Date: March 03 2014 9:48 PM Title: Memories
Wow, very fascinating and revealing chapter. Nice to meet Abigail and learn a bit about the harsh life she's lived. As usual, you pepper the story with tantalizing details about this world -- Detonators, Compressors, more about ascension, etc. I'm hooked as always.
Are all (or most) Omegas former Betas? That would explain why they care about smaller people so much and have the roles they do.
Author's Response:
Thanks for the compliments, I'm always glad when my hooks garner interest.
May get an answer on that next time.
[Report This]Date: March 03 2014 7:31 AM Title: Memories
You know, even as a friend, Dr. Kayla Everett would be a frightening person. Your thoughts are not even your own around her. How close she is to the family, it might not just be Marion who has to worry. I wonder if she has the same hatred deep down that Abby has about the situation.
There are a few questions I get from this chapter:
Does Dr. Everett not control who ascends? It seems if anything, she would want to extend the life and protection of her closesest friend's family. (Again the potential sadness of mix pairings comes up.)
How do detonators work? (I have an idea.)
What was the second incident Abby caused between her children?
So her husband tagged along with his ex in medical School. Why are they ex? (And who is Claire's father now to mention it?)
So we got a glimpse of the past. What exactly was going on in this facility?
Author's Response:
Well, we'll get a little look at her intentions with the girls next chapter.
Some of those questions may be answered as well.
I'm curious about what you think detonators may do, and wouldn't mind hearing it. I won't confirm or deny either way outside of the story, but still.
[Report This]Date: March 02 2014 10:44 PM Title: Memories
Nice behind scenes chapter. In this chapter you feel sorry for Abigail. Having to balance out her Omega duties but also being a parent.
Can't wait for the next chapter and I have no idea. What the primary inspiration for Everett's ability was. So no shilling for me
[Report This]Date: March 02 2014 9:30 PM Title: Memories
Wow, how the heck did Kayla become so powerful? Good thing she appears to be benevolent. Interesting idea with the Compressor, seems feasible since Kayla has already made analogous devices for Omegas to use. As always, I find your prose to be top notch!
Author's Response:
That may be a question that has to be answered in another work :)
Thank you for the compliment on my prose, though I certainly aim to improve upon it.
[Report This]Date: March 02 2014 8:53 PM Title: Memories
I'm beginning to see how things may have gotten the way they were or at-least got this level of command set into motion.
I'm looking forward to more.
Author's Response:
Glad to hear it, and thanks for the comment, as usual :)
Date: March 02 2014 5:55 PM Title: Imprisonment
Ah so does what it does, I was right that it seems that they were trying to permanently shrink Alphas who comitted crimes against Betas and it failed, Kayla might have it. Claire can shrink things but it isn't permanent, it seems Kayla was working on something more permanent.
Author's Response:
Oh no, it was effectively a portable version of the ability that Claire has shown. Think of it as a taser of sorts that happens to shrink something down to ~3 inches tall. Nothing about permanence, though...well, Kayla is never short for new ideas.
[Report This]Date: March 02 2014 5:34 PM Title: Memories
Well I had no idea what was going on in that flashback but it seemed pretty epic. I’m even more interested in an origin story.
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So…Abigail Everett-Lindon? When did Abigail take up Kayla’s last name? Also it seems Abigail is a bit of a drinker, but I’m sure Omega’s don’t have to worry about getting drunk. This chapter also confirmed what I thought; that Beta’s were treated like shit before the Omega’s rose to power, even less than household pets. This is a pretty big reveal. Now I’m even surer a violent altercation happened between Omega’s and Alpha’s over Beta rights.
So the top secret project that Corey couldn’t know about was a compressor that would have supposedly shrunk Alpha’s that tried to mess with a Beta. And this compressor seems to use some cosmic energy that Kayla is imbued with. Well it sucks the project failed, I’m sure Claire is going to be disappointed, but this story has taken a level in science fiction with cosmic particles and Kayla being a godly being that can manipulate reality and read thoughts.
And since Claire can shrink things using compression, I wonder if all Omega’s have this cosmic energy inside them.
I’m thinking this story needs a new title now lol
“Consequences” Seems like a subtitle in the greater “Omega” Universe.
Author's Response:
Glad the little teaser piqued interest.
You may get answers to a few of these things soon, we'll have to see.
And oh, it is. I have a lot jumbling around in my head for other stuff to do in the universe.
[Report This]Date: March 02 2014 5:32 PM Title: Imprisonment
Dr. Everett is their aunt? Shocker!
I can understand why Abby hates Alphas and it would be interesting to see how she would react if Corey brought him an Alpha girlfriend. Betas really suffered under the Alphas but I still cling to the idea that just as there were really bad ones, there are good Alphas out there and that one day all three will be able to co-exist as equal.
@gadgetmawombo, I agree with you about Kayla.
Kayla is probably the closest thing to a god, being able to consume that much power and not suffer any ill side effects is pretty disturbing, I wonder if her fellow Omegas are afraid of her. Telepathy and such control over energy is scary.
Back to Abby, it is tragic to see that she lost a brother and I think most of her family to sadistic Alphas and that how painful it must have been to see Claire bawling her eyes out when she found that Corey had been attacked.
Author's Response:
You may just get to see such a reaction :)
I'm looking forward to doing things with Abby, especially given a scene I'm going to allude to next chapter. She has a lot more baggage to her than the Omegas we've seen so far, and obviously more than Alexis' parents have.
[Report This]Date: March 02 2014 5:26 PM Title: Memories
Here I was thinking this chapter would solve some unanswered issues (and it did) but it managed to raise so many more! Alright what we learned, Corey and Claire’s mother was a beta originally. Kayla was an Alpha originally. So whatever event happened it didn’t depend on size. Given what was said about Beta rights Alexis’ family were likely Alphas before they ascended (and may have been the ones championing them as pets).
We also get an answer to omega age question. I guess at some point Omegas just stop aging as up until now Claire and Corey have grown up together. Must be weird knowing that Corey is biologically older than his step mom now…
Of course the opening created so many more! Something tells me we saw the ending to a much larger narrative play out there.
As for the three shillings my best bet would be someone like Dr. Manhattan (Watchman) who more or less became a god, though a less attentive god than Kayla.
Author's Response:
Good call on the status of Alexis' family, though we'll have to see about the pet thing.
And well, he was going to out-age her from a biological perspective sooner or later.
You just might have :)
No shillings, though you have the right idea in looking at a drawn medium. I'm not really expecting anyone to guess it simply because the property may as well be a niche one in English-speaking countries.
[Report This]Date: March 02 2014 4:02 PM Title: Imprisonment
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!
Author's Response:
I don't think many people could talk to such a being without soiling themselves in some manner :)
Date: February 23 2014 9:38 PM Title: Work
This was a really intriguing chapter. I like how you've dropped little clues about the nature of this world and its variously sized people. "The Fire" finds Omegas and causes their ascension. Betas can be born of Alphas and vice versa. I am very interested to learn more. There's clearly a lot more going on than the "shrinking plague" explanation that many new world order stories use.
Date: February 23 2014 7:25 AM Title: Imprisonment
Damn, I'm so embarrassed right now, I thought it was about Marion. Well, it will be fun to see Corey and Melody's relationship.
Date: February 23 2014 6:34 AM Title: Imprisonment
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.
Author's Response:
That was actually in response to the kids thing.
[Report This]Date: February 22 2014 10:28 PM Title: Work
This really feels like the story of the year
Author's Response:
Oh geez, don't say that. I'll blush.
Date: February 22 2014 7:21 PM Title: Work
I don’t know, I think I like Marion being pure evil. I think she’s supposed to represent what the Omega’s are fighting against.
Marion would be rotting in jail for decades anyway for killing 12 people.
Date: February 22 2014 7:03 PM Title: Imprisonment
Marion should be alive, Claire said she would vomit her back up after two hours since Omegas apparently have slow digestion.
I wouldn't have expected kids from Melody and Corey either, Corey would have big problems trying to impregnate someone who is like a living mountain to him and he might not even survive the lovemaking. Even if it would be fun to see him try.
Author's Response:
I want to say something but I also don't want to give anything away. It's the worst feeling.
[Report This]Date: February 22 2014 6:20 PM Title: Work
Alright, finished all the chapters so far and I'm going to keep reading because the story is interesting and honestly you're a gifted author. You expertly convey emotion with scene detail and character introspection. The only thing that bothers me is Marion. No redeeming qualities? Pure evil? I find that difficult to believe. But perhaps we just don't know her entire story yet. In summary though, I'm amazed at your work.
Author's Response:
One of my favorite little quotes is that sometimes, an asshole is just an asshole. Sociopaths and serial killers are nothing new, and I feel like I'd be trying to needlessly "grey" Marion if I tried to make her look better against my concept for her.
Thank you again for the kind words, though.
Date: February 22 2014 4:42 PM Title: Imprisonment
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?
Author's Response:
The Alpha couple has been something I've wanted to do for quite some time. Just a nice couple that wants to do right by their child.
Expect a few more details on the genetics next chapter, along with how they were/are born.
One thing I really want to do sooner or later is a little anthology of short stories showing different lives, and I would definitely expect some mixed families in that if I get it going.
Think of it this way: Erica there has spent most of her life handling a Beta, and has gotten very good at it mostly because she started doing it at a young age. Jason, by contrast, has had almost no contact with Betas and needs to to be able to practice without risking harming one. They both ultimately need to get comfortable with handling an infant Beta.
I'd also expect a decent chunk of it to be etiquette (note, for example, how Claire allowed the two to walk onto her hand instead of just grabbing them like she's been doing with her girls). Establishing a certain mindset certainly goes into it.
[Report This]Date: February 22 2014 1:16 PM Title: Power
I've avoided reading this story because of the tags. I cannot stand violent gts. However I'm glad I've read this far. You're an incredibly skilled writer. This chapter is amazing. I love Claire's outlook, she's a very deep thinker. Amazing chapter. Did I already say that?
Author's Response:
Hahah, thank you, both for giving my little project here a chance and for the praise :)
Date: February 22 2014 12:07 PM Title: Imprisonment
Great story! Just a little confirmation : Is Marion really dead?
Author's Response:
Thank you.
And no, as was mentioned by another commenter, she was regugitated after 2 hours.