An Otherworldly Frequency (A Starset Story)

Chapter 2

I wake up the next morning to my phone ringing. I answer grumpily, "What? It's 5 am? I have to be up in 30 minutes and I need all the sleep I can get ya know..."

I hear my best friend, Barbara, squeak, "You... NASA... You..."

"What?" I sit up, still groggy.

She takes a deep breath and speaks slowly, "Turn your tv on to the news.... Now!"

"Okay!" I turn on the tv.

The newslady says, "NASA has concluded their search into what the millions of radio frequencies coming from an unknown origin says. Now, it's up to a very specialized team, including a rock band, and a new assistant who used to be an intern, to figure out where..."She puts her hand to her ear, "Yes.... We are getting word that this 'intern' is the one who figured out the solution to this mystery. Yes, you heard that right. An intern. Jim, can you believe that?"

I blink, "Barbara?"

"Yeeees?" she  smiles over the phone.

"Yes. I'm that intern. I still needed that 30 minutes of sleep though."

"Which rock band? It's Starset isn't it?" she asks.

I smile inwardly, "Yes. Now don't tell anyone."

She squeaks, "Yess!!! Congratulations girly!"

"Thanks. I have to get ready for work now, so I gotta go."

"Oh okay! Good luck!" she chimes in before hanging up.

I get ready and get dressed in my usual attire- black t shirt and dark blue skinny jeans with my vans sneakers. I do my eyeliner and brush my natural brunette hair. It's  finally as long as I'd like - six inches below my shoulder.

I grab my purse, phone and car keys.

Time flies as I drive to work. My heart pounds as I park the car. I take a deep breath and look in the rear view mirror at myself. I smile and get out of the car. There's a crowd gathered near the entrance, and as I get closer I see it's a bunch of reporters. I push my way through and one of them shouts, "Is this the one?! Is this the intern?"

Suddenly Gina grabs my arm and pulls me inside the building. "You didn't answer any questions did you?"

"No," I shake my head, "Didn't have time to."

"Good. Now come with me," she starts walking down the hallway. I follow her through doors and down halls, until we finally come to a room with a bunch of people in it, talking amongst themselves.

I stop in my tracks as I realize Dustin and the rest of Starset are here in this room.

Dustin is pleading his case to who appears to be the head manager of this project, "It was only me. I'm the only one who knew where the sound came from. So just let them go home."

The man looks to be in his mid fifties. He looks exasperated, as if he's heard the same line for hours, "Okay. If that's truly the case..."

He waves a brunette lady over to him and whispers. She nods and escorts the rest of the band into the next room.

Dustin watches them nervously as they leave the room, "They aren't in any serious trouble right? Like I said, they don't... er... didn't know anything."

The man sighs and pinches the bridge of his nose, "No. They're not in trouble. However, I need to know how you figured it out."

Dustin shrugs, "Probably the same way the intern found out."

Gina pulls me over to the man, "That's our cue. Sir, this is Sierra. The former intern."

The two men turn to face me. Dustin looks at my arm, which has a Starset tattoo on it. He then looks me in the eye, "So you're the one who told on me to NASA..."

I blush, "I didn't mean to get anyone in trouble..."

The older man shakes his head, "No one's in trouble."

"Really?" Dustin and I say in unison.

He nods, "I'm impressed to be frank. We will talk about it in a few minutes. But for now, Gina?"

"Yes?" Gina looks at him.

"You and Marcus are gonna head this research team. Teach Dustin and Sierra the ropes and meet me in my office in 30 minutes."

He walks away. Gina turns to me, "Sierra, Dustin, get ready. I'm about to give you alot of information all at once."