Chapter 1
Alexander is in precisely the same situation wherever he goes. The cities’ layouts differ, as do their stone, steel, and glass. The beings around him, with their seemingly varied names and faces, are a singular truth. Beneath it all lies the inescapable residue of his thoughts and actions, made manifest. It is all Alexander—everything. Some call it God. I call it karma. Alexander calls it the Taskmaster.
It follows him across rebirths. The Task is inevitable. He has no choice but to accomplish it. Days of reprieve exist, but the burden only grows heavier to compensate. Expenses rise with income. Five cycles per solar period—just enough to be feasible, yet always flirting with the impossible.
The medication Alexander takes to endure the Task is part of its machinery. He always gets his pills, even when hope seems lost, just as he always finds food. The Task unfolds whether he participates or watches. Location and time are irrelevant. Another Task awaits, and you are implicated—knowingly or not, willingly or not.
My task is to reveal the Task’s nature to him and you. This mirrors your own task, whatever you believe it to be. My counsel is simple: Do it. It will end. Then do it again tomorrow—five times daily—without complaint. Resistance is futile, and protest only amplifies the weight. As for compensation? You’ll receive exactly what is allotted. Not a penny more or less. Stop counting.
