Walton is a failed core world of the Compact, once envisioned as a beacon of capitalist governance. Established under a corporate charter, Walton was governed like a corporation, with all citizens considered shareholders in its centralized planetary government. This rigid ideological structure ultimately led to disaster; when faced with multiple environmental and economic catastrophes in the early 4th century IE, its inability to respond quickly or effectively caused a full governmental collapse around 325 IE.
Following the collapse, Walton’s Compact membership was transferred to its former colony, Belsham, which now oversees it as a protectorate. The planet has since descended into near-lawlessness, with vast swaths ungoverned and unstable. A number of provincial-scale fires—some burning continuously for over a century—scar the surface and atmosphere.
The only significant population center still functioning is Samueltown, which acts as a trade hub and refuge for those unwilling or unable to leave.
Walton’s most notorious region is District 19, a designated recovery and reclamation zone hijacked by the secretive organization known as Juno. This area has become infamous for its unchecked proliferation of illegal genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Among the most dangerous are the Audreys—massive carnivorous plants capable of consuming a full-grown human in a single strike.
In 432 IE, High Normaj Jayne Best was abducted and transported to Benneville, a town within District 19, by agents of Juno. The fate of Walton remains precarious, a cautionary tale of ideological inflexibility and corporate overreach.
Appearances: Suicide Run