A massive alien vessel is buried in a sandbank under the sea. Research subs detect a vast supply of nuclear energy held within it.
I've been researching power plants, fission and the processes that produce nuclear energy and have so far found nothing on what happens before the energy is used. Can nuclear energy be contained and held in a stationary state? If so, how could it be indefinitely on an alien ship? Should I just resort to alien techno-babbly, science wizardry?
Also, how would we detect the energy underwater from below the seabed?
Sorry if these seem like silly questions. Have always struggled with chemistry haha