[Contributor 01.0] Contributor Page 9

  Her exhaustion only exacerbated her nerves. There had been precious little time for sleep. It seemed that, rather than decreasing, her workload had increased exponentially over the past few days. Whenever she crossed one task off her list, another one cropped up.

  Things hadn't been any easier for her father. Due to a major systems issue, his twelve-hour shifts had stretched to as many as sixteen hours, which meant he had little time for getting things ready at the apartment. Despite her vehement protests, Jonathan had insisted on helping Dara, though she knew that it meant he couldn't devote as much time to his work as he wanted.

  Dara did her best to put all of this out of her mind. Though it had never been explicitly stated that the apprentice chosen to attend the meeting would become Andersen's assistant, everyone knew this was very likely the defining moment in the competition. It was imperative that she focused.

  Her eyes on Andersen as Letizia had instructed, Dara launched into her presentation. At first, she felt shaky, but as she delved into the intricacies of her design, she began to relax. She had been through her presentation so many times that she could recite it in her sleep, and it flowed beautifully, her schematics and graphics flawless.

  When she finished, Letizia rewarded her with the briefest of smiles. The other engineers were impassive, but Dara could see a hint of worry in Ryan's eyes and acknowledgment in Javier's. She couldn't read Andersen's expression, but he did incline his head toward her ever so slightly as she sat. Her heart beat wildly, and she concentrated on breathing as Javier began his presentation.

  Her confidence increased as she listened to him. Though his presentation was good, it was not in the same league as hers, she was sure of it. His approach was far more pedestrian, his ideas less innovative.

  She was pretty sure she wasn't the only one who thought this way. Hazarding a glance at Walters, she noted that the engineer had pressed her lips into a rather thin line. Letizia must have noticed as well, as she looked a little smug.

  Ryan's presentation was the weakest; that much was obvious from the start. Chen had a thunderous look on his face, and Dara swore that Andersen was bored. She almost felt sorry for Ryan. He must have known he was floundering, but he somehow managed to give the impression of being fully in command. His words flowed easily, and his tone made it sound as though his ideas were the most innovative yet. Some small part of her couldn't help but admire his composure.

  Almost before Ryan had even finished, Andersen stood up and stared at each of the apprentices in turn. "You will return to your stations and complete your assigned tasks while the senior engineers and I discuss the merits of each of your presentations." Andersen's eyes moved to Dara as he spoke the word "merits" and lingered there until he'd finished speaking. Dara did her best to keep her expression neutral, but inside she shouted for joy.

  "Yours was the best," Javier conceded as they made their way back to their stations.

  "Thank you," Dara replied. "I thought you had a lot of great ideas."

  He shook his head. "They were nowhere near as good as yours." He spoke as if stating fact, betraying nothing of his emotions.

  "I'll bet your master did all your work for you. There's no way you could have come up with that on your own," Ryan said spitefully, his color high. He looked like he was on the verge of an eruption.

  "You never were a very graceful loser, were you, LeTour?" Javier asked.

  "Not all of us have had as much experience with losing as you have, Gutierrez," Ryan responded, his tone cutting.

  "Is that the best you can come up with? Must be rough to have to cheat to make up for your lack of skill."

  "You know all about cheating, don't you, seeing as how you stole my design."

  Though Javier kept his face neutral, a muscle worked in his jaw, and his eyes flashed. "You're a filthy liar, LeTour. I never stole a thing from you. Why would I want to steal your sad excuse for work?"

  Ryan's face turned redder than ever. His fists balled at his side, he began to walk menacingly toward Javier. Before she could think about what she was doing, Dara jumped between the two of them.

  "Listen, asshole," she hissed at Ryan. "Maybe you don't care about your reputation, but you should. You think the other Contributors haven't seen how you operate? You can fling all the accusations at Javier you want, but you're the one everyone is talking about."

  Ryan's face went from red to white as her words registered. Deluded as he was, he couldn't contradict her. Without another word, he turned on his heel and fled.

  Javier sighed. "You should have just let me handle him."

  "He was going to punch you!" Dara said indignantly.

  "So what? You think a pathetic idiot like that could hurt me? All you did was move yourself to the top of his hit list."

  "You're welcome." She didn't bother keeping the indignation from her tone.

  Sighing again, Javier turned to meet her eye. "Look, I appreciate what you tried to do. You're a nice person, Dara, that much is obvious to me. But in here, it's survival of the fittest. Being nice is a liability."

  "You don't really believe that."

  His expression turned sad. "Yes, I do. I may not like it, but it's true."

  She opened her mouth to respond, but he shook his head curtly and walked away as well. Stunned, she stopped in the middle of the corridor for a second, watching his retreating back. Gradually, she became aware of other Contributors approaching, and she realized that she had best move lest she become an object of curiosity or, worse, speculation.

  When she reached her station, she found that neither of the other two had yet made it back. She should have been elated at her apparent victory, but instead she felt a little ill.

  Javier returned a few moments later, wordlessly walking up to his station and getting to work. Ryan didn't make an appearance for another twenty minutes. When he did come back, he had a murderous expression on his face, and Dara didn't dare do more than peer at him out of the corner of her eye. Nervously, she wondered what he had been doing.

  No one emerged from the conference room for two hours. At first, Dara did her best to concentrate on her work, but the longer Andersen and the senior engineers were gone, the more she began to doubt herself. After multiple futile attempts, she gave up on concentrating, instead going through the motions while her mind wandered over her many worries. As difficult as things had been lately, she knew they would be exponentially more challenging once her mother returned to the apartment.

  Do I have the strength for that?

  But what was the alternative? If Magnum moved her mother to a facility, Dara would rarely ever see her again, and she simply could not bear the thought of such a separation.

  At long last, Walters summoned them back into the conference room. By this time, Ryan had smoothed his face into an expression of blandness, though she could see a glint of malice in his eyes. Javier looked supremely unconcerned as always, and she marveled at his self-control.

  Dara looked intently at Letizia, but could read nothing from her master's expression. As Ryan approached the seat next to Chen, his master shot him a look of daggers, and she knew that Ryan hadn't won. Though this came as no real surprise, given the mediocre quality of his presentation, Dara still felt the tiniest bit of relief.

  "After a great deal of discussion, the senior engineers and I have come to a decision," Andersen announced. His hands behind his back in a rather military posture, he began to stroll around the room.

  "Apprentice LeTour." He came to a stop next to Ryan, so close that Dara was certain his posture was deliberate, calculated to intimidate. It appeared to work. Though Ryan kept his face straight, he blanched. "I will state up front that I found your performance extremely disappointing. Your ideas were mediocre, your research unsatisfactory. Any further misstep will result in your immediate termination from the program. Is that understood?"

  "Yes, sir," Ryan answered, his voice strained. Andersen smiled a slow, avid smile, and Dara felt her stomach turn.

&n
bsp; He's actually enjoying this!

  As Andersen turned his back and moved away from Ryan, Chen shot his apprentice a look of such vile disgust that Dara had to look away. Much as she disliked him, she still found it difficult to see Ryan the subject of so public a flogging.

  "As for you, Apprentice Gutierrez," Andersen said, moving to stand in Javier's personal space. "Your contribution was more than adequate. You had a few ideas that approached innovation, but you did not demonstrate the vision I expect from a candidate of your stature."

  "I'm sorry, sir," Javier responded. Emotion flashed in his eyes, and Walters shot him a brief, sympathetic look. It was almost more than Dara could bear. She wanted to win, but not like this.

  That would have been me, if not for Letizia's help, she realized, feeling bile rise in her throat.

  "Apprentice Morrow," Andersen said, his voice so close that Dara jumped. As she looked up at him, she saw he had noticed. She had to resist the urge to lean back in her chair to put some space between them.

  "Let me be the first to congratulate you on a superior presentation," he said, his cold tone at odds with his words. "Your presentation showed a remarkable level of innovation. You will have the honor of accompanying us, and your performance had best continue to be of the same caliber, or I will be very disappointed."

  "Thank you, sir," Dara said, her lips so stiff she could barely get the words out. She felt as though a crushing weight had settled on her chest.

  Andersen stood in front of her for an interminable minute before he turned and moved back to the head of the conference table. At last, Dara could breathe.

  "Apprentice LeTour, Apprentice Gutierrez, your masters will provide you with instructions for the projects you will complete while the rest of us are at the meeting. As you will each be working on something different, I trust that intellectual property theft will not be an issue."

  Andersen quirked one of his eyebrows as he looked from Javier to Ryan, and Dara almost gasped. How had he found out about Ryan's accusation? Javier's expression hardened, while Ryan went a bit whiter. One corner of his mouth quirking up in a sneer, Andersen turned away and waved his hand, dismissing them. Dara watched in stunned silence as Javier walked slowly out of the room in a dignified manner, Ryan stumbling after him.

  For the next several hours, Andersen conducted a strategy meeting with the senior engineers while Dara took furious notes. When it finally ended, she was limp with exhaustion, and she sat numbly as Andersen sent Chen and Walters out of the room.

  "Congratulations, Apprentice Morrow," he said, offering his hand.

  She shook it as firmly as possible, suppressing a shudder at the contact with his cold, smooth skin. "Thank you, sir. It's a great honor."

  "Don't forget it." Turning to her master, he said, "Letizia, you're doing a fine job of training your apprentice—maybe too fine. If you're not careful, she may steal your position."

  Letizia's smile didn't reach her eyes. "Thank you, sir."

  "I trust I'll see you both bright and early tomorrow. We have a great many details to discuss before we meet with Zhang."

  "Of course," Letizia responded coolly.

  The instant he walked through the door, Letizia seized Dara's arm.

  "You should have told me about that argument in the park between LeTour and Gutierrez," she snarled. Though it wasn't exactly painful, Letizia's grip was uncomfortably tight.

  "How did you hear about that?" Dara gaped at her.

  "Knowledge is power, Dara. Never forget that. I shouldn't have had to hear it third hand. You should have told me at once."

  "I...I'm sorry."

  "Don't let it happen again—ever."

  Dara could do little more than nod dumbly as Letizia also strode out of the room, leaving Dara alone.

  Chapter 18

  Dara took extra care as she dressed on the day of the Zhang meeting. When she finished, she eyed her reflection critically. Her role was minimal, but she was still a representative of Magnum. Any mistakes on her part would reflect badly on Magnum, which would mean the end of any future with the Job Creator.

  Not too bad, she thought, pleased with what she saw. She wasn't a beauty like Letizia, but this didn't bother her. Today I'm happy to let Letizia shine while I blend into the background.

  Shifting her gaze, she looked at her back, reflected in the mirror on the opposite wall. The previous night, she had spent more than an hour pressing her blazer and skirt, until she had eliminated even the slightest crease, and then she had meticulously brushed every speck of lint from the fabric. A half hour's worth of polishing ensured her shoes shone with a high gloss, and though she wore a new pair of stockings, she contorted her neck to make sure they hadn't snagged.

  At least they can't fault me for how I look. Hopefully Andersen won't see any reason to fault me for my notes and organization either.

  Her anxiety would continue unabated until she knew that Andersen was pleased. When she was honest with herself, she knew that she was likely not the front runner for the position as Andersen's assistant. Though her work had been acceptable, she had made disastrous mistakes, and her projects had not always scored the highest. Couple this with her sense that, ever since her mother's accident, she could barely keep up, and things looked rather bleak. Winning this spot on the joint project was her best bet to lock up the position.

  Her father hadn't seemed to notice her anxiety, but he was so caught up in his own worries that she was neither surprised nor insulted. Jonathan, however, had sensed it immediately.

  "You worried?" he had asked the night before, as they said goodbye.

  "Yes," she had answered bluntly.

  He had taken her hand and studied her with a sympathetic expression. "You've been through so much lately, but this is your time to shine, Dara. Seize it."

  After years of unwavering faith in her, there had been doubt in his voice. He had tried his best to conceal it, but she knew him too well to miss it. The realization had made her sick. Would he stand by her if she failed her apprenticeship? After all, her success or failure was also his.

  Joshua sat waiting at the table, breakfast ready. Though the strain of the last week had left its mark on his face, his expression of pride lightened her heart.

  "Today's the big day," he said.

  "Yes, it is," she agreed, sitting down and reaching for her orange juice. It would be a long day, but she wasn't sure she could manage anything other than the juice.

  "Are you nervous?" He pushed his own plate aside. Apparently, he wasn't all that interested in food either.

  "Yes."

  "You're going to amaze them," he said warmly, reaching across the table to take her hand.

  She squeezed his weakly. A part of her longed to spill all of her troubles, to lay her head on his shoulder and sob out her fears as she had when she was a little girl, but she didn't want to add to the burden he already had to bear. "I hope you're right. I'm lucky to have this chance."

  "They're also lucky to have you. You were the brightest, most innovative student in your class. You've always been focused on what you can do for Magnum. I have no doubt that you'll be successful."

  "Thanks, Dad." Truly touched by his faith in her, she clung to his hand while she fought off tears.

  "You're such a brave, wonderful young woman, Dara. But don't think I haven't noticed how worried you are. I wish I'd been more help to you over these last few weeks," he said, his voice a little thick. She realized he was fighting back tears of his own.

  "Oh, Dad," she sighed. "You've had so much on your mind lately. I didn't want to worry you."

  "When you're a parent, the worry never stops." A gentle smile lit his face and his eyes went soft. "But I want you to know that I've always been proud to be your father, and I'll always be proud. You can do this, my Dara. I know you can. You're a fighter, just like your mother."

  "I'll do it for her. For both of you," Dara vowed.

  "No, sweetheart. Do it for yourself. You have nothing to prove to
either me or your mother."

  He rose from the table, opening his arms, and she hurried over to embrace him. He hugged her fiercely and then kissed the top of her head, careful not to muss up her hair.

  "You are an extraordinary person, Dara."

  "I love you so much."

  "And I love you forever." He squeezed her one last time and then released her, frowning slightly. "I hope I didn't wrinkle your suit."

  "No, it's fine," she reassured him, smiling. As if he'd cast a spell, she could feel her worry ease. She stood on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek.

  The video com let out a low tone and she hurried over to answer it, the screen showing Jonathan's smiling face.

  "It's time!" he said.

  "'Bye, Dad!" Dara said.

  "Knock 'em dead."

  "You're going to be great," Jonathan said, as she stepped outside.

  "I'm going to give it my all."

  "You always do. You have to promise to do something for me, though."

  "What?"

  He glanced around and then dropped his voice to a conspiratorial whisper. "You have to promise to tell me if the Zhang Contributors all have hay sticking out of their hair, and if they wear straw farmers' hats."

  Dara burst into laughter, startling several groups ahead of them. As the others turned around to look curiously at them, she tried her best to smooth her expression.

  "You're an idiot," she told him affectionately.

  "What?" he asked, feigning innocence. "I've always wondered about that, and now's my chance to find out."

  "Well, I'll be sure to give you the full report tonight, then."

  "Great. And don't forget to make a note of what color their hats are."

  It was difficult to stifle her giggles, but they had just arrived at the outside of headquarters, and she could see Andersen and the senior engineers waiting inside.