Ctä

Ctä is a fictional mineral described in the science fiction setting The Axiom Chronicles. It is portrayed as a rare, silicate-rich crystalline material with a pale blue-green glow and a layered octahedral lattice. In the lore, Ctä forms in the cooling margins of differentiated asteroidal bodies and is concentrated in vein-like cores within breccias. The name combines the in-universe language term tä with the Latin letter C, and is commonly pronounced see-tah.

Physical properties include high energy density and stability at elevated temperatures, combined with exceptional radiation hardness. It exhibits a distinctive spectral signature in the near-ultraviolet range and luminesces under UV light, which aids in remote sensing of deposits. Chemically, Ctä is relatively inert in ambient conditions but can react under intense bombardment to form volatile fragments.

Occurrence and extraction are described as deposits being concentrated in the asteroid belt and outer planetesimal ruptures, where vacuum-mining techniques are used to extract ore without exposing it to atmospheric contamination. Processing involves high-temperature smelting or solvent-free hydrometallurgy to separate pure Ctä crystals.

Uses and significance are depicted through its value for energy storage and for use in superconducting interconnects and photonic devices aboard starships. Economically, it is scarce and controlled by a handful of megacorporations, shaping trade routes and geopolitical alliances. Cultural depictions emphasize its rarity and the ethical questions surrounding deep-space mining.