Explanation

Greetings, stranger.

(Prospective skeptic peering at this puzzle; member of the public, bystander to the conspiracy— potential project participant?)

It seems you’ve stumbled into something much bigger than yourself. You’re wondering what all this means and I’m inclined to explain it to you. Despite your promising show of curiosity, however, I can’t let you into this quest quite yet. First, I need to know if I can trust you.

(Can you trust this? Trust a stranger to be your guide, your narrator, your facilitator… a comrade against the conspiracy?)

Let’s head back to the beginning; it’s where most people prefer to get their start.