Woah, Kayla is ONE intimidating woman, even to people that have been friends with her for some time, it seems. The fact that you can't even THINK about certain things while in her precence makes her all the more intimidating. I'd prolly shit myself if I were in Abby's position! Marion should thank her lucky stars she hasn't had to come in direct contact with her, this woman is something else!

Hmm, your response to my answer about Marion tells me a lot but I guess I will have to wait for an update to the story if I want to know whether I am right but something tells me I got it wrong. Very wrong. 

Its rather amazing how you can pack so much character development into a chapter in which only one character was seen. I was going to point out all the clever points you raised but several people have beaten me too it, so I'll just make comments.

I liked the Alpha couple that we were introduced to. its a nice change of pace to see that all Alphas are not jerks (now we need a rude beta to even things out). But they do raise interesting questions about genetics. So far i was under the assumption that Alphas and betas were diffferent species and a mixed sibling family like stephanies were not related by blood. Now I see that Stephanie could really be that beta's actual daughter. Not sure if that makes the situation better or worse.

I also see that omegas are elevated from other races. i knew they were artificially created but i thought they now reproduced normally. Can Omegas even have children or are they all elevated? And from which size?

I feel like the more you reveal about this world the less I know.  I don't know if that is the mark of a good writer or just annoying! But if I could make a wish, I really to know more about mixed size couples, especially Alphas and betas. How do these couples even get together in what I assume is an atmosphere of racism, fear and hatered? And how does a beta go about raising a giant child? I imagine raising a child is hard enough when shes not big enough to step on you.

Finally even though its the most trivial detail in this chapter, i kind of want to know what they teach in these "Beta handling" classes. Is it really so hard they need instructional classes?

Cool chapter, I liked the little "In the Life of an Omega" thing you did in this chapter with Claire...Really gives us readers some perspective as to how Omegas go about their daily lives, and the kinds of work they do besides punishing criminals. Oh, I wanted to know what the interlude means. Is that like your taking a break on this story or is it like a sidestory, or what? Sorry, prolly a dumb question, but yeeeeeaaaahh...

I liked this chapter, a nice heartwarming scene mixed among the serious nature of most of it.

Author's Response:

Honestly couldn't have done most of the chapter without coupling it with the sweeter bits

So I don't usually take part in debates in review form, but since there have been so many people commenting on the justice system of this world I want to get one final word in. This is going to get a bit more philosophical than a fictional GTS story probably warrants but I want to make this point clear. Who knows maybe this will give the author some ideas :)

When I asked “What sets omegas apart from Marion” Some people responded that they only get physical against Alphas who broke the law and that they have a system that they are held accountable too. I get that, but it is besides my point. My point is about power and authority.

If you go out and commit a crime and get arrested by a cop, who gives that cop the authority to arrest you? Answer: the people. Cops answer to the police chief who answers to the mayor who answers to voters. The laws they enforce are likewise ultimately created by the people. That is where law enforcement is supposed to get its power: That Is Justice.

But where do Omega's get their authority from in this story? I doubt they answer to the alphas government and I doubt the laws they enforce were created by alphas. Can Alphas vote out the director of the Omegas? I doubt it. That is not justice.

It is beside the point that Omegas are likely on the side of right and their actions are stopping horrific violence against betas. My point is Omegas used their size to force their world view on Alphas. They decreed new laws that alphas had no say about and killed anyone who opposed them. They are tyrants whose authority comes from nothing but the use of force and violence: power that comes with their size. Their good intentions are irrelevant. Their “system” is meaningless because it is forced on an unwilling populace who have no say in its operations.

In the end this is the same thing Marion (and alphas in general) did to betas. She thought she was superior because of her size. She used her power to force her worldview on them. The fact that Marion did it for pleasure and Omegas do not is also irrelevant. They both wield power in the same way for basically the same reason: because they feel their size entitles them to tell smaller people how to behave and they punish any who says otherwise. That’s why I feel Omegas are hypocrites.

It would seem to be that way, Melody knows she will outlive Corey even if he dies of old age, so Omegas are practically gods here. They seem to age at the same rate as kids but I suspect if they do live longer then an Omega ages at a much slower rate than a Beta. 

   The justice system doesn't sit well me, there is always some part of it that makes me uncomfortable, it might be due to the fact that I prefer gentle to the more violent types of gts stories. 

I have to agree with you @pkong,  there is a really fine line between Alphas like Marion and the Omegas who are ALSO using their size to police the country with little restrictions, this is a pretty dangerous situation as all the Omegas could effectively create a dictatorship where they treat Alphas and Betas with no regard to their well being. What makes them better than the people they are punishing?

Dr. Everett might not be very different from the people she fought against in the first place, if she didn't start out that way she might end up like them. 

A little more on the chapter, took me a while to process it.

Claire needs to be careful with Jenna, this girl might push things too far and accidentally kill an Alpha, she has too much going on inside with the whole Vincent thing weighing down on her and seeing Corey probably would have led to her killing the three girls in a fit of rage, not someone you would want in law enforcement or warden.

  The fact that they were transferred from Jenna to Claire who has shown more control than Jenna so far despite Corey being her big brother shows that Jenna's track record is probably not too clean, too many accidental injuries or death with the people in her care. 

   Also, I don't know if Corey has ever been talked down to by Jenna but it seems she tried since Claire punched her really hard for trying to do it, she really hated the idea of trying to dictate his life for him despite the fact that she could, it is what makes me like Claire and Melody more than Jenna, the girl is unstable from my first impression. Claire better watch out, she may give her more problems than Marion will since Marion's size keeps her in check while Jenna is an Omega but thankfully one of the smaller ones since a fitter,taller, more athletic Claire can control her physically.

   I think it is a little disturbing that she seems to get off on seeing people use their power over others, I might actually feel sorry for any of the Alphas under her, regardless of the crime. Also, who polices the Omegas if they police the Alphas and Betas?

   I also think that she is right in that feeling sorry is not enough, Naomi needs to do a lot more but I think that when she is ready, she should meet Corey. This will have to be decided by Corey with some input from Claire and a little from Naomi if she is ready, it would help the two of them alot. 

 As for Claire, I hope she realises that she should not let her friends or at least Jenna near her girls again, could undo any of the progress she has made with them.

  I actually am surprised that she is the "worst" student in her class, the last to be certified as being fit to handle a Beta when she has a Beta for a brother, must have really hurt her deep when all her friends got them ahead of her when she of all people finished last. Might there be insecurities within her that are waiting to resurface? She may spend all her time gazing down at her three charges and probing into their minds and exposing all sorts of skeletons but she could unwittingly unleash her own inner demons from her childhood. It will be interesting, very revealing transitory chapter. Marion's one should be no less interesting. 

Very fine chapter, wasn’t expecting Claire’s friends to see such development at least not so soon.

Jenna it seems is of the more hardcore mindset, “the world still needs Betas like me”. It wouldn’t surprise me at all if she’s killed or maimed an alpha or two. Apparently it’s traced to Vincent, maybe the boy who lost his arm, who might not be with us anymore.

Something tells me that Jenna didn’t gently inform Corrie his jogs were foolish, given what we’ve seen of Claire’s thoughts on talking down to him that might have been the cause of the punch.

The fact that the three were originally supposed to be in Jenna’s custody is quite the bombshell and makes me wonder if it was for Jenna or Claire that the change was made.

Then came the ending, I think we can all agree at this point that Marion is fucked