Supermatter

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Summary

The Supermatter Shard is a highly reactive and dangerous object capable of causing extensive damage to the station and its crew. With proper containment and setup a single shard can produce an immense amount of power.

How To Obtain A Suppermatter Shard

The only way to obtain a Supermatter Shard is to order one through cargo under the Engineering section. It cost 50 supply points and the crate has an access lock that only the Chief Engineer, Captain, or a Cyborg can unlock.

I Have The Crate, What Do I do With It?

First things first, DO NOT OPEN THE CRATE. The shard is extremely dangerous to handle and once the crate is open the shard will no longer fit inside. If the crate is opened somehow by accident take extreme caution not to walk into it or touch it. It will instantly incinerate you, leaving nothing but ashes and triggering the delamination of the shard, more on that soon. The only way to transport it once outside the crate is to pull it. Be mindful that environmental hazards can cause the crystal to collide with you such as a pressure change (hull breach, panic siphon, anything that could cause space wind strong enough to move objects), conveyor belts, and momentum (if you are in space or the gravity generator is down). Best to wait until a proper containment is set up fully before opening the crate (I will be working on a guide to constructing a Supermatter Engine soon).

Delamination And You

What Is Delamination?

Delamination is the process in which a Supermatter Shard destabilizes, eventually leading to a massive explosion if not stopped. While the shard is delaminating it will release progressively stronger amounts of radiation, oxygen, and plasma at a high enough temperature to ignite.

What Causes Delamination

One of the most common ways delamination is started is something or someone touching the shard and being subsequently dusted. Projectiles, lasers, fire, high temperatures, clowns, chemicals, and a multitude of other things can also set off a reaction. Once the shard delaminates to a certain point a very distinct message will be sent out, usually something along the lines of "Supermatter Shard Delamination at 7%!".

How To Reverse Delamination

Stopping the process of delamination is relatively simple if you have right gear. What you have to do is cool the shard, whether siphoning the room its in, opening a canister of supercooled nitrogen, or simply spacing the shard. An atmospherics hardsuit or the Chief engineer's hardsuit would be best to have while dealing with the shard as both provide protection from the fire, heat, and radiation produced from the shard. An engineering hardsuit would protect against the radiation but have a fire extinguisher nearby and some medicine for burns. If the situation is truly dire loading up on burn and toxin meds will work, don't expect to survive the experience though. Of course a cyborg is immune to the effects of fire and radiation and could easily deal with a delaminating shard if one is available. It usually takes around twenty to thirty minutes for a shard to fully delaminate if it is just left alone, so there is no need to panic. Unless of course there is something actively firing at the shard such as an emitter or the PA. With just one emitter a shard can delaminate in about five to ten minutes, best to turn them off before attempting to move the shard.

Alright The Shard Blew Up And Now I Am Hallucinating

Once the shard completely delaminates it will explode, taking out an area roughly the size of a syndicate bomb. It will also release a massive amount of low radiation, causing extreme amounts of hallucinations among the crew on board the station. The immediate area around the shard will be irradiated heavily making repair efforts difficult and depending on where the shard was when it exploded this could prove detrimental to the crews survival. The most common course of action at this point is to call the emergency shuttle if possible.

Conclusion

I hope this quick guide will help when dealing with a Supermatter Shard. Once I have the time I will start to work on various power production methods using the shard. One really important thing to know about the Supermatter Shard is that it is considered an engine. Deliberate tampering and misuse of a Supermatter Shard without being a hijacking antagonist can and will be punished accordingly.