St. Albans
One of the 'Verse's colder planets, St. Albans is covered with perpetual snow. The poles, in particular the south pole, get cold enough to freeze substances other than water, in particular CO2. St. Albans was one of the earlier planets to get terraformed in Red Sun, and it was left to be so cold, in part because of the technical difficulties of warming it, but also to provide a location with very cold temperatures for possible cold uses.
There is an Alliance Federal Marshall facility on the planet (perhaps a prison, though its function is classified).
Several years ago an unusual side effect of its terraforming was discovered. St. Albans' deep core is the only known source of naturally occurring Berkelium. The short lived element is a necessary component in Cortex relay devices and can be captured using special technology. The process to cull the Berkelium from the ore uses Curium, itself a fairly unstable substance and powerful seismic wave generator (known as Earth Hammers). This process produces regular earthquakes, which given the mountainous and snow covered nature of St. Albans makes being outside even more dangerous. The Berkelium produces considerable wealth, so the inhabitants of this snowy planet are willing to endure it all.
- Bombed in 2521
- Site of Camp Beta White - used by Agent Kappa to torture and control River Tam, Equinox met and rescued Serenity crew here.
- Summer 2522 - Massive explosions rock St. Albans, yet again.
