Opal is a penal world gone mad in the World of Progress. Formerly an industrial world the entire population (animal and vegetable) was wiped out in six months by a bacterial agent unleashed (officially - it was an accident) by the SLA Industries NBC Weapons Research Dept.

A few survivors remained but their lives were short lived. SLA rounded them up to be taken away for treatment (their fate is still a mystery). Opal was discovered at the end of the fourth century but wasn‘t colonized until 590. In the space of three decades it became a massive industrial world. It‘s main output was from the huge mines that tapped away at the huge deposits of fossilised fuels on the planet. Massive refineries on the size scale of Artery‘s Angel facility sprang up. The biggest was in the city of Deychanbi on the northern continent. Opal was sixty percent land and of this landmass over seventy percent was desert. Ten percent was "beltland" (the land separating the desert from the ice covered poles). Apparently Opal was once a jungle world with masses of life (pre-historic lifeforms). Then the collapse of the neighbouring planet system caused massive changes in the stellar region. The Opal system was effected with four of the system‘s eleven planets being bombarded with debris. Opal‘s orbit changed and nearly wiped out all the life on the planet - hence the large amounts of fossilised fuel available beneath the crust). Some life did survive but the gradual change of the environment from temperate to arid desert caused many new lifeforms to evolve over the millennia and most of the old lifeforms to die out. SLA theorists reckon that if the planet hadn‘t of changed then it would have been ninety percent probable that intelligent life would have existed on Opal by the time the WoP had arrived there.

By the end of the sixth century much of the planet was made up refineries but fast running out of fuels to extract. When the planet‘s resources were centered to the development of alternative, artificial power sources. Huge reactors replaced the refineries. Many accidents occurred and many people died. A lot of the details are widely available. Soon the planet changed again to become the biggest producer of reactor systems in the WoP. Producing everything from mini-reactors for APCs to huge Fusion plants for the Atmosphere processors used on most worlds. Then at the beginning of the seventh century people started to die in one of the outer lying sectors of Deychanbi. A disease had spread it‘s way onto the planet. SLA quickly quarantined the planet and searched out every person who‘s transport records showed them being on Opal for the last six months. Within five years the population was ten percent of what it was. SLA withdrew to the colonized moons of the planet and watched as a world died. Radio communications were increasing as the few still alive sent pleading messages for help. Then on New Years Day 721 the last message was sent.

Approximately six months after the final message was received from Opal the SLA Foldship *Pallasades* came into orbit of the planet and off load a scout ship of Dark Finders. What they discovered were dead cities. They located a few pockets of insane people who‘s minds had become damaged by the death around them and the prospect of dying of massive organ failure. The Dark Finders returned and after they were tested for the disease they reported that the world remained fully intact and may of the automated factories were still producing en masse. Continuing to pollute the world.

Slayer read the report and ordered a massive clean up of the world and requested that world should be sanitised for re-population. By the end of 723 the world was announced safe for habitation. The SLA researchers predicted a twenty percent chance that the disease would recur again within the millennia and an almost one hundred percent chance that one day the disease will return in rather a mutated form. But the original strain of virus had been isolated and an anti-body and had been created.

The Dept. of Justice at this time were facing a dilemma. And they went to Slayer with a proposal that they knew would be thrown back into their faces. To their surprise it was agreed immediately. The request was simple. They wished for a world to be used to off-load convicts onto. A place where once they arrived they need never be removed and could be forgotten about. Slayer suggested Opal. No new people had arrived on the planet as yet and as Opal was far from the major space lanes was ideally suited to this kind of development.

By the mid seventh century the first convict ships had arrived bearing men and women and some aliens sentenced for crimes against people of SLA. Drug lords, tech runners, back room traders and the lick. The sort of people that would be able to adapt and form a society.

Within a hundred years a new society was flourishing under the watchful gaze of Slayer. Similar in the manner of Orienta. The criminals thrived in the new environment. A society of standing and power developed. Of groups which fought amongst one another and yet formed alliances and stood together to protect in what they believed in. Violence was rife but this came to an end when Xavier Montoya arrived. Formerly an agent with Internal Affairs he had started in dealing with technology from the SLA R&D labs. Stealing new weapons and devices and selling them on. IA and Cloak both investigated and found him guilty and he was lined up for one of the propaganda show trials that SLA occasionally used to keep people in line. Until Mr Slayer discovered the file and learned that Montoya was of huge intellect and was living a capitalist‘s life. In some way Slayer admired Montoya‘s courage to do what he had done. Slayer offered Montoya a choice. Live a life as "unofficial" governor of Opal or face the wraith of Cloak. Montoya chose the former and was shipped to Opal.

He was given special favours to allow him to set up with some of the smaller gangs and organisations and quickly won favour for his ”harsh but fair” regime. Soon he had allied himself with many organisations of power on Opal and set up The Council. An organisation of overseers. The leaders of the most powerful crime syndicates on the planet. Whilst internal power struggles inevitably ensued the end result was that everyone had a leader. A big daddy that would hit you hard if you stepped out of line. Montoya was rapidly replaced and soon the Council became rather paranoid and developed into one massive crime syndicate that ran the show. Disagreements were laid aside and what became of the council was a group of men and women all obsessed with the same thing ”power over the people”. The council formed an army of men to patrol the street and collect from the civilians. For once everyone knew where they stood and a hierarchy had been established. Montoya was recalled from his exile a changed man but one who could keep the council from in-fighting. This he did with aplomb.

Observers from the World of Progress watched as the people of the planet began trading with one another and fighting small trade wars which regularly broke into open violence. The Council often stepped in and ruled against one side. The weak die and the strong evolve. Soon there many organisations of varying sizes in different sectors constantly changing with the frequent arrival of new prisoners. But one thing remained the same. The Council. Although the members issued commands and orders they themselves kept themselves very much to themselves. The ruled from a distance and let the natives continue to fight provided it didn‘t become too widespread and involve too many people. Or that it didn‘t threaten their power. As long as their fee-collector and scouts were not impeded all was well. Anthropologists said that a mini-World of Progress had developed with the Council ruling in the same manner as SLA did. There were disagreements regarding this but in essence it was true.

As of SD901 Opal was one of the successes of SLA. If you should show personal initiative to prove your enterprise in the world (became a criminal ruler) then instead of eliminating this it was allowed to flourish. In your own personal sectioned of area of the WoP; Opal. Slayer believed that if you thought you could do better then go ahead - but do it on Opal. Just remember though. Being a criminal is one thing. Speaking out against SLA is still punishable by death. Slayer made a clear line between making money out of braking the law and actually being seditious. Producing your own goods was seditious. Selling them wasn‘t. Stealing SLA property was seditious. Selling them on wasn‘t. In the end Slayer and the Dept. of Justice had final say. On Opal ninety nine percent of population were those who didn‘t disagree with the system but thought that they could make money from it.

Entrepreneurism is against the law.