CHIP WADDINGTON, 30s, sits behind a massive, mahogany desk adorned with a golden bust of himself. Stacks of money tower beside him like a modern-day Midas. He wears a Hawaiian shirt and flip-flops despite the air conditioning blasting arctic winds.
He's on a video call with two SHARPLY DRESSED INVESTORS.
CHIP: (beaming) ...and that's how ed0, the world's first emotion-sensing, meme-based MOOC, will revolutionize education!
INVESTOR 1: (confused) Emotion-sensing? How does that work?
CHIP: (waving dismissively) Details, details! Imagine, learning calculus while a virtual cat judges your stress levels! Or dissecting a frog while a motivational doge gif cheers you on!
INVESTOR 2: (deadpan) I fail to see the educational value in...
CHIP: (interrupting) Educational value? Pish posh! It's all about engagement, baby! Engagement is the new oil, and ed0 has a gusher the size of Texas!
INVESTOR 1: But Mr. Waddington, your company, Silicon Val-erius Maximus, is worth $5 billion! Surely there are more...prudent investments?
CHIP: (scoffs) Prudent? We're not in the boring widget business, my friend! We're disruptors! We're innovators! We're... (trails off, stares dreamily) ...also, I really want a pet robot unicorn.
INVESTOR 2: (sighs) Mr. Waddington, we need a solid business plan, not...whims.
CHIP: Whims? This is genius! Think of it! Kids these days, they love memes, they love cats, they love...shiny things! ed0 will be the shiniest, meme-iest cat of them all! We'll be richer than Croesus on a gold rush!
INVESTOR 1: (stands up) We appreciate your...enthusiasm, Mr. Waddington. But we're afraid we must decline.
CHIP: (gasps) Decline? But...the robot unicorn!
INVESTOR 2: Perhaps another investor will be more...open-minded. Good day.
The investors hang up. Chip slumps in his chair, defeated.
CHIP: (whining) But...my unicorn...
Suddenly, the office door bursts open. A MANIC INTERN, 20s, rushes in, brandishing a tablet.
INTERN: Sir! Sir! I've done it! I've cracked the code! We can now predict emotional responses to memes with 99.9% accuracy!
CHIP: (eyes widen) Really?
INTERN: Absolutely! Just imagine, targeted advertising based on a user's emotional state! We can sell them fidget spinners when they're anxious, bath bo--s when they're sad, and...robot unicorns when they're...
CHIP: (jumping up, ecstatic) ROBOT UNICORNS! You beautiful genius! We're back in business!
INTERN: But sir, the investors just...
CHIP: (grabbing the intern's shoulders) Forget the investors! We're going viral, baby! Viral! Robot. Unicorns!
Chip and the intern erupt in maniacal laughter as the camera zooms out, leaving the audience with a chilling image of Silicon Valley's absurdity.
[SCENE END]