Evening sunlight streamed in through glass partitions in the main conference room, illuminating Mira's first planning meeting in a warm light. She sat at the end of the long, chrome table, sketchpad and pointer at her disposal. Across from her, engineers turned over laptops, landscape planners studied plant books, and civic officials puffed through briefing times. Air was charged with muted conversation, the scent of freshly brewed coffee rising up through the corner snack station.
Mira took a breath, the hard beat of her heart, a metronome of determination. She pounded the microphone. "Good afternoon, everyone. Appreciate your being willing to report on short notice. Today we laid the groundwork, literally for our new headquarters campus. Let's get underway."
Her initial slide appeared
