GloLite

Summary

The GloLite is an invention of the hopfolk on Karrots during the earliest period of recorded history, used for converting energy into light or hardlight. Most GloLites are meant to be worn on clothing, attached to vehicles or held in the paw. They are typically organically-powered or use planetary elements forged into cells for power. Most can light up a sizeable area in a complete circle for several microrbits.

The Grand Sop Army designed a version to emit hardlight for warfare later on. The hardlight they produce has minimal thermal radiation when powered on. Versions turned into weapons are extremely hot, hence the powerful luminosity, but allow the edge of the hardlight blade/seam to cut objects cleanly.

Weaponized versions have been rebuilt to create weapons using hardlight edges to inflict physical, thermal injury on hostiles or cut surfaces of structures. These changes are ideal for wartime and security. GloLite weaponry is usually inert unless a Hoppist with an authorized ribbon is nearby, emitting a wireless signal to engage its power cell fully and ignite from the emitter.

Components

The segments of a GloLite are as follows:

• Internal chassis - designed to house the electronics core, with several variants for different form factors
• Outer chassis - commonly called the hilt or housing, it determines if the light will be used as a fixture or modified for ultra-compact use cases.
• Electronics core - made of an emitter, a power cell assembly, the activation or auxiliary switches, and/or security tag for weaponized versions.
• Emitter - the lens that allows the hardlight shape to leave the hilt, acting as the final aperture before the internal energy erupts.
• Focusing gem - specialized minerals with high clarity which can assist the emitter in retaining the shape of the hardlight as it leaves the electronics core. The gem determines the color, although a lens can be tinted with a substance that can resist melting.
• Power cell assembly - historically powered by objects like carrots that were modified with alchemy, while modern designs use light-based fuel cells to power core, directly converting energy to light to mass (hardlight).
• Switches - control for turning the light on, adjusting brightness and so on; or used for weaponized versions to toggle the lethal edge safety.
• Blade/Hardlight-Edge - exclusive to GSA/Knights of Sop versions for military use, this part emits minimal thermal radiation while remaining hot enough to sear or liquify and vaporize most elements upon contact; typically longer than the limbs of a hopfolk by two or three times.

History

As hopfolk dug warrens and sought civilization below the surface of the planet, light was needed for those with sensory-impairment. The original inventors are highly disputed. The Northern hemisphere manufactures have produced a majority of GloLites for most the history. These have been used in deep space exploration, underground navigation and internal decoration across time by nearly all hopfolk.

The first weaponized redesigns emerged were prototyped as far back as The Endless War for The Eternal Throne era, somewhere around 4,900 Orbits BSA. Mass production did not begin until the Hop Civil War onward during 1 Orbit SA.

Early weaponized hardlight models suffered from "cold start" sputtering issues, where the emitter can short out if low on charge during ignition. This can also occur or if the hardlight makes contact with other hardlight surfaces for too long. This is worsened if the hilt is cold, such as in space or on worlds with poor starlight. This issue was fixed during the Hop Civil War.

Hop once made a variant in a tri-blade arrangement of a weaponized GloLite out of Athylin. This was given for Arritz the Hero to use during his service of the Grand Sop Army, but returned at the end of the Hop Civil War. Hop currently keeps it on display at the Grand Sop Army Academy across the hall from his father's statue, with the electronics core removed. Instead of hardlight blades, the emitter holes are occupied a colored metal tube.

Loose military GloLites are to be returned to the Grand Sop Army and surrendered if discovered in the wild. This mandate was enacted during the Hop Civil War to prevent criminals and non-Hoppists from using them. If made by another race in the universe, they are to be left with the owner. Current doctrine requires Hoppists to verify any GloLite-like objects were not manufactured on Karrots before apprehending them.