[Spoiler?] Is teleportation just a player convenience and not a real thing?

[Viridiana]

Good point, one I didn't think of. Still leaves some holes, though, as we can teleport to any city we please right after...

Yeah, the only way I can make sense of any of it is if, after we leave, they call off the search. Not in the "You're free to go" sense; but in the sense of "We don't have resources for this. If we get a report or if our investigation turns something up we'll act on it but not until then."