The reason Vahi rusted so quickly

[ToaKebaka]

Just a quick random thought and explanation.

It was always a bit strange how Kanohi Vahi rusted so quickly when it was only submerged in the Silver Sea for several months. From everything else we have seen, metallic protodermis is not a material that would rust so easily. Its widespread usage in important structures over very long time, not to mention Ga-Matoran masks which are regularly submerged in water - a relatively sudden rusting of Vahi is strange.

Well I have a solution to my own question:
When Vakama found rusted Vahi in Time Trap, it was cracked and leaked time energy, messing with time in its vicinity. It is likely that Vahi sped up the time required for the rusting process, hence its rapid acqusution of new color.

[Dag]

@ToaKebaka

When Vakama found rusted Vahi in Time Trap, it was cracked and leaked time energy, messing with time in its vicinity. It is likely that Vahi sped up the time required for the rusting process, hence its rapid acqusution of new color.

While that is certainly possible, there’s another possibility, one that I discussed in my analysis on protodermis:

@Dag

Metallic protodermis can also rust, including Protosteel,[16] but the only known instance of natural rust is the Vahi from being in the Silver Sea.(“Chapter 1.” Time Trap , p. 10) Because metallic protodermis and liquid protodermis are simply different states of the same molecule (see section 2), the likely source of the oxidation is from the rock-like protodermis sediment in the raw liquid protodermis (see section 2.1).

Remember that the liquid protodermis canals and chutes used in Metru Nui had pure liquid protodermis.[1] If the source of the rust was from that impure sediment, it wouldn’t be a problem with purified liquid protodermis.

[CalamitousT]

Honestly, we have a more-or-less unique instance of rapid rusting, it’s a mask of Time, attention is drawn to it being damaged and leaking time energy, so… Time-Power-Rapid-Rusting works for me!

(I even wonder if that was Greg’s intended reading)

[ToaKebaka]

@Dag

Remember that the liquid protodermis canals and chutes used in Metru Nui had pure liquid protodermis.[1] If the source of the rust was from that impure sediment, it wouldn’t be a problem with purified liquid protodermis.

That is true, but I wasn’t referring to the source of rusting, but to the rate.

@CalamitousT

Honestly, we have a more-or-less unique instance of rapid rusting, it’s a mask of Time, attention is drawn to it being damaged and leaking time energy, so… Time-Power-Rapid-Rusting works for me!

(I even wonder if that was Greg’s intended reading)

Yes, those are the reasons I came to that conclusion, while rereading Time Trap.

[TheJerminator]

@CalamitousT

(I even wonder if that was Greg’s intended reading)

I’m pretty sure that Greg’s “intended reading” was just to explain why the Vahi was orange in 2001/02.

[Dag]

@ToaKebaka

That is true, but I wasn’t referring to the source of rusting, but to the rate.

I was replying to what you said here:

@ToaKebaka

From everything else we have seen, metallic protodermis is not a material that would rust so easily. Its widespread usage in important structures over very long time, not to mention Ga-Matoran masks which are regularly submerged in water

If it’s only raw liquid protodermis that rusts metallic protodermis, then that would explain why structures and Matoran’s masks are not rusted by the pure liquid protodermis that are in canals and chutes.

As I said, the only instance of natural oxidation in story is the Vahi. We don’t have any other instances to compare it to.

[CalamitousT]

Well that’s a given.

I was just wondering how much detail of the process Greg was expecting us to infer from what he wrote, is all.

[TheJerminator]

Yeah, fair enough.

Honestly, I had never even thought about this; I just took it as a given that the Vahi rusted because water = rust.

But it was down there for what, a few weeks? Maybe a couple of months?

The time-accelerated rusting is the only thing that makes sense.

[Dag]

@TheJerminator

Honestly, I had never even thought about this; I just took it as a given that the Vahi rusted because water = rust.

That is still accurate.[1][2]

@TheJerminator

But it was down there for what, a few weeks? Maybe a couple of months?

“Steel is a metal that holds a lot of iron, and let’s say, for instance, that steel is constantly surrounded by environmental factors like water and oxygen, the steel may start to see signs of rust in as little as 4-5 days.” (Source)

[Racie02]

Of note, Hydraxon’s face plate showed little sign of rust despite being underwater for 1000 years. Maybe a little, but definitely not to the extent of the Vahi.

[Sharnak]

The only time we’ve seen Hydraxon was in a flashback before he was assigned to the pit. The one we see in 2007 was Dekar transformed by the Ignika. He must have been active for a few days at most, and even then he was adapted to breathe underwater.

[ToaKebaka]

Racie02 is talking about original Hydraxon’s faceplate seen in Hydraxon’s Tale.