oh, sure, there are human survivors of the Quicksilver War. not just those of us in this room. all three sides. the rumors are true: some few deserved pardons were granted. and, yes, true automata have gotten a lot fancier in the last couple of years, what with all the demand for them before the end. so why are we still using dolls, when you have to be more than a little odd to work with them, and positively cracked to work on them? why tie ourselves to the unsavory supply chains from whence they come? why not use reliable war machines or loyal proven soldiers?
simple: we are not at war. not any more. since the Mirror broke, nothing has been as easy to comprehend as a nice straightforward war. what are victories and losses and factions and generals but mere sand castles washed away by the rising tide of the Unreal? we need entities… actors… agents… capable of navigating situations like the labyrinth irruption in Sun Point, or the star forest that swallowed Riverside. i won't say people, because the successful ones mostly aren't. machines can't understand what they're dealing with, and humans, even canny veterans like those of us in this room, can only understand it for so long before it changes them. but dolls? different story.
my esteemed colleagues, the one that took your coats as you came in is known as 52 Mangrove Lane. yes, the little one in the corner, no, i don't know why the designation, or rather, i've never been able to understand her explanation for it. wave, please, so the people in the back can see you. those of you who were at Sun Point or Riverside may recognize 52 Mangrove Lane from the vanguard team. those of you who were at St. Anise would as well, except that there aren't any of you, because she is one of two assets who has ever been within about four klicks of what used to be the city of St. Anise, and yes, the other one is also a doll.
quiet down, please. no, i don't know how. nobody knows how. things seem to work differently for them and that's what we know. yes, of course there's a report; it's filed in the archive, right next to the identifiable photos and materials samples that came back with 52 Mangrove Lane. i don't think she'll mind if i quote her: "this one is very sorry that she was able to find the city center, but unable to find the monsters."