0240 - History of Waterloo

The planet Waterloo (simpley called Riedquat until about 3190) started life as a promising colony world when it was first colonised in 2631. Though Riedquat had indigenpous life, its was right on the margins, and the little life that existed there was tough enough to survive the harsh environment. This was the primary reason it took so long for it to be colonised.

When it was settled, the introduction of powerful fertilisers allowed crops to be grown on the hard soil, but wihtin a few decades human-introduced rodents (introduced accidently - reputedly from some pet mice) began to destroy crops en masse, and the rodent problem persists to this day, explaining the local name for Waterloo - 'Rat Hole'. Tourist Beacon 0240