Tserin instability

The irreversible buildup of stress that can turn active Tserin into Shard-T.

Tserin instability is the permanent stress accumulated by Tserin as it supplies electrical power. Every active crystal has an instability value between zero and one hundred.

Causes

Two things increase instability: the amount of power drawn from a crystal and the presence of other active crystals nearby. Raw, inactive Tserin can be stored together without causing concentration stress.

Progression

Instability rises gradually and never falls. Switching off a crystal stops further wear but does not restore it. At 75, a crystal is classified as damaged; once deactivated, a damaged crystal cannot be activated again.

Transformation

A crystal reaching 100 transforms immediately into Shard-T. The transformation sends a shock through nearby active crystals, which can push them toward further transformations.

Management

ZCS monitors crystal condition and can retire worn crystals. Concentrated generator banks can produce more power in a small area but place additional stress on each other. During a failure of supervisory control, retirement may be interrupted.

See The Zenith power grid for the industrial system that depends on Tserin.