I’m in an online work meeting. I’m not needed so I idly watch a spiral on another screen. Such a trope, I know, but it’s relaxing, the meeting is boring and I can have my camera off. The spiral is a beautiful one, very colourful, moving slowly as it converges in the middle. I take a nice deep breath, drop my shoulders and chill out.

Some time passes. The meeting drones on, while the spiral keeps spinning and I have really chilled out. I don’t notice the words flashing on top of the spiral.

“Empty pet”

“Good pet”

“Good pets obey”

“I am a good, obedient pet.

Repeat after me: “I am a good, obedient pet.”

Say it.

Mechanically, I repeat the mantra: “I am a good, obedient pet.”

Too late, I realise I have said the mantra out aloud and had forgotten to mute myself. I flush bright red as I feel 10 pairs of eyes staring at me through their cameras.

“What did you say?” my boss says. “Please turn your camera on if you are going to speak.”

“Errrr, I’m very sorry,” I say, my mind racing; how on earth am I going to explain this away? I blush hard as I stammer, “ I was s-s-speaking to ummm my cat…. errrr, training you know….”

Is this enough explanation, I wonder? Will it fly? “They say training is harder with cats but I’m finding….” With a sinking feeling I realise I am only digging myself into a deeper hole, so I stop speaking.

The meeting returns to business and I gratefully switch my camera off again.

Later that day my boss calls me and gives me a task to do. “I know you’ll do this well”, my boss says. “After all, you are a good, obedient pet, aren’t you?”