The live news feed blasted from the screen, each word a chilling echo in my apartment. "…compulsory lockdown for all…" The reporter’s voice, tight with controlled panic, cut through the silence. I gripped the armchair, knuckles white, as the Prime Minister’s weary face filled the screen. He outlined the lockdown—work from home, limited movement, enforced distance—and the world shifted on its axis. We were no longer observers; we were participants in a global crisis.
My phone buzzed with news alerts, each notification a digital punch in the gut. The city outside, once a vibrant hum, lay eerily still. I needed to act. I launched ConferenceMeet, the familiar blue icon flashing on my screen. The digital grid flickered to life, the faces of my team staring back at me.
"JX, what's happening?" Aloysius’s voice, usually light, was heavy with worry. His beach background seemed a cruel joke now.
"This is it," I said, my voice tight. "Full lockdown. We need a plan."
"What about our clients?" Jade’s voice was sharp, professional. Her office background was a stark contrast to Aloysius’s.
"First, we check on ongoing work," I said. "Aloysius, see what can be postponed or moved online. Now."
"On it," he replied, his fingers already flying across the keyboard.
"Jade, we need more staff for childcare and student care. Start hiring—online and on-site. We need to protect those kids."
"Right away," she said, her eyes focused.
"Clynston, I need a plan for on-site safety. Seating, ratios, everything. Wednesday deadline for the government proposal."
"Understood," he said, his expression grim.
"We're facing pay cuts, maybe even no pay," I said, my gaze sweeping across their faces. "Anyone who wants to leave, I understand."
A tense silence hung in the virtual room. Then, Jade spoke, her voice unwavering. "I'm staying."
"Me too," Clynston said.
"We're in this together, JX," Aloysius added, a flicker of his usual enthusiasm returning. "We'll figure it out."
"Thanks," I said, my voice thick with emotion. "I'll check in with Valerie. We'll meet again soon. Stay safe."
I closed the app, the silence in my apartment suddenly deafening. I had to move. I had to do something. The world wasn’t going to wait.
YOU ARE READING
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...
