The cryo-hibernation fluid

In a previous post, we discussed the action items the sarcophagus had to perform to reanimate a frozen person. However, I never really went into detail regarding the cryo-hybernation fluid itself. The fluid was introduced very early in the long-form version of Rome's Revolution but excised during the compaction of the first three books into an omnibus.

At first glance, the fluid reminds one of the green slime made popular on Nickelodeon:



However, the liquid is a little less viscous and has about the same density as anti-freeze. The liquid has a dual purpose. When it is first pumped in, its sole purpose it to put the sedated would-be colonist into a state of extreme hypothermia. The fluid starts at 25 degrees Celsius and this is low enough to cause the body to enter stasis with the heart, lungs and circulatory system shutting down. At that point, the cryogenic coolers kick in and the occupant is taken all the way down to zero degrees Celsius. They are completely frozen.

This is not fatal, as demonstrated by the common wood frog because the subjects are completely dehydrated prior to being frozen. The state of dehydration prevents the intracellular fluid from expanding too much and rupturing the cell walls.

However, it is upon reanimation that the special properties of this fluid come to the fore. It contains a heavy dose of co-trimoxazole which is designed to penetrate the skin and rehydrate the body as well as act as an antibiotic to counteract any infections which have been festering over the centuries. Believe it or not, another component of the fluid was derived from Urushiol which is the oil exuded by poison ivy. As we have all experienced, it is particularly effective in penetrating the skin and getting to the underlying layers. The final element was that the fluid was hyper-oxygenated so that life-giving oxygen could be delivered to all the tissues before the heart started beating again.

Early research into the cryo-hibernation process revealed that re-hydrating the body was of paramount importance during the resuscitation cycle. Here is the original resurrection scene where Rei had to deal with the melting of the fluid:

     Barely conscious, Rei Bierak lay motionless within his cryo-hibernation chamber. Pumps vibrated quietly as they drained the thick rehydration fluid from his hermetically sealed sarcophagus. Rei did not feel the gloppy green liquid as it oozed from his ears and nose. He felt nothing but abysmal cold. Eyes shut, he could do nothing but wait until his body warmed sufficiently to move.