Orph

Orph also called Space Drug, is a drug that gives the user a longer life span, greater vitality, and heightened awareness; it can also unlock prescience in some humans, depending upon the dosage and the consumer's physiology. Orph comes with a steep price, however: it is addictive, and withdrawal is fatal.

There is only one source of Orph: the sands of the planet Chaar, colloquially known as Desert. Orph is a by-product of the Chaar Giant Sandworm life cycle, its excretions exposed to water become a pre-spice mass, which is then brought to the surface by a buildup of gases and develops into Orph through exposure to sun and air.

Collecting the Orph is hazardous in the extreme, since rhythmic activity on the desert surface of Chaar attracts the worms, which can be up to four hundred meters (1,300 feet) in length, and very dangerous, capable of swallowing a mining crawler whole. Thus, the mining operation essentially consists of vacuuming it off the surface with a vehicle called a Harvester until a worm comes, at which time an aircraft known as a Crier lifts the mining vehicle to safety.