Sometime Later

Stifling a yawn, Marina(Mary) Test stretched out as she got ready for bed. After the lunch date with Gil(sigh) Nextdor, she and her sister had gone back to the lab and drawn up a few recipes for Gil to try, along with getting back to their own studies. All the while either messing with Johnny, or trying to clean up mistakes he made. So just a normal day. Though she had felt a bit.... winded. That was a good way to put it, not tired or fatigue just low on breath, which would normally lead to other factors but a quick medical check up from their personalized medi-bot showed nothing unusual. Other than her sister had the same issue. Perhaps all those nights of late night research. After all, NASA had basically contracted them out for research after budget cuts and Silicon Valley had tasked them for some help with data crunching. Not to mention the other labs trying to reach them. Not even 20 yet(Their 19th birthday was a few months ago she noted just to process time in her head) and they had such a work load placed on them. Which was the goal....

"Do you think we made the right choices?" Mary asked aloud after spitting out the toothpaste she had just used. Susan who was next to her and putting her hair up for the night cocked her head to the side. The Moon twin shrugged and turned, "This is what we wanted right?"

"Explain. As I'm pretty sure that's the properly made toothpaste from our own inventory so it should be fine." Susan said as she started to apply her face mask. Had to look good..... but for..., hmm. The thought passed into her head but paused. The star based twin couldn't finish it.

"Just..., we wanted to be researchers and scientists right? We were good at it and still are but...., remember when we could just do.... whatever we wanted?" Mary voiced her growing concern. A concern that was always there, and growing but something just... clicked into place tonight. She turned to face her twin with a sigh, "I just... I'm uncertain. This was always the plan right but now that we have it... even before we had it, it was going to be smooth sailing and I just..."

"After finally seeing the top, you're doubtful of wanting to stay there? A reasonable reaction to be sure sister but..., what brought this up? We were fine with it at the start? What's changed?" Susan asked, her lips pursed in thought. Mary felt... weird at this. She always thought the pair of them looked good, good enough for Gil Nextdor(Sigh) and for all the magazines and photos for articles they were on. But she felt strangely..., focused on her sister's lips as she licked her own. Weirded out by this, Mary took the chance to use her mouthwash and shake her head, and thus the thought, away.

"I think," Mary started after she finished, "It was because of Gil." Her sister's eyes lit up at the name.

"Really? Gil? ...is it because of today?"

"Perhaps. He's just... doing what he wants to do, beholden only to himself and his grandmother. He's free to do whatever he wants, however he wants while we..., we had that. When we were younger we had that." Mary said with a sigh, her eyes downcast, "Now it's redtape, and contracts, and legal codes, and... just so much paper work. I do understand the need for it all but do we REALLY need 50 pages of files to go over and 90 places to sign just...., AGH." Mary brought her hands up in a clawed manner to vent, to which her sister just nodded.

"The systems and rules we have to follow are a bit...., worse than we had expected yes. The leeway we had when younger has given way to regulation and control. But what's the alternative?" Susan said with a shrug.

"But don't you miss those days of freedom?" Mary pushed, "Gil... a dimwit, hunky one but a dimwit, gets to do whatever he wants with food and we just.... have to be shackled to the desires of everyone else. Those bubble bricks from a day ago, we could change the world if we perfect that but.... Noooooooooo. 'Crunch this data, montiar this comet, make this app, please help us with our firewalls...', UGH." Mary slammed her hands on the sink the two were standing at, "We're geniuses, not tech support."

Susan patted her sisters shoulder and gave her a slight grin. "There there, the payments are good and we can have our robots do the most boring work. Besides, we still have all those inventions for the Nobel prize to look forward to." when that didn't seem to brighten her twin, she cupped Mary's chin and turned it to her. "Mary, look at me." Her sister finally did and..., the look in her eyes. Something Susan couldn't place was there..., not a sparkle but.., it drew her in, like dimmed stars. It hurt to see her twin like this. "Listen, this isn't.... as GRAND as we pictured as children, I will admit." She started, taking her other hand and putting it on Mary's shoulder, "But we are given chances no one else has. Funding and permissions to do all sorts of wonderful things, for the benefit of mankind."

"Sure it's a lot of paper work, but they want to make sure we aren't doing anything wrong or trying to rip them off. More filing is a small price to pay for what we can do with the resources given to us."

"I just don't ...., sigh, you know how they say you shouldn't do what you love as a job?" Mary asked, her shoulders slumping.

"Oh please, if you think you'll be bored, I'll be right there to pull you back into something crazy. ....Or Johnny will. ....Say how's the Johnny bail fund... no reason." Susan asked with a grin on her face.

Mary snickered, her voice moving away from the lower mopey tone. "I suppose we can bail him out about 10 times now... depending." She looked her sister in the eye and leaned foward, their foreheads touching. "Thanks sister. I don't really know what came over me. Just..., seeing Gil of all people trying to better himself..."

"Shocking. I know. At least due to the fact it wasn't sports or looks." Susan cheerfuly said, pulling her twin into a hug, "Cooking of all things. Who could have predicted. Enough of a shock to shake even us. I admit been thinking that too but maybe I'm a bit more....steadfast in my thoughts."

"I just needed someone to bounce the idea off." Mary replied, returning the hug, "But I feel better about it."

"Sadly science can't answer something like this...., not without going in and mentally changing things..."

"OH NO NO NO." Mary exclaimed pushing her sister to arms length so the two could better see each other, "Not after the last time with Bling Bling Boy."

"Hehehe, I'm sorry dear sister. It was fun to see him go after you for a month." Susan laughed at the memory.

"Well I'm glad you seem well enough tonight. But again, thanks for listening to me." Mary said, giving anouther stretch, "I suppose we should turn in before my tired mind makes me say something else silly."

"Fair enough."

Talk done, the two finished their preparations. They shared several things even this late into their lives; the lab and gil but they also lived in the same room and shared a bath room. They felt awkward without the other's nearby, to the point of slowing down or doing things ill-efficient. To the point they felt comfortable around each other in varying degrees of dress and undress. Why should it matter anyway? So the two quickly stripped down and put on their PJs; a simple shirt and sleep scrub like pants. Blue for Susan, purple for Mary. Besides the stars and moon hair pieces and decals, the colors was one of the few ways to identify them, and neither was sure when they started to be attached to said color.

Regardless, that was another thought brought about by a tired mind. That and Susan's half attentive noticing of Mary's hips.... where they larger? ...No trick of the light and sleep. Besides if they were, Mary would lose it anyway after the diet changes they made for Gil's dishes.

Settling into their own beds, the girls bid each other a good night and drifted off to what should be a pleasant night of dreams.