Chapter 12 : The first Trail of VR25

Thomas felt a knot in his stomach as he glanced at the calendar. Only 34 days left until the invasion. The countdown was relentless, and he had to act fast. He had spent countless hours devising a plan to build a device that could reverse the Nexusgate and close the portal to the parallel universe. The Vortex Reactor 25, or VR25 for short. It was a complex and risky machine, but it was the only hope for Earth's survival.

He gathered his team in his laboratory, where he had prepared two files containing the blueprints and instructions for VR25. He divided his team into two groups: Team A and Team B. He assigned Team A to work on the top part of VR25, which was responsible for generating and directing the energy beam that would disrupt the portal. He assigned Team B to work on the bottom part of VR25, which was responsible for creating and stabilizing the vortex that would reverse the Nexusgate.

He handed each team their respective file and addressed them with a serious tone.

"Listen up, everyone. This is it. This is our last chance to save our planet from a hostile takeover. I know this is a lot to ask, but we have to build this machine in three days. Yes, you heard me right. Three days. I know it sounds impossible, but we have to try. We have no other option."

He paused, looking each of his team members in the eye.

"I trust you all. You are the best in your fields, and you have proven yourselves time and time again. This is not just about us. This is about our families, our friends, our world. We have to do this for them."

He took a deep breath and continued.

"I've given you everything you need to build your part of the VR25. Follow the instructions carefully and don't cut any corners. If you have any questions or doubts, don't hesitate to ask me or my assistant. We'll be here to help you in any way we can."

He looked at his watch and said.

"We don't have much time left. Let's get to work."

He watched as his team dispersed, each carrying their file and heading to their designated workstations. He felt a surge of pride and gratitude for their dedication and loyalty. He knew they were facing a monumental challenge, but he also knew they had what it took to overcome it.

Thomas and his team worked tirelessly to build the VR25, knowing that they had only three days to complete the project. The VR25 was a massive machine, ten times bigger than the Nexusgate that Thomas had built before. It was designed to generate a powerful vortex that would reverse the Nexusgate and close the portal to the parallel universe. It was a complex and risky machine, but it was the only hope for Earth's survival.

The first day was dedicated to building the basic framework for the VR25, which consisted of a large metal cylinder with a cone-shaped top. The cylinder was made of titanium, a strong and lightweight metal that could withstand high temperatures and pressures. The cone-shaped top was made of carbon fiber, a material that was flexible and durable. The framework also had several holes and sockets where the tubes would be attached later. The tubes were thick and heavy, requiring several people to lift and move them. They were made of copper, a metal that had high electrical and thermal conductivity. The tubes would connect the different parts of the machine and allow the flow of energy and liquid nitrogen.

The second day was spent on assembling the tubes and connecting them to the framework. They had to be careful and precise, as any mistake could cause a malfunction or an explosion. They also had to wear protective gear, as the tubes could get extremely hot or cold depending on the type of energy or liquid they carried. The tubes carried two types of energy: plasma and laser. Plasma was a state of matter that consisted of ionized gas. It was used to create the energy beam that would disrupt the portal. Laser was a type of light that had high intensity and coherence. It was used to direct and focus the energy beam. The tubes also carried liquid nitrogen, a substance that had a very low boiling point. It was used to cool down the machine and prevent it from overheating. It was also used to create the vortex by spinning a tub of liquid nitrogen.

The third day was devoted to connecting all the circuits and wires that would control and monitor the machine. They also connected the large tubes to the huge containers of liquid nitrogen that would cool down the machine and prevent it from overheating. They checked the flow of liquid nitrogen so that it could create a vapor vortex around the portal. They checked and double-checked every connection and component, making sure that everything was in order.

As they finished their work, Thomas looked at his team with pride and gratitude. They had done an amazing job, working together as a cohesive unit. He knew he couldn't have done it without them.

He gathered them around and said.

"Thank you all for your hard work and dedication. You have done an incredible job in building this machine in such a short time. I'm proud of you all."

His team smiled and nodded, feeling a sense of accomplishment and camaraderie.

Thomas continued.

"We're almost there. We just need to test the machine and make sure it works as intended. Then we can activate it and close the portal to the parallel universe. We can save our planet from invasion."

Thomas felt a rush of adrenaline as he and his team stood in front of the control panel, ready to test the VR25. This was the moment they had been working towards for days, the culmination of their efforts to reverse the Nexusgate and close the portal to the parallel universe. Thomas knew that this was a risky and unprecedented experiment, but he also believed that it was their only chance to save Earth from the impending invasion.

He looked at his team and saw a mix of emotions on their faces: excitement, nervousness, anticipation, fear. He gave them a reassuring smile and said,

"Alright, everyone. This is it. We're about to make history. Are you ready?"

His team nodded, some more confidently than others. They had been through a lot together, and they trusted Thomas's leadership and vision.

Thomas turned his attention to the VR25, the device that he had designed and built with his team. It was a modified version of the Nexusgate, but with a crucial difference: instead of opening a portal to another universe, it would close one. Thomas had discovered that by reversing the polarity of the energy beam and creating a vortex reactor inside the machine, he could create a negative feedback loop that would suck the energy out of the portal and collapse it.

He took a deep breath and pressed a button.

The VR25 came alive, emitting a loud hum as it powered up. Thomas watched in awe as a bright beam of energy shot out from the cone-shaped top of the machine, hitting a spot in the air. He waited for a few seconds, then pressed another button.

The vortex reactor kicked in, creating a swirling vortex inside the bottom of the VR25. The vortex began to draw energy , gradually weakening it.

Thomas felt a surge of excitement as he saw his plan working. He looked at his team and said.

"We did it! We reversed the Nexusgate! We are closing the portal!"

His team cheered and clapped, feeling a wave of relief and joy. They had done the impossible: they had found a way to stop the alien invasion.

But their celebration was short-lived.

Suddenly, there was a loud bang and sparks flew everywhere. The VR25 shook violently and then fell to the ground with a thud. Smoke began to fill the room, obscuring their vision.

Thomas's heart sank as he realized that something had gone terribly wrong. He tried to restart the machine, but it was no use.

He looked at his team in horror and said.

"What happened? What went wrong?"

His team looked at him with confusion and fear. They had no idea what had caused the machine to malfunction.

Thomas felt a surge of doubt as he examined the VR25, looking for any signs of what had caused it to fail. He had checked everything before starting the machine, and everything had seemed fine. He couldn't understand what had gone wrong. He turned to his team and said.

"I'm sorry, everyone. I don't know what happened. I thought I had everything under control. I thought I had a foolproof plan. But I was wrong. It's my fault that we failed. I let you all down."

His team looked at him with sympathy and concern. They knew how much this project meant to him, and how hard he had worked on it. They didn't blame him for the failure, but they also didn't know how to comfort him.

One of his teammates said.

"Thomas, don't be so hard on yourself. You did your best. You're not the only one responsible for this. Maybe there was something we missed, or something we couldn't predict. Maybe it was just bad luck."

Another teammate said.

"Or maybe someone sabotaged us. Maybe someone doesn't want us to close the portal. Maybe someone is working with the aliens."

Thomas shook his head in disbelief. He didn't want to believe that there was a traitor among them, or that someone would deliberately endanger Earth.

He said, "No, that can't be it. We're all in this together. We all want to save our planet. There has to be another explanation."

But as he spoke, he felt a nagging suspicion in his mind. What if his teammate was right? What if someone had tampered with the VR25? What if someone had betrayed them?

He pushed the thought aside and tried to focus on finding a solution.

He said, "Whatever the reason, we can't give up now. We have to find another way to close the portal. We have to try again."

But before he could finish his sentence, he was interrupted by a loud alarm.

Smoke billowed from the VR25, filling the room with a thick haze. Thomas felt his lungs burn as he inhaled the acrid air, and he began to cough uncontrollably. He felt a wave of fear wash over him, wondering if he had triggered a fire or an explosion.

He recalled the first time he had activated the Nexusgate, and how he had found himself on a different planet. He wondered if he had somehow repeated the same feat, despite the failure of his machine.

He felt a spark of excitement, tinged with apprehension and curiosity. He dashed to the door and flung it open, hoping to catch a glimpse of a new world.

But his hopes were crushed as he saw the familiar sight of Earth, unscathed and unchanged.

He felt a stab of disappointment and frustration as he realized that his machine had failed again.

He flung the file containing his research on the ground and stormed out of the room, feeling crushed and hopeless.

His assistant followed him with a heavy heart, thinking that he shared the blame for what had happened. He entered Thomas's room and saw him slumped in his chair, looking like he had lost everything. His assistant approached him and tried to cheer him up with all that they had accomplished so far. He said.

"Thomas, please don't give up. You've done amazing things. You were the first one to discover the parallel universe and travel there. You were the one who built the Nexusgate and the VR25. You were the one who inspired us all to join you in this mission. You have achieved more than anyone else in this field, and you have the support of the whole world behind you. It's normal to face setbacks and failures, but it's not normal to stop trying, no matter what."

Thomas felt a glimmer of hope and pride in his chest. He realized that he had not wasted his life or his talents, but rather had made a positive impact on the world and on others. He looked at his assistant and said,

"Thank you for saying that. Thank you for being here with me. I'm sorry I let you down."

His assistant smiled and said,

"You didn't let me down, Thomas. You lifted me up. And I'm not going anywhere. We're in this together, remember?"

Thomas nodded, feeling a renewed sense of determination and purpose. He knew that he still had a lot to do, and a lot to learn, but he also knew that he was not alone. He had his team, his friends, and his supporters by his side.