Element 99 (Singularity)

Element 99 is an element that features in the video game Singularity.

History
Element 99 (E99) was discovered by Russian miners in the year 1941 during a mining operation in order to gain valuable ores from the war effort from the island of Katorga-12. What they uncovered from the Kamchatka Peninsula and after an indepth study it was added into the periodic table as a new element. Following the end of World War II, a classified experimental program was developed in order to study the unique properties of E99 with the chief researcher being Doctor Viktor Barisov. Two months into the project, he discovered that administering an electrical current into the ore sample would lead to it breaking down but creating a 10 to 1 energy surplus. Upon uncovering this fact, the harnessing of Element 99 became an obsession for Dr. Barisov as it provided a limitless power source that would secure both himself as well as the Soviet Union a place in history. During the trial run of experiments, many research accidents happened that cost the lives of the many researchers. Privately, Barisov autopsied the bodies and learnt that whilst all were unrecognisable - the affects were different as some were aged to death whilst others reverted to an earlier point. Thus, he learnt that this unstable ore had the ability to alter the time state of atoms themselves.

This led to him developing the TMD and a unique weapon called the Seeker that made use of E99 weapon clips. However, in the 1950's, an incident occured known as the Singularity which caused a rip in time around the island of Katorga-12. By saving Viktor Barisov, an alternate timeline was formed where the Soviet Chancellor Demichev made active use of E99 as a weapon and detonated a bomb made of this substance in America this allowing Russia to conquer much of the world. A prototype of the E99 bomb was held at a Soviet freighter called The Pearl and was the only substance capable of stopping the Singularity event. An explosion of E99 was capable of killing thousands of lives but had a more horrific effect on any survivors with both human and animal life being mutated by its unique effects. Such devices resembled small hand held spheres that needed to be powered up by special E99 technology such as those seen within the construct known as the Cooker.


 * In at least one ending for the game where Barisov and Demichev are killed, the knowledge of making further E99 is lost to the world thus ending the Soviet Union's grip on the world as well as causing it to fracture.

Overview
The capabilities of E99 had near limitless potential as an energy source. Once mined, the ore was required to be processed through a complex piece of machinery known as the Cooker that purified the substance. This processing device resembled a large blue sphere with hexagonal plates hovering around it which was essential in the purification of Element 99. It allowed for E99 to be forged into metals with unique properties that was essential in the development of the special field of Element 99 based technology. However, the unique properties of the substance meant that locations where excessive processing of E99 led to the formation of time rifts that were naturally formed as a result of the excessive presence of the substance. Certain manufacturing plants and purifying facilities for Element 99 were also capable of being ruptured whereupon they emitted a green gas that had a mutagenic effect on any unfortunate living beings in the area unless they wore appropriate breathing equipment. The height of E99 technology was the TMD that had the power to affect the time fields of objects in its vicinity as well as manipulate things like gravity. Though it could only affect small objects, the use of Time Amplification Platforms allowed for the TMD's power to be magnified greatly allowing it to accomplish much greater events such as reversing mass destruction and rebuilding structures such as bridges back to their former stage or even bring back sunken ships. In the latter case though, the effect was only temporary and the vessel would eventually return to its former state.

Through extended research of E99, it was determined that it was possible to weaponize the substance. This was first seen in the creation of the TMD and later the E99 bomb but there were other weapons that made use of Element 99 as ammunition which included:
 * Centurion Pistol : the most basic application of E99 technology in handheld weapons was in the Centurion which was a single shot revolver that used Element 99 as ammunition that amplifying its destructive power. Whilst it dealt a high amount of damage to normal targets, it had a long reload rate. A typical pistol carried 30 rounds with the Centurion already being armed with six bullets with 24 held for reload.
 * Seeker Rifle : an example of the time distorting effects of E99 being weaponized, the Seeker was a sniper rifle that had its bullets infused with Element 99. This transformed it into a one-hit weapon that when fired allowed its user to steer the bullet in slow motion allowing it to navigate its environment and hit well hidden targets.
 * Spikeshot : essentially a man-portable railgun that fired E99 infused ammunition as spikes that embedded themselves in targets. When charged, it detonated and did severe damage to a target as well as anything surrounding it. It included an infrared scope as well but this was not used for sniping but rather as a means of seeing enemies in darker environments. The standard Spikeshot carried 20 spikes with 5 already present in the gun and the user carrying an extra 15 for use.

More destructive potentials of the technology including the creation of the E99 Bomb that was a superweapon with the effects of a nuclear warhead though much more powerful. It was able to devastate entire landmasses and served as a potent weapon against entire nations. This device resembled a sphere that could be held with both hands that opened up and revealed a yellow glowing core of E99. This was typically loaded into a device whereupon it detonated with great power. However, for it to be used, the device required to be charged which was only capable of being accomplished at the Cooker which enfused the bomb with its unique energy. Another notable device was a large man constructed tower that created a unique time rift known as the Singularity that had a dramatic effect on the timeline as well as experiences of the user. It was believed that the TMD could actually control the Singularity though Dr Barisov disputed this fact. The effects of the Singularity had notable effects in the surrounding land as individuals were sometimes displaced from one time period to another and at other times they saw ghostly images of the past where they were incapable of intervening in the event.


 * Multiplayer matches in Singularity called Extermination has Soldiers versus Creatures with the objective being specific Beacons set on the map. The Soldiers mission was to repair it with their TMDs and once operational, they emitted a burst of energy that killed any Creature at the site. This was presumably another example of E99 based technology though the beacons don't appear in the actual campaign.

The exposure to Element 99 radiation had a dramatic effect on the physiology of living beings which transformed them into hideous mutants with some variations displaying remarkable abilities as well as intelligence. Some of the creatures formed included:
 * Phase Ticks : the smallest of creatures formed as a result of E99 though their origins were not entirely certain. They lived in large colonies and possessed quantities of E99 stored in orange sacs on their back. They typically rushed at targets and exploded in an attempt to kill their target. Whilst not seen in the campaign, multiplayer showed Phase ticks being able to latch onto enemies, killing them and hijacking their bodies for their own use.
 * Reverts' : one of the basic creatures encountered and were the result of E99 exposure on human bodies. Transformed into hideous and blind shambling creatures, the Reverts were powerful with strong attacks and had the ability to vomit the contents of their stomach from their mouth to harm enemies. In multiplayer, this had the effect of healing other E99 mutated creatures and the Revert was shown to be able to vomit an organic based mine that blew on proximity to a target. Reverts being blind were shown to react to sound and attacked the closest being present. Furthermore, scenes are shown where they are seemingly eating the dead remains of humans. Whilst E99 mutated these formerly human beings, the TMD was shown to turn humans into Reverts as well. Attempting to use Reversion on a Revert simply creates a much more powerful as well as faster creature that explodes shortly after the forced change by the TMD.
 * Zeks : the name stems from the Russian word for "prisoner" and was the result of humans being infected by the soul leecher that transformed the subject into a pale ape-like monster. They were more intelligent than Reverts and often attacked in packs against humans. Whilst they often used melee attacks to kill their prey, they were known to pick up explosive containers and throw them at targets. A unique effect of E99 exposure meant that the Zek was able to phase out of reality making it impervious to weapon attacks and giving it a ghostly appearance with only its blue glowing eyes being its most visible quality. Only the application of a TMD Impulse shock was capable of forcing them back to normal reality. A special kind of Zek known as an Echo possessed a bone shaped appendage on their arm for melee attacks.
 * Radions : similar to the Phase tick, the origin of these creatures were not known and they were one of the larger creatures mutated as a result of exposure to E99. They appeared as brown skinned spider-like creatures with the ability to spit out explosive blasts from their mouths that damaged a target and anything surrounding it. They also could spit out smaller globs of an acidic substance that harmed any attacker near them.

Appearances

 * Singularity:

External Link

 * Singularity Wiki Entry