Aislyn’s life has significantly improved on the surface: The other New York City avatars are no longer chasing her (in The City We Became, they sought her out to persuade her to join them), her parents support her, and she has made some friends among her coworkers. However, at a rally for Senator Ruben Panfilo, cracks in this seemingly idyllic world begin to show. The people around her seem to lose their personalities and individuality as they are unknowingly attached to the tendrils of R’lyeh and subjected to her homogenization of Staten Island.

Panfilo’s speech asserts his support of the NYPD and his desire to defund CUNY, fire city management, and split Staten Island from the rest of New York City. Aislyn gets up to go to the bathroom and approaches the DJ, bothered that the music is generic and not more specific to Staten Island. She requests the Wu-Tang Clan, and the DJ responds with a racist sentiment. On Aislyn’s way back to her seat, the Woman in White pulls her aside and introduces her to Panfilo. He claims he’s going to bring more people to Staten Island if elected. Aislyn worries that too much development will change the things she loves about Staten Island: “No more farms.