Kaboomite
Kaboomite is a powerful explosive of unknown composition. The methods and processes of its manufacture and safe handling are closely-guarded secrets of high-ranking employees of the Stellvia Corporation, specifically Kohran Li and Sora Hasegawa. The general nature of kaboomite is also known to Noah Scott, Yayoi Fujisawa, and Malaclypse Fnord, and was revealed to Commander Tom Dodge of the USS Stingray immediately before the final offensive in the Boskone War in January 2014.[1]
"Use of a kaboomite warhead" is one of the very few known ways to reliably breach a large 'waved ship's hull quickly. However, this method tends to destroy anything smaller than a Space Vessel, rather than simply breaching its hull.
One of the persistent myths of Fenspace is that Kaboomite is nothing more than handwaved Pop Rocks and cola. Noah Scott has denied that rumor.
Because of the Kaboomite Incident at Islandcon (where a misfire of a test kaboomite warhead caused over $10,000,000 in property damage), one of the minor clauses in the Kandor Treaty prohibits the peacetime use of Kaboomite within 1000 km of any inhabited body or station other than Stellvia.[2] The PEPPER Treaty made private ownership of kaboomite illegal.
Metafictional Data
| This page is written or contains material written in the metafictional (or OOC) voice. This material may contain spoilers, Easter Eggs, or other data not generally known in the world of Fenspace. The reader is duly warned. -The Mgt. |
While the characters have no idea what kaboomite is (none of them having thought to tote a Geiger counter to Anticipation), the authors are aware that it is subcritical nuclear weaponry. The Stellvians took it upon themselves to gather all the easily-accessible fissionables (NPUs in hardtech space probes, 'wave-assisted extraction from depleted-uranium ammunition, and so on) before most Fen made it Up so that there wouldn't be a nuclear arms race in Fenspace. The last Kaboomite warheads of that original batch were fired by the Stingray during the Fall of Boskone Prime (which is why Noah revealed the secret to the US Navy - there weren't any left after the three he gave them). Noah has stopped making the stuff - with the Space Patrol better able to monitor the use of radioactives than are the Stellvians, he won't have a driving urge to create more.
And when private possession of weapons of mass destruction was outlawed by the Fenspace Convention early in Season 2, StellviaCorp gave the procedure and equipment needed to create kaboomite to Great Justice. Noah refused to let Kohran buy replacement equipment, so they can't create any more anyway.
As to where Noah got the specs for subcritical nuclear warheads, and why he didn't end up in a very dark jail cell once Cmdr. Dodge found out about them... that's still a secret, but it's the same secret.
Notes
- ↑ The androids are under strict orders from Noah to not divulge the nature of Kaboomite to anyone under any circumstances, Cmdr. Dodge has similar orders from ComSubLant, and Mal's promised not to tell.
- ↑ Considering the number of stations in orbits near Stellvia, this means Korhan had to carry out her Kaboomite tests in the "Black Country".
