Lisa Beck, Detective – Origin part 1 and part 2: The Guardians of Justice
A helicopter drone with a camera spins towards a college campus. The small lightweight four propeller style drone was the most common one found in the general population. The digital camera on board took sharp colorful video of the surrounding area. The campus was about three city blocks long and at least another two blocks wide, not including the parking lots that ringed the traditionally conservative Rockdale State College. It was late May, and the spring weather had been exceptionally favorable.
Rockdale was an unremarkable college town with a population of about twenty thousand. Obviously the residential totals varied frequently as college students entered and graduated from the college. Riverdale was the nearest town of any consequence in this part of the state. The drone could barely pick out the sister college campus buildings of Riverdale Community College located just on the outskirts of Riverdale with its limited photo range. RCC was mostly a business and agriculture school.
Rockdale State College was accredited but not well known throughout the academic world. Its tuition, boarding, and course fees were midrange as colleges go. The drone slowed to a hover just above the RSC West Wing, as it continued to photograph the location, and send the video feed info to its mysterious owner. The mystery lay as to why the drone pilot cared about the basically deserted area of RSC Campus. One wouldn't be surprised to find that a young drone pilot would guide the device towards the school sorority or fraternity houses to see what he or she could see, but why photo map an area with no discernable activity? The drone hovered a bit longer before buzzing away.
Inside the main hall of RSC, the students were busily taking their winter semester final exams. The main body of the room doubled as a lecture hall, while the secondary rooms encircling it were mostly used for individual study. Beyond them was the school library, and beyond that was the main entry way. The college staff encouraged the students to always try and enter through the main doorways.
The positioning of the main gate led to a 'Y' shaped fork in the walkway. One leg of the fork led to the RSC West Wing, the other to the East Wing. The lecture hall was built on a slight incline, allowing all students present to view the speaker, and the mass viewing screen behind the lecturer. The sound system was adequate, and it boomed through the hall clearly when in use.
Today the hall was silent as the students took the nerve-wracking final exams. Young Lisa Beck was down to the last ten minutes of her college career. The final four questions were mostly essay, so Lisa was fairly confident that she could ace the important exam. Lisa gnawed on some strands of her lengthy blondish brown hair. Acing this final would guarantee her long sought after degree in Criminology.
However, anything less than perfect, say a 'B' or 'C' could damage her chance to complete her four year degree this spring. There was always summer school, she reasoned. As her dad said, 'always have a backup plan and a backup plan for that'. She could hear his thoughtful words echoing through her mind. She then focused on the last three essay questions and wrote freely and concisely.
The young student had been through a measure of hell this past year and the year before that. Twenty year old Lisa was forced to grow up in a hurry. Early on, her studies had faltered.
First her mother Elian Beck had died in a violent car accident, though Lisa felt that the circumstances were suspicious. Then the year after, her long-time boyfriend, Donny Chase had broken up with her, just when she'd needed him the most. The two had been compatible, but Donny constantly complained that Lisa didn't spend enough time with him.
She had always been driven forward by her father, German detective, Johannes Beck, but after her mother passed, Lisa had made it a point to lose herself in her studies. Donny had simply run out of patience with her. Lisa's bright green eyes were laser focused on her future. She could follow in her father's footsteps if all went well. Johannes, or John, his American name, began his career in Communist East Berlin, learning the ways of the European investigators, and worked his way into Interpol.
After the Berlin Wall fell, Johannes transferred to the world famous Scotland Yard, where he'd met her mother, Elian. They fell in love, married, and emigrated to America, where Lisa was born, a mere forty five minutes from Rockdale. The nearest really big cities were Lakeside City, Gotham, and Metropolis.
John Beck was now a prominent detective in Lakeside City's violent First District. It was quite the step down from Scotland Yard, but challenging none the less. "One more question to go." Lisa muttered quietly enough not to attract any unwarranted attention. 'That was it!' she mentally congratulated herself. Now it was show time! She thought. She would either sink or swim for this semester.
Lisa recalled her troubled and ultimately defeated relationship with Donny. I said I would get my degree and graduate on time! She allowed herself this conceit. She brought the completed paper up to the teacher's desk. Mr. Lawrence was a fine teacher with a background in forensic sciences. He'd come up through the ranks from beat cop to state trooper, and worked his way into complex investigations. He was a bit longwinded but eventually made his point and Lisa had taken extensive notes.
Lisa glanced at her best friend, Kelly McCarron, who was still muttering as she pored over the last few test questions. Kelly had studied long and hard, but actually Criminology wasn't for everyone, and it was still considered an elective, and not required for graduation. Kelly could always find another position within law enforcement if she so chose. "Okay class. Time's up!" Mr. Lawrence declared amidst groans and hisses from the roomful of students. Lisa held in her exuberance. There was no sense in making Kelly feel worse than she already did. Kelly and Lisa handed in the test papers and gathered their things.
Kelly's body language belied her disappointment, as her long, braided, reddish brown hair flopped aimlessly behind her. Lisa shook her head as her friend of nearly fifteen years grumbled profusely. "So Kel, how did you do?" She asked the obligatory question. Kelly wrapped her hands around her throat in a mock choking gesture. "I bloody well choked! I'll be lucky to pass the ruddy thing!" Kelly spoke in an exaggerated Irish brogue when she was upset, excited, or angry.
"Oh it can't be that bad!" Lisa tried to reassure her friend, patting her gently on the back. "Well the good news is that I couldna blown too many of the simple questions, maybe I'll be able to pull a 'C' out o' my butt!" Kelly said as only she could. Lisa smirked as Brad Pennington interrupted the girls' conversation. He appeared to be quite pleased with himself in her opinion. "Ladies! I pulled it off!" Brad boasted.
"I have only two more exams today and I'm home free!" Brad beamed as he gave Kelly a quick up and down look. Brad had a crush on Kelly, but also on Asa, Thelma, Lorraine, Terri, and Brittany! Lisa mentally ticked off the list on her fingers. She assumed that he was a good enough guy, but he partied too much and was always full of himself. He was simply a typical college age male. The girls followed Brad out and made it a point to keep him in front of them.
Kelly had dated Brad a time or two some months back. On one date, Brad had called Kelly, 'Brittany', by mistake, and she vowed never to date him again, and indeed put an ancient Irish curse on him, that her grandmother had taught her. It was something about losing one's hair and waking up as a goat. Lisa chuckled at the memory. The girls continued on towards the outskirts of the campus.
Lisa spied the circling drone by chance, and gazed up at it suspiciously. 'Oh well, boys and their toys', she dismissed the event. "Anyway, I'm glad I took the course." Kelly began. "At least it was an elective and not essential to anything I do. I already took Bowling, Tennis, and Futuristics classes to fill up some credits." Lisa eyed her friend playfully. "What? You didn't take Basket Weaving 101?" She teased, cracking Kelly up. "That class was already filled!" Kelly returned the good-natured barb.
Kelly's true major was Computer Science, or as Lisa often called it, 'techno-geek 101'. Kelly confided that she just enjoyed pushing the buttons, or sliding the mouse for a career, as she put it. Wouldn't that be boring? Lisa often wondered. She enjoyed the possibility of being out in the field and making a difference every day for her possible career path, like her father had done.
Lisa had struggled through her Math classes and had taken the minimum amount of courses required to receive her forthcoming degree. Part of that potential path of failure was due to her conflicts with Donny, she mentally cursed. "So what're you gonna do after graduation?" Kelly asked her friend for the umpteenth time. "Well first you and I are going on a long expensive vacation, Kel! I saved a bunch of bucks over this semester." Lisa cheered up instantly. "Ooh! I'm intrigued!" Kelly acted surprised.
"What exotic cities would you like to visit?" Lisa tempted. "We can take in the Great Corn Festival in Smallville, Kansas, the ribbon cutting ceremony of yet another public library in Metropolis, the hog calling championships in Riverdale, or the latest incarnation of the music fest, Lotta Palookas, in Lakeside City." Lisa taunted. "Oh! Be still my beating heart!" Kelly quipped with an exaggerated bow.
"Is Smallville really a city?" Kelly added sarcastically. "Well, there are more people there than here in this backwater town." Lisa retorted thoughtfully. "Anywhere is better than good old Rockdale. For a budding criminologist, there isn't enough crime here to hold a good detective's interest. I mean how many cheating husbands, cheating wives, cow tippers, drunk and puking students exposing themselves, or stolen laptops can one policewoman handle?" She rambled cynically. "Too true!" Kelly agreed.
Rockdale was a mostly clean city, township, village, or hole in the wall, whatever it was. Nothing of any interest ever happened here, Lisa silently groused. A criminologist would die of old age before she'd get a chance to solve a murder. Lakeside City was definitely the place for an eager law enforcement officer to go, she mused. Johannes Beck's law practice was located right in the bustling downtown area of Lakeside City. Her father would probably have quite a few connections over there.
Lakeside City wasn't exactly like the old wild, wild, west, but a young criminologist, or criminal profiler could likely make a fortune in that town. "I don't know." Kelly interrupted Lisa's thoughts. "Arizona, California, Las Vegas, Florida, or the Caribbean would be nice. There were so many choices."
The annoying drone buzzed lower towards the girls. This time Kelly noted its aerial passage. "Some doofus is playing with his toys again." Kelly growled. "Should I flip him off Lis'?" Lisa laughed loudly. "No. Let it go! We don't need to be plastered all over the campus website this close to graduation." She objected. "I guess you're right." Kelly ignored the looping toy. "You know, if I only had a shotgun!" She whined as Lisa grinned. Just then their neighbor, Carla Talon approached them.
Carla had just left her art class. Lisa waved at their new friend. Carla was a freshman at RSC. She tended to do her own thing, embracing the Goth persona they'd noted in high school. She sported long stringy black hair, overdone black eye makeup, bright red lipstick, black fingernails, and wore vintage black lace dresses, black boots, and an occasional gaudy gold and silver amulet with necklace, Lisa observed.
Today's incarnation also included streaks of bright violet purple in her hair, a single gold earring, and a silver crucifix attached to a faux pearl necklace. The scrappy eighteen-year old was more like an annoying little sister to them. She was harmless, despite her bizarre appearance. 'To each their own' Lisa mused, as she assumed that Carla was trying to make some sort of a statement.
"Yo chickees! How were the finals?" Carla greeted them. "I think I aced my Criminology exam!" Lisa announced as Carla drew closer. "Kel figures that she did well enough too." Carla slowed to a stop as the drone passed above them. She glanced at it with irritation. "Way cool!" Carla said cheerfully. "Congrats! Hey officer can you fix a parking ticket for me?" She added the humorous tease, cracking them up.
"How did you do?" Kelly inquired. "Decent enough! Three more years in this mud hole for me and I'm outta here!" Carla responded. "It will go by fast, enjoy it!" Lisa encouraged. "Yeah, we're about to go out and face the real world. Talk about scary!" Kelly piped in. "Right with ya there sisters!" Carla continued. "Hey! There's a rave at the old Thompson farm tonight. It will be in the barn. DJ Duncan is the main host. Scott's going to be there." Scott was Carla's older brother. He supposedly had a crush on Lisa.
"Yeah thanks! We'll check it out!" Lisa lied. Being groped by drunken, stoned, underage, semi-delinquent boys was not really her thing. Some of the music, if you could call it that was alright, Lisa reasoned. Then again, there wasn't anything else to do in this burg late at night anyway. The finals were done, it was Friday night, and they might as well go, if only to make fun of the oddly dressed little troublemakers, she rationalized. "What time's it start?" Lisa asked her Goth girlfriend.
"It will be at Midnight sharp!" Carla answered. "That sounds good! We'll see you there." Lisa said as Carla turned to go. With a wave, Carla disappeared towards the school entrance. "We will?" Kelly looked puzzled. "Why not?" Lisa countered. "It's the only happening thing going on around here, and we can always make fun of the young'uns." The girls made it through the rest of their tests without incident. Next up was finding something bizarre to wear to the rave. They searched through Kelly's old grandmother's clothes. They finally decided on their outfits. It would be a long night.
