. Free Breeding is illegal, forbidden, and enforced through mandatory, but reversible sterilization. Most importantly for this opening chapter is The Alignment, the process through which all known data is analyzed and living humans are sorted into like-minded, similarly-behaving communities. In this first chapter, our protagonist Mary finds out she has been aligned to a new community. No one understands, but she does.

Mary Casper is our main protagonist. She has always been aligned to northern San Diego Sector as a rambler. She is judged by others to be one of the kindest people in the world - which is an accomplishment in 2068 because everyone is kind due to the non-existence of suffering. Nevertheless, Mary harbors a secret, and it’s one that would put her into misalignment with the San Diego Sector. Mary has a profound distrust of other humans. It started slowly as she noticed strange occurrences deemed coincidental, but her mind is particularly good at connecting dots and seeing patterns. This ability combined with an exceptional memory meant that she was unintentionally analyzing data until something clicks and she sees an unmistakable pattern. This ability surfaced patterns that has made her question this supposed perfect world created by The Benefactors. The cracks her mind uncovers has led to this profound mistrust. Additionally in the first chapter we will meet Mary’s neighbor and traveling companion - Day Knight. Day is a loyal, but somewhat reckless companion. She is often rushing into situations without thinking because she feels safe in the her world. Mary used to feel this way also - everyone in the San Diego Sector feels that way. Day, in particular, is one of the earliest early adopters of any new technologies or ordinances released by The Benefactors. The last major character we meet in the first chapter is a young member of The Benefactors’ Alignment Team. His name is Yosem Osman. Yosem arrives in the San Diego Sector to facilitate the new Alignments. Yosem is also breaking the mold he was meant to fit. Although all data from his life screams Benefactor, he has recently felt something he can quite label of understand - discontentment.

The chapter will start with the action. Mary has been aligned to a stable, monitored sector. These sectors provide everything needed to enjoy life and avoid suffering, but the residents are co fined to the borders of their given sector. Mary fights, but she is eventually captured, sedated, and transferred to her new home. What she doesn’t know is that this will be the catalyst that propels her into true hero status.