Chapter 11: Vortex Reactor 25

Thomas and his assistant felt a surge of panic as they looked at the calendar. The invasion was drawing near, and they had only 35 days left to stop it. They knew that their only hope was to turn the Nexusgate, the machine that had brought them into this nightmare, into a weapon against the invaders. They hoped that by reversing the function of the machine, they could create a portal that would suck in the enemy's energy and neutralize it. They grabbed a paper and a pen and began to sketch out their plan.

"Okay, so we need to change the top part of the Nexusgate," Thomas said, drawing a cone-shaped structure. "This part was supposed to generate and blast energy to create a portal, right? But what if we make it do the opposite? What if we make it receive and absorb energy, creating a powerful vacuum that would draw in the enemy's portal?"

"That sounds like a good idea," his assistant said, nodding. "But how do we do that?"

"Well, I think we can use the same icosahedron box that I invented, but with some modifications," Thomas said, drawing a 20-sided shape. "This box can hold a lot of energy and make it denser. But what if we attach 20 small tubes to each face of the box, creating a network of suction points that would capture the energy from the enemy's portal? And then we install two large tubes on opposite sides of the box, which would serve as exhaust vents for the excess heat and gas produced by the absorption process."

"That sounds plausible," his assistant said, impressed by Thomas's ingenuity. "But what about the bottom part of the Nexusgate? The part that creates and compresses energy?"

"We need to change that too," Thomas said, drawing a cylinder with pipes attached to it. "We need to make it act as a cooler and neutralizer of energy, preventing it from causing any damage or harm. We can use liquid nitrogen as a coolant, which would flow through six pipes on the side of the cylinder. The liquid nitrogen would swirl around inside the cylinder, creating a vortex that would evaporate as it comes into contact with the absorbed energy. The evaporated nitrogen would then be released through two other pipes, creating a jet stream that would propel the Nexusgate forward."

"That sounds amazing," his assistant said, admiring Thomas's sketch. "But do you think we can pull this off? It seems like a lot of work."

"It is a lot of work," Thomas admitted. "But we have no choice. We have to use our own invention against our enemies, and hope that it works."

They hoped that by using this modified Nexusgate, they could counteract the enemy's portal and prevent them from invading Earth. They knew that it was a risky idea, but they had no other choice. They had to use their own invention against their foes, and hope that it would work.

Thomas had completed the basic planning for the reversed Nexusgate, the machine that he hoped would save Earth from the impending invasion. He had sketched out the design and the function of the machine, which would act as a vacuum that would absorb and neutralize the enemy's energy. He had also calculated the amount of power and materials he would need to build the machine, which was no small feat. He was proud of his work, but he also knew that he couldn't do it alone. He needed the help of his assistant, who had been with him throughout this ordeal.

He turned to his assistant, who was sitting at a nearby desk, typing away on his laptop. He cleared his throat and said, "Hey, I need to talk to you about something."

His assistant looked up from his screen and smiled. "Sure, what is it?"

Thomas gestured to his sketch and said, "I've finished the plan for the reversed Nexusgate. I think it's our best chance to stop the invasion."

His assistant's eyes widened as he got up from his seat and walked over to Thomas. He examined the sketch and said, "Wow, this is amazing. You've really outdone yourself this time."

Thomas smiled modestly and said, "Thanks, but I couldn't have done it without you. You've been a great help and support to me."

His assistant blushed and said, "Oh, come on, you're too kind. I'm just doing my job."

Thomas shook his head and said, "No, you're more than that. You're my friend. And that's why I need to ask you a favor."

His assistant looked curious and said, "Sure, anything. What do you need?"

Thomas took a deep breath and said, "I need you to name this machine."

His assistant blinked in surprise and said, "Me? Name it? Why me?"

Thomas shrugged and said, "Well, you're good with words. And I think you deserve some recognition for your contribution to this project. Besides, I'm terrible at naming things."

"Remember when I named my cat Fluffy?" Thomas said sarcastically.

His assistant chuckled and said, "Yeah, that was pretty original."

Thomas smiled and said, "So, what do you say? Will you name it?"

His assistant hesitated for a moment, feeling nervous and honored at the same time. He looked at Thomas and saw the sincerity and trust in his eyes. He nodded and said, "Okay, I'll do it. But don't expect anything too fancy."

Thomas grinned and said, "I'm sure whatever you come up with will be perfect."

His assistant smiled back and said, "Thanks for your confidence in me. Let me think about it for a while."

He walked back to his desk and sat down. He stared at the sketch of the reversed Nexusgate and tried to think of a suitable name for it. He wanted something that would capture its function and design, as well as its significance for Earth's survival.

He thought about the machine's top part, which was shaped like a cone with two antenna-like structures on its tip. This part was supposed to receive and absorb energy from the enemy's portal, creating a powerful vacuum that would draw it in. He thought about the word vacuum and how it sounded like a verb as well as a noun. He liked the idea of using it as a verb, implying action and movement.

He then thought about the machine's bottom part, which was shaped like a cylinder with pipes attached to it. This part was supposed to cool and neutralize energy from the enemy's portal, preventing it from causing any harm or damage. He thought about how this part created a vortex of liquid nitrogen inside the cylinder that evaporated as it came into contact with the absorbed energy. He liked the word vortex and how it sounded like a noun as well as an adjective. He liked the idea of using it as an adjective, implying power and intensity.

He then thought about how these two parts worked together to create a reaction that could counteract the enemy's attack. He thought about how this reaction was crucial for Earth's defense and survival. He liked the word reactor and how it sounded like a noun as well as an agent. He liked the idea of using it as an agent, implying purpose and agency.

He then thought about how this machine was unique and different from any other machine ever created by humans. He thought about how this machine was Thomas's invention and how he had put his heart and soul into it. He wanted to honor Thomas's genius and creativity by giving the machine a distinctive name.

He noticed that the machine had 20 faces on its top, matching the shape of the icosahedron box that Thomas had created. He realized that this number was important for how the machine worked and looked. He decided to use this number in the name somehow. He also observed that the image had six sides, but one of them was a cone, so it was actually five sides. He added up the 20 faces and the five sides and got 25, which he appended to the end of the name.

He then thought about how this machine was not just a machine but also a symbol of hope for humanity. He thought about how this machine represented the human spirit of resilience and innovation, and how it could inspire others to fight for their planet. He wanted to give the machine a name that would convey this message of hope and courage.

He then thought about all these aspects of the machine, and tried to find a name that would capture them all. He wanted a name that would be simple yet meaningful, catchy yet profound, memorable yet original. He wanted a name that would do justice to the machine and its creator.

He then looked at his sketch again, and noticed something that he had overlooked before. He saw that the top part of the machine, the cone-shaped structure with the antenna-like structures on its tip, resembled the letter V. He also saw that the bottom part of the machine, the cylinder with pipes attached to it, resembled the letter R. He then realized that these two letters could form an acronym for the words he had chosen: Vortex Reactor.

He then smiled as he found the perfect name for the machine: Vortex Reactor 25 simply as VR25.

He wrote down the name on his paper, feeling satisfied with his choice. He then walked over to Thomas, who was busy working on his laptop. He tapped him on the shoulder and said, "Hey, I've got something for you."

Thomas looked up from his screen and said, "What is it?"

His assistant handed him the paper and said, "I've named your machine. I hope you like it."

Thomas took the paper and read the name. His eyes widened as he realized what it meant. He looked at his assistant with gratitude and admiration and said, "This is perfect. Thank you so much."

His assistant smiled and said, "You're welcome. I'm glad you like it."

They turned their attention back to their sketch, ready to turn their plan into reality. They knew that they had to act fast to save Earth from the invasion. They knew that they had to use VR25, their weapon of hope, against their enemies.

They knew that they had to make history.