John Donne’s Meditation XVII, best known for the line “for whom the bell tolls,” argues that no person stands apart from the rest of humanity. What happens to one part of the whole eventually reaches the rest. I work in software engineering. I am part of the problem. I understand why data centers exist, and I benefit from them like everyone else. The cloud isn’t some kind of metaphysical thing… it sits somewhere, on land, tied to power and water and people. But I also live in Appalachia...

“For those who come after.” These four words echo throughout Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, the popular role-playing video game released this past April. At first glance, it’s a thrilling tale of a brave group on a quest to save their people; but deeper down it’s a meditation on legacy, collective responsibility, and hope for future generations. These very same values are at the heart of our democratic ideals.