Frontios Battery Acid Jar (Colony Power Battery)

A heavy, corroded metallic/ceramic vessel holding volatile electrolyte solution, repurposed as the colony ship Frontios's last functional battery during its bombardment. The battery's exterior bears burn marks and stress fractures from emergency surges, and its internal contents slosh audibly when disturbed. It generates power through unstable chemical reactions and is handled with care by Tegan Jovanka and Range during repair attempts to avoid acid fumes escaping through imperfect seals.

7 appearances

Appearances in the Narrative

When this object appears and how it's used

7 moments

S21E7 · Frontios Part 1

Retrieving the acid jar battery

The block and tackle is rigged by Turlough to assist with lifting and stabilizing the acid jar battery during transport. The device is mounted overhead, its rope taut and coiled, bearing the strain as the battery’s weight is redistributed. This tool transforms an unsafe manual carry into a slightly more secure operation, preventing dangerous swinging.

Before: Stored or idle in the research room until Turlough identifies a need and sets it up for use

After: Deployed and under load, actively aiding in the transport effort

View full event

S21E7 · Frontios Part 1

Container lifted past approaching guards

A utilitarian metal container filled with an unrefined hazardous substance reframed as an impromptu diversion. Though not explicitly shown in this segment, its implied presence in Turlough’s movements suggests it underpins the plan alongside the acid jar. The guard’s lack of focus on it creates the necessary distraction.

Before: Securely contained, held by Turlough as part of the escalating crisis kit against capture.

After: Contained in Turlough’s grip as the plan shifts from concealment to diversive action.

View full event

S21E8 · Frontios Part 2

Range and Tegan repair critical battery

The Critical Colony Power Battery is the core device being repaired by Range and Tegan. They wrestle its terminals and wiring into place, connecting it to the Medical Centre’s failing systems, making it the physical manifestation of the colony’s only remaining lifeline against oblivion.

Before: Dysfunctional, needing electrolyte and wiring repairs to revive the colony’s electrical network.

After: Temporarily restored to function, powering essential medical equipment despite visible damage and chemical leakage.

View full event

S21E8 · Frontios Part 2

Tegan confronts discipline at all costs

The critical colony power battery is wrenched into position by Range and Tegan, its terminals snapping into place with Tegan’s precision and Range’s strained urgency. Its flickering repair lights compete with the colony’s failing fluorescents, making it the colony’s lightest flicker of hope amid the darkness their labors fight to dispel.

Before: Disconnected and failing, its stripped wiring sparking intermittently under emergency repairs

After: Secured into final connection, its terminals stabilized but still fragile, reliant on just-replenished acid jar to sustain the medical centre’s systems

View full event

S21E8 · Frontios Part 2

Tegan kneels beside a dying colonist

The acid jar is mentioned in the Medical Centre’s backdrop, its volatile contents constantly monitored as a power source amid the colony’s collapse. Though not directly manipulated here, its presence underscores the colony’s desperate measures for survival and the human toll they exact.

Before: Topped up and serving as a critical power source in the colony

After: Status remains unchanged, still holding electrolyte solution

View full event

S21E8 · Frontios Part 2

Tegan uncovers findings and cracks the cabinet

The acid jar battery serves as an external distraction when its contents threaten imminent failure, drawing Range’s full attention and allowing Tegan to bypass security protocols unnoticed.

Before: Unstable and heating beyond safe limits requiring urgent intervention

After: Under active manual intervention by Range, momentarily stabilized

View full event

S21E8 · Frontios Part 2

Doctor saves Plantagenet with frantic defibrillation

The acid jar is repurposed as a makeshift power source for defibrillation, charged by the chemical reaction of electrolyte solution to generate the necessary electric current. Range manipulates it during the procedure, thrusting the battery into action at the Doctor's command.

Before: A corroded container showing signs of repeated stress and chemical corrosion, stored as a functional battery component at the edge of the medical center.

After: Activated under stress to deliver critical current, its internal contents visibly sloshing during rapid intervention, potentially weakened by the high-voltage surge.

View full event