You Don't Belong Here

Chapter One

Brielle woke to the sound of her phone screaming a horrid alarm from the nightstand. The sound jolted her from the deep sleep that had recently overpowered her body. Grabbing the phone, she instinctively swiped the green button and pressed the device to her face. "Hello..?" She tried to rub the groggy sensation from her eyes but the deep voice on the other end of the line sent a cold chill down her spine and adrenaline began to pump through her body.

"Miss Ronaldi," the voice belonged to Gregory Brooks, CEO of the G.L. Brooks Association for Insterstellar Research, "we need you to come in immediately. It's urgent."

"Y-Yes, Mr. Brooks...I'll be there within the hour." The call suddenly disconnected and Brielle stumbled from her bed as she began darting about her single bedroom loft to gather her equipment. She shoved her laptop into a black backpack and threw on a black sports bra, red hoody, tugged a pair of black skinny jeans on over her neon pink thong, and stepped into her black high top sneakers since she was already wearing socks. She ran a brush through her hair with little grace as she warmed a blueberry bagel in the toaster. When the pastry was crisp to her satisfaction, she shoved it in her mouth before tugging her bag onto her shoulders and running for the door, yanking her keys from a bowl on a small table near the entrance.

Like a madman she dashed for the elevator and more or less jumped inside, pushed the button for the parking garage, and scarfed down the remainder of her lackluster breakfast. The metal door chimed an announcement that she'd arrived at the parking garage just as the metal compartment slid open. She sprinted four rows down and hooked to the left before throwing her leg over the seat of a red motorcycle and starting the ignition. Despite the shaking in her hands, she was able to kick the bike into gear and peeled out of the building faster than any officer of the law would have preferred.

She sped the three miles to the highway and turned onto the ramp leading to State Highway 38 where she quickly gained on the sparse morning traffic that was present on a Saturday morning. Brielle weaved in and out of the lines of cars with expert precision, driving nearly 30 miles over the speed limit. Her usual 47 minute ride was shortened to a mere 28, and she exited onto the barely noticeable two-lane paved street that curved up a large hill and out of view of the city below. Before she knew it she'd arrived at the security gate of the facility where a blonde man in his early forties waved her down. She screeched to a halt and turned her backpack towards the man; without question he scanned an identification badge that was attached and waved her through the gate.

The brunette took off once more, easily breaking the 15mph speed limit for the two mile long driveway. She whipped into a parking space labeled "RESERVED FOR D.E.I." and pulled the keys from the bike before running inside the building, simultaneously removing her badge from her pack and swiping it through the locking mechanisms on the various doors.

Once inside the heavily fortified steel building, the young woman was met by a bald man dressed in a suit. "Brielle, they're waiting for you in the lab. Here, Mr. Brooks had me get you breakfast." As he walked alongside her, Brielle gave offered him a grateful nod before taking the offering of a bowl filled with fruit and a large cup of coffee mixed with vanilla creamer and raspberry flavoring. She quickly downed the steaming liquid as they walked quickly through the hallways before chomping down on the fruit. The bald man glared at her when he noticed her hands trembling, and she gave him an apologetic grin.

"I'm excited." She lied.

"You haven't been taking your medication." Brielle was about to argue with the man when a door ahead of them was thrown open to reveal another man dressed in a suit: Mr. Brooks himself. His thick black hair contrasted nicely with his piercing blue eyes, and he waved for Brielle to hurry along. She discarded her trash in a nearby bin before jogging ahead to her employer, scanning through the doorway as she went.