Imaginative Future 3

Chapter 2

The prime minister's announcement hung in the air, a chilling prelude to what was to come. I knew what I had to do. "Meeting room," I announced, my voice cutting through the stunned silence. "Everyone, now."

The team filed in, their faces etched with a mixture of apprehension and curiosity. Clynston, ever the pragmatist, was already running through potential scenarios in his head. Jade's eyes, usually bright and sharp, held a flicker of worry. Aloysius, his normally jovial demeanor subdued, stood quietly by the window, watching the city below.

"Is everyone accounted for?" I asked, my gaze sweeping across the room. "All present and accounted for," Clynston confirmed, his voice laced with a hint of unease. "What's this about, Jiaxing?" Jade asked, her brow furrowed.

"We all heard the announcement," I began, my voice low and steady. "The lockdown. Due to the Coronavirus, or Covid-19, as they're calling it. We need to adapt, and fast. Ryan and Charmaine have developed an app, 'ConferenceMeet', that will allow us to stay connected. Unfortunately, they're not here physically."

Before I could elaborate, a tinny chime echoed through the room. Ryan's face flickered onto the large screen, a slightly strained smile playing on his lips. "Hello everyone!"

"Ryan?" Jade's eyes widened, a gasp escaping her lips. "What—how?"

"We're in the States," Charmaine explained, her image materializing beside Ryan's. "Conference on suicidal thoughts. And guess who we ran into?"

Jane's smiling face filled the screen. "Long time no see, guys!"

"Valerie too!" Valerie exclaimed, waving, her eyes meeting mine. "Hey Valerie!" I replied, a smile fighting through my worry. "This is a surprise."

"Yeah, a good one I hope," Jade added, her voice still a little shaky.

"So, how's everything back home, JX?" Valerie asked, her eyes searching mine, a silent question passing between us.

"We're managing, honey," I replied, a flicker of warmth passing between us. A reminder of the connection that had blossomed over time.

"Okay, before we get too caught up in reunions," Ryan interjected, his voice serious, "we need to talk about ConferenceMeet. Because, and this is important, we're stuck here. The US just announced its own lockdown."

"Stuck?" Jade's voice rose, a hint of panic creeping in. "Why?"

"Ryan held up his phone, the screen displaying a news alert. 'See? Lockdown. Just announced. We're stuck here,'" Charmaine explained. "We're all staying in the same house. We don't know when we can come back."

A heavy silence settled over the room. Everywhere was locking down. Airports, ports, borders—all closing. The implications were staggering. I could almost feel the weight of the impending chaos. People were losing jobs, hospitals were overwhelmed, resources were dwindling. Even those fortunate enough to keep their jobs faced pay cuts. Schools were moving online, a stark reminder of the world's sudden shift. The world outside was starting to crumble.