sidemeina

Sidemeina is a fictional mineral described in speculative fiction and worldbuilding resources. It is valued in the narratives for its combination of conductivity and luminescent properties. The mineral forms in hydrothermal environments when copper- and nickel-bearing fluids interact with silicon-oxygen sheets, yielding a layered crystal habit with a pale blue to green color and a metallic luster. Its hardness is described as Mohs 5.5–6, and it often occurs as plate-like nodules within quartz veins.

Origin of the name: The term sidemeina is named after the fictional geologist Dr. Sidemein, who is credited with first documenting the mineral in the in-world geological record.

Distribution and occurrence: In the stories, sidemeina is rare and geographically restricted, found primarily in the irradiated crust of the ice moon Velaar and in deep subduction zones of the terrestrial planet Argo.

Applications within fiction: The mineral's purported piezoelectric properties and high electrical conductivity make it a sought-after material for energy storage and resonant circuitry in starship reactors and autonomous probes. Its extraction is portrayed as technically challenging and geopolitically sensitive.

Notes: Sidemeina does not correspond to any real mineral; it functions as a literary device in worldbuilding.