Jackson's Whole
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Jackson's Whole is a planet in the science fiction series "The Vorkosigan Saga" by Lois McMaster Bujold. Originally a hijacker base, Jackson's Whole evolved into a government by a series of interlocking crime syndicates known as Houses Major and Houses Minor, the distinction being based on wealth and influence. The heads of the Houses Major, at least, are afforded the title of 'Baron,' although it is unclear which person or what institution bestows that upon them. The wife of a Jacksonian Baron is styled a 'Baronne,' in the French usage, not a Baroness. Presumaby, the female leader of a House Major would also be a Baronne.
Conventional morality does not appear to matter to the planet's power brokers. Anything and everything is for sale, if the price is right. Nothing is illegal, provided you can pay for it. Furthermore, the judicial system in Jackson's Whole is based on a system of "bids" where anyone can purchase justice for the right price. Any party can purchase an arrest form for any individual. The accused party is then forced to outbid the prosecutor in order to get either bail or an acquital.
Jackson's Whole is ultra-capitalism at work. Ordinary people are valued by their usefulness. An individual who does not live under the protection of one of the Houses has the survival prospects of a hunk of dead meat. No doubt there are those who survive in the cracks of society, but for anyone who needs a place to live and money to live on, the only choice is to be useful to some House.
The planet seems to be colder than most inhabited planets in the Nexus. Although there is an Earth-like atmosphere and thus plenty of photosynthetic life, the typical weather involves snow and ice. This is another reason individuals do not do well on the planet, as they need a warm place to live.
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[edit] Jacksonians in the Vorkosigan Saga
[edit] Lord Mark Vorkosigan
Miles Vorkosigan's clone brother, created by House Bharaputra.
[edit] Taura
Another Bharaputra creation, an eight-foot tall prototype for a super-soldier with tremendous strength, not to mention deadly claws and teeth. The project was cancelled because all the prototypes except Taura died of premature aging.
[edit] The Duronas
A collective of clones whose progenitor, Dr. Lily Durona, set up the group to provide biomedical services to House Fell, to reduce dependence on the other Houses. The Duronas are mostly female, all named after flowers. Male Duronas do the work of orderlies, and are all named after birds. However the Deal between the Duronas and House Fell collapsed during the events of Mirror Dance, and they were lifted off the planet to begin a new life on Escobar.
[edit] Hugo Canaba
Also known as Dr. Vaughn Weddell, a genetic engineer who helped create Taura, and who was extracted from House Bharaputra by the Dendarii Mercenaries because of his knowledge of a secret Cetagandan project. Weddell is the cover identity provided to him on Barrayar.
[edit] Barons of Jackson's Whole
[edit] Baron Fell
A notorious arms dealer. He prefers to live on the space station near a jumppoint. Despite the goods he deals in, he is considered one of the most reliable and least problematic Barons.
[edit] Baron Bharaputra
Genetics and Medical Specialist. Notorious for performing the immoral "Brain Transplant Procedure" involving the raising of a clone to young adulthood, followed by the transplant of the progenitor's brain into the clone, killing the young individual, and 10 percent of the time, the progenitor as well. The Baron's wife, Baronne Lotus, is a renegade Durona and was scheduled for the procedure when circumstance, in the form of Miles and Mark Vorkosigan, intervened, taking her clone away with the rest of the Duronas.
[edit] Baron Ryoval
Sick and twisted, this minor House Baron develops custom made slaves for the sex trade. In attempting to carry out revenge on Miles Naismith, he abducted Mark Vorkosigan by mistake. Since Mark was a trained assassin, he was eventually able to kill Ryoval, literally with both hands tied behind his back and stark naked to boot, but not before Ryoval inflicted terrible psychological damage which caused Mark to acquire multiple personalities.
Ryoval's assets were taken over by House Fell, with Mark holding Ryoval's personal code ring as hostage in the Deal which allowed him to negotiate freedom for the Duronas.
