Intro note for a change:

an excerpt from mnetruinedmylife's and my conversation (sorry I'm exposing your deep thoughts):

Me: As I get more practice writing, I'm trying to add depth to the characters. I try to remember that no matter how fun or funny they are, they're still teenagers whose fates were decided for them the moment their powers appeared.

MRML: That's interesting, so the powered people are put on these teams no matter what? Even if they don't want to be on them? Yikes, that opens up a whole new can of worms, I can see how easily you can take the angst road if that's the case.

So I've got a lot of feeling about this one. Oddly enough, I consider this aspect the biggest departure from the Idolverse; that is, them not choosing to work to be this very public figure. So as I figure out what I'm going to do for Sungyeon's real chapter, here's on of Sungyeon's school papers:

--

(One of Sungyeon's papers for Comparative Politics and Government at her school in America. She got a B-. Her teacher thought it was too opinionated.)

Sungyeon Bae

March 11

Period 3

The Regulation and Legislation of Extrahuman People: A Comparison of the United States and Korea

In the 1910s, people with abilities classified as Extrahuman started showing up, first in America, then elsewhere. Scientists are still trying to figure out what first triggered the appearance of these abilities. The leading theory is in support of an increased exposure to unusual patterns of light waves (like radio and the Internet). This theory would explain why America experienced it first and why Korea had such a huge boom in Extrahuman births in the early 2000s.

For many, the sudden emergence of humans with inexplicable abilities was scary. Many historians attribute the two world wars in the early part of the twentieth century to the fears and tension caused by the appearance of this new "other". It was in these wars that governments found their first use for their Extrahuman populations. Most countries quickly registered and rounded up all Extrahuman people that they could find and created an Extrahuman Corps within their respective militaries. Countries without standing armies rapidly created facilities in which to keep and train their new "recruits". The most notable examples of these Extrahuman drafts are the United States, Germany, Great Britain, and perhaps surprisingly, Russia.

The United States, being a large country both geographically and population-wise, had (and has) the largest Extrahuman presence in their military. American Extrahumans seemed to be starting to gain respect and acceptance through their service in these world wars. In fact, many notable American war heroes are thought to have been in the Extrahuman Corps. This theory only being made more plausible by the fact that their records are gone from military files.

Despite their accomplishments on the battlefield, the country still seemed to not have a place for the Extrahumans. In post-war America, the general populous wanted one thing: normalcy. After what could be argued to have been one thirty year war, America wanted to settle down. And for many Americans, this dream of a picket fence and a nuclear family did not include Extrahumans. Historians often call the post-war Extrahumans the Forgotten Corps because of the lack of help they received after their service. Now that the government had no use for them, Extrahumans were discharged from the Army with no aid in transitioning back into society. Many of these Extrahumans had been taken from their families as young as five years old and raised in government facilities for "public safety" to be turned into soldiers, so they did not know a life outside of the stark, regimented one of the military. They had no job training, and even if they did, it was unlikely that they would have gotten jobs considering the prevalent "anti-Extra" sentiments carried by many Americans.

Lost, jobless, and angry at the Government, many Extrahumans lashed out at anything they deemed connected to a "normal" society. Crime rates rose dramatically and thousands of Extrahumans were arrested for vandalism, assault, and inciting violence. The police in major cities cracked down hard on Extrahuman crime, sometimes even taking "preemptive measures" to put a stop to what might end up violent. This crackdown further infuriated the Extrahumans who not only thought the government had failed them but now thought the government also wanted to be rid of them. Many of the still-free Extrahumans in major cities began to organize, creating what they called "Supers' Rights Organizations." The government, seeing these organizations as a threat, began to prepare for something akin to war. From the late fifties to early seventies, the Supers' Rights Organizations and the government clashed many times, often violently. This ran parallel to the Civil Rights Movement for equal rights for normal humans of all races.

In 1975, the US Government called for a ceasefire and a meeting with a committee of Supers' Rights leaders. In that meeting, they discussed the past decades of violence and antagonism and how they could move forward together. At this point, the government was clearly winning and had the upper hand in these negotiations. It was these meetings that sparked the beginnings of the official US regulations for Extrahuman people.

The United States Extrahuman Rights and Regulations (paraphrased and simplified)

• An Extrahuman person is subject to the same laws and regulations as any other persons. The following rules are in addition to those.

• By age 13, an Extrahuman's family must register their child by name, social security number, and power. Not doing so is punishable by up to five years in jail for one or both parents and possible seizure of the Extrahuman to be put under governmental care.

• At age 15, an Extrahuman must be tested to determine power level

  • If the power level is high enough, the government reserves the right to take on the Extrahuman as a ward of the state.

• At age 18, an Extrahuman must either choose to enlist in the military under the Extrahuman Corps or become a government agent to find and report other Extrahumans.

  • There are exceptions if the power level is low enough or the power is no threat to the US government.

  • There are also options for pursuing higher education at government operated schools. (but the education quality is abhorrent)

• At age 60, an Extrahuman can retire, but must check in with the government once every six months.

Although the regulations have been contested multiple times in court and even reached the Supreme Court, no changes have been made, courts citing "public safety" as the reason for the existence of the regulations.

In addition, it's worth noting that the United States has allowed Extrahuman citizens to "opt out" of their program on the condition that the individual a) has dual citizenship and is under the program of that other country b) has left the US by eighteen with no intention of making permanent residence in the United States unless that individual opts into the US program upon return.

South Korea, in contrast, did not have regulations for Extrahumans until the early 2000s. This is because, until the mid-nineties, Extrahumans in Korea were almost nonexistent. In the nineties, with the beginnings of the infrastructure project to bring high-speed Internet to the entire country, Extrahumans began appearing. As the country was connected by the Internet, the rate of Extrahuman births rose dramatically. In fact, by 2007, almost .05% of Korea's population was reported as being Extrahuman.

In 1999, the Korean government, realizing the growing necessity for regulations for Extrahumans to calm citizens' fears, began work to draft a bill regulating the lives of Extrahumans in Korea.

Unlike many of the governments whose countries were introduced to Extrahumans in the early to mid-twentieth century, Korea's government did not see the need to personally handle the care and control of Extrahumans. Instead, they gave monetary incentives to companies who would set up "Hero Development Organizations." Instead of the compulsive military service, all Korean Extrahumans would train under these organizations to become "Heroes." While in training, Extrahumans are not required to live in organization housing, but once they begin to prepare to register as a team, they are. These organizations vary in size, facilities, and training system, but all produce the same thing: Extrahumans who have control over their powers and whose job it is to protect regular citizens.

The South Korean Extrahuman Rights and Regulations (paraphrased and simplified)

• An Extrahuman person is subject to the same laws and regulations as any other persons. The following rules are in addition to those.

  • The notable exception to this rule is the compulsory military service for male citizens (though only if they are in training or on a team).

• By 19, an Extrahuman must be registered in the government database by name, id number, and power.

  • (Although not required, it is difficult to not be under an organization, given there is still a slight undertone of anti-Extrahuman sentiment because of the conservatism of Korea.)

• Organizations may form and dissolve teams as they please, and Extrahumans may transfer and leave organizations as they please.

• If an Extrahuman is not registered under an organization as a trainee or registered with a team, they must check in with the government worker every two months.

In conclusion, the Unites States' policies, created in a time of war, were designed for that war, while South Korea's policies, while created with the constantly looming threat of North Korea, were not created while at war and thus are better suited to times of peace. The United States' system of regulation also reflects their "big government" approach to governance while South Korea's system of regulation reflects their extreme reliance on corporations to keep the economy and country running in the way it is now. While one is not better or worse than the other, it is also interesting to note the contrast between the countries' policies' effects on the family unit and individual freedom.

--

A/N

Hey guys!

I'm struggling to come up with a Sungyeon chapter, but it's coming along. I've been meaning to really get into the nitty gritty of this universe but didn't know how until I was halfway through the second paragraph of this thing. It was then that I thought "this sounds like a paper." So I made it one. (Now if only I could write this much for my real papers...) I'm really sorry if it's disjointed or doesn't have a clear goal. My bad essay writing habits might have rubbed off on Sungyeon. I'll proof it in the morning and try to fix it up.

Anyway, thanks for reading. If y'all have any questions, please ask 'em! I love questions!

Elly