In the dimly lit lab, Dr. Reed's breath quickens as he envisions himself, not as the respected scientist, but as a participant in the debauched orgies of ancient Rome, his body slick with sweat and the juices of countless partners. He sees himself in the Roaring Twenties, a mysterious stranger in a speakeasy, seducing a flapper with his smooth moves and whispered promises. The machine hums to life, its pulsating rhythm echoing the throbbing of his own arousal.