Talk:Lanka/@comment-205.222.248.160-20170518131139/@comment-2605:6000:6DC0:D000:B0F6:E879:BB60:131C-20171122094922

Technically plasma acts as an excellent electrical conductor... free electrons, you see.

It may also work as an electrical capacitor; I don't know.

One of my working hypotheses is that it's a combination infrared laser-electrical rifle that uses automatic atmospheric lensing to focus the laser. This lensing isn't quite instantaneous, so it gives the illusion of a moving light-source (the maximum distance where the plasma lensing is currently occurring to extend the focus-range of the beam) when the lensing reaches the target, optimal electrical conductivity is achieved and the rifle transmits a zap.

Sadly that would probably look more like the Opticor in action if the end of the opticor beam didn't extend quite instantaneosly. It would also require the lanka to stay aimed at the target until the zap.

So, more likely it's just a plasma-capacitor vortex rifle. The downside to that hypothesis is that it would have basically no punch though. Possibly it's a laser inducing a pinpoint plasma "rail" in the air (and melting a microscopic hole through objects) which it then fires a plasma-capacitor vortex along. Lightning balls can sometimes move directly through solid objects without melting them, so presumably there might be a way to make a plasma vortex move through objects along a melted or ionized channel... the downside being it might also go right through a target without significantly injuring it... yeah, I dunno. Maybe the mods are to make the gun more efficient at cutting the channel the right distance to impact targets?