Dark World

Chapter 16 - Disclosure

Pacifica and Summer sat back and watched while Dipper studiously took notes as Stanford Pines and Rick Sanchez debated the practicality and thermodynamics of fusion. Ford said, "Inertial confinement fusion is doable but not practical by modern standards for our dimension. It uses a gigawatt neodymium glass laser to confine the electrons sufficiently to destabilize the fundamental atomic strong and weak forces. Such feats with a lase require a powerplant to jumpstart and by no means are portable. The only viable portable solution we currently have is the Ulam-Teller design which essentially uses a smaller nuke to compress the hydrogen-infused lithium deuterate core sufficiently to achieve inertial confinement fusion. The only application for that is for the Hydrogen Bomb, so it's not really practical as a source of sustainable energy."

Dipper scribbled furiously while the girls smirked. Pacifica whispered to Summer. "He's so cute when he furrows his eyebrows in concentration like that."  Summer giggled. "Yeah, the way he's completely clueless somehow just makes him more attractive." Pacifica giggled now too.

Rick nodded continuing his conversation ignoring the quiet giggling girls. "I used to wonder about all that stuff too. Now, whenever I need massive amounts of power I just use a portal gun to open up a portal inside a star. Naturally, you don't want to be anywhere near it when it is opened, but then again you using it to jumpstart a nuclear fusion engine. Building an engine that could contain it was a B. Not gonna lie. Finding materials strong enough to withstand the fusion process was hard, but other civilizations have had breakthroughs in that area so I just 'borrowed' their superior alloys." Dipper pipped in. "How does the engine work?" Both Ford and Dipper paid very close attention as Ford began to elaborate on the mechanics and specifics of a Nuclear fusion-based supersonic combustible ramjet. Dipper scribbled furiously while Pacifica and Summer watched and giggled.

"You girls having fun?" said an amused voice. Summer and Pacifica whipped around to see Mabel grinning from ear to ear smugly. Pacifica mumbled as her cheeks flushed red, "Just um talking to Summer and um," Summer piped in, "Enjoying the view." Mabel laughed, "I knew it!" she whispered. "It's so gross you both think he's cute. I mean for me it's weird anyway. Imagine someone thinking you're brother was cute?" said Mabel pointedly at Summer. Summer responded by scrunching up her face. "Ewe gag me with a silver spoon. I just ate Mabel." Mabel and Pacifica laughed. Mabel piped up, "yeah brothers are gross dorky nerds, but one day someone grows up to love them. Summer raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, I wouldn't double down on bets for someone dating my brother. Not someone respectable anyway."

Pacifica whispered something in Summer's ear. Summer laughed in response. "Yeah Mabel, if you're such an advocate for my brother how about you date him." Pacifica and Summer laughed while Mabel made gaging faces. "Yeah...not a chance." Summer high fived Pacifica. "I rest my case," she said smugly as she folded her arms across her chest. "That little troll better get rich if he wants any chance."

Rick turned to the girls, "All right ladies sorry to break up the gossip, but Mr. buff has to be getting back to his own dimension. Dr. Ford and I were discussing the portal in the cave and the procedures for reactivating it." Ford stepped in now. "As grateful as we are for all of young alternate Dipper's help we should be trying to return him home."

Rick nodded and said, "Dipper, Ford, and I have discussed a way to help him defeat this triangle entity you call Bill. All you guys have to do now is collect the six gate keystones to send Dipper back. It's getting late though, almost 11 pm our time, so we can gather the stones today and send him back tomorrow. Summer has been kind enough to offer to go back and get our car for us too." Dipper had almost forgotten about the Stans' vehicle that was sitting in the middle of nowhere on the side of the road.