Fuel samples recovered from launch site

I have previously kept these frozen as I'd understood that the fuel's stability is radically better at low temperatures. Unfortunately this makes extracting small samples for experiments very difficult: chipping bits off the frozen blocks is difficult at the best of times and almost impossible in the full NBC suit required for safe handling of the material.

I have recently been provided information which leads me to believe that in the fuel is reasonably stable at room temperature so I am defrosting these two samples. I hope this information is good – it came from a source which is usually reliable. Once defrosted the extraction of samples for analysis will be much easier.

If my information on stability is wrong: well it is to be hoped it is not wrong. I have calculated the likely lethal radius if the material decomposes explosively: the immediate casualties will be only a few tens of thousand, although the mutagenic effects will kill many times that number over time of course. Of more immediate concern may be the loss of a significant amount of the nation's food production facilities.

Well, such are the risks we take: it is urgent to understand the nature of the fuel so that the huge quantities of it remaining in decaying storage containers can be disposed of. If the total stored amount decomposes abruptly ... well the term 'extinction event' has been used in this context.