Chapter 27: The mirror

Thomas sat down in his room, feeling a heavy weight on his chest. He still remembered his assistant's last smile, right before the AK07 beings attacked and killed him. He had been a loyal and brilliant partner, always ready to help Thomas with his research and experiments. They had been working on a way to stop the AK07 invasion.

Thomas had hoped to find a weakness in their armor, their weapons, or their biology. But nothing seemed to work. The AK07 beings were immune to bullets, bombs, lasers, and even nuclear weapons. They had no visible organs or vital spots. They communicated through telepathy and moved with incredible speed and agility. They seemed unstoppable.

Thomas felt hopeless and guilty. He blamed himself for his assistant's death. He wished he could have done something to save him, or at least to honor his memory. But he had no idea how to fight back against the AK07 beings. He felt like giving up.

As he sat in his room, a light was hitting his eyes. He looked up and saw that it was a mirror on the wall, reflecting the sunlight through the window. He turned his chair and sat on the other side, away from the light. He laid his head on the desk, feeling tired and depressed. He closed his eyes and tried to sleep.

As he drifted into a dream, he saw his assistant again. He was standing in front of him, smiling as usual. He looked alive and well, as if nothing had happened. He wore his white lab coat and his glasses. He held a clipboard in his hand.

He woke Thomas up and said that he had survived the attack. He said that he had found a way to defeat the AK07 beings. He said that the key was their weapons.

Thomas asked him what he meant. His assistant explained that the AK07 beings used a type of energy beam that could penetrate any material and cause massive damage. But the beam also had a flaw: it could be reflected by mirrors.

He showed Thomas a diagram on his clipboard. It was a sketch of an AK07 being firing its beam at a mirror. The beam bounced back at the alien, hitting it in the chest.

Thomas was confused. He asked how that could help them. His assistant said that they could use mirrors to redirect the beams back at the AK07 beings, causing them to damage themselves. He said that they could set up a trap with large mirrors around the AK07 base, and wait for them to fire.

He showed Thomas another diagram on his clipboard. It was a sketch of a circular arrangement of mirrors around the base, forming a ring of reflection.

Thomas was skeptical. He asked what if they noticed the mirrors and stopped firing. His assistant said that they had a solution for that too: switchable glass.

He showed Thomas yet another diagram on his clipboard. It was a sketch of a switchable glass panel covering a mirror.

He said that switchable glass was a type of glass that could change from transparent to reflective with an electric current. He said that it was made of two layers of glass with a thin layer of liquid crystals in between. He said that when the current was off, the crystals were randomly aligned and let light pass through. But when the current was on, the crystals aligned themselves and reflected light like a mirror.

He showed Thomas how it worked by pressing a button on his clipboard. The switchable glass panel changed from clear to shiny.

He said that they could cover the mirrors with switchable glass, and make them look like normal windows. Then, when the AK07 beings fired their beams, they could switch the glass to reflective mode, and create a mirror maze around them.

He showed Thomas one last diagram on his clipboard. It was a sketch of an AK07 being trapped inside a mirror maze, surrounded by its own beams.

Thomas was amazed. He asked how they could get enough switchable glass and mirrors for such a plan. His assistant said that they had already gathered enough materials from nearby buildings and warehouses. He said that they had a team of volunteers ready to set up the trap.

He urged Thomas to come with him and see for himself. He grabbed his hand and pulled him out of the chair.

Thomas felt a rush of adrenaline as he followed his assistant out of his room. He felt hopeful and excited for the first time in months.

He woke up with a start. He realized it was all a dream. But he also realized that it was more than that: it was a message.

He recalled what his assistant had said in his dream: their weapons were their weakness; mirrors could reflect their beams; switchable glass could disguise the mirrors.

He wondered if it was possible. If it was true. If it was a way to win.

He decided to find out.

He jumped out of his chair and ran out of his room. He called everyone who was working in the facility. He told them about his dream and his idea.

He hoped it was not too late.

Thomas looked around the room and saw the faces of the people who had gathered to hear his plan. He knew it was a risky and desperate move, but he also knew it was their only chance to stop the AK07 beings from destroying the Earth. He cleared his throat and began to speak.

"Thank you all for coming. I know you are all busy and have a lot of questions, but I need you to listen carefully to what I have to say. We have a way to defeat the AK07 beings, but we need to act fast and work together."

He paused and glanced at the President of NASA, who nodded encouragingly. Thomas continued.

"As you know, the AK07 beings have a powerful weapon that can vaporize anything in its path. It is a beam of pure energy that they shoot from their guns. We have tried everything to stop it, but nothing works. Bullets, missiles, lasers, nothing can penetrate their shields or deflect their beams."

He took out a small mirror from his pocket and held it up.

"Except this. A mirror. This is their only weakness. Their beams cannot go through a mirror, they bounce back and hit them instead. This is how we can defeat them. We can use mirrors to reflect their beams back at them and destroy them."

He saw some skeptical looks and heard some murmurs of disbelief. He expected that. He went on.

"I know it sounds crazy, but hear me out. We have a window of opportunity right now. It is night time, and the AK07 beings are resting in their base. They are not expecting an attack. We can use this time to plant mirrors around them without them noticing. Then we wait for the Sun to rise and for them to attack us. When they do, we activate the mirrors and turn their weapons against them."

He looked around again and saw some curiosity and interest mixed with doubt and fear. He knew he had to convince them.

"I know you have doubts. I know you think this is too simple, too risky, too crazy. But trust me, it will work. I have done the calculations, I have tested the mirrors, I have studied their patterns. This is our best shot. This is our only shot."

As he lied, he took a deep breath and said with conviction.

"We can do this. We can save the Earth. We can end this war."

He finished his speech and waited for a response. There was silence for a few moments, then a loud voice broke it.

"That's the most ridiculous plan I've ever heard!"

It was the General, the leader of the military forces. He stood up and pointed at Thomas angrily.

"You expect us to believe that a bunch of mirrors can stop those monsters? You expect us to risk our lives on a flimsy hope? You expect us to follow your orders when you are not even one of us? You are just a scientist, a civilian, nobody!"

He turned to the President of NASA and said with contempt.

"And you! How can you support this madness? How can you put your faith in this kid? How can you betray your duty and your country?"

He looked around the room and said loudly.

"Who's with me? Who's against this plan? Who's ready to fight for our planet with real weapons, not toys?"

He waited for an answer, but none came. Instead, another voice spoke up.

"I'm with him."

It was the President of NASA himself. He stood up and faced the General calmly.

"I'm with Thomas. I believe in his plan. I trust his judgment. And I respect his courage."

He looked around the room and said firmly.

"He is not a nobody. He is a hero. He is the one who discovered the AK07 beings. He is the one who came up with this plan. He is the one who volunteered to lead this mission."

He turned to Thomas and said with gratitude.

"Thank you, Thomas. Thank you for your service. Thank you for your sacrifice."

He turned back to the General and said with authority.

"And as for my duty and my country, I am doing what I think is best for both of them. I am doing what I think is best for humanity."

He looked at everyone in the room and said with conviction.

"This is our chance to end this nightmare once and for all. This is our chance to save our world from annihilation. This is our chance to make history."

He paused and said with determination.

"I'm going with Thomas. Who's coming with me?"

There was silence again, then slowly, one by one, people started to stand up and join him.

Thomas felt a surge of emotion as he saw the support he was getting. He smiled and nodded at the President of NASA, who smiled back.

They had done it. They had convinced them. They had a team.

They had a plan.

Thomas had a clear vision of what he wanted to accomplish. He had spent hours studying the satellite images of the AK07 base and the surrounding terrain. He had identified the best spots to place the switchable mirrors that would reflect the sunlight and blind the enemy. He had also calculated the optimal time to activate them, just as the Sun rose over the horizon.

He was not alone in this mission. He had assembled a team of elite stealth ninjas, trained in covert operations and infiltration. They were equipped with advanced camouflage suits, silent weapons and communication devices.

One hour before the operation, they boarded a large truck that carried the mirrors in a hidden compartment. They reached a safe distance from the base and parked the truck in a secluded spot. They unloaded the mirrors and carried them on their backs. They moved swiftly and silently, using the cover of darkness and the terrain features.

The AK07 base was a gruesome sight. It was a large open field littered with corpses of soldiers and vehicles. The AK07 beings were resting among the dead, their metallic bodies gleaming in the moonlight.

Thomas and his team avoided any contact with the enemy. They reached their designated locations and planted the mirrors on sturdy poles. They angled them carefully. They activated a remote control that would switch them on at the right moment. Then they retreated to a safe distance and waited.

Thomas looked at his tablet again, which showed him a countdown timer. He also looked at his remote control, which had a big red button on it. He knew that once he pressed it, he would activate the mirror. He hoped for his plan to work. He hoped that he would save the world from this alien menace.

He also knew that his plan was risky, that he could fail or make things worse. He knew that he could endanger his team or himself. He knew that he could die.

But he was willing to take that chance.

They watched as the sky began to lighten up. The Sun appeared as a bright orange ball on the horizon. He looked at his team members, who nodded at him in silent agreement. They were all brave heroes, ready to face their destiny.

He looked at his watch, which showed him 5:59 AM.

He took a deep breath.