Finally Professor Manion broke the silence with, "What is the date?"

Professor Hinkley answered his clone, "December 15."

Gilligan added, with childlike demeanor, "Ten days till Christmas!"

Skipper, still staring at the two professors, automatically scolded hoarsely, "Quiet, Gilligan!" but there was absolutely no malice in his voice.

Manion followed up with, "What year?"

Hinkley responded, puzzled, "1966, of course."

December 15, 1966! That's the day I left the lab, I didn't travel in time! Manion thought a little disappointedly. At least I invented a working teleportation device… but that doesn't explain my double…

The shock started wearing off of Manion and the castaways. When the color started returning to people's faces, Manion asked another question, "Where am I?"

Gilligan answered, "We're shipwrecked on a deserted island. How did you get here?"

Manion lied, "I was taking a cruise, fell overboard, and the next thing I knew I was sunbathing on the other side of the island drying in the sun."

Introductions were made all around. Manion learned his counterpart was also a Professor, albeit at a prep school. The newly arrived Professor did think it odd somebody with Roy Hinkley Junior's credentials was teaching at the high school level, but kept it to himself. The crew of the ill-fated SS Minnow was Navy buddies Captain Jonas Grumby (who preferred to be called Skipper) and Seaman Gilligan (one name was only given). He also learned that three of the castaways were celebrities of sorts, B-list actress Ginger Grant, and industrialist Thurston Howell and socialite Eunice Wentworth Howell. Last but not least was the lovely Mary Ann Summers from Kansas.

Gilligan was the first to state the obvious, "You and the Professor could be twins!"

The Professor replied, "Now Gilligan, Professor Manion has also earned the title of Professor. And we learned about doubles here on the island several times. Remember, Gilligan, we met your double, as well as Ginger's and Mr. Howell's."

"Oh, don't remind me," said Mr. Howell.

"That's right, everybody has a double out there," added the Skipper.

Manion was now astounded, "Just call me George," was all he could get out while he was trying to wrap his mind around the probability of four out of seven people isolated from society running into their exact doubles.

Mrs. Howell, ever the hostess, said, "Welcome, George, please join us for dinner."

"Thank, you, it smells delicious," Manion replied.

"So, George, what are you a Professor of?" asked Ginger.

Manion answered, "Theoretical physics."

Professor Hinkley added, "Fascinating field. I've done some coursework in at SMU."

Manion added, "My father was an engineer, and my mother was a schoolteacher. It only seemed logical that their progeny would be a physics professor."

That earned a laugh from the group.

Skipper looked thoughtful for a moment, then said, "I served in the Pacific with a crazy engineering officer named Maniac Manion. Not much for Navy regs, but he could do things with those engines that nobody else could dream of. He probably would have been a commander, but his attitude kept him as a lieutenant j.g. most of the war."

Manion laughed, "That's my dad, at the time I was mortified. Here I was, 14 years old, and my 38 year old father was a lowly lieutenant j.g. with an engineering degree from cal tech. Dad just retired from McDonnell Douglass in LA."

Professor Hinkley commiserated, "I suppose I became a professor because both of my parents were schoolteachers. I'm sure that also has a lot to do with my interest in teaching prep. school instead of university. Dad taught high school science, and mom taught junior high social studies before they were married, and while dad was at war. Like you, George, I had a father who was a slightly older service member, my dad was a meteorologist with the air corps."

Something Manion said hit Hinkley. The castaway Professor added, "George, when were you born?"

"November 10, 1929," was Manion's reply. That earned a gasp from the group.

Ginger said, "Professor, that's your birthday. Maybe Gilligan was right, you could be twins."

That evening, the castaways retired to their huts. The two professors bunked together in the supply hut. Manion figured it would give him a chance to talk to the only other scientist on the island. One who quite possibly be a brother that his mother had never told him about.

When Ginger and Mary Ann were in their hut, they had a little conversation of their own.

Ginger asked, "So, which one do you want?"

Mary Ann sleepily said, "Which what, Ginger?"

"You know," Ginger taunted, "which Professor?"

Mary Ann looked shocked, "Ginger!"

Ginger retorted, exasperated, "Oh, Mary Ann, we both have been chasing the Professor for over two years. Now there's one for each of us," then Ginger decided to goad Mary Ann some more, "However, if your not interested, I could think of interesting things I could do with two Professors…."

Mary Ann just made a disgusted grunt and went to sleep.

While Ginger was teasing Mary Ann, the two Professors compared notes.

Hinkley started with, "You really didn't fall off of a boat did you."

Manion decided to come clean, "No, I have been working on a time travel device. I first used it in 1960. I successfully transported a man back from 1880. Unfortunately, he was an outlaw. He almost killed me. Actually, the doctors said he succeeded, as I was clinically dead for several minutes, followed by a five year coma. I later found the outlaw was killed by an escaped murderer who I suspect used the machine to escape into the past. I decided to try the machine out earlier today, and instead of traveling through time, I found myself on your most unusual island."

"Fascinating," Replied the Professor, "And you are right, unusual things happen on this island. I find it hard to believe we are twins, but tell me about your mother."

Manion smiled, "Her name is Gertrude Russell Manion. She taught 7th grade history in the Los Angeles area from 1926-1928 and from 1942-46."

Hinkley quietly said, "My mother's name is Gertrude Russell Hinkley. She taught 7th grade history in the Los Angeles area from 1926-1928 and started teaching again in 1942. She was still teaching as of September 1964."

Manion thought a moment, then theorized, "The only way this is possible is if I somehow made it into another dimension, or time stream, where my mother married Roy Hinkley instead of John 'Maniac' Manion."

Hinkley, being equally as intelligent, caught on quick, "You're not my brother, or a double, you're me!"