Creators (A Contributor Trilogy prequel novella)

by Nicole Ciacchella

  "How the hell did we walk into an ambush like that?" Matthews screamed at someone in the back of the transport. The expression on his face was pure menace, and Liang didn't blame Matthews's subordinate for cowering. "How did intel miss that one? Get me the patrol captain, now!"

  Silently, Liang counted down the seconds, clinging to Mei's hand and hoping against hope they were going to make it out alive. Though the security forces had once more lapsed into jargon, Liang was able to understand the gist of their conversation. Flores was presumed dead, effectively making Matthews the new chief and their transport the mobile command unit. Matthews and his subordinates were busy relaying information to the other convoys, warning them of the ambush site and contacting patrol to send them in to clear it out.

  By the time they reached the Zhang dome, the pain in Liang's shoulder was so intense he could hardly think straight. When he attempted to free himself from his restraints, the edges of his vision went black, and he sat back, dazed.

  "Li? Li, are you okay?" Mei asked, her expression alarmed.

  "Please stand back, Ms. Zhang," an unfamiliar voice said. Liang held onto consciousness just long enough to see a woman in a paramedic's uniform standing before him. Relieved that it was over at last, he gave up the fight and passed out.

  Dome

  "Are you ready?" Mei asked, her face subdued. In the three days since their flight from the compound, she hadn't come close to cracking a smile. Though she was still a few months shy of her seventeenth birthday, she'd insisted that she was ready to be Liang's apprentice, and had categorically refused to attend school. Liang knew the others hadn't been pleased, but he couldn't blame his sister. After all she'd seen, she could hardly be expected to fall back into her old routine as if nothing had happened.

  "Yes," Liang said, rising carefully from his seat.

  "Are you sure about this, Liang? I can take over for you if you need me to," Anya said. Her eyes were hollow, haunted, and Liang was sure she hadn't slept a wink in the past couple of months, something they had in common. Even the heavy duty pain meds they'd given him hadn't kept him asleep for long, once the nightmares set in. He'd begun to wonder if he'd ever sleep through the night again.

  "I'm fine, Anya. I need to do this," Liang said, taking her hand with his good arm and pressing it lightly.

  She nodded, and Liang turned to Morris, who handed him a reader. "I triple checked it. Everything is exactly as you requested," Morris said.

  "Thank you, Morris." Taking a deep breath, Liang tried to square his shoulders, but the sudden stab of pain in his right side reminded him that this wasn't such a good idea. He settled for smoothing his suit with his left hand before striding out into the atrium, Mei and the members of his leadership team trailing behind him.

  The crowd filled the atrium and spilled into the corridors. No space was large enough to accommodate everyone in the dome, so most people would watch his speech over the vid feeds in the common spaces, or in their own homes. Creators and Contributors had been given priority, which excluded everyone else from being present. Though Liang had protested against this, the other Zhang Creators had stood firm.

  "The Cores understand that those whose contributions are of a higher priority should rightfully be in attendance," Ali had insisted.

  "Everyone in this dome understands his or her role," Anya had added. "They all know that the structure is necessary for the well-being of everyone who lives here."

  Mei had opened her mouth to protest, and Liang had shot her a quelling look, causing her to clamp her mouth tightly shut with a resentful expression. She had been tense from the moment they had stepped into the conference room, and he had known her fuse was short. However ready she thought herself to be a full-fledged Creator, Mei still had a lot to learn about subtlety and diplomacy.

  "It's all a load of bullshit, Li, and you know it!" she'd exploded as soon as they had set foot in their penthouse.

  "I know," he had said. "But what do you think will happen if you go around railing against the structure of life in the domes?"

  Letting out a shriek of frustration, Mei had balled her fists. "How can you stand it? I'm never going to learn how to act the way you do."

  "You have to," he had said, not bothering to temper the bluntness of his words. "Now is not the time. But the time will come someday, I promise you. It's up to us to pay attention and to watch for it."

  Mei's response had been to stomp off to her room, refusing to budge from it for the rest of the evening.

  Today, however, she was on her best behavior, and he was relieved she had apparently taken his words to heart.

  "My fellow members of the Zhang Agritech Systems family," Liang began, his voice booming across the cavernous space, the sound bouncing around in an odd way. He felt as if each individual pair of eyes bored into him, poking a quarter million holes in his body. For a moment, his courage faltered, and he took a sip of water, trying to steel himself.

  "We have traveled a long and difficult road. It has cost us dearly." His voice wavered slightly, and he gripped the sides of the podium for support. Utter silence filled the atrium, so unnatural it sent an icy shiver up his spine.

  For the first time in his life, Liang thought about what his father would have done. After all, hadn't he discovered that Bao had been a master of deception? How ironic that, after all these years of despising his father, Liang now wanted to be like him.

  Not like him. Never like him. Unlike Bao, he would not use his skills at deception for his own personal gain.

  His thoughts gave him new strength, and Liang began speaking eloquently about the future, about the new era of cooperation that would exist between the Creators. He reminded everyone that they were now responsible for the salvation of humanity, that this was their chance to rectify the mistakes of the past, and he declared passionately that he would personally see to it that Zhang Agritech Systems would never lose sight of this mission.

  By the end of his speech, the atrium was no longer silent. Thunderous applause forced him to break his speech off every few words, until the crowd's display of enthusiasm had calmed.

  "And so we embrace the dawning of this new age, we accept the challenge of this new beginning. We are ready. We are driven. And, most of all, we understand that now is the time to reform our society, to emerge better, stronger than ever before. We owe it to our children and our children's children but, most of all, we owe it to those who gave their lives so that we might have the chance to ensure a brighter future for the next generation. We will never forget their sacrifices," Liang concluded.

  The atrium exploded with the sounds of applause and cheers, which he acknowledged with a stoic nod. He wondered if the people were genuinely excited, or if they, like him, were trying to drown out the sounds of the accusatory voices in their heads.

  Straying to the windows, his eyes took in the sight of the barren wasteland. He was too high up to see much detail, but he imagined that, in the distance, he could see thousands of tiny specks: the bodies of those who hadn't been chosen, those who had been abandoned because of the ambitions and self-interest of others. Even as everyone within the dome cheered and celebrated, the security forces continued to patrol outside, keeping a tight perimeter and repelling the desperate souls who had managed to make their way out to the domes.

  Tired of the fanfare, tired of the approbation—whether real or fake—Liang waved to the crowd and turned his back, stepping away from the podium. As he approached the beaming Zhang Creators, as he shook their hands and accepted their congratulations, he maintained an air of quiet satisfaction. But when he finally managed to catch Mei's eye, he knew that she felt the same way he did: this was a moment of reckoning, not celebration.

  Keep reading for an excerpt from Contributor, book one of the post-apocalyptic and dystopian Contributor trilogy:

  One of only three students chosen for an elite, year-long apprenticeship, seventeen-year-old Dara Morrow is eager to excel in the high-stakes competition and prove herself
a devoted Contributor to her Job Creator. Success means a prosperous future. Failure means losing her standing in society.

  But Dara's competition is ruthless, and her exacting master has little patience for her. When her mother is injured and Dara's eyes are opened to the injustices of the system she trusted to care for her family, her prospects become even more uncertain. If she can't learn to manipulate the system, she risks exile not only for herself, but for all those she loves.

  _____

  Chapter 1

  Dara swallowed hard, trying to fight the nausea that threatened her concentration. As she stared at the monitor, the numbers and symbols seemed to swim through her vision, and she blinked several times, forcing herself to focus. Though she was just seventeen, her training as an engineer had begun at the age of three, so she was more than capable of handling the task before her.

  This, however, was no mere exercise. If she failed this evaluation, none of her years of hard work and dedication would matter. She would lose her position amongst the Ballasts and would have to take up a menial occupation with the Cores. If she did well, a prosperous future would be well within her grasp.

  With one last deep breath, Dara looked at the screen. As she exhaled, she cleared her mind. To her immense relief, once she started to pick apart the problem, she lost all sense of her surroundings, her mind completely focused on unraveling it and implementing a solution.

  At first glance, the problem appeared to be simple, but Dara knew the engineers wouldn't lob anything quite so easy at her. Because she had been first in her class, they would want to test the limits of her abilities, so she continued examining the schematics in front of her, her mind working rapidly to diagnose and analyze the problem. She ran through a couple of scenarios, rejecting several possible solutions until, finally, everything clicked into place. Breaking into a wide grin as her fingers flew over the interface, she implemented her solution. It was tempting to pump her fist in the air when the machinery resumed its smooth operation, but she managed to restrain herself—barely.

  Almost instantly, a door opened and a tall, imposing man entered, followed by two women and one other man.

  "Pupil Morrow, I'm Head of Engineering Andersen, and these are my subordinates, Senior Engineers D'Angelo, Walters, and Chen," the tall man said.

  Stunned, Dara hoped she wasn't gaping. She'd had no idea the Head of Engineering would be supervising her evaluation, which was a good thing. Had she known, she'd have been even sicker with apprehension.

  "P-pleased to meet you," Dara said, cringing internally at her stutter. She offered her hand first to Andersen, who shook it with a bruising grip. Each of the others shook her hand in turn, and Dara tried her best not to squirm as they studied her.

  "Due to the high level of aptitude shown by your evaluation results, you have been selected for a specialized apprenticeship program. You and two other candidates will spend a year under the tutelage of the senior engineers. The highest performer may earn the opportunity to become my assistant," Andersen announced, his eerie blue eyes skewering her with a keen gaze.

  "Oh, thank you, Head of Engineering Andersen. This is truly an honor, and I'll work very hard to prove myself worthy," Dara said. She fought to remain composed as a giddy combination of relief and excitement washed over her.

  "I will expect you tomorrow morning at six-thirty sharp, when you will begin your training with Contributor D'Angelo. A word of caution to you, Pupil Morrow: you must operate at your peak each and every day. I expect nothing less than a stellar performance from you." Andersen's eyes met hers, and Dara had the disconcerting sensation that his gaze bored straight through her, stripping away skin and bone, muscle and sinew, until all that remained was her very essence, her innermost thoughts. She tried hard to suppress a shudder and thought she saw Andersen's mouth quirk, as if he had noticed her discomfort.

  "I assure you, sir, I will not disappoint you," Dara vowed. The thought of working with this towering, blond, imperious man was dismaying, but she wouldn't allow this to show—she couldn't. She knew full well that becoming the Assistant to the Head of Engineering would mean big things for her. If she had to work herself half to death in order to impress him, so be it. Nothing mattered more than securing her future with Magnum.

  "I will see you in the morning." He examined her for another excruciating moment before turning smartly and leaving the room.

  "Congratulations, Apprentice Morrow," Walters said, smiling warmly.

  "We'll see what you can do tomorrow," Chen added, a muscle in his cheek twitching. The two shook her hand and left the room.

  "I'll escort you to the exit," D'Angelo offered. Her face betrayed nothing, and Dara's stomach quaked. The senior engineer was taller than Dara, her dark hair pulled back in an immaculate twist. Her face would have been devastatingly beautiful were it not for the cold expression in her dark eyes. As D'Angelo turned, Dara shivered.

  They wound their way through the corridors of headquarters, Dara peeking into every window as inconspicuously as possible. Though apprehensive about her severe master, she tried hard to contain the excitement that made her feel as if she would fly apart. She couldn't believe that she was actually here, in Magnum's headquarters, that she would become a part of its team. Her head spun as she thought about her acceptance into the elite apprenticeship. She couldn't imagine a more perfect beginning to her career.

  They reached the exit, which led into the thoroughfares ringing the dome. D'Angelo closed the door gently behind her.

  "Be prompt tomorrow," D'Angelo instructed, smiling and nodding at a passing Contributor before turning back to Dara, all trace of the smile gone. Dara suppressed a shiver of apprehension.

  "I will," she promised.

  "Head of Engineering Andersen is a man of many talents and one of Magnum's most valued Contributors. He has high expectations and misses little," D'Angelo said, emphasizing the last two words. "You must be meticulous." Each syllable was like a hammer blow, and Dara forced herself to stand up straighter.

  "Of course."

  "I'll see you tomorrow."

  D'Angelo went back into headquarters, leaving a stunned Dara staring after her. It took her a moment to get her feet moving, and she headed over to a window, collapsing against it with her back to the outside world. She twisted her hands nervously as she waited for Jonathan.

  He grinned widely as he exited headquarters a short time later, and she knew his evaluation had gone well. She wanted to jump up and down, but refrained from showing such a lack of decorum.

  "How did it go?" he asked. He tucked her hand into his arm in a familiar, proprietary way, and they began walking home.

  "Head of Engineering Andersen and the senior engineers supervised my evaluation," she said.

  His eyes widened. "That's fantastic!"

  She nodded, unable to keep a smile from spreading over her face. Ducking her head, she tried to maintain an air of professionalism. "I've been accepted into the elite program."

  "I knew it!" His voice was quiet but emphatic. "You deserve it."

  Warmth spread through her chest, and she squeezed his arm. "Let me guess: you've been chosen for the elite logistics program." She couldn't resist using a teasing tone.

  Jonathan was one of the smartest, most gifted students in their class, and he had a very promising future ahead of him. She knew many suspected this was the reason she dated him. After all, everyone vied to make the best possible connections. But Dara's feelings for Jonathan were very genuine.

  "Yes," he answered, turning his head so only she could see his grin.

  "How could they not choose you? I'm so proud of you."

  "And I'm proud of you. See, I told you there was nothing to worry about."

  "You were right. There's no reason at all to worry." His happiness was infectious, but she couldn't suppress a slight feeling of unease, though she tried her best to ignore it.

  Contributor is available on Amazon.

  A Note from Nicole

  Than
k you so much for reading Creators. I truly appreciate you dedicating some of your precious reading time to one of my books.

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  Love dystopian and post-apocalyptic fiction?

  Creators (a prequel novella) - As the world's food system collapses, 19-year-old Liang Zhang must choose who lives and who dies.

  Contributor - Dara learns the truth about her seemingly perfect society: once a Contributor has outlived their usefulness, they're discarded.

  Infiltrator - Working as a Free Thinker mole, Dara risks her life to uncover the Creators' secret plans.

  Instigator - The time has come to fight for freedom from the Creators' oppressive rule.

  Love fantasy novels?

  A House Divided - Cianne and Kila race to uncover a far-reaching conspiracy before it engulfs them.

  Catalyst - Unraveling the connection between Aderyn's brother's death and Xaran's House may just get them killed.

  Court of Illusion - Navigating deadly court intrigue leads Eraly and Amir to explosive secrets.

  Web of Deceit - Jaris must face his past, but doing so will place Liv, the woman he loves, in danger.