Jessica LeGuin

Jessica LeGuin was Chief of News at CommLink until her death by suicide on 3 March 2144.

Known as "Jessie" to her friends – among them former Reality Secretary, Perry Epp – LeGuin was considered a staunch defender of the freedom of the press. She was responsible for Epp joining FTL Newsfeed as a guest commentator following the outlawing of the Reality Party by President Clarke. She vigorously defended his appointment to Attorney General Priscilla Nagle in a blistering exchange on 11 February 2144, when Nagle claimed that Commlink was "riddled with "R" sympathisers".

A couple of days later, on 15 February, the Department of Justice released documents from the Hollywood Island Madam case which alleged that LeGuin had paid for a night of passion with a clone of Richard Gere whilst in California on business the previous year. Although not immediately commenting on these accusations, LeGuin admitted charges of clone-sex in a suicide holodisc which was found near her body.

LeGuin's body was found in the swimming pool of her town house in Manhattan, New York. The apparent cause of death was a deliberate overdose of Chow Caps. In the holodisc she claimed: I can't live with the pain any longer. I am not ashamed of having slept with a clone. But to be smeared as an "R" collaborator, and to have my reputation destroyed in a political show trial, is a mockery of justice I just can't bear to face.

Despite LeGuin's death, and a scathing editorial attack by Perry Epp on 4 March 2144, the government's investigation into alleged rebel infiltration of the news and entertainment industry continued.

Background

 * The character is named for the science-fiction author, Ursula K. Le Guin.