Totelma

Totelma is a fictional mineral popular in science fiction and world-building lore. It is described as a rare crystalline substance that forms under extreme metamorphic conditions in subduction-zone analogs. The term originated in online community glossaries and has since been used in novels, games, and encyclopedic entries created by fans and creators of speculative fiction.

In common depictions, totelma has a hexagonal crystal lattice with an iridescent surface. It is said to exhibit exceptionally high energy density and strong radiation resistance, and under certain conditions it enables room-temperature superconductivity or highly efficient conduction. Synthesis is portrayed as technically demanding, requiring high pressures, precise temperatures, and contaminant-free environments.

Fictional applications include totelma-powered power cells, drive cores for starships, and compact data storage units. Its scarcity and extraction hazards often drive plotlines about supply chains, geopolitics, and environmental risk. World-building guides use totelma to test material-science plausibility, focusing on crystal structure, phase behavior, and energy budgets.

Although not a real substance, totelma serves as a reference point for how extraordinary materials are imagined and reasoned about in fiction. Writers and game designers use it to explore concepts of manufacturability, scalability, and environmental impact of advanced materials.