Higher Elements

"Lodestar."

Continuing the summary, which becomes more condensed as it proceeds:

too many protons packed into an atomic nucleus generate forces of repulsion which, sooner or later, overcome the forces of attraction;

above number 84, no isotope is stable;

generally, higher atomic numbers are less stable;

it was thought that elements higher than uranium (neptunium, plutonium etc) must have decayed long ago and could now exist only if generated artificially;

then some traces, but only with atomic numbers below 100, were found;

proton repulsion makes the creation of higher elements difficult and their brief existence makes it less rewarding;

it was thought that 120 would never be reached;

however, "Beyond a certain point, nuclei become more stable." (p. 389);

there is an "island of stability" between 113 and 123 and, theoretically, higher islands;

beyond 100, most half-lives last for seconds or less so there are no intermediate stages to higher stabilities;

114, eka-platinum, would be industrially valuable but is impossible to produce in large quantities;

even on Satan, only elements below 100 can be produced;

then a new company, Supermetals, began to sell large quantities of supermetals at high but affordable prices.

Thus, the summary moves imperceptibly back from science to science fiction. Clever.

Supermetals ships use evasive maneuvers that the Polesotechnic League thought were its secrets. Someone high in the League founded Supermetals.