Casa di Cerebra, New Thundera, Milky Way Galaxy, Q-niverse.  Stardate 1 068 057.53; July 21, 3013.

The seven talked with each other in the living room.  Then, the doorbell rang.  "I wonder who that is," said Antonio, going to the door.  He was not in the habit of abusing his telepathic powers, except where Ludwig and MotherBrain were concerned.  He opened the door and saw Kevin, Lana, Kelly, and Thomas.  "Well, hello, guys," he said, standing aside.  "Please come in."

            "Thank you," said Kevin.  He, his wife, and his children came in.

            "Have you all eaten?"

            "Yes."

            "All right.  So have we."

            "My main purpose in coming is to speak with Commander Steelheart, though it's always good to come see you."

            "All right.  Everyone's in the living room."  He led the way in.

            "Well, hello, bro!" Michael greeted cheerfully.

            "Hi, Michael," said Kevin.  He turned to Steelheart.  "Commander, Steelwill told me that Jean-Léonard has agreed to become a Silver Hawk."

            "I'm glad," Steelheart replied.  "Your brother is quite strong, Kevin."

            Guillaume said, "Gosh, yes!  He beat Steelheart and then me at arm-wrestling."

            Kevin smiled.  "I thought you were tired," he told his brother.

            "I involuntarily took a nap," Michael admitted.  "When I woke up, though, I felt wonderful, and now, I've had dinner.  Hey, you want to do a two-player game of Super Mario Brothers 3?"

            Kevin smiled.  "Last time we played an alternating two-player game, you got to the end without losing a life, so I lost!" he laughed.

            "Super Mario 3 isn't like that," said Michael.  "When you finish a stage, the play alternates to the other player."

            "Oh.  I played, but I've forgotten that.  Well, where can we play?"

            "How about here?" Antonio offered.

            "Sounds cool to me."

            Antonio said, "Computer, open the monitor."  Part of one wall slid open and revealed a large screen.

            "Wow," said Kevin.

            "Cool!" Michael exclaimed softly.  "Big-screen Mario!"

            "Do you have the game specifications?" asked Antonio.

            "May I use the terminal?" Steelheart asked.  "I have them at Hawkhaven, and I can link with the computer containing the video game specs."

            "Be my guest."

            Steelheart went over to the terminal and linked it with the computer of which she had just spoken.  She called up a screen that had several names on it.

            Michael looked over the screen.  "Are those all the NES games?"

            "Every single one in alphabetical order, licensed and unlicensed," she said.  There was a 'Find' bar at the top into which she could type titles.  She typed 'Super Mario,' and the game Super Mario Brothers showed just below the 'Find' bar.  The others were shown below.  She highlighted Super Mario Brothers 3 and hit Enter, and the specifications for the game cartridge were transferred to Antonio's computer.

            Then, Steelheart called for the specs for the NES Advantage controller.  She asked, "Antonio, could you go to the replicator and ask for two NES Advantage controllers?  Only one is required for two players alternating, but there's a fun mini-game that two players can't play with just one controller."

            "All right," said Antonio.  He went to the replicator.  "Two NES Advantage controllers."  The controllers materialised in the slot.  He handed one to Michael and one to Kevin.

            "Awesome," said Michael, looking over the controller.  It was completely accurate.

            "Now," said Steelheart, pulling up the specs for the Super Mario Brothers 3 game package, "please ask for one Super Mario Brothers 3 NES game package."  Antonio did so and handed the box to Steelheart.  She opened it and withdrew the game cartridge and the instruction booklet.  "Do you guys need to see the instructions?"

            "Nope," said Kevin.  "I've played it one-player before."

            "Me, too," Michael said.

            Thomas smiled.  "I'll take a look, if you please, Steelheart," he said.  Steelheart handed him the booklet.  "Thank you."

            "You're welcome, Thomas," she replied.  She went back to the terminal and called up the NES specifications.  "Do you have adaptors to power one-hundred-twenty-volt devices?"

            "Yes," said Antonio.

            "All right.  Please ask for an NES console."  Antonio did so and brought the device over to her.  "That's all, I think.  Could you find a way to hook it up?"

            "Yeah," said Antonio.  He visually examined the back of the device.  "This isn't 120 volts, though.  It's for a DC converter.  But I know just what we need."  He went over to the replicator.  "One computer power connector with a class-H adaptor."  A cord with two different types of ends materialised.  One end fit perfectly in the power adaptor connection in the back of the NES, and another fit in an outlet in the back of the terminal.  So, he hooked the terminal to the NES with it.  Then, he went to the terminal and assigned an electrical current with the proper voltage to the NES.  Then, he returned to the replicator.  "One class-V audio-video double-cable with a class-A computer adaptor."  The device materialised in the slot.  One end had two connectors.  He plugged the yellow one in the video plug-in and the red in the audio plug-in on the side of the NES, then the other end in the back of the computer terminal.  He then set the terminal so that the NES unit's output would be sent through the wall monitor and through the room's sound system.  "Due to the audio-video connection, I need not worry about which television channel to use.  Do I turn it on now, Steelheart?"

            "Not until the game is put in," Steelheart replied.  "The game cartridge is a circuit board that's plugged into the Nintendo's system unit."  She removed the game pak from its protective slipcase, opened the slot on the NES, slid the cartridge in, and pushed it down in place before closing the slot.  She asked, "Who wants to be player one?"

            "Michael usually is player one," said Kevin.  Michael nodded.

            Michael took the first-player plug of his controller and plugged it firmly into the first-player slot of the machine.  Kevin took the first-player plug of his controller and plugged it into the second-player slot of the machine.  They sat on the couch that was directly in front of the large monitor.  Everyone else except Antonio arranged chairs so they could watch.  "Is the computer ready?" Michael asked.

            "Yes," said Antonio.  He moved the table close to the two and then sat down.  Michael sat to Kevin's left.  The table was high enough for them to rest their controllers on it and use them comfortably.  The younger brother reached over and switched on the NES.  The title screen to Super Mario Brothers 3 appeared on the monitor.

            Kevin and Michael waited while the demonstration played.  Then, when the choice between one or two players appeared, Michael pressed Select to choose two players and then pressed Start.  The Grass Land map screen appeared, as did the window that showed that Mario had five more tries left.  Then Mario appeared at the box labelled Start.  Michael moved Mario to the right.  A small oval with an L was on the Start box.

            "That L is Luigi's current position," Steelheart explained.  "When Luigi is active, an M in a bubble indicates Mario's position.  If the active player presses the A button when on the passive player's position, then you enter a mini-game similar to the Mario Brothers arcade game.  The first one to defeat five enemies wins, or the first to get hit loses.  The winner goes to the active player's most recent position and continues game play, while the loser stays where the passive player was and is now passive.  Also, you know you get cards with stars, flowers, or mushrooms when you defeat levels?"  The brothers nodded.  "If a player has a card, the other player can take it in the mini-game.  Hitting the opponent will release the most recent card, and the first person to collect it has it.  Of course, neither of you has cards at the moment.  The basic rules of Mario Brothers apply to the mini-game, except of course that you have only one chance in each game.  You can theoretically play it endlessly, however, because it does not employ lives."

            "All right," Michael said.

            "Of course, that is not the only mini-game, but it's the commonest."

            He moved Mario over the sign for Stage 1 and pressed the A button.  He played the stage perfectly. . . getting the Super Mushroom at the very start, dodging the Piranha Plant's fire, getting the Super Leaf, and flying up to the area where the 1-up was.  He gathered all the coins in the cloudy heights and flew to the high pipe that contained the coins arranged to form the number '3,' most likely because this was the third Super Mario Brothers game.  When he exited the secret room, he ran to the exit and achieved a star at the goal.

            When the map screen reappeared, the Stage 1 card flipped to show an 'M,' and the Hammer Brother changed positions, as it did every time you left a stage. . . whether by dying or by reaching the goal.  Then, Luigi appeared at the Start sign, and a bubble containing the letter 'M' appeared over where the Stage 1 sign was now an 'M' sign.  "Your turn," Michael said.

            "Oh, right," said Kevin, a bit unprepared.  He moved Luigi over to the Stage 2 sign and selected that stage.

            By now, he was used to entering Stage 2 as Racoon Mario, since he usually played this game by himself.  However, he got through the stage perfectly, and he ended as Racoon Mario since he had acquired a Super Leaf.  He, too, got a star at the goal.

            "Which stage do you want to go to?" Michael asked.  "Three or four?"

            "I'd like to visit number three."

            "And, that way, you'd get a P-wing and a Whistle when I trashed level four," said Michael, smiling wickedly.  He was no fool.  "Let's play a mini-game and decide."

            "I'm afraid you're missing something," Kevin said.  "When one beats level four and gets enough coins, then the White Mushroom House appears at the level most recently completed through the normal goal.  If you win and rush into level four, then I will have the P-wing.  So, it really doesn't matter which order this is done in.  The person who goes to level four loses the P-wing and the whistle.  The one who goes to level three gets both of them, if the next person goes to level four."

            "You're right.  Let's play a mini-game.  The winner goes to level three, and the loser has to go directly to level four."

            "Sounds fair."  Michael moved Mario over to Luigi's spot.

            "Ready?"

            "Ready."

            Michael hit the A button, and the screen irised in.  The screen looked a bit like the screen for Mario Brothers.  The two leapt into action as the Spinys came out of the pipes.

            But Kevin was mostly watching the Spinys, and he did not realise his brother's strategy until it was too late.  Michael watched Kevin's actions while avoiding getting hit.  When Kevin was in a relatively safe spot, Michael jumped underneath him, and the star card came bouncing out.  "Hey!" Kevin exclaimed, but Michael was too quick.  He had swiped the star before Kevin could have a chance.

            Then, he saw a way to get even.  Michael had placed himself in a very delicate position.  The older brother grinned wickedly as he swiftly made his move.  He moved Luigi underneath Mario and jumped before Michael could react. . . and he caused Luigi to lose the card and leap directly into the path of a Spiny coming down!  There was nothing Michael could do.

            "Hey!" Michael shouted.  His expression lightened when he looked at his brother.  "That was unfair."

            "If it was, then so was what you did," Kevin replied smoothly.  "And this is only a game."  He moved over the Stage 3 sign and pressed the A button.

            Michael was mostly mad at himself for letting himself fall for that trick.  "But you lost a star," he pointed out.

            Kevin shrugged.  "Yeah, but I can get another."  He advanced through the stage with ease.  He went into the coin area and got all the coins, then he got the whistle.  He got no cards, but the whistle was worth it.

            When the stage was over, Michael moved Mario down to the spade block.  "Hey, hey," said Kevin.  "What're you doing?"

            "I'll go back when I've done this," Michael said.

            "No.  You said directly, remember?  This isn't directly."

            "Are you still mad about me stealing that card?"

            "No, but you made the rule.  You have to live by it."

            Michael sighed.  "Okay," he said reluctantly.  It was obvious he expected to win that mini-game.  Then, he would have the whistle, the P-wing, the item he happened to pick at the Mushroom House east of Stage 4, and as many 1-ups as he could win at the spade house.  He sighed in frustration.  Now, Kevin would get all those things!  He had done something really stupid.  He asked, "What if I lose a life in Stage 4?"

            "You won't," Kevin said.  He smiled wickedly.  "That is, if you're still ticklish," he added confidentially.

            Michael sighed.  He understood this too well.  If he messed up, his brother would tickle him until he was sick. . . and he knew he was ticklish because he was never tickled often.  "Okay," he said.  "What if I slip up unintentionally, though?"

            Kevin was still grinning.  "Make sure you don't."

            Michael was frustrated now.  His simple plot had backfired in his face.

            Kevin saw the meaning behind Michael's expression and grew concerned.  He had expected his brother to be comfortable with this.  "What's wrong?"

            "Oh, just that things went exactly as I had not intended."

            "Hey, it's okay.  Don't worry about it.  This is only a game, Michael.  If I'm pressuring you, I'm sorry.  I'll back off."

            Michael got his feelings under control.  "Okay," he said calmly.

            "Do you want to continue?"

            "Yeah."  He moved Mario up to Stage 4.  He had no problems with this stage, but he was still very nervous.  He shook it off and entered the stage.  After he was through with it - and amazingly gotten a star card at the end - the White Mushroom House appeared where Stage 2 had been.  His exasperation returned.  "There.  Now get it!"

            Kevin was now more concerned.  "Michael, if you don't want to play against me, you don't have to."

            Michael just shook his head.  "Oh, I really do now."

            Kevin sighed.  "Michael, please.  You're letting one little failure get to you.  What does a P-wing mean to you?  Free passage over a solitary enemy-infested stage means little in a game with ninety-some stages."

            Michael sighed.  "I guess it's been too long since we played against each other.  Everyone else is a pushover compared to you."

            Kevin smiled.  "Everyone else would probably snatch your P-wing, too."  To Michael's utter surprise, though, Kevin bypassed the White Mushroom House and went straight to the Fortress.  He entered.  The path he took led to the second Whistle.  He took it, and the Fortress crumbled as usual.

            "W-wait," said Michael.  "Why didn't you get all this stuff?  A P-wing, up to five extra lives, and a random choice between a Fire Flower, a Super Mushroom, and a Super Leaf."

            Kevin just shrugged.  "Take all of them if you want to," he said.  "I'm feeling generous."

            Michael did not need Kevin to tell him that this was his only chance.  If he passed up any of those, Kevin would take them for Luigi.  He moved Mario up to the White Mushroom House and took the P-wing, then over to the Mushroom House and acquired a Super Leaf.  He then went to the spade block and got five extra lives by making a picture of a star.  Feeling a little better, he moved down to Stage 5 and entered.

            He easily made it through the stage, obtaining the Fire Flower near the end.  He acquired a star at the end.  Since this was his third star card, he got five extra lives, which really made him feel good now.

            Kevin then went down and entered Stage 6, the last stage before the castle.  He acquired the 1-up and the several coins, then he flew to the end.  He finally acquired another card, a star card.

            Michael went to the Hammer Brother and defeated him, gaining the Starman he was carrying.  Kevin went to the second Mushroom House and got a Fire Flower, then went to the castle, where Toad was bewailing Larry Koopa's theft of the king's sceptre and the transformation of the king.  He then proceeded to go through Larry's Doomship and stop the evil Koopaling without taking a scratch.  He returned the sceptre to the king, who gave him a note from Princess Toadstool.  She gave him a P-wing.

            The action moved to the Koopahari Desert, the second world.  This world was three screens long. . . though it was only two if you failed to make a hole in the rocks in the northeast corner of the map.

            The Keene brothers made it through every world, sometimes doing several mini-battles to decide who would go where.  Gradually, they became fiercer opponents in the mini-games, to the point that one in the seventh world was five minutes long, but whenever he failed Michael did not lose his cool anymore.  He found it was more satisfying to get even in a subsequent mini-game.

            They eventually reached the end, where Michael used a P-wing and took on Bowser's castle.  With the P-wing, he managed to avoid dangerous obstacles.  He only lost it when Bowser hit him with a stray fireball, and at that point it was no longer needed, anyway.  But he caused Bowser to create his pit and fall into it.

            At the end, Kevin exclaimed, "You won!"

            Michael smiled at his brother.  "We won," he corrected.

            "Yeah," Kevin agreed.  The brothers did a high-five.

            "Just call us the Super Keene Brothers!"  Everyone laughed at this.

            Steelheart asked, "Antonio, do you mind if I replicate a Super NES console?"

            "Go right ahead, Steelheart," Antonio said.

            Steelheart went to the laptop and called up the Super NES specifications and the specs for the ASCII control pad.  It had the cross-pad, but it also had turbo for all the four main buttons and for the left and right buttons on the top.  She went over to the replicator and said, "One Super NES console and two ASCII control pads."  The console and the two pads appeared.  She brought them over to the table.

            Michael took one of the pads and looked it over.  "Control pads with turbo," he remarked.

            "Yes."  She called up the specifications for the audio-video cable.  "Antonio, can you find a way to combine this thing and a terminal adaptor?"

            Antonio looked at it.  He smiled.  "Sure," he said.  "Which end is which?"

            "Yellow is video, white is left audio, red is right audio."

            Antonio nodded, creating a new adaptor.  "It'll work," he said.  "Replicator, use the schematic on this terminal and create the adaptor."

            The adaptor appeared in the replicator slot.  He plugged one end into the back of the Super NES.  Michael turned off the NES, and Antonio disconnected the NES video-audio cord from the terminal.  Then Antonio plugged the cord from the Super NES in the other cord's place.  He examined the back of the Super NES.  "The direct current adaptor has to be different," Antonio commented distastefully.  "Why the inconsistency?"

            "Don't ask me," Michael said.  "I find it dumb, too.  Maybe they just wanted to be difficult."

            Steelheart called up the specs for a Super NES adaptor, and Antonio created a new adaptor so the terminal could power the Super NES, too.  He disconnected the NES's power cord from the back of the terminal, and he plugged the appropriate end of the new power adaptor into the Super NES and the other end into the terminal.

            "There," said Antonio.  "Now, don't you need a game?"

            "Sure," Steelheart said.  "I'm just. . . ha!"  She called up her Super NES game specs.  She moved over to the replicator.  "One Super Mario World game package."  The package appeared in the slot.

            Meanwhile, Michael was putting Super Mario Brothers 3 into its package, as well as the instruction booklet.  He asked, "Where can we store this?  I'll probably be playing this again."

            "Just leave it there on the table," said Antonio.  "I'll take care of it."

            Steelheart came over with the package.  Now, the NES and its controllers were at the back of the table, and the Super NES and its controllers were at the front.  Michael said, "On the regular controllers, the X and Y buttons have dips."

            "Well, I prefer these," Steelheart said.  "There's not that much difference, really."

            Kevin nodded.  "I agree," he said.  He and Michael plugged in the controllers.

            Steelheart asked, "Do you guys need the instructions?"

            "No, thank you," Kevin said.

            "No, thanks," said Michael.

            "I'd like to read them, please," Thomas said.  Steelheart handed him the booklet.  "Thank you."

            Steelheart extracted the game pak and plugged it into the Super NES.  She then turned the unit on.  The Super Mario World title screen appeared.

            Kevin asked, "Have you completed this game yet, Michael?"

            "Sure have," Michael said.  "The two-player mode is similar on this game, except there's no mini-game.  Also, on the map screen, the active player can press the right or left button on the top and transfer lives to or from the other player.  This can be either co-operative or competitive."

            Kevin smiled.  "How about co-operative this time?"

            "Sounds cool to me."  Michael pressed the Start button, selected Game A, and selected two players.  The opening narration that told of Princess Toadstool's abduction appeared on the screen.  Michael said, "I suggest that I go up the mountain to activate the yellow switch."

            Kevin nodded.  "Okay," he agreed.  "Then, I'll go to the second stage after you complete the first."  Michael nodded.

            They tackled the rest of the game similarly and co-operatively.  After they had finished Yoshi Island and continued to the Donut Plain, it was Michael's turn.  "I'll get the key and tackle the lake," Michael said.

            "How'll you get it?" Kevin asked.  "The blue blocks aren't solid yet."

            Michael smiled.  "There's another way," he said.  "I can fly up to it.  I do it all the time."

            Kevin nodded.  "All right.  Are we going to take the secret exits first, and then go to the main ones?"

            "That's what I usually do.  It's more interesting that way."  They proceeded in this manner.  By the time Kevin clobbered Morton Koopa, they had completed all the stages and found all the exits of every stage.  Michael suggested, "Why don't we take care of the Star Road and the secret stages?"

            "Sure.  I'm game if you are.  I assume you have a way to get past some of the parts that you normally need to have activated all the block switches to get past."

            "I do," said Michael.  "You don't need to activate a single switch block to find all the other ninety-two exits of the total ninety-six exits."  The brothers tackled the most difficult part of the game, but they were good players, and since Mario and Luigi did not progress in strength as they went through the game, Kevin and Michael were able to take care of the thirteen stages.  Early on, Kevin noted his younger brother's return to the second stage of the Star Road to get the blue Yoshi, and he saw why he did this.  A blue Yoshi could fly with the shell of any Koopa-Troopa in its mouth, and this made it useful. . . and this made the switch blocks unneeded.  Kevin caught on very quickly and used the blue Yoshi to reach the hard-to-get key in the fifth stage.  He had originally thought that he had to turn on all the blocks to do this, but he saw his brother's cleverness.  This made it more convenient and more fun. . . to bend the game's rules a little.  They were both fairly comfortable with the difficult stages in the Special World, and they had gotten through them all before very long.

            Then, they made their way through the Vanilla Dome.  Kevin bent the rules in the first stage by using a blue Yoshi and Koopa shells to fly up to the area where the key was.  He knew where all ninety-six exits were, but he was now having more fun by learning from his brother and using less direct methods of getting the secret keys.

            At the end, it was Kevin who bopped Bowser in the head with Mechakoopas and saved the princess.  He said, "We did it again, Michael!"

            "Yeah, Kev," said Michael.  The brothers gave each other a high-five again.

            Lana checked the watch in her left arm-band.  "Gosh," she exclaimed, "it's late!"

            Michael and Kevin stood and stretched. "Oh, I'm going to have Mario in my vision all night," Michael said.  He smiled at his brother.  "But it was fun, big bro."

            "I enjoyed it, too, li'l bro," said Kevin.  The two hugged each other.

            "You're both good," Steelheart said.  "Kevin, I never thought of using the blue Yoshi like that."

            "Neither did I, until Michael kept getting blue Yoshis," said Kevin.  "He's pretty smart."

            "You were pretty intuitive, yourself, to get my strategy," the younger brother said.

            Lana went over to Kevin.  "Well, I guess we'd better get back," she said.  She indicated Thomas and Kelly and joked in a manner that indicated that she most definitely was joking, "Why, it's way past their bedtime!"  Everyone laughed.  Then, she yawned.  "Well, maybe not theirs, but certainly mine.  I definitely need some sleep, though that seems odd after having slept for so long."

            "Okay," Kevin said.  "See you all later."  He turned to his brother.  "Good night, bro."

            "Good night, bro," replied Michael.  "Call me whenever you want to do this again, okay?"

            "I sure will, Michael."

            "Good night, Kevin, Lana, Thomas, and Kelly," Antonio said as Kevin, Lana, and their twins left.  He turned to the others.  "Well, it's bed-time, at least for me."

            Everyone agreed.  They were all sleepy, including Michael.  They went to their rooms.

            * * *

            Kevin's Room, Palace of Power, VideoLand, Milky Way Galaxy.

            Kevin finished his nightly shower.  He always enjoyed it.  He also had the replicator clean his clothes each night.  It took no more than five seconds.

            After brushing his teeth, he called his dog.  He did not know whether he was comfortable having Duke back, but Duke was used to having his teeth brushed each night.  Since Duke was a puppy, either Kevin or Michael brushed his teeth, and it sure smelled better that way!

            Duke had his own bed in a comfortable closet that Kevin kept empty, except of course for the pad that was there for him.  The animal was used to this, too.  The dog went straight to this bed without having to be told.

            Kevin, on the other hand, had certain feelings running through his mind that kept him from going to sleep.  Unintentionally, Lana had allowed herself to fall in love with his brother.  He knew she still loved him, but she had similar feelings for Michael.  She had as much as admitted this to save Michael's skin.

            He had short-sleeved and short-legged pyjamas on.  Normally, he wore pyjamas, except for the first six months of his marriage with Lana.  He was expecting no visitors, so he felt perplexed when the door ringer chimed.  "Come in," he said, standing.

            Michael came in, grinning sheepishly.  He was wearing all his clothes except his coat and Power Pad belt.  "Kev, I have nothing!  No pyjamas, no toothpaste. . . nothing."

            "Aw, that's okay."  Kevin went into his bathroom.  He kept extras in the room for whenever he ran out, and he gathered some of these for Michael.  "Do you need to shave yet?"

            Michael shook his head.  "No facial hair has come in yet."

            "All right.  Will you ever want it?"

            "Not on your life, Kev."

            "All right.  Later, I'll show you a way to keep it from ever growing."  He set the stuff on an empty tabletop and went to his dresser.  He removed some shorts and the same number of pairs of socks.  "You look like you're the same size as I am," Kevin said.

            "I think so."

            Kevin asked, "Do you need anything else?  Here's soap, shampoo, dental rinses, toothpaste, toothbrush, deodorant, comb, hairbrush, shorts, and socks.  Oh, pyjamas."  He withdrew a pair of pyjamas from his dresser.  "Would you like a robe?"

            "Sure, please."

            "Okay."  Kevin went to his closet and withdrew a robe.  "If something doesn't fit, come see me.  Don't worry whether I'm asleep, okay?"

            "All right," said Michael.

            "I'll even stick it all in a bag for you."  Kevin turned back to his closet and withdrew a bag, into which he put the items he had gathered for Michael.  He put the shorts, socks, and pyjamas on top.  "You can carry the robe."

            "Yeah.  Thank you very much, brother."  He and Kevin kissed each other on one another's right cheek simultaneously.  He took the bag and the robe.  "Good night, Kevin."

            "Good night, Michael," said Kevin.

            "Oh, where's Duke?"

            Kevin indicated Duke's closet.  Michael looked in and smiled when he saw the dog sleeping.

            "Did you remember to brush his teeth?"

            "Yep," Kevin said.

            "All right.  Well, see you, bro."

            "See you."  Michael left the room.  Kevin sat on his bed.  He sighed.  He had to bring the matter up with his wife, but he was not especially looking forward to it.

            The door-ringer chimed.  He stood up.  "Come in," he said.  The door opened to admit Lana.  "Good evening, dear," he greeted.

            "Hi," said Lana.  "I'm not used to sleeping without you anymore, Kevin."

            "All right, but there's another person in here."

            "Who?"

            "Duke."

            "Oh, yeah.  Kevin, is something wrong?"

            "I'm not sure, Lana.  I know how you feel about my brother."

            "-Sigh.-  Did I hurt you?"

            Kevin was always honest with her.  "I don't think so.  I have to consider that when you said that, MotherBrain was threatening to kill him.  I know you had little choice in making your admission."

            "I also promised that I wouldn't be unfaithful to you.  It was part of the vow I made to you, Kevin, and I will never take it lightly."

            "I'm not worried about that.  I'm worried about how this is going to affect you emotionally.  I love you, and I care about your feelings.  Frankly, that's more important to me than your fidelity."

            "It's okay, Kevin."

            "Is it really?  I don't want you to feel uncomfortable with me."

            "I'm serious, Kevin," she said.

            "I'm just concerned about you," he said quietly.

            Lana put her arms around him.  "I'm fine," she assured him.

            He hugged her and kissed her cheek.  "Lana, I don't feel like making love tonight."  He did not say it sarcastically, slyly, or irritably.  It was a simple statement with his pure honesty fed into it.  He was serious, and Lana knew it.

            "Okay, Kevin."

            "But I feel okay sharing the bed, though, if you'd like."  He lay down on his bed, and she lay down next to him.  "Do you feel comfortable?"

            "Yeah."  Kevin pulled the fresh sheets over them.  Lana asked him, "Do you mind cuddling?"

            Kevin hugged her.  "Of course not," he said quietly.  "Computer, lights at five percent."  The lights dimmed.  "Mind if I put on some music?"

            "Go ahead."

            "Computer, play my default setting of J. S. Bach's 'Air for the G String.' "  The peaceful piece played quietly in the room.  After they had kissed for a few moments, Kevin and Lana went to sleep in each other's arms.

            * * *

            Thomas yawned as he sat on his bed.  Normally, he did not mind waiting while his sister finished her preparations, but he was feeling slightly impatient to take his shower so he could get to sleep.  He did not allow it to affect his mood, but this intensity of the feeling was foreign to him.  He closed his eyes and forced himself to breathe slowly.

            Kelly came from the bathroom.  Thomas saw that she had nothing on, but she put her pyjamas on.  By now, he was hardly affected by seeing a girl naked.  Just a small part of him that he would never allow to take his control away from him.  "Kelly," he said, "I have a confession.  I was feeling impatient."

            "No surprise," Kelly replied.  "We've been awake forever, it seems.  I may be asleep when you've finished in there."

            "I don't mind."  He stood up.  "Good night, Kelly."

            "Good night, Thomas."  She watched as Thomas went into the bathroom, then she lay down in her bed.  It was not long before she was asleep.

            Thomas enjoyed his shower more than usual, so he lingered more than he normally did.  It seemed to help his disposition quite a bit.  He spent some time letting the water run over his body.

            When he had finished showering and drying his body, he took care of his teeth and put a pair of undershorts on.  He quietly exited the bathroom and saw that his sister had fallen asleep.  He took his pyjamas and put them on, then he lay down in his bed.  He quietly commanded, "Computer, dim lights to ten percent."  The lights dimmed, and he was asleep nearly instantly.

            * * *

            Cafeteria, Palace of Power, VideoLand, Milky Way Galaxy, Original Universe.  Stardate 49 756.16; April 2, 1993.

            The group sat at a table that they had put together.  Everyone ate hungrily.  Wilykit and Wilykat found the food quite good, and it was difficult to completely please Thunderian taste, though their tolerance level was quite high.

            Kevin, Michael, and their parents did most of the talking.  Mostly, they were catching up.  The brothers talked excitedly about what had happened over the past year, and Kevin talked very proudly about finally earning his license to drive.  Michael was about to take the tests for his license, too.  The conversation grew in proportion when Perry Mason and Della Street arrived.  They had done their share of good, as well, and they enjoyed chatting with the Keenes.  Ned and Cheryl Keene were somehow feeling an urge to move here, too.  They were computer system programmers in one of the state's largest insurance companies, and though they earned a good living - especially with both boys out of the house right now - they were beginning to feel a little bored right now.  At this point, they could retire and get some benefits.

            The conversion of American money in VideoLand, unfortunately, was mostly one-way.  Though the U.S. dollar equalled the VideoLand pound, the U.S. had little knowledge of VideoLand, and they had no way to determine the equivalence of money for themselves.  However, VideoLand took one dollar for the pound, so dollars were worth more in VideoLand than in the United States, since the pound spread farther in VideoLand than the dollar in the U.S.

            Ned said, "Well, we would really like to be able to move here. . . that is, if VideoLand needs people with computer programming skills."

            "We could use many such people, actually," said Lana.  "Particularly in MegaLand."

            Cheryl sighed.  "The move would be pretty complicated, I think.  We'd have a lot more preparation to do than Kevin and Michael."

            "I can imagine," Kevin said.  "But it is your decision to make."

            Ned said, "It would keep us close to you guys.  However, it would probably be stressful for all of us.  Could we survive here?"

            "Oh, sure," Lana said.  "We prefer more natural food, but we also have replicators here.  They're five hundred pounds each, but that's a one-time cost.  They are very reliable and can be programmed to replicate an item merely by scanning another of the same item."

            "Such as Pepsi," Michael interjected.  "Or computer parts, or basic foods.  Simple survival is no problem at all here because you can easily get what you need to survive."

            "What sort of power consumption do those have?" Ned asked.

            "The Palace is powered by a powerful object called the SunStone," Kevin said.  "That can freely generate all the power needed in the Palace."

            Cheryl asked, "What if we lived elsewhere?"

            "Living in MegaLand would probably be best if you didn't live here," said Kevin.  "They can generate a lot of power inexpensively.  The average power cost for a married couple is about fifty-six pounds a year."

            Cheryl's eyes widened.  "Are you serious?" she asked.

            "Yes," said Kevin.  "And most homes there have computers and replicators."

            "Of course," Michael said, "there's always the danger of Dr. Wily sending out his robots to conquer the land."

            "Well," said Ned, "the villain has already clearly demonstrated his ability to get to our world.  There, we can do nothing to defend ourselves from his technology, but we can learn how to if we come here."

            Steelheart spoke up, "There's also our section of the galaxy.  My homeworld is similar, in the respect of good and inexpensive technology, to the central planet of MegaLand."

            Cheryl said, "Well, I think we'd rather be in MegaLand, where we'd be closer to the Palace."  Steelheart nodded.

            Michael said, "We can take care of ourselves, Mom."

            Cheryl smiled.  "I know.  I just prefer it, that's all.  It's nice spending time with you guys, though we wouldn't want to be in your hair all the time."

            "Well, we'd better see what we can do before we decide officially," said Ned.  "From what I hear, I think MegaLand would be our best bet."

            Kevin nodded.  "The suburbs about thirty miles from the capital of MegaLand are usually available.  That's also in the general vicinity of Dr. Light's lab, so we can keep an eye on you if you'd like."  He smiled.  "I can drive you out there tomorrow just to look around."

            "Just don't run into any fences!" laughed Cheryl.

            Michael moaned.  "Mom, do you have to bring that up?" he complained.  "That was over a year ago now!"

            "Sorry."  Some others had perplexed glances, so she explained, "Michael nearly backed into a fence and scared me to death, but that's the only time he scared me, and he didn't actually collide with the fence.  I think that was just the first or second time he drove with me, though, and those driver's education vehicles don't seem to have manual transmissions anymore."

            Mason said, "Well, I insisted Kevin learn on a stick-shift here."

            "He didn't really need to insist," Kevin supplemented.  "I agreed with him."

            Ned asked, "Are vehicles here like vehicles at home?"

            "Yes," said Kevin, "except that in VideoLand, we drive like the English and the Australians do.  On the other side of the road, you know."

            Ned sighed.  "Something to get used to," he commented.

            "Well, MegaLand has excellent and inexpensive public transportation," said Kevin.  "Monorails go through the suburbs and the cities.  Now, all vehicles are electric, so they aren't harmful to the environment.  The capital of MegaLand, Monsteropolis, has a sky about as clear as that sky in Alaska."

            "That must be wonderful," said Ned.

            "They also have some degree of weather control, though they don't control it completely, especially in the farming regions.  They are very protective of their environment.  The parks are wonderful, except that Duke even tries to go after the robot cats!"  Everyone laughed for a moment.

            "Are robots common there?" Cheryl asked.

            "Ordinary robots are, but humanoid robots are only made by a few people, most notably Dr. Light, Dr. Wily, and Dr. Cossack.  They aren't numerous in MegaLand yet.  Their main purpose is to direct non-humanoid robots."

            "Are there a lot of insects around?" asked Cheryl.

            "Oh, not at all, at least not in the capital area.  It's normally quite pleasant temperature-wise, too.  It doesn't get too hot in the summer or too cold in the winter."

            "Sounds pretty pleasant," said Ned.

            "It is," Michael said.  "You'll see for yourself."

            Everyone finished eating.  They had all gotten generous servings.  "Well," said Cheryl, "I think we'd best go home and get a few things if we're going to stay out here for the next few days."

            "All right," Kevin said.  "We'll find you a suitable room.  What sized bed?"

            "Queen-sized," replied Ned.  Kevin nodded.  His parents were not skinny as poles, but they were not overly large.  Rather, they were the size of healthy adults their age.

            "Well," Lana said, "Kevin and Michael can locate the room.  I'll go open the warp for you guys."

            "What about dessert?" asked Ned devilishly.

            Kevin smiled.  "Of course.  We can go and get dessert before we go do our tasks."  Everyone went to get dessert.

            * * *

            Later, after Ned and Cheryl's accommodations were secure and after they had returned with their personal effects, Kevin, Michael, Wilykit, and Wilykat entered Michael's room and went to the NES.  Michael said, "Now, let's finish MegaMan!"

            "Great idea," said Kevin.

            Michael first put his horn away, which had been left on the bed.  Then, he sat in front of the NES Advantage controller and turned on the television.  Everyone else took seats.

            "Who do you visit now?" asked Wilykit.

            "CutMan," Michael replied.  He entered the CutMan stage and guided MegaMan easily through the level, taking out all the threatening Bladers.  He reached CutMan with little damage, and he smashed the sharp robot with the two blocks in the lair using GutsMan's SuperArm.  He collected the Robot Master's weapon and left.

            "Good going," said Kevin.  "Doin' good, bro!"

            "Thank you, bro," Michael said.  "Do you want to tackle ElecMan?"

            "All right."  Michael stood, and Kevin went to the chair in front of the controller.  Michael sat in the chair Kevin had just occupied.

            Kevin selected ElecMan and beat the heck out of the stage.  He used the RollingCutter somewhat liberally at the beginning, easily wiping out the opposition as he climbed past the Watchers.  When he reached the Magnet Beam adaptor, he used GutsMan's SuperArm to clear the way, and he grabbed the adaptor.  Climbing further, he made it past Big Eye without getting hit, and he climbed up the vertical shaft to ElecMan.  Once there, when he had his play control back, he switched to the RollingCutter and fired at ElecMan.  Then, he hit the Select button as quickly as he could.

            In MegaMan, the Select button froze the game screen.  Ordinarily, an enemy android was invulnerable for a few seconds after being hit, but the Select-button pausing counteracted this.  Thus, a shot that would normally render one hit could render several hits.  Thus, Kevin defeated ElecMan with just one blast.  He gathered the capsule that ElecMan left behind, and the select screen reappeared.

            "Wow," said Wilykat.  "What'd you do, Kevin?"

            "I used the pause-trick," Kevin said, smiling.  "Normally, enemy androids such as ElecMan and the other six here are invincible for a few seconds after being hit.  However, they lose that invincibility once you resume play after hitting the Select button, which serves as a pause button.  Hence, with one shot, I can register several hits to the enemy and defeat them with fewer shots."

            "That's neat," said Wilykit.

            "Yeah," Michael said.  "Unfortunately, that pause feature doesn't exist in any of the later MegaMan games.  Stinks."

            "I see," said Wilykat.  "It seems like a nice feature, though."

            Michael said, "It is.  I guess the programmers decided the pause-trick was cheating."  Kevin and he switched places again.  Then, the door-chimer rang.  "Come in."

            Ned was at the door when it opened.  "Hello, guys," he said.

            "Hi, Dad," Kevin greeted.

            "What's up?"

            "We were showing these guys the Nintendo," Michael said, indicating the Thunder Kittens.

            Ned smiled.  "Another race of Nintendo addicts!" he laughed good-naturedly.  He looked around.  "Just what I expected. . . a nice clean room."

            "Then you may check out mine," said Kevin proudly.  "Don't be too shocked."

            "I will.  Michael, try not to stay up too late playing."

            "Okay," said Michael.  Ned left the room.

            Wilykit asked, "Why didn't he say that to Kevin?"

            "Father knows I'm nineteen," Kevin said.  "I'm an adult, and he and Mother treat me like one now.  They also do their best to treat Michael like one.  I may be his legal guardian in VideoLand now, but they're still his true parents."

            Smiling, Michael sighed.  "Yeah," he said.  "Well, let's get playing again.  I'll go after IceMan."

            Michael and Kevin alternated levels in the same way until the end.  The two used the pause-trick on most of the enemy bosses afterwards, and it was very useful when Kevin defeated Dr. Wily.  The end sequence came on the screen, and MegaMan returned to Dr. Light's lab on foot.

            "We did it again!" Michael said.  He and Kevin gave each other high-fives again.

            Wilykit and Wilykat got up.  "Well, I guess Lion-O and Cheetara would appreciate it if we came back," said Wilykit.

            "Okay," Michael said.  "Good night, guys."

            "Good night," Wilykit replied.  She and Michael kissed each other on the lips.  "See you, Kevin and Michael."  She and her brother left.

            Michael gazed after her dreamily.  He had feelings that were enrapturing him.  He snapped out of his trance when Kevin touched his shoulder.  "You love her," Kevin said quietly but with certainty.

            "I love her," replied Michael almost inaudibly, but Kevin heard it.  "Kevin, what do I do?  I have very wild feelings."

            Ned came in.  He was surprised.  "I just checked Kevin's room."  Jokingly, he asked Kevin, "Who are you, and what have you done with Kevin?"  They all laughed at this.

            "I knew it!" Kevin said.  "Dad, I've got to talk to you for a moment."

            "Okay."

            "I'll go to the bathroom," said Michael.  His brother and father nodded, and he entered the bathroom and closed the door.  He sure wanted to hear, but he did not wish to be intrusive.

            Kevin said, "Dad, he's in love with Wilykit."

            "That's fine by me, Kevin," Ned said calmly.  "I've been told Thunderians are monogamous."

            "But I think he could do something with her any day now!"

            "Is it really like that?"

            "I don't know how I can tell, but I can tell."

            "Commander Steelheart told me that they are Amore Eternamente, and she explained what that was.  Do you know what it is?"

            "We both do.  Wilykit felt that she and Michael might be Amore Eternamente, in fact."

            "Are there any birth prevention devices around?"

            "We have a device called a sperm-blocker.  It neutralises the sperm for forty-eight hours when you use it, and it takes effect in a couple of minutes."

            "Any STD protection?"

            "All of those can be cured, including those that are untreatable on our planet, if someone has it.  Including AIDS.  Everyone, however, is vaccinated against those, including my brother and me."

            "Oh, good.  Have you and Lana extended your relationship any?"

            "We had a pretty great kiss, which happened to be our first, this afternoon.  Before anything else could happen, though, MotherBrain appeared as a hologram and completely spoiled it."

            "I see.  Do you think you might marry Lana at some point in the future?"

            "I truly believe so.  We love each other, though we aren't engaged yet."

            "Well, that MotherBrain's a rat and a half for spoiling your mood."

            Kevin shrugged.  "We'll have another," he said optimistically.  Michael came out of the bathroom.

            "Have you finished?" asked Michael.

            "Yes," Kevin said.

            "Guys," said Ned, "your mom may kill me for telling you this, but it wouldn't be right to keep it from you."  He paused.  "You will soon have a baby sister."

            Slowly and at the same time and speed, Kevin and Michael's serious expressions turned to smiles.  "That's great," Kevin said.

            "Yeah," agreed Michael.

            Ned sighed.  Their reactions were most welcome.  "Thanks for not getting upset," Ned said.  "Getting upset was probably what I expected you to do."

            "Us?  No," Michael said.  "I'm only curious as to why."

            "We wanted it," said Ned.  "I'm not really sure why.  We just. . . wanted another kid to raise, I guess."

            "Well," Kevin said, "the Keene Brothers Babysitting Service is here!"  All three of them laughed lightly.  "Why don't you take Mom to Quicksilver?  He can determine quite a bit about the child's genetic structure.  He can also repair any harmful genetic abnormalities."

            Ned nodded.  He and Cheryl wanted another healthy child.  "Okay," he agreed.  "Good night, guys."

            "Good night," said Michael.  "Kiss Mom for us, Dad."

            "I will.  See you in the morning."  Ned left.

            Kevin and his brother gazed into one another's eyes for a few moments.  "You know. . . what your body wants to do with Wilykit, don't you?"

            "Yes," Michael replied.  "Don't worry about me, Kevin.  I remember the talk we had just after I came to VideoLand.  Of course, at that time, I thought it was thoroughly useless, but not now."

            "All right.  At least you paid attention."

            "I will do nothing stupid, brother.  I'll be careful if I do anything of that nature with her."

            "Good, Michael.  Well, bro, it was fun blowing Wily's robots away again."

            Michael smiled jovially.  "Yeah.  In the video game and in person!"

            "Ha, ha!  Yes.  Good night."

            "Good night, Kevin."  Kevin left the room.  Michael then prepared for bed.