Daria Thorne is a reporter for The Topeka Star, a local newspaper in Topeka, KS. She receives a letter from Margaret “Peg” Kincaid, a former Severed employee, revealing confidential information about Lumon Industries. She also accuses Lumon of being involved in corporate espionage and domestic terrorism. Included with Kincaid's letter is a copy of The Macrodata Refiner’s Orientation Booklet, which Kincaid claims her Innie smuggled out of the Severed Floor.

Daria Thorne is a reporter with The Topeka Star. Her editor is Jim Milchick.

On November 3rd, Daria does a television news report on a truck bombing in New York. The truck belonged to Dorner Therapeutics, and contained their latest prototypes when it exploded. The street is badly damaged, and six people are killed, including two who were burned alive inside the truck. At the time of the report, no individual or group has claimed responsibility for the attack.

On November 12th, Daria receives a letter from former Severed employee Peg Kincaid. In the letter, Kincaid describes an incredible story that seems too bizarre to be true: that her Innie's work at Lumon is somehow connected to the Dorner Therapeutics truck bombing, and that Kincaid has somehow been in contact with her to prove it. Included with the letter is a copy of the Macrodata Refiner's Orientation Booklet, which looks like an official Lumon document, and adds credence to Kincaid's story. It's enough that Daria emails the information to Jim Milchick for his opinion.

On November 13th, Jim responds that he doesn't think Kincaid's story is worth pursuing. He claims the newspaper doesn't have the resources for this particular story right now. He also says he contacted a “trusted source” at Lumon and confirmed that Peg Kincaid is a disgruntled former employee who was fired after too many unexcused absences, and is now making things up to try to hurt the company. Instead, he suggests that Daria focuses on the local high school basketball playoffs.

Daria replies that she can do both stories, and is interested in following up on Kincaid's allegations. Jim in return forwards her a copy of Peg Kincaid's obituary; she died on November 11th, so the story is now a moot point.

• Severance: The Lexington Letter

• List of Characters