Templars of the Abbey/Omnium
From Unofficial Handbook of the Virtue Universe
Omnium is an alloy that appears in some of the stories and character histories of the Templars of the Abbey.
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Characteristics
Omnium is of interest to some groups due to two key characteristics:
- It is extremely hard, to the point of being functionally indestructible through normal means;
- It is very pliant to the quantum energies of Kheldians, who can easily mold it into new forms that retain their strength.
The omnium alloy can usually only be deformed through truly devastating forces and quantum energies that resonate with its structure. It can also be cut by itself. As such, it makes excellent armor and melee weapons. It could be used in bullets, though its rarity would make it prohibitively expensive to do so, at least on Primal Earth.
Omnium is generally chemically nonreactive and can be foamed into a light form that retains its strength despite having a low density. This makes it suitable for use in cybernetic implants. It is very slightly radioactive, with a half-life comparable to that of bismuth.
Pure omnium has an iridescent silver-blue color, though Kheldians can easily shift the absorption spectra of the alloy to change it to almost any color.
Applications
Omnium has been used to produce various melee weapons and armor, as well as cybernetic implants. Ariel has a set of omnium claws, as well bone and joint reinforcements made of the metal. Cerulean Light's armor is made of omnium and is among the largest objects made of the substance on Primal Earth.
On Mu Theta 3-22, where omnium occurs naturally, the ruling mutants use thin omnium sheets as body armor, and often carry omnium knives. The blades lose their razor sharp edges very slowly, making them convenient, if expensive, weapons. Mostly, the blades serve as deadly badges of station.
Compounds
Omnium itself is an alloy of several transition metals and at least one metal in the island of stability, possibly the alkaline earth metal unbihexium-310. The exact formulation is a closely guarded secret on Primal Earth. The need for considerable quantities of an extremely rare metal is probably one of the reasons omnium is extremely rare.
It is known that omnium can be oxidized under extreme heat and pressure. The oxide has none of the physical strength of pure omnium. Its other properties are as yet unknown.
Occurrence and Production
Omnium doesn't exist normally on Primal Earth and must be synthesized through a process involving the source metals and forces that can only be generated with the powers of metahumans. The synthesizing process is known on Mu Theta 3-22 and is performed by several mutants working in concert. It is known that kinetic energy and strong gravitational forces are required. A mutant with powers over radiation is often useful to produce the requisite synthetic elements in large enough quantities to be useful.
On Mu Theta 3-22, however, omnium occurs naturally, though it's a rare substance with a rate of occurrence similar to palladium. Most of the veins of it are located in the wastelands, further increasing the cost. Omnium synthesis is sufficiently costly, difficult, and dangerous that it's rarely performed except when large quantities are needed immediately, or when the cost of omnium rises due to a lack of supply.
