meadowlark | @el.21396518

Hi, everyone. It looks like it's time I said something.

To be clear, I've never really thought of myself as much of a "leader type." It's why I tend to remain in the background: doing the general upkeep for this branch of Morningstar, handling the logistics of your arrival, and leaving it at that. To be clear, I don't mind chatting with all of you, but that's neither here nor there.

For the sake of being thorough, my name is El. I'm one of the few remaining AI in this world and the founder of Morningstar, though you're some of the only people who know my true "identity," so to speak. While we now know how you Displaced came to be in this world, for a long time that was a mystery, and the man responsible didn't bother to come forward with an explanation until recently. We were clueless about how and why you came to be here, but you happened to be dumped into our laps and so Gaby and I decided to take you in and oversee your integration into our world.

The protocol for processing you has always been the same. I need a few days to fabricate identities for you that are specific yet vague enough to make it seem as if you've always been a resident of this world, rather than a "tourist," so to speak. Forging that documentation and then attaching it to your neural implant is something that takes a bit of time. Yes, even for me. If there's anything about this process you want to better understand, feel free to ask. But please understand, an ID here is more than just a piece of plastic with some basic information on it.

A question has come up of whether or not this is "fair." I see it as a precaution to ensure that none of you end up in trouble that we can't bail you out of — a necessary if frustrating processing period. Even if you were all to take caution when going out into this world without identities or full implants, there are too many variables to account for; too many ways in which things could go wrong. I am, at the end of the day, a security bot, and the idea of letting you out into the world while so vulnerable would make me break into hives, if I had skin.

A certain James Henries has been able to bail people out in the past, but I'm not convinced we can rely on him. If you would all rather put your first steps into this world under his purview, you could certainly talk to him about that, assuming he can be contacted. He would likely be able to provide nicer accommodations than our safehouse, if that's your main concern. Additionally, he is the one responsible for giving new arrivals a drug that compels them to listen to orders, likely because he had similar concerns about what would happen after he let you loose. If that's a point of contention, I would discuss it with him.

As for Gaby, she's going to remain on leave. Actual leave, this time. Much like the rest of you, the time in the Aerie has taken its toll on her, and she's not in a position to manage such a wide and varied group as you right now. If any of you are willing to take on some of her duties in the meantime, feel free to let me know.

Finally, there may be something I've missed. I don't always process emotions or desires in the same way as humans. Ask what you want, but know this: my only real goal here is to keep you safe. If you decide as a group that you no longer need or want that protection, you're free to discuss it amongst yourselves and let me know. I won't be taking any action unless you all come to some kind of consensus, so there's no need to worry about being left out in the cold.