Excerpt: Contracted

“Cassandra?” Julian Tanner, richest man in the world, drummed his fingers on the arm of his chair. “I need something to do.”

“There isn't much to do on this island, sir. You only bought it recently.” Cassandra, a dark-skinned, light-haired TX-710 customised android offered Julian a glass of creaming soda. “Perhaps you should decide what you want to do and enact those plans, sir?”

“Thank you, Cassandra. I do know how to entertain myself.” Julian leaned back in his chair and thoughtfully swirled the glass of soda. “The last thing that was really fun... I suppose that would have been when I sponsored those two opposing companies and forced them to ruin each other by any means possible.”

“The economy is still recovering from that, sir. It would be unwise to force two very large companies against each other again until some time has passed.”

Julian sighed. “This is why I'm bored, Cassandra. You're boring. I should have one of the programmers at Photologistics give you a sense of risk.”

“If you wish, sir, I can use my data on you to determine an activity that would relieve your boredom.” Cassandra accepted Julian's now-empty glass and handed it to a cleaning android. Her function was to entertain Julian, to keep him from wreaking too much havoc. The man was rich, influential, and insane. She had been given to Julian as a gift, to occupy his time and determine the lowest-risk activities that would keep him entertained. “After all, the building and landscaping here has been finished. You should do something to celebrate.”

Julian spun his chair around to look outside, through the wall of bulletproof-glass windows. “Perhaps you're right. I really should break in this island of mine. I've never had one before.” He frowned in thought for a moment, then snapped his fingers triumphantly. “Battle Royale!”

“Sir?”

“An old film. It's not important.” Julian chewed on his lip in thought. “I would want smart people. Stupid people are so boring.”

“Sir-”

“Not now, Cassandra, I'm thinking.” Julian leaned back in his chair. “I could make the smartest my inheritor. Or at least give them some sort of reward. But how to decide? Battle Royale. Yes.”

“Sir!”

“Cassandra!” Julian held up a small remote device. “Quiet! Or I'll turn you off.”

Cassandra bowed her head, expression not shifting. “Sir.”

“I'll teach them everything they need to know to work this island. I'll teach them everything there is to know about the technology here. And then I'll set them upon each other, winner takes all. How does that sound, Cassandra?”

Cassandra evaluated the chances of talking him out of forcing savants to kill each other. The chances were not likely. “Excellent, sir. Shall I make the arrangements?”

“Please do.” Julian grinned and rubbed his hands together. If he could pull this off, it would be his best plan thus far.

“In other matters, sir, I received word from marketing. The panel feels that renaming your island 'Death Trap' would be bad for your public image.”

Julian sighed and waved Cassandra away. “Just go make the arrangements, Cassandra.”