Mailgirls on the Run Pt. 02

There was a small box labeled "Human Capital" waiting for her when she got to the counter in the Dining Room. Twenty-two then had to wait for one of the women behind the counter to tap her smart phone to confirm the pick-up which started the timer again for the trip back upstairs to Human Capital. The box wasn't heavy, but it did take two hands which would slow her down opening the doors to both enter and exit the service stairs. She also had to take care to carry the box at the proper height as she could be give a demerit by any passing employee if she unnecessarily blocked the view of either her breasts or pussy. That demerit was a given if she was careless within the Human Capital suite.

Twenty-two carried the box up to the front desk in Human Capital and Ms Bradley, one of the admins, told her, "Into Ms Barnes' office, set it up on the table."

Twenty-two put the box down on the small conference table which had three chairs set around it. She recognized the mailgirls' mat on the floor against the wall. When she had stripped down in her first day at SG&T Ms Barnes had her kneel down on that mat and wait to be taken away. Six weeks later after her training at DDE she had been back on the mat, but this time had needed no instruction to assume the proper "Knees" position and had waited with Twenty-one at her side until Mistress V came to take them down to the Mailgirls Locker Room. She wondered if she would be spending some time on that mat today.

She opened the box which contained a selection of sandwiches, a large bag of premium potato chips, a platter and a large bowl for the sandwiches and chips, respectively, three small plates, two metal dog dishes, a can of Mailgirl Chow, and a bottle of water. So, she would be attending the meeting, almost certainly on the mat against the wall. Twenty-two placed the platter and bowl and small plates in the middle of the table, dumping the chips into the bowl and arranging the sandwiches around the platter. She placed the two dog dishes in front of the mailgirls' mat and opening the can let the chow slide into one of the dishes. It was the shredded stuff in gravy – well, that was better than the paté which came out in a lump which left no good way of eating it without utensils or the use of hands, neither of which were authorized for mailgirls. She rinsed out the can with some of the water, pouring it over the shredded stuff, and then poured the rest of the water into the other dish. Human Capital claimed that Mailgirl Chow was a perfectly balanced meal and judging by the generally excellent health of the mailgirls at SG&T, that was probably correct. Balanced yes, healthy yes, but unappetizing and messy to eat. Twenty-two put the empty can and bottle into the box and sat it in the corner, then gracefully dropped onto the mat and waited.

Ms Barnes and the man who had been timing the run on Sunday entered the office together chatting companionably. Ms Barnes said, "Oh, good. Lunch is here. We have coffee in the office or I can send Twenty-two here off to the vending machines for a soft drink."

"Coffee is good."

Ms Barnes walked to her desk and pressed the intercom, "Miss Bradley, can you bring us a coffee – black, I believe –" Mr Starnes nodded, "Yes, black." Ms Barnes opened the small refrigerator behind her desk and pulled out a bottle of water. "Now, we just need our team leader..."

The door opened again and Megan entered, coming up short when she saw her sister kneeling on the mat. She was carrying a mug, tea Twenty-two surmised.

Ms Barnes said, "Shall we all take a seat around the table. Miss Bradley will be bringing in coffee for Mr Starnes. Can I have her get you anything, Megan?"

"No, I'll just stick with my tea."

"Well then, let's get down to business and do grab a sandwich and some chips. How do you think the girls ran this weekend?"

Mr Starnes replied, "The times were respectable, but not exceptional. Still, it was a first effort, none of them are acclimated to the heat and I don't believe any of them saw any need to try and beat Megan. Three and Four both stayed with her and didn't look particularly stressed. This project may actually work."

Megan added, "Overall, they ran better than I expected, especially considering the heat. And that is a consideration. The race is in October and while it could be unseasonably warm, it's likely to be a good deal cooler and we're selecting a team in mid-summer. There may be someone well back in the pack in July who doesn't handle the heat well who might run very well indeed in better running weather."

Mr Starnes nodded, "That's true, but this is the time line that we have and I think having the time to do some specific training will be more important than waiting to make the best possible selection. I don't see either management or the mailgirls looking favorably on having all twenty-four of them taking the time to do the training."

Megan said, "Another thing – most of those women need support for their breasts. I know they walk/run all over the building naked, but those short bursts are different than 35-45 minutes of running. I know there is some soreness today and the only answer for that is support."

Ms Barnes responded, "I realize that and I've made that point to the fifth floor and Mr Dawlish is giving it his personal attention. He's been looking through lingerie catalogs and websites and has ordered a number of samples: open cup bras, balconette bras, some downright fetish wear that look to provide support with a minimum of coverage, and who knows what else. He expects to have a selection on hand for this coming weekend to see what actually works with minimal disruption to the mailgirl uniform."

Mr Starnes chimed in, "My understanding is that he has thrown himself into this aspect of the project."

Megan had nothing to say about this revelation.

Megan continued, "And another question was raised: the race is in October and the contracts of Mailgirls Thirteen through Eighteen will be coming to an end in September. Is there a reason those six women are taking part in these trials?"

Ms Barnes again responded, "We expect some of those girls to stay on at SG&T. Eight of the eleven girls who have already completed their contracts still work for SG&T, four as mailgirls. Based on those numbers we lose only two of the six.

Mr Starnes interjected, "I think the fifth floor has visions of an all mailgirls running squad, present company excepted, but if Fourteen or Fifteen, for example, make the team I can't see dropping them just because they're wearing clothing and back to work as professionals in October."

Ms Barnes said, "We don't have anyone specifically in the pipeline to replace any losses in September, but I've identified some candidates now training at DDE who have running experience. I've also got my contact at DDE looking into mailgirls at other institutions who are on re-assignable contracts and fit the profile. While you will continue to work with the twenty-four girls we have now, there is a possibility that we bring in someone new."

Megan stammered, "How many mailgirls have re-assignable contracts?"

"Our original twelve mailgirls were all in-house hires and were bound to SG&T. Starting with the third cohort we did some direct hires, like Twenty-two here, and all of those girls have re-assignable contracts. We could even trade one of those six mailgirls for a mailgirl that runs; we have nearly three months to pull that off."

Megan blanched, "Oh, my god, that would be inhuman."

"No, it's just business. The trading deadline for major league baseball is coming up and we will see even higher priced talent get shipped across the country though most of them will fly first class.

"When Mistress V makes out the weekend work schedule I'll see the two of you get it and you can divide up the girls again for the next set of runs. Thank you very much, I believe, we've made some progress."

Twenty-two had been kneeling quietly in the corner eating her Mailgirl Chow and mostly using the water dish to try and clean off her face. After lunch she would return to the Mailgirl Locker Room to shower and otherwise clean up for her afternoon duty. She had been keeping an eye on her sister and saw that the mention of re-assignable contracts had floored her. She thought if she got traded elsewhere then Megan wouldn't have the excuse of needing to watch over her to stay at SG&T. It was good that Megan have something new to worry about.

Ms Barnes concluded, "I believe we've made a good start. We'll do another review after the second round of runs this coming weekend."

Megan added, "One of the women mentioned that the course needs to be thoroughly swept. When I step on a bit of gravel in my running shoes I barely notice it; it can be very painful with bare feet and even cause an injury that will stop a runner."

Mr Starnes chimed in, "That's a good point. I'll talk to the landscaping contractor to see what we can do. I'll see you Saturday morning for round two."

Megan and Mr Starnes both stood up and left, Mr Starnes politely bowing Megan out first, leaving Ms Barnes and Twenty-two behind in the office.

"You can box up the remaining sandwiches and chips and take them down to the Mailgirls Lounge for later. Drop the crockery off at the dining room on your way. That will be all."

Twenty-two rose and cleaned off the table, then picked up the two dishes on the floor, and left carrying the box knowing that she would report the meeting to the other mailgirls that evening. She decided that she would talk to Ten first. Ten was a second term mailgirl who had originally be co-opted from Human Resources and in some ways played Mother to the newer, younger mailgirls helping them understand their place at SG&T in a less brutal fashion than Mistress V. Also, as an HR professional, Ten could likely provide a better understanding of re-assignable contracts and trading and recruiting mailgirls. She had undoubtedly read and understood her mailgirl contract better than Twenty-two who had never made it through all the fine print and whereases.

Megan made it back to her desk and then just logged off her computer and locked up. She never left early and often worked long hours, not uncommon behavior in the Investment Group and indeed many of the other divisions, but today she was out of here. My God, 're-assignable contracts' and while Ms Barnes didn't mention it the folks in Human Capital had been assigned Power of Attorney for each of the mailgirls under the terms of their contracts and Megan guessed that they could just unilaterally extend a mailgirl contract. She would have to talk to Sarah about that thought; Sarah was an attorney.

* * * * *

Megan called Sarah as soon as she got home and got voicemail as Sarah hadn't left work early. "Sarah, this is Megan. Please call me this evening, the subject is mailgirls." Then she did what she always did when faced with an intractable problem, she changed into running attire and went over to the fitness center and ran.

* * * * *

Twenty-two dropped off the dishes at the dining room and then made a fleeting visit to the Mailgirls Lounge to drop of the box of leftovers, not that a few sandwiches and a half bag of chips would go far between twenty-four mailgirls. From there it was out to the Locker Room where she showered and tidied herself up for her afternoon shift, playing to the unseen crowd behind the mirrored walls. It really was more fun with a partner. Twenty-two wasn't a lesbian, but she did enjoy teasing her audience whether she could see them or not. If she didn't cross paths with Ten sometime during her shift she would talk to her in the Lounge in the evening assuming neither was selected for late night duties.

It was just past five and Twenty-two was kneeling on the mat by the receptionist for Branch Services when another mailgirl dropped into position next to her. "I hear that you're looking for me" Ten said pitching her voice to be barely audible even to Twenty-two just at her side. Mailgirls were not permitted to initiate conversations while on duty, well except to request an escort to the restroom.

"I was in Ms Barnes' office when they talked about the running. When Megan asked about the mailgirls whose contracts would be up in September, Ms Barnes said they have been inquiring at DDE about mailgirls with a running background who had re-assignable contracts and raised the possibility of a trade just like they do in baseball. She said six of our mailgirls, including me, have re-assignable contracts and could be traded for a runner."

"Well, you might want to run a little faster next weekend. Before lights out you can fill us in on the rest of the meeting and I'll see if anyone in HR will talk about mailgirl trades."

Twenty-two's MMU chimed, alerting her to a new delivery, and she dashed off with a quick "Thank you" to Ten.

* * * * *

Megan was warming up left-over Chinese when Sarah returned her call. "You want to talk about mailgirls, I'd hoped it was Brendan."

"I'll get to him, but first it's mailgirls and my sister."

"What's she done now?"

"It's all to do with the Corporate Challenge. We ran the first set of trials this past weekend and they did much better than I expected. Factor in the heat and the times look even better, especially since you know none of them was really interested in pushing themselves – what would it gain them. We had half a dozen run 6k inside 23:30 – that may mean something to your Sam – which projects to about a 40 minute 10k which may even mean something to you. I wound up taking three of them down to Susan Allen in the Med Center: one sprained ankle and two for heat exhaustion.

"Today, we met to review where we stand. I pointed out that running naked is one thing, but most of those women really could use a running bra. Ms Barnes agreed and said that Mr Dawlish has been pouring over lingerie catalogs looking for something that provides support without concealment – even she seemed to regard his interest as on the pervy side. She said he's express ordered some samples that should be here in time the trials this weekend. Oh, and the course runs into the parkland on the edge of the parking lot and picks up the road that comes into the back end of campus. We startled a few drivers each time past and brought a whole line of bicycles to a halt on the third run. Security is providing a trailing car to keep an eye on things."

Sarah giggled at the bicycles. "So, what's the problem? we always knew the fifth floor had a salacious interest in mailgirls."

"Well, I also pointed out that there are a half dozen mailgirl contracts expiring between now and the race. Ms Barnes responded that they've been talking to DDE about replacements with a running background and then mentioned re-assignable contracts. There are also half a dozen mailgirls including my Sam that could be traded for a mailgirl with a track background. Also, since SG&T holds power of attorney for the mailgirls couldn't they just unilaterally extend someone's contract? Ms Barnes didn't mention that possibility."

"I don't think they'd want to do that. That could definitely spark a law suit and would not play well in public. I could see them offering a one month extension with an additional bonus if there was someone they particularly wanted to keep. Were there any in that group that stood out?"

"Both Fourteen and Fifteen ran sub 23:30 – you remember Fourteen, the ex-wife of a lawyer?"

"Good for her. She could use something to boost her self image. And what about your Sam?"

"She ran 23:26 and was running faster before she realized that she wanted to finish in the middle of the pack. Ms Barnes had her kneeling on the mat during the race review today so she heard about re-assignable contracts. Ms Barnes likened it to trading baseball players."

"Will you follow Sam if Ms Barnes ships her off?"

"I think Ms Barnes was just trying to keep me in line. I was surprised she didn't dress me down for taking the three women to the Med Center, but she didn't say a word about that."

"Every now and then she does something that makes me believe she might care about mailgirls as people; she did well by Sam and me. You're the only one who got hurt in the whole Holiday gig and that was the crazy lady at the Juniper Resort."

"I seem to attract them. It turns out that Mr Starne's ex-wife was my boss in Chicago and he strongly implied that she shipped me to Maryland with malice aforethought."

"And what about Brendan?"

"I called him Sunday and just unloaded on him, not at him, I just freaked out to him about the whole mailgirl thing. Then I told him that I'd meet up with him at a Howard County race on Wednesday and we left it there."

"You go, girl. Don't run too fast."

* * * * *

It was a typical Monday. Twenty-two had just made a delivery to the fifth floor when her MMU chimed to let her know that she was off duty. Her MMU started counting down from three minutes – while she was off the clock, so to speak, she still had to make it to the Mailgirl Locker Room within the specified time to avoid racking up yet another demerit. She'd been on duty for just shy of twelve hours, eight hours at minimum wage, three hours at time and a half. Lunch and dinner from a dish on the floor in the employee dining room and her post-lunch shower and grooming were considered personal time and not paid. She made it to the Locker Room with twenty-three seconds to spare, there being less human traffic to dodge in the evening, and took her third shower of the day, skipping the show for the unseen watchers at this hour. She did give a last wave before disappearing into the Mailgirls Lounge.

The Lounge was unique in the mailgirls world in that it was behind a wall and out of sight. There were surveillance cameras that covered the entire space, but only the folks in Security had access to the video feed and everybody knew the nerds in IT had hacked into it. Unless there were visitors the mailgirls could behave pretty much normally for worlds that consisted of twenty-four naked women and no furniture. They could even pick up food with their hands while eating.

The was one piece of furniture in the Lounge – a low spanking bench complete with leather straps for when Mistress V didn't bother to haul a recalcitrant mailgirl out to the Locker Room for punishment. Mailgirls were not allowed to sit or lie on it unless it was being used for its intended purpose. Twenty-two had been strapped to it more than once when a quorum of mailgirls decided that she had misbehaved. It was also an SG&T tradition that a new girl spent her first night strapped to the bench while the rest of the mailgirls had their way with her until lights out and then lay covered in her own and others juices until morning. This practice dated back to the hiring of the third group of mailgirls – the four mailgirls that had renewed their contracts had also been welcomed back into the fold. Ms Barnes visit to the Lounge to announce to the mailgirls that there would be no recriminations for their appropriate use of the spanking bench due to heartfelt pleas from both Security and IT had occurred before Twenty-two's first day; she was told the story while strapped to the bench for her initiation.

Two walls comprised the Mailgirls Dormitory, thirty 4' x 4' niches, each 5' deep and covered by metal grilles that locked into place at lights out. There were a half dozen networked computers that allowed mailgirls restricted access to the outside world, all set on low pedestals since the mailgirls sat in front of the monitors in lotus position. There was an emergency exit door which opened to a tunnel that popped out in the parking lot – the mailgirls were familiar with that exit since the local fire department insisted on quarterly unannounced fire drills and emergency evacuations which were monitored by that local fire department. The mailgirls were always impressed by the number of firefighters on hand to watch twenty-four naked women emerging from that tunnel when the fire alarm was sounded, invariably in the middle of the night.