Contributor (Contributor Trilogy, book 1) (33 page)

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's 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 acknowledge 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.

Other Books by Nicole Ciacchella

Contributor
Trilogy

(Young adult post-apocalyptic)

Creators

(A prequel novella to the
Contributor
trilogy)

As Elizabeth Darcy

The Eye of the Beholder

(Fairytale Collection book 1: a retelling of Beauty and the Beast)

As Anne Wentworth

Phoning It In

(A contemporary romantic dramedy)

Thank you so much for taking the time to read my novel. I hope you enjoyed it! If so, please consider liking the book's page and leaving a review on
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About the Author

Nicole has had a lifelong passion for the written word. As a child, one of her most treasured Christmas gifts was an electric typewriter, which enabled her to crank out her stories even more quickly than she could with a pen. Naturally, the personal computer is one of her favorite inventions. When she isn't writing, Nicole can usually be found curled up in a chair, whiling away the hours with a good book.

One of Nicole's other great passions is travel, and she has visited Europe, as well as traveling to many of the fifty states. Her favorite trips include visits to Paris, Maui, and various parts of Belgium. She feels fortunate that she is married to a native Belgian, as it gives her plenty of reasons to visit Europe as often as possible. Also, it gives her an excuse to eat Belgian waffles regularly.

Born and raised in Michigan, Nicole lives there still with her husband and two beautiful children. She thinks Michigan is the greatest state in the country, and Michigan State University is the greatest university in the world.

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Book Description

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.

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:
Nik Sebastian