This hard Sci-Fi novel is the third book in the “Stasis Stories,” a series of optimistic tales of technological innovation in the near future. They follow Kaem Seba, a sickly and financially destitute young man with extraordinary math talents. With his friends, he’s developed a device that allows him to stop time within limited volumes of space-time.
In this story, Kaem and company are commercially developing “Stade,” which is what they call a piece of space-time that’s in stasis. Stade’s phenomenal properties (because it essentially can’t be altered since time’s been stopped within it) allow it to reflect all radiation. When a nearby nuclear reactor undergoes a meltdown, the first thought is that stade might be used to limit the radioactivity from the accident.
But a little further thought makes it obvious that stade is also the perfect material for dealing with radioactive waste. They also become interested in using it to remediate a toxic chemical dump.
They’re still using it to build rocket engines. And working on plans for a space elevator!