Tech Review Tarnicite

[Helix]

OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION

• Intent: To create a fast-growing crystalline substance for the Dzara
• Image Source: Generated via ChatGPT
• Canon Link: N/A
• Permissions: N/A
• Primary Source: N/A

PRODUCTION INFORMATION

• Manufacturer: Naturally-occurring on Tarnac
• Affiliation: The Dzara
• Market Status: Closed-Market
• Model: N/A
• Modularity: No
• Production: Minor
• Material: Itself

SPECIAL FEATURES

• Very rapid growth and spread

STRENGTHS

• Creeping Conversion: Tarnicite, when removed from its native environment, rapidly colonizes and converts most other substances it touches into more Tarnicite. This renders the substance easy to create, as one can make more from virtually any matter available.

WEAKNESSES

• Smashed: Tarnicite is not especially durable, being no tougher than more typical forms of quartz. It can be easily shattered by most small-arms weapons fire, or more powerful forms of melee weaponry.

DESCRIPTION

While commonly known by the tongue-in-cheek name of "Tarnaci Diamond", this substance is more professionally known as Tarnicite.

Tarnicite occurs naturally in Tarnac's subterranean ammonia oceans, where it forms under the staggering pressure of that hostile environment. It usually appears as a faintly-luminescent crystal, and can be found very commonly within that environment with relatively little difficulty. Naturally-occurring colors are usually warm, ranging from pinks to reds to oranges, and anything in between.

In its normal surroundings, Tarnicite is a visually-beautiful, harmless, and largely useless mineralogical phenomenon. Fortunately for the Dzara, it was found that the substance was a little nastier than it first appeared.

When removed from its normal ultra-high-pressure oceanic environs, the crystal shows a number of highly-unusual properties, properties that notably do not display themselves in said habitat.

When exposed to solid matter that is not itself formed of Tarnicite, the crystal immediately begins a reaction that is as swift as it is startling. Any surface that touches a Tarnicite crystal is rapidly colonized by the crystal, which quickly grows, extending fine slivers of glass-like fractals into the object's surface. If left in contact for long enough, a Tarnicite crystal's effect will eventually convert the object into solid Tarnicite itself. How long this process takes appears to be related to the molecular density of the contacting object, with tougher and heavier materials resisting conversion for longer.

This makes storage of the substance exceptionally difficult, as the Tarnicite will convert most known common containers, and usually won't stop there. As such, they are usually kept in anti-gravitic suspension or stasis containment. Invasive Tarnicite in an environment can be extremely frustrating to remove, and is best destroyed with disruptors or similarly-destructive weapons.

Living things, too, are not impervious to Tarnicite's corruptive effect. Prolonged contact with a Tarnicite crystal can prove harmful or even fatal, as the substance will convert meat, blood and bone as readily as metal or stone.

While most crystalline minerals can grow with surprising speeds, Tarnicite's growth rate is rapid enough to be observable to the naked eye, spreading at approximately a half-centimeter per second under the best conditions. The exact cause of this astonishing growth rate is under investigation, as is the reason why this phenomenon does not occur in the crystal's normal sphere of occurrence.

It is currently theorized that the metal-flattening pressure of Tarnac's lightless oceans limits the crystal's growth potential, and that removal from this environment removes any inhibitions on its gradual spread.

Tarnicite is very hard, but brittle to sharp kinetic impacts. As such, it is largely unsuitable for use in weapons or armor (putting aside its high likelihood of killing any wielder or wearer). Nonetheless, it sees use in laser focusing lenses, as well as some more exotic forms of weaponry.