Cabal Contact

[EdwardTheAwesome]

Hey guys,
...I got an email from Morgan this morning, which will be of interest to you:

Edward,
Seeing how Joe is understandably sour towards us, you seem to be the best point of contact. Please pass this message on to the rest of your allies.

From this point on I, and my compatriots, will be available for contact, reachable at morgana@pheeble.net. I believe stronger communication will help us find common ground. Hopefully, we will be able to organize around sealing the wall and end the true threat in all this chaos.

Of course, some are determined to have their perspectives limited by the Tyrant, but we hope even those may be willing to establish a dialogue in time. I hope it is clear that we have no interest in destroying your world. Why would we? We want to live in it. We have been honest and open about our motives, which is more than the Tyrant has ever done.

Sincerely,
Morgan

So, there is that. I really believe they are genuine in this, though Joe of course is... not inclined to trust them. We both agree, however, that it is important to consider all sides, so here we are.

Look, I'm going to be frank. Everyone deserves a second chance. Helping these people fit in, and become better people in this world, is clearly the right thing to do. I've thought about this long and hard, and I feel very strongly that at least trying to listen to these people is the right thing to do. I don't like I could forgive myself for forcing them all away.

I know not all of you agree… Joe doesn't agree… and I respect that. Know you are always free to say so, though I hope you can respect my stance too.

[Adell]

That's for sharing it with us, dude. I agree with you and Joe in that we need to consider all sides if we want to find the right course of action. Let's just remember that ultimately we're on *our* side, not purely cabal or Mr.A. I think that keeps things relatively simple.

[Sicon112]

Right. I don't think anyone has ever claimed the Cabal were suicidal, Ed. The fear is that whatever their intent, it will still happen.

For now, I am inclined to give them a chance, in that I am going to consider their theories as best I can, given the information I have, just as I shall do with Mr. A. I do not trust Mr. A because I understand how his mind works. I do not trust the Cabal because they have proven to be untrustworthy, in that they are desperate and unpredictable, to an extent. Not saying they don't have a reason for that, from their perspective, but it is a valid point. Even you have to agree, seeing as they admitted it.

I suggest using this thread either to record all e-mails to and from the Cabal as with the "Witch's E-mail" thread, or using it to discuss the sending of such e-mails and chronicle them somewhere else, which is the one I think will work best.

I do not trust anyone on principle, and I do not act or take sides until I have reason to do so. I am going to give every side a fair analysis as soon as I get time and let you all know what I think.

[Qara-Xuan Zenith]

...Bloody hell. Clever of them, isn't this? Don't want us to browse their forum if we're not siding with them, so they give us a bloody email address, allowing them to sift through who approaches them and decide for themselves who's really on their side.

Well, since I've already made it clear where I stand, there's no point in me contacting them, even if I was willing to play their game-- which I'm not.

(I do hope others DO, though, and at the risk of sounding hypocritical, Sicon's idea of posting email exchanges here like with the witch's thread is a good one. After all, we are a tram.)

[Mr. Administrator]

THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE. WE SHOULD HAVE BEEN MADE AN ADMINISTRATOR ON THESE FORUMS WHEN THE CHANCE WAS THERE. WE WOULD HAVE SILENCED THE CLOYING OF THE CABAL, INSTEAD OF FALLING PREY TO IT.

WE REQUEST THAT YOU ONLY USE THAT EMAIL TO TELL THEM THEY ARE VERMIN, AND THAT THEY WILL BE PUSHED BEYOND THE WALL. THEY CANNOT BE ALLOWED TO STAY. DO NOT FORGET THAT YOUR REALITY IS POTENTIALLY AT STAKE HERE. THEY WILL PLEAD AND THEY WILL PRY, BUT NOTHING IS WORTH THAT PRICE.

WE HAVE SENT THIS EMAIL. FEEL FREE TO USE IT AS A TEMPLATE:

DEAR MS. FEY,

WE HATE YOU. YOU ARE THE WORST. YOUR VILE DECISIONS SHALL BE PUNISHED. YOUR WICKEDNESS WILL BE MET WITH JUSTICE. YOUR CHOICES WILL RETURN TO HAUNT YOU. YOUR GOLDFISH WILL DIE FOR NO REASON WHATSOEVER.

WE HATE YOU. WE HATE YOU. WE HATE YOU.

[Adell]

THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE. WE SHOULD HAVE BEEN MADE AN ADMINISTRATOR ON THESE FORUMS WHEN THE CHANCE WAS THERE. WE WOULD HAVE SILENCED THE CLOYING OF THE CABAL, INSTEAD OF FALLING PREY TO IT.

WE REQUEST THAT YOU ONLY USE THAT EMAIL TO TELL THEM THEY ARE VERMIN, AND THAT THEY WILL BE PUSHED BEYOND THE WALL. THEY CANNOT BE ALLOWED TO STAY. DO NOT FORGET THAT YOUR REALITY IS POTENTIALLY AT STAKE HERE. THEY WILL PLEAD AND THEY WILL PRY, BUT NOTHING IS WORTH THAT PRICE.

WE HAVE SENT THIS EMAIL. FEEL FREE TO USE IT AS A TEMPLATE:

DEAR MS. FEY,

WE HATE YOU. YOU ARE THE WORST. YOUR VILE DECISIONS SHALL BE PUNISHED. YOUR WICKEDNESS WILL BE MET WITH JUSTICE. YOUR CHOICES WILL RETURN TO HAUNT YOU. YOUR GOLDFISH WILL DIE FOR NO REASON WHATSOEVER.

WE HATE YOU. WE HATE YOU. WE HATE YOU.

A little petty, don't you think?

[Blurred_9L]

THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE. WE SHOULD HAVE BEEN MADE AN ADMINISTRATOR ON THESE FORUMS WHEN THE CHANCE WAS THERE. WE WOULD HAVE SILENCED THE CLOYING OF THE CABAL, INSTEAD OF FALLING PREY TO IT.

WE REQUEST THAT YOU ONLY USE THAT EMAIL TO TELL THEM THEY ARE VERMIN, AND THAT THEY WILL BE PUSHED BEYOND THE WALL. THEY CANNOT BE ALLOWED TO STAY. DO NOT FORGET THAT YOUR REALITY IS POTENTIALLY AT STAKE HERE. THEY WILL PLEAD AND THEY WILL PRY, BUT NOTHING IS WORTH THAT PRICE.

WE HAVE SENT THIS EMAIL. FEEL FREE TO USE IT AS A TEMPLATE:

DEAR MS. FEY,

WE HATE YOU. YOU ARE THE WORST. YOUR VILE DECISIONS SHALL BE PUNISHED. YOUR WICKEDNESS WILL BE MET WITH JUSTICE. YOUR CHOICES WILL RETURN TO HAUNT YOU. YOUR GOLDFISH WILL DIE FOR NO REASON WHATSOEVER.

WE HATE YOU. WE HATE YOU. WE HATE YOU.

Though I don't side with the Cabal myself, I think you're acting like a troll. At least we should hear what they have to say .

[EdwardTheAwesome]

Jesus Christ. Well, okay, I'm really glad I didn't make him an Administrator now.

Anyway, I like the suggestion of reserving this thread for recording emails, so from now on all posts in this threat should be records of back and forth. If someone wants to start a new thread for discussing the emails, that would be great.

[Qara-Xuan Zenith]

You ask, Mr. A, and I deliver:

DEAR MS. FEY,

WE HATE YOU. YOU ARE THE WORST. YOUR VILE DECISIONS SHALL BE PUNISHED. YOUR WICKEDNESS WILL BE MET WITH JUSTICE. YOUR CHOICES WILL RETURN TO HAUNT YOU. YOUR GOLDFISH WILL DIE FOR NO REASON WHATSOEVER.

WE HATE YOU. WE HATE YOU. WE HATE YOU.

Best wishes,
Qara-Xuan

PS I was hesitant to contact you at all, but my employer, A, requested that I send you this message. End transmission.

[Sicon112]

Jesus Christ. Well, okay, I'm really glad I didn't make him an Administrator now.

Anyway, I like the suggestion of reserving this thread for recording emails, so from now on all posts in this threat should be records of back and forth. If someone wants to start a new thread for discussing the emails, that would be great.

Done.

[Qara-Xuan Zenith]

I already mentioned that I sent Morgana the following email:

DEAR MS. FEY,

WE HATE YOU. YOU ARE THE WORST. YOUR VILE DECISIONS SHALL BE PUNISHED. YOUR WICKEDNESS WILL BE MET WITH JUSTICE. YOUR CHOICES WILL RETURN TO HAUNT YOU. YOUR GOLDFISH WILL DIE FOR NO REASON WHATSOEVER.

WE HATE YOU. WE HATE YOU. WE HATE YOU.

Best wishes,
Qara-Xuan

PS I was hesitant to contact you at all, but my employer, A, requested that I send you this message. End transmission.

Within the hour, though, she replied:

Dearest Ms. Zenith,



Yes, the Tyrant sent us a similar email. I must confess, though, that I am a little disappointed you would choose to be as unreasonable as he. You have always struck me as a strong, intelligent woman – surely you do not fear considering viewpoints that would be different than your own?



If ever you should choose to approach this differently, you obviously know how to reach me.



With hopes of better communication,



Morgan

Sensing an opportunity that ought not to be lost, I replied:

Dear Morgana,

I must admit, I had not expected so swift a reply, nor so serious a one. I am certainly open to considering outside viewpoints, if you can give me a compelling reason to credit them.

I'm sure you know already from my posts on the forum the reservations I hold against trusting a group that has together worked to drive one friend of mine from his home with threats and to falsify evidence in order to wrongfully imprison another friend of mine-- not to mention a group that includes a man who, though acting alone at the time, has murdered two innocent men from my world.

I apologize for the immature message I initially sent, almost wholly in jest, at the instigation of A, and I invite you, nay, implore you, to convince me.

Sincerely,
Qara-Xuan

UPDATE: Morgan replied to me. I would copy it here-- it does not relate to A or the Wall-- but she requested for personal reasons that I not copy it to the forums, and as she takes a good deal on trust from me, I will respect those wishes. I will share the content with my fellow Metaguards in the chatroom, and with Mr. A upon request by PM.

[Genndy Oda C.O.G.]

I plan in sending this to her, but I'm going to see whether or not it's a good idea:

Ms. le Fey,
I thank you for choosing to be so open to the Metagaurds. I honestly have no idea to which side things will go, but for now, our forces appear to be at a middle ground, leaning slightly onwards the Administrative force. I believe we shall test both sides, and if you or Mr. Administrator turns on us, we will discuss our options again. I do, however, say to you that I am not writing on the behalf of the Metaguards, but merely for myself. This is only what I have gleaned from the chats and forums. Anyways, thank you for taking the time to read this, and I hope you have an enjoyable day.
Sincerely,
Genndy Oda C.O.G.

[WackyMeetsPractical]

Good stuff. Here's the message I sent Morgan:

Dear Ms. Fey, or do you still prefer Morgan?

This is WackyMeetsPractical from the WTF forums. We spoke briefly in the chat the other day. If you'd been watching the forums as closely as we all presume, you should probably know that I have been firmly against you guys from the very beginning. However, as time passed, I slowly began to realize that the four of you are more than just monsters and villains, and that each of you are just as human as I am, with hopes and dreams, and you all (or at least most of you) truly want to discard your villainous pasts and live honest lives here. And it saddens me that we have to return you to your stories, but such is life. It's full of tough choices and is never fair.

Although, you may have also noticed on the forums that I was one that suggested that we go after the letters as you have suggested. Though it may seem counterproductive towards my own goal to help you all out in this task, I honestly feel that there is some knowledge that we as metaguards can gain by doing so. I'm alright with allowing one or two more pieces of the wall falling into your hands if it means we can be just a little bit closer to understanding the nature of the wall and how the pieces of the wall affects you fictionals as well as our world. To me, it doesn't really matter how many pieces you get, we will refictionalize you all before you get the chance to repair the wall.

Now that I've explained my feelings, I have some questions for you, and this is your chance to perhaps sway me over to your side completely, if that is your desire.

While you visited our chat, I confronted you about the terrible things you have done towards Joe and Joan. I asked if you wished to make things right by them. You answered that you were working for something for Joan. Now I wish to know more. I want to know if you ever intend to make right everything you have done wrong since coming here. Do you plan on apologizing to everyone you may have threatened or decieved? How exactly will you make amends with Joe and Joan? Are there any other crimes against humanity you wish to confess? And keep in mind, I only care about what you have done since arriving here. I care not for any of your villainous ways in your story. To me, that's just a story and has no significance here.

Also, many of us are wandering how the four of you managed to steal the wall piece that is now in your possession, since it is our current theory, based on Holmes' story, that getting near the wall pieces is harmful to fictionals.

Thanks for taking the time to read all this. I don't believe you are all monsters like I have previously stated, though we are still suspicious of your boyfriend. You may all be the nicest people we could ever get to know, or at the very least, able to become that way. I hope that we can keep this line of communication open, and that we can avoid hostility in the future. Maybe we can discover a way we can all be happy in the end.

Sincerely,
Wacky

[H22]

Here is mine:
Dear Morgan
Every child dreams of meeting characters; people drawn beautifully, who enable people to escape from the real world do fear and evil. I grew up just down the road from the supposed birthplace of your brother, Tintagel. I always thought he was a strongman with no true intelligence. You, however, were a brilliant and spiritual young magician, who was oppressed by the culture of the day.

That may have led to the main thing in which you and I are in accord with. We both (to quote Cardinal Hildebrand) 'have loved righteousness and hated iniquity'. I genuinely believe that your love of freedom is honest, not realpolitik. Some have suggested freedom is overrated;  I would rather live anywhere, even a land scourged by nuclear holocaust, than one in which another man decided he was so much better than me he could censor my thoughts. An atmosphere in which people are free to disagree with us is the only one which our ideas are intellectually able to live; no genius can live long in a land of goats. It is for precisely that reason that I hope you will not try to limit the intellectual liberty of my fellow metaguards.

To that extent, I would like to suggest an agreement. Many metaguards (although not me) have issues with trust. We believe molesting the detectives further would be against both of our interests: for you, it would be a waste of time to interfere with these perfectly innocent men for your own purposes. My colleague and friend Qara has informed me regarding James and the detectives. If you wish for reciprocity, I will consult with my colleagues and make appropriate concessions. 

We are also curious as to the 4th wall piece you obtained; and finally, can you provide some further explanation of your views on Mr. Administrator?

Yours sincerely, 
[My real name]

[Scarab]

THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE. WE SHOULD HAVE BEEN MADE AN ADMINISTRATOR ON THESE FORUMS WHEN THE CHANCE WAS THERE. WE WOULD HAVE SILENCED THE CLOYING OF THE CABAL, INSTEAD OF FALLING PREY TO IT..

...Okay, Mister A, we get your annoyance right now, we really do, but I don't think you're getting the hang of those communication lessons they're trying to give you on Twitter, please be calm.

I've sent an email of my own. anyway. Thought I'd take the opeprtunity to ask some pertinent questions and have highlighted bits I thought were important.

Dear Morgan,
...Well, this is very frustrating, isn’t it? For everyone, me, you, even the man you call Tyrant. Thank you for offering us this form of direct contact. We were hoping for something a little more... open, but we understand your reservations. I hope you won’t mind a few questions.

First) Why did you all choose to threaten Joe? You could have just written calm, composed letters explaining to him. That is, after all, the only thing he initially wanted: the truth. Surely it dawned on you that such hostility would be counterproductive, particular after he by refused to stop?

Another question: What would you say to the possibility of the Metaguards obtaining these pieces of the wall, and then holding onto them ourselves, possibly via some kind of third party? One unconnected to either the Cabal or our Employer? I’m not sure if this would be possible but perhaps we can try? While I have trouble trusting either the Cabal or Mister A, I DO trust my fellow Metaguards. If a third party could be found... might we be permitted to hold onto these pieces? And would you (and of course Mister A) agree not to interfere? That way they would be in the hands of neither side of this debate and the appropriate action could be taken if necessary.

I’m afraid I have nothing to give you here in exchange for such an offer. I’m aware that you would be required to trust us NOT to just hand the pieces over to the Administrator immediately. But perhaps there is some compromise we could come to which would make such a thing acceptable for you?

One final question. There are some amongst us who believe choosing only to allow us an email, address when you have full access to our chatrooms, is unfair. Might you be willing to allow us to access your pheeble chats? (I’m aware we’re... enthusiastic, but I’m sure we would do our best to behave. If not, you can always ban us.)

I’m afraid for the Metaguards, I’m scared afraid for my friends. You understand the risk we would be taking by trusting you and that risk has nothing to do with who you are or the crimes you may or may not be guilty of, but instead lies with the information that remains frustratingly outside of our control (although I'd be lying if I said your past deeds -I'm fairly sure my friend Qara was truthful about James involvement in those murders- were not an issue for us all).

If Mister Administrator HAS such information, I have no idea why he would refuse to share it. It does come to my attention, though, that Mister Administrator is... well, he isn’t human. He doesn’t think like a human being whereas you and I do. It’s like a cat trying to communicate with a dog, you see? We have some similarities and may even learn to speak one another's language, but identity and psychology is much more than words. I wonder how many of our issues are down to poor communication?

Either way I hope you have time to reply to this, and I look forwards to it.

Sincerely
My Real Name

PS: This is irrelevant, but I can’t help but notice your email address is MorganA yet in the chatroom you specifically requested Morgan?

[Pixelmage]

Updating for readability's sake. Better keep them orderly.
My Email:

Dear Ms. Lefey

I am Pixelmage, from the Watch the Footage forums, also one of the administrators of the chatroom. As such I hope you enjoyed your short visit even if it did devolve into a chaotic soup of words and emoticons. I'm glad that we now have the opportunity to talk in a more orderly manner.

Before asking some questions of my own, I'd like to address your proposal from my own point of view. Due to geographical constraints, I'm unable to seek Echoes or Pieces. In this regard, I'm unable to help either side. The extent of support I can offer, however, is upon my willingness to listen and discuss the plans unbiased, regardless of the discussion being with you, Mr. A or my fellow Metaguards. That, I do pledge here and now. Other than that, there is another action within my personal realm of power, and that is to decide whether or not I'll submit a Refictionalization Story of my own, but that decision is not important now. As I'm sure you're aware, we're unable to work on those for the Cabal members for the time being. For that reason, I'll reserve judgement on that decision until the time to in fact work on it presents itself, if it ever does.

Seeing that for now we find ourselves mostly in a position of waiting for a more global decision, would you be willing to talk to us more about yourself? How have you fared in this world at first and such matters. About your life in here, your discoveries and exploits. I'm aware of some of the emails being sent to you, discussing plans and proofs and accusing you and your compatriots of various crimes, I have no intention to repeat their words, as I'm reasonably certain that you would be willing to talk about it in due time. But as a human being I'd like to offer to listen to your story, to learn, who you are in fact as opposed by the witch depicted in the book you cannot read. Of course, I extend this offer to all other members should they want to talk and you be willing to allow them to contact me through this medium. That decision is yours.

So, Ms. Lefey, do you want to talk about yourself?

~ Pixelmage

Morgan's Reply:

Dearest [NAME],

Thank you for your pledge. It means that we can continue to move forward together, which I sincerely hope that our two groups will be able to do.

I do not particularly enjoy discussing myself, but I will try. I assume you know of my past, so I will start with my time since arriving in this world.

I am currently working as an actress and a special effects artist, both in the film industry, though my talents are firmly in the second camp. I am currently learning more about previs - an industry term - and I am very interested in pursuing it in the future, once my computer skills are up to par.

I do not wish to discuss my relationship with James save to confirm that it exists.

I am not certain what else you wish to know, but please feel free to ask more questions if you think of them. Also, feel free to tell me about yourself. I would love to hear your story.

Morgan

[Erik M Walton]

I contacted the cabal of their echo location and ordered them to remove the web page. No arguements, IM JUST HELPING

[Genndy Oda C.O.G.]

Just got my reply:

Dearest [REDACTED],
Thank you for contacting me. I would like to note that this was not just my
decision, Erik has been in favor of reaching out for a while now, and when I
agreed the rest shortly followed suit.
While I understand the desire play all sides, at a certain point lines must
be drawn. Sending back any of our members would be... disastrous for our
relationship with whoever participated. I hope you will not partake in these
activities when the time comes.
I will be happy to answer any questions you have, should they make doing the
right thing easier. Leaving the wall open longer than necessary is only
asking for trouble.
Sincerely,
Morgan

I have NO CLUE how she knew my real name. It's... unnerving.
EDIT: Here are two more pieces of the conversation:

Ms. le Fey,
I understand your predicament, and I honestly hope that there is indeed no danger in allowing you and other "Earth-Prime"-favoring fictionals to stay here. I can also say that it is unlikely that I will attempt to refictionalize either you or your compatriots, as I am not that much of a writer, nor are there any fictionals near my location for echo-grabbing. Also, seeing as how contact with you all allows us to see another side of things, I'd recommend maintaining communication. Additionally, do the other members of the Cabal have e-mail accounts? If so, I'd recommend encouraging additional contact with the Metaguards. I understand that some of my teammates (such as a Ms. Qara-Xuan Zenith) may be slightly less tolerant of Don Juan and Moriarty, but the majority seems to be for the idea of serving as a third party until we decide who is lying and who is telling the truth.
Thank you for taking the time to read this, and I apologize if I seem redundant or ignorant,
Genndy Oda C.O.G.
P.S. How did you know my real name?

Dearest [REDACTED],

Your name is connected to the emails you send.

I would like to maintain communication, though I do not suggest opening the
channels of communication so wide that they extend to all of the Cabal
members. The four of us still communicate primarily through Pheeble, and the
others wish to maintain that privacy. I will act as the conduit between the
Cabal and the "earth-prime" Metaguards. If you have a question for one of
them, I may relay the information.

Thank you for your continued support.

Morgan

[Chief Wakamakamu]

Doesn't it appear in the "Sent from" line in most clients, Grenndy? =P

Anyway I haven't sent her an email yet. Seems like a ton of people have, and I don't want to overwhelm her with questions other people asked.

[Genndy Oda C.O.G.]

...Oh. Well, I'm ashamed. Also, Grenndy?

[Scarab]

Morgan got back to me not too long ago.

Dearest Sarah,

It is a rather unusual situation we find ourselves in. That is the entire source of the problem. Let me try to answer your questions as best I can.

I threatened Joe in the beginning because I did not believe that he would understand. I was not used to making rational demands and having people listen, so I took the actions to which I had become more accustomed. I did not wish for things to become more clear for him, or for you, because I - correctly - believed that the more that was known about the situation, the more likely it was that I would be ripped out of this world and placed back in my own.

As to you and your friends holding the pieces of the wall, I have serious doubts that the Administrator would allow this. Feel free to ask him. Seeing as he already holds the wall pieces, I fail to see how this would benefit him.

I am not entirely opposed to the idea. In the happiest scenario, they are handed to us and we seal the wall. The worst I can imagine happening would be that they are returned to Mr. Administrator, which will likely take a long enough time that one of our number may already have been sent back by one of yours. If that were to happen, we would be forced to take further action to obtain the wall pieces ourselves.

My compatriots do not wish to give up the ability to converse in the shadows. I understand the desire for openness, but just as you and yours do not fully trust us, we are not entirely certain that we can fully trust you.

If you believe that the Administrator is on your side as much as you believe him to be, approach him about the possibility of taking the wall pieces from him. See how he reacts when you succeed at finding one. Then tell me if you believe he is just a poor communicator.

And finally...the email account was created by Angelus months ago. I would have preferred a different email address, but Angelus did not wish to add another account to the server. He believed it would be more expensive.
Morgan

So, yeah. That explanation for not being more civil to Joe in the start seems to make sense, to me. Shame really, because we'll never know for sure how else things could have gone if only a less hostile approach had been taken.

What do you thnik, guys? Should we ask Mister A about perhaps forming a third party to essentially 'keep the wall fragments for safekeeping'? He doesn't seem particualrly open to such things, but perhaps, if he trusts us to do the job we were organized to do in the first place, he will be willing to accept that we can judge the situation rationals and use the missing wall pieces as is neccesary if we have to?

Most important of the statements above, I think is this: "If you believe that the Administrator is on your side as much as you believe him to be, approach him about the possibility of taking the wall pieces from him. See how he reacts when you succeed at finding one. Then tell me if you believe he is just a poor communicator." This of course works both ways (although the "just" aside Mister A really is a bad communicator, at least with humans). If we follow the idea of 'experimenting' with a single wall piece, how they respond should tell us a great deal. Wish I'd thought to ask how Moriarty is able to hold the wall piece without getting ill.

[Blurred_9L]

So I sent a e-mail to Morgana in the morning, I guess I didn't really think through what I wanted to say, so maybe the information I got won't be so useful to you guys. Even so, here's the e-mail and its answer:

Dear Morgan:

As we have been encouraged to contact you, I am now doing so. I'm known as Blurred_9L in the WTF forums, though I'm not particularly active in the discussions. Even though some of my companions are against contact with the Cabal, I believe any kind or source of information can be useful for us right now. After all, that's something that we've been lacking recently. However, I trust you as much as our employer, Mr. A, which means I'll be extra careful when talking to you.

The main question here is: can we trust you? We previously recieved a letter from Erik and since then, some of us had been considering contacting you. But, to what end? Do we gain anything by contacting you? And what is the benefit for your group? I know I might be overly suspicious about this, but that's the way things got to be.

I want to know where this is going, because we have seen others change just by being in this world. Maybe you will change too. Maybe we can all come to an agreement that works for everyone, even if that's a bit too idealistic. Of course, there's also the possibility that you'll stay the same. Anything can happen at this point, seeing as we are between two opposing factions. We're probably just puppets to both sides. It doesn't have to be that way.

Hoping that we can be on good terms with each other I bid you farewell.

Blurred_9L

Her answer:

Dearest Rodrigo,

You are able to choose who you trust. I believe that being in this world is further fleshing out our characters, making us truly three dimensional. I want this change to happen. Perhaps once the wall is closed I might be able to even read my own stories. I am not sure.

I believe that you gain the ability to make informed choices about the fictionals here rather than sending those back that might wish to remain. I believe that that would make you better people, though you might disagree. I believe that you gain the ability to protect your world from further invasion, invasion that would prove more dangerous than Medusa or Anansi, invasion that would not be able to be stopped by your Metaguards. I believe that you gain the ability to decide whether you really desire to be manipulated by a callous being who wishes to play at being a god.

The benefit for my group is simple. We want to stay here. You can help us by securing the wall pieces and sealing the wall. We would be able to stay here, live out the rest of our lives here, and, for the first time, not be working toward any specific ending. We would just exist here, growing, aging, living.

Morgan

This isn't really helping me make a decision. Maybe we should just take a third option?

[Scarab]

This isn't really helping me make a decision. Maybe we should just take a third option?

Kinda what I'm pushing for too, yeah. Whether or not it's possible is another matter...

[Tohrinha]

I'll go ahead and post the transcripts of my discussions.

Hello Morgana,

I am Tohrinha. I'm a rather quiet person on the forums, but I have been following the train of events, and I must admit -- I'm rather unsure about the actions we have taken recently.

I'd like to explore your view of events more. I cannot guarantee that I will agree (how can I, with such limited information), but I'm open to hearing you out.

Please email me back at this address.

Thank you,

Tohrinha Dasteme

Dearest Tohrinha,

Thank you for reaching out to us. As I have told some of the others, we are happy to answer any questions if they will help you understand us better.

Best wishes,

Morgan

Morgan,

Thank you for replying to me.

As a scientist, I am curious as to how you were able to interact with the wall piece currently in your possession. Our data thus far contradicts this. If you could clear this up, I would be very grateful.

This next question is more to the point of why I am contacting you. You make a valid point about the metaguards' deception. We have manipulated in order to ease the fictionals' passage, first from their world into ours, then to return them to the other side of the wall. What I do not see is how straightforward malice, such as the Cabal has exhibited -- threatening Miss Lawson, for one example -- is preferable to a gentle deceit. In an ideal world, of course, neither would be necessary; I dislike lying and would rather avoid it. However, if I must choose between, what does your history show me that is more desirable than that of the metaguards?

Respectfully,

Tohrinha Dasteme

Morgan,

Please forgive the split email.

A new question has occurred to me. You have succeeded in having Peter Pan arrested, protecting him from the danger he was unknowingly entering. However, now that the danger is past, why do you not step in again? Kidnapping is a serious charge in our country, and the way this trial is proceeding, Pan could spend several years in jail. This is not exactly the stay that we would like him to have, for however long he is in this world.

If at all possible, I would appreciate it if you could help Pan. Your search for the wall pieces surely cannot consume all of your resources?

My aim with this is only to help Pan; it is not related to the core of my previous email. I hope you agree.

Respectfully,

Tohrinha Dasteme

Dearest Tohrinha,

I believe I answered the question about the wall piece in a previous email to one of your fellow Metaguards. Here is what I had said: "The wall pieces are not harmful to fictionals as far as I am aware. Anything I have to say about the nature of Holmes' illness would be mere conjecture, I am sorry to say."

I do not believe that I said that your actions were more or less desirable than ours. If I did, I meant to say that they are more or less equal. We are both afraid of what will happen to us if things are left unchecked, and we act in ways that are firmly in our own best interest.

That is not to say that I think you are bad people. It is not to say that I think the Cabal is comprised of bad people either. I just believe we are doing what we are compelled to, what we feel we must, in order to save ourselves and those we care about.

I acknowledge that we have done wrong. As I said in the chat, we are trying to correct what we can.

Morgan

Morgan,

I apologize for misinterpreting you. Also, I fear I appeared rather antagonistic in my previous email. If so, this was not my intention.

I'd like to ask for clarification on one of your points. You state that we fear what will happen to us if events are left unchecked. I am well aware of what this means for me; what for you? Is it the possibility of returning to an unfavorable setting should Mr. Administrator's plans go unimpeded?

Also, I have read your correspondence with other metaguards. In your email to Blurred_9L, you mention this world fleshing out your characters. I am afraid my philosophy seems to be at odds with yours. From what I have gleaned, and what theories we have formed, the interaction between fiction and our world is closer to that of a window, showing a low-dimensional scene from another world, rather than one of creation. Therefore, even before you came to this world, your character was fully developed; all aspects simply did not show in our fiction. However, you are implying that this world is not just changing you, but creating this greater dimension of character. Perhaps you can help reconcile these views?

Respectfully,

Tohrinha Dasteme

Dearest Tohrinha,

We are no longer able to take control in the Pan case. The lawyer we found is not as easily controlled as we would have hoped. He has a perfect record, apparently, and would do anything to keep it that way.

However, I also acknowledged in the chat that we would not step in when it came to refictionalizing those who truly wish to be sent back. Pan's second echo was just revealed, according to your forums. We think that, given time, all the fictionals here will find their life improved as they become fleshed out by reality… but we cannot make that choice for them.

Morgan

[Tohrinha]

Morgan,

Thank you for replying so quickly, although I'm saddened to hear that you are unable to help, even without your pledge of noninterference. We will continue to work on helping Pan, however.

I will note that again you use the phrase "fleshed out by reality". I realize that debating philosophy should perhaps take a lower priority than other tasks, but I believe it will help me communicate with you if I understand your point of view. And at this moment in time, as well as all others, communication is immensely important. Please get back to me on this soon.

Respectfully,

Tohrinha Dasteme