Locke Ion Plasma is an energetic mixture of low atomic number atoms that have been strongly ionised, making them incredibly reactive. Initially developed to assist in obscure chemical processes, the plasma has gained prominence as a protective enhancement for energy fields when working in highly polluted or chemically dangerous environments. When doped with Locke Ion Plasma, an energy field should destroy any pollutants that attempt to pass the field barrier, as long as that barrier remains intact or the plasma is consumed. The plasma constituents, contained within the energy membrane, are so powerfully reactive that they latch onto any chemically available substance, while simultaneously being energetic enough to cause chain ionisation inside the pollutant molecules, breaking atomic bonds and chemically disintegrating them from the “inside”. Meanwhile, stable atmospheric molecules are usually stable and simple enough to resist the plasma and pass through the field membrane unharmed.
The mixture of ions in Locke Ion Plasma must be carefully calibrated so as to react with contaminants while ignoring oxygen and other basic gaseous constituents of a standard atmosphere, so manufacturing measures of it requires careful introduction of various individually ionised gases into a single containment vessel, while preventing any chaotic interactions that can cause a chain reaction that will render the substance inert. Creating a measure of Locke Ion Plasma can often take weeks, and requires the use of highly specialized reaction vessels, magnetic injectors and containment fields.
Locke Ion Plasma is a type of Exotic Particle - an Exotic Substance related to Etheric Science. A physrep of some kind of energy containment device can be used to represent up to 10 measures of this substance, but particularly large physreps can hold more.
A measure of Locke Ion Plasma can be applied to an Energy Field to provide some protection from Minor TOXIC Environments. This stacks with other sources of protection from TOXIC Environments. If you are entering a TOXIC Environment, the Encounter Referee will usually let you know, and may ask if you have any relevant protection. Even if the Environment effect is more powerful than this substance can protect from alone you will still have greater protection than none - you may be able to go longer before suffering a Condition, or may suffer a less severe version of a TOXIC Condition. It is important to note that this substance does not protect against weapon attacks or other direct sources of harm - only to the more distributed hazard of an Environment.
As with all Exotic Substances, a character with at least 1 rank in the relevant speciality (Etheric Science in this case) can spend 1 minute of appropriate roleplaying to apply 1 measure of Locke Ion Plasma to an item. After this roleplaying, they should unpeel the sticker that represents this substance, stick it to the lammie of the item being powered-up, and record the current date & time on it.
The boost provided by this substance wears off 1 hour after application, or if all Field Hits provided by the Energy Field are lost (usually through damage), whichever is the sooner. If your character is in an Environment causing TOXIC Conditions when this substance wears off, you should notify the encounter Referee, either as soon as is convenient, or at the end of the current encounter.