"Secrets From the Past"

Author's Note: This story was inspired by the Disney's Hercules episode "The Yearbook".

Carmen Sandiego placed the last red rose in the Ming vase. "There. Thanks for helping me redecorate."

"No problem," Martin Shapiro replied. "That's what friends are for." He picked up a leather-bound scrapbook and blew the dust of it. "What's this?"

Carmen gasped and snatched the volume. "Core Rier!"

Core ran in. "Yes?"

Carmen shoved the scrapbook at him. "Take this back to Acme Headquarters."

Core bowed and obeyed.

Carmen brushed off her hands. "That said and done, why don't we watch a video. I rented Clue."

Martin stopped her. "Not so fast, Miss Scarlet. What's in the book?"

Carmen blushed pink. "Just some dumb stuff from my days at Acme."

Martin chuckled. "This I have to see."

"No!" Carmen squealed. "Let's just forget the whole thing." She turned and left.

"What are you hiding, former Detective Sandiego?" Martin said quietly to himself.

Carmen reentered the room. "This video includes all three endings --" The room was empty. "Martin?" She gasped. "You didn't?!" The master thief ran out to the hangar. A plane was missing. "You did."

[San Francisco]

Martin landed the plane on the roof of Acme Headquarters and slipped in. The scrapbook sat on a table.

"Looking for something?" called a holographic image.

"The Chief? How did you--"

"When Carmen's henchman dropped off this, I knew you wouldn't be far behind."

Martin picked up the scrapbook and opened it. "Here it is. The Acme roster from Carmen's first year." He flipped through the photographs, then burst out laughing. "That's her at age fourteen?"

"Hey!" cried the Chief. "Cut the girl some slack! They took that on her first day! You see, before I became head of Acme, Carmen was still a little green."

[Flashback]

Julia Hopkins, Director of Admissions, reread the application. "An IQ of 200. Impressive. You're hired."

"Thank you," Carmen Sandiego replied.

"Do be a dear and get me a cup of coffee from the machine."

"Certainly." Carmen ran her finger along the gleaming silver coffeemaker and touched a red button.

Julia shrieked. "Not that button!"

Too late. Carmen pressed the button. The machine sputtered, then backfired, sending a shower of warm Java over the two.

Carmen picked up a napkin and handed it to Julia. "Oops...sorry."

[Present]

The Chief shuddered. "Yeesh. She was a one-woman hurricane."

Martin was howling with laughter. "Poor Carmen. She must have felt like the Queen of the Dorics!"

"Nope," answered the Chief. "That honor went to her friend, Beatrice."

[Flashback]

Julia snapped a photograph and set the picture into a card, then handed the card to Carmen. "This is your ID card. It signifies you are a member of the prestigious Acme Detective Agency -- and is ten dollars to replace if lost or stolen."

"It won't leave my sight," muttered Carmen.

Julia ignored her and continued. "This is your Acme badge, your HQ map, cafeteria menu, and the key to your room. Now scram before this coffee permanently stains my blouse!"

A few minutes later, Carmen came to the dorms. The label on the keyring read "6". She stopped at Room Six and turned the knob, finding it open.

There was a piercing shriek! "No! Not that one!" A detective threw herself at the door, but it was useless. Several bats flew out. "This is Batty's room. He's got an obsession for the flying foxes."

Carmen blushed. "I must have read the label upside down. I'm new here."

"Obvious. I'm Beatrice Quack. Call me Bea."

"Carmen Sandiego."

"Carmen, as a newbie, you need someone that's plugged in. Someone that can take you to the epicenter of the Agency's top-notch crimebusting elite."

"That'd be wonderful."

"Yeah," Beatrice agreed. "But I'm not that gal."

There was the sound of a bell.

Beatrice shrugged. "The first day at a new job is scarier than giving Frankenstein a makeover. But take heart, my new friend. For it is lunchtime -- a restbit from sleuthing adversity!" They entered a set of double doors. "Welcome to the Acme Cafeteria. Bad food in large quantities. All you have to do now is not act like the new girl."

Carmen nodded and picked up an orange from the fruit bowl. The bowl tipped over, burying her in fruit.

"Glorious example." Beatrice pulled her coworker out of the pile. "That could get you labeled for life. Something like 'Carmen Miranda' or 'Tropical Garden Carmen' --"

Carmen snarled. "I get the point."

"I'm just saying. People can be cruel."

Another detective snatched Beatrice's lunch tray. "Thanks, Bea."

"Some more than others," finished Beatrice.

Carmen was shocked. "He can't do that!"

"Yes, he can."

"Why should we let him get away with that?"

"Because he's Daley Bred! He's the Inspector's nephew! If you're not nice to him, he'll go crying to his uncle and get you fired."

"But that's not fair."

"Whoever said life was fair?" Beatrice led Carmen to a table. "This is Troilus, my honeypie. Troilus, this is Carmen. It's her first day here, so make her feel welcome while I go back for firsts."

Carmen extended her hand. "Nice to meet you, Troilus."

Troilus shook hands. "Hmm...I see a very successful career here in store for you."

"How would you know that?"

"I see all that has been and all that will be."

"Oh. Is Bea your girlfriend?"

Troilus frowned. "No. She just thinks she is. I think it was getting bonked on the head with rocks while tracking jewel thief Merey LaRock on her first case that did it. Although," he added. "I once had a horrible vision that I'd kiss her someday. He shuddered. "As if that'll ever happen."

Beatrice rejoined them.

A cup landed on the table.

"Oh, Bea!" called Daley from the next table. "Refill...now!"

Carmen snatched the cup. "You can't do this."

"Yes, I can," replied Beatrice. "Refills are free."

Carmen stormed to Daley's table. "I think you threw this."

"Thank you," Daley said, taking the cup. "You may rejoin the underclass now, Errand Girl." He tried to sip from the cup. "Hey! This is empty!"

"Refills are free...help yourself!"

The bell rang. Lunch was over.

"I have a riddle for you guys," Daley announced at dinner that night. "I just can't figure it out. A man and his son go rock climbing and get caught in a rockslide. The man dies. The son survives, but is severely injured. The son is rushed to the hospital. The doctor says 'This is my son'! How can this be?"

"Simple," Carmen said. "The doctor was the boy's mother, Archie Bunker!"

Everyone laughed.

[Present]

"Daley was one obnoxious kid," the Chief commented. "He was not only a snob, but he was quite sexist."

"So, whatever happened to him?" asked Martin.

The Chief thought a moment. "Well, the months passed. Carmen rose steadily up the ranks, just as Troilus said she would. One day, she was assigned on a case -- with Daley. They argued and almost let their culprit get away. When they returned to Acme, they got into a physical fight, which Carmen won. Daley was humiliated, so he went to his room. The next morning, he was gone. No trace. He hasn't been seen or heard from since."

"That is a twist," replied Martin.

"Not even Troilus knew what happened to Daley Bred."

"Did Troilus make any more wild predictions?"

"Are you kidding? He made tons of them. Two years after Carmen initially joined Acme, he foresaw one of Carmen's greatest cases."

[Flashback]

Troilus' eyes went glassy. "I see a whirlpool...an irresistible force...a ship sinking...a descent to the dark side...and another prophesy."

The Inspector came in. "Carmen, I've got a new case pending. Shall I put you on it?"

"What is it?"

"You're going to track Doctor Gunner Maelstrom, a marine archaeologist. Turns out he's more interested in sunken treasure than sunken artifacts."

"A maelstrom is another name for a whirlpool," Troilus commented. "I foretold you so."

Carmen ignored him. "Sounds interesting. I'll take it."

To be continued.