ANDERS MAGE PAGE 2.0

The Technocracy has for a long time been highly dependant on energy. Just like the Syndicate is turning quintessence into money and Prime into Economy, Iteration X is turning quintessence into energy and Prime into physics. One of their most cunning plans is nuclear energy.

They have spent much time and energy in developing the theories of nuclear physics to fit their needs. Radioactive decay releases powerful forces, which disrupts nearby patterns. This is the reason why radioactivity is damaging for living beings, since it destroys their patterns. This pattern disrupting effect was quite useful in the atomic bomb, but Iteration X soon found a far more efficient use. With the help of the Syndicate, who controlled the economic and theoretical aspects of the project, they spread nuclear energy as a boon to mankind during the 1950's and 1960's. Lots of reactors were built, and while the Syndicate had to strain economic credibility a bit to make them commercially viable, they proved a great success for the Technocracy.

A nuclear reactor uses radioactive decay to produce energy, but unknown to the Sleepers it also produces quintessence. The patterns of matter which are irradiated will break down and release the quintessence trapped inside. By carefully designing the reactors to collect this quintessence, Iteration X has created artificial nodes. In practice, nuclear reactors burn not only the uranium to create the radiation needed, they also burn the water inside the reactor to produce quintessence. However, the amounts are usually so small that the disappearance can be ignored. The resulting prime is then either used at a nearby construct, channeled into Autochthonia or led away using power-lines to other constructs.

The prime from nuclear nodes is influenced by its hi-tech origin, and have a definite technomantic feeling. It is sometimes tainted by the anti-life effect of radioactivity, which makes it mostly useful for Iteration X, who tend to appreciate it. This is the real cause of the rumors of allergies and leukemia caused by power-lines. Besides the obvious uses of the quintessence, the waste quintessence from nuclear nodes is suitable for general reinforcement of static reality. The hi-tech quintessence is simply allowed to diffuse through the electrical networks, fuelling technology everywhere.

In extreme cases, the Technocracy might need enormous amounts of quintessence, like in creating new realms. They can then use their control over the reactors to burn massive amounts of matter into quintessence, at the cost of a small nuclear accident. This might have been the true reason for the Chernobyl accident, as the technomancers lost control over the raw quintessence and it formed into a Force-pattern.

The Technocracy is a bit divided on the question of whether to build more reactors or not. Iteration X and the Syndicate want them, but the New World Order are worried about nuclear proliferation and that too much free quintessence will get loose. They have not yet decided on the issue of fusion, which will produce even more quintessence. Quite naturally, the Traditions dislike nuclear power and support the anti-nuclear movements. They know that the real issue isn't the risks of nuclear power, but the fact that the Technocracy is spreading massive amounts of high tech, slightly tainted quintessence over the world. However, some Sons of Ether support the Technocracy and want to spread nuclear energy to the people, allowing enormous amounts of quintessence into reality.