Roz

This article is about the energy store. For the founder of TerrAstris, see Padran Roz.

Roz is a colourful, crystalline substance that stores massive amounts of potential energy in a small space. They are named after Padran Roz, the founder of TerrAstris, as a tribute to him by the company's newer leaders. They do not occur naturally, and must be created under intense heat and pressure to cause the crystals to form. Due to the versatile nature of pure energy, Roz crystals are accepted throughout the system as a substitute for currency.
Roz-units (RU) are a measure of energy stored by a crystal of Roz, where one Roz-unit (1 RU) is approximately equal to the explosive power of 3 metric tons of TNT (or 10¹⁰ Joules in SI units).

Properties

Material Characteristics

Roz crystals are spiky, polyhedral shapes that range from the size of a marble (red-orange) to the size of a handbag (white). They are very smooth and almost transparent, apart from a slight black polarising tint. They glow different colours through the centre, pulsing from one end to the other, depending on the amount of energy they store, with rough analogies for scale (and their prices at standard exchange rates):

• Red: 1 μRU, energy contained in a gram of petrol
• Orange (~1 cp): 10 μRU, half a slice of bread
• Yellow (~1 sp): 100 μRU, 1 kilogram of TNT
• Green (~1 gp): 1 mRU, average food intake per day
• Blue (~1 pp): 10 mRU, 2 kilograms of oil
• Purple (~10 pp): 100 mRU, average lightning bolt
• White (~100 pp): 1 RU, 3 tons of TNT

They are made of pure crystallised energy, locked in a stable form, so it does not have a chemical symbol or chemical composition. Purple and white crystals have been known to emit significant levels of gamma radiation, which has been calculated to be lethal under prolonged use.

Physical & Chemical Properties

The crystals are usually safe to touch with bare hands, apart from the purple and white crystals which can produce strong electrical currents when touched and emit significant amounts of gamma radiation.
Electrical cables can be attached to the crystal, which acts as a battery. Connecting the cables closer to each other produces a smaller potential difference, with the maximum potential difference obtained by connecting cables at the ends where the glow starts and stops. As energy is released, the crystal physically gets smaller, until it disappears when no energy is left.
Small Roz crystals (red and orange) can be used as bullets in regular guns if shaped correctly. On impact with the target, the bullets shatter and explode as outlined below.
The crystals can be shattered. However, since the crystals are made under enormous pressure, an equally strong force is required to break them, with the more powerful crystals being substantially harder to break. Red and orange crystals can be broken by someone jumping on them, and yellow crystals are have been recorded to have been broken in the past by extremely strong people when thrown very fast, but green crystals (for example) would require industrial-strength presses to break. When broken, the crystal instantly disintegrates into pure energy, releasing the energy as an explosion.
If broken under extreme heat and pressure, the crystal breaks into around ten smaller crystals of a smaller denomination.

Life & Expiration

Roz crystals decay over time, similarly to radioactive materials. These are the approximate half-lives (λ, the time taken for half of the crystal to decay), based off a paper published by TerrAstris:

• Red: not known to decay
• Orange: λ = 100 years
• Yellow: λ = 80 years
• Green: λ = 70 years
• Blue: λ = 50 years
• Purple: λ = 30 years
• White: λ = 10 years

As the crystals decay, they release energy in the form of gamma radiation.

History & Usage

Everyday use

Larger colonies use the smaller denominations of Roz crystals as currency. Their value is considered to be more stable than that of gold pieces, but most vendors will accept both.

Industrial Use

In Space Travel, Roz crystals can be used in ionic booster ships as an auxiliary fuel.

Distribution

Trade & Market

TerrAstris form these in their Dyson Swarm around the Sun, and then sell them in exchange for materials such as iron or precious metals, and rarely gold pieces for smaller transactions.

Storage

The smaller crystals are quite benign and can be stored freely. However, larger crystals are often kept underground to shield from gamma radiation, and prevent electrical sparks.

Type

Metaphysical