Zenostium

Zenostium (Qerenoka: Nilatuura ) is a commercial name for a particular type of exotic matter used in the construction of paragravity and contragravity plates.

Acquisition
Rare and difficult to acquire, zenostium is most commonly found in an energetic state in flux tubes containing specific forms of energetic plasma; forms of the plasma have been encountered in other similarly energetic environments, but not in industrially-profitable amounts and in less favorable conditions. In its raw plasma form, zenostium quickly breaks down at room temperature and pressure. It can only be harvested using machinery that generate immense magnetic fields, where it is then isolated and bonded into purpose-developed metamaterials, giving it solid form. This process is extremely power-intensive and requires significant industrial infrastructure, and is so costly that the UNSC has pursued research in alternative materials, such as Tyrkal, which is a naturally-occurring solid yet stable form of zenostium. While it is possible to synthesize zenostium, this is even more expensive and energy-intensive than its harvesting.

Zenostium was initially only found in the flux tube between Sol's Jupiter and moon of Io. Since then, colonies such as Nephis now act as major exporters for the material.

Usage
Zenostium has been known to the Sangheili since the pre-Covenant era, and was even then used to construct paragravity plates. As Covenant technology advanced through the discovery of Forerunner technologies, natural zenostium mostly gave way to far more efficient synthetic forms of the material, though non-ministry industries without the great matter-engines would continue to harvest it in its natural form.

Humanity first discovered zenostium in the late twenty-third century during a wider effort to make industrial use of the Jupiter-Io plasma torus, which until that point had only been a hindrance to the colonies due to the intense radiation. Initially, the material only had fringe industrial and scientific applications until its gravitogenic properties were discovered in the second half of the twenty-fourth century. Since then, it has become the primary material needed to produce economical paragravity plates as well as contragravity engines used for establishing artificial gravity and antigravity, respectively. Since the 2530s, even small warships such as certain classes of frigates and logistical craft have been equipped with such systems enabling them to keep themselves airborne when operating in a planet's atmosphere, a considerable improvement over prohibitively fuel-hungry rocket boosters. By the mid-to-late 26th century, the zenostium industry was booming as gravitic technology became increasingly common throughout the UNSC and the civilian world alike, with the supply not always able to keep up with the demand.