BAD WINE CRAPPY CHOCOLATE

CHAPTER ELEVEN-1

Senator Chris Cane boarded his air craft for the long journey to Chicago. The lush green islands once known as Hawaii beckoned to him as the driver turned the vehicle toward home. He was loath to leave this island paradise, but Cybil was the dearest thing in his life. Chris wanted to explain the reason for his deception to her in person, not via Mibil.

The aircraft flew just above the azurean water of the Pacific Ocean, using the sun's rays for power. An hour later the sky became overcast, making it necessary to rely on bio fuel instead. The driver was now forced to make frequent refueling stops along the way, much to the chagrin of Senator Cane. Fuel stations had been set up on floating platforms along the way to make transoceanic journeys possible. Chris begrudged every stop, but there was no other choice. He bought a cup of rooibos sod tea on one such occasion. This was the healthful drink that had replaced coffee during the consolidation movement. Roobios not only provided protein, but also promoted healthy cell growth and aided in the preservation of one's youth. Chris drank it with little enthusiasm, however.

"You don't look like you're enjoying your drink, sir," observed Eric Swan, the senator's bodyguard.

"It's the price one pays for getting old. You spend most of your time in the past. At the moment, I'm remembering how good a cup of strong coffee tasted."

Chris looked out over the water. This was the cleanest the ocean had been since the industrial age had begun. The introduction of plastics and other materials that melted into harmless substances when they came in contact with salt water were largely responsible for the change. Farming and manufacturing methods that reduced chemical runoff into the water also played a part. He had played a large role in convincing the former polluters in the territories, and in other nations, to use them. Yet now, instead of basking in the glow of these accomplishments during the twilight years of his life, Chris found himself defending a lie he told many years ago. His Mibil received a signal, interrupting the senator's trepidation.

"Senator! How's the Sixth Territory treating you?"

"I'm not in Hawaii anymore, Roger. Cybil found out who her parents were. I'm going home to speak with her about it."

"Oh...was she upset?"

"Of course!"

"Well, you had the best of intentions. And there's no way she would have been elected if the people knew her background."

"That's true, but we all know what the road to hell is paved with. So that isn't going to help me."

"She might be too busy to dwell on it. I just got a heads up from Ted Fabers. That's why I called."

"Who's Ted Fabers?" Chris asked in an annoyed tone. His political advisor always assumed that the senator knew everyone he did.

"Ted's the head of the farmer's association. Apparently there's been a lot of talk amongst them about raising cattle. If they're fed right, the animals won't produce the methane gases that heat things up. And there are a lot of people who wouldn't mind having a piece of red meat on their plates."

  "I hope they also don't mind having a decreased life span. That was another reason for eliminating meat during the consolidation movement."

"I know. But, to use Tom's word, they're an ornery group. Cybil will have her hands full. Look, Chris, I'm really sorry this thing blew up on you. I know how tough it is to be put on trial by your kids."

"I'll talk to you soon, Roger."

Cori Fitzgerald was sitting by herself in the living quarters when Chris and his bodyguard walked into the house. Until now the senator had not really believed Cybil's story. The concept of time travel was, in Senator Cane's opinion, completely preposterous; the presence of this woman in his house proved it was not. He stared at her for several moments. She felt his gaze and walked over to him.

"You must be Cori," Chris said as he shook her hand.

"Yes, I am. You have a lovely home. Thanks for letting me stay here."

"My children's friends are always welcome in our house."

Her soft brown eyes reminded him of Cybil's, though when his adopted daughter walked into the room, he noticed that hers had been hardened by his deceitfulness.

"We have a lot to talk about," Cybil said, barely managing to hide her rage.

"Yes, we do. Let's go downstairs. Why don't you take some vacation time, Eric," Chris suggested.

"Are you sure, senator?"

"As sure as I've ever been about anything."

"I'll ask the Security Bureau to send someone else to protect you."

"That won't be necessary. I'm just about done with all the trappings of the office. Enjoy yourself."

Then, turning to Cori, the senator said, "We'll be back shortly."

The two of them said nothing as they rode the val down to the senator's office. Once there, he sat in the chair behind his desk. Cybil slammed the door shut before turning to face him.

"How could you! For all these years I've believed that the woman in the digit you gave me was my mother!"

Her words cut into him, causing Chris to recoil as if from a physical blow. He had to gather himself before speaking.

"I'm sorry, Cybil. But your parents had been discredited to such a degree that I feared for your future. I thought it would be better if you had a new identity."

"What did they do that was so terrible?"

"Your father, a man named Jack Ruderman, created Vitala..."

"I know that," Cybil interrupted before he could finish his sentence. "Is that why you keep telling me to stay away from any issue that involves that drug? Were you afraid I'd find out the truth?"

"No, I was just giving you good political advice," the senator replied in a convincing manner. "Ruderman's Vitala was originally meant to be a health supplement. Then Daniel Foster and his associates came into the picture. They made a huge investment in the Dixie Drug Company and altered the formula for Vitala. Their version of it uses gene therapy to prolong a person's life. But your father disputed the company's claims about its effectiveness, and was about to go public with his doubts. The people at Allisours, which was the new name for the company, denounced him in the media before he could do so. They claimed that Ruderman was jealous of the people who had improved upon his work. The public perception of your father was that he was out to take away from humanity the most beneficial drug ever invented."

Cybil sat down in a chair. Chris went over and took her hand in his.

"Your father died in a traffic accident shortly after his reputation was ruined. Your mother took her own life soon after he died."

"I don't believe that!" Cybil objected.  She withdrew her hand from his. "Cori would never do such a thing."

"Who knows what will drive a human being to the breaking point?" Chris responded calmly, as he sat down next to her. "And, as you know, Vitala did prolong lives. I didn't think people would look kindly upon Jack Ruderman's children, since he tried to deny the public access to it. So I gave you a fictitious past."

Cybil stood up. She looked down on the man who had provided the means for her to become senator-elect of the Second Territory. The gratitude she had felt toward him was being consumed by her rage.

"I don't know how to think about this. You say that your lie was for my own good. Maybe it was. But there are some things that are too important to deceive a person about. And knowing who you really are is one of them."

"I spent so many years making decisions that affected people's lives, I thought myself capable of knowing what was right for everyone, including you and your brother. You wouldn't have been elected if I hadn't given you an alternative past. The stigma of being Jack Ruderman's child would have cost you the election."

"And that justifies sacrificing the truth? You had no right to lie to us! You're my true father. You've been there for me ever since I can remember. I expected a lot from you, including, and most importantly, honesty."

Chris was about to respond when a voice from the other side of the door said, "This is turning into a house of ill dispute."