DIVERGING DREAMS
CHAPTER I
1845 PST 28 JANUARY
COFFORD HOME
HACIENDA HEIGHTS, CALIFORNIA
A column of white smoke, an explosion, and then two dirty, twisting pillars curving off into the ocean. Images of the Shuttle Challenger exploding played continuously on all the networks on the TV in the bedroom. A model of the Starship Enterprise hung over Mark Cofford's bed. Shuttle Challenger riding on a 747 decorated the wall by his dresser, where models of Apollo and a circular wheel space station sat in honor.
Across the room, Mark's twin brother Martin had a poster of a climber gazing out across distance from atop a sandstone spire next to a wolf's eyes shining from the darkness. Hiking and camping gear littered his closet and sprouted from under the bed.
Looking up from his biology text, fourteen year old red haired and freckle-faced Martin winced. "Why keep watching? It was a waste of scarce resources to bother sending them up in the first place anyway."
Irritated, Mark rounded on his identical twin. "And if man was meant to fly, he would have wings. Give it up. Just because you would be happy in a cave, not everyone else has to agree."
Eagerly, Martin closed the text. "What a stupid thing to say. Sure I want to live free, and feel the wind as I look over untrammeled land. Who doesn't? Free breeding will soon destroy all open space. Carl Sagan and others say that in ten years, by 1997, half of mankind will be starving, there will be seven billion people and scarce resources will have doubled in price. That's in the Encyclopedia Americana from the United Nations."
"Yeah, sure. They also predict six billion. But I think they're a bunch of socialists trying to scare people into following them. Well I don't believe them. And even if they are right, space exploration is the right thing to do. Can't you blockheads see that space has all the things you say we're running out of? Room, resources, opportunity."
"For the elite only. How many can you send to space at one time? Out of how many billions? The price is mass starvation for most of humanity, who refuse to realize that we can't just go on breeding like rabbits. And we are wiping out thousands of irreplaceable species every year at the same time."
Mark laughed. "Look, dumping untreated pollutants is stupid. I agree. But people need industry and jobs and heat and light. All require use of natural resources, even your high tech climbing gear. So name me ten species made extinct in 1985."
Martin grew fiercely red. "You're so blind. You better turn that thing off and do your homework, or you won't keep your 4.0 and get to destroy the environment when you grow up."
"Right." Reluctantly he switched it off.
"Although there won't be much for you to do in the depression that will bring down the world economies in the nineties." Martin dove back into his biology text after his parting shot.
Mark was very frustrated. "Dork," he muttered under his breath. "Someone has to keep people warm in your new ice age."
"It's you that is making the ice age with your pollution blocking out the sunlight. Just look outside sometime at the sky here in Southern California. It's even spread to the Grand Canyon from here."
"Big deal. Its better than it was. We'll fix it."
"No way."
0425 PST 30 APRIL
A rap on the window brought Martin awake. Slipping out of his bed, he crossed to the window by the light from the street, and slid it open. He leaned out to whisper to the shadow there.
"What's up, Digger?"
"We burned down the L.A. Library. Millions of bad ideas, gone in a flash. Science, manufacturing, technology, math. They made a great bonfire to mark the trees killed to print that trash!"
"Way to go. I wish I'd been there. So, what're you doing here?"
"I need some money to get away."
Martin ducked over to his dresser and grabbed his wallet. He pulled out fifty dollars and gave it to the shadow. "Where're you going?"
"You don't want to know." The shadow disappeared.
"Good luck," Martin called to the night.
2000 PST 24 OCTOBER
LOS ANGELES CHAPTER
AMERICANS FOR A DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA
One hundred fifty people sat in the small auditorium. Five people sat on the stage for the United Nations Day Debate. Two young men and two young women sat nervously surveying the assembling of the powerful. All had won scholarships for their answers to RESOLVED: The government of the United States has no more legitimacy than any other government.
On the For side sat Fortney James and Martin Cofford. Against featured Amy Chen and, surprisingly, the twin of Martin, Mark.
The moderator stood and walked forward. "Thank you for coming on this Veterans Day. Tonight we have the special treat of hearing from these bright young people, juniors in our Southern California high schools. They will be speaking on the proposition that all governments have the same legitimacy. Mr. Martin Cofford and Ms. Fortney James have taken the obvious side," laughter from the audience, "while Ms. Chen and Mr. Mark Cofford will have the difficult task of opposing it. All kidding aside, this is a very important question as the wasteful Cold War goes on with no end in sight, and some deny the legitimacy of our opponents. This question was designed to promote understanding, and I believe you will agree, after hearing these speeches, it was successful. Ms. James from Watts."
The short black girl stood to the podium. "Thank you, ladies and gentlemen. RESOLVED: The government of the United States has no more legitimacy than any other government. This I believe. The United States is a nation founded on hypocrisy and sustained by nothing more than force of arms held by the white racist majority enforcing the wage slavery of today. Over half of the signers of the Declaration of Independence and Constitution were slave owners. What form of freedom is it when the 'inalienable rights' do not apply to fellow humans? The Civil War was fought, not to free the slaves, but to relieve the slave owners of the year round maintenance and care of their victims, while allowing them to glut on their labors. These labors have never been compensated to the slaves or their descendants. So the prattle of the right to succeed and to the fruits of our labors is so much wind.
"Much better are the social freedoms of the Soviet Union and its peace-loving, socialists friends whom the United States constantly tries to destroy through war. Everyone is treated with the dignity basic to being a person; medical care, housing, food, a job. Legitimacy rises from taking care of all of the citizens and preventing want. The vision of America that all are equal to achieve greatness is nothing but an opium pipe dream, because no one is the same as anyone else except in their needs. Thank you."
She sat to loud and sustained applause. Amy Chen, daughter of Chinesse refugees flowed to her feet, and floated across the stage.
"RESOLVED: The government of the United States is the most legitimate of any government on earth. The self evident is often hard to see. If I have no chains, and I am accused of being enslaved, how to I prove my freedom? The impassioned, but illogical, speech by my competitor is perhaps the greatest proof of the fallacy of her position and the justice of mine. And it is truly by their fruits that you can judge between nations. In America, the land of the free, she can make such a speech to applause, openly. In the U.S.S.R., a land rich in resources, the largest on Earth, with one person of every seventeen under its control, I would be imprisoned for my thoughts. The poor of America often have cars, all have refrigerators and other appliances that function, and complain that others have more. Others that more often than not began life in similar circumstances to that of those in the slums. In the U.S.S.R., they say they have the freedom of speech, if they say what the party tells them to. They have access to low quality goods and little food at exorbitant prices. Unemployment is handled through the Gulag. This is the enforcement of illegitimacy by the threat of violence. And in my native land, my parents were peasants. I am the second child. My parents fled to avoid a forced abortion and sterilization. America is a country of stable political structure. Disagreement over ideas almost never ends in any kind of violence, and this inspite of the massive arsenal of the people. Americans believe in the system being fair. We balance obligations with a promise, not always kept unfortunately, of equal treatment under the law. Injustice, because it is rare, is more stark. And that is America's greatness and legitimacy; it has always, and will always, try to right the wrongs that are done here. Thank you."
Polite applause accompanied her to her seat as Martin stood.
"RESOLVED: The government of the United States has no more legitimacy than any other government. And I believe that governments have no legitimacy, except insofar as they respect the entire world around them. Every government is legitimate if other governments accept it and its people obey. They are also all illegitimate because they oppress some of their citizens, the ratio is all that varies, for the 'public good', however that is defined. American Indians are herded onto reservations because they want to be hunter gatherers as their traditions decree, contrary to the white mans culture. A Gulag due to cultural intolerance. Other nations imprison for other deviations of thought. What is truly important is the care afforded to this planet. Those who can take care of it, but pollute instead, are ravishers and must be stopped for the good of all. Clear cutting, opposition to population control, open pit mining, over grazing, despeciation. All are marks of the official position of the government of this land, which is afterall only based on imaginary lines. Only governments that take care of the planet to the best of their abilities are legitimate. Thank you."
The louder applause was met by Martin waving a hand to the audience and smiling. Mark waited for silence. Thirty seconds passed before he received it. "RESOLVED: The government of the United States is the most legitimate of any government on earth. I have listened to some interesting arguments tonight. Some were persuasive, as the siren that lured Odysseus to the rocks and destruction. Others were silly. And some correct. All were at least based upon the truth to an extent. And what is the truth? I know some of you believe there is no truth, but that is a problem of perception, and does not affect the real world. Gravity is no less real for an individuals denial thereof. The sudden stop at the end of a long fall is just as fatal to the non-believer as to those who recognize reality and try to live by it. In fact, because a believer organizes his or her life around true principles, falls are a less frequent occurrence.
"The founders of America recognized the need to protect citizens from each other, from outsiders, and from our own baser natures. A balance of duty and rights. This government promises to treat all equally before the law, and is designed to prevent the accumulation of power by individuals or groups to oppress others. Duties of citizenship are imposed to defend, be informed and participate in the justice system to keep things honest. And we are promised that we will be left alone intellectually and to use our property as we see fit.
"Mistakes have been made. But we attempt to correct them through methods that are not perfect, but generally effective. And that is why this is the most legitimate government. It is limited not to give control, but limit it as much as possible while ensuring that it can meet its responsibilities to the citizens. Thank you."
Some did not applaud, but the response from
the others drowned out their disapproving silence.
0835 PST 15 MARCH
LOS ALTOS SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL
LOS ANGELES COUNTY, CALIFORNIA
Crowds of students stood and chatted or slowly wended their way through the press in the commons. Election posters filled every spare opening on the wall. Standing under a banner adorned with the ecology symbol and the slogan 'WE ARE THE FUTURE, OR THERE IS NO FUTURE', Martin Cofford was chatting and shaking hands. Tanned and healthy boys and girls handed out flyers.
Across the commons, two other candidates for student body president were also pressing the flesh and kissing babies. Mark Cofford was running beneath a poster with clasped hands, 'TOGETHER WE CAN BE GREAT' shouted out in multi-colors. The head cheerleader with her friends and jocks was standing beneath her poster proclaiming in red and black letters "HIGH SCHOOL SHOULD BE FUN".
The lights in the auditorium were down and the candidates sat on the stage. A dull roar came from the students who twisted in their seats. A feed back squeal came from the speakers.
"Attention." The thin and suited woman at the podium nervously peered back and forth. "Attention, please. Please sit quietly and we can begin." Possibly there was a lessening of the volume, then again, probably not. "We are glad to welcome you to our Student Body Election Assembly. Learning to do our civic duty includes learning to choose wisely between competing ideas. Today we have a treat for you; twins Mark and Martin Cofford are running against each other and Vivian Day for Student Body President. Ladies first, followed by Mark Cofford, and then Martin Cofford. Viv." With a sweeping gesture to where Viv was seated, she turned and sat.
Wearing a red and black pinafore (the school colors), and a white knit turtleneck blouse, she bounced up to the microphone. "Good morning, Conquistadors!"
From clumps in the front, middle and back, came back "GOOD MORNING, VIV!" The other cheerleaders and the jocks shouted response temporarily silenced the buzz of teenage visiting. But as she began, her message of good times and fun activities was barely audible through the inattention, even with the amplifiers cranked up to their highest gain. Still smiling, she said, "Thank you for your vote today, and let's have a great year in September." Whoops and cheers from her supporters carrying 'Vote Viv' signs in the aisles again drowned out the chatting students.
Mark, still orange haired and slightly freckled, walked to the podium in his white shirt and tie with dark slacks. Looking out over the darkened auditorium, he waited for silence he didn't get. Finally he started.
"Fellow students, I don't want to be Student Body President so that you'll have a fun next year, or to save the California coastal gnat catcher. You'll have fun next year regardless of who you elect, and as high school students, what you can do to save the whales now is not as significant as what you could do if you prepare yourselves."
Groups of Viv's friends, and those same healthy young people that had been helping Martin, began booing. Someone shouted "Sit down, you nerd." Others took up the chant of "Sit down nerd", which gradually became general.
Mark forged on through this with his prepared five minute speech. "I propose that volunteer tutors help every B, C, and D student so that we have the greatest academic public high school in the country. With a commitment from every member of the student body, every one of us can succeed. Myself and most of the other members of the Honors Society," here he glared at his brother, "have agreed to donate a period a day throughout the next year, if I am elected, to make this program work." The noise had reached overwhelming proportions. Grinding through to the end of his talk, he said thank you, and sat down to cheers.
Martin, identical physically to Mark, stood up and swaggered to the podium in baggy slacks and a blue and green plaid wool shirt. Waving his hands he quieted the crowd. "Now wasn't that an interesting talk?" he said with a smirk. Cat calls and whistles agreed.
He quieted the crowd again with his hands. "Well, what did you expect? Suzy Dimples (Vivian's nick name by those who were less than her friends) thinks this is kindergarten, and the nerd wants this to be Cal Tech." More cheers and laughter.
"Well, this isn't either one. We're not children and shouldn't be treated like children. We see our world being destroyed daily by big business and unthinking government allowing growth and expansion to kill thousands of species a year. What good is it if we prepare ourselves and go to work for to protect species ten years from now, if the world is a lifeless desert? We can do something to fix the world now, this year. Help me save Mother Earth. Vote for change. Vote for Martin, the Wolf, Cofford."
The tally was eight hundred nine for Vivian
to eight hundred fifteen for Martin. Twenty-six students voted for Mark.
. . .
Tight faced, Mark leaned over a business math text with Jared "Bigfoot" Bigelow, two fifty-seven, six foot four, football center scholarship recruit to the University of California, Berkeley Bears. If he graduated. Without help in math, he wouldn't. With help, he might. The issue was still in doubt.
Bigfoot shot a sideways glance at his tutor. "Mark, your tutoring idea was really good. Too bad you lost."
Mark's face went blank. There was something about the eyes which didn't look right, though. Guys, especially seventeen year old juniors, don't cry in public, however. "So did you vote for me?" Sarcasm tinged his tone.
Taking a quick, surreptitious glance right and left, he whispered, "Yeah. But don't tell anybody, especially Viv. Me and the other six guys you are helping all decided to vote for you instead of that dork head of a brother of yours or Viv."
A flicker of Mark's eyes to Bigfoot's face caught the sincerity. "Well, thanks. Now about this problem."
Interrupting, Bigfoot slid around to face Mark. "There is something you need to know. Viv and Martin got together the night before the assembly. They set up all of their friends to shout you down. It was Martin's idea."
"Martin wouldn't do that. Even though we don't agree, he'd never do that. He's my brother." Fiercely whispering, his face flamed.
Whispering intently, Bigfoot shoved his face into Mark's. "Don't be a dope. Martin told Viv that you would still do your academics program whether you won or lost. He also said that you're such a dorky idealist that if the student body heard what you had to say, they might just vote for you. If they thought about it, a straight arrow like you who wants them each to succeed would be the best president for high school, and they'd vote for you. He also told her just what to get the guys to chant to chase you off the stage. 'Roo', you're family nickname."
Color drained from Mark's face. He remembered having heard something like that yesterday at the assembly from Martin's friends, but he had been concentrating so hard at finishing the speech that it hadn't hit till that minute.
"How do you know?" His voice croaked.
"Viv's boyfriend, Steve, tells me and the boys everything, and I do mean everything. I thought you should know, since we're friends. At least you help me. They never have."
Voice still tight, Mark gasped out, "Thanks." Mastering his face after a struggle, he took a deep breath and went on. "You still have a test tomorrow. Let's get back to this problem." The subject was closed.
1841 PST 16 MARCH
COFFORD HOME
HACIENDA HEIGHTS, CALIFORNIA
Mark's College Algebra book lay open on his desk, but few problems were complete. Of those, most were not correct. He stared straight ahead, not seeing the wall eighteen inches away, but some infinitely dark and empty place.
Martin came crashing in as usual. "How's it going, Buckwheat? Just finished up our meeting. I thought you were going to wait? I had to get a ride from Barry." The silence and Mark's stare at the wall finally dammed up the chatter. "What's eating you?"
Mark slowly turned and glared, but made no sound.
Hard and angry now, Martin demanded, "You have something to say . . . say it!"
"How could you do something like that? Especially to your own brother!" Hot tears forced themselves to his eyes, but Mark kept them down.
"Do what, cry baby?" Martin taunted.
Anger and embarrassment cleared his eyes, rimming the narrowed focus he had on Martin with red. "You arranged to have your friends make fun of my speech. You had my posters torn down, and then wondered who would do something like that. You're slime. I'd never do anything like that to you. Why'd you do it to me? It's against everything Mom and Dad taught us. So why'd you do it, scum sucker?"
"Ooh, listen to the bad words. I did it to win. That's why we were running. And I did. And who cares what Mommy and Daddy ever said?" This last was a nasal singsong chant. "Five children when there is overpopulation now. They're selfish, egotistical, pleasure seekers."
Mark gaped and then reddened. "You don't believe that, do you? They love us. Dad worked on scouts with us. When we got our Eagles, it was the proudest day of his life. You promised to always be loyal and kind, besides other things. To help other people at all times. What's wrong with you?"
"Listen Boy Scout, those were just words. And if you believe in acting that way, fine. Because those of us who follow the law of the jungle will always win if you do. I'm a wolf, and always will be. You're so stupid, you didn't even realize you had no chance yesterday. You should have quit, and then I wouldn't have had to stick you."
"I knew it would be tough. But I believed it was important to try, and I still do. And don't blame me for something any decent person would be embarrassed to admit, much less brag to his victim about."
"Then you're a bigger fool than I thought, loser."
With a lunge, Mark came out of the chair, tumbling Martin into his desk and lamp with the first blow. Martin shoved back up and into Mark, landing a hay maker that cut Mark's ear. Within seconds, Jim Cofford was in the door, and separating them. "What's going on here!?"
Martin kept his eyes on Mark. "Mark started it. And it was because I won the election"
"Is this true son?" Jim, holding both by the collar, shook Mark.
"I swung first. But do you know what he did in the election, he. . ."
Martin watched through slitted eyes, but Jim was already cutting Mark off. "That's all water under the bridge. Forget it. Show some class and don't be a sore loser. Didn't we teach you better sportsmanship than that?"
"But Dad!" Indignation was threatening to sweep away the little self-control that had reappeared.
"No buts. Not another word!" Seeing the cut on Mark's ear for the first time, he added, "and let's fix that cut." He dropped Martin, and propelled Mark down the hall by the elbow.
Martin smugly watching them go tried vainly
to catch Mark's eye while humming "Hail to the Chief".