After the Great Shard exploded in Moscow, the world was left to deal with the aftermath. While everyone dealt with the aftermath, a group of scientists isolated themselves into a bunker and began their research, leading to the creation of the Kurchatov Institute.
The institute originally aimed to understand the biological anomalies birthed by the crash, but their objective quickly evolved into studying the strange properties of what was named стаканмит (Stakomite), eventually popularly known as living glass.
The Institute determined that the mineral was largely composed of silica, very similar to earth’s quartz, but contained various different silicon based organic compounds. Determined that the rock contained traces of organic substances, the research continued with extra caution, especially after most of the people collecting samples became sick.
The institute, along with most of the human civilization, mostly came to a screeching halt when the spring of glass came, but a small part of the operations somehow persisted in the underground bunkers, fueled by isolation and a maddening curiosity.
Provisions were made to turn the institute into a glass-proof shelter, installing active air filters for particulate matter, metal electrified fences to deter anything from outside, edible fungi farms in the basement, rain-water collectors and purifiers, etc. Once survival was insured, the researchers dedicated all their efforts into science and expanding their underground base.
When they realized their advances could help the survivors, the scientists made portable versions of the tech that kept them running, including MNR (Micro Nuclear Reactors) and small computation units with instructional mini cassette tapes with important survival information. Other important strides in science were taken in the decades after, most notably:
