The next day, the silence was a tangible thing, a heavy blanket smothering the city's usual hum. I booted up my laptop, the screen illuminating my face in the dim light. "ConferenceMeet," I muttered, clicking the familiar blue icon. It was, essentially, our version of Zoom – a digital lifeline in a world suddenly gone remote.
My apartment's Wi-Fi, usually reliable, sputtered. The loading wheel spun, a frustrating circle of digital delay. "Come on," I muttered, switching to my backup connection. The signal stabilized, and the familiar grid of faces popped onto the screen.
Jade's window showed her tidy home office, a potted plant adding a splash of green to the background. Aloysius, wearing a gaming headset, grinned, his eyes crinkling. Clynston's feed was a close-up of his forehead as he peered intently at his screen, his fingers flying across the keyboard. It was a familiar sight, the same interface we'd all been using for countless virtual meetings.
"Alright, everyone here?" I asked, my voice echoing slightly through the speakers. "Let's get started. First things first, we need to make sure everyone's tech is working."
"Mic check," Aloysius said, tapping his headset. "One, two, three. Can you hear me?"
"Loud and clear," Jade replied, her voice crisp. "I'm sharing my screen now – can you all see the network diagnostics?"
Clynston typed rapidly in the chat box: "JX, your mic's a bit low. Adjust your settings."
I fumbled with the settings menu, the familiar Zoom interface suddenly feeling foreign. "Right, right," I muttered, adjusting the slider. "How's this?"
"Much better," Jade confirmed. "Now, let's try the virtual background feature. I've got a picture of the agency's boardroom – it'll make us feel like we're all in the same space."
A wave of virtual backgrounds appeared – Aloysius had a beach scene, while Clynston opted for a minimalist abstract design. The agency boardroom background appeared behind Jade, making it look as if she was sitting in the familiar room.
"Not bad," I said, a small smile playing on my lips. "It's… something."
"It'll have to do," Jade replied, her tone pragmatic. "Until we can all be together again."
The small detail of the Zoom like application will make it more relatable. It also allows for the reader to more easily visualize the scene.
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Imaginative Future 3
AdventureImaginative Future 3 returns after a seven-year break, thrusting me and my team into the heart of 2020's global crisis. From our isolated homes, we must leverage the full potential of advanced technology to combat the escalating chaos. But as the li...
