Contributor (Contributor Trilogy, book 1) (20 page)

"Mal told me that a retrieval team was sent to look for our transport but, by the time they arrived, it had been stripped clean."

"How does he know the retrieval team arrived?"

"There's no time to go into detail, and it's not something you need to know at the moment anyway," Letizia said, holding up a hand as Dara opened her mouth to protest. "Suffice it to say that this will work to our advantage."

"What do you mean?" Dara asked, confused.

"Mal, Raj, and I talked and we decided that it would be best to tell a story of simple heroism: our transport crashed, we heard people outside, and you guided me to shelter, where you treated my wounds. Raj deliberately used only materials from the emergency kit. After huddling in the shelter all night, you and I made our way back toward the Zhang dome."

"Wait, you want to tell everyone that I'm some sort of hero?" Dara recoiled.

"You are," Letizia said softly, placing a hand on Dara's shoulder. "If you hadn't pulled me out of that transport, I'd probably be dead. I may have hit my head, but I haven't forgotten that you refused to leave me behind."

"I...I'm just not sure I'm comfortable with that." Dara squirmed as she thought of the attention she was sure to receive. "And what if no one believes us?"

"They will. I know for a fact that neither of us has registered on anyone's radar—Mal would have that information if we had. When you couple that with my injury and the stripped transport, the story is believable."

"All right," Dara agreed, resigned. "But how are we supposed to make it to the Zhang dome? Didn't Mal say there are gangs out there?"

"Yes, but he sent out scouts. The area is clear for now."

So many questions swirled through Dara's head that it began to pound. Letizia fidgeted impatiently, and Dara felt her anxiety about her parents and Jonathan mounting. There seemed nothing for it but to go along with the plan and hope for the best.

Shoving her uneaten breakfast aside, Dara said, "Let's go." Letizia looked relieved.

They went into the common room and found Tasha tucking the last of the remaining emergency kit supplies into Dara's bag. She looked up at them and frowned.

"Letizia, there's only one water bottle left and what if—" Tasha began, but Letizia interrupted her.

"I appreciate your concern, Tash, but you know we can't afford to take anything else with us. It would look too suspicious."

Tasha sighed, the corners of her mouth turning down. "You had twelve emergency ration packs in there. I took two of them. You should eat another two so you know what they taste like."

"What a waste. I'd rather leave them here," Letizia said regretfully. "But you're right."

"Hey, we have two more packs than we did last night, obtained ever so painlessly." Tasha winked and Letizia smiled.

"Yeah, well, next time you can do the obtaining," she told Tasha.

"I guess I'd better give this back to you," Dara said awkwardly, shrugging out of the sweater Tasha had lent her.

"Before you go out there, wrap the blankets around you and then stuff them in the bag. It's obvious they haven't been used," Tasha instructed. She handed each of them a blanket and they did as she suggested.

"Anything else?" Letizia asked.

"That should cover it. Let's go."

Tasha led them through a couple of twisting corridors and to a door. There weren't any stairs before this one, so Dara knew they were at a different entrance, hopefully one relatively close to the Zhang dome. The thought of making her way on foot across the wasteland made Dara shudder.

"Be careful," Tasha said, studying Letizia with a concerned expression.

"You too," Letizia replied, hugging her.

"Um, thanks," Dara said lamely, as Tasha turned to her.

"I hope you find your way," Tasha said, and Dara wasn't sure if the girl spoke literally or figuratively.

Despite the heavy haze, the light was brighter than it had been underground, and Dara blinked rapidly as she emerged into the wasteland. Tasha closed the door with a dull thud. The ruins of a building surrounded them, and Dara gazed at the skeletal structure.

"Why doesn't anyone try to take shelter down there?" Dara asked.

Letizia gestured to a small symbol scratched into the door. "This means the building is occupied by free thinkers. Nomads know it means they can find temporary shelter, but the renegade bands avoid the symbols."

"Why?"

"They know the free-thinkers have weapons."

Dara didn't really want to think too deeply about this. "How far to the Zhang dome?" She could just make it out in the distance, its outline vague and difficult to see through the haze. It was impossible to determine by sight just how far away the dome stood. Between its sheer size and the wavering nature of the haze, her perspective was completely skewed.

"Almost four miles," Letizia told her.

"Four miles! But your head!"

"It's going to be a long walk," Letizia answered, through gritted teeth.

Neither of them spoke much as they walked. The thick, gritty haze coated Dara's throat and made tears flow from her irritated eyes. Though Letizia didn't complain, Dara could hear her small grunts as they picked their way across the rugged terrain and, by the time they had made it maybe halfway, blood had once again begun to flow from Letizia's wound.

They paused and Dara handed the water to Letizia, who took the tiniest of sips before handing it back. "Can't. Too sick," she said.

Dara tried to conceal her concern. "What about the ration? Tasha said we should eat two more of them."

"Give me a bite of yours. Then you eat the rest."

"You managed one last night while we rested, but were too sick to eat one today," Dara said. Letizia nodded, and Dara unwrapped a ration.

As Letizia took a small nibble, Dara drank a little of the water. The sensation of it washing away the dryness in her throat was intense, once again driving home the realization that she'd never known sheer physical deprivation. Letizia handed the ration over, her shoulders heaving as she gagged. Dara downed it in a couple of bites, finding it dry and rather flavorless, but it did fill her belly.

"Let's go," Letizia said.

Letizia made it for about another mile before she had to lean against Dara. By the time they arrived at the Zhang transport bay, Dara was all but dragging her master. They were both covered in sweat and grime, their clothing and shoes tattered, and Dara was quite sure they looked exactly as if they'd spent the night in the wasteland.

Exhausted, she allowed the Zhang personnel to take over, barely registering the commotion their arrival had caused. Zhang Contributors whisked them off to a med center, doctors and technicians swirling around them, and Dara gave up fighting to stay awake.

Chapter 25

When Dara opened her eyes, she took in the sight of the sterile, featureless walls and felt a rush of sweet relief that she was in familiar territory.

"Happy to be back?" a voice asked.

Turning her head, Dara saw a doctor smiling at her, and she smiled in return. "Yes."

"Do you feel up to a visitor?"

"Yes," she repeated, struggling to a sitting position.

"Good," the doctor said approvingly. "You were badly dehydrated and suffered some minor bruises and strains, but you're fit to return to your shift tomorrow."

"Wonderful," she said, though she wasn't sure it was. "What about my master, Letizia D'Angelo?"

"She'll be fine, but she'll need to stay here another day, for observation."

"That's very good news. Thank you, Doctor."

"I'll go get your visitor."

A moment later, the doctor escorted Andersen into the room, and Dara's eyes widened in surprise. Andersen regarded her with a grave gaze as the doctor discreetly withdrew.

"Apprentice Morrow, how are you?"

"Much better now, thank you, sir."

"I'm glad to hear it. We were quite alarmed when you and Letizia went missing."

"It...it was awful," Dara replied honestly, her voice wavering.

"I imagine it was. There are many anxious to hear your story. Do you feel up to accompanying me? We have a joint force of Magnum and Zhang Agritech Systems Authorities assembled in one of the conference rooms."

"Oh, of course," she said, confused.

"Normally this would be a matter solely under the discretion of Magnum, but as the transport belonged to Zhang Agritech..." he said, gesturing.

Understanding dawned on her: Magnum wanted to ascertain Zhang's level of responsibility in the accident.

"Understood, sir."

"I'll be waiting for you in the corridor," he said, leaving the room.

Dara rose from her bed and dressed quickly, happy to find that someone had left her new clothing. Hopefully, they'd incinerated what she had been wearing during her ordeal. She tugged a brush through her hair, tied it back, and went out to meet Andersen.

When they arrived at the conference room, the sheer number of people surprised Dara. The representatives from each Creator sat on opposite sides of the long table, the air thick with tension.

"Esteemed Contributors, this is Apprentice Morrow," Andersen announced. He pulled a chair out for Dara and she sat gratefully, her knees shaking.

Things were turning out to be both better and worse than she'd imagined. The tension between the two Job Creators was worrisome, but it was a relief that they were so distracted by their mistrust of one another. It would take the edge off any skepticism they might have felt about Dara's statement.

Authorities on both sides questioned her, and Dara told them the story Letizia had instructed her to tell. She kept her answers short, afraid that using too many details would give the lie away. It took several hours but, when the Authorities ran out of questions, Dara felt reasonably assured that she'd provided them with a believable story.

"That will be all, Apprentice Morrow," Andersen told her. "A Magnum transport is waiting to return you to the dome. I will see you tomorrow morning."

"Good evening, sir," she said, as she rose from her chair, trying to conceal her eagerness. She couldn't escape the room fast enough.

Four representatives waited for her, two from each Creator. No one spoke as they escorted her to the transport bay. She and the two Magnum representatives boarded, and she stared out the windows into the darkness rather than look at them.

"You must have had a trying ordeal," the male representative said gently.

"Yes, I did," Dara said, her tone indicating she wasn't up for further conversation. To her relief, they left her in peace.

When the transport docked, she hurried out. Her father and Jonathan waited for her, and they both rushed over, each hugging her tightly in turn.

"First your mother and then you. I thought..." Joshua began, his eyes bright with tears.

"I'm okay, Dad," she assured him. "Can we go home, please?" She wanted to ask about her mother, but not here, not in front of the prying eyes and cocked ears of the other Contributors.

When they reached the apartment, Jonathan arranged pillows on the couch while Joshua made tea. It was so good to be home, so good to be back with them, that she let the tears flow, taking sips of her tea between bursts of tears. Neither her father nor Jonathan said anything, but their silent presence was reassuring.

"Sorry," she said, when she'd finally managed to collect herself. She wiped tears away with her sleeve.

"Don't apologize," Jonathan said softly.

"It...it was horrible," she told them, bursting into tears again.

It wasn't simply thinking about the experience that made her cry, though; it was the uncertainty about whether she could afford to be honest with the people she loved most. For the time being, she decided to stick to the official version of the story. When she finished, her father left to make her another cup of tea while Jonathan held her, stroking her hair.

"You were so brave," he said.

"I never...I never realized how hard life could be. I was so hungry and...and it was so terrible in the wasteland and..."