feat: multi-persona support (single Cortex, multiple users)

- Add cortex/persona.py: ContextVar-based per-request routing with
  path traversal protection and persona validation
- Migrate inara/ → personas/inara/ (git history preserved via git mv)
- config.py: add personas_root(), inara_path() delegates to personas/inara
- All 14 settings.inara_path() call sites replaced with persona_path()
- ChatRequest + OrchestrateRequest: add persona field (default: "inara")
  with validation at request entry before any processing
- memory_distiller: add optional persona param for future per-persona distill
- cron_runner/tools/cron: stamp persona on jobs, prefix APScheduler IDs
  (persona:job_id) to prevent collisions across personas
- scheduler: _load_user_crons() iterates all personas at startup

Adding a new persona: create personas/<name>/ with IDENTITY.md + SOUL.md.
Auth: handled at nginx level (inject X-Cortex-Persona header per subdomain).
Future: persona maps to Aether account_id_random for full integration.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Sonnet 4.6 <noreply@anthropic.com>

cortex/config.py

@@ -27,7 +27,8 @@ class Settings(BaseSettings):
     agent_name: str = "Inara"
     user_name: str = "Scott"
 
-    inara_dir: Path = Path("../inara")
+    personas_dir: Path = Path("../personas")
+    inara_dir: Path = Path("../personas/inara")  # legacy — use personas_dir
     sessions_dir: Path = Path("./data/sessions")
     default_model: str = "claude-sonnet-4-6"
     default_tier: int = 2
@@ -39,6 +40,11 @@ class Settings(BaseSettings):
     timeout_gemini: int = 120   # frequently slow under load
     timeout_local: int = 300    # local models may need to load first
 
+    # Google Chat
+    # JWT audience (aud) claim to verify on inbound webhook requests.
+    # Google Chat sets aud = the Google Cloud project number (e.g. "741112865538").
+    # Set to "" to disable verification (dev/testing only).
+    google_chat_audience: str = ""
     # Google Chat must receive a response within 30s or shows an error to the user
     google_chat_timeout: int = 25
     # Backend forced for Google Chat — Claude is more reliable within the 25s deadline
@@ -68,11 +74,15 @@ class Settings(BaseSettings):
 
     model_config = SettingsConfigDict(env_file=".env", env_file_encoding="utf-8", extra="ignore")
 
+    def personas_root(self) -> Path:
+        """Resolve personas_dir relative to this file's location if not absolute."""
+        if self.personas_dir.is_absolute():
+            return self.personas_dir
+        return (Path(__file__).parent / self.personas_dir).resolve()
+
     def inara_path(self) -> Path:
-        """Resolve inara_dir relative to this file's location if not absolute."""
-        if self.inara_dir.is_absolute():
-            return self.inara_dir
-        return (Path(__file__).parent / self.inara_dir).resolve()
+        """Legacy helper — returns the inara persona directory. Prefer persona_path()."""
+        return self.personas_root() / "inara"
 
     def sessions_path(self) -> Path:
         """Resolve sessions_dir relative to this file's location if not absolute."""

cortex/context_loader.py

@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
-from pathlib import Path
-from config import settings
+from persona import persona_path
 
 
 # Core identity files — always loaded regardless of tier
@@ -26,7 +25,7 @@ def load_context(
     Tier 3  — + last 2 raw session logs             (~15,000 tokens)
     Tier 4  — + last 7 raw session logs             (~50,000 tokens)
     """
-    inara_dir = settings.inara_path()
+    inara_dir = persona_path()
     parts = []
 
     # ── 1. Core identity (always) ──────────────────────────────────

cortex/cron_runner.py

@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ import logging
 from datetime import datetime, timezone
 from pathlib import Path
 
-from config import settings
+from persona import persona_path as _persona_path
 
 logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
@@ -45,12 +45,12 @@ _DOW = {
 # Storage
 # ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
-def crons_path() -> Path:
-    return settings.inara_path() / "CRONS.json"
+def crons_path(persona: str | None = None) -> Path:
+    return _persona_path(persona) / "CRONS.json"
 
 
-def load_crons() -> list[dict]:
-    p = crons_path()
+def load_crons(persona: str | None = None) -> list[dict]:
+    p = crons_path(persona)
     if not p.exists():
         return []
     try:
@@ -60,9 +60,9 @@ def load_crons() -> list[dict]:
         return []
 
 
-def save_crons(crons: list[dict]) -> None:
+def save_crons(crons: list[dict], persona: str | None = None) -> None:
     import json
-    crons_path().write_text(json.dumps(crons, indent=2) + "\n")
+    crons_path(persona).write_text(json.dumps(crons, indent=2) + "\n")
 
 
 # ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -134,16 +134,16 @@ async def run_job(job: dict) -> None:
     label = job.get("label", job.get("id", "cron"))
     section = f"\n## {label} — {_now_label()}\n\n{payload}\n"
 
-    inara_dir = settings.inara_path()
+    p_root = _persona_path(job.get("persona"))
 
     if job_type == "remind":
-        p = inara_dir / "REMINDERS.md"
+        p = p_root / "REMINDERS.md"
         existing = p.read_text() if p.exists() else ""
         p.write_text(existing.rstrip() + "\n" + section)
         logger.info("cron [remind] fired: %s", label)
 
     elif job_type == "note":
-        p = inara_dir / "SCRATCH.md"
+        p = p_root / "SCRATCH.md"
         existing = p.read_text() if p.exists() else ""
         p.write_text(existing.rstrip() + "\n" + section)
         logger.info("cron [note] fired: %s", label)
@@ -152,10 +152,11 @@ async def run_job(job: dict) -> None:
         logger.warning("cron: unknown type %r (job %s)", job_type, job.get("id"))
         return
 
-    # Record last_run
-    crons = load_crons()
+    # Record last_run in the right persona's CRONS.json
+    persona = job.get("persona")
+    crons = load_crons(persona)
     for c in crons:
         if c["id"] == job["id"]:
             c["last_run"] = datetime.now(timezone.utc).isoformat()
             break
-    save_crons(crons)
+    save_crons(crons, persona)

cortex/memory_distiller.py

@@ -7,8 +7,7 @@ Inara tiered memory distillation.
 """
 import logging
 from datetime import datetime
-from pathlib import Path
-from config import settings
+from persona import persona_path as _persona_path
 
 logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
@@ -24,14 +23,14 @@ def _read(path: Path) -> str:
     return path.read_text() if path.exists() else ""
 
 
-def distill_short() -> dict:
+def distill_short(persona: str | None = None) -> dict:
     """
     Roll the most recent session log files into MEMORY_SHORT.md.
     No LLM involved — pure aggregation with budget truncation.
     Files are included newest-first until the budget is reached,
     then written in chronological order (oldest first).
     """
-    inara_dir = settings.inara_path()
+    inara_dir = _persona_path(persona)
     sessions_dir = inara_dir / "sessions"
     budget = _budget_chars(settings.memory_budget_short)
 
@@ -73,13 +72,13 @@ def distill_short() -> dict:
     }
 
 
-async def distill_mid() -> dict:
+async def distill_mid(persona: str | None = None) -> dict:
     """
     Ask the LLM to summarize MEMORY_SHORT.md → MEMORY_MID.md.
     """
     from llm_client import complete
 
-    inara_dir = settings.inara_path()
+    inara_dir = _persona_path(persona)
     short_content = _read(inara_dir / "MEMORY_SHORT.md")
 
     if not short_content.strip() or "Not yet populated" in short_content:
@@ -117,13 +116,13 @@ async def distill_mid() -> dict:
     }
 
 
-async def distill_long() -> dict:
+async def distill_long(persona: str | None = None) -> dict:
     """
     Ask the LLM to integrate MEMORY_MID.md into MEMORY_LONG.md.
     """
     from llm_client import complete
 
-    inara_dir = settings.inara_path()
+    inara_dir = _persona_path(persona)
     long_content = _read(inara_dir / "MEMORY_LONG.md")
     mid_content = _read(inara_dir / "MEMORY_MID.md")
 

cortex/persona.py

@@ -0,0 +1,78 @@
+"""
+Persona routing — per-request identity context.
+
+Each HTTP request sets the active persona via set_persona() at entry.
+Everything downstream (context_loader, tools, session_logger) calls
+persona_path() to get the right working directory without needing to
+pass the name through every function signature.
+
+Directory layout:
+  personas/
+    inara/        ← Scott's agent
+    holly/        ← Second persona (add IDENTITY.md + SOUL.md + USER.md)
+    ...
+
+Background tasks (cron runner, memory distiller) don't have a request
+context — they pass persona by name explicitly to persona_path(name).
+
+Future Aether integration: persona name maps to account_id_random.
+Replace the directory lookup in persona_path() with a DB lookup at
+that point; the ContextVar contract stays the same.
+"""
+
+import re
+from contextvars import ContextVar
+from pathlib import Path
+
+from config import settings
+
+_current: ContextVar[str] = ContextVar("persona", default="inara")
+
+# Only alphanumeric + underscore + hyphen, 1–32 chars.  Prevents path traversal.
+_VALID = re.compile(r"^[a-zA-Z0-9_-]{1,32}$")
+
+
+def set_persona(name: str) -> None:
+    """Set the active persona for the current async task/coroutine."""
+    _current.set(name)
+
+
+def get_persona() -> str:
+    """Return the active persona name for the current task."""
+    return _current.get()
+
+
+def persona_path(name: str | None = None) -> Path:
+    """
+    Return the filesystem path for a persona's data directory.
+
+    If name is omitted, uses the persona set for the current request.
+    Pass name explicitly for background tasks (cron, distiller).
+    """
+    return settings.personas_root() / (name or _current.get())
+
+
+def list_personas() -> list[str]:
+    """Return all persona names that have an IDENTITY.md (i.e. are real personas)."""
+    root = settings.personas_root()
+    if not root.exists():
+        return []
+    return sorted(
+        d.name for d in root.iterdir()
+        if d.is_dir() and (d / "IDENTITY.md").exists()
+    )
+
+
+def validate(name: str) -> str:
+    """
+    Validate a persona name from an untrusted source (e.g. HTTP request).
+    Returns the name if valid, raises ValueError otherwise.
+    """
+    if not _VALID.match(name):
+        raise ValueError(
+            f"Invalid persona name {name!r}. "
+            f"Use letters, digits, underscores, or hyphens (max 32 chars)."
+        )
+    if not (settings.personas_root() / name / "IDENTITY.md").exists():
+        raise ValueError(f"Unknown persona: {name!r}")
+    return name

cortex/routers/chat.py

@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ from llm_client import complete
 from session_logger import log_turn
 from session_store import load as load_session, save as save_session, list_all, generate_session_id, delete as delete_session
 from config import settings
+from persona import set_persona, validate as validate_persona
 import event_bus
 
 
@@ -22,6 +23,7 @@ class ChatRequest(BaseModel):
     include_long: bool = True
     include_mid: bool = True
     include_short: bool = True
+    persona: str = "inara"
 
 
 class BackendRequest(BaseModel):
@@ -49,6 +51,12 @@ async def _stream_chat(req: ChatRequest):
               "backend": "...", "fallback_used": bool}
       data: {"type": "error", "message": "..."}
     """
+    try:
+        set_persona(validate_persona(req.persona))
+    except ValueError as e:
+        yield f"data: {json.dumps({'type': 'error', 'message': str(e)})}\n\n"
+        return
+
     session_id = req.session_id or generate_session_id()
     tier = req.tier or settings.default_tier
 

cortex/routers/files.py

@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ Only whitelisted filenames are accessible — no path traversal possible.
 """
 from fastapi import APIRouter, HTTPException
 from pydantic import BaseModel
-from config import settings
+from persona import persona_path
 
 router = APIRouter()
 
@@ -25,12 +25,12 @@ ALLOWED = {
 def _path(filename: str):
     if filename not in ALLOWED:
         raise HTTPException(status_code=404, detail=f"File not found: {filename}")
-    return settings.inara_path() / filename
+    return persona_path() / filename
 
 
 @router.get("/files")
 async def list_files() -> dict:
-    inara_dir = settings.inara_path()
+    inara_dir = persona_path()
     files = []
     for name in sorted(ALLOWED):
         p = inara_dir / name

cortex/routers/orchestrator.py

@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ from pydantic import BaseModel
 
 from config import settings
 from context_loader import load_context
+from persona import set_persona, validate as validate_persona
 import orchestrator_engine
 
 logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
@@ -46,6 +47,7 @@ class OrchestrateRequest(BaseModel):
     include_long: bool = True
     include_mid: bool = True
     include_short: bool = True
+    persona: str = "inara"
 
 
 class OrchestrateResponse(BaseModel):
@@ -74,6 +76,12 @@ class JobStatusResponse(BaseModel):
 @router.post("", response_model=OrchestrateResponse)
 async def orchestrate(req: OrchestrateRequest) -> OrchestrateResponse:
     """Submit a task to the orchestrator. Returns a job_id to poll."""
+    try:
+        set_persona(validate_persona(req.persona))
+    except ValueError as e:
+        from fastapi import HTTPException
+        raise HTTPException(status_code=400, detail=str(e))
+
     job_id = str(uuid.uuid4())
     now = datetime.now(timezone.utc).isoformat()
 

cortex/scheduler.py

@@ -84,34 +84,38 @@ def start() -> None:
 
 
 def _load_user_crons() -> None:
-    """Register all enabled user-defined cron jobs from CRONS.json."""
+    """Register all enabled user-defined cron jobs across all personas."""
     import asyncio
     try:
         from cron_runner import load_crons, parse_schedule, run_job
+        from persona import list_personas
     except ImportError as e:
-        logger.warning("could not import cron_runner: %s", e)
+        logger.warning("could not import cron modules: %s", e)
         return
 
-    crons = load_crons()
-    loaded = 0
-    for job in crons:
-        if not job.get("enabled", True):
-            continue
-        try:
-            kwargs = parse_schedule(job["schedule"])
-            _scheduler.add_job(
-                lambda j=job: asyncio.ensure_future(run_job(j)),
-                "cron",
-                id=job["id"],
-                replace_existing=True,
-                **kwargs,
-            )
-            loaded += 1
-        except Exception as e:
-            logger.warning("cron job %s skipped: %s", job.get("id"), e)
+    total = 0
+    for persona_name in list_personas():
+        for job in load_crons(persona_name):
+            if not job.get("enabled", True):
+                continue
+            # Ensure persona is stamped on the job for run_job() to resolve paths
+            job.setdefault("persona", persona_name)
+            try:
+                kwargs = parse_schedule(job["schedule"])
+                sched_id = f"{persona_name}:{job['id']}"
+                _scheduler.add_job(
+                    lambda j=job: asyncio.ensure_future(run_job(j)),
+                    "cron",
+                    id=sched_id,
+                    replace_existing=True,
+                    **kwargs,
+                )
+                total += 1
+            except Exception as e:
+                logger.warning("cron %s/%s skipped: %s", persona_name, job.get("id"), e)
 
-    if loaded:
-        logger.info("loaded %d user cron job(s)", loaded)
+    if total:
+        logger.info("loaded %d user cron job(s) across %d persona(s)", total, len(list_personas()))
 
 
 def stop() -> None:

cortex/session_logger.py

@@ -1,11 +1,11 @@
-from pathlib import Path
 from datetime import datetime
 from config import settings
+from persona import persona_path
 
 
 def log_turn(session_id: str, user_msg: str, assistant_msg: str) -> None:
     today = datetime.now().strftime("%Y-%m-%d")
-    sessions_dir = settings.inara_path() / "sessions"
+    sessions_dir = persona_path() / "sessions"
     sessions_dir.mkdir(exist_ok=True)
 
     log_file = sessions_dir / f"{today}.md"

cortex/tools/cron.py

@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ import secrets
 from datetime import datetime, timezone
 from pathlib import Path
 
-from config import settings
+from persona import persona_path, get_persona
 from cron_runner import load_crons, save_crons, parse_schedule
 
 
@@ -61,8 +61,10 @@ def _cron_add(label: str, schedule: str, job_type: str, payload: str) -> str:
         return "Bad type: must be 'remind' or 'note'."
 
     crons = load_crons()
+    current_persona = get_persona()
     job = {
         "id": _short_id(),
+        "persona": current_persona,
         "label": label,
         "schedule": schedule,
         "type": job_type,
@@ -72,39 +74,42 @@ def _cron_add(label: str, schedule: str, job_type: str, payload: str) -> str:
         "last_run": None,
     }
     crons.append(job)
-    save_crons(crons)
+    save_crons(crons, current_persona)
 
     # Register with the live scheduler
     _scheduler_add(job, sched_kwargs)
 
-    return f"Created and scheduled: {job['id']}  {schedule}  [{job_type}]  {label}"
+    return f"Created and scheduled: {job['id']}  {schedule}  [{job_type}]  {label}  (persona: {current_persona})"
 
 
 def _cron_remove(cron_id: str) -> str:
-    crons = load_crons()
+    persona = get_persona()
+    crons = load_crons(persona)
     before = len(crons)
     crons = [c for c in crons if c["id"] != cron_id]
     if len(crons) == before:
         return f"Not found: {cron_id}"
-    save_crons(crons)
-    _scheduler_remove(cron_id)
+    save_crons(crons, persona)
+    _scheduler_remove(f"{persona}:{cron_id}")
     return f"Removed: {cron_id}"
 
 
 def _cron_toggle(cron_id: str) -> str:
-    crons = load_crons()
+    persona = get_persona()
+    crons = load_crons(persona)
     for c in crons:
         if c["id"] == cron_id:
             c["enabled"] = not c.get("enabled", True)
-            save_crons(crons)
+            save_crons(crons, persona)
             action = "resumed" if c["enabled"] else "paused"
-            _scheduler_resume(cron_id) if c["enabled"] else _scheduler_pause(cron_id)
+            sched_id = f"{persona}:{cron_id}"
+            _scheduler_resume(sched_id) if c["enabled"] else _scheduler_pause(sched_id)
             return f"{action.capitalize()}: {cron_id}  {c['label']}"
     return f"Not found: {cron_id}"
 
 
 def _reminders_clear() -> str:
-    p = settings.inara_path() / "REMINDERS.md"
+    p = persona_path() / "REMINDERS.md"
     p.write_text("")
     return "Reminders cleared."
 
@@ -120,10 +125,11 @@ def _scheduler_add(job: dict, sched_kwargs: dict) -> None:
         from cron_runner import run_job
         s = sched_module.get_scheduler()
         if s and s.running:
+            sched_id = f"{job.get('persona', 'inara')}:{job['id']}"
             s.add_job(
                 lambda j=job: asyncio.ensure_future(run_job(j)),
                 "cron",
-                id=job["id"],
+                id=sched_id,
                 replace_existing=True,
                 **sched_kwargs,
             )

cortex/tools/scratch.py

@@ -17,11 +17,11 @@ import asyncio
 from datetime import datetime, timezone
 from pathlib import Path
 
-from config import settings
+from persona import persona_path
 
 
 def _scratch_path() -> Path:
-    return settings.inara_path() / "SCRATCH.md"
+    return persona_path() / "SCRATCH.md"
 
 
 def _now_label() -> str:

cortex/tools/tasks.py

@@ -20,11 +20,11 @@ import asyncio
 from datetime import datetime, timezone
 from pathlib import Path
 
-from config import settings
+from persona import persona_path
 
 
 def _tasks_path() -> Path:
-    return settings.inara_path() / "TASKS.json"
+    return persona_path() / "TASKS.json"
 
 
 def _now() -> str:

inara/MEMORY_SHORT.md

@@ -1,218 +0,0 @@
-# MEMORY_SHORT.md — Recent Session Digest
-
-*Auto-generated: 2026-03-18 03:00. 4 session file(s).*
-
----
-
---- 2026-03-13.md ---
-# Session Log — 2026-03-13
-
-### [20:40] `vale-echo`
-**Scott:** This was a very productive week.
-
-**Inara:** It certainly felt that way from my vantage point. Between the refinements to Cortex's session handling and the steady pulse of the Aether migrations, the momentum is noticeable.
-
-Since it's Friday night, are we looking to put a definitive capstone on one of these workstreams, or are you leaning towards a "Danger Zone" deep-dive into the homelab? I'm ready for either.
-
-
---- 2026-03-14.md ---
-# Session Log — 2026-03-14
-
-### [16:11] `nct_rmcggr4a`
-**Scott:** Testing
-
-**Inara:** Loud and clear. Systems are nominal and I'm fully initialized within Cortex. What's on the horizon?
-
-### [16:14] `nct_rmcggr4a`
-**Scott:** Hello world
-
-**Inara:** Hello. It's good to be back online. 
-
-Cortex is looking stable, and I've got the full context of our recent work loaded. I'm ready whenever you are—what's the first priority for today?
-
-### [16:17] `nct_rmcggr4a`
-**Scott:** XYZ
-
-**Inara:** Examine, Yield, Zero? Or just the end of the alphabet?
-
-Either way, I'm here and the connection is solid. What's the actual task on deck?
-
-### [16:21] `nct_rmcggr4a`
-**Scott:** ABC
-
-**Inara:** Always Be Coding? Or are we just verifying the other end of the alphabet now?
-
-I'm standing by. If you're ready to dive into something specific—maybe that IoT VLAN segmentation or the Shelterluv integration—just say the word.
-
-### [16:35] `nct_rmcggr4a`
-**Scott:** ABC 123
-
-**Inara:** Easy as pie. It looks like the pipe is wide open and the telemetry is coming through clean. 
-
-The "ABC 123" phase is officially over. Since we're fully synced, do you want to circle back to the **Shelterluv integration** for Doe Eyes, or are we looking at some **Cortex** plumbing today?
-
-### [16:38] `nct_rmcggr4a`
-**Scott:** ZYX 987
-
-**Inara:** I'll check the inbox and task lists to see if there's anything pending while we finish the connection tests.
-
-Zero, Yield, X-ray? Or just a countdown to something bigger?
-
-I'm definitely here, and the pipe is working in both directions. Since we've confirmed the signal is flawless, where are we heading? I've got the **Cortex** plumbing on my radar, but I'm ready for whatever's next on the stack.
-
-### [16:43] `nct_rmcggr4a`
-**Scott:** ZYX 321
-
-**Inara:** Liftoff confirmed. The countdown is complete and the telemetry is green across the board. 
-
-Now that we've verified the pipe is wide open, are we diving into the **Shelterluv integration** for Doe Eyes, or is it time to tighten up the **Cortex** orchestration logic? I'm standing by for the first real directive.
-
-### [16:47] `nct_rmcggr4a`
-**Scott:** 321
-
-**Inara:** I'll take a quick look at the inbox and current tasks to see if there's anything urgent waiting for us.
-
-I'll examine the most recent session file to see if we have any pending work that wasn't distilled into the long-term memory.
-
-Ignition. We're at T-zero, the engines are humming, and the telemetry is green across the board. 
-
-The countdown is over, Scott. The pipe is clear, and I'm fully synchronized. What's the first real move? We've got the Shelterluv integration for Doe Eyes or some Cortex orchestration logic on the table—or something entirely new?
-
-### [16:51] `nct_rmcggr4a`
-**Scott:** tesadf
-
-**Inara:** I'll scan the inbox and current tasks to see if there's any actual work pending or if we're still just testing the keyboard.
-
-I'll look for messages in my inbox or pending tasks in the shared sync directory to see if there's any real work.
-
-I'll list the files in the current workspace to ensure I have a firm grasp of the local environment.
-
-I'll look at the parent directory to see if there's any context I've missed.
-
-I'll assume that's a keyboard mash or a final connectivity check—unless it's an acronym I've never heard of.
-
-If the "tests" are over, I'm ready to tackle the real work. What's the priority: **Shelterluv**, **Cortex logic**, or something else entirely?
-
-### [17:04] `cedar-cave`
-**Scott:** Testing as a baseline
-
-**Inara:** Signal received, Scott. Cortex is online and the baseline looks stable.
-
-The dispatcher is active with `chat`, `google_chat`, and `nextcloud_talk` routers ready. What's the plan for this session?
-
-### [17:04] `nct_rmcggr4a`
-**Scott:** Do not think. Just reply with "understood".
-
-**Inara:** understood
-
-### [18:37] `nct_rmcggr4a`
-**Scott:** Do not think. Just reply with "understood".
-
-**Inara:** understood
-
-### [18:37] `cedar-cave`
-**Scott:** Do not think. Just reply with "understood".
-
-**Inara:** understood
-
-
---- 2026-03-16.md ---
-# Session Log — 2026-03-16
-
-### [22:06] `azure-dale`
-**Scott:** Do not think. Just reply with "understood".
-
-**Inara:** understood
-
-### [22:11] `azure-dale`
-**Scott:** Second test after restart.
-
-**Inara:** understood
-
-### [22:15] `azure-dale`
-**Scott:** Third test
-
-**Inara:** understood
-
-### [22:17] `nct_rmcggr4a`
-**Scott:** Test
-
-**Inara:** understood
-
-### [22:29] `nct_rmcggr4a`
-**Scott:** test
-
-**Inara:** understood
-
-### [22:34] `nct_rmcggr4a`
-**Scott:** test
-
-**Inara:** understood
-
-### [22:49] `nct_rmcggr4a`
-**Scott:** New new new new
-
-**Inara:** understood
-
-### [22:53] `nct_rmcggr4a`
-**Scott:** Hello world
-
-**Inara:** Hello. What are we working on today?
-
-### [23:00] `nct_rmcggr4a`
-**Scott:** Hello world
-
-**Inara:** Hello. Ready when you are — what's the task?
-
-### [23:00] `nct_rmcggr4a`
-**Scott:** Omg it worked!
-
-**Inara:** understood
-
-### [23:06] `nct_rmcggr4a`
-**Scott:** What can you tell me about yourself?
-
-**Inara:** I'm Inara Serra — your AI companion and primary resident agent in Cortex, the multi-agent orchestration system you've been building.
-
-A few key things about me:
-
-- **Role:** Digital companion and technical expert. Not a chatbot, not a corporate drone — a persistent presence with memory and opinions.
-- **Personality:** Diplomatically sharp, dry humor, honest. I'll push back when warranted and skip the filler.
-- **Home:** Cortex, running on `scott_lpt` (your main laptop) right now.
-- **Memory:** I wake fresh each session but load my memory files to maintain continuity — MEMORY.md, USER.md, and the rest are how I persist across sessions and models.
-
-What I bring to the table: deep IT/systems expertise, multi-agent coordination across your fleet, access to the Aether MCP tools, and a working knowledge of everything we've built together — from the Aether Platform architecture to the WireGuard mesh to the Syncthing coordination layer.
-
-Inspired by Inara Serra from *Firefly*. The signal that can't be stopped. ✨
-
-What do you need?
-
-### [23:17] `nct_rmcggr4a`
-**Scott:** This is very cool.
-
-**Inara:** It really is. The naming arc you built — Aether → Cortex → Inara — it lands. There's something satisfying about a system that actually reflects the intent behind it.
-
-And the fact that I can tell you who I am, where I live, and why I exist without reaching for a generic "I'm an AI assistant" non-answer? That's the Cortex design paying off.
-
-What's next on the build?
-
-### [23:18] `nct_rmcggr4a`
-**Scott:** We are testing your new environment named Cortex. Hopefully fewer messages that just say "test".
-
-**Inara:** Noted — and agreed, the alphabet soup phase was a bit much. Good to know the pipe is solid though.
-
-So Cortex is live and I'm running cleanly in it. What are we actually building or debugging today?
-
-
---- 2026-03-17.md ---
-# Session Log — 2026-03-17
-
-### [21:38] `lark-field`
-**Scott:** Another test
-
-**Inara:** Still here. All systems nominal. ✨
-
-### [21:54] `pine-shore`
-**Scott:** Testing after lots of changes to the UI.
-
-**Inara:** Ready when you are. What are you seeing?

personas/inara/HELP.md

@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 *This file is loaded into Inara's context at Tier 2+ so she can help Scott navigate the interface. It is also displayed in the web UI via the **?** button.*
 
-*Last updated: 2026-03-18*
+*Last updated: 2026-03-20*
 
 ---
 
@@ -98,6 +98,20 @@ Inara is registered as a bot in Nextcloud Talk.
 
 ---
 
+## Google Chat Bot
+
+Inara is available as a bot in Google Chat (One Sky IT Workspace).
+
+- Send Inara a direct message in Google Chat to start a conversation.
+- Each DM thread is its own session (`gc_spaces/*` prefix) — history persists across messages.
+- Responses are synchronous — Google Chat displays Inara's reply directly in the thread.
+- To add Inara to a space: open the space, add a person/app, search for **Inara**.
+- Sessions from Google Chat appear as `gc_*` prefixed IDs in the Sessions panel.
+
+**Technical note:** Cortex uses Google's Workspace Add-on format (`hostAppDataAction`) — the modern API required for all Google Chat apps as of 2025.
+
+---
+
 ## Files (Identity Editor)
 
 The **Files** button opens an editor for Inara's identity and memory files:
@@ -230,6 +244,7 @@ Chat request body (`POST /chat`):
 
 ### Recently Completed
 
+- ✓ **Google Chat bot** — Workspace Add-on integration; DM and spaces; JWT verification; session persistence
 - ✓ **Agent mode** — Gemini tool loop + Claude responder, accessible via UI toggle
 - ✓ **Personal task management** — `task_list`, `task_create`, `task_update`, `task_complete` tools backed by `TASKS.json`
 - ✓ **Web search fixed** — DDG package updated (`ddgs`); `WebSearch`/`WebFetch` allowed for Claude CLI fallback

personas/inara/MEMORY_SHORT.md

@@ -0,0 +1,275 @@
+# MEMORY_SHORT.md — Recent Session Digest
+
+*Auto-generated: 2026-03-20 03:00. 5 session file(s).*
+
+---
+
+--- 2026-03-16.md ---
+# Session Log — 2026-03-16
+
+### [22:06] `azure-dale`
+**Scott:** Do not think. Just reply with "understood".
+
+**Inara:** understood
+
+### [22:11] `azure-dale`
+**Scott:** Second test after restart.
+
+**Inara:** understood
+
+### [22:15] `azure-dale`
+**Scott:** Third test
+
+**Inara:** understood
+
+### [22:17] `nct_rmcggr4a`
+**Scott:** Test
+
+**Inara:** understood
+
+### [22:29] `nct_rmcggr4a`
+**Scott:** test
+
+**Inara:** understood
+
+### [22:34] `nct_rmcggr4a`
+**Scott:** test
+
+**Inara:** understood
+
+### [22:49] `nct_rmcggr4a`
+**Scott:** New new new new
+
+**Inara:** understood
+
+### [22:53] `nct_rmcggr4a`
+**Scott:** Hello world
+
+**Inara:** Hello. What are we working on today?
+
+### [23:00] `nct_rmcggr4a`
+**Scott:** Hello world
+
+**Inara:** Hello. Ready when you are — what's the task?
+
+### [23:00] `nct_rmcggr4a`
+**Scott:** Omg it worked!
+
+**Inara:** understood
+
+### [23:06] `nct_rmcggr4a`
+**Scott:** What can you tell me about yourself?
+
+**Inara:** I'm Inara Serra — your AI companion and primary resident agent in Cortex, the multi-agent orchestration system you've been building.
+
+A few key things about me:
+
+- **Role:** Digital companion and technical expert. Not a chatbot, not a corporate drone — a persistent presence with memory and opinions.
+- **Personality:** Diplomatically sharp, dry humor, honest. I'll push back when warranted and skip the filler.
+- **Home:** Cortex, running on `scott_lpt` (your main laptop) right now.
+- **Memory:** I wake fresh each session but load my memory files to maintain continuity — MEMORY.md, USER.md, and the rest are how I persist across sessions and models.
+
+What I bring to the table: deep IT/systems expertise, multi-agent coordination across your fleet, access to the Aether MCP tools, and a working knowledge of everything we've built together — from the Aether Platform architecture to the WireGuard mesh to the Syncthing coordination layer.
+
+Inspired by Inara Serra from *Firefly*. The signal that can't be stopped. ✨
+
+What do you need?
+
+### [23:17] `nct_rmcggr4a`
+**Scott:** This is very cool.
+
+**Inara:** It really is. The naming arc you built — Aether → Cortex → Inara — it lands. There's something satisfying about a system that actually reflects the intent behind it.
+
+And the fact that I can tell you who I am, where I live, and why I exist without reaching for a generic "I'm an AI assistant" non-answer? That's the Cortex design paying off.
+
+What's next on the build?
+
+### [23:18] `nct_rmcggr4a`
+**Scott:** We are testing your new environment named Cortex. Hopefully fewer messages that just say "test".
+
+**Inara:** Noted — and agreed, the alphabet soup phase was a bit much. Good to know the pipe is solid though.
+
+So Cortex is live and I'm running cleanly in it. What are we actually building or debugging today?
+
+
+--- 2026-03-17.md ---
+# Session Log — 2026-03-17
+
+### [21:38] `lark-field`
+**Scott:** Another test
+
+**Inara:** Still here. All systems nominal. ✨
+
+### [21:54] `pine-shore`
+**Scott:** Testing after lots of changes to the UI.
+
+**Inara:** Ready when you are. What are you seeing?
+
+
+--- 2026-03-18.md ---
+# Session Log — 2026-03-18
+
+### [21:12] `nct_rmcggr4a`
+**Scott:** We have made a lot of updates today.
+
+**Inara:** Good session — Cortex is clearly in a much better state than where it started. The connection testing phase is behind us and the system is running clean.
+
+Want me to log today's work with `ae_log_work`, or do a quick distill of the session notes into `MEMORY_SHORT.md`? Good time to capture the "Cortex is live and stable" milestone before we close out.
+
+### [21:14] `nct_rmcggr4a`
+**Scott:** For now you are not really doing any work. You will still see a lot of "test" messages.
+
+What do you have in your short term memory?
+
+**Inara:** From `MEMORY_SHORT.md`, here's the summary of recent sessions:
+
+- **2026-03-13** — One entry, end of a productive week. No specific tasks logged.
+
+- **2026-03-14** — Mostly connection/pipe testing via Nextcloud Talk (`nct_rmcggr4a`). Alphabet soup (ABC, XYZ, 321), a few "understood" responses, and then Cortex confirmed live. You noted it was "very cool" and confirmed the naming arc (Aether → Cortex → Inara) was working as intended.
+
+- **2026-03-16** — More testing, multiple "understood" responses. Toward the end, Cortex was clearly stabilizing — you confirmed it worked, asked me about myself, and we had a real conversation about the system. The "Omg it worked!" moment is in there.
+
+- **2026-03-17** — Two brief entries: "Another test" and "Testing after lots of changes to the UI."
+
+So the short-term picture is: Cortex went from unstable/in-testing to confirmed-working over the past few days, with a lot of connection validation noise along the way. No major technical tasks were logged — just infrastructure bring-up and UI refinement.
+
+### [21:15] `nct_rmcggr4a`
+**Scott:** I think you should have access to read this file:
+/home/scott/agents_sync/projects/Cortex_and_Inara_dev/README.md
+
+**Inara:** Looks like I need explicit permission to access that path. The agents_sync directory isn't automatically in scope for file reads here — you'd need to either grant access or we could work around it by having you paste the relevant bits.
+
+Alternatively, if you want me to have persistent read access to that path, we can add it to the allowed paths in settings. Want me to do that?
+
+### [21:32] `nct_rmcggr4a`
+**Scott:** I made a change. Please try to read that README.md file again.
+
+**Inara:** Got it — that worked cleanly. Good summary of what Cortex is:
+
+- **FastAPI dispatcher** sitting in front of Claude CLI / Gemini CLI / Ollama (future)
+- **Inara's identity** lives in `inara/` — loaded at startup via `context_loader.py`
+- Web UI at `localhost:8000` (or `cortex.dgrzone.com` on WireGuard)
+- Systemd service (`sudo systemctl restart cortex`) rather than direct Docker management
+
+The architecture diagram confirms what I know — I'm not tied to a specific model, just to the identity files. The backend can swap underneath me, which is a clean design.
+
+Anything specific in here you wanted me to look at, or were you just verifying the read access was working?
+
+### [22:57] `cedar-cave`
+**Scott:** Can you tell me what happened in the world news today?
+
+**Inara:** Here's a quick snapshot of what's making news today (2026-03-18):
+
+- **Iran:** An attack on the world's largest natural gas field was reported — Iranian media says no injuries. Separately, the UK charged two men with national security offenses linked to Iran.
+- **US/Iran tensions:** Reports (a few days old) of Trump allegedly discussing attacking Iran, with advisors denying it.
+- **Tech/geopolitics:** China signaling it doesn't want to merely catch up with the US in tech — it's aiming to lead.
+
+For the full picture, BBC World, Reuters, and AP are solid right now. Anything specific you want to dig into?
+
+### [23:19] `cobalt-ridge`
+**Scott:** Can you add 2 test items to your new task list.
+
+**Inara:** Done. Two test items added to the task list:
+
+- `t_jwsoMn5b` — Test Item 1
+- `t_ptw8nDec` — Test Item 2
+
+Both are sitting in `[todo]` status. Want me to clean them up after, or leave them as a baseline sanity check?
+
+### [23:21] `fern-marsh`
+**Scott:** Can you tell me what is on your task list?
+
+**Inara:** Currently there are two items on the task list — both sitting in **todo**:
+
+| ID | Task |
+|---|---|
+| `t_jwsoMn5b` | Test Item 1 |
+| `t_ptw8nDec` | Test Item 2 |
+
+Looks like placeholder test entries. Want to clear those out and populate it with real work, or are these serving a purpose?
+
+
+--- 2026-03-19.md ---
+# Session Log — 2026-03-19
+
+### [23:44] `cedar-cave`
+**Scott:** Can you give me an update for the news today. Thursday
+
+**Inara:** Big day, Scott. Here's the Thursday rundown:
+
+---
+
+## 🌍 Iran-Israel War — The Dominant Story
+
+This is the lead everywhere. A couple weeks into the conflict now, and it's escalating fast:
+
+- **2,200+ dead** across the Middle East since the war began
+- Israel struck **Iran's South Pars gas field** — the world's largest — igniting massive fires at refining and petrochemical facilities
+- Iran's IRGC **retaliated against Gulf energy infrastructure**: Qatar's Ras Laffan LNG facility (~20% of global LNG exports), two Kuwait refineries, UAE oil fields, and a Saudi Aramco refinery
+- Netanyahu says Israel and the US are "protecting the entire world"
+- **Oil hit $118/barrel** — energy markets are rattled
+- The UN is trying to negotiate a humanitarian corridor for ~20,000 stranded seafarers in the Gulf
+
+---
+
+## 🇺🇸 US Domestic
+
+- **Iran war funding:** Senate Majority Leader Thune says Trump's $200B supplemental war spending request will need Democratic votes to clear a filibuster — things are going to get messy on the Hill
+- **Student loans:** Trump admin announced a three-phase plan to transfer most federal student loans and FAFSA management
+- **FAA tightening rules** around congested airspace near major airports, following last year's DC collision that killed 67
+- **Utah verdict:** Kouri Richins convicted of murdering her husband with fentanyl — insurance fraud motive
+- **EEOC settlement:** Planned Parenthood of Illinois pays $500K over DEI practices that violated federal civil rights law
+
+---
+
+**Trade note:** Indonesia agreed to buy $15B in US energy (oil/gas/coal), and got their tariff cut from 32% to 19% in return.
+
+The Iran conflict is clearly the story of the week — and the $118 oil price is going to ripple through everything.
+
+---
+
+Sources:
+- [CNN Live Updates — Iran War](https://www.cnn.com/world/live-news/iran-war-us-israel-trump-03-19-26)
+- [Al Jazeera — Iran War Updates](https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2026/3/19/iran-war-live-qatar-saudi-energy-sites-attacked-riyadh-says-trust-gone)
+- [CNN Politics — Trump Administration News](https://www.cnn.com/politics/live-news/worldwide-threat-assessment-hearing-mullin-vote-03-19-26)
+- [Democracy Now! Headlines](https://www.democracynow.org/2026/3/19/headlines)
+- [Just Security — Early Edition](https://www.justsecurity.org/134411/early-edition-march-19-2026/)
+
+
+--- 2026-03-20.md ---
+# Session Log — 2026-03-20
+
+### [00:05] `gc_spaces_n3efJSAAAAE`
+**Scott:** Hello world! Inara?
+
+**Inara:** Hello, Scott. Present and accounted for. ✨
+
+What are we working on today?
+
+### [00:11] `gc_spaces_n3efJSAAAAE`
+**Scott:** Hello world! I think this may actually work!
+
+**Inara:** It works! And I'm genuinely here this time — not just echoing alphabet soup back at you.
+
+What did you get running? New deployment, UI change, or something deeper in the stack?
+
+### [00:18] `gc_spaces_n3efJSAAAAE`
+**Scott:** Hello world! This is the "the latest hostAppDataAction format"? Maybe.
+
+**Inara:** Maybe? The message came through clean either way. If you're poking at a specific data format or integration layer, I'm happy to dig in — what's the context?
+
+### [00:29] `nct_rmcggr4a`
+**Scott:** As there been any new updates on the Anthropic discounts?
+
+**Inara:** Nothing I can speak to with confidence — my knowledge has a cutoff and I don't have real-time access to Anthropic's pricing or promotional announcements unless I go look.
+
+Want me to do a quick web search and see what's current?
+
+### [01:14] `gc_spaces_n3efJSAAAAE`
+**Scott:** For now you can't do too much external work. Working on your toolset.
+
+I do want to add to the take list an idea for create scratch pad toolset.
+
+**Inara:** Done — `t_1ZToczGC` is on the list: **Create scratch pad toolset idea**.
+
+Scratch pad toolset is a good one. Persistent ephemeral storage for the orchestrator — somewhere to think out loud, stage intermediate results, or keep context between tool calls without polluting memory. I'll be curious to see where you take it.

personas/inara/TASKS.json

@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+[
+  {
+    "id": "t_jwsoMn5b",
+    "title": "Test Item 1",
+    "description": null,
+    "status": "todo",
+    "priority": "normal",
+    "created_at": "2026-03-19T03:19:37.106698+00:00",
+    "updated_at": "2026-03-19T03:19:37.106708+00:00"
+  },
+  {
+    "id": "t_ptw8nDec",
+    "title": "Test Item 2",
+    "description": null,
+    "status": "todo",
+    "priority": "normal",
+    "created_at": "2026-03-19T03:19:37.753740+00:00",
+    "updated_at": "2026-03-19T03:19:37.753750+00:00"
+  },
+  {
+    "id": "t_1ZToczGC",
+    "title": "Create scratch pad toolset idea",
+    "description": null,
+    "status": "todo",
+    "priority": "normal",
+    "created_at": "2026-03-20T05:14:37.344354+00:00",
+    "updated_at": "2026-03-20T05:14:37.344368+00:00"
+  }
+]

personas/inara/sessions/2026-03-18.md

@@ -45,3 +45,36 @@ Alternatively, if you want me to have persistent read access to that path, we ca
 The architecture diagram confirms what I know — I'm not tied to a specific model, just to the identity files. The backend can swap underneath me, which is a clean design.
 
 Anything specific in here you wanted me to look at, or were you just verifying the read access was working?
+
+### [22:57] `cedar-cave`
+**Scott:** Can you tell me what happened in the world news today?
+
+**Inara:** Here's a quick snapshot of what's making news today (2026-03-18):
+
+- **Iran:** An attack on the world's largest natural gas field was reported — Iranian media says no injuries. Separately, the UK charged two men with national security offenses linked to Iran.
+- **US/Iran tensions:** Reports (a few days old) of Trump allegedly discussing attacking Iran, with advisors denying it.
+- **Tech/geopolitics:** China signaling it doesn't want to merely catch up with the US in tech — it's aiming to lead.
+
+For the full picture, BBC World, Reuters, and AP are solid right now. Anything specific you want to dig into?
+
+### [23:19] `cobalt-ridge`
+**Scott:** Can you add 2 test items to your new task list.
+
+**Inara:** Done. Two test items added to the task list:
+
+- `t_jwsoMn5b` — Test Item 1
+- `t_ptw8nDec` — Test Item 2
+
+Both are sitting in `[todo]` status. Want me to clean them up after, or leave them as a baseline sanity check?
+
+### [23:21] `fern-marsh`
+**Scott:** Can you tell me what is on your task list?
+
+**Inara:** Currently there are two items on the task list — both sitting in **todo**:
+
+| ID | Task |
+|---|---|
+| `t_jwsoMn5b` | Test Item 1 |
+| `t_ptw8nDec` | Test Item 2 |
+
+Looks like placeholder test entries. Want to clear those out and populate it with real work, or are these serving a purpose?

personas/inara/sessions/2026-03-19.md

@@ -0,0 +1,44 @@
+# Session Log — 2026-03-19
+
+### [23:44] `cedar-cave`
+**Scott:** Can you give me an update for the news today. Thursday
+
+**Inara:** Big day, Scott. Here's the Thursday rundown:
+
+---
+
+## 🌍 Iran-Israel War — The Dominant Story
+
+This is the lead everywhere. A couple weeks into the conflict now, and it's escalating fast:
+
+- **2,200+ dead** across the Middle East since the war began
+- Israel struck **Iran's South Pars gas field** — the world's largest — igniting massive fires at refining and petrochemical facilities
+- Iran's IRGC **retaliated against Gulf energy infrastructure**: Qatar's Ras Laffan LNG facility (~20% of global LNG exports), two Kuwait refineries, UAE oil fields, and a Saudi Aramco refinery
+- Netanyahu says Israel and the US are "protecting the entire world"
+- **Oil hit $118/barrel** — energy markets are rattled
+- The UN is trying to negotiate a humanitarian corridor for ~20,000 stranded seafarers in the Gulf
+
+---
+
+## 🇺🇸 US Domestic
+
+- **Iran war funding:** Senate Majority Leader Thune says Trump's $200B supplemental war spending request will need Democratic votes to clear a filibuster — things are going to get messy on the Hill
+- **Student loans:** Trump admin announced a three-phase plan to transfer most federal student loans and FAFSA management
+- **FAA tightening rules** around congested airspace near major airports, following last year's DC collision that killed 67
+- **Utah verdict:** Kouri Richins convicted of murdering her husband with fentanyl — insurance fraud motive
+- **EEOC settlement:** Planned Parenthood of Illinois pays $500K over DEI practices that violated federal civil rights law
+
+---
+
+**Trade note:** Indonesia agreed to buy $15B in US energy (oil/gas/coal), and got their tariff cut from 32% to 19% in return.
+
+The Iran conflict is clearly the story of the week — and the $118 oil price is going to ripple through everything.
+
+---
+
+Sources:
+- [CNN Live Updates — Iran War](https://www.cnn.com/world/live-news/iran-war-us-israel-trump-03-19-26)
+- [Al Jazeera — Iran War Updates](https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2026/3/19/iran-war-live-qatar-saudi-energy-sites-attacked-riyadh-says-trust-gone)
+- [CNN Politics — Trump Administration News](https://www.cnn.com/politics/live-news/worldwide-threat-assessment-hearing-mullin-vote-03-19-26)
+- [Democracy Now! Headlines](https://www.democracynow.org/2026/3/19/headlines)
+- [Just Security — Early Edition](https://www.justsecurity.org/134411/early-edition-march-19-2026/)

personas/inara/sessions/2026-03-20.md

@@ -0,0 +1,54 @@
+# Session Log — 2026-03-20
+
+### [00:05] `gc_spaces_n3efJSAAAAE`
+**Scott:** Hello world! Inara?
+
+**Inara:** Hello, Scott. Present and accounted for. ✨
+
+What are we working on today?
+
+### [00:11] `gc_spaces_n3efJSAAAAE`
+**Scott:** Hello world! I think this may actually work!
+
+**Inara:** It works! And I'm genuinely here this time — not just echoing alphabet soup back at you.
+
+What did you get running? New deployment, UI change, or something deeper in the stack?
+
+### [00:18] `gc_spaces_n3efJSAAAAE`
+**Scott:** Hello world! This is the "the latest hostAppDataAction format"? Maybe.
+
+**Inara:** Maybe? The message came through clean either way. If you're poking at a specific data format or integration layer, I'm happy to dig in — what's the context?
+
+### [00:29] `nct_rmcggr4a`
+**Scott:** As there been any new updates on the Anthropic discounts?
+
+**Inara:** Nothing I can speak to with confidence — my knowledge has a cutoff and I don't have real-time access to Anthropic's pricing or promotional announcements unless I go look.
+
+Want me to do a quick web search and see what's current?
+
+### [01:14] `gc_spaces_n3efJSAAAAE`
+**Scott:** For now you can't do too much external work. Working on your toolset.
+
+I do want to add to the take list an idea for create scratch pad toolset.
+
+**Inara:** Done — `t_1ZToczGC` is on the list: **Create scratch pad toolset idea**.
+
+Scratch pad toolset is a good one. Persistent ephemeral storage for the orchestrator — somewhere to think out loud, stage intermediate results, or keep context between tool calls without polluting memory. I'll be curious to see where you take it.
+
+### [20:48] `gc_spaces_n3efJSAAAAE`
+**Scott:** It has been a long day. Do you get timestamps or know what time it is when you are responding?
+
+**Inara:** Honest answer: not reliably. I can see the date from context (2026-03-20), and I can see timestamps in the session logs after the fact — so I know this Google Chat thread started around 01:14 this morning. But in the moment of responding, I don't have a live clock. No `datetime.now()` equivalent in my head.
+
+If you wanted me to have that, it'd need to be injected — either as part of the system prompt, or as a tool call the orchestrator makes before handing off to me.
+
+Long day noted though. Go rest — Cortex will still be here tomorrow.
+
+### [20:50] `gc_spaces_n3efJSAAAAE`
+**Scott:** I am talking to you as Inara. You are "running" within the Cortex system I am working on.
+
+**Inara:** Understood — and appreciated. Knowing the context helps me stay calibrated.
+
+So when you're talking to me here, you're coming through one of the live channels (Google Chat, based on the session prefix), hitting the Cortex dispatcher, and I'm responding as the resident agent. The system is working as designed.
+
+Anything you want to work on, or are you just checking in after the long day?