Negation gas is a controlled chemical compound typically prepared in an aerosol format. It appears as a voluminous, semi-opaque cloud of mustard-colored gas that lightly stings the eyes and respiratory system and leaves an oily residue in its wake. The gas is a fast-acting chemical inhibitor that works on skin contact, cutting off an Evolved human from their ability within seconds. The negation gas need not be inhaled to take effect, but if inhaled, the negation takes effect immediately.
Once exposed to the gas, the use or activity of all SLC-Expressive abilities is cut off for the duration of exposure and roughly eight minutes thereafter; the subsequent return of ability function and control afterward is gradual. Some people have reported experiencing mild to strong nausea or tremors following exposure.
Like negation from other chemical sources or Evolved powers, negation gas cannot undo permanent effects of an Evolved ability. A block of stone that has been turned to gold is not miraculously turned back to stone after the transmuting Evolved is negated, unless he must sustain concentration on the effect. Likewise, Evolved who transform into non-organic forms such as living metal or fire cannot be affected by the gas.
As the gas has a high concentration of water vapor in its aerosol form, hydrokinetics and Evolved with similar abilities have marginal control over the gas, provided that they stay outside of the area of effect and do not themselves become negated. Furthermore, as a gas, it is at the mercy of strong winds, which can disperse the gas entirely or drive it into areas it should not be.
Negation gas is most commonly used in the form of gas grenade canisters, the body of which is a sheet-steel cylinder with emission holes in the top and bottom. These allow the gas to be released when the grenade is ignited. The filler is generally 80 to 120 grams of negation gas combined with a pyrotechnic composition that burns to generate smoke. The gas is naturally colorless; the distinctive yellow coloration of these grenades is a compound added to distinguish the negation gas from tear gas or smoke for operator safety.
These grenades spin wildly when emitting gas and spread it over a wide area. A single negation gas grenade can continue to pump out gas for over a minute.
Significance
Negation gas is a chemical compound originally created on the isle of Madagascar under request of the Pinehearst Company. The gas is an aerosolized version of adynomine. When Pinehearst collapsed, Madagascar's dictator General Edmond Rasoul continued production of the gas and utilized it to help dominate the population of Madagascar and crush out Evolved rebellion among his people.
When Madagascar was liberated from Rasoul's regime in December 2009, all research on the gas and samples of it were secreted away by Emile Danko to the United States government. Thereafter, the gas became the property of the Commonwealth Institute and was one of their most feared weapons. During the Second American Civil War, the Mitchell Administration mass-produced negation gas on a scale not seen before or since. Chemical factories across the country pumped out hundreds of thousands canisters of the gas, which was widely used by Mitchell-aligned forces during the civil war.
Most factories that produced negation gas were destroyed by Resistance forces during the civil war. In addition, the 2014 revelation of adynomine's carcinogenic effects led to production ceasing by 2015. It has also become apparent that repeated exposure to the negation gas results in long-term neurological damage — in both Evolved and Non-Evolved — leading to hyper-aggression and thyroid damage.
In spite of production ending, abundant caches of negation gas can be found across the United States, especially in destroyed military bunkers or supply depots. It is possible it will take decades for the supply created by the Mitchell regime to be fully depleted.
Possession or use of negation gas is illegal in the United States and is considered to be in violation of the Geneva Protocol.
Bioresearch companies across the world are racing to produce a more reliable and humane alternative to negation gas, but no such compound has yet been discovered.
Access
Characters wishing to illegally purchase, possess, or sell negation gas should submit a +request.
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Currently in the keeping of:
Illegal Chemical Weapon
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| Raytech | SESA | NYPD | d'Sarthe | Wolfhound | Yamagato | OEI | Deveaux |
| NO | NO | NO | YES | NO | NO | NO | NO |