Part 5
Dinner, Dancing, and an Auction.
Maggie and Paula continued to watch a live web camera feed of the Museum’s Charity Event. With an occasional glance at Phil’s biomonitoring, by now they had gotten used to him being okay inside his extreme bondage and checking it was more habit then really needed.
It looked like the dinner portion of the event was ending, all the guests had been served and were starting to push empty plates aside. Some went to the drink stations to get refills, others mingled between the tables. There was a head table of VIPs and a raised podium in the center of the table. Mr Suit stood up and tapped the microphone attached to the podium. Maggie and Paula saw several guests wince and assumed Mr Suit had created enough feedback to set people's teeth on edge. But Mr Suit did something to the microphone and talked into it some more. Several of the people at the back of the room nearest the camera held thumbs up, indicating they could hear him now.
Mr Suit said something and waved at the tables, guests started returning to their seats.
Maggie guessed, “Please return to your seats.” And then imitated his arm gesture so perfectly Paula giggled.
Ms Blue Dress approached the podium while the guests sat back down again, she handed Mr Suit two or three pages from her clipboard.
Paula commented, “They are about to do something.”
Maggie agreed, “Apparently it’s time for speeches and the asking for money part of the event.”
Paula nodded and stared at the camera feed remarking, “It definitely doesn’t look like the dancing part of the event.”
Several wait staff were clearing the dishes off the head table while Mr Suit waited patiently at the podium. Once the table had been cleared of dishes, glasses and napkins, other staff rolled in a large utility cart with a sheet draped over it. These new staff people were dressed in what appeared to be lab coats, they efficiently but carefully were moving items from the cart onto the long head table. Each item had a small placard in front of it with some text and a prominent number. The text was unreadable through the webcam, but the numbers were large enough to be seen clearly.
Maggie commented, “Obviously setting up the auction next.”
“Guess dancing is later,” Paula remarked.
Both women continued to watch the preparations on the laptop screen.
Once the staff had moved all the items and placards off the cart, one of them turned to Mr Suit with a leftover placard. Mr Suit pointed at the center of the room and the lab-coated person walked to the sarcophagus display, clearly placing the placard and its number on the top of it.
“Maggie look…!” Paula started to say with a rising note of panic in her voice.
Maggie was gripping Paula’s arm tightly, “I see it…. I see it!”
Paula, still panicking, said, “They are going to auction off Phil!”
Maggie glanced at Phil’s bio indications, there was high respiration, and brain activity all over the spectrum. Obviously he had been paying attention and had seen the placard being placed on his current home.
Paula was using her phone to call up the Museum website and specifically the Charity event. “They are taking online bids too!”
“Let me see.” Maggie borrowed Paula’s phone.
Paula meanwhile had gotten up and was pacing the small living room, glancing occasionally at the web feed.
“Okay,” Maggie was reading the screen. “It’s not all bad news, there’s a reserve on the item.”
Paula paused her pacing to look at Maggie, “What does that mean?”
“You’ve never been to an auction, have you?” Maggie asked.
Paula flopped down on the sofa next to Maggie, “No, not really. Just grade school bake sale type things. Why?”
“Because if you’d been to real auctions you’d know that a reserve means they will only sell it if somebody bids over the reserve price.” Maggie explained to Paula. “Which means it may not sell at all.”
Paula looked hopeful, “So what’s the reserve price on the sarcophagus?”
Maggie frowned. “Sadly it's usually a secret, it's more a way of driving up the sale price or not letting a truly valuable item go for less than it’s worth.”
“Well as a prototype alone it’s one of a kind.” Paula’s voice was returning to normal after her initial panic.
“That must have been what your company president and Mr Suit were talking about earlier.” Maggie said while waving at the web camera feed.
“Donating the sarcophagus to the Auction?” Paula asked.
“That,” Maggie said, “and setting the reserve price.”
Paula nodded her agreement, but her eyes still looked worried.
“Don’t worry,” Maggie continued, “I’ll bet your president set a very high reserve price. That way he gets credit for donating a high cost item without actually risking it being lost to someone.”
“I see, so people hear the company name, there’s bidding, interest in the product, but at the end of the night we still get to keep it.” Paula flopped back down on the sofa. “That makes sense.”
Maggie waved Paula’s phone, “The good news is we can monitor the auction via this online bidding portal.”
“Since we can't hear the bidding through the web camera.” Paula agreed with her.
Going once, going twice…!
They watched the live feed as Mr Suit shuffled some papers on the podium and rapped a small hammer on the podium.
While most of the lab-coated assistants had left with the utility cart, one had stayed behind. That person was holding up the first item on the long table with an auction number of 001.
The online bidding portal had a close up picture of the item and a brief description. “A small statue of the god Horus from approx 475-425 BC. Beaten Copper and Carved Onyx. Suggested opening bid $1200.00 Letter of Authenticity included. “
While Mr Suit was still describing the item to the people in the room the online bidding had already begun with an opener of $1250, followed by $1300, then $1400.
“Wow! People are eager.” Maggie remarked.
“That’s bad right?” Paula said worriedly, “They might bid up Phil’s sarcophagus and reach the reserve?”
“They might also blow through whatever budget they had set aside for this auction on multiple small items.” Maggie reassured her. “Plus a true collector will want actual historic objects, not a plastic reproduction, even one as nice as the one you made.”
Paula was nervously chewing on a fingernail and her foot was twitching rapidly.
“Also,” Maggie added in an attempt to further reassure her, “This was a surprise addition to tonight's event. No one will have known to set aside money for it.”
“I wish I had your confidence.” Paula told Maggie, leaning her head on Maggie’s shoulder and letting her arm slip around her waist.
They sat in silence watching the first item in the auction eventually go for $1975 to an online bidder. The assistant carefully handed it off to someone who had some sort of box, obviously they would keep it safe and arrange for shipping to the online bidders location.
The assistant returned to the table lifting item number two and showing it to the people in the room. Mr. Suit could be seen hitting the podium with his little gavel in the background. The online portal had a closeup picture again, some verbiage and a recommended opening bid of $1800 this time. This time it went to a person at the event for $3500.
This continued off and on for the next hour or so. Items being sold to people there or online. The prices of the various items varied between 2000 to 5000 dollars. Of the 12 items sold, 4 went to online bidders and 8 went to people at the charity event.
Of the eight items sold to people at the event, the four highest priced items all went to the same person. A taller woman well into her middle years but still capable of wearing an evening gown that seemed to be inspired by Egyptian styles. Of the women there she was not the most extreme in her clothing choice, but it was a body skimming dress revealing a figure she must have worked hard to maintain for many years. From the camera’s view they could see true delight on her face every time she won one of the auction items.
After all the small items were auctioned off Mr Suit must have declared a short break. Maggie and Paula watched him step away from the podium and pour himself a glass of something red to drink. While he was relaxing they watched as the night's big winner so far, got up from her seat and made a beeline for the golden sarcophagus. They watched her slowly walk all the way around it, taking pictures with her phone and then head back to her seat. But instead of sitting down she continued over to Paula’s boss, the plastic company’s President. They held a short conversation and they watched as the President nodded his head and the lady smiled back at him. By the time she returned to her seat Mr Suit was back at the podium and banging away again.
The online bidding portal switched to a picture of the sarcophagus, including its outer enclosure measurements and estimated weight. Where the estimated starting bid had been on other items was a bright red, “Reserve not met” message. The verbiage described the fact that this was a 3-D printed full size replica of King Tut’s Golden Sarcophagus, donated by Fantastic Plastics. A one of a kind prototype of a new industrial printing process and brand new plastics. Bidder would be responsible for shipping costs.
Mr Suit decided to get a little more hands on for this centerpiece item and moved from the podium to stand at the head of the sarcophagus. They watched him on the screen gesturing at the sarcophagus and saying many things. Eventually he ran out of things to say apparently and the bidding started. Immediately someone bid $10,000 dollars online. The woman in the Egyptian inspired outfit raised her paddle. The bid indicator online raised to $12,000. The online indicator jumped again to $12,500 as someone else bid. Mr Suit could be seen pointing at her, again she raised her paddle and the price went to $13,000.
Maggie and Paula stared at camera feed from the charity event and the auction website, worried about Phil and potentially having to admit their activities to save him.
“Apparently there are two serious bidders,” Maggie eventually commented.
Paula said, “But there is still the reserve right?”
“Yes,” Maggie said, “They haven’t reached that. He’s still safe.”
Maggie couldn’t help but mentally add, “For now.” But didn’t say it outloud in front of Paula.
The unseen online competitor raised it to $13,500, the auction portal reflected the new bid, but the reserve not met sign was still there. Mr Suit said something and pointed at the lady who had been bidding. Looking slightly frustrated she held up her bidding paddle in her left hand and flashed the fingers of her right hand three times.
Mr Suit seemed very happy with this news and he pointed at someone off camera and unseen to Maggie and Paula. The online bid portal changed to $15,000 and the red, “reserve not met” was converted to a green, “reserve met”. A countdown appeared on the screen, but apparently $15,000 was too much for the online bidder and no more bids appeared. The night's big winner won the biggest item yet.
“Damn!” Maggie cursed. “15,000 was the magic number.”
Paula asked the obvious, “Now what do we do?”
“This is going to be a scandal, the company will be embarrassed, Phil will be mortified, I’ll be fired!” Paula was breathing heavily, on the verge of hyperventilating, or maybe a panic attack. “Maybe we’ll all be arrested!”
Maggie chuckled, trying to defuse the situation, “Arrested? On what charge, Conspiracy to commit Kinky Sex?”
No laughing matter
Paula giggled and punched Maggie in the arm, “Don’t make me laugh, this is serious!”
“Yes it is,” Maggie agreed, exaggeratedly rubbing her arm where Paula had punched her. “But we can’t panic, we have to think this through.”
“The winner, our mystery lady in the Egyptian gown, must be local to us.” Maggie started.
“That makes sense.” Paula nodded agreement, “Also I’ll bet she’s on the Museum board or something.”
“YES!” Maggie exclaimed while using her phone to google the Museum Board of Directors. She turned her phone to show Paula. “That’s got to be her, in this picture.”
Paula read outloud from the article on the phone, “Mrs Carter, the wealthy widow of Prof. Carter is seen here cutting the ribbon for the new Egyptian wing at the museum. Her generous donations have made this new wing and exhibit possible. A grand opening charity dinner is to be held this Sunday night, and many local celebrities will be in attendance.”
“But how does that help us get Phil out of there?” Paula asked slightly more calmly.
“Easy peasy,” Maggie said, “Mrs Carter will have the sarcophagus shipped to her home. We’ll get there nice and early tomorrow morning and tell her we were sent by Fantastic Plastics to make sure that it was not damaged in transit. We’ll ask for a glass of water or something, once she leaves we’ll whack the top lattice work and break it free. Then pop Phil out and into a coverall we’ll bring with us.”
“But then it’ll be broken!” Paula exclaimed.
“Exactly,” Maggie agreed, “We apologize, it must have been a flaw in the original print Mrs Carter. We’ll have it shipped back to the plastics factory and repaired on the Company dime.”
Paula looked hopeful, “That’s brilliant Maggie!”
Maggie preened a little at the praise.
“Plus once we have it back at the factory I can print a new golden sarcophagus for her without the locks, and devices and storage tanks and a new solid cage without the breakaway points for the lid.” Paula continued, “It’ll actually be better and stronger for her.”
“Great idea Paula,” it was Maggie’s turn to praise her. “Everybody wins, Phil is saved, no scandal.”
Now that they had a plan in place they were able to watch the rest of the event with less panic and worry. The auction was over and staff had cleared the dirty dishes and leftovers. A string quartet appeared and some people were seen dancing in the other areas of the museum lobby not occupied by the tables and the sarcophagus centerpiece.
They noticed the President of the Fantastic Plastics company go over and shake the hand of Mrs Carter. Mr Suit appeared and ushered them over to the golden sarcophagus while someone with a fancy camera took some pictures, no doubt for publicity purposes. “Generous local business donation bought by wealthy museum benefactor” would be in tomorrow's newspaper and on the Museum website in no time.
Phil was not laughing.
Phil watched the scene unfold on his tablet sized view of the event. Unlike Maggie and Paula he knew nothing about a reserve price being set, all he knew was the object he was locked inside of had an auction number on top of it. He watched with dread as the smaller items were auctioned off, and then the auction stopped?
Was he safe? Did they decide not to sell the sarcophagus after all? He watched as an older woman circled his display then hurried off to talk to someone at one of the tables. Then the auctioneer was back at the podium rapping his gavel.
Apparently, it was just a break before they sold off the big item. Phil’s heart was beating like a drum. His friends had to be watching this, what were they going to do? How would they get him out of this?
The auctioneer moved to the sarcophagus and Phil saw him talking and waving his hands. The lady who had examined the sarcophagus during the break raised her paddle and the auctioneer pointed at her. This happened several times until she was visibly frustrated and bid with one hand while the other hand flashed all five fingers three times. 15? Was that $1,500? $15,000? Phil thought $1500 would be a very low bid, but $15,000 that was more likely.
He really wished he could talk to the women about now, and hear what the plan was. There had to be a plan right?
Phil took several deep breaths, drank some water, and tried to calm himself down. He trusted Maggie and Paula, they wouldn’t just leave him to rot inside here. He knew that mentally, but his body kept trying to panic on him. He was trapped, utterly unable to signal anyone outside, and his fight or flight response was just being triggered by the situation and he couldn’t help it.
Phil watched his tablet as the auction ended, food and plates were cleared and a band appeared, several people started dancing in the large unoccupied portions of the museum rotunda. Phil watched as the winning bidder and a man in a tuxedo posed for pictures around the sarcophagus enclosure. They were apparently discussing something as the man was gesturing at the sarcophagus and the woman was nodding her head. They shook hands again and the man wandered back to his seat at one of the tables. But the woman who had won the auction stared at the sarcophagus for several more minutes, Phil was beginning to wonder if she knew he was in here. But then she waved goodbye at it and Phil watched as she returned to her seat, grabbed her shoulder wrap and then left the event.
WIthin an hour of her leaving, the event appeared to wind down, Phil wished he knew what time it was. No matter what his friends had planned he knew it wouldn’t be taking place while he was locked inside the museum that night. Phil got ready for a long night of worry and doubts.
A brilliant plan
Maggie and Paula had watched the event wind down and had set an alarm for early the next morning. They fell asleep eventually, worry and stress causing a restless night. Both awoke to the sound of Paula’s phone alarm still feeling groggy but a good hour before the museum was scheduled to open. They fired up Paula’s laptop and logged into the museum lobby web camera to see if there was any activity yet.
“It’s gone!” Paula said, pointing at the screen. “Where is it?”
Both women stared in disbelief at the completely empty lobby, not only was the sarcophagus display gone, but the red carpet, the tables, the drink stations, all the decorations, everything had been removed.
“The shippers must have gotten there earlier than we expected”. Maggie remarked, “That just means he’s in transit to her home.”
Paula chewed her lower lip, “I had a thought last night. What if she isn’t having it shipped to her home?”
Maggie hugged Paula. “Let’s not think like that.”
“But what if…?” Paula asked
“Then we’ll bribe someone at the museum to tell us where they did ship it.” Maggie tried to remain calm, but Paula's idea did have her worried. She thought to herself, “We really should have put a tracking tag on the sarcophagus.”
Paula stared at the laptop screen for a little while longer. Maggie hugged her.
Eventually it was Paula who stood up and announced in a firm voice, “Okay we can’t do anything from here. Let’s get dressed and get going.”
Maggie agreed and they took quick showers and put on fresh clothes. Luckily Paula was roughly Maggie’s size, a little taller and a little skinnier but it worked out.
Paula was gathering her things and checked her phone, then stopped dead still.
“It’s a text from the big boss!” Paula announced.
Maggie stopped and looked at her, “Well what does it say?”
Both of them had the same thought, “Phil had been discovered and the big boss was firing Paula.”
Paula pressed buttons on her phone and read, “Your sarcophagus was a big hit at the charity event! I’ve got a new high priority special project for you, come see me first thing Monday morning.”
Maggie nodded, “Well that doesn’t sound horrible.”
Paula gripped the phone tightly, “No, it is not the worst thing. But it does mean I can’t help you find Phil. I’ve got to go to work and see the President of the company.”
“True,” Maggie replied slowly. “I’ll head to the museum while you go see the big boss. If I find anything out I’ll text you where to meet me.”
The Museum and Maggie
Maggie headed out to where she had parked her car, started it and immediately headed towards the museum. On the way she went through a coffee shop drive thru to grab a donut and a large coffee. She suspected she’d need the caffeine and calories to last through the day. When she arrived the museum was still not open to the public, the doors wouldn’t open for another 30 minutes. She sat in her car listening to the morning news and drinking her coffee. At fine minutes till opening, she got out and headed to the ticket booth to buy an admission ticket.
“Not sure why they needed to raise money with an auction, $35 dollars a ticket!” Maggie grumbled. She got in line with a few other early birds to wait for the doors to be unlocked.
A tall young man tried to start a conversation with her. “Tickets are expensive, you need a season pass. Much cheaper per visit.”
Maggie said, “I don’t come here often. I was hoping to see the new Egyptian exhibit.”
“Looking forward to seeing that too.” He reached out a hand, “I’m Henry, Henry Jones.”
“Margeret,” Maggie told him and shook his hand. “So you come here often enough to have a season pass?”
“Yes.” Henry smiled and replied, “My major is in Museum Studies, so I’m here quite often.”
“So you know all the museum staff?” Maggie probed.
“Most of them.” Henry said with pride, “Hoping to get a job here after I get my degree.”
Maggie smiled and asked, “You’ve met Mrs Carter from the board of directors?”
“Oh yes.” Henry bragged, “I’ve even been out to her house for a cocktail party she threw a few weeks ago.”
“I heard she’s quite the collector herself.” Maggie was fishing.
Henry swallowed the bait, “Yes, half the exhibits in the new wing are on loan from her collection.”
“Fascinating, tell me more,” Maggie widened her smile at her new friend and information source.
Henry quickly warmed to the subject and told Maggie, “Her whole house is practically a museum. Her late husband was a not so famous archeologist, no relation to the Doctor Carter who discovered King Tut’s tomb back in the 30s. But apparently he had some minor successes digging in various places and he inherited quite a lot of family money so he bought even more than he found. He even had his own small scale pyramid built out behind the house. It’s all very impressive.”
Just then the front doors swung wide and there was a shuffling of people to get inside. Maggie let Henry wander ahead of her and once inside she made a beeline to the ladies room. She checked her cell phone for messages from Paula and then used the Museum’s free wifi to look up Mrs Carter online. Most of what Henry had told her was there, scattered around the web in various places and linked newspaper articles. She even managed to find her home address in an announcement about a garden party / open house she had hosted two Summers ago. As Henry had mentioned there was a small replica of a pyramid in one of the pictures of the garden event. Small compared to the ones in Egypt, it nonetheless dominated the backyard of her house. Maggie had to wonder how Mrs Carter’s neighbors felt about such a large object no doubt dominating the rest of the houses.
Having gathered enough information to at least find the home of Mrs Carter and a few hints from Henry to drop if questioned, Maggie texted Paula, “On my way to you, I know where we are going.”
The Plastics President and Paula.
Paula meanwhile had driven straight to the plastics factory and headed to the executive wing of offices. The receptionist asked who she was here to see and Paula told her the President, he’s expecting me.
The receptionist smiled and picked up her phone. “Mr Barclay, Paula is here to see you.”
She nodded at whatever he said and told Paula, “Head on in, he’s expecting you.”
Paula smiled and hesitantly said, “I’ve never been to his office, which one is it?”
The receptionist’s smile widened at Paula’s admission. “Don’t worry, not many people have. Head down that hallway, it’s the double doors at the very end.”
Paula paused outside the heavy looking wooden doors with the brass door handles. She rapped her knuckles on the door and then pushed down on the handle before entering.
“Paula!” The President greeted her loudly, “The star of the show! Please sit down, can we get you anything, coffee, soda, water?”
Paula smiled and sat down in a chair opposite his desk. “A coffee would be lovely.”
The President pressed a button on an intercom. “Susan, could you brew us up a pot of coffee. Bring two cups and a few pastries? Thank you.”
The President sat down smiling. “The Pastries are mostly for me,” he said, chuckling.
Paula smiled politely wondering if she should say anything or wait for him to tell her why she was here.
As if reading her mind he started speaking again, “I’ll bet you are wondering why I called you in, first thing this morning?”
“Yes sir,” Paula said shyly, “I mean, it did cross my mind why, of course.”
“I just wanted to congratulate you on the fine work you are doing with the large format fast prototyper.” He praised her, “Your amazing King Tut’s tomb item was the showstopper at the Museum Charity event last night.”
Paula smiled nervously, “Thank you Sir, I was; I am very proud of it.”
“I’ve got to tell you when Mrs Carter bid all the way to $15,000.00 I was stunned.” He was obviously happy and he continued. “I never thought it would sell at that high a reserve price. I was honestly hoping we could keep it, I know it’s a prototype item, but it is amazingly detailed.”
“Yes sir,” Paula started to say, “It is a prototype…”
But apparently he was not done talking and continued on as if he had not heard her. “You did keep the printing files, you could make another one, right?”
“Of course Sir,” Paula was slightly offended; he thought she wouldn’t store her files safely, “I have backups of all my projects.”
“So that leads into what I need you to do for me, for us really, that special project I was talking about…” The President’s voice dropped in volume and Paula leaned in to listen closely.
Later Maggie arrives at the factory.
Maggie parked her car and walked quickly to the front doors and entered the lobby. She was surprised to see Paula waiting for her with a big smile on her face.
“Paula?’ Maggie started towards her, “Were you waiting for me?”
“Yes!” Paula was grinning from ear to ear, “I’ve got great news.”
Maggie smiled back a bit wryly, “So the meeting with the big boss went well?”
“You could say that.” Paula grabbed her by the hand. “But let’s talk in my lab.”
As soon as the two friends were out of the lobby and in the hallway leading to Paula’s lab. Maggie started telling Paula all she had found out at the museum from the very helpful Henry. Paula nodded and made agreeing sounds.
Maggie got the impression Paula wasn’t really listening to her. “So that’s when we break the skylight and rappel into her private museum rooms.”
Paula said, “Uh huh, that sounds good.”
Maggie was worried about her friend. “Have you forgotten Phil’s still locked in the sarcophagus, out there somewhere?”
Paula said earnestly, “Of course not. But I do have good news to show you in the lab first.”
“Okay,” Maggie settled down, “Let’s see this good news and then we find Phil.”
By then they had reached the doors to Paula’s lab, she unlocked the door and ushered Maggie inside. Maggie stepped through the lab and let her eyes roam around the room.
There, fully dressed and sitting on Paula’s ratty lab sofa was Phil.
“PHIL!” Maggie practically screamed and ran over to hug him.
“Yes, it’s me.” Phil returned her hug, lifting her up and spinning her around. “Safe and sound!”
Phil put her down and Maggie stepped back, “But how?”
“Paula said she'd tell us both once you arrived.” Phil said.
Mrs Carter, the Auction and the Prize.
Paula sat on the sofa and Maggie and Phil took up seats on either side of her.
“So here’s how it happened….” Paula began to tell them.
“As Maggie knows, the President of the company sent me a text this morning hinting at a new high priority special project.” Paula told Phil.
“What Maggie doesn’t know,” Paula continued, “Is what that project was.”
“When the golden sarcophagus went up for auction Mrs. Carter approached my President and asked him a bunch of questions about it. Due to the questions she was asking, it soon became apparent to him that she wanted to cut the sarcophagus out of the display cage. He informed her it would be a difficult and a potentially messy project, that might even damage the golden sarcophagus inside. She told him she only wanted the sarcophagus for display purposes in her own private museum. He made a deal with her, if she won the auction he would have the lab, me, print her just the sarcophagus in exchange for letting us keep the original prototype.”
Paula paused to take a breath, the words tumbling out of her mouth in reaction to Phil’s safe return.
“So first thing this morning our shipping staff went over to the museum, boxed the display up and had it in my lab waiting for me before we even woke up Maggie.”
“Amazing.” Maggie blurted out. “All that time Phil was already safely back here, waiting for us!”
Paula nodded. “When he told me all this in his office, I couldn’t wait to get back to my lab and let Phil out.”
“Thank you,” Phil said and hugged her shoulders. “I was really going a little crazy in there. You can’t imagine my relief when you opened the lid and I saw you and the lab.”
“As soon as I could make excuses, I left the President’s office and raced back here.” Paula told them both. “Luckily we still had Phil’s clothes locked in my desk. I broke open the lid on the display case, then got the sarcophagus open, and got him dressed before you arrived.”
“Amazing,” Maggie repeated herself. “What a stroke of luck.”
“I’m very happy to be out of that plastic prison.” Phil said with a touch of force.“Plus I could really use some real food, I’m starving!”
Paula made sympathetic noises. Maggie commented, “I could eat too.”
Paula spoke up.“Why don’t you two go out to breakfast and I’ll get a new Golden Sarcophagus for Mrs Carter to start printing.”
“You aren’t making a Phil style one for her are you?” Maggie asked
“Well sorta,” Paula replied.“As you know this latest version was mostly hollow space with a custom body shaped inner sandwich to hold Phil in place. I'll delete that inner sandwich,and the various storage tanks in the base. The locking pegs can remain but I’ll delete the locking mechanisms built into the lid. It will be much lighter and still be something that can be opened and closed safely.”
“Sounds like you have some work to do.” Phil commented just as his belly rumbled in hunger. “I hope you don’t mind if Maggie and I take off, now?”
“No, no, go eat!” Paula shooed them out. “I’ve got work to do.”
Before returning to her computer console and calling up the plans for the Golden Sarcophagus. Since she had already designed the latest version of the sarcophagus to be modular, she just started deleting various components until she effectively had an empty shell, with hinges and pegs that slotted into the outer edge. Double checking her work to make sure she’d removed any and all of the more kinky elements built into the design. She saved it as, “Carter Display Sarcophagus” and then hit the commit to print button. The estimated time of completion was much faster than the original, 14 hours to finish the stripped down product. She watched with pride as the large 3-D printer ran through its start up procedures.
Maggie couldn’t keep her hands off Phil as they walked out of the building, just happy he was safely returned to her.
Once outside she told him, “We were so scared we had lost you Phil!”
“You were worried?” Phil commented with a smile.“Imagine how I felt!”
They climbed into her car and continued talking.
Maggie told him, “The whole museum thing was unplanned.”
Phil chuckled.“I’m glad to hear that, but considering you told me it was a test run and never mentioned the whole put on display for the Plastics Company open house. It was all a surprise to me.”
“We know you love a good surprise, and I know you’ve had a fantasy of being put on display while secretly in bondage, I thought you’d enjoy it.” Maggie felt the need to explain their thought process.
“Well you might have told me you were testing long term storage.” Phil said.
Maggie said jokingly, “And ruin your surprise? Nawwww.”
Phil chuckled, Maggie was relieved he didn’t seem mad or angry.
“Okay you got me there.” Phil told her.“I can’t beg and plead for bondage surprises and then complain when you give me them.”
“Here we are,” Maggie announced, pulling into the diner parking lot. “No more shop talk during breakfast?”
“Agreed,” Phil said as they climbed out of the car. He stood up and stretched his back and arms over his head. “One last comment, you can’t imagine how good it feels to stretch my muscles after 72 hours of bondage.”
“One last question from me then,” Maggie replied.“Did you at least enjoy it?”
Phil leaned on the roof of the car and looked into Maggie’s eyes, “I thought we’d never top that first weekend we played with the original sarcophagus, but this one was even more intense and amazing. But it was rather extreme and I’m thinking I need a bit of a break before we try anything more. Now can we feed my poor empty belly?”
Maggie laughed and led the way into the diner.