February 2143

FTL Newsfeed Transcript This article contains the annotated transcript of FTL Newsfeed episodes, originally written by F. Paul Wilson and Matthew Costello.

1 February 2143

ANCHOR: Sato Uchida of the Asian Prosperity Sphere asks for immediate talks with the NAU on the fate of Habitat Mars.

UCHIDA: If CenBank withdraws, we stand ready to offer our vast technological and financial resources.

ANCHOR: So far, President Clarke refuses to negotiate.

2 February 2143

ANCHOR: An FTL election poll shows a sharp drop in support for President Clarke in the wake of the Habitat Mars disaster. Privacy Party candidate Julian Matthews seems to be the main beneficiary – although the Realists, led by Perry Epp, have gained points as well.

3 February 2143

ANCHOR: Virtual Reality addiction among teenagers – up sharply since BioMerge was introduced – claims its first victim. A Pittsburgh couple, returning from a two-month vacation, find their 19-year-old son starved to death. It appears he simply forgot to eat.

4 February 2143

ANCHOR: Scandal rocks President Clarke's already rocky road to re-election. A Marilyn Monroe clone claims she's been sleeping with Clarke's son Bryan, a top official in the Justice Department, for two years. As you know, sex between humans and clones is a serious offence.

5 February 2143

ANCHOR: An outraged President Clarke staunchly defends her son, Bryan – claiming that his illegal sexual relationship with a clone is nothing more than election-year dirty tricks.

CLARKE: She told him she was a Biomorph!

ANCHOR: Both Julian Matthews and Perry Epp deny any involvement.

8 February 2143

ANCHOR: First, it was the disaster at Habitat Mars – then, a clone-sex scandal involving her own son. Now, the latest FTL election poll shows President Madeleine Clarke fighting for her political life – with the election little more than a month away.

9 February 2143

ANCHOR: Another Virtual Reality overdose – Wendy Corsair is rushed to the hospital suffering from severe malnutrition. Her mother blames the new BioMerge disc on Wendy's head.

MOM CORSAIR: Ever since she has it put in, she never comes out of her mind!

ANCHOR: Wendy is in serious but stable condition.

10 February 2143

ANCHOR: Bowing to political pressure, an embattled President Clarke accepts her son's resignation from the Justice Department – Bryan Clarke, you will recall, was caught in a clone-sex scandal.

CLARKE: I believe in my son, and I'll stand by him through this ordeal. He will be vindicated.

11 February 2143

ANCHOR: Here is an important announcement from Dr. Kristeen Ballard at Habitat Mars.

BALLARD: The volcanic disaster was the result of sabotage at the graviton generator. Security forces are searching for those responsible.

ANCHOR: The Mars disaster claimed the lives of three scientists two weeks ago.

12 February 2143

ANCHOR: President Clarke blames the rebel group "R" for the latest act of sabotage, which claimed three lives at Habitat Mars two weeks ago. Clarke also says there is evidence that the Asian Prosperity Sphere might be involved and has placed the NAU military on alert.

15 February 2143

ANCHOR: President Clarke has accused the Asian Prosperity Sphere of helping the rebels attack Habitat Mars, and has put the NAU military on alert. Today, Prince Uchida put his own armed forces on alert – calling Clarke's charge "a veiled threat of war".

Missing Video This episode is missing a video. If you know that one exists, please add it.

16 February 2143

ANCHOR: Noting that clones make up most of the world's armed forces, Clone Rights activist Pamela Corvino urges Clarke and Uchida to avoid military confrontation.

CORVINO: Clones are our DNA brothers and sisters – they deserve more than to die as slaves and soldiers.

Missing Video This episode is missing a video. If you know that one exists, please add it.

17 February 2143

ANCHOR: President Clarke's claim that Prince Uchida and the rebels are behind the sabotage on Mars–

VOICE OF "R": We had nothing to do with Uchida or the events on Mars – this is a CenBank plot to eliminate us – we will not surrender – resistance will triumph!

Missing Video This episode is missing a video. If you know that one exists, please add it.

18 February 2143

ANCHOR: In a stunning surprise, Julian Matthews offers Realist Party Candidate Perry Epp a Co-Chief Executive position on the Privacy Party ticket.

MATTHEWS: I believe it's our best chance to defeat Madeleine Clarke and avert a worldwide military crisis over Habitat Mars.

19 February 2143

ANCHOR: Calling it "the only realistic choice", Realist Party candidate Perry Epp accepts Julian Matthews' offer to be Co-Chief Executive in the Privacy Party. An FTL flash poll shows that the Matthews-Epp ticket could defeat President Clarke in next month's election.

22 February 2143

ANCHOR: BioMerge disc removed, Wendy Corsair recovers at a reality farm in upstate New York. Here, with professional help, she will relearn traditional values like eating, bathing, school work and cleaning her room. Needless to say, Wendy's mom is delighted.

23 February 2143

ANCHOR: Here is Dr. Kristeen Ballard, live from Mars.

BALLARD: We've just been informed that security forces have arrested two suspected saboteurs. Both are clone technicians with false identification chips. We're checking their DNA patterns with the clone registry and should know more within the next 24 hours.

24 February 2143

ANCHOR: Unconfirmed reports are surfacing of a mysterious humanoid presence in the Virtual Reality Net – one which does not conform with any known program. CommLink suspects it may be a computer virus illegally entered by hackers and is looking into the situation.

25 February 2143

ANCHOR: Perry Epp may have given up his third-party Presidential bid to join the Privatists, but Virtual Reality addiction remains his number-one concern. Epp believes that the mysterious Presence in the VR Net could be evidence of mass hypnosis among goggle- and disc-heads.

26 February 2143

ANCHOR: This just in from Dr. Kristeen Ballard at Habitat Mars.

BALLARD: Our latest update with the clone registry indicates that our sabotage suspects were reported destroyed two years ago by their owner – CenBank. We have no evidence that the Asian Prosperity Sphere or the rebels are involved.