Larite
Properties
Material Characteristics
Larite is most commonly found in its solid form as a rock ore. It is a light grey colour which appears to glow from within. Larite forms as layers most often and is therefore mined in thin strips of several smooth layers, maybe a centimetre or two in height.
Physical & Chemical Properties
Larite is an extremely valuable material in no small part due to its ability to absorb and retain solar radiation and ultraviolet light. This is what gives it recognisable glow.
Geology & Geography
Larite is found under the crust of planets found within a certain radius of their stars. It can be extracted from the asthenosphere (between the crust and the mantle) when using the right tools, but is only identifiable as Larite once it reaches the planet's surface and interacts with solar radiation.
History & Usage
History
Larite was originally used for its glow and used as an easy method of providing external lighting for paths and torches.
Later, after a large amount of scientific effort, it was discovered to be an excellent central component for solar panels and solar batteries. For its size and weight it holds a vast amount of power and became pivotal in the development of solar-powered space craft like the Tanka Intergalactic Transport.
Discovery
It was discovered by the Pachian's early on in the development of their culture when it was extracted from meteorites which had hit one of their moons. After its initial discovery, and the scientific advancements it afforded, the Peacekeeper Empire set out to discover other sources of the valuable material.
Everyday use
Today it is mostly used for space craft and other similar technologies. Citizens within the P'Ache Solar System use a single larite battery to power their homes and offices. To use it only as a source of light would be considered extremely wasteful.
LR
Type
Rock
Color
Luminous light grey
Common State
Solid
Related Locations
Related Species
I like this article and can see a huge potential for uses of this kind of material, but intergalactic travel isn't one of them since as you leave a solar system the light of the closest star becomes very dim. We use nuclear energy to go to the outer planets in our own solar system and beyond! I think this material would be extremely useful on a planet though.
Thanks for the feedback. I think the usefulness of this for intergalactic travel depends on the amount of energy the material is able to hold after it leaves the light of the nearest star. Harnessed in the correct way, Larite is able to draw vast amounts of energy from a star's light and store it. It's then up to the engineers and technicians to ensure this energy is released gradually over time, allowing a spacecraft to travel for up to 40 days without the need to recharge.
:-)