Eli didn't look back at the screen. He looked at the reflection in his darkened window. Behind him, standing perfectly still near the server rack, was Miller from Marketing. She held a single, gold-plated stapler.
The folder didn't contain spreadsheets or payroll data. Instead, it was filled with hundreds of video clips, each titled with a name and a date. He clicked the first one: “Jenkins_Coffee_0412.mp4.”
Eli found the file on a decommissioned HR server while migrating data for a mid-sized logistics firm. Amidst thousands of "Performance_Review_2022.pdf" and "Onboarding_v3.docx" files, it sat in a hidden directory: StaffBesting.rar . StaffBesting.rar
He scrolled further. There was “Reception_Staple_War.avi,” showing two receptionists engaging in a synchronized, slow-motion stapler duel that looked like a scene from a John Wick movie. There was “Elevator_Infiltration.mp4,” where the CEO was seen being "bested" by a mailroom clerk who had managed to replace the CEO's briefcase with a box of donuts using nothing but a fishing line and a pulley system.
He reached the final file: “New_Recruit_Observation.mp4.” Eli didn't look back at the screen
Curiosity, the career-killer of many an IT professional, won out. He dragged it to his desktop and hit "Extract."
In the graininess of a security camera feed, he saw Jenkins, the mild-mannered accountant, walking toward the breakroom. Suddenly, a figure—Miller from Marketing—sprang from behind a potted plant, performed a flawless backflip over a rolling chair, and snatched Jenkins’ coffee mid-air without spilling a drop. Miller landed in a pose, and a digital scoreboard overlay appeared on the screen: She held a single, gold-plated stapler
Eli realized "StaffBesting" wasn't a typo for "Staff Vesting." It was a secret, high-stakes competition of office dominance.