Chapter 467 (2/2)
The Confederate Agent stepped forward. ”For your Master's Thesis, you examined phasic interaction with artificial and natural crystalline growth. It was highly contested, but ultimately, your thesis was upheld.”
”Yes. That was many years ago,” T'Nok said.
The Agent nodded, her eyes still blank of emotion. ”Since then, you have worked for many clients, and several times utilized crystals that altered and adjusted phasic energy flows.”
T'Nok nodded, feeling confidence come back. ”Phasic energy and certain crystal lattice structures have a harmony and synergy rarely seen in other material. In some ways warsteel and crystalline phasic structures are inextricably linked.”
One of the Saurians motioned for T'Nok to follow as he kept speaking.
”Crystalline structures respond to vibrations in ways that most of what is termed as metals do not,” T'Nok said. ”As a matter of fact, molecular crystallization theory is what allows warsteel and chromium endosteel as well as durally to be laminated onto other materials.”
Those who dealt with such things nodded.
”Many, like myself, believe that vibration is a fundamental underpinning of the cosmos,” T'Nok said. He stopped and looked around. There were multiple types of crystal in stasis and steri-fields. Some of which he did not recognize.
”Art Master T'Nok,” the Treana'ad female said. ”We called you in as you may hold the key to understanding some things.”
T'Nok stood there as they explained. The new enemy appeared to have an affinity for crystals as well as temporal manipulation and phasic energy. There had been heavy fighting in a system called Hesstla (or maybe that had been the name of the bunny people? Or their star? T'Nok wasn't quite sure) that had resulted in quite a few of the crystals being captured. In the last few weeks more battles had erupted between Confederate Space Force assets and the newcomers, which resulted in more crystals being captured.
”At an atomic and sub-atomic level they appear the same. There is an odd difference,” one of the Mantid engineers said through emojis and a translator.
T'Nok looked at one that sat dully beneath the lights. ”This one. May I examine it?” T'Nok interrupted.
The crystals had been fascinating, and while T'Nok had paid close attention to what was already known, he had been considering the crystals while the fluff and unimportant (to T'Nok) was blathered on about.
There was some looks exchanged but the Kobold in charge nodded.
T'Nok removed the crystal with robotic waldoes and moved it to a sampler. He watched closely, with a multispectrum lens, as the warsteel blade began to slice off a wafer.
”Stop,” he ordered. He stepped back. ”There's part of the problem.”
The other scientists watched as T'Nok withdrew the saw and moved the blade to a scanner. After a minute or two of deep level scanning, T'Nok stepped back and waved at the others to examine it.
The excited vibration of subatomic particles was less at the edge of the blade then the center, but was rapidly equalizing.
”I need software and tools fabricated,” T'Nok said. He cocked his head slightly. ”Let's try the old Terran favorite of case hardened surgical steel with diamond doping for the blade.”
It took a minute for it to be fabricated, and T'Nok started again. He stopped, went over, and made more adjustments to the fabricator.
The scientists watched.
-----------------
It had been nearly a month and T'Nok sighed as he settled into the chair. He was glad that Smokey Cone Intelligence had requested one of the more powerful Matrons soothe the ruffled wings of the Matrons whose appointments he had been forced to reschedule.
He watched as Space Force Intelligence, Confederate Logistics and Procurement, and Mantid Phasic Energy Technicians all filed in.
It had been a lot of work, done in fits and starts.
It had stretched T'Nok's knowledge and imagination.
But he had the data now.
To be perfectly honest with himself, he would have rather been working on designing grub hatcheries.
Finally the audience was ready.
T'Nok launched into a lecture of how crystals were vital to modern technology. From molecular circuitry to picobots to starship drives to high capacity holographic memory systems, crystals were integral to it all. He pointed out that Terran technology, indeed, every allied race, depended on crystalline substances for much of their technology.
From there, he moved onto the primary subject.
The crystals recovered on Hesstla and other places.
”As you see, cutting with the standard blades, even lasers, altered the potential energy of each atomic particle. The crystalline structure absorbed vibrational charge, which made the early examinations and estimations all flawed science,” T'Nok said. ”Using strange matter carbon lattice cutters, I managed to remove several pieces of the crystal and examine them.”
He looked over the crowd. ”The darker crystals, while recovered on Hesstla and resembling the later crystals, are not the same. Atomic and subatomic weight and makeup are the same,” he said. He gave a stern look. ”What is not the same is that the matter is, to use a term, exhausted. Tachyon movement within the electron is minimal, just as one example.”
He clicked through. ”These crystals were manufactured in low gravity environments, but not on low gravity planets,” he said. ”They were grown in orbital facilities,” he looked stern again. ”Grown somewhere outside of this universe.”
He tabbed to the next slide. ”The Terran Third Dimensional War gave the data to positively identify those crystals outside of our cosmos, our universe.”
”The Atrekna are not from our universe, but from one where matter, energy, even chronotrons are exhausted and nearly spent,” he said.
”Like a dying universe? One dying of entropy?” one member of the audience asked.
”More like, dead,” T'Nok said. ”From my point of view, the universe that the crystals were from is long dead.”
He turned and brought up another slide. ”These crystals, while atomically the same, are energized much the same as our universe's matter,” he said. ”These crystals were grown in our universe.”
He stared at one of the Space Force officers with a lot of shiny braid and a nifty hat.
”The enemy has established bases and manufacturing facilities in this universe,” T'Nok said. He shook his head. ”But that's not why you brought me in, and I could be wrong, but I'm not.”
He triggered another slide. ”As you know, crystals, including picocrystals, are used in phasic technologies, from psychic shielding and beyond.”
He triggered another one. ”These crystals here, which we have the most abundance of, are designed to actually store phasic energy for later use. They are detectable on phasic frequencies quite easily and at quite a distance. They are present in early all Atrekna technology.”
He continued on. What environments each type of crystal could be grown in. What type of facility it would take to grow those crystals. Possible uses. Vibration frequency and atomic lattice patterning. How it interacted with currently researched phasic materials. How some of the crystals were used in weapons to amplify and focus the phasic components.
Finally, T'Nok was done with his lecture. He stepped back. ”My data will be fully available to all of you.”
T'Nok hoped that he had not wasted everyone's time as he left the stage. Another scientist was taking over, going over the crystal interactions, as T'Nok left the auditorium.
One of the Confederate Agents were there, her expression and eyes unreadable.
”You may return to your life now, should you wish,” she said, her voice emotionless.
”I would like that very much,” T'Nok admitted.
He followed her out, getting in the ground car with her. They rode in silence to his domicile and studio.
T'Nok felt great relief as the Agent parked the car. As he got out she called his name.
”You should know, and I may tell you,” she said, her eyes suddenly no longer dead, but full of passion and conviction.
T'Nok managed not to step back in fear.
”What you have done here will have far more reaching consequences in defeating the Atrekna than anything you could have ever done with a rifle,” she said.
She rolled up the window, put the car in gear, and drove away.
T'Nok rubbed his wings together in agitation as he went back into his house.
He had nearly two thousand messages. He ordered up a bowl of ice cream and started going through them one by one.
He was startled by one.
He was no longer subject to conscription, having fulfilled any possible military service requirement that the Confederacy or the Matrons may need of him.
He saved that one and had it etched onto a metal plaque as he continued going through his messages.
To be honest, he was thrilled that he would never be asked to hold a rifle.
----------------
CONFED MILINT INTERNAL MEMO
TO: WEAPON SYSTEM DEVELOPMENT BOARD
Enclosed is the vibrational frequency of Atrekna crystal structures. Apply to weapon, scanner, and targeting systems as soon as possible. Frequency profile is to be disseminated among troops as soon as possible for target system firmware upgrades as soon as possible.
---NOTHING FOLLOWS---