TEST DRIVE MEME 003

[larkers]

> TEST DRIVE MEME #003

Welcome to the Meadowlark test drive meme! After waking up in strange and rather worrisome conditions, characters will need to begin to live their lives in this new world. All TDM threads take place after the arrival process, so please assume that the initial adjustment period has passed. Now it's time to see the bright sights and sounds that New Amsterdam – and beyond – has to offer. All Meadowlark test drive memes will not be game canon. Please feel free to carry on relationships that make sense, but if your character is off on a colony researching terraforming or in jail because they vandalized corporation signage with Morningstar's emblem, that will be a little harder to transfer into game. All applicants can use threads from the TDM for their samples.

> SETTLING IN

There is very little that can smooth over the experience of your arrival in this world. Coming to in a van, drugged and restrained, only to be carefully helped out by the unknown guards and nurses and then abandoned in an alleyway. What comes after is relatively straightforward: you're found by others and taken back to a safehouse, hidden under an abandoned supermarket. This has happened before. There are others not from this world who have experienced the same, with no recollection of how they came here, bearing signs that they've lost months of their lives, but unfortunately, no more answers on how or why than you do. There are theories, crossed realities, a very real sense of immense violation to one's self. Maybe this knowledge brings you a growing sense of futility, or perhaps it inspires a deeper determination in you. But even as you begin to think on what next, life has to go on. All of the new arrivals will be given a fake ID and a background that will lend them access to entry-level jobs. It may be overwhelming, but Morningstar won't be asking anyone to get their lives together immediately. It would take at least a month's wages to put down a deposit on even the smallest apartment in the city, so everyone has a grace period before they set out. Morningstar will also make their purpose clear if asked: they are a group dedicated to fighting corruption and righting the wrongs of this world, though they won't go into detail to someone who isn't a member. It will be made expressly clear that anyone who's received assistance from Morningstar has to keep that a secret, as it could compromise their life and safety, as well as the lives of others. > 001: EXPLORE THE CHANGES You have been changed, and unfortunately Morningstar know very little about how or why. They won't be able to give a crash course to answer everything, and in fact, may seem just as surprised (or scared) as you over some of the strange abilities you now have. They know this has happened, but it's just as strange for them as it is for you. Most of the troubling changes will be what's happened to each person's physiology. Every aspect of this situation is already enough to make someone feel scared, stressed, confused, or even angry at what's happened to them - having to navigate a new, crowded and noisy world could easily provide enough stimulation to make it worse . Unfortunately, strong emotion could be just the key to triggering your new power. To get things under wraps, you'll want to duck away to somewhere more private or hidden. Thankfully, there are numerous underpasses, dark corners, and currently-empty shops, but you'll need to be quick to avoid raising any eyebrows – or avoid hurting anyone. Otherwise, you might prefer to play it safe and avoid striking out before you have more answers. As much as Morningstar has been helpful, you know that the others in your situation may have more information. But be careful that you don't end up sharing more than you intended. Every instance of skin-to-skin contact will trigger an immediate empathic bond, letting you feel the other person's emotions and vise versa. While there's nothing that can be done to completely prevent this, someone can either decide to hold on and continue sharing that level of emotional intimacy, or let go and end the shockingly vulnerable exchange. > 002: THE NETWORK One thing Morningstar do know about is the neural implant. This piece of tech is a basic necessity of life in this world, and you now have one in your head. Thankfully Morningstar are able to provide any necessary information to help you understand this new tool and its application to daily life. Early on, every newcomer receives access to an encrypted network, only available to you and the others like you, making contact between you easy and safe. Familiarize yourself with this network and dig in. Perhaps you're hoping to find some bigger answers, ask about the latest weather or nail polish trends in New Amsterdam, or want to discuss how much Morningstar suck in a venue where they'll absolutely see it. Don't worry, you won't be booted. They're used to it. There are private, one-on-one modes of communication available as well, though without the security of Morningstar's encryptions, they're much less safe. You can make calls, send texts, make videos, and even interact with others in a VR simulation – however, there it's made very clear that the government has a means of tracking these. This definitely isn't a place to be careless about your communication.

> RESOLUTION DAY FESTIVAL

One day a year, everyone the whole system over participates in the annual celebration of Resolution Day. It's not explicitly stated what Resolution Day actually is; there's no reason to declare what everyone already knows, and characters may find themselves experiencing some intense culture shock as they stumble into the festivities. The celebration starts early and finishes late – very late – so whether you choose to join in the fun, learn more about the history of the festival, or take advantage of the revelry for other, more nefarious goals, you'll have plenty of time. As the festival sprawls wildly throughout the streets of New Amsterdam, it gives even the most desolate parts of the city new life with bright lights, noise, and plenty of food. Recent circumstances have left New Amsterdam in a constant state of rebuilding, but the festival adds gloss to a lot of the damage – though most of the festival strays away from the most ruined architecture so that it doesn't serve as a constant reminder. Most businesses are shut for the day, giving their workers the time to enjoy the celebration, but some might consider this one of their most profitable days of the year – if you've gotten yourself a restaurant, rickshawing or corporate PR job, you might find yourself stuck on a double shift. Better snatch what small moments of enjoyment you can! > 003: ENJOY THE FESTIVITIES Anything you'd think it would be at a festival in the year 2511 is definitely at this festival. Care to play a game? All attendees can play for free. Some games – like the hoverblade racing, the augmented reality fightboxes and the street-wide bouts of laser tag – involve a partner or a competitor, so you better hope someone's willing to do you a solid or bring out your competitive side. If having fun involves less competition and more opportunities to feel emboldened, there are karaoke setups all over the city. Most of the songs will be unfamiliar to anyone who's new to this world, but like any music in any era, they're catchy enough. There are some jingles that have managed to survive several hundred years, and you might stumble across a gaggle of teenagers declaring that "All You Need is Love." To encourage letting loose, most of these karaoke booths have bartenders available to help someone find the courage they need to reach the stage. Or maybe it's time to try the delicacies of New Amsterdam. Hundreds of food trucks have turned out today in droves with high hopes that they'll come away turning a profit. Down for some Mexi-German fusion? Or perhaps you're hoping that pad Thai still tastes the same with grasshoppers? Share your food – or give away whatever you don't like. Food trucks are the hub of activity, and the busiest ones might be worth the time, but you'll be standing in line for a while. > 004: HISTORY LESSONS Aside from your typical booths of free samples, charitable causes, volunteer applications, and white chocolate-covered beetles, you'll find an opportunity to learn about Resolution Day’s history. There are various stands available where – thanks to the augmented reality application of your neural implant – you can view video about the origins of the festival and what, exactly, everyone's celebrating. These videos will play for you and you alone, and you'll soon learn that this is the day, 410 years ago, that humans successfully ended the AI war. If you'd like to feel like a hero, the UNA are running several virtual reality simulations where you can be taken to the battlefield to fight alongside fellow soldiers, working to bring the outwardly robotic AI to submission. The virtual reality simulation interacts with your neural implant to give you the most realistic experience possible. If you don't ground yourself enough, you'll be certain that the sights, sounds, and smells around you are real as you march in formation toward the brutality waiting up ahead. Feel free to team up with a partner on a side mission, or maybe try to keep someone from plugging in for what could be a traumatic experience. Eerie, heart-wrenching music plays when you die, but is promptly followed by the image of several corporate logos reminding you that they sponsored this day and this event. If you're uncomfortable with this information, no one will understand why. AI sympathizers are not present among the native population. Will you risk trying to change their minds? > 005: USING DISTRACTIONS There are other opportunities in the city being flooded with festival-goers. For Morningstar, this is a prime opportunity to test new recruits when it comes to charming corporate execs and getting in good with them. Whatever your cover story is, make it good. Whether you claim you're hoping to pitch an idea for some new tech or are more interested in seducing – or squeezing – some information out of them, following them into the next bar or karaoke booth may give you the perfect chance. But you might want a lookout to watch your back, a co-conspirator to keep them plied with drinks, or maybe you'll need a voice of reason to stop you from squeezing too hard. Morningstar values discretion – and so does everyone else, for that matter.

> CRIMINAL ACTIVITY

Traveling down from the hectic main city streets reveals a different side from the gloss and promise of New Amsterdam. Economic disparity runs rampant throughout the city, and many people are pushed to desperation, looking to find other ways to make ends meet. In the darker shadows, many illegal activities thrive, out of view of the authorities - or perhaps known and supported by corrupt individuals. Maybe you're here exploring, completing a task for Morningstar, or working a job in the place you excel. Whatever's brought you here, you may want to watch your step, or else find the city eating you as it has so many others. > 006: GETTING IN Organized crime still has a strong foothold in the world, with gangs and more established families working drugs, weapons, property and black market cybernetics, to name a few. These organizations are sprawling units that regularly recruit new members into their ranks, so long as they can prove themselves by passing the intensive hazing. Maybe you'd like to have a role in such a powerful organization. Or maybe you'd like to use your relative anonymity to burn it all down. One way to get an in is through their numerous clubs and illegal gambling dens, where to get past the door you have to know a guy who knows a guy who knows a guy. Don't know a guy? Feel free to try to use brute force or some chicanery to make them believe that you belong among their numbers. Just don't get caught doing anything they don't like – which could be breathing the wrong way, if you're unlucky enough. Best to have an escape plan in place, like perhaps stealing one of the many hovercars or hoverbikes parked outside the establishment. If you've got the skills, you'll be able to weave through the chaos of the city and make a clean getaway – just don't let the chase run for too long, or you'll have law enforcement on your ass as well. > 007: FIGHT CLUB No matter the occasion outside, New Amsterdam's fight club events are held every evening. The bouncers at the door don't have too many scruples on who they let inside. All they care about is whether someone has the money to pay the cover charge. The interior of the fight club reveals the sophistication of a business that's used to uprooting itself regularly. All the fights take place in a large cage in the center, and you remain on your feet while you enjoy the show. There is a special VIP section if you've been lucky enough to receive an invite or bribe your way in – just keep in mind that these invites are scarce, and you will have to have done something spectacular to earn the attention from someone high up the food chain. Regardless of where you end up, there is one rule: what happens in the fight club stays in the fight club. This tenant is law, and everyone's heard stories of the different (and sometimes extreme) lengths which have been taken to maintain it. Maybe you're here to sign up and test your chops against other fighters. Many of the fighters boast illegal cybernetic enhancements, so it would be a really good idea to have someone on hand who knows some first aid. Maybe you'd prefer to just enjoy the show, or take the opportunity to grill the bartenders for information. Just be careful not to make a fool of yourself. Asking too many questions might catch the wrong kind of attention – the kind that might find you being thrown into the ring, whether you wanted to be there or not. For all the blood spilled, these fight clubs thrive on discretion, so whatever you do, try to keep it quiet.

> THE STATUS QUO

By the next morning, the true shape of New Amsterdam will come to light for everyone who steps out and sees that it has been devastated recently. There are numerous construction sites throughout the city, with some being more expedient than others, all to try to rebuild a city that's been under duress. There are numerous mandates that filter through news feeds, telling citizens that they should turn in any monster carcasses from the June 27th attacks. With no further context, it might be up to you to look into what this even means: doing just that will lead to numerous articles about a mysterious creature attack that assaulted the city and led to countless people being made homeless. No one knows the cause for the attack, as investigations are ongoing. The effects of this attack are more apparent today than they were the day before. While the festivities demanded that the streets were bare, numerous tent cities have gone back up to take the place of the booths. The people living here look like they've been here for a while, and Resolution Day festivities mildly inconvenienced them. The supplies going to them are only just enough for them to be comfortable, with most of their facilities being maintained and highly restricted to keep up water rationing demands. Soon enough it will be apparent that this is what New Amsterdam is like, with the same amount of targeted advertisements built in to the city's foundation to show the influence of the local corporations. > 008: WHERE THERE'S SMOKE Around midday, vents open up throughout New Amsterdam to let smoke rapidly filter up into the foreground of the city. The reason why? A fire sparks in the underground portion of New Amsterdam, spreading quickly between two apartment buildings. The cause is unknown, and while firefighters are on the scene, they could use an extra hand. Numerous people suffer from the effects of smoke inhalation, and there are likely more inside the buildings themselves waiting for an assist. For anyone who's been here already, this may feel like a familiar sequence of events, but going into the fire puts anyone at risk for being infected by the smoke itself. The infection is far from contagious and doesn't spread from one person to another - but it's highly unpleasant, leaving someone feeling mild nausea and headaches, irritability, vertigo, feverish … and vengeful. As the sickness takes hold and worsens, anyone impacted by this infection will feel the need to take revenge on people around them. This retaliation can take any number of forms from violent to non-violent: pick countless fights, or manipulate your friends into fighting one another for your own satisfaction, just to prove that they will turn on one another. Thankfully, there is a cure for this righteous anger – unless you're inclined to feel this normally, of course. Any of the player characters who didn't stage a rescue in the burning building will be able to cure others by making skin-to-skin contact and holding on to it for a prolonged period of time. This contact will lead to their chest glowing blue for the entire duration, an increasingly burning sensation for both parties involved which eventually culminates in a sense of peace before giving way to a deep, pervading sense of sadness. Throughout New Amsterdam, there will be countless people impacted by this infection thanks to their close proximity to the fire itself. It's up to you to help them – or leave them hanging, if that's what you prefer. But the only existing cure appears to be anyone with the strange blue stuff in their chests. The news reports that follow reiterate that everyone in the city should turn in any remaining monster carcasses that they have because of the risks inherent in keeping them close. While they don't make a strict connection between the fire and the second string of chaotic attacks, Governor Gill-Jade appears on screen to implore everyone to be cautious and vigilant. There will also be increased fire inspections throughout the city to try to prevent more of these outbreaks, and she promises that all of her resources will be dedicated toward preventing further infection.

> THE WILDCARDS

> 009: SPACE Whether you're desperate for a reprieve from Earth after getting a taste of some unwanted righteous fury or curious about this century's space exploration, there are a number of opportunities available to let someone blast off. Most people will find that the process of getting into space is tedious, but also one that occurs regularly from day to day. The opportunities are there for anyone seeking a job out in the colonies, but first you'll have to get hired, or have approval for subsidy granted by the government. Journeys to the colonies are long and arduous, and what people find when they show up isn't any better. Most of the facilities are in poor condition, with food and water far more strictly rationed than back on Earth. If you'd rather just take a trip out to space without having to worry about a job, you have a number of options. Anyone can book a trip to go off planet, if they have the capital, or perhaps you'd prefer to work towards some proper credentials and join a crew. Of course, someone wishing to skip to the front of the line can always just stowaway on the back of a ship – or steal one for themselves. Just be wary of the fact that the hangars these ships are in come with increased security to match their price tags. They're hard to steal, but not impossible. As long as you know to skip the hacking and go with brute force, it should work out fine. > 010: GO NUTS This isn't all there is to explore, so feel free to branch out! Visit a doctor about some advanced cybernetics. Sneak through the city checkpoints and set out into the wilderness. Experiment with some insect based versions of your favorite recipes. Perhaps you'd prefer to engage in some illegal street racing, spend some time getting used to the technology, or make a bold declaration to become a llama farmer. Use the SETTING for inspiration and choose your own adventure.

> NAVIGATION

Comments

[trikru]

[Clarke extends her hand, and were it anyone else, she would not take it. The exposure of such vulnerability goes against her nature, against all she's trained to become. What was done to them is unwilling. Wearing her emotions on her skin is hardly advantageous. But to live in a world where protecting herself from that would mean severing the contact of their skin... in the end, perhaps it's an easy choice to make.

Their fingers thread together as the bond is reengaged, blue coloring her chest. Her brow furrows in concentration, attempting to focus on the stream that flows between them as she would focus on the voices of the past Commanders. Instead, she's met with the wall of Clarke's grief, and it's enough to prick tears at the corner of her own eyes.]

So we find them.

[Steel in her voice, despite the flood of emotion she's suddenly overcome with. Difficult to tell herself from Clarke. Difficult to draw a line. She forces herself to focus again, gripping Clarke's hand tighter. Something else presses urgently on her mind.]

You've seen my future. Who has succeeded my place? [She must know, for the sake of her people.] What happened to the Coalition?

[strove]

[Is it possible for her to deceive Lexa when they're linked like this? Clarke draws in closer, removing the space between them. It's not unlike their time in the City of Light, but she was desperate, aware of the little bits of time they had. All she wanted to do was touch her, and she can't stop herself now. Not when it's so real, when she knows she can hold on to this moment.

(Later, Clarke will be aware that she might lose Lexa again. All the people who have showed up, and then later vanished. Murphy's among them. It could happen. The thought won't surface in her mind right now. She won't let it.)

Even with the closeness, her eyes flicker elsewhere, seeking the answer. Guilt surges up. She couldn't do anything to prevent what Ontari did to Aden and the other novitiates. But she could prevent Ontari from succeeding Lexa. She was not meant to be the next to lead Lexa's Coalition.

Clarke breathes out through pursed lips.]

Technically? Me. [She recalls Lexa's words in the City of Light. Clarke smiles at the memory.] It's a long story. [That's been her protection from people asking about her life back home. Why is she a Nightblood? Why would she change that about herself? Why did she come down to the ground? Every story is changed or altered or sanitized, except for the fact that the conditions of her world are terrible, and she was left alone.

Then she decides: no. Lexa won't hear this story now. It can wait.]

Can it wait? [Clarke feigns some lightness in her voice, eyebrows raising ever so slightly. She forces a smile. The emotions she feels don't sync up with these words. That doesn't seem to matter to her.] I need to shower, and you probably need to get dressed, and we ...

[That won't put Lexa at ease, she realizes, trailing off. Her mind goes to Octavia and her efforts.

(Clearly, Clarke doesn't know what goes down in that bunker.)]

The Coalition is safe, but the rest can wait. All right?

[trikru]

[Confusion enveloped by guilt, Lexa struggles to untangle what belongs to herself and what belongs to Clarke. The experience is frightening, because even wrapped together in bed sheets, there was always a private layer she could keep to herself. Contain herself. They had only just begun edging at that boundary of intimacy before this in Lexa's perspective. Perhaps the future yielded something different, but for as deliriously happy as it was, this is foreign terrain.

And yet she can't bear to sever that connection. Marking the disparity between Clarke's words and Clarke's feelings - theirs, blended into a single rushing torrent - she squeezes joined fingers.]

Shower. I'll wait for you outside.

[The rest can come later. Lexa allows that, recognizing beyond words (and through physical touch) how much it may be needed. Her urgency is soothed knowing the Coalition survived, so at least her death was not made vain, no matter how puzzling it is to consider Clarke succeeding her when she isn't Natblida.

She withdraws her hand, the blue glow cooling into nothingness, sternum left as if it hadn't been there at all. A strange alternation. She doesn't relish the thought of another digging around in her chest, but she has no memory of the experience. So like the Mountain Men, indeed.

Gathering her scarce new belongings, Lexa will carry them with her into another space to change, then return to her cot to wait for Clarke's return. The separation will, briefly, allow her to process what she's felt and heard.]

[strove]

[There was a time when separation was only meant to be a sign of what more could come in the future. After Clarke was behind the lines of Arkadia, after Clarke had managed to manipulate and connive and scheme to bring Pike to justice. After all of it. But that separation never came to pass, one that she had hoped would be temporary. Titus' desperation had led to him driving a permanent wedge between her and Lexa—and Lexa and her people.

Now, it's hard for Clarke to leave her. To see her leave the bathroom. She watches her just the same.

Clarke's torn. She wants to take a swift shower, to return to Lexa's side, but she also wants to give her head time to clear itself. In that way, Clarke and Lexa have always been similar. They need time to pause and regroup, and Clarke ultimately decides to take advantage of this opportunity.

Her shower is longer than it should be, as evidenced by the eventual warning and then cold water coursing over her body. It hurts, but she actually relishes it. And then it shuts off, because that's still too much. It could be worse. She's smiling as she leaves the shower, putting back on a set of clothes, and toweling her hair as she returns to the room with the cots.

(Clarke doesn't have any problems with restrictions in place, so she doesn't mind. She's seen what people can do to a world, and what drastic solutions can be proposed to deal with them. She's not arguing here.)

Clarke settles in near Lexa, but not directly next to her. Crimped strands of hair hang loosely over her forehead. She's had more time to let it grow, and she thinks she might keep it short now.]

Honestly, I'd give anything to get to take you out of here right now. I hated being cooped up at first. [A weird opening, but an honest one. Clarke's arrival and shower were out of necessity: refreshing herself before sitting and helping others, like taking on a shift for a job she swore to keep doing to a man who's been gone for some time. She didn't want to owe herself to these people, and felt strange about it at first.

And yet—she's here. It's never simple to just walk away. Clarke in particular has always been poor at it, no matter how hard she tries to do differently]

I'm sure you noticed, but the world outside is ... what I think Polis might have been like. Before Praimfaya hit. [The first time, not the second. She doesn't liken it to the City of Light. Lexa wouldn't get that, and perhaps it's better that she wouldn't.]

[trikru]

[Dressed in the worn, secondhand clothing provided by Morningstar, Lexa appears a shadow of what she was, regal on the throne - weapon and armor and the drape of a red cape to set her apart from her subjects. Here, she seems just the same as the rest: tired, tucked into a corner, isolated in the large room of the warehouse, in a state of constant surveillance. Other refugees are more animated; that isn't Lexa's way.

She also doesn't need the appearance of a Commander to retain her spirit, no matter how removed she is from her role. What has changed is a loss of duty. She struggles with what to do next, constrained to this place until she is allowed the freedom to go out on her own. There seems to be no point to going forward without her people.

Clarke's presence offers some grounding, but even that is uncertain. With time to process, Lexa wonders what the difference in time will make of them, what the unfamiliarity of this world means. They have no alliances to upkeep. No one to lead.

When she returns, she'll find Lexa on the cot, cross-legged and hood drawn up over her ears. Her eyes are closed, and she maintains a familiar position of concentrated meditation. Clarke's voice reels her out of it.]

Yes, I noticed. And a much larger population than Polis contained. [The heights of the building, the lights, the technology... All of it is disorienting. Perhaps more for her than Clarke, but she won't assume their differences.] How long must I be kept here?

[Sharp impatience creeps into her tone. She doesn't like feeling imprisoned.]

They intend to use me as their spy, if I'll have it.

[strove]

No, not a spy. Or rather, they'd have plenty of spies already. We're still safe regardless. [It's one thing she had to sit on for a while, to come to terms with over time. No matter how little or how much control they seem to have, it's only because their previous captors have allowed them to have it. Clarke has seen precisely how powerful they are. If they wanted to sweep them up and lock them away, they would. For some reason, they've chosen not to—and she feels like she lives every second of her life now trying to figure out why.

There was a reason why the Grounders were allowed to live. Why they could have families. Why many of them could eventually become warriors ripe for the role of Reaping.

But why here? What's the goal, the aim? There must be one. Otherwise, they wouldn't hold them for the time after their hair begins to grow out. And that is precisely the thing they're doing. Clarke knows she won't have any answers now, not just because she wants Lexa to have them.]

You'll be here for four days. I recommend asking what questions you can of anyone who's come before. [They'll give her her footing.]

After that ... it's time for us to live. To do what we must.

[Which is different from back home.

Clarke settles her hands on her thighs, watching Lexa in her meditation position.]

Like it or not, we are a part of a ... different people now. A different clan. At least until we can return to our people.

[Until Lexa can. Clarke's people are gone, up in the sky or down below.]

I guess you could even say that we're a Coalition of our own, united against our will. So far, most of the conflicts have been small, or forced upon us.

[trikru]

[Clarke's promise of safety is not one she would accept at face value, were it anyone else, but her trust in Clarke is not to be underestimated. After all they've endured at each other's side - and apart from it - Lexa decides to listen (and accept) the reality spoken to her now.

It doesn't mean she can so easily give up on returning to her people, but Clarke has told her that responsibility was passed on with her death. The circumstances are less important than the reassurance the Coalition still lives, so for now, perhaps duty can rest in her mind.

That she still carries the Flame with no army to lead is another puzzling question. An unprecedented situation.]

We will always do what we must, Clarke.

[There's an edge at her lips, the barest suggestion of a smile. It's dimmed only as she considers what these conflicts must mean. She isn't surprised to hear Clarke's shifted her focus to a new people, a new Coalition. Such is her nature.]

I was told of a device, [fingertips travel again, to the foreign spot at the back of her head] here. I haven't successfully accessed it. How does it work?

[What is the Internet, please help.]

[strove]

[Yes. They would.

Though Clarke feels herself divided between wanting to be ruthless to use these people and wanting to be among them. As much as she convinced herself she was doing one thing, all of her actions led her in the other direction. She's made allies (friends, in Clarke vision). She's got people she'd kill for, and isn't that just the same as having people in the first place?

In their world, it is.

So, she'd do what she would have to do, just as she has been. Even if her definition of that varies from day to day, depending on what she admits to herself.

For now—

Her eyes follow the trail of Lexa's fingers, flickering up along the skin of her neck, stopping at the base where the scar is located. By now, Clarke is intimately familiar with both the anatomy of where the neural implant lies and the Flame. She's not surprised to find that they aren't in conflict, though she is a little concerned that knowledge from one (namely: the Flame) may seep into the other (whatever futuristic database holds everything).]

It doesn't. Not yet. For now, you can ... [She thinks about it, and then uses the network in her mind, right there, accessing it and sending out an alert. Clarke knows she doesn't have the permissions to have the same demanding presence as El, but it's worth it for the demonstration.]

You can access a network. Just—it responds to how you think. The first message there has my name on it. Do you see it?