[Contributor 01.0] Contributor

by Nicole Ciacchella

  She closed her eyes for a moment, willing her breathing to calm. Thinking about her mother gave her the strength to harden her heart, and she opened her eyes and steadily met his gaze. "I want to do this," she said, conviction ringing clearly in every syllable she spoke.

  "You need some time to think this through. You didn't know about the risks—" Raj said, but Dara cut him off.

  "I had some idea. I didn't think this would be a picnic. All of you are taking those same risks, and I want to do my part," she said heatedly. He looked unhappy, but didn't protest any further.

  "I don't need any more time to think about this," Dara insisted, directing her attention back to Mal. "I've done nothing but think about it for weeks."

  Mal nodded. "It's your risk to take. If you're sure it's what you want, we'd welcome your help."

  "I'm sure."

  "Then we'll start you out slow. We'll ask you to keep your ear to the ground, let us know if Andersen says anything strange or if he seems particularly interested in someone."

  "If you ever want out, all you need to do is say so," Tasha added. "There will be no pressure."

  "That's our policy," Raj confirmed, eyeing Mal. "Everyone who's here is here because they want to be. We don't believe in coercing anyone."

  "Okay," Dara said, relieved. It was good to know there was a way out. "So when do I start?"

  "That's up to you," Mal said. "Go home, get ready for your Assignment Ceremony. If you decide you want to help, just start passing information along to Letizia. She can funnel it to me, for the time being. If you decide you want to become more involved, we'll make permanent arrangements. If you don't provide any information, we'll assume you want no part of this, and that will be the end."

  "All right. But, either way, I want you to promise me that if you find the slightest indication that my father and I are under any suspicion—"

  "We'll try to extract you both," Mal said.

  "I want you to extract my father first, then me."

  "Done."

  "We'll need to leave soon," Letizia said, her face strained.

  "Is there anything more I need to know?" Dara asked Mal.

  He shook his head. "That's enough for now. This isn't an open exchange of information. The less you know, the less you can give up if you're caught. If you become active, I'll arrange another meeting in a few weeks, and we'll take it from there."

  "Fine," Dara said, rising from the table.

  "You're also welcome to read with us. We're not just about the heavy stuff," Tasha whispered.

  "Thanks," Dara said, offering her a smile, which Tasha returned.

  "Maybe we'll meet again," Mal said.

  "Count on it," Dara told him.

  His face inscrutable as ever, he nodded and left. Letizia beckoned for Dara to follow, and they headed out through central command.

  "Dara!" Raj called from behind them. They paused, and he jogged to catch up. "Just...just be careful."

  "Thanks, I will. And thank you for everything you're doing for my mom."

  He handed her a chip. "This is the report. The chip is designed to erase itself once the information has been accessed, but you should incinerate it just to be safe."

  "I will," she promised. She slid it into her deepest pocket.

  "See you," he said, his eyes troubled.

  "Take care of yourself," she replied, then she turned and followed Letizia. Somehow, heading out into the wasteland seemed far less scary than returning to the Magnum dome.

  Chapter 41

  The crowd at the Assignment Ceremony astonished Dara. Though she had known every Contributor attended the ceremony, the thought had always been something of an abstract to her. But now, seeing the rows upon rows of round tables with their pristine, white cloths overwhelmed Dara. When she saw that not only Ballasts attended, but also the Creators themselves, she understood the significance of the affair.

  Everyone there wore their finest formal clothing. Dara counted at least twenty different styles of black dresses amongst the Ballast women, and the men all wore black formal suits. The only color in the room came from the female Creators, all of whom wore lavish, silken gowns of bright hues so vibrant they were almost painful to gaze upon. The male Creators wore custom-fit suits with tails in rich fabrics, accented with bright silk ties.

  To her relief, Jonathan sat some distance away. Sitting with Javier and Walters, along with a very stony-faced Chen, caused her enough stress. Walters's face showed signs of strain around the mouth, and she kept glancing at Letizia with a plainly envious expression. Letizia seemed oblivious to the gaze, and she looked as imperious as ever. Even though at least five other women wore the same gown as her, she somehow managed to make it look as if it had been created solely for her. Dara had never seen Letizia look more beautiful, nor had Dara ever seen her look more intimidating.

  Javier wore an impeccable suit, and his face looked serene. Dara had heard he'd been working quietly to assure himself a decent position elsewhere in engineering. She supposed that she'd soon find out whether he had succeeded. Though his betrayal still made her angry, Dara just could not shake the conviction that somewhere, deep down, there was a very decent person residing within him. She would have liked to have been friends.

  A couple of tables over, Dara's father sat with seven Contributors from his division. The chair that should have been Leona's was occupied by a man not much older than Dara, and she found herself gripping her water glass a little too tightly. Her father looked up, caught her eye and, though he smiled and waved, she could see something steely in his expression. It seemed strange that, after a lifetime of living with him, Dara had just recently begun to think that she saw him clearly.

  Letizia introduced Dara to the other three people sitting at their table, all of whom held supervisory roles within the engineering division. Dara couldn't help but wonder if this arrangement had been intentional as well. Perhaps Andersen wanted Walters and Chen to know exactly what they had missed, thanks to the failures of their apprentices.

  Andersen sat at the head table, along with several other important Contributors, and all of the Creators. Dara maintained as covert a gaze on him as she could, watching as he smiled charmingly and talked with seeming ease with the Creators. Andersen had obvious aspirations. Maybe she could use that against him. The thought made her shiver. It was as if she were about to wage war with him.

  Isn't that what this is? Dara wondered, as she looked around at the lavish display.

  The extravagant ceremony rewarded the Contributors for a year of hard work. But the Creators also used it as an opportunity to emphasize the up and comers, so that everyone would know precisely upon whom they bestowed their favor. The whole thing sickened her, and it amazed her how much she had changed over the past year. The old Dara would have wanted to drink in every moment of the gala affair, and would have fondly revisited her memories of it for years to come.

  Dinner finally ended, and the speeches began. Creator Hartley took to the podium first, and Dara focused her attention on the woman, curious about what this great Creator would have to say.

  "Good evening, fellow Creators and, most importantly, Contributors," Hartley began. She paused for a moment, beaming benevolently as the Contributors applauded enthusiastically but politely.

  "As you know, this has been a banner year for Magnum. Thanks to the ingenuity of our Contributors, we have enjoyed a great deal of success and ensured that our business will stay strong, that it will continue to serve the interests of all of our Ballasts and Cores. As we Creators well know, these successes would not have been possible without your valuable Contributions."

  Dara fixed a smile on her face and applauded with the rest of the crowd.

  "We are particularly proud of our engineering division this year. Thanks to the leadership of Head of Engineering Andersen, Magnum has entered a partnership with Zhang Agritech Systems that will be very mutually beneficial over the next several years. I would like to take this moment to acknowledg
e the value that Head of Engineering Andersen has added to our team, and to thank his Contributors for their hard work and dedication. Engineering Contributors, please stand so we may recognize you."

  Reluctantly, Dara rose with the others, her eyes scanning the room as she tried not to look too uncomfortable with the applause that surrounded them. Some of the other Contributors looked genuinely happy, but Dara also noticed expressions of fear and envy amongst the crowd. As she looked back up at the head table, she could see Andersen beaming, and she knew what a coup the deal with Zhang had been for him.

  The engineering team returned to their seats, and Hartley continued highlighting the successes of the past year. When she finished, another Creator claimed the podium and extolled on Magnum's storied past, and Dara had to fight the urge to doze. By the time the fourth Creator rose to speak, she had abandoned all hope of paying any attention and tried her best to look as if she was concentrating on the speeches while, in actuality, she observed the room, taking mental notes about everyone else.

  At last, the announcements of the assignments began. Several departments in, the Head of Logistics stood, and Dara could feel her throat tighten. Covertly, she glanced over at Jonathan's table. His face radiated pride. The pretty girl sitting next to him beamed at him worshipfully, and Dara felt a slight twinge of jealousy, though she knew she no longer had a right to it.

  Sure enough, Jonathan was assigned to the position of Assistant to the Head of Logistics, and this time Dara's applause was genuine. As he rose and gave a little wave of acknowledgment, Jonathan glanced over her way, catching her eye. She could see the grief and regret in his gaze, and she hastily turned her head away. She would not spoil this moment for him, no matter how desperately she wanted to cling to the knowledge that he regretted losing her as much as she regretted losing him.

  It was a relief when the ceremony continued, and when Andersen rose, Dara's heart began to race, her palms growing damp. Knowing that Andersen was about to publicly announce her appointment suddenly made everything real to her.

  I don't know if I can do this, she thought, panicking.

  "It has been a very productive year in engineering. Though we have long striven to innovate, a fresh infusion of blood is always welcome for its promise of visionary new ideas. Competition was fierce this year, but there is one candidate who I can confidently say has stood out. It is my great pleasure to announce the appointment of Dara Morrow as Assistant to the Head of Engineering," Andersen said, his voice ringing richly throughout the banquet hall.

  Knees trembling, Dara rose from her seat, her head ducked modestly as people applauded. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Jonathan's wide smile as he clapped enthusiastically.

  "This is your moment. You deserve this," Letizia whispered to her, and Dara raised her head, smiling and nodding at Andersen, who nodded coolly back.

  As the applause subsided, Dara sank back down into her seat and whispered to Letizia, "I couldn't have done this without you."

  "You can thank me later," Letizia said. She was smiling, but Dara could see the slight tightening of skin around her former master's eyes, and she knew that Letizia didn't think she deserved any thanks at all.

  Dara, however, knew Letizia was mistaken. As she looked at Javier's pained expression and witnessed how he gamely tried to pretend to be satisfied with the outcome, as she thought of her father and mother and all they had suffered, she allowed her gratitude toward her former master free reign. She would never again be Magnum's pawn.

  Want Free Books?

  Sign up for my newsletter and these books are yours!

  You'll also get sneak peeks at my works in progress, new release notifications, and other exclusive member content.

  A Note from Nicole

  Thank you so much for reading Contributor. I truly appreciate you dedicating some of your precious reading time to one of my books.

  I have a favor to ask, though: please consider writing a review of my book. Even a short review helps get my books into the hands of other readers.

  Want sneak peeks of my works in progress, free books, a chance at snagging advance copies of my new books, and notification of my new releases? Join my mailing list.

  All of my books are and always will be DRM-free, so please feel free to share them with family and friends.

  Website|Goodreads|Twitter|Facebook

  Books by Nicole Ciacchella

  Astoran Asunder, a Fantasy Series

  A House Divided, book 1

  Catalyst, book 2

  Court of Illusion, book 3

  Web of Deceit, book 4

  Reckoning, book 5

  Contributor, a Dystopian Trilogy

  Creators, a prequel novella

  Contributor, book 1

  Infiltrator, book 2

  Instigator, book 3

  Fairytale Collection

  The Eye of the Beholder (Beauty and the Beast retold)

  Asleep (Sleeping Beauty reimagined)

  From the Ashes (Cinderella reimagined)

  Chaotic Beauty (Beauty and the Beast reimagined)

  Romantic Comedies

  Phoning It In

  Committed (an 8-episode serial)

  Derailed

  Starstruck

  Prejudice, Persuasion, and Sensibility

  Romance

  Overcome

  Wasteland, an Apocalyptic Trilogy

  Cast Aside, book 1

  About the Author

  Nicole has progressed from scribbling in notebooks to banging on keyboards, but she's never managed to stop daydreaming at inappropriate moments.

  When not answering the demands of her characters, Nicole can often be found curled up with a good book or spending far too many hours acting the hero in whatever video game is her obsession of the moment.

  One of Nicole's other great passions is travel. She loves being married to a native Belgian, both because she likes the idea of being "The American" and because it gives her plenty of excuses to visit Europe—that wondrous land of coffee, chocolate, pastry—as often as possible.

  Michigan born and raised, Nicole lives there with her honorary Michigander/Belgian husband and her two children. A Michigan State University alum, Nicole bleeds green and is a Spartan for life.

  Book Description

  When the Great Famine threatened the existence of mankind, the Creators saved humanity. Humanity has been their loyal subject ever since.

  This history has been ingrained in seventeen-year-old Dara Morrow since her first day of Creator-sponsored school. Grateful for the life-giving necessities her Creator provides, Dara is thrilled to be one of three students chosen for an elite, year-long apprenticeship program. Now is her chance to prove herself a devoted Contributor.

  But Dara's competition is ruthless and will stop at nothing to win the competition. Worse yet, her exacting master has little patience for her.

  Then Dara's mother is seriously injured, and Dara realizes the price of being a Contributor: once you've outlived your usefulness, you're discarded. Can Dara learn to manipulate the system to save not only herself, but everyone she loves?

  Contributor is the first book in the YA dystopian Contributor trilogy.

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information and storage retrieval system, without permission in writing from the author.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, business establishments or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Copyright © 2012 Nicole P. Ciacchella

  Cover design: Go On Write

 

 

  ng books on Archive.