In the past, each human was connected to all other humans, such that anyone could have access to everyone else's consciousness at all moments. A dispatcher at a small-town hospital is particularly attached to another human: a woman who repairs floral coolers. He often chooses to see the world from a vantage point. He's not sure if what he feels for her is love, but either way, he is very attached to her, despite her seeming ignorance of his existence. One day, he is involved in a car crash. During that brief moment, he loses connection to the woman's consciousness. That short interruption makes him giddy; he had no idea that he could pass through life without being connected to everything all at once. The same thing happens at a mechanic's shop, when a car comes crashing down and endangers him. He realizes that, in moments of intense concentration and shock, he loses sight of her. He begins replicating these moments until he breaks his connection with her once and for all. He is the first human to take a step towards living a singular life, as opposed to all lives at once. He travels to where the woman lives and meets with her; she does not know him, but they begin to get to know each other, working from scratch because they are no longer connected. Together, they lead the way into humanity as it is today: a set of individuals who cannot fully know each other but may work to try.