Virtually everything in existence is primarily made of either “up” or “down” quarks of three colour charges, bound to make protons and neutrons. Quarks cannot exist alone: they must always be found in balance with quarks of complementing colours. If a quark is separated from its compatriots, new quarks will spawn into existence to restore that balance.
It’s a pun on “quark matter”, which is a theoretical substance that can exist in extremely high-energy environments where quarks and the gluons that hold them together form a fluid. The essentials described above have become one.
And also the deck is quirky.
Yes, it is. I hope the book answered the rest. Email me at stupidbunny@duck.com if you have any others.