Clarke could see the mass exodus of grounders through the back gates of Polis from the window of Lexa's throne room. In the opposite direction, she could see Jaha and Ontari's army forming outside of the front gates. Hopefully, it would take them a while to break through. A few members of Lexa's representatives were leading a few men, including Harper, to help hold the gate. After Miller had come to report that Raven had a plan and to be ready, he and Bryan had gone downstairs to help defend the controls of the lift in case of a breach.
That left Clarke alone with Titus and Lexa in the throne room. There were a number of guards posted along the hallway, but it was just the three of them waiting for Raven, Monty, and Jasper. Lexa was pacing in the middle of the room, unsure of how to stand by and do nothing. She was used to action. Titus appeared to be meditating in the corner. However, all three of them stared at the door when a muffled gunshot rang out.
Lexa's hand flew to her sword, but there were no more gunshots. She walked over to where Clarke stood, but instead of facing the window, she watched the door to the throne room, just as Clarke was. Lexa murmured to Clarke, "Do you think someone misfired their weapon?"
Clarke frowned. Her friends were well trained with their firearms at this point, but it was odd that there had only been one gunshot. Before she could speculate further, there were voices out in the hallway. One of Lexa's guard pushed open the door and started to say something, but he was shoved aside by a frantic Jasper.
"Kane and some grounders snuck in!" Jasper blurted out without catching his breath. "Bellamy had them in the hallway, but I don't know what happened!"
Clarke's mind whirled around the implication of the one gunshot. If it was Kane, he would have only needed one to kill Bellamy, but Bellamy wouldn't wanted to kill Kane. So did he fire off a round and then surrender? Or did Kane shoot Bellamy?
Lexa was clearly not thinking of Bellamy or Kane, but about the mission at hand because she approached Jasper to ask, "Do you have the chips?"
He nodded and pulled the two silicon chips out of his pocket to present to her. One was the pristine blue chip that Murphy had brought and the other still had Raven's blood on it. Now able to breathe properly, he reported, "Raven said that Clarke needs to take the damaged chip. She's reprogrammed it so that ALIE won't be able to control you like the others."
"What do we need to do?" asked Clarke, pushing Bellamy to the back of her mind. If Bellamy was still alive, the only way Clarke could help him or Kane was to find the kill switch and stop ALIE.
"Once you get into the City, Raven is going to help you find the switch."
"That seems very simple," noted Lexa cautiously and her eyes narrowed as she studied the chips that Clarke had taken from Jasper. Titus stood by silently. He had not said much in the last few hours. It was obvious that he was apprehensive about trusting Lexa's fate to Skaikru technology, but Lexa was determined.
Clarke shook her head. "They will try to stop us in the City. And if we kill anyone in the City, then they will be dead in the real world as well."
"We may not have a choice. Sacrificing a few for the fate of all would be a worthy death." Lexa held out her hand to Clarke, waiting for her to place the chip in her hand. "Oso throu daun ogeda, Klark kom Skaikru."
"Oso throu daun ogeda," repeated Clarke, her heart hammering in her chest and she passed the undamaged chip to Lexa. This came down to just the two of them. Even if the grounders and those left from Arkadia managed to hold off Jaha and ALIE, it would just put off the inevitable. ALIE had to be shut down from inside the City of Light.
Lexa and Clarke walked up to the dais where Lexa took her throne and Clarke sat in the chair arranged next to her. Titus knelt before his commander and said, "Ai badan Heda op. Ai wich Heda in."
"Ai na komba raun en wimplei." Lexa looked to her right and restated, "Oso na komba raun en wimplei."
Together, the two young women brought the silicon chips to their mouth and swallowed. Both closed their eyes and allowed the technology to overtake their senses. Neither knew what to expect and when they opened their eyes, they were both shocked at the view.
The concrete area was full of people walking right past them as if Clarke and Lexa didn't exist. Around them the tall buildings rose into the sky, all shiny with metal and gleaming glass. Clarke instantly was taken back to the classes on the Ark as they were taught about the metropolises that had existed on Earth over a hundred years ago.
"I guess I should have known it would be an actual city," murmured Clarke, more to herself than Lexa. Jaha had described it as the City of Light…and it was exactly that: a bright, blinding infrastructure complete with bustling people and towering buildings blocking out the sun.
"They do not see us." Lexa had drawn her swords as soon as she had awakened. But the people around her, the people she thought would be attacking, walked on as if she wasn't there. While Clarke was taking in the sights, Lexa was busy studying the people who were walking by. They all wore a simple smile, as if all was right in the world. There were no lines of worry or apprehension. Lexa wasn't sure if she had ever felt as care-free as the inhabitants of the City looked.
"Raven must be hiding us from ALIE, but I don't know how long it will last." Clarke turned in a circle, trying to figure out where to go first. Nothing stood out as being an obvious place that ALIE may be hiding her kill switch.
A hand touched her shoulder and she drew her knife only to find Lexa pointing to a person walking away from them. Squinting into the crowd, Clarke saw what Lexa had noticed: an infinity symbol, the sacred symbol, was shimmering at them on the back of a man's jacket. The two women exchanged a glance and quickly set off after the symbol.
Before they could reach it, however, it seemed to disappear. Clarke glanced around frantically before she saw the symbol again, this time braided into a woman's hair. She cried, "There!" and the two raced off again. They followed the woman through the crowd until they found themselves at a crossroad.
"On the sign," pointed Lexa. On a sign pointing 'One Way', the symbol had been drawn over the arrow in white paint. This time, as they jogged down the street, there were fewer and fewer people around them. They were away from the main crowd.
Suddenly Clarke felt a tingling on the back of her neck and she had the feeling she was being watched. Slowing to a walk, she started to look at the people around her and her heart dropped when she saw that they were looking back at her. Whispering, she said, "Lexa, they can see us now. ALIE must be overriding Raven's programming."
"Then we need to hurry," came the curt reply. But in response, Lexa had brought back out her swords.
Again, they picked up speed, but they soon found themselves facing a chain link fence. Beyond the fence, Clarke could see the symbol shining off a rounded door that was embedded in the side of the wall. However, before they could make a decision as to where to go next, a body hurled itself into Clarke's back.
Blood gushed from Clarke's nose as she came face to face with the hard concrete. Lexa hauled the attacker off of Clarke, striking him in the head with the hilt of her sword. She didn't have time to help Clarke up as two more people ran at them. Lexa threw her shoulder into the first, diverting him in the fence with force. She grabbed the other around the neck, forcing them down onto their knees. Clarke pushed herself off the ground and into the legs of the first attacker. She managed to bring him down, but more people were converging on them.
"We cannot hold them off without hurting them," shouted Lexa as she took in the numbers coming at them. ALIE attackers did not have weapons, but it did not appear that they were restraining themselves not to cause deadly harm to Lexa or Clarke.
Clarke knew she was right and remembered what Lexa had said in the throne room: Sacrificing a few for the fate of all would be a worthy death. Gritting her teeth and tasting her own blood, she slammed her fist into the jaw of another person, sending them to the ground. Something inside of Clarke was telling her that they just needed to get to the circular door on the other side of the fence.
"We're so close! We just need to get over the fence and that's where the switch is!" she shouted as she shoved and kicked back the aggressive people around her.
Lexa slammed a small knife into the foot of the nearest attacker, pinning them to the ground. "Go! You can do it alone. I will keep them back!"
"We're doing this together, Lexa!"
"I can fight them and you know how to disable this world. We are doing this together, ai snogon." Lexa's dark eyes found Clarke's and she told her, "Go! Go and free us from this place!"
Lexa swung her swords and shoved back the crowd. Clarke grabbed the chain links and began hauling herself up and over the fence. She knew she couldn't look back and she sprinted for the round door. If she looked back, she would return to Lexa's side and they may both be captured or killed by ALIE's forces. But Lexa had told her to save them all and that's what Clarke intended on doing.
Blood was smeared across her face and she could barely catch her breath when she finally reached the door. Behind her, she could hear Lexa's triumphant battle cries and knew that her lover was still alive. The door in front of her opened with a single push and she had to shield her eyes from the blinding whiteness inside.
Forcing herself into the room, her eyes finally adjusted to the artificial light. The room was sparkling white and there were four occupants waiting for her: two dark haired women with identical faces that she could only guess were ALIE and Becca. The other two were Jake and Abby Griffin. ALIE had brought her parents to stop her.
-BREAK-
The ringing of the gunshot still echoed in Bellamy's ears and he blinked rapidly to clear his mind. There was a searing pain in his shoulder, but he was alive. In front of him, Indra stood over an unconscious Kane and she had four warriors subduing the other men.
"We blocked the entrance they came through," she reported to Bellamy.
"ALIE will know that they're down."
Indra frowned and glanced at the door that Bellamy had been protecting. "Is your plan working?"
"I hope so," he muttered and knocked twice on the door. "It's me. Indra and the others took down Kane."
There was a sound of a heavy object being moved on the other side of the door and then there was a pause before Monty's voice called out, "How do I know Kane didn't convince you to take the chip?"
Bellamy grinned at the other boy's quick thinking and replied, "Because I know that Raven gave Jasper two chips to take to Lexa and Clarke."
The answer satisfied Monty and he unbolted the door to let Bellamy and Indra inside. Indra's eyes widened at the sight of Raven's computers. Even after seeing Skaikru technology a few times, it still surprised her. Raven's hands were moving quickly across the keys.
Monty motioned them over to the computers and said, "They're in. Raven is trying to guide them to the kill switch. So far, so good."
"How long does she think it will take?" Monty shrugged at Bellamy's question and Raven was too busy to answer.
Before anymore could be said, however, a loud explosion echoed beneath them and the room shook. Bellamy and Indra raced to the door, but only Indra's people stood outside. Bellamy turned back to his friends and said, "They must have blown up the lift."
A young grounder sprinted down the hallway toward them and reported, "Emo komb'ir!"
"They have broken our defenses and are in the City," said Indra and she drew her sword. "If your people have set off the explosion, that means they are already in the tower."
"Miller and Bryan will hold them off from below and Titus has Lexa's guard in the throne room," said Bellamy, thinking about the best course of action. "ALIE will know that Raven is here, since Kane found us. We have to stay here to defend them. Without Raven, Clarke and Lexa will be lost."
"We will hold this position, but tell your people to work fast." Indra joined her people in the hallway, all prepared to do battle. Bellamy nodded and rushed back into the room. He and Monty moved the heavy desk back into place to block the door. Both pointed their guns at the door and waited.
Behind them, Raven had stopped typing. In a grave voice, she said, "ALIE knows they're there, but Clarke has found the kill switch."
"Isn't that a good thing?" asked Bellamy.
"ALIE is there to stop her with Abby and Jake. There's nothing I can do to help without killing them both."
Monty's eyes grew wide and in a soft voice, he whispered, "Let's hope it doesn't come to that."
-BREAK-
"Mom? Dad?" breathed Clarke.
"Hello, honey," replied Abby, but her words didn't carry the same emotion as they used to. ALIE knew what Clarke wanted to here, but not the heart behind the words.
Jake stepped forward and reached out his arms, "I'm glad you're finally here."
Clarke backed away, unable to embrace her father. This was not the same father she had longed for every night during her time locked up on the Ark; this was not the same father she had dreamed would see the stars from Earth instead of the metal space ship; nor was this the same father who had returned to her alive.
"I'm sorry, Clarke." The dark haired woman who the grounders called Becca Primeheda stood apart from the other three. "I didn't know she would bring them here."
"Where's the switch?" asked Clarke as she tried to ignore her parents. Abby had joined Jake in front of her now and their hands were clasped together.
Becca motioned to a white table in the middle of the room and said, "It's here. But only the mind in control can operate it. ALIE is trying to find a way to delete the kill switch, so she's trying to distract you."
"The mind in control?"
"You have taken the key and entered the City. She is trying to override you. The Heda holds ALIE 2.0, the alternate version I created after ALIE destroyed everything. If ALIE can keep you from operating the kill switch, then she can take over the second version of her programming," explained Becca.
"But I'm in control," stated Clarke with confidence. Lexa was outside, defending her. She had to do this fast. The army attacking Polis wouldn't wait forever.
"You're in control right now. That could change," warned Becca and she looked at ALIE standing a few feet behind Abby and Jake.
Clarke started to walk to the table that held the kill switch, but Abby let go of Jake's hand and moved in front of Clarke to block her from the switch. Jake moved to Clarke's side, his hand coming to rest on her shoulder. "Our daughter, we are so proud of you. But it's time to stop fighting."
"I'm sorry, Dad, but I can't. You don't know what you're saying." Clarke stepped away from her parents and Jake's hand fell from her shoulder to his side.
"ALIE is trying to save us," murmured Abby, still between Clarke and the kill switch. "It's in her programming…she is only here to save us. By using the second version of her program, she will only become better. But if you flip that switch, we won't have her protection!"
"Mom, her protection killed billions of people! We need to do this on our own!"
"ALIE thought she could help humanity with their problem," said Becca, staring at her creation.
"I did," stated ALIE.
"You murdered six and a half billion people to solve the problem of overpopulation," retorted Becca. "You could only focus on solving the problem…but you could not figure out a better way to get there. Sometimes, only part of a problem can be fixed."
"I am saving them now," said ALIE, shaking her head. "They are here, in the City of Light, where nothing can hurt them."
Jake spoke to Clarke, "Can't you see it, Clarke? All those problems we had on the Ark and on Earth before this, can all be solved! In the City there is no pain, there is no hunger, no murder, or hate. Humanity can survive itself!"
"This isn't living, Dad," cried Clarke desperately. Jake circled around her to join her mother. The two joined hands once more. Seeing this, Clarke said, "This is all an illusion! You are holding hands because that's what ALIE told you to do! You aren't doing it out of love or even for strength…it means nothing."
"Clarke, the more you interact with them, the more time you give ALIE to try and stop Lexa and obtain ALIE 2.0," warned Becca.
But Clarke could only see her parents standing there together. They had been a family on the Ark. But they weren't on the Ark anymore. "There is no pain or hunger, but there is no passion or love either. This isn't a life a human is supposed to live. ALIE doesn't understand what life means…"
"But we love you, Clarke," said Abby, her eyes emotionless.
"We can be together, Clarke," added Jake. "You missed me so much when you thought I was dead. Remember that pain, Clarke? ALIE can take that away. All will be as it was before."
"It can't…" whispered Clarke as she felt tears start to fall. "You aren't my parents. You are just echoes of them. ALIE has taken away your souls."
"You would risk our lives? Just to stop ALIE?" asked Abby.
Clarke swallowed and nodded. "It's who you raised me to be."
Pushing past her parents, Clarke walked to stand beside Becca, in front of the switch. "All I have to do is pull it?"
"Then it will all be over," replied Becca with a nod. "Do what I couldn't, Clarke. Save humanity."
Clarke, her thoughts filled with images of her parents, her friends, and of Lexa…brave, loving Lexa who was fighting to give her this chance, reached out her hand and firmly wrapped her fingers around the white handle.
Then she pulled…and the world went black.
Translations:
Oso throu daun ogeda: We fight together
Ai badan Heda op: I serve the commander
Ai wich Heda in: I believe/trust in my commander
Ai/Oso na komba raun en wimplei: I/We will return in victory.
Ai snogon: my love
Emo komb'ir: They're coming
