The Twins Theorem

It has been eighty years since the global epidemic, and since then a new law has been in effect: each family must have only one "main" child. Children born after the firstborn become "reserve" children and are sent to nurseries-accumulators, and after graduating from there, they must begin working according to assignments. Attachment to family members is not encouraged, and a person's value as a member of society must be proven throughout their life…

Nika and Lika are twins, and on the day they were born, their mother had to make a choice. Nika stayed in the family, while Lika went to the accumulator. Nika has to prove that she loves music and drawing, learn ethical theorems, and behave well. Lika owes no one anything—after discovering that she has been "excluded," the only thing that matters to her is: why her and not Nika? They are identical! This question torments both twins, and through years and kilometers, they reach out to each other—to solve the most important question in life, to prove or disprove the theorem.

A new dystopia by Lyubava Gornitskaya—about the nature of love and justice and how children solve ethical problems better than adults.

Illustrations by Anastasia Mordasheva