My life was always lived in the shadows. I was always the scientist's son, the professor's son, Allie's brother. I never realized just how much I was hiding from the world, but I didn't mind it. That was comfortable to me.
Don't get me wrong, I love my family. They are the most important people in the world to me. Now that I think of it, though, they were the only important people to me...
Allie and I are twins, of course. My father works as a scientist for the government, so if my parents really wanted to have two separate kids they could have without getting in trouble. But if they had done that, everyone else would want to, so they had twins.
About seventy-five years ago, a law was passed worldwide that only one child could be born in a family. It is probably the most enforced law there is. After a woman has one child, she takes a medicine that disables her ability to have any more kids. Sometimes it doesn't work though, rarely a woman can get pregnant again even with taking the medicine, but the government can't do anything about that.
If she happens to be pregnant again without taking the medicine, the result is an abortion, heavy fines, and jail time. So most women take that medicine.
People used to-and sometimes still do-have unnatural twins, triplets, quadruplets, etc., but that practice was mostly given up because respectable doctors had too much to lose to break the law. People then, went to low, scum doctors, and without technology like the actual doctors, 95% of these babies were disabled, challenged, or most commonly born dead.
My family is an exception. Since my dad works for the government, my mom was able to have twins, a chosen boy and girl, with the help of many advanced scientists throughout America.
This one child policy has been going on for about three generations. The population hasn't dropped much though, because people are able to live longer with more advanced medicinal technology these days in 2103.
Allie is my best friend as well as my sister. Even though we're 16, we don't argue or hurt each other, we get along better than most twins. I know that because there is another government family next door with twins and they fight constantly, along with other government twins I know.
Allie walked into the family room where I was sitting, reading a book. "Ridge," she said as she poured a glass of water, "come look at the sunset, it's really pretty."
"Sure." I answered and stood up. We have a really good area to watch the sunset, and Allie and I watch it sometimes.
We walked outside and sat on the yard chairs there. There were lots of things that changed in life, but one thing that I could always count on was the sun. Throughout life friends turn into completely different people, things I enjoyed changed, places I cherished demolished... But the sun was always the same. It rose and set, every day, and I could count on that at least for the rest of my life.
The sunset was beautiful, as it usually was.
Allie sighed contentedly. "Don't you wish it was like this every day?" she asked me.
I shook my head. "No, then it wouldn't be special." I replied. She grinned. "I guess that's true."
We watched in silence as the sun was hidden behind the earth. The stars became visible now, but neither of us felt like going back inside.
Allie was looking up. "Don't you wonder what's out there?" she asked. "So many stars... the possibilities! Each star with the possibility of planets... each planet with the possibility of life!"
I tried not to think about the universe. It just made me feel more small and insignificant that I already felt.
"Typical Allie," I teased, "not content with living on earth?"
She laughed. "No, actually. Everything here is just so... easy. Everything is already done. There's nothing new." She looked at me. "You don't have to work for anything. You get good grades so you can go to college so you can get a good job so you can make lots of money. And that repeats every generation."
She sighed. "I just want something different. That's all."
I thought about that. "Different as in..?"
She shrugged. "Just something different. A change in the cycle. A life that's not the exact same as everyone else's."
"Society just expects you to be the same, I guess."
She breathed. "Stupid society."
We sat in the noise of the night, just thinking. The moonlight shone in Allie's hair. She really was pretty. She wasn't one of those girls that puts on a pound of makeup every day, or buys expensive clothes to make herself feel better, she was content with herself, and that just made her all the more beautiful. We look mostly alike, but Allie just has this boldness about her.
"We should probably go inside."
I nodded. Allie looked up at the stars a last time before following me to the door. Allie and our mother were a lot alike. Our mom taught astronomy in a university, and both of them go on about the universe and what's hidden in its vast wonders, but I'd rather stay out of it.
We walked in quietly. We passed the kitchen and were about to head upstairs when we heard hushed voices from my parents' room.
Allie pressed her finger to her lips and leaned closer to the door.
I heard my mom's voice. " Are you sure ther's no other way?"
My dad answered, "Yes. I'm so sorry." They sounded miserable. I wondered what he was sorry about.
"How long?" my mom asked even quieter.
"Ruski is getting worse. Even the machines can't fix this." My dad sighed loudly. "Get some rest, honey. There's no need to keep yourself up about it."
They stopped speaking and Allie and I crept upstairs. She waved me goodnight before entering her room. Mine was next to hers and I quietly shut the door and laid on my bed.
What was a Ruskie? Why was this situation causing my parents so much worry?
I opened my laptop and searched for any information on this. Ruskey, nothing. Rueskey, nothing. Rhuskey, nothing. I thought for a moment. Rueski. Yes! Something!
Rueski Lavatory Co. This couldn't be it. I searched again. Ruski. A strange man from the early twenty-first century popped up. My heart started beating. A scientist! My dad's a scientist. Maybe this could be something? I read the information given.
"Leonard Ruski was famous for many things, but the most notable accomplishment of his was his discovery in 2018 on how to travel in space effectively." Blah blah blah award, childhood... I got focused back in at the end of the article.
"Ruski was very ill by his early fifties, by which time he had disappeared from his home and lab. No one knows what happened to him."
I paused, puzzled. A lost scientist? This couldnt've been what my dad was talking about. I sighed and put down my laptop. If it really was important, my dad would've told me about it. I closed my eyes and drifted off to sleep.
