Psychoactive Crystal

Psychoactive crystals are a generally solid material somewhat similar to quartzes. They do have a relatively low boiling point, entering a liquid crystal state at temperatures as low as 500 degrees Kelvin under normal circumstances. This is indeed part of the manufacturing process. Psychoactive crystals are also well suited to alloying, as small amounts of crystals can be fused into almost any other material, though certain advanced materials such as Crystaliron, and Bonded Superdense work best for this process.

The existence of psychoactive crystals were first discovered on a Pardian data wafers as part of what is believed to have been an architectural guide. Initially studied during the 2nd Expansion, using limited amounts of the material that could be found in various ruins throughout Pardian space, it took almost four centuries for humanity to finally manufacture its first crystals. Though the low psionic potential at the time limited its use cases. As psionically gifted individuals became more common in the later days of unity, more and more uses were discovered, as more devices requiring or benefiting from psionic potential were built and more psionically gifted individuals existed. After the Jred Scourge however, most institutions stopped researching psionics, leaving only a handful of people looking into the applications of the material. In recent years however, as its potential to shut down psionic force was discovered, there has been renewed interest in the material as many groups look for defense against psionic attack, or in the case of anti-psionic extremists, the ability to nullify psionic abilities outright.

The most common use of psychoactive crystals in the modern day is in the production of equipment designed for use by psionic people. In this use, crystals are embedded or fused into another material where they resonate with psionic force with the resonance being used to enhance the capabilities of the objects in question. It can also be used in buildings to enhance the abilities of psions within the building. This is indeed necessary in some cases, such as with the Ansible that requires a truly staggering amount of psionic force used in a single space, well beyond the abilities of human psions. Another common utility is the use of the crystal's resonance in detection ability and indeed this was the very first use. However, as people have become distrusting of psions, a new use has been discovered, just as the crystal can be used to enhance psionic force, so too can it be used to nullify it. Commonly this is used in psi defense applications, but some buildings have been constructed that outright prevent a psion from using their powers within them.