Toxin Immunity on Xinkangshan
The planet Xinkangshan in the Firstfall Collective would be an idyllic place to visit, except for the fact that breathing in the sweet, fresh smelling air there without the protection of a filter mask will kill a human within an hour. But visitors will notice quickly that the long-term residents of the world do not bother with such protection, and seem none the worse for it. This is because they have discovered a remarkable benefit derived from the consumption of an indigenous plant commonly called Xinkangshan Basil. This plant, consumed in appropriate quantities and with the necessary frequency confers an immunity to the debilitating, potentially lethal toxins in the air.
But the first colonists quickly discovered that the volcanic eruptions responsible for laying down valuable mining veins also produced vapors laced with heavy metal compounds, and indigenous microbes in the atmosphere feeding on other vapor elements reprocessed these into organic compounds quite similar to the MOFs (metal oxide frameworks) used in industry to deposit thin films of specific metals onto surfaces. Unfortunately, the MOFs produced by these microbes ultimately deposited their heavy metal films on the surfaces of lung tissue of colonists breathing them in. Filter masks prevented this problem, and early colonist homes and major buildings were made airtight with filtration systems ensuring toxins were captured.
One ubiquitous plant in particular - a small shrublike plant with spade-shaped, serrated leaves - seemed to be part of the diet of even the larger carnivorous predator animals native to the world. Upon discovering this, researchers analyzed the plant and quickly deemed it safe for human consumption. Serendipitously, the plant's leaves had a pleasant flavor and aroma, both reminiscent of the Terran herb commonly called basil. It took very little effort to convince colonists to include this herb in their regular diets. It has actually become an important component of the culture on Xinkangshan, with sharing of the leaves being a key element of basic hospitality.
The enzymes within the basil plant leaves do not survive the temperatures of cooking, so even though the herb is used for flavoring of stews and other hot food preparations, it is consumption of raw leaves that confer toxin immunity. As a result, almost every meal served on Xinkangshan will include a serving of raw salad greens consisting mostly if not entirely of the native basil. Additionally, a bowl of fresh leaves is typically kept on a small table near the outer door in any domicile; residents will grab a few leaves to eat on their way out, and hosts will formally offer some to departing houseguests as they depart.
It takes approximately a week spent consuming several servings of leaves per day in order for sufficient enzymes to build up in a human's lung tissue and mucus membranes to permit them to forego wearing of a filter mask; this level of consumption must be maintained indefinitely to preserve the immunity, which otherwise starts to diminsh within hours of the last consumption of basil leaves.
The Xinkangshan Toxins
Xinkangshan is rich with valuable heavy metal deposits that are relatively easy to access and extract. Magma beneath the surface of the world is apparently quite rich with these metals, and volcanic activity routinely ejects deposits onto the surface. The planet was initially colonized in order to take advantage of this to provide high-tech materials to the industrial complexes of the Firstfall homeworld and the worlds close to it.But the first colonists quickly discovered that the volcanic eruptions responsible for laying down valuable mining veins also produced vapors laced with heavy metal compounds, and indigenous microbes in the atmosphere feeding on other vapor elements reprocessed these into organic compounds quite similar to the MOFs (metal oxide frameworks) used in industry to deposit thin films of specific metals onto surfaces. Unfortunately, the MOFs produced by these microbes ultimately deposited their heavy metal films on the surfaces of lung tissue of colonists breathing them in. Filter masks prevented this problem, and early colonist homes and major buildings were made airtight with filtration systems ensuring toxins were captured.
The Effects of Xinkangshan Basil
Almost immediately after discovering the nature of these metallic toxins, researchers began to investigate why the indigenous animals of the planet did not seem to suffer from any ill effects of breathing unfiltered air. After two years of study, it was discovered that some native plants produced enzymes that would capture the organic metal compounds, breaking them down and encapsulating the metals into a waste product the creatures could then exhale.One ubiquitous plant in particular - a small shrublike plant with spade-shaped, serrated leaves - seemed to be part of the diet of even the larger carnivorous predator animals native to the world. Upon discovering this, researchers analyzed the plant and quickly deemed it safe for human consumption. Serendipitously, the plant's leaves had a pleasant flavor and aroma, both reminiscent of the Terran herb commonly called basil. It took very little effort to convince colonists to include this herb in their regular diets. It has actually become an important component of the culture on Xinkangshan, with sharing of the leaves being a key element of basic hospitality.
May the leaves keep you well.
The enzymes within the basil plant leaves do not survive the temperatures of cooking, so even though the herb is used for flavoring of stews and other hot food preparations, it is consumption of raw leaves that confer toxin immunity. As a result, almost every meal served on Xinkangshan will include a serving of raw salad greens consisting mostly if not entirely of the native basil. Additionally, a bowl of fresh leaves is typically kept on a small table near the outer door in any domicile; residents will grab a few leaves to eat on their way out, and hosts will formally offer some to departing houseguests as they depart.
It takes approximately a week spent consuming several servings of leaves per day in order for sufficient enzymes to build up in a human's lung tissue and mucus membranes to permit them to forego wearing of a filter mask; this level of consumption must be maintained indefinitely to preserve the immunity, which otherwise starts to diminsh within hours of the last consumption of basil leaves.
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