Tarry Bennett
Tarry rubbed his forehead anxiously. The details were scarce at the moment, but what Mayor Desmarais had explained to him was that a small tunnel connecting to a fairly isolated recreational area had seemingly collapsed overnight.
“It’s two tunnels displaced from the city, and it’s lightly trafficked so we were able to close it off well before anyone could get a good look. The person who discovered it reported it to their local Controllers' precinct immediately, who’ve maintained close control over it,” he explained to the room, which now contained his counsel alongside the Grandmasters.
“So no one else knows? Just one citizen and a precinct, plus Mayor Desmarais and her staffers?” his lead counsel questioned.
“Seems to be the case. Though one citizen can quickly extrapolate,” Tarry cautioned.
“We’ve already tracked down and spoken to the person who discovered the collapse; they’re willing to sign an NDA. Furthermore, we’re working closely with the local precinct to ensure it remains within their control,” one of the other counsel explained. He was a newer face, one recently hired by the lead counsel.
Tarry frowned and opened his mouth to speak but Alzira beat him to the punch.
“On whose authority?” she demanded.
“Apologies Grandmaster Silves. No disrespect was intended, but once we received the information we had to work fast. It is well within our ability to work with your people in emergencies such as these, and we felt it was prudent to take immediate action,” he explained calmly.
She whirled to face Tarry. “Did you know about this prior to the phone call you received?” she asked, with her tone suggesting that she was not going to tolerate any nonsense in his response.
“Not at all," he responded with an apologetic tone, "And I will remind my counsel to ensure that both myself and the Grandmasters are kept informed. We are dealing with highly sensitive issues here. Any missteps will face increased public scrutiny and judgement,” he chastised.
The counsel acquiesced with a nod. “Noted, apologies Mayor, Grandmasters.”
“Sounds like you need better control over your Guild, Alzira,” Franklin chimed in scathingly from across the table, “Nonetheless, it appears my Guild may be off the proverbial hook given that this happened within an existing tunnel this time.”
Tarry held up his hand before Alzira could bite back with a response. “We have an inquest to finish. I’m withholding any and all judgement until I have answers. And believe me, I want answers as soon as possible. However, we need to get through tomorrow’s press conference on the fatal collapse and we certainly don’t need infighting disrupting that. Let’s put this aside and accept that it’s under control until we have more answers,” he suggested diplomatically.
For once, the room was silent. They accepted this response in quiet agreement. Franklin looked displeased, but that was normal for him. Abigail and Oleg were now uncharacteristically quiet. Tarry wondered if they were just happy that for once they weren't taking the heat.
“Alzira, given that your Guild has the best eyes on the ground, would you feel better if your Guild led an investigation of the current tunnels and assessed for any structural risks?” Tarry asked gently.
She nodded. “Of course, I’m happy to assist in any way that protects the safety of the nation.”
He gave her a grateful smile. "Can we also get some insight into what happened here? Is it the same type of collapse as the other, fatal collapse? That one had a rather explosive snap of energy if I remember the reports correctly. I'd like to understand if this one was similar."
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“Mayor Bennett,” the newer counsel spoke up, “If I may add, a quiet investigation would be prudent. The masses are becoming restless and protests are slowly creeping up. All of this is feeding into fears of a greater problem, and we can’t afford to lose travel by the tunnels. It’s possible it was an older tunnel, one that merely met the end of its useful life, and if that’s the case widespread knowledge would only fear-monger and add to the growing conspiracy theories.”
Tarry frowned as he considered this. He looked around at the Grandmasters and they looked around amongst themselves. None disputed the notion.
He heaved a sigh. “I’m not comfortable acting in the shadows. However, I am cognizant of appearances. Alzira, I don’t intend to overstep, but in the spirit of collaboration could you use this to inform your part of the inquest into current tunnels? That way it doesn't obscure our actions, but it does hide them in plain sight as we would not be inclined to report on findings until after all investigations have concluded."
“I’d agree to that,” she said neutrally.
After that, the meeting quickly adjourned without fanfare. The group filed out to leave, with Tarry remaining behind with his counsel. As Alzira passed him, Tarry recognized the troubled look on her face. He knew it well, it was one he had worn increasingly often. However, before she left she gave him a parting sympathetic look. He didn’t have a true ally amongst the Guildmasters but he did feel like the two of them were the most aligned on political issues. They understood the need for optics.
Once they were alone, Tarry turned to the newer counsel who had spoken up during the meeting.
“I’m sorry, I don’t believe we had met previously but I understand you were hired recently. What’s your name?”
“James Colton, sir. Happy to help in any way I can.”
“Thanks, James. You have good political insight but make sure you maintain communication with the right people,” Tarry explained, “Alright. Let’s go over the responses for tomorrow.”
There was no chance of coming home at any reasonable time, and a very small chance that he would be able to sleep ahead of the press conference.
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Tarry opened the press conference to recognize the fallen. He commended them as heroes and held a moment of silence. Once the question and answer period was opened, the questions ranged from concerns for the safety of Guild workers to the safety of tunnels as a whole. These were not unexpected, and he felt better having his cohort of mayors with him. They sat onstage behind where he stood at the podium, flanking him in solidarity.
The mayors represented the twenty-four major cities of Flexibilis. One mayor was elected by the other mayors to represent Flexibilis as a whole. Tarry was elected to this position in his third term as mayor of Occaigh, and was currently serving his fifth term. He had maintained the support of the public and the mayors for reelection throughout the last three terms. He wondered if this situation would be his undoing.
In this instance at least, he was certain the other mayors did not envy him.
The four Grandmasters also sat on the stage, though offside the mayors. This was to present the appearance of being distinct and separate, but on the same footing. It was a delicate balance. The needs of Flexibilis guided their actions, but because there were so few options for collecting resources this gave them immense power. To cease activities was to cease life as Flexibilis knew it. Conversely, having elected officials separate from the Guilds ensured there was an equal and opposite reaction to any potential negative activities caused by or on behalf of the Guilds.
However, the Guilds truly did thrive off the public’s positive perception; it kept the Guilds relevant, and not to mention kept their coffers full. Tarry’s advice to play nicely with each other was the best chance of getting out of this unscathed. It was in the best interest of everyone to present the united front he had suggested.
“Mayor Tarry, reporter for the Towaat Free Press, can you comment on safety measures being put into place?”
Tarry turned to the Grandmasters, knowing they had prepared a response. Abigail rose to her feet and stepped up to the podium that sat in front of the Guildmasters. “I’ve discussed this with the other Grandmasters, we have interim solutions to put into place, checkpoints if you will, to verify and validate the safety of each and every tunnel. These will oversee both new punch sites and existing tunnels. We will cooperate to the fullest extent with Mayor Tarry and all elected officials during the inquest,” she stated primly.
Another reporter. “Mr. Mayor, are you concerned regarding the safety of current tunnels? Will you still continue to use them?”
He didn’t hesitate though he internally struggled with the next prepared response. They knew such a question would come up and with the latest news of the minor collapse he couldn’t help but feel conflicted as he provided his canned response. “I have full confidence in all existing tunnels and the Guild activities that maintain them. I see no reason for me, or anyone, to stop using them. I remind the press that there have been zero incidents related to tunnel safety up until this point.”
The press seemed appeased, and for a moment he thought he might be able to finish on a relatively high note. However, the last question dashed that hope. “Mayor Tarry, Pomebale Associated Press, what do you think happened to cause the collapse?”
He gripped the podium tighter, feeling his pulse quicken.
“I can’t comment on matters related to open investigations. I have no personal opinion on the question.”
“Understandable, but is there any credibility to claims from protestors suggesting the collapse is a symptom of a larger problem?”
Sweat beaded on his forehead. “As Grandmaster Abigail previously indicated, verifying the safety of all tunnels is paramount.”
“So there is a possibility that other tunnels are unsafe?” the journalist pressed further, “What if this happens again?” A buzz seemed to rise from the press gallery.
“All measures and actions are being taken to ensure it does not happen again,” Tarry said firmly, trying to maintain his composure. He made eye contact with his assistant, signaling his readiness to end the conference; they had answered everything that they were able to at present.
“This concludes the press conference. Thank you for your questions, additional communications will be planned in the future as information is made available,” his assistant deftly took the podium, as the Mayors and Grandmasters followed Tarry’s exit from the stage.
The press gallery exploded in activity as they filed offstage, hurling questions in all directions and lighting up the emptying stage with blinding camera flashes.