Crystal energy and discharge: Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 13:45, 30 October 2026

Appears in: Descent

Crystal energy is the energy of the Crystal-plant hybrid, which a few people can absorb and later release in different forms.

In Descent (2258)

How it works

Spoilers for Descent

It was discovered when a researcher's equipment melted after hours studying a crystal, while she and her clothes were unharmed. She had a rare combination of gene expressions in the cells of her amygdala, a difference in its physical structure rather than its chemistry, which let her transfer the crystal's energy to her temporal lobe by staying near it. She could later release it as heat, flames and light. Soon after, a second researcher with the same profile released it as magnetism. Both said it took a strange "feeling" to absorb it. Releasing it though, was far more unclear: for one, a continuous effort like a mental struggle or a prolonged light pain was needed; for the other, the action was more described as a deep communion with her surroundings.

In the story

Spoilers for Descent

Kurt's search finds nine candidates among the crew who are awake, exactly three in each group; eight join the expedition to the The crystal cluster. Back at the wreck, several of them manage to produce energy inducing manipulations: heat, magnetism and low-frequency waves. Others don't seem to manage to use the absorbed crystal energy, doubting they have performed the acquisition properly.

Other effects appear later in the story.

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 {{Languages}}
 {{Appears in|type=force|Descent|es=Energía de los cristales y descarga|ca=Energia dels cristalls i descàrrega}}
-Crystal energy is the energy of the [[Crystal-plant hybrid|Crystal-plant hybrid]], which a few people can absorb and later release. It is the survivors' answer to the lack of energy after the crash, and the origin of [[Kurt|Kurt]]'s lightning and [[Wang|Wang]]'s fire.
+Crystal energy is the energy of the [[Crystal-plant hybrid|Crystal-plant hybrid]], which a few people can absorb and later release in different forms.
 == In Descent (2258) ==
 === How it works ===
 {{Spoiler|Descent}}
-It was discovered when a researcher's equipment melted after hours studying a crystal, while she and her clothes were unharmed. She has a rare combination of gene expressions in the cells of her amygdala, a difference in its physical structure rather than its chemistry, which lets her transfer the crystal's energy to her temporal lobe by staying near it. She can later release it as heat, and with practice as flames and light. A second researcher with the same profile releases it as magnetism. Both say it takes a "feeling": absorbing is a breath-induced calm; releasing, for one, a continuous effort like a mental struggle or a prolonged light pain, for the other a communion with her surroundings.
+It was discovered when a researcher's equipment melted after hours studying a crystal, while she and her clothes were unharmed. She had a rare combination of gene expressions in the cells of her amygdala, a difference in its physical structure rather than its chemistry, which let her transfer the crystal's energy to her temporal lobe by staying near it. She could later release it as heat, flames and light. Soon after, a second researcher with the same profile released it as magnetism. Both said it took a strange "feeling" to absorb it. Releasing it though, was far more unclear: for one, a continuous effort like a mental struggle or a prolonged light pain was needed; for the other, the action was more described as a deep communion with her surroundings.
-The effect seems safe. Inducing the gene expression in others would be possible but slow.
+{{Spoiler end}}
 === In the story ===
 {{Spoiler|Descent}}
-Kurt's search finds nine candidates among the crew who are awake, exactly three in each group; eight join the expedition to the [[The crystal cluster|The crystal cluster]]. Back at the wreck, the heat researcher stores almost 2% of the ship's capacity through a recovered thermal shield, the magnetic one 1.5% through an inductor made from a gravity rotor, and six of the eight together reach 6%. Wang and another guardian release heat, an engineer magnetism, and the youngest researcher low-frequency electromagnetic waves when she touches someone. Kurt and one guardian produce nothing.
+Kurt's search finds nine candidates among the crew who are awake, exactly three in each group; eight join the expedition to the [[The crystal cluster|The crystal cluster]]. Back at the wreck, several of them manage to produce energy inducing manipulations: heat, magnetism and low-frequency waves. Others don't seem to manage to use the absorbed crystal energy, doubting they have performed the acquisition properly.
-Wang later raises a wall of flame against a [[Vaghadata|Vaghadata]], his hand on something on his chest. Kurt's discharge comes at the end, driven by rage: electricity crawls over the ground towards his hands, his eyes turn white, and a lightning bolt strikes the clearing.
+Other effects appear later in the story.
-=== Quotes ===
-<div class="calima-quote">After lengthy tests it was discovered that the researcher had a rare combination of gene expressions in the cells of her amygdala that, by staying in the vicinity of the crystal for a certain time, allowed her to transfer its energy to her temporal lobe through an unknown mechanism.{{Source|Descent|Part 2}}</div>
-<div class="calima-quote">Both the transfer and the release of this energy required a certain mental predisposition from the researcher, which she described as a "feeling".{{Source|Descent|Part 2}}</div>
-{{Spoiler|Descent}}
-<div class="calima-quote">Barely the start of a chilling roar could be heard before a lightning bolt struck the clearing between the two contenders.{{Source|Descent|Part 3}}</div>
+{{Spoiler end}}
 == Sources ==
 <references />