{SC23} Shimmer |as a power source|

Shimmer is a form of radioactive energy seeping out of Dimensional Rifts. Rifts are effectively rips in the fabric of reality between two parallel dimensions, and they're most often barely large enough to be seen to the naked eye, or be a health hazard. The size of a Rift is determined by the ammount of Shimmer that seeps out of it per second. The larger the Rift is, the more Shimmer seeps out, and the larger the zone of irradiated air is. If it's large enough, it gives a shimmery quality to the air, bending the light in a similar way as heat does, and shifting the colors around, which gave it the nickname 'shimmer'.
Shimmer has often been theorized as a potential source of energy, considering the seemingly unending supply of it, since Rifts seem to take a very long time to lose potency and close back again. The main issue is to convert that shimmer into power, since it does not have a physical presence like wind, and does not like to be stored in materials in a harmless way.

Properties

Material Characteristics

In its natural state, shimmer slightly bends the light and colors of the air it contaminates (hence the name). Looking through it is similar to looking above a burning-hot stove or sun-baked tar road

Physical & Chemical Properties

Walking through a shimmer-saturated area feels stranger the more saturated the air is. It causes difficulty breathing, cold spiking in the throat, tingling of exposed skin and the eyes. It is a faint sensation, however, and most people do not notice it until it's too late.

Origin & Source

Shimmer is theorized to be what's found between parallel dimensions

Life & Expiration

As it seeps out of a Dimensional Rift, shimmer has a rapid rate of deterioration. The reason why it can cover a lot of area is when the air reaches a saturation in shimmer particles, they get pushed out, effectively creating a sphere of radiation around the Rift Point.
The half life gets much longer once the radiation is settled into a material object, wether it's inert or organic. The two parameters to take into account in terms of shimmer deterioration is the time the material holds the shimmer, and how much it irradiates externally. For instance, pure metals hold shimmer for a while, but irradiate a lot. Fresh wood, however, doesn't hold shimmer very long, but doesn't irradiate much either. The older / dryer the wood gets, the more it holds shimmer, but it irradiates more. Those parameters vary according to the type of metal, or wood as well.
In all, the material that holds shimmer best, is human cerebro-spinal fluid, as long as the human in question carries the de Menn mutation, which converts some cells in the CS fluid to hold in shimmer for an extended period of time, with very minimal irradiation.

Type

Metaphysical

Color

Translucent, light-bending.

Common State

Ionizing radiation, plasma.