Todd thinks about the trajectory of his disease. The ever-changing mix of drugs and treatments causes many unexpected side effects. He has no children, so the only responsibility he feels is to tell his story. He speaks to his AI device, wondering whether he’s performing his memories for the device to record. Soon, he’ll need to resign from his company, Playground. The social media and technology, which he built from the ground up, made him one of the world’s wealthiest men. Even though his resignation will cause a big stir, he feels as though Playground has been running itself for many years. He has begun to have doubts about his will and thinks about his company’s imminent technology announcement, which will be “the next big step in evolution” (140).

Palila Tepa is known as the “Queen” of Makatea. The unofficial title comes with “privileges,” such as the right to sing and dance as she pleases. Palila knows many songs; her life is dedicated to music since these songs record and preserve her memories, her culture, and her community. She knows songs in many languages from many genres, as well as songs she invented. Many years ago, Palila worked in the offices of the French mining company in Makatea and then in similar offices on islands hundreds of miles away.