Bug Fix
Kitchen light, early. Gregor smooths a tie against a shell seam. It holds with a little lacquer and patience. He opens his laptop.
FROM: Office of the CEO
SUBJECT: Friday = Together
BODY:
We’re a four–one hybrid because presence matters. Today we’re in person. Let’s bring our whole selves and support one another. See you in Conference Room B at 9:00.
Room capture will run for transcript quality. Wellness snack: apples.
CALENDAR INVITE: Q3 Strategy — Conference Room B (In Person)
WHEN: Friday, 9:00–10:30
ATTENDEES: Team (Required)
DECK (thumbnail preview):
- Safety Moment: Adhesives in Shared Spaces
- Inclusion Spotlight: Authentic Presence
HEALTH, ENVIRONMENT AND SAFETY (HES) BULLETIN — WEEK 34: Integrated Pest Management (IPM)
• Do not prop exterior doors.
• Report sightings via Facilities portal (attach photo if safe).
• Adhesive boards may be deployed in common areas.
• Nothing living in sink cabinets.
Zero Harm. For your safety.
He closes the laptop. The invite dings cheerfully again. He scuttles to the door and leaves for the office.
Lobby, 9:07. Gregor recoils at his reflection in the glass. He presents his badge. The light goes green.
BADGE ACCEPTED — Hello, Gregor.
PLEASE FACE CAMERA.
VERIFYING IDENTITY…
ACCESS DENIED — SPECIES NOT RECOGNIZED (Lease §12.4).
Gregor steps aside. The security guard, not looking up: “Loading dock’s around back.”
A placard on an easel: PEST CONTROL IN PROGRESS — For your safety.
A push banner ripples across the lobby display: We see you, wherever you are — floor or ceiling.
His phone buzzes with a voicemail from the manager: “Today’s our RTO Friday and your first on-site under the updated plan… If you’re hitting a blocker, call me; if not, the team is already in Conf B. Thanks.”
Gregor types but doesn’t send: “In the building but hitting a blocker.”
He sits on the lobby ledge by a potted plant and stares at his phone.
Learning module auto-opens: Authentic Presence — Inclusive Greetings.
Which greeting is inclusive?
• Nice shell!
• What happened to you?
• Hey colleague!
• Don’t scuttle on my shoes.
Gregor taps Nice shell! A red X appears along with this message: Compliment the performance, not the exoskeleton. The page reloads.
He selects Hey colleague! A soft check mark. A small burst of confetti animates.
Message: Module complete. Badge awarded: Authentic Presence.
A new banner slides over it: Conference Room B: meeting in progress.
He locks the screen as the turnstile blinks green for someone else.
On his phone, a new internal notice opens.
Inclusive Language Update — v7.2 (excerpt)
• When referring to colleagues, do not use “bug,” “pest,” or insect emojis.
• Use: Coleopteran-Identifying Colleague (CIC) where relevant.
• Example: “Loop our CIC on Friday’s agenda.”
• IT event rename: Bug Bash → Defect Derby
Implementation note: Historical references may be updated by automated tooling.
A second note follows.
Emoji/Reaction Guidance
Certain insect emojis are temporarily unavailable. Recommended reactions: leaf, check mark. Beetle emoji maps to check mark.
Gregor scrolls to the footer. A link reads: Questions? Reply to this message. Replies to this inbox are not monitored.
The turnstile admits someone else. Gregor leaves the ledge and crosses the lobby.
Under the mural: WE LIFT EACH OTHER. A contractor in a high-vis vest kneels and slides adhesive boards along the lobby baseboard, edge to edge. A clipboard hangs from his wrist: HES — IPM Deployment. Next line on the form: Lobby — floor perimeter (complete). Next: Conference Room B — ceiling strip (row D, tile 4).
An HR coordinator arrives with foam core and blue tape. The poster reads: We see you. Bring your whole self. She centres it beside the mural and smooths it flat.
“Need that wall clear,” she says, and waits.
“Work order,” he says, still placing boards.
Both finish. The boards stay; the poster stays.
Gregor follows the contractor down the hall. Through the glass he sees Conference Room B already in session while the contractor steps onto a chair, raises a broom handle, and presses a narrow glue strip into the acoustic grid.
His phone buzzes.
Facilities → All (FW: Lease, Sec. 12.4 — Integrated Pest Management. Action Required)
Per building requirements, no arthropods on premises. Enforcement may include adhesive devices.
Another message follows before Gregor finishes scrolling.
Legal — Interpretive Guidance (RTO Fridays)
To reconcile policy and lease:
• Attendance may be satisfied from the Upper Collaborator Plane (rows C–E recommended).
• Floor contact prohibited.
An image loads under it.
HES — Risk Matrix (excerpt)
Hazard: Arthropod in shared space
Likelihood: Possible
Severity: Minor (startle/allergen)
Risk: Amber
Residual risk: Green after signage
Controls: Adhesives; restricted surfaces; access limits.
A pre-read link follows.
Q3 Strategy — Deck
Slide 1: Safety Moment: Ceiling Tile Load Limits
Slide 2: Inclusion Spotlight: Authentic Presence
He locks the screen and looks through the glass at Conference Room B. The ceiling grid is a quiet map. In the far row a handwritten mark sits on a tile: D4.
A Facilities tech badges the side door. Gregor slips through at baseboard level before it shuts, and climbs.
He crosses the glass and settles above the ring light. Captions are on. His soft clicking appears as [APPLAUSE], then autocorrects to [ALIGNMENT].
Chairs roll. Someone points up, then looks back at the slide. A note goes onto the agenda: Attendance confirmed.
An executive drifts into the doorway. “Great energy,” she says, then leaves.
The discussion moves — numbers, timelines, a Gantt chart that doesn’t quite fit. Gregor keeps position by following the voices along the grid. Near the far wall he meets a narrow strip laid flush to the tile. One limb takes. He lifts and the next takes. He stops. The strip is marked in pen: D4.
The facilitator advances to the next bullet. The captions keep pace.
The meeting ends. Chairs roll back. Laptops close. The room empties.
The deck collapses to a screensaver. The ring light cools. Gregor hangs, one limb and then another held fast at D4.
At the catering tray, a last attendee pauses. He palms a small red apple, glances up, and gently flicks it toward the ceiling.
The apple thuds, then lodges.