Meltdown Ophilion - Book One

16_IMMERSE II

"If the tests go through as planned, there will be devastating consequences for the com-zones of Ophilion." She went on to make her point as quickly as possible so they wouldn't think her mad. "There is physics and chemistry involved. I'm not an expert; our own scientists understand the whole theory, but I'll explain it to you the way they told me."

The com-kids watched her as if she were a strange species of forest animal, or an alien from another planet.

"Over the last eight cenro the prime rulers in Kypro have been developing a weapon which they hope to use against our neighboring planet, Quarinor."

"Quarinor?" Fel asked. "Why Quarinor? They never had any hostile intentions, have they?"

"No, but the council does. They want to tap the energy resources, and, if the have their way - dominate them. There are other forces at work here too, which I'll explain later, but the point is that they are in the process of developing a weapon to break through the bio-shield that Quarinor has placed around their planet to protect themselves from this threat.

"So far, the attacks on the Quarinor shield have been ineffective, that is why the rulers of Kypro are developing this bio-weapon based on hexolium and a new breed of superheating explosive charge called 'quantol'. We don't know if it will, in fact, be effective against the Quarinor shield, but, if the information we have is correct, that won't matter - the weapons test in our asteroid belt is the problem.

"The way it works," Jenna went on, "is that when they fire the quantol explosives in the planetary ring, the reaction will have an effect that they are not aware of – If they were aware of it, they would never attempt it. There is a mineral called iridonium-3 that naturally co-exists with Hexolium. Not much testing has been done with iridonium-3 because there is no commercial demand for it, but what we have learned is that when iridonium is superheated in a zero-gravity condition - such as would occur as a result of quantol explosives - its molecules will fuse with the hexolium and cause a sub-nuclear reaction which will result in a wave, or possibly multiple waves of hexolium radiation.

"Naturally occurring hexolium radiation is harmless, some people even take concentrated hexolium as a narcotic." Fel and Orion exchanged meaningful glances. "In the free-zones this wave of radiation will have no effect on flora or fauna, but in the com-zones... it will be very different. The problem occurs when the massive quantities of hexolium radiation combine with the high concentration of air contamination in the com-zones. The air, as you know, is saturated with larintor and pherion particles, which come mainly from the chemical fusion fuels used in industry and transportation. When the three elements combine the air will become extremely toxic."

"So if you're right," Celli asked, "then your people in Bonthran-Tel wouldn't be affected."

"Not directly, no, but we are one planet; we are all connected."

"It seems you'd be better off without the com-zones," Celli's voice had become uncharacteristically bitter, "maybe we all would."

"That's not for us to judge."

"So, you would risk your life traveling to Kypro for people who could care less if you even existed?" Orion asked skeptically.

"Not everybody in the com-zones is like that. You're not."

Orion conceded her point.

"So, by 'extremely toxic' you mean...?" Fel wanted specifics; he suddenly felt mildly concerned. Something in Jenna's voice.

"From what our agents have told us... it will have a fatal outcome for most or maybe all people inside the com-zones and close-range agri-zones. The agri-zones further out will probably fare better. It will depend on wind direction and velocity." Jenna looked at each of them. "The com-zones will become death-zones, and it will happen quickly."