The false conference call

Today should have been routine: an all-hands video call. Mandatory, cameras on.

After smashing my laptop camera last month, I had to improvise. Picked up a cheap external webcam, the kind you can cover with tape and unplug when not in use. I only plug it in when absolutely necessary.

I joined late, fumbling with the camera. For a split second before the feed stabilized, I saw it: the participants weren’t moving. My colleagues sat frozen, faces locked in polite smiles, heads tilting in perfect loops. Even my manager, who never smiles, wore that same uncanny grin.

The audio carried on flawlessly. Too flawlessly. No hesitation, no interruptions. Machine-precise delivery.

I recorded a short clip, but when I played it back later the video was static. The audio remained though, and buried under the voices was a whisper. Filtered and slowed, it said:

“Stay compliant.”

Audio transcript snippet (before it was corrupted):

[09/07/2021 10:43]  
VOICE: “…our growth metrics are stable… stable… stable…”  
(overlay)  >>> stay compliant <<<  

I encrypted the clip and passed it to a contact who’s been watching the same patterns. If this log changes, it means they’re watching here too.