Awakening in the Void

He emerges from hibernation in a crippled ship, surrounded by silence and the frozen detritus of his past. Panic gives way to the realization that he is not on Earth, but in deep space, far from home and family. His only companions are digital personalities, Sol and Miranda, echoes of a game world he once shared with his brother. As he surveys the damage, he discovers his ship has missed its destination by centuries, and he is orbiting a mysterious, dead world. The vastness of space and time presses in, and Toby is forced to confront the possibility that he is utterly alone, lost in a universe that has moved on without him.

Lost Centuries, Found Worlds

After a desperate attempt to survive, Toby is rescued and awakens in a city on a world called Lowdown. Everything is familiar yet alien: the architecture, the technology, even the air. He learns that while only months have passed for him, fourteen thousand years have elapsed in the outside universe. His family, his home, and everything he knew are gone. The people who find him treat him as a relic, a living myth. As he struggles to adapt, Toby is haunted by memories of his family and the realization that he is a stranger in a world built on the ruins of his own past.

The Lockstep Revelation

Toby learns that humanity has survived and thrived by inventing the lockstep: a system where entire worlds hibernate for decades, waking for only a month at a time. This allows them to travel, trade, and live in a universe where time is both a resource and a weapon. The lockstep is vast, encompassing thousands of worlds, all synchronized in their cycles of sleep and wakefulness. Toby's family, the McGonigals, are at the heart of this system, their technology and legacy shaping the fate of civilizations. The rules of time, power, and belonging are rewritten, and Toby must find his place in this new order.

Strangers in Familiar Skins

As he recovers, Toby is surrounded by people who know his name but not his soul. He meets Corva, a stowaway with her own secrets, and is drawn into the lives of those who see him as a symbol rather than a person. The lockstep's culture is a patchwork of myth, memory, and manipulation, and Toby is both revered and resented. He struggles with the weight of expectations, the loss of his family, and the realization that even his own memories are suspect. Every relationship is tinged with uncertainty, and every kindness may hide an agenda.

The Emperor of Time

The lockstep's official religion venerates him as the Emperor of Time, the one who waits and will return to end the cycle. Shrines and rituals abound, and his every action is scrutinized for signs and portents. Toby is both trapped and empowered by this myth, his identity subsumed by the needs of a civilization desperate for meaning. He is courted by revolutionaries and rulers alike, each seeking to use him for their own ends. The line between person and symbol blurs, and Toby must decide whether to embrace or reject the role thrust upon him.

Family, Memory, and Myth

Haunted by memories of his parents, siblings, and the trauma that drove them to the stars, Toby searches for truth in a world built on legend. He uncovers the story of his family's rise and the sacrifices that made the lockstep possible. The lines between love, duty, and betrayal are blurred, and Toby is forced to question the stories he has told himself. The past is both a refuge and a prison, and Toby must choose whether to honor or escape it.

The Cult of Waiting

As Toby's presence destabilizes the delicate balance of power, factions vie for control. The cult of Toby, with its rituals and prophecies, becomes a tool for both revolution and repression. The promise of his return is both hope and threat, and the world teeters on the edge of chaos. Toby is courted by those who would make him a messiah, and hunted by those who fear what he represents. The machinery of faith grinds on, indifferent to the suffering it causes.

The Price of Return

As he journeys through the lockstep, Toby is forced to confront the consequences of his family's choices. The system they built is both a sanctuary and a cage, and the price of immortality is stagnation and loss. Toby's attempts to help are met with suspicion and resistance, and every victory is tinged with regret. The past cannot be undone, and the future is uncertain. Toby must decide whether to fight for change or accept the world as it is.

The Game of Power

Toby's brother Peter and sister Evayne have become rulers, their childhood games of Consensus now played out on a galactic scale. The lockstep is their creation, and they will do anything to preserve it. Toby is both pawn and player, caught in a web of intrigue, betrayal, and manipulation. The rules of the game are always changing, and the stakes are nothing less than the fate of civilization. Family bonds are tested, and the line between love and enmity is razor-thin.

The Tyranny of Siblings

Toby learns the truth about his family's darkest secrets: the betrayals, the lies, and the crimes that built the lockstep. He is forced to confront Peter and Evayne, each determined to shape the future in their own image. The struggle for control becomes a battle of wills, and Toby must decide whether to forgive or fight. The cost of power is revealed, and the true nature of the lockstep is laid bare.

The Great Betrayal

The revelation of their father's role in the family's history shatters Toby's illusions. The trauma of the past is not just personal, but foundational to the entire civilization. The McGonigals are both victims and perpetrators, and the cycle of pain threatens to repeat itself. Toby must find a way to break free, to forgive, and to move forward. The weight of history is immense, but the possibility of redemption remains.

The Choice of Hope

Faced with the opportunity to seize power or walk away, Toby rejects the role of messiah and embraces the possibility of change. He proposes a new order: democracy, transparency, and the end of the McGonigal monopoly. The lockstep's future is placed in the hands of its people, and the era of waiting is over. Toby's choice is both an act of faith and a leap into the unknown. The future is unwritten, and hope becomes the guiding star.

The End of Immortality

The vote to democratize the lockstep is held, and the age of the McGonigals ends. The world moves on, and the myths that sustained it begin to fade. Toby is free to live his own life, no longer bound by the expectations of others. The price of immortality is revealed to be stagnation, and the promise of change is embraced. The lockstep becomes a place of possibility, not just preservation.

The Vote for Tomorrow

The lockstep's people take control of their own destiny, and the machinery of time is placed in their hands. The world is remade, not by gods or rulers, but by ordinary people. Toby watches as the civilization he helped create steps into the future, uncertain but unafraid. The past is honored, but not worshipped, and the promise of tomorrow is embraced.

The World Moves On

As the lockstep adapts to its new reality, Toby explores the fast worlds, seeking meaning and connection. The weight of history lifts, and he is free to love, to learn, and to grow. The world is no longer defined by waiting, but by living. Toby's journey is both an end and a beginning, and the future is open.

The Weight of Time

Toby reflects on the cost of immortality, the pain of loss, and the possibility of renewal. The lockstep's story is both a warning and a promise: that time can be both a prison and a gift. The past cannot be changed, but the future is always being written. Toby chooses to live in the present, to embrace uncertainty, and to hope.

Reunion and Farewell

Toby is reunited with those he loves, but the passage of time has changed them all. The bonds of family are tested, but forgiveness and understanding prevail. The myths that once defined them are set aside, and they are free to choose their own paths. Farewells are bittersweet, but the promise of new beginnings remains.

The Future Unwritten

With the lockstep's fate in the hands of its people, Toby and Corva set out to explore the universe together. The past is honored, but the future is theirs to create. The cycle of waiting is broken, and the story of humanity continues, full of hope, surprise, and possibility.

Characters

Toby Wyatt McGonigal

Toby is the emotional and narrative center of the story—a young man who awakens to find himself a living myth in a civilization built on the ruins of his own past. His journey is one of dislocation, grief, and gradual empowerment. Haunted by memories of his family and the trauma of loss, Toby is thrust into a world that reveres and fears him. He is both pawn and player in the cosmic game of the lockstep, forced to confront the consequences of his family's choices and his own. Over the course of the story, Toby evolves from a confused survivor to a leader who rejects the role of messiah, choosing instead to democratize the system his family built. His relationships—with Corva, his siblings, and the people of the lockstep—are marked by longing, betrayal, and ultimately, hope.

Corva Keishion

Corva is a stowaway, revolutionary, and Toby's closest confidante. She is resourceful, skeptical, and deeply loyal to those she loves. Her own experience of being separated from her family by the lockstep's time cycles mirrors Toby's, and their bond is forged in shared loss and struggle. Corva is both a guide and a challenger, pushing Toby to question the myths and power structures that define his world. Her pragmatism and courage ground Toby, and her willingness to risk everything for her brother and for Toby himself is a testament to her strength. Corva's journey is one of self-discovery, as she learns to let go of the past and embrace the possibility of a new future.

Peter McGonigal

Peter is Toby's younger brother, transformed by time and trauma into the Chairman of the lockstep. His childhood games of Consensus become the blueprint for a civilization, and his need for control shapes the fate of worlds. Peter is both victim and perpetrator, haunted by the betrayals of the past and driven by a desperate need to keep the system running. His relationship with Toby is fraught with rivalry, resentment, and a buried longing for reconciliation. Peter's ultimate willingness to relinquish power is both an act of redemption and a recognition of the limits of control.

Evayne McGonigal

Evayne, Toby's sister, is the public face of the lockstep's religion and the enforcer of its rules. She is both a symbol and a strategist, using the cult of Toby to maintain order and suppress dissent. Evayne is torn between love for her brother and loyalty to the system she helped build. Her actions are driven by fear—of chaos, of change, and of the truth about their family. Evayne's journey is one of gradual disillusionment, as she comes to see the cost of the myths she has perpetuated. Her eventual acceptance of change is a hard-won victory over her own fears.

Cassandra McGonigal (Mother)

Cassandra is the matriarch of the McGonigal family and the true architect of the lockstep. Her decision to winter over, waiting for Toby's return, becomes the seed of a civilization. Betrayed by her own children, she is entombed in hibernation, a living symbol of hope and loss. Cassandra's awakening marks the end of the old order and the beginning of a new era. Her wisdom, resilience, and capacity for forgiveness are the moral heart of the story.

Halen Keishion

Halen is Corva's brother and a leader among the revolutionaries who seek to overthrow the McGonigal order. He is driven by a sense of injustice and a desire to free his world from the tyranny of lockstep time. Halen is both ally and antagonist to Toby, pushing him to embrace the role of messiah even as he seeks to use him for his own ends. His actions force Toby to confront the dangers of power and the seductions of myth.

Jaysir

Jaysir is a "maker," a self-sufficient technologist who helps Toby navigate the complexities of the lockstep. He is pragmatic, inventive, and fiercely independent. Jaysir's loyalty is hard-won, but once given, it is unwavering. He provides both technical expertise and emotional support, helping Toby to understand the systems that govern his world and to find a way forward.

Shylif

Shylif is a stowaway and a man haunted by loss. His quest for justice for a long-ago betrayal mirrors Toby's own search for meaning and closure. Shylif's story is one of endurance and forgiveness, and his presence in Toby's journey is a reminder of the personal costs of the lockstep's system. He is both a companion and a cautionary tale.

Nathan Kenani

Kenani is one of the original Sedna colonists and a "Guide" tasked with maintaining the lockstep's culture. He is pragmatic, world-weary, and ultimately loyal to the truth. Kenani's revelations about the McGonigal family's past force Toby to confront uncomfortable realities. He is a bridge between the old world and the new, and his actions help Toby to break the cycle of secrecy and control.

Orpheus (the denner)

Orpheus is more than a genetically engineered pet; he is Toby's anchor in a world of uncertainty. His loyalty, resilience, and ability to bridge the gap between life and death make him a living symbol of the story's central themes. Orpheus's presence is a reminder that love and connection endure, even across the gulfs of time and loss.

Plot Devices

Lockstep Hibernation

The lockstep system is the central plot device, allowing entire worlds to hibernate for decades and wake for only a month at a time. This creates a civilization where time is both a resource and a weapon, enabling travel, trade, and the preservation of culture across millennia. The lockstep's rules shape every aspect of life, from politics to personal relationships, and the manipulation of its cycles becomes the primary means of power and control. The device is used to explore themes of immortality, stagnation, and the cost of preservation.

Myth and Identity

The cult of Toby, the Emperor of Time, is both a narrative device and a commentary on the creation of meaning. Myths are used to control, inspire, and manipulate, and the line between person and symbol is constantly blurred. The story uses prophecy, ritual, and religious iconography to explore how individuals are shaped by the stories told about them, and how those stories can become prisons as well as sources of hope.

Sibling Rivalry and Betrayal

The relationships between Toby, Peter, and Evayne are both personal and political, mirroring the larger struggles of the lockstep. Childhood games become the templates for cosmic power struggles, and the traumas of the past are replayed on a galactic scale. Betrayal, forgiveness, and the possibility of redemption are explored through the lens of family, with each sibling representing a different response to loss and change.

The Vote and Democratization

The climax of the story is the decision to democratize the lockstep, ending the McGonigal monopoly and placing power in the hands of the people. The vote is both a literal and symbolic act, representing the possibility of change and the rejection of destiny. The device is used to explore the tension between control and freedom, and the risks and rewards of embracing the unknown.

Foreshadowing and Cyclical Structure

The narrative is structured around cycles—of sleep and wakefulness, of betrayal and forgiveness, of hope and despair. Foreshadowing is used to hint at the dangers of repeating the past, while the cyclical nature of the lockstep serves as both a warning and an opportunity. The story ultimately suggests that while history may rhyme, it does not have to repeat, and that the future is always open to surprise.

Analysis

Lockstep is a profound meditation on time, memory, and the cost of immortality. Through the lens of a far-future civilization built on synchronized hibernation, Karl Schroeder explores the paradoxes of preservation and change, the dangers of myth, and the enduring power of hope. The lockstep system, with its promise of eternal life and stability, is revealed to be both a sanctuary and a prison—one that preserves not just people, but traumas, injustices, and the weight of the past. Toby's journey from lost survivor to reluctant leader is a powerful allegory for the struggle to reclaim agency in a world defined by the expectations of others. The story's central lesson is that true immortality is not found in the endless repetition of the past, but in the willingness to embrace change, to forgive, and to hope. By democratizing the lockstep, Toby and his family break the cycle of waiting and open the door to a future that is unwritten, unpredictable, and full of possibility. The novel is both a cautionary tale about the dangers of control and a celebration of the resilience of the human spirit.

Last updated: August 20, 2025