Description
Early settlement of the Fringe brought with it a large contingent of asteroid miners. In their travels they encountered patches of Blackfish floating in space or near phosphate ore fields of large asteroids. Early encounters caused concern when its corrosive nature caused suit breaches and when it spontaneously ignited or exploded in the oxygen rich interior of a spaceship. It became highly sought after for its volatile properties once procedures for its safe handling were determined. A later chance encounter with a Gursht provided the answer to how Blackfish was formed. A crew of miners saw the beast and as they approached, they were surprised to see an expulsion of black liquid from its rear. Upon inspection it was found to be Blackfish. Apparently, the asteroid swallowing creature was drawn to uranium. Rock phosphate ore commonly found on asteroids could contain millions of tons of uranium. As the asteroid was broken down during digestion the hydrochloric acid in the belly of the beast dissolved the uranium and the reaction caused the creation of Blackfish which was then passed as waste. Blackfish is used primarily as a flammable source for weapons and as an explosive when triggered by oxygen for breaching. One of the first uses of Blackfish that brought its devastating properties to the forefront of Fringe lore was its use in the ammo cartridges of the Cream Steamer. This Junkyard-Built weapon became known for its “sticky fire”. The dual igniters at the end of the barrel proved insufficient to completely burn the expanding combustion of the trapped Blackfish. Some of the unburnt chemical exited the barrel igniting in the presence of oxygen as it travelled, often sticking to the victims and igniting on contact. Fowes Trent put it straight when he said, “Death by sticky fire is slow and loud.”
