7.a: Video #11: The food court
Given the pattern I had gotten used to, I was surprised when I scanned the code on Monday that I was being thrust into action right away.
"ASSIGNMENT IS TODAY. YOU CAN GO TO WORK AFTER. BE READY TO TRAVEL AT 12:30"
I wondered if this one would keep me locked up long enough that I'd be late to work.
Well, given how the last one worked, I might by in a jail cell by the time I'm supposed to be at work
.
I puttered around, doing at-home stuff, and was surprised to get another message just after eleven.
"EFFECTIVE NOW, YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO PISS UNTIL GIVEN PERMISSION."
And then, about a half-hour later, another unexpected message:
"DRINK A LARGE GLASS OF WATER, TAKE A PHONE VID OF YOU DRINKING IT AND SEND IMMEDIATELY."
Another message with the same instruction came a half-hour later.
By the time I got my travelling orders at 12:30, I was definitely at a state where I would have made a pit stop before going out. Hopefully, I was being sent to a restroom again!
"DRESS IN T-SHIRT AND GYM SHORTS. NO UNDERWEAR. TAKE WORK CLOTHES IN BAG.
"GO TO FOOD COURT AT TOWN CENTRE MALL. FIND QR CODE IN SW CORNER, END OF AISLE OF SEATS BY SCULPTURE
"LEAVE NOW"
I was already dressed for work, so after a hasty change, I was out the door, work clothes crammed in my bag. By the time I biked over and wound my way through the mall, it looked like the food court was heading to the quieter time after the lunch rush. Most of the tables were empty and there were a couple employees working their way between them, tidying up.
My instructions to find the code were pretty vague, but once I saw the sculpture (an animal of some sort made of strips of metal) I had a zone to work from... and then, at the end of an aisle of booths I saw a guy wearing one of those familiar blue "courier" shirts. Figuring that wasn't a coincidence, I walked over towards him. He was sitting with his back to me as I approached, but as I drew beside him, I saw he was holding onto a card with a QR code. He looked up as I stood by the table.
"Um, I think that's for me?" Without comment he handed the card over. I laid it on the table and pulled out my phone so I could scan it. I was working up some sort of conversation starter when my phone buzzed.
"GO OVER TO THE MEGA BURGER AND GET A JUMBO DRINK. COME BACK AND SIT DOWN."
Well, if nothing else, this assignment already had a different sort of rhythm to it -- so far it felt more like a treasure hunt. It turned out that the "Jumbo" drink was no joke, coming in a cup that was about the size of a Big Gulp. Looking at it reminded me of my faint but distinct need to relieve myself. In arriving here I had forgotten I was hoping to be sent to the restroom.
Tub of diet coke in hand, I went back and took the seat across from the guy in the blue shirt. Without bothering to make small talk, he launched right into a spiel.
"So, I'm supposed to let you know that you don't have to worry about your camera. I have them set up for you. There's one right there," gesturing toward a garbage can across from the table, "and one down there," twisting around to point at the base of a divider between tables several yards back.
"When you're done whatever it is you're here for, you have to scan the card again, and I'll come get the cameras." With that, he pulled out his own phone and scanned it, then stood up and walked away. He left his tray behind him, which had an empty burger wrapper and french fry container. And also, curiously, a large pair of scissors.
His action must have been a trigger, as my phone buzzed right away, before I had time to process that.
"DRINK AS MUCH OF THE DRINK AS YOU CAN"
Yikes!
I picked up the giant cup, and chugged a couple swallows. Then I paused and figured I should pace myself, so I took a series of more measured glugs. I paused for a little silent burp, then drank what felt like another full-sized normal serving. There was still about half of the drink left, but that was what I could handle for now. Meanwhile, I had more instructions.
"TAKE TIMELOCK AND CUFFS FROM BAG
"REMOVE SOCKS AND SHOES, STORE THEM IN BAG
"LOCK BAG WITH PADLOCK. PUT KEY ON SHACKLE OF TIME LOCK"
That kept me busy for a couple minutes, especially trying to unobtrusively get my shoes and socks off. By the time the padlock on my bag clicked shut, I had more to do.
"DRINK SOME MORE OF THE DRINK
"LOCK ONE CUFF AROUND TABLE LEG, LOCK OTHER TO RIGHT ANKLE
"PULL DOWN SHORTS SO THEY ARE LAYING ON THE FLOOR
"PUT HANDCUFF KEY ON SHACKLE OF TIME LOCK
"LOCK TIMELOCK TO METAL BAR ON DIVIDER BESIDE TABLE. SET FOR ONE HOUR AND START
"RESCAN QR CODE WHEN CLOCK RUNNING"
That gave me a whole bunch of things to do. It was enough of a struggle to have to half-climb under the table to lock the cuffs to that table leg and my ankle that I hadn't really process the next line until I reread it.
I had to pull my shorts off, exposing my lower body in this very public place! I took a deep breath and looked around. I hadn't really studied it, but obviously this spot had been carefully chosen. It was at the end of a long aisle of booths, and there was only one approach. There was a shoulder-high wall that marked the edge of the food court seating area to my right, and a waste station to my left on the other side of the aisle, so the only place where someone could really see under the table was...
... I looked over and realized that was right where one of the cameras was located. At least, I was guessing that the small plastic box with a slot in front held a camera. Unless you examined it closely, it looked like it was part of the pillar between the booths. That camera would have a nice long view, showing above and below my table, and getting the whole context of the area with the space of the mall behind me.
The second camera the guy mentioned was in a similar box, attached at knee height to the garbage can perpendicular to the left of my table. It would have a nice straight-on side view of everything I was doing.
On the whole, this was set up so it was unlikely anyone would get a look underneath this table.
But still... to be exposed here for an hour?
Better to just get started. I lifted my butt to shimmy my gym shorts down my legs.
If worst comes to worst, I could always pull them back up
. Feeling some cooler air on my crotch, I put the handcuff key on the shackle of the time lock and twisted over to look at the thin bar that was running along the top of the divider wall. I waited for an older couple on the other side to walk past, then I was just able to fit the time lock over it. It clicked in place, and I set the timer. That loud beep that always annoyed me was mostly eaten up by the ambient background sound of the mall.
Well, this should be in interesting hour
. I re-scanned the QR code.
"FINISH OFF YOUR DRINK"
Lord, that was a struggle! My stomach felt like it was bursting now, my bladder, too, though I pushed that thought aside as my phone buzzed again.
"TAKE THE SCISSORS AND USE THEM TO REMOVE THE GYM SHORTS FROM THE HANDCUFF CHAIN."
I swallowed and blinked. That would quite efficiently take away my emergency backup plan! I felt a moment of defeat when I thought about how I was always one step behind what was being planned for me here.
Well, might as well get with the program
. I reached over to the tray, and grabbed the scissors. Once I looked at them more closely I realized they were those cloth scissors with the jagged teeth -- pinking shears, I guess they're called.
I leaned down and found the one leg that was wrapped around the handcuff chain. The shears made quick work of them. Feeling like this was a significant act, I grabbed them and held them up, so that both cameras would get a view of them.
I was committed now.
I leaned back on my padded seat, trying to look casual, like just another bored guy killing time in the food court. Every few seconds, someone would pass by outside the food court, on the other side of the divider that made up the far edge of my booth. They were just a couple feet away from me, sitting here with my cock exposed, but there was no way they could see it.