Obsiphonite | Geometrite
Some may call it Eternity's Medium
What is obsiphonite? This is a question humanity continues to debate, but in the modern age of Evermore, many things are now known about this strange material, from the many forms it takes to its effects on the human race.
Properties
Material Characteristics
Obsiphonite's natural, unaltered appearance is a matte black substance, shaped into crystalline formations. These formations are harder even than diamond, and cannot be cut, scraped, or penetrated by any other substance, and even itself. The maximum size of a formation is unknown, but theoretically, a single formation could outclass even the biggest stars in the universe.
This substance possesses some unusual characteristics as well. Obsiphonite formations are known to "hum", and can "play back" melodies they are exposed to. Certain vibrations can cause them to light up or flash with color, while some specimens have been observed emitting a gentle glow in the dark.
Physical & Chemical Properties
Commonly, obsiphonite specimens are warm to the touch, though this may not be apparent with smaller pieces. However, obsiphonite reacts violently when other sources of energy - in particular, electricity - are introduced directly to it, so it is considered unwise to keep specimens close to intense heat sources.
When obsiphonite is hit with a laser, the resulting explosion is loud and destructive. After the initial shock, the specimen will hum with pent-up energy, emit a soft glow, and sometimes change color, or go through several color shifts before returning to normal. The duration of these status effects depends on how much energy was imparted to the specimen, and how large the specimen is - the more energy and the bigger it is, the longer the effects linger.
Another property of obsiphonite is its ability to bind with blood, creating a material called sanguinite. However, the introduction of blood into pure obsiphonite destabilizes its resonance frequency, and makes it more liable to become dissonant. The frequency can be kept in check with resonance tuning, but the substance itself will also become less stable. Sanguinite is attracted to blood, even blood within a living being, and is quite dangerous if left alone.
Compounds
The only known substances that can bind to obsiphonite are blood and sanguinite, though sanguinite is already the combination of blood and obsiphonite. Even different kinds of sanguinite can mix, even if the blood contained in them are light years apart in origin. No other element, chemical, compound, or substance has ever been known to fully bind to obsiphonite or sanguinite.
Geology & Geography
Obsiphonite can only be produced by the Colossal Plane, and is only created as a base for geometrids. It cannot exist in its unaltered state unless a geometrid is deconstructed using resonance tuning, or an entropy geometrid turns its energy mass solid.
Origin & Source
As it cannot exist without a counterpart geometrid, the only known source of obsiphonite is the Colossal Plane, which is - simply put - the singularity that connects all space and time.
Life & Expiration
Despite not technically being radioactive, the substance does decay over time due to entropy. Geometrids cannot perfectly contain the energy mass that composes them, and so they begin to break down over a very long period of time. Even a specimen the size of a basketball will take thousands of years to completely decay into nothingness. A geometrid that produces energy in great quantities will decay slightly faster, as they more quickly deplete their reserves. It is thought that nebula-tier geometrids won't decay completely before the universe's heat death, and what happens to them at that point is largely debated.
History & Usage
History
In all technicality, the term 'obsiphonite' does not exist in the vocabulary of Eon's timeline - it was invented by a group of teenagers, in another time and place, in a world much more like reality, yet nevertheless touched by the Colossal Plane and its geometrid spawn.
As far as the people of Infinity Arc are concerned, there is only sanguinite, and the pure substance that makes up geometrids, untainted by blood. Even through the course of First Contact and onward, the necessity for such a term never arises, and thus the substance remained unnamed until much later. However, for the sake of avoiding confusion, this article will continue to use the term to separate the substance that composes a geometrid, and the blood-corrupted obsiphonite known as sanguinite.
The pure, uncorrupted form of obsiphonite was first discovered by Eon explorers during First Contact, when Infinity Arc passed too close to to a cloud system of geometrids. Titan's dissonant energy engaged a precept within the cloud to destroy the source of instability, and the unaware pilots saw geometrids arrive in force to eliminate the perceived threat. At this time, it was not known that the geometrids had any connection to sanguinite, nor was anyone aware their interaction with the arc's sanguinite core.
It would not be until the resolution of the conflict before humanity found a way to use geometrids and obsiphonite. When a single pilot first approached the Colossal Plane itself, he interacted with its alien interface, and discovered it was possible to create a geometrid with just the power of the mind. This first geometrid, known as Maw, paved the way for other man-made geometrids, which could be used to carry ships and people across great distances in the blink of an eye.
When the process of converting a geometrid's energy mass into solid form was pioneered, it became possible to obtain obsiphonite samples without destroying a geometrid completely, thereby allowing the material to be used much more widely in a variety of fields. Medicine, terraforming machines, and weapons benefitted from this advancement in particular, as obsiphonite is a far safer and more stable alternative to sanguinite in any field.
In the modern age, obsiphonite is as common as steel, though it is carefully regulated and handled to avoid the problems humanity faced with sanguinite in the past. It is incorporated into many aspects of everyday life, and for most people, the threat its impure counterpart once posed is now a distant memory.
Discovery
Perhaps the first case of obsiphonite actually being used without the context of a geometrid is actually an unrecognized moment during the conflict with the geometrids. When two geometrids invaded the Infinity Arc's outermost component, the Ring, one pilot who confronted the pair lost his arm in the process, though he succeeded in using resonance tuning to reduce the geometrid to its basic composition; a mere sample of obsiphonite lacking the capabilities of a geometrid. Another pilot, a Titanite with some knowledge of the correlation between the geometrids and sanguinite, then used the sample to regenerate the first pilot's arm, converting the solid obsiphonite into liquid sanguinite, which then became flesh and blood.
It would be a long time before obsiphonite was recognized as the base component of a geometrid, defined by the inability to move of its own accord, to adjust its own resonance frequency, and to process information carried through benign pulses. After the innovation that allowed humans to use geometrids to create solid obsiphonite samples, the substance became an important component in many fields and industries, with more and more uses as time went on.
Everyday use
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Cultural Significance and Usage
Despite strict regulation, very small samples of sanguinite are permitted to be kept by the Temple of Titan, and any of their religious gathering places. This is because, several generations after the Arc left Earth, a new religion was founded, based around Titan - Infinity Arc's sanguinite core. As the tiny samples are perfectly harmless, the practice of keeping a single specimen in a temple is allowed by the government.
Refinement
Raw obsiphonite is powerful already, but it is possible to use harmonic shaping to refine the size and form of a sample, and match the specifications of various needs. Harmonic shaping is the process of composing a simple melody that affects what state obsiphonite is in. Careful application of the method allows for the sample to be changed from a solid to a liquid shape, and then molded into the desired form. This works on samples as small as a microscopic cell, to as big as three story house - or bigger.
Frequencies come into play here; the smaller the sample, the higher the frequency required to work it, and vice versa; the larger the sample, the lower the frequency required to work with it. Even choosing what sounds comprise the notes will affect how a sample's form changes shape, so much care is required when composing each melody. Obsiphonite core composers are rare, as the craft is extremely complex and delicate, and experimentation can be downright dangerous.
Byproducts & Sideproducts
Obsiphonite has no waste byproducts, nor does it create any additional material when used. Resonant energy is the only thing it gives off, which can be harnessed as a power source.
Hazards
The resonant energy that obsiphonite generates is particularly harmless to those who lack resonance, but it can also have negative effects on certain resonance frequency types including extreme high, extreme low, and dissonant frequencies. In people without resonance of any kind, the resonant energy causes a host of mental and emotional issues. For those with extreme frequencies, symptoms are similar, but more specific to each type. Dissonance is a frequency like no other, and so too are its symptoms.
The effects on those without resonance are more immediate, and more likely to be fatal. If left undiscovered and untreated, a person without resonance who is exposed to resonant energy over a long period of time will first experience symptoms that affect their mental and emotional health. Restlessness, insomnia, irritability, paranoia, and similar symptoms manifest early and become more severe over time. After six months, sanguinite crystals form in the blood stream, causing nosebleeds, blindness, blood clots, and fatal internal bleeding. The six month mark is the absolute last chance for a person to move away from the resonant source; after crystals begin to form, there is nothing that can stop them from growing and destroying the body from within.
The two extremes on the resonance frequency scale, extreme high and extreme low, have typically opposite effects, but rare cases may differ from the norm. In a classic case of extreme high frequency, a person will regularly have to deal with constant anxiety, hyper mania, unchecked rage, aggressive tendencies, and other such symptoms. In a classic case of extreme low frequency, a person will often have to handle deep depression, lethargy, dissociative episodes, feelings of worthlessness, and other such symptoms. Rare cases may see these symptoms flip, or express classic symptoms both, but the majority of cases follow as the above.
Dissonance may cause all of the above symptoms, and worse - if exposure does not cease, a catastrophic end could be in store for the individual and any of their associates. Along with severe mental and emotional symptoms, the severity of the paranoia in particular inevitably drives the person to do violent acts, against themselves and others. In most cases, the violent outbursts eventually reach a point where fatalities happen, and the death of the affected individual is nearly guaranteed.
Environmental Impact
Obsiphonite, if left in the wilderness, may become a hazard in the presence of blood, as blood will corrupt and destabilize its resonance frequency and its physical form. If a lot of blood is present, sanguinite formations will begin to grow, threatening any bleeding thing that wanders too close.
Such cases must be handled carefully, and all traces of obsiphonite and sanguinite removed to prevent further spreading of an unstable and dangerous material. Just like a weed, if any bit remains, it may spring back, fed with more blood, and become an even purer and more corrupt form of sanguinite.
Reusability & Recycling
Because obsiphonite only loses its usefulness when it fully decays, it isn't exactly a "reusable" or "recyclable" material. However, it can be turned from one thing into another; a power core may be deconstructed and converted into smaller power chips, or perhaps reshaped into a component in the design of a tool. With harmonic shaping, any obsiphonite specimen can easily be turned to another use.
Distribution
Storage
Any sample of obsiphonite, be it in use or not, must be contained in a special insulative casing to prevent resonant energy from affecting those working with and around the material. They must also be kept in a cool environment, and protected from static electricity or other forms of energy release that may cause an explosive reaction with the obsiphonite structure or sample.
Moving a sample should be done in the air rather than carried over land, to avoid exposing living creatures to any potential resonant energy leaks. Large quantities cannot be moved together; specimens should always be in separate housing to prevent their individual and unique resonance frequencies from interacting with one another, potentially shifting their frequencies into something unintended and undesirable. Only specimens within a harmonic system should remain together during transit, in order to preserve their shared harmonic frequency.
Law & Regulation
This highly regulated material can only be handled by government approved companies and facilities, and cannot be owned by private interests or civilians. Because of this, obsiphonite cannot be purchased; its distribution is determined explicitly by demands and needs, such as the construction of a power plant or the manufacture of machines used for terraforming and construction.
The only exception to this law is in the case of geometrid pilots, who are allowed to keep in touch with their geometrid even after retiring, so long as they do not bring the geometrid close to a populated area for long periods of time. What business they do with their geometrids is their own, as geometrid pilots are considered very special members of society capable of a feat most can only imagine. They are, however, strictly forbidden from exchanging their geometrid or otherwise transferring it to another without alerting regulation officials and obtaining permission to do so. Permission can be given so long as no money nor material goods are exchanged in the process - a geometrid that changes hands must do so as a gift or the passing on of an heirloom.
Type
Elemental / Molecular
Value
High
Rarity
Common
Odor
None
Taste
None
Color
Matte Black
Boiling / Condensation Point
N/A
Melting / Freezing Point
N/A
Density
Densest material ever discovered
Common State
Solid
Related Locations
Related Species
