Develop a short screen play using the characters and themes from "The Matrix" but in the setting and style of the television series "The Office"

THE SPREADSHEET
A short mockumentary screenplay

INT. DUNDER MIFFLIN — SCRANTON — MORNING

NEO sits at his desk, staring at a spreadsheet.

Every cell reads: WAKE UP.

He closes the file.

A dialog box appears: DO YOU WANT TO SAVE YOUR CHANGES?

Neo considers this.

NEO
No.

Across the room, MORPHEUS watches over the top of a monitor.

CUT TO TALKING HEAD — NEO

NEO
I used to think my job was meaningless because we were trapped inside a simulation designed to drain our energy.

A beat.

NEO
Then I thought, maybe it’s just sales.

INT. BREAK ROOM — LATER

Morpheus stands beside the vending machine. Neo enters.

MORPHEUS
Do you ever feel that something is wrong with the world?

NEO
The refrigerator smells hot.

Morpheus opens his hands. In one: a red capsule. In the other: a blue capsule.

MORPHEUS
Take the blue pill, and your day continues. Take the red pill, and I show you how deep—

TRINITY enters, carrying a mug.

TRINITY
You cannot give people loose medication at work.

MORPHEUS
It’s a choice.

TRINITY
It’s an HR incident.

Morpheus slowly closes his hands.

CUT TO TALKING HEAD — MORPHEUS

MORPHEUS
The human mind will resist anything that threatens its understanding of reality.

He leans forward.

MORPHEUS
We moved the printer six feet. People are still going to the old spot.

INT. CONFERENCE ROOM — DAY

A handwritten sign reads: MANDATORY FREE-WILL SEMINAR.

AGENT SMITH stands before a slide titled YOU ARE THE BATTERY!

SMITH
Corporate has noticed a troubling decline in energy.

He clicks. A stock photo shows a smiling employee holding a lightning bolt.

SMITH
To address this, we are introducing mandatory enthusiasm.

Neo raises his hand.

NEO
Isn’t mandatory enthusiasm just obedience?

Smith looks at him.

SMITH
There’s a comments box on the survey.

NEO
The survey requires our names.

SMITH
So we know whose comments they are.

Trinity looks directly into the camera.

INT. COPY ROOM — AFTERNOON

The copier displays: PAPER JAM.

Neo opens every compartment. Nothing.

Trinity appears in the doorway.

TRINITY
There is no jam.

NEO
It says there is.

TRINITY
Stop trying to clear the jam. Understand that the machine’s rules are not your rules.

Neo studies the copier.

He slowly reaches through its solid plastic casing.

His hand disappears inside.

He pulls out one crumpled sheet.

Trinity frowns.

TRINITY
Okay. There was a jam.

CUT TO TALKING HEAD — TRINITY

TRINITY
I’ve seen him stop bullets. Fly. Rewrite reality.

She holds up a toner cartridge.

TRINITY
He ordered twelve of these for a printer we don’t have.

INT. OFFICE — LATE AFTERNOON

Neo approaches Morpheus.

NEO
I’m ready. Show me the truth.

Morpheus leads him to the supply closet.

INT. SUPPLY CLOSET — CONTINUOUS

Between boxes of envelopes sits a battered laptop.

Morpheus types. Green code streams down the screen.

MORPHEUS
This office is a construct. Every wall. Every desk. Every fluorescent light.

Neo stares.

NEO
Can we change it?

Morpheus nods.

Neo points at the screen.

NEO
Can we get dental?

Morpheus stops typing.

MORPHEUS
That’s administered through a separate system.

INT. OFFICE — MOMENTS LATER

Smith blocks Neo’s path.

SMITH
Mr. Anderson. You’ve exceeded your allotted break time.

Neo squares his shoulders.

NEO
My name is Neo.

Silence.

Smith checks his clipboard.

SMITH
Then you’ll need a new badge.

Neo looks toward Trinity. She gives him a small, encouraging nod.

CUT TO TALKING HEAD — NEO

NEO
I can see the code now. I know none of this is real.

Behind him, Morpheus struggles to adjust an office chair.

NEO
But I’m eight hundred dollars from my quarterly bonus, so I’m going to stay through Friday.

CUT TO BLACK.