Josh had his left hands held out, ready to shake his brother's hands. He had expected Jerry to take the proposal, but his brother paused for a moment. "I agree but with one additional condition though." Jerry said.
"Oh... What is the condition?" Josh asked, leaning back.
"I want us to permanently be conjoined twins." He said. Josh appeared to be taken aback, but Jerry continued to explain his thoughts. "So that no matter what other changes we add or take away, we'll always be beside each other. Even if we get angry with each other, we'll be forced to find a way to work things out, and not take a quick and easy solution."
"Oh..." Josh looked down at his feet, his shoulder sagging.
"Oh... what?" Jerry looked to his twin, but his brother did not look at him in the eyes. "I thought you wanted to be conjoined twins; I figured that would also mean we shouldn't have a choice to separate."
"No, its not that... exactly." Josh looked towards his brother and sighed. "It just makes me feel bad that you want to add that condition, seeing as I was the one who forced us to separate in the first place. You know I didn't mean it... right?"
Jerry placed one his his hands on his brother's upper shoulder. "I know you didn't mean it, and I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings. Honestly, I was moments away of saying the same thing, forcing us to separate. You just beat me to the punch." Jerry smiled. "So, don't beat yourself up about it. I think this condition is more of an insurance policy, keeping either of us from making a rash decision."
Josh mirrored his brother's smile. "Okay, then I can agree with the insurance policy."
"If I may cut in." The program wizard spoke up. "It seems that you have agreed to become dicephalic parapagus twins with the following traits."
Name(s): Jeremy "Jerry" & Joshua "Josh" Platte
Age: 12
Gender(s): Male
Height: 5'10''
Weight: 109 lbs.
Intelligence Quotient: 110 each
Build: Lean-muscular (Muscles to grow with age)
Status: Both single
Sexual Preference(s): Straight
Occupation(s): Middle School Students
Species: Human (Conjoined identical twins - Dicephalic parapagus variety)
Proposed List & Distribution of Organs for Jeremy & Joshua Platte:
2 heads
2 spines, merging at coccyx and joined at thorax by sections of ribs
2 completely separate spinal cords
2 arms
1 broad ribcage with 2 sternums and fully-formed bridging ribs
2 nipples (nonfunctional)
2 hearts in a shared circulatory system (nutrition, respiration, medicine taken by either affects both)
4 lungs with the medial lungs fully fused into a shared "super-lung"
1 diaphragm with well-coordinated involuntary breathing
1 stomach
1 gallbladder
1 liver, both lobes enlarged and elongated
1 Y-shaped small intestine, which experiences a double peristalsis at the juncture
1 large intestine (one colon)
1 navel
4 kidneys: 2 left, 2 right
1 bladder
1 set of reproductive organs (each twin contributing a testicle that feeds into a single penis shared between both twins)
2 separate half-sacrums, which converge distally
1 slightly broad pelvis
2 legs
The twins looked at each other for a moment, and then spoke together, "Yeah." Each wrapped two arms around the other. "We're ready to be changed back." Jerry spoke for both of them."
"Regrettably, I must inform you that a permanency feature does not exist within the Chronovac programming. I am simply unable to make any changes truly permanent, but I may have a solution." The program wizard explained. "If those characteristics are set as your final form, I can add the following stipulations: 1) Jeremy and Joshua must verbally agree to all changes. 1a) Coerced agreement from either party not does not count as consent. 2) Jeremy and Joshua must both be in a sound state of mind to agree to changes. 2a) A sound mind excludes moods of extreme emotion such as anger, fear, or sadness. 2b) Both must be lucid and not effected by substances that could influence judgement such as alcohol. 3) If death or dismemberment of either party is inevitable, changes may be requested from either party to prevent such conditions from occurring."
"That is a lot of legalize, but I think that makes since." Josh turned to his brother. "This way, our final form is essentially permanent unless we both willingly agree for a change."
"Yeah, sounds good to me. Do it, Wizard." Jerry nodded his head.
"Very well. Commencing changes now." The wizard said matter of factly.
Both Jerry and Josh grit their teeth, as their brains slowly rewired. They gripped each other tighter, with their arms still wrapped around each others' body. The pain in their skulls subsided, but that was soon replaced.
"Ah..." Jerry cried out. His skin was burning, his bones snapped, and his muscles seemed to unweave. Jerry clutched his brother even tighter, feeling comforted that Josh was beside him. He could not open his eyes, but he felt the changes occurring still. Muscle seemed to evaporate, leaving him feeling weak. Jerry tried to clench his left hands around his bother harder, but only his left shoulder twitched. He realized that he no longer had left arms, as they had blended into his brother's back. Through the pain, he managed to peak a glance. The change was almost complete. Josh and he did not have separate bodies at that point; their torsos were mostly fused as one. He closed his eyes, enduring the last few moments of pain. Suddenly, the pain was gone.
Josh struggled to catch his breathe; it was like his lungs were not filling with air. 'Jerry... You need to breathe with Jerry.' He told himself. Josh opened his eyes. He and Jerry were both trying to take deep breathes, and their shared, confused diaphragm was trying to listen to both of them. Josh let muscle memory take over, trying to match his breathing in time with his brother. It worked. Within a minute, their lungs were full of air again.
"Phew..." Josh breathed out in relief. "That was more painful then I remember."
Jerry grunted in agreement. "You can say that again." He then sighed, glad that the process had ended. Jerry looked outward at the body he and his brother shared once again. He felt a pang of regret as he stared at his right arm and leg. They were no longer the strong build of a Junior Athlete, just the more lean build of an athletic middle school student. When he turned, any regret he felt disappeared when he saw his brother's stupid grin. "What are you smiling at?"
"I'm just glad we're back to normal." Josh's grin was from ear to ear. "And now thanks to that condition you added, there is no way you can get away from me."
"You mean, there is no way you can get away from me!" Jerry smiled as he reached across their abdomen to tickle his brother's side. To his surprise, Josh began laughing. The muscles in the center of their torso tensed, and they fell backwards onto the carpet. Jerry continued the assault until he felt Josh's hand along his side. Suddenly, his head tilted back in laughter. They laid on the ground, taking a few moments to regain their breathe.
"Sorry to intervene on your brotherly moment, but do you still require my services." The program wizard spoke up.
Jerry and Josh leaned their body back up. "No, Wizard. Thank you for your help. You can shut off for now." Josh said.
"Acknowledged." The program wizard said before going dark.
"So now what?" Jerry finally asked.
Before Josh could answer, a knock was heard on the basement door. "Josh... Jerry... are you still down there!" Their mother called from the behind the door.
For a moment, the brothers stared at each other, bewildered. "Oh, that right. The program changed everyone's memories." Jerry said. "Mom thinks we've always been twins."
"Conjoined twins." Josh corrected.
"Whatever." Jerry rolled his eyes.
"Boys! Don't make me come down there." Their mother called again, but this time, the door did not muffle the sound. The brothers could see the light from hallway above poring into the basement room.
"Sorry mom!" Both answered at the same time.
They could hear their mother's exasperated sigh. "Your birthday may be tomorrow, but you still have choirs to do. Get up here and finish cleaning the bathrooms!"