Orla had been working for her local newspaper for 5 years after studying to become a journalist in university. She works for Goldsmith's & Co Journalism, and was researching for a new story to write about when she discovered an advert looking for volunteers to explore the long-abandoned Verdant Cradle research facility. Intrigued, Orla began to look into it more, and after reading up on the experiments and Project First Dawn, knew that this was perfect for her story.
Orla's newspaper knows about the facility. Not everything, but enough. Problematic journalists are sent there. None ever return. The advertisements for investigating the facility are sent out through the paper on purpose, and some journalists are 'convinced' to take the story.
Goldsmith, Orla's boss, was deeply embroiled in a long standing scheme with Dahlia Yvore, to whom he would trade undesirable journalists in exchange for large amounts of gold.
He was not involved in Orla's arrival at the facility, but also did nothing to stop it. Orla found him meeting with Dahlia, where she learned about the scheme involving the journalists and the party killed Goldsmith for his crimes.