Character Corner: Paige Beck

An inside look at the Under a Fallen Sun protagonist

Oct 18, 2022

Out of all the fictional characters I created, Paige Beck has undergone one of the most unique evolutions. Her personality and life experiences let her function in a dual role as a protagonist and an antagonist within the Alien People fictional universe.

I first introduced readers to Paige in Under a Fallen Sun. When I adapted this semi-prequel to the Alien People Chronicles trilogy from a short horror story I wrote back in college, Paige quickly emerged as a central character in the fleshed-out novel. She sets the main plot in motion when she embarks on a quest to track down her brother and sister-in-law who vanished without a trace a month earlier. Her quest leads her to a small Texas town, Travis, where she and her friends become trapped and are forced to battle for survival against alien invaders.

Paige ended up being the reader’s choice for my debut Character Corner feature in this newsletter. Be warned that if you haven’t read Under a Fallen Sun or Alien People yet, some significant *spoilers* lie ahead.

Who is Paige Beck?

Readers are first introduced to Paige when she is embarking on a spring break road trip through Texas with her friends. The road trip doubles as a covert search for her missing brother and missing sister-in-law. Paige is enrolled as a student at McNeese State University in Lake Charles, Louisiana where she’s studying to get a history teaching degree. She is only two semesters away from graduation when the events in Under a Fallen Sun unfold.

Paige was born and raised in Crowley, Louisiana and is the only biological daughter of Luke and Angela Beck. She has an older biological brother, Todd, and younger sisters Celeste and Kellie — twins whom her parents adopted from a Romanian orphanage the same year Paige moved away to attend college.

Her mother and father are both devout Evangelical Christians. Paige rejected her former evangelical beliefs in college and became somewhat agnostic. She still believes in a higher power, but doesn't know what form it takes.

Paige shared a close bond with Todd in her childhood years. They played basketball one-on-one in the driveway all the time. Paige loves the sport. Her family had season tickets for New Orleans Pelicans basketball games throughout her childhood. Paige idolized Chris Paul when he played for the Pelicans and modeled her own playing style after him. She and Todd butted heads from time-to-time because he was always so evasive about his activities and liked to keep secrets from her. Paige hates it when people keep secrets from her — although, ironically, she acts as evasive as Todd when sharing information with other people.

She met her best friend, Heather Washington, during their freshman year together at McNeese State. They bonded over a similar taste in music and a shared interest in basketball. Their friendship deepened following the shared trauma they endured in Travis, Texas. Heather is one of the few people whom Paige truly trusts.

Paige is a bit of a serial dater following her college graduation. She struggles to commit to a relationship after witnessing the tragic fate that befell her college boyfriend Jason in Travis, Texas. Heather urged Paige to let herself heal in subsequent years, but she struggles to open her heart again even a decade after Jason’s demise. She is content to focus on raising her pet cat Stray — a ginger tabby she adopted after rescuing him from the Rubrumian spaceship.

Joining the Earth Defense Bureau

When Paige reappears in Alien People 11 years later, she is a high-ranking official within the Earth Defense Bureau. Paige was recruited to federal agency because of her success in defeating and destroying aliens from Rubrum bent colonizing and conquering Earth. She spends time in the field coordinating operations against suspected alien invaders and educating other bureau officials and agents on the threat posed by aliens. A single-minded purpose of protecting Earth from all aliens drives her actions.

Paige suffers from severe PTSD stemming from her experiences in Texas and has grown deeply fearful of other hostile aliens journeying to Earth to finish what the Rubrumians started. This past trauma fuels her evolution into a major antagonist opposing Xttra and Calandra when they make first contact with Earth. Paige distrusts their intentions after the Earth Defense Bureau is unable to communicate with Xttra and his crew and she quickly coordinates a manhunt to find and capture the visitors from Lathos.

Paige stands at 5-foot-7 with shoulder-length blonde hair, blue eyes, and fair skin. She has an athletic build and is devoted to staying fit so she can combat aliens at a moment’s notice. She’s warm and friendly to people who are closest to her and has a thoughtful and intelligent side. Some of her colleagues, however, are put off by her stubbornness, take-charge attitude, and blunt nature.

Which character from my novels and short stories would you love to see highlighted in a future Character Corner feature? Let me know in the comments below.