Serenity Torbernite is a crystalline ore form of uranium, and can be found within uranium caves. They can be collected and sold for 40 000 E$ each.
These crystals are extremely volatile, and can undergo fission after experiencing even a small amount of thermal damage. Equipping a manipulator arm and disabling the autopilot is recommended to have the most likely chance of collecting without error.
While undergoing fission, the crystals release extreme thermal damage in the near vicinity. The fission reaction can easily spread to nearby crystals due to this fact. Be careful when excavating crystals as any that fission near the cabin can damage the ship's computer, any near the reactor can cause it to to heat up, and damage near any other equipment susceptible to thermal will cause problems.
Regeneration
These crystals will randomly form within uranium caves. They have a flat 50% chance to appear to begin with, with that chance decreasing the more crystals from that specific uranium cave that have entered your cargo bay (if they get detonated or lost to space before entering the bay, they do not count for the decreased chance.
A Serenity Torbernite crystal undergoing fission after touching a thruster's plume
Trivia
- Serenity Torbernite (aka. chalcolite, chemical formula: Cu[(UO2)(PO4)]2(H2O)12) is a relatively common form of Uranium ore on Earth, found in granite and other uranium-bearing deposits.
- The irregularities with such a formation in the rings is noted upon during the missing sibling quest, where a found log notes "We found natural rock formations containing considerable amounts of uranium in torbernite crystal form. Forming of such crystals in microgravity is highly unlikely, and thus suggest external gravitational influence."