June 23, 2025 at 5:39 pm

Section: Vortex Window Dynamics and Closure Logic

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🔍 PURPOSE

To formally explain the physics and mechanics behind the operation of the Sliding Vortex as seen throughout the Sliders television series. This report combines observed canon behavior, speculative but internally consistent logic, and a scientific framework that reconciles every known inconsistency surrounding vortex open times.

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📅 ESTABLISHED RULE:

The Vortex remains open for up to 3 minutes (180 seconds) if undisturbed.

This is the absolute maximum time the gate can remain stable without any mass or energy passing through it. The moment a person, object, or energy signature crosses the event threshold, the vortex begins to drain from this time pool.

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⌛ ENERGY DRAIN MODEL

The vortex has an internal energy pool equivalent to 180 seconds of “clean time.” Each object or being that enters consumes a portion of that time budget.

🧲 Formula:

T_remaining = 180 - Σ ( E_entry_i )

Where:

• T_remaining = how many seconds are left
• E_entry_i = energy/time cost of each individual or object entering

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🔢 TIME DEPLETION VALUES

Entity	Weight (approx.)	Time Drain (sec)	Notes
Quinn (190 lbs)	190 lbs	25	Standard conscious profile
Wade (110 lbs)	110 lbs	18	Lower conscious mass
Rembrandt (175 lbs)	175 lbs	22	Moderate weight and consciousness
Arturo (240 lbs)	240 lbs	30	Largest individual
Average Human (160 lbs)	160 lbs	20-25	Baseline
Van (Fever ep.)	4500 lbs (empty)	35-45	Inert mass compressed efficiently
Sentient Animal	50 lbs	~10-15	Lower mental imprint
Inanimate Bag	~10 lbs	<1	Nearly negligible

Rule of Thumb: Higher body mass = more time drained. Consciousness does not impact time drain, but does affect destination alignment.

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🌡️ WINDOW CLOSURE SCENARIOS

✅ Stable 4-Person Slide (Default Team)

• Quinn + Wade + Rembrandt + Arturo
• Combined drain: ~95 seconds
• Remaining open time: ~85 seconds (usually unused)
• Seen in most episodes; supports standard behavior

❌ Gate Closes Instantly (All Expected Mass Passed)

• Seen in multiple episodes
• Once the vortex registers all anticipated sentient entries, it self-collapses
• Time remaining doesn’t matter—drain threshold satisfied

❓ Vortex Stays Open (Hesitation)

• Seen in the Pilot, Gillian of the Spirits, Luck of the Draw
• Sliders talk before entering
• Time drains slowly
• The longer they hesitate, the less time is left for a late entry

⚠️ Overload Attempt (5+ people or mass)

• E.g., trying to push in a crowd or two vehicles
• Drain exceeds 180 seconds
• Vortex destabilizes, flickers, or rejects
• Seen indirectly in episodes with instability or last-second close calls

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✨ VORTEX BEHAVIOR: LOGICAL CONSISTENCY

1. 3 Minutes Maximum ✔
   • Seen in longest open shots where no one enters immediately
2. Quick Closures ✔
   • Happens when all four sliders jump in rapidly
3. Variable Duration ✔
   • The gate stays open as long as time remains in the pool
4. Heat Signatures Count ✔
   • Implied by Quinn’s lines and Gillian of the Spirits instability
5. Gate Closes Mid-Conversation ✔
   • Happens when delay + all expected entries = gate collapse

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🧩 FINAL SUMMARY

The Sliding Vortex opens with a hard energy limit of 180 seconds. Every object or being that enters subtracts from this time budget. The show demonstrates this visually and narratively across episodes.

• More people or large objects = gate shuts sooner
• Fewer entries = gate stays open longer
• If no one enters = 3-minute window max
• If all expected sliders jump in = instant shutdown (even if time remains)
• Conscious awareness affects destination alignment, not gate duration

This model is consistent with:

• Pilot (Quinn boosting power)
• Fever (Van enters gate safely)
• Gillian of the Spirits (timer instability)
• Azure Gate Bridge World (shows how doubles rarely match)
• Dozens of other entries/exits with varying vortex durations

Thus, the perceived inconsistencies are not inconsistencies at all, but are explained entirely by:

• Mass
• Entry sequence
• Remaining pool time

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✅ FINAL RULE:

“The Vortex is not a clock. It’s a battery.”

Charge it. Open it. Drain it. Collapse it. That’s the rule.