Samaelians

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Samaelians

Xenosophonts from the heavy-metal-rich planet Samael
Image from Steve Bowers
A Samaelian, covered in photovoltaic scale-like extrusions

Molybvitae polysapiens is a xenosophont species inhabiting the planet Samael (Sitr'achra VI) that has developed a technologically advanced planetary civilization. This species is unique in a number of respects, especially as regards its biochemistry and the organization of its civilization, neither of which have been previously observed in a naturally evolved, unaugmented life form.

Physical Description

M. polysapiens (hereafter referred to as a "Samaelian") is a poikilothermic, bilaterally-symmetric being with a dorso-ventrally compressed body and six sprawling legs each of which terminates in a circular foot divided into three parts. Five bluish-gray transverse plates cover the underside. At the posterior end, the plates are fused to form a pad-like area on which offspring can develop prior to birth. An adult measures about one and one-half meters in length, is roughly half as wide, and has a mass of about 45 kilograms. Two arm-like limbs, each with three mutually opposable digits at the distal end are at the front of the long axis. Above these arms is an extension of the dorsal carapace on which the primary sensory organs are located. Two optical receptors are recessed into the sides of this plate and set at an angle of 60° from the body's long axis. Above each eye is a ribbed shell-like acoustic receptor. A whip-like antenna measuring about 70 centimeters in length and covered in hair-like cilia is located beside and forward of each ear.

Between the arm-like limbs is an oval-shaped jaw split horizontally into two parts. These jaws do not contain teeth, but act as a beak to crush and slice through food. Glands inside the mouth excrete a strong ammonia solution onto the ground-up food while a rasp-like hollow tongue sucks nutrients from the partially dissolved materials before moving the food into a short esophagus that connects to the stomach, where dissolution is completed. From the stomach, the solution passes through a helical digestive tract, where essential minerals and nutrients are absorbed. Indigestible materials are transported to broad, thin passages between the inner and outer layers of the plates comprising the external carapace, where they precipitate out and bond with the underside of the outermost part. This forces the outer layer upward and away from the body. When the underlying wastes become too thick, the outer layer is shed and the next layer is exposed. These plates are made of a black substrate of molybdenum sulfide overlain by a thin layer of molybdenum trioxide, creating a natural photovoltaic cell, appearing as small, irregularly-shaped overlapping segments. New layers are continually grown as the Samaelian ages, and damaged or defective segments are periodically shed along with the segment's underlying layer of solidified wastes.

Energy not gained from photovory is obtained from the consumption of surface mineral deposits, local fungi and animals. When combined with the ammonia-water solution present in the stomach, molybdenum in the food reacts to form molybdates and other ions used in a number of redox reactions. These ions are used to create new cellular structures and to provide part of the electrical energy required for movement and other biological activities. Due to their relatively low metabolic rates, Samaelians can easily find more than enough energy from their diet to sustain themselves. Any excess energy obtained from feeding is stored in endogenous natural "capacitors," made of 400-nanometer-thick layers of molybdenum trioxide separated by layers of silica, for use when food is scarce.

Reproduction
Samaelians reproduce by a process in which offspring grow and develop before birth on the outer surface of the parent before dropping off at birth. These are usually produced singly, though each mating normally results in a pair of offspring, one carried to term by each parent. Each of the "children" shares only a part of the genome of its parent. As each participant in the mating is impregnated, there is no differentiation of gender roles. There is no particular "mating season" among the Samaelians, who can be impregnated at any time they are not already gravid. Sexual maturity, on average, appears to be reached when an individual has reached the age of about twelve and one-third local years (14.516 Terragen Standard Years). Prior to reaching maturity, Samaelians participate fully in all other aspects of their civilization and only the very young are segregated by age. Interestingly, Samaelians do not, on average, reach their full adult size until they reach the age of about eighteen and one-half local years (21.775 Terragen Standard Years). As no Samaelians were observed to be beyond child-bearing age, it is surmised that either they remain fertile throughout the remainder of their lifetimes or that post-fertile individuals are segregated or even eliminated from the population by some form of "retirement centers" or by geronticide. As neither was observed, and the Samaelians refused to answer questions regarding the matter, it remains an open speculation.

When an individual Samaelian is sexually receptive, a pungent musk-like chemical, produced by a pair of specialized glands located on either side of the reproductive pad, is released into the air by that individual. This pheromone-like chemical acts to signal the other members of the species of the receptive individual's readiness for mating. Only those who are emitting this pheromone at the same time appear to be attracted to one another. There does not appear to be any form of courtship ritual or other preparatory steps involved with mating. Rather, the two individuals simply back into one another until their respective reproductive pads make contact, remain in place for a few moments while fluids are exchanged, then move away from each other after the act has been consummated. As far as can be determined, the participants do not seek contact with one another afterward; there does not appear to be any form of pair- bonding or post-natal familial relationships in Samaelian culture.

Genetics
Fertilization occurs when two individuals exchange genetic material through mutual contact of membranous pads located at the rear of their respective carapaces just behind and between the rearmost pair of legs. This process involves a mutual exchange of genomic fractions in solution, which combine with the larger portion of the genome remaining in the parent. The larger and smaller fractions, which during the exchange are ionic in nature, are the polyoxomolybdate ions (NH₄)₄₂[Mo₉₆O₂₆₀(CH₃COO)₃₀(H₂O)₅₆]³⁴⁺ and [Mo₃₆O₁₁₂(H₂O)₁₆]^8-, respectively, which combine to form the spherical keplerate molecule (NH₄)₄₂[Mo₁₃₂O₃₇₂(CH₃COO)₃₀(H₂O)₇₂]^22-.

Genomic variability and encoding is expressed by the substitution of sulfur and/or bromine atoms in place of some or all of the oxygen atoms in each component part of the genetic molecule. Following the recombination of the genomic fractions within each participant's reproductive organ (each Samaelian is identical with respect to reproductive role), specialized free-floating molecules within the fluid-filled reproductive pad "read" the structure of the spherical genome and begin the process of self-replication and the assembly of tissues. When fertilization is complete, the reproductive membrane becomes impervious to reproductive molecules, and will remain so until the pregnancy has gone to term or a spontaneous abortion has occurred. The fertilized cell germinates within the now-sealed membrane for approximately one-half of a local year (about 220 days), by which time it has grown to resemble a smaller version of the parent. In that time, the infant has grown through and subsequently absorbed and incorporated within itself the reproductive membrane, and is firmly attached to the underside of the parent's torso between and behind the rear pair of legs. When the development of the offspring is complete and birth is imminent, two small conduits for nutrient transfer to and waste elimination from the infant close up, and the parent will begin shaking its body to dislodge the infant. When the offspring detaches from the parent and drops to the ground; the parent will turn to reorient the child if necessary and, using its arms, guide it to its first independent meal. This initial period of independent life, which lasts from the initial separation from the parent through the digestion of its first meal, is of critical importance in the life of an individual. According to observed customs and described traditions, if, for whatever reason, the child is unable to demonstrate a capacity for independent survival, it will be allowed to die, whereupon it is usually consumed by the birth parent as recompense for having brought a damaged life into the world. In the case of spontaneously aborted offspring, the parent will consume the deceased infant for the same reason.

Musculature
The Samaelian musculature, like that of other organisms indigenous to the planet, resembles a coiled helix in cross-section; at rest, the muscle is tightly coiled, and when active, the coil extends outward from its innermost periphery, with the outer perimeter leading the extension. Expansion of the muscles' effective length during extension is used in circumstances requiring pulsating and/or pumping motions, such as those used in circulating the nutrient transfer fluid throughout the body.

Locomotion
The Samaelians walk on six multiply jointed legs, which, in addition to moving forward and back, can also move inward toward the body's mid-line. When moving very slowly, they employ the statically stable tripod gait, in which they move the front and rear legs on one side along with the middle leg on the other side, and then repeat the pattern on the opposite side. At higher speeds, they employ a spring-like gait that is dynamically but not statically stable. When a Samaelian wants to run very fast, it folds and locks its middle legs under its body and assumes a quadrupedal gallop.

Nervous System
Samaelians have roughly ovoid brains located just behind and beneath the jaws and esophagus. Neural tissue is chemically distinct from that found elsewhere in the body. Its molecules have high concentrations of elemental iron in their structures ([Mo₇₂Fe₃₀]); this has resulted in each molecule being able to function as an octupolar magnet. These magnetic cells self-assemble to form cage-like shells whose surfaces act as biochemical switches and other circuit components, forming complex memory arrays unlike any before seen in an unmodified biont. Encapsulated within each of these magnetic shells is a number of [PMo₁₂O₄₀(VO)₂]q- ions; these ions, when stimulated with bioelectricity, function as two-qubit gates.

Self-assembling into arrays of gate elements, each brain cell functions as a nano- processor, using the interior arrays to process data and the exterior shell for memory storage, interconnections with other cells, and as a connection for bioelectric power and nerve inputs. In essence, the Samaelian brain is a naturally evolved quantum computer. Nerve cells, which are similar in composition to brain tissues yet lack the vanadium oxide-containing inclusions, are formed into thread- like vesicles that act as the body's "wiring." A thin sheath of red molybdenum bronze (K2Mo6O18) electrically insulates each nerve.

Senses
The Samaelians, in common with most other animal species on their planet, have evolved a comprehensive suite of sensory capabilities to enable them to detect the environment in which they live. These include:

Vision: The Samaelian eye is a hollow conical organ with a circular region at the anterior center occupied by concentric rings of lattice-like weaves of light sensitive nano-ribbons of molybdenum trioxide, which form a biological photodetector. Incident light passes through concentric rings of angled prisms made of transparent molybdenum trioxide, forming a planar Fresnel lens, and is focused onto this photodetector; the photodetector generates up to 0.100 Volt of electricity when exposed to light in the 125-1150 nanometer range of wavelengths that is transmitted along nerves directly connecting multiple points on each ring to the brain, where the image is assembled. Although Samaelians cannot directly perceive color, they can infer its presence from subtle gradations in the grayscale images thus produced. Though lidless, the eye is covered by a transparent nictating membrane that serves to clean the outside of the eye. Each adult eye has a length of about six centimeters and is half as wide, and is incapable of movement.
Smell: The pair of prehensile antennae at the front of the Samaelian, located just posterior to the ears and anterior to the "blow hole," are covered in fine, hair-like cilia. These cilia, apart from their role in detecting subtle changes in air movement, are the site of about 250,000 olfactory receptor cells in each antenna. These enable a Samaelian to distinguish at least 50,000 different odors at ranges up to many tens of kilometers.
Taste: Samaelians "taste" via interactions with their bioelectric field, which is emitted and detected by a lateral organ, consisting of alternating emitter and receptor cells that describe a large oval on the underside of the body. This organ, whose primary function is to detect the presence of underground food sources, can detect the "taste" of these sources by how the field is affected by the mineral being detected.
Touch: A Samaelian senses touch primarily through piezoelectric cells widely distributed over its outer surface; the inner surfaces of each of the three "fingers" at the ends of each arm are particularly sensitive. As noted above, the hair-like cilia covering the antennae add to the sense of touch by detecting slight changes in air movement and density.
Hearing: Hearing is accomplished via two "ears" at the front of the body next to the antennae. Each ear is mytiliform (shaped like a Terragen mussel's shell) and can, through muscular actions, be swiveled slightly upwards or downwards and from side to side to assist in localizing sounds in three dimensions. Samaelian hearing is most effective in the range of frequencies between 50 Hertz and 40 kiloHertz.

Contact & Communication

Communication between the Terragen lander, its subprobes, and the Samaelians, involved, as it does with any first contact with a xenosophont species, extensive observation and data analysis, both before and after communication has been initiated. The first challenge faced was to determine which, if any, of the species encountered on Samael was capable of meaningful interactions with the Terragen emissary. After the Samaelians had been identified as both sapient and sophont, the next task was to determine whether and how the Samaelians might be able to communicate; e.g., could messages they exchanged among themselves be used as the basis of communicating with them, and if so, what means would best serve to accomplish that goal. Finally, after the Samaelians had become aware of the potential for and intent of the Terragen probes to communicate, a process of linguistic analysis and translation could begin so as to develop a medium of information exchange. Altogether, this process of identification, observation, analysis, and translation has spanned nearly 10 Terragen Standard Years (9.486 years as of the date of this report) and is still ongoing. Many of the data included in this report were derived through interactions with the lander and the Samaelians.

Samaelians use at least three methods of communication among themselves. First and richest in terms of data exchange is their system of direct neural links. Links with other Samaelians are created when two or more individuals intertwine their cilia-covered antennae. Aside from this unusual mode of communication, the bioelectric field surrounding each individual has been observed to vary in intensity with an individual's health. Frequency and waveform shifts in this field have also been observed when two or more individuals meet. This is possibly analogous to the "body language" used by numerous known organisms. Additionally, Samaelians have been observed to make noises by stamping or shuffling their feet; it is not known, however, whether such sound patterns modify context, provide emphasis, add another (and possibly contradictory) layer of communication, are a form of entertainment, or have any meaning at all. It is not yet known whether Samaelians use their sense of smell to communicate, though it seems reasonable to suggest that scent does have some role in communication aside from its use to signal sexual receptiveness, given the distances traveled by odors in the dense atmosphere.

Language is, in large part, based on the perceptual and interpretive experiences of its "speakers" to their environment, in that the particular ontology of a species is the product of its sensory inputs and the manner it which it cognitively interprets those inputs. Obviously, a species possessing a particular set of sensory receptors will experience their environment in a completely different manner than a species having a different set of senses. Even when one or more of those senses are possessed by both species, the interpretation of stimulation to that receptor may be wildly divergent if their natural environments are dissimilar.

Communication with the indigenous sophonts of Samael came only at the end of a long process of trial and (mostly) error. The first obstacle facing the investigative probe was to realize what constituted communication among the Samaelians. Acoustic signals had been observed being used by all of the Samaelians that had been observed. However, acoustic signals emitted by the probe toward the native sophonts proved ineffective; many of these signals seemed either to cause them to withdraw from the area or (apparently) even ignored. Only later was it discovered that sound is used by the Samaelians for detection rather than communication. A similarly disappointing series of experiments employing various combinations of odors resulted, in one instance, in an attack on the probe vehicle. It wasn't until two Samaelians were observed to periodically intertwine and then disentangle their respective antennae that the mode of Samaelian communication was deduced.

Once contact was established, the problems of vocabulary and context presented themselves. Repeating sequences of prime numbers, encoded as pulsed waveforms, were transmitted by the probe in hopes that these might be recognized. However, this apparently simple message elicited no response (it was later discovered the Samaelians do not represent numbers as discrete units, but rather as bounded continua of values between integers, similar to so-called "fuzzy logic"). To the Samaelians, these pulsed integers were likely perceived only as "noise."

Culture and Society

Samaelians are social beings, and feel an increasing sense of unease when isolated from others for prolonged periods. They are adept at self-expression and the exchange of ideas among their peers, and have created intricate social structures composed of highly cooperative kinship groups. Social interactions, which include neural linkages, between these groups, whether directly or via radio, have established an extremely wide variety of values, social norms, and rituals, which together form the Samaelian society. Culture, the learned behaviors acquired through social interactions with others, include such rituals as antenna grooming and post-natal cannibalism of defective infants, as well as the maintenance of traditions, social organizations, and scientific and technological advancement. Mineral sources of the planet, as well as the products of the biosphere, contribute resources that are used to support a global sophont population of nearly two and three-quarter billion individuals. These are grouped into about 250 independent kinship groups, which originally interacted through diplomacy, travel, trade, and military actions.

At the present time, these kinship groups have largely merged together and have formed a sort of global super-culture that incorporates the historical diversity of earlier cultures and synthesizes them into a more-or-less coherent whole. Samaelian cultures have developed a variety of views of the planet, ranging from a belief that their planet is the center of the universe to a more modern perspective of the world as an integrated environment that is home to the only known example of sentient life. These views, and a multitude of intermediate beliefs, are reportedly the subject of lively debate on the Samaelian "bionet."

The present Samaelian society, due to the intimate and extensive interconnectedness of its members, is highly egalitarian and driven by a strong desire to satisfy the needs of the group. Although it might appear to be monolithic in structure, there is actually a great deal of diversity in the system because each member, aside from their role in the collective, is also a fully sophont individual that can offer dissenting opinions as to how those needs should best be met. Since each member of the society can become equally as competent in any particular endeavor known to the collective, and since any individual may find themselves engaged in any of those tasks which might be deemed necessary to the society at any time, there is no hierarchical or political structure governing Samaelian affairs. Without physical or mental differences attributable to gender, there are no gender roles (gravid individuals and the very young, however, are regarded as a necessary resource for the community, and are treated preferentially, receiving a greater share of available resources and assigned fewer duties to perform).

Samaelians are rarely encountered in groups of three or fewer, and can often be found with intertwined antennae. Linked together, Samaelians can directly link their brains, via their antennae, to form parallel-processing scale-free networks of virtually unlimited size and complexity. This ability, which evolved from cilia functioning as olfactory sensory organs modified into electrical conductors connected directly to the brain, works in tandem with the Samaelian electroceptive sense, which is used to distinguish between members and nonmembers of kinship groups. The society can best be described by analogy with a complex adaptive system, a system of intelligent agents operating within and across the naturally evolved "bio-net."

The behaviors associated with reproduction and the long period of "pregnancy" that accompany it play a central role in the development of Samaelian social structures. A major benefit to living in groups is that they can supply extra safety and support for those members who are "pregnant," including guards and extra food. Gravid individuals are moved toward the center of the colony for greater protection (a realization that gravid individuals present a more tempting target for predators is offset by the colony's need to maintain or increase its population), and, since during their "pregnancy" such individuals are somewhat less able to perform various needed functions for the colony compared to their non-gravid peers, the encumbered individuals are given less-hazardous duties than would otherwise be assigned. Unlike in many other species, the lack of gender-specific roles (all Samaelians are, without exception, functional hermaphrodites in that any individual can impregnate and be impregnated by any other individual), as well as the apparent absence of emotional attachment to mating, has eliminated a major source of conflict found in two-gendered species, the contests between males for mating privileges.

Economics

The Samaelian economy appears to operate on a communalist basis and does not seem to utilize any sort of valuation metric for goods produced by industrial or other processes. Rather, goods and services are held in common and freely distributed based on the particular needs and/or desires of the collective civilization and its individual members. These needs and desires, which are immediately apparent to all members of the civilization, result in the production of goods intended to satisfy them and the transportation of those goods where they are needed or desired by the most expeditious route available. Before modern industrial technologies allowed an almost limitless supply of manufactured goods, needs and desires were prioritized by consensus, with available goods and services directed toward the higher-priority needs first.

Science & Technology

Constrained by their environment, Samaelians have never developed fire or combustion-based technologies. However, they are very accomplished in both optical and radio astronomy (the planetary probe was detected by them several weeks before it entered orbit around Samael, and the landing probe's movements have been observed in detail since its deployment), as well as both inorganic chemistry and electrochemistry. Industrial processes requiring thermal energy, such as the smelting and forging of metals, use either electrical resistive heating or exothermic chemical reactions (or both) to produce the needed energy. Dry nanotechnology is a mature and well-established technology, used primarily in the manufacturing and electronics industries.

Nearly every aspect of Samaelian technology is based on the use and distribution of electricity; ground and aerial vehicles use it as a source of motive power, the radar and radio systems used to support the transportation infrastructure rely on electricity, and various types of robotic and other automated factory, farm, and mining equipment are major consumers of electrical power. Since they appear to be relatively insensitive to the range of temperatures encountered on their home planet, Samaelians have never been presented with a need to invent either clothing or the social conventions that accompany it. Architectural and construction technologies are based on stone, sulfur concretes, polyurethanes, and diamondoid produced from deposits of elemental graphite. A number of vast agricultural centers have been established near major deposits of molybdenum and related metals.

Large urban sites, many covering more than 500 square kilometers in area, are located adjacent to these centers. Most urban areas are designed around a large central plaza surrounded by roofed pavilions; these in turn, are surrounded by enclosed storage facilities, power generation and distribution infrastructures, and transportation hubs. Several such cities have also been constructed near the coasts; these sites generally include facilities devoted to gathering food from the seashore.

Fishing on Samael is a strictly shore-based activity, as the Samaelians have a natural aversion to being immersed; the relatively small ocean and lakes dotting the planet are easily circumnavigated, so the development of marine technology has never been a pressing concern. Writing, linguistics, and literature have never developed on Samael, mainly because the existence of their innate neural links made such innovations unnecessary. When every individual can effortlessly access every thought, emotion, deed, or memory of any other individual who has ever lived, there is little motivation for developing an alternate mode of communication. Similarly, with an inborn ability to establish vast networks of what are essentially distributed parallel processors, the development of computer technology (aside from command and control systems employed in a variety of technologies and industrial settings) is viewed as unnecessarily redundant. The Samaelian civilization has long been able to connect with the crews of various transport vehicles, hunting parties, and others who find themselves physically separated from the collective "bio-net" using radio signals propagated via relatively low-powered, high-bandwidth networks of relay pylons.

These pylons allow isolated Samaelians to link to the collective by entwining one of their antennae around a long aerial projecting from the transceiver; a shorter aerial transmits and receives the signals. Although the Samaelian civilization has never developed artificial systems for computational purposes, regarding such innovations as wasteful and unnecessary, it has developed a wide array of electronic devices to monitor and control mechanical and industrial processes. Many of these devices use components and circuitry manufactured with "dry" nanotechnology, which has led to increases in both effectiveness and efficiency over designs predating the use of nanotech.

Mathematics and arithmetic, both in their abstract and more practical applications, is highly developed on Samael, and is often used in philosophical debates to "prove" the validity of one view over another. Though these debates can become rather involved and esoteric, it has been reported these contests usually end in stalemate, as both sides are invariably evenly matched. However, they are apparently viewed as a form of entertainment and their value lies in the debate itself rather than the outcome. Analysis indicates Samaelian mathematics rely on a continuum of values, rather than on discrete integers. Integers do exist in their mathematics, but only as a limited subset of those more commonly used continua. Computation uses a base-six system of notation throughout. Medicine among the Samaelians is another field with a well-developed and mature technological base.

Chemical pharmaceuticals to combat various ailments are universally available for general use, and the Samaelians' ability to access all known medical information collected since the birth of their civilization, has made diagnosis and treatment an almost trivial task for any individual. Sulfur concrete, a synthetic material first created to serve as a building foundation in areas where natural rock outcroppings were inconveniently located, is used to enclose agricultural areas, construct roadways and buildings, and to bridge canyons and other natural depressions. Diamondoid is produced on an industrial scale as a building material from naturally occurring graphite deposits and from the graphite produced as waste during the extraction of atmospheric deuterium from ammonia. It's most conspicuous uses are in the construction of communications relay pylons and in transportation, where it is used to form structural components such as the structural and load-bearing components of ground transport vehicles. Foamed diamondoid is typically used in aircraft construction. A variety of polyurethanes, formed by reacting atmospheric carbon dioxide and ammonia, are commonly used for floor and wall coverings, furnishings, and utensils.

Agriculture on Samael consists of partially buried sulfur concrete walls enclosing areas containing fungal and prey animal populations, which are regularly cared for and periodically harvested by automated systems. The harvest is first stored in large enclosed buildings and later loaded onto wheeled transport vehicles for delivery to a nearby settlement or to a nearby rail/aircraft terminal for distribution. Food preservation techniques, such as irradiation, refrigeration, or desiccation, were not observed in use by either the lander or its subprobes.

Pneumatic technologies are highly developed and used as motive power for certain types of ground transportation, shipping food and other materials via pipelines, and in reciprocating engines to generate electrical power. A related use in aeronautical technology is the pressurization of high-altitude aerial vehicles, particularly the huge delta-winged aircraft powered by electrically-driven propellers that move passengers and cargo around the globe. Some of the more high-performance aircraft use resistively heated ramjets for propulsion; these, however, are viewed as extraordinarily inefficient and impractical for general use. Transportation technologies observed in use include large multi-axle ground transports used to deliver bulk materials over both graded and unimproved terrain which includes their crater-like surface mines. An extensive network of vehicles is used to transport both cargo and passengers along fixed rail lines. Aerial vehicles in a variety of shapes and sizes are in wide use, with some wholly or partially reliant on hydrogen gas for lift. All of these, in the absence of combustion, use electrically driven airscrews. Spacecraft, though apparently well within their technical capabilities, have never been developed or built by the Samaelians; it seems there is no particular interest or inclination among the population for direct exploration beyond the confines of their home world.

Electrical power generation is accomplished on Samael in several ways. Gigantic vertical turbines convert the wind's momentum to electricity, vast buildings housing enormous electrochemical cells generate power for some of the more isolated urban areas, and a network of fusion reactor complexes scattered across the planet provide bulk electricity. These reactor sites each consist of a helium-3/tritium- catalyzed deuterium-deuterium main polywell-type reactor and two subsidiary polywell reactors, one using the deuterium-helium-3 reaction and the other the deuterium-tritium fusion reaction. These installations generate about 97.358% (240 PWh/yr) of the power consumed by the Samaelian civilization. The deuterium used to fuel these reactors is "mined" from atmospheric ammonia, while the tritium and helium-3 are produced by the main reactor. Power is transmitted to consumers via a network of buried cables sheathed in diamondoid.

Articles

Huycau - Sitr'achra - Text by Radtech497
Binary System with unusual xenosophonts.
Samael - Text by Radtech497
Planet with unusual metallo-organic xenosophonts.

Xenosophonts from the heavy-metal-rich planet Samael

Physical Description

Contact & Communication

Culture and Society

Economics

Science & Technology