Drogue

Drogue (indexed as DR44/3.2 under Conrad's Coordination System) is a semi-precious element mainly found at the bottom of the ocean on Eorth. With a density of 44, it is strong and scratch-resistent, and for a still-unknown reason, it expands in direct proportion to gravity. Therefore, a six-inch blade on Eorth will be a twenty-four inch sword on a planet with a gravity field 100x stronger that of Eorth's. In zero-gravity, the blade vanishes to an infinitesimal size.

Appearance
The color of drogue can either be a dull silver or a deep blue, depending on the depth at which it was harvested. Drogue gathered from the surface of the ocean floor will often appear as a tarnished silver, whereas the deepest-found specimen of drogue has the color of dark blue velvet. Even when polished, it does not reflect images.

Neural Wavelength
Often called "the living metal," drogue has the ability to repair itself, making it resistant to small scratches. In many places, drogue is used for computer interfaces, since its ability to move molecules around can be programmed so it displays images. Drogue is also known as "the monogamous metal," because given its unique wavelength, if a person is consistently exposed to a weapon or tool made of drogue, he will psychically bond with it and become emotionally attached. It is classed on some planets as a toxic metal for this feature. There are stories of adventurers who, after using a drogue blade for several years, refuse to fight with any other weapon. One particularly devoted warrior once died seconds after his drogue blade was broken. Drogue, naturally, never gives a crap about what happens to its owner.

Use in Weapons
Because of the "gravity-mass correlation" principle, any weapons made from drogue must be set in adaptive handles if they are going to undergo space travel. Blades made from drogue are often set in handles made of tinward (TW24/1.1), which expand and contract around the blade to adjust for its varying size. A tinward handle will keep a blade from free-floating and disappearing completely in zero gravity. Some blades are forged with their own gravity field in order to maintain a minimal size in outer space.

Use among Cave Peoples
Since there are none on Moon who could harvest drogue from the seafloor, it is often salvaged from wrecked spacecraft, making it a precious metal for the cave peoples. Once they have it, cave alchemists use it for a variety of purposes, though how they temper the metal to perform these feats, it is unknown.
 * Boiling water
 * Casting light
 * Powering simple motors (the wheel will maintain a constant rotation speed no matter the resistance)
 * Forging writing tablets that can store up to 200 pages of text