[quote=@Yatagarasu]
<Snipped quote by Memory>

Ah, I should have explained that part better. It's not "base" in terms of the organic, it's "base" in terms of the elements themselves. Carbon, in this case, would be six times what we need for charge, and...

*Thinks for a moment*

Yeah, six too many neutrons, too. Almost said six times for that, too.
[/quote]

*Holds the handle of my magnifying glass against my cheek*
So in other words, we need to be able to recreate the entire spectrum of elements based on whatever base unit we pick.