Chapter 4
CYNTHIA CORVILLE
While Cynthia Corville loved being a part of Waverwell's government, and was honored and thrilled to be able to be the President of Waverwell, she didn't particularly love the meetings where it seemed destined that nothing get done. The ones where neither side of a debate were willing to compromise or find some way to work out whatever issue they were discussing. The ones where the meeting just dragged on and on and on with no resolution in sight.
And, of course, she was sitting in one now.
They were discussing the Silverlight Forest Protection Unit, comprised of Ferris Dipper, Charlie Springs, Kristin and Ashley Baok, Zip Furr, and Ren. She knew Ren was their chosen name, as opposed to their legal name, but since they'd requested that they go by only Ren, that was what was written on all documents, except for where it was required that their legal name be printed.
The Silverlight Forest Protection Unit, and keeping Silverlight Forest safe, was something Cynthia had grown passionate about. She had grown up in Corville and belonged to the family that had a massive part in crafting Waverwell. Nearly everyone in her family held some position in government. Cynthia hadn't had much exposure to the world outside the gilded buildings of Corville, much less the relatively untouched land comprising Silverlight Forest.
But when she'd gotten the opportunity to travel around Waverwell, she'd chosen places she knew nothing about, including a few days in Silverlight Forest. And those few days took her breath away and sparked a love for the forest. When she ran for President of Waverwell, she vowed she would protect those spaces in Waverwell, those ones that still held their original natural beauty, and keep those with pockets bogged down with money from taking and taking and taking.
"While I think the work done by the Silverlight Forest Protection Unit might look good on paper, I do not believe it is worth the time and money that has been invested into it. Taxpayer dollars are being funneled into their group, and that money needs to be used for worthy causes, causes that will better Waverwell, the very ideal that we signed up for and vowed to uphold when we ran for election. The Silverlight Forest Protection Unit, while arguably a nice thing to think about, will not better Waverwell." Cynthia took a sip of water as Harold Morris spoke. While she didn't agree with him in the slightest that Silverlight Forest would do a better job at 'bettering Waverwell' if it wasn't protected, she listened to him and weighed his words.
Harold wore a grey suit that almost looked brown and a striped tie, and his thinning hair was brushed back.
"If I may, Harold." Now it was Gabriella Torres's turn to speak. She wore a flowing purple dress and matching high heels. Her brown hair had been meticulously worked upon until it cascaded down her back in graceful curls. Grey eyeshadow lined her sable eyes, and her lips had been done in a delicate pink. Her outfit and look was different from Harold's in every way.
Harold nodded in reply to Gabriella's statement.
"I don't believe removing the protections from Silverlight Forest would be the right decision to make here," Gabriella continued. Cynthia had to agree with her. "We can absolutely hold our promise to better Waverwell while continuing to protect Silverlight Forest and its inhabitants, both plant and animal alike. I believe that not protecting Silverlight Forest would be not upholding the promise I made, that we all made, to the citizens of Waverwell that we would better our country. Silverlight Forest is a unique feature of Waverwell, one not found anywhere else in our country. Using taxpayer dollars to fund the Silverlight Forest Protection Unit and to help keep the forest safe is, in my mind, a very worthy cause." Gabriella's voice, while respectful, held a twinge of the bite that would weave its way in when she felt she was defending something crucial.
"While I'm not debating the fact that the inhabitants of Silverlight Forest are pretty to look at, they can find a new home, and the jobs that would be created by developing the land cannot be overlooked." Harold moved his hands as he spoke, enunciating every word. "And scientists believe there is oil beneath the forest. Think of what that could do for Waverwell."
"Scientists believe there is oil beneath the forest. Do they know it's actually there?" Cynthia scribbled down a few notes, the highlights of what had been said so far. Lots of repeats. Same thing, different words.
"And what would be the cost?" Gabriella asked. "What of the destruction that would be wreaked on Silverlight Forest? The loss of that landmark feature of Waverwell? The one where thousands would go hiking on the portion that is available for public access? What of the smoke and smog created by the pollution from burning the oil? What of the health problems caused directly from burning the oil that is allegedly lying beneath Silverlight Forest?"
Now it was Linda Machowski's turn to pipe up. She rarely spoke, instead sitting at one of the corners of the table, and propping her pad of paper on her lap and nibbling on the end of her pen. "I agree with you, Cynthia. You're right that scientists only believe that there are oil reserves beneath Silverlight Forest. But it would create jobs. To clear the forest, to drill for the oil, to build on the land. The money from the oil would boost the economy. New housing space would be created, as would new businesses. It's like a giant bag of money right there."
"I agree with you, Linda," said Harold.
"But can a building ever replace the serene feeling of walking through trees? Of sharing a private moment in time with a deer? Of roasting marshmallows with friends over a fire beneath the moon and stars?"
"Gabriella," Cynthia said, leaning over. "I do not believe they'll listen."
"Perhaps we could come to some form of agreement as to what should be done with the Silverlight Forest Protection Unit?" Harold's eyes scanned over the ten people sitting around the table.
"I believe we can," said Gabriella.
"My opinion is that we are giving too much money to the Silverlight Forest Protection Unit."
"Why is that?" Cynthia took a sip of water.
"Because we could be developing the land, getting an absolute answer on whether or not there is oil —which I firmly believe there is — and we could be bolstering the economy through the businesses and jobs created by developing the land Silverlight Forest currently resides upon. And another... bonus, for lack of a better word, is that we wouldn't have just one road cutting through the land: we'd have many, leading to far less time traveling through Waverwell. Myway Highway, while great and a crucial road, is still a two-lane road, leading most to use the train or take the much longer route through Corville, Dal, the Underland, the Warren, and then up through the tunnel to Cloverfield."
This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.
"Harold, I was there when we were discussing Myway Highway. We decided that a two-lane road would work, and that it didn't need to be any bigger. And since its completion three years ago, I haven't heard a single complaint. Apart from the occasional traffic, there aren't any problems with it. Most people do, in fact, take the train or drive the longer route through the cities, as opposed to the forest. I'm all for boosting the economy, but I think we first need a definite answer on whether or not there actually is oil beneath Silverlight Forest before we can come to a decision on whether or not to develop the land."
Delta Bass. He was the youngest out of everyone in the room, and one of the youngest in the Waverwell government. He had looks that had many fawning over his every move, resulting in one of the highest follower counts on Muse, the popular social media website. Tawny air messed up to perfection, sharp features, and impeccably dressed in business casual. An expensive T-shirt underneath a suit jacket, or, when he wore them, a button down with the top few undone. He often looked like he had just rolled out of bed and was on his way to a modeling photoshoot.
"Delta, we have not decided anything when it comes to Silverlight Forest, and we were actually discussing the yearly funding we send to the Silverlight Forest Protection Unit, not whether or not we should be developing the forest. And please, remove your shoes from the table. It's not professional." Gabriella laced her fingers together, and her nails clicking on the table.
"Of course, Gabby." Delta swung his legs down.
"It's Gabriella."
"Same thing."
"It is not."
"Alright, alright. Pretty close. My bad." Delta held up his hands, smiling.
"No, it's not 'pretty close', as you say. It's either right or wrong. There is no 'pretty close' when it comes to getting a person's name right. Gabby is not the same as Gabriella. Therefore, it is wrong."
"Come on. It was a mistake. Get over it."
"I have always said my name was Gabriella. I do not appreciate it when people call me Gabby, or anything other than Gabriella. I expect people to call me Gabriella. I have told you as such numerous times, and you have had ample time to make sure you get it right, which you have clearly not put in the time to do."
"It was one time."
"It was not. It has been many times that you have called me Gabby, despite me telling you not to call me that and that my name is Gabriella. Call me Gabriella. I know you call many people by their chosen names, and I expect the same for myself."
"Gabby's short and it's a cute nickname." Delta shrugged.
"I do not care what you think. I do not like Gabby as a nickname for myself. My name is Gabriella, and I expect you to call me Gabriella."
Delta rolled his eyes. "You know, you're far less cute when you're angry."
"Cute is never what I was trying to be. You calling me by my name is an expectation that is completely reasonable, and it is what I expect, both of you and everyone else." Gabriella narrowed her eyes. She straightened her back and crossed her arms over her chest.
Cynthia still wasn't quite sure how Delta wound up in the Waverwell government, but she knew his family had money. Boatloads of cash laying around.
When Delta didn't reply, Gabriella removed her gaze from him and scanned the table. "Now that that has been settled, any questions as to what I expect to be called?"
No one replied, and Gabriella nodded her head. "Very well."
Cynthia knew that it wasn't Delta's first time messing up Gabriella's name. It had happened again and again, but seemingly only with Gabriella and a few other women working in the Waverwell government, though there could be more she wasn't aware of. In the past, Delta had called Cynthia 'Cindy', though that stopped a while after she'd started going out with her now-wife Charlotte Waver.
"Gabriella is right: we are discussing the yearly funding we send to the Silverlight Forest Protection Unit, not if we were going to develop Silverlight Forest. Ferris Dipper sent in the yearly report. You all have a copy in front of you." Cynthia gestured to the folder everyone had. "It outlines the work the Silverlight Forest Protection Unit has done over the past year in the forest, who they have arrested and for what, the populations of species and how it correlates to numbers from before they started about a year ago, as well as numbers from years prior, and the work that has been done at the camp." Cynthia flipped through the report sent by the Silverlight Forest Protection Unit, skimming through it once more as she spoke, even though she'd read it several times the night before.
Harold thumbed through the pages before closing the folder with a sigh. "They've been doing this for about a year," he said after a few moments of gathering his thoughts.
"They have," Cynthia confirmed.
"The populations of the species have gone up."
"They have."
"Is the Silverlight Forest Protection Unit really necessary? The populations have gone up, which is what the intent was."
"The intent of the Silverlight Forest Protection Unit is to protect Silverlight Forest. While the populations of species residing in the forest have gone up, which is great, the numbers of poachers they arrested is extremely high, along with the numbers of traps and snares they removed. And there is the note added that says those are the poachers, traps, and snares they know of — there very well could be more."
Cynthia opened her mouth to reply to Gabriella, but before she could there was a knock on the door of the meeting chamber. Everyone looked up toward the door. "Yes?" Cynthia said.
"E-excuse me, Mrs. President." Someone Cynthia didn't recognize crept into the room, cheeks flaming and shoulders hunched. In a trembling hand, they clenched a folder. She guessed they were an intern or someone who was just starting their work in the Waverwell government.
"Yes? What is it?" Cynthia set her pen down and gave the person her full attention. She could feel everyone else's eyes on the two of them.
"This just came in. It's all over the news. Th-there was a murder."
"A murder?" She had heard about murders, and files frequently crossed her desk, but she had never had anyone interrupt during a meeting to inform her of one.
"Y-yes, a murder."
"What's known about it so far?" Cynthia's mind was already racing. The steps she'd take, that everyone would make. Assistance allocated for the investigation. Statements to be made, words carefully crafted. Perhaps a post made by her or an assistant on her Presidential Muse account.
"Not m-much. Th-they're s-saying it's one of the most brutal in Waverwell history."
"Most brutal?" Cynthia's eyebrows raised. No wonder the meeting had been interrupted.
She opened the folder. It was very thin, only a few pages with the most basic of information.
"What's known about it?" She asked as she flipped through it.
"The body was, uh, recently discovered. Authorities a-are still completing the preliminary investigation. The body hasn't been i-identified yet. There's c-coverage on Waverwell News right now. It's in the Breaking News segment."
"It was in Silverlight Forest?"
"Yes."
"Where in Silverlight Forest?" Did any of the Silverlight Forest Protection Unit see anything? Were they witnesses to the murder? Did they see anything in the days prior? If they were witnesses, Cynthia was certain they would've said something, but she had to look at every angle. Or perhaps they were somehow made to stay silent.
"A little ways off Myway Highway. About... halfway through the forest."
"A brutal murder was committed in the Silverlight Forest a little ways off of Myway Highway, and the body was just discovered?"
"Yes."
"Let the Moonfall Precinct know we'll help in any way possible. Any resources they need are theirs. We can shut down Myway Highway for as long as necessary. Traffic can be redirected through Dal, the Underland, and up to the Warren, following, approximately, the train's route."
Cynthia closed her packet and stared down everyone who was at the table, a sense of calm and duty settling over her. "No information that has not been broadcast on Waverwell News is given to the public. Not until we know more and have all of the facts.
"Speculations are simply that: speculations.
"We need to contact the Moonfall Precinct and the Silverlight Forest Protection Unit. Whoever committed this murder will be held accountable for their actions."