Chapter 1101
It seemed that every time Ves visited Bentheim, he inevitably got shot at, had his ride hijacked, got hunted by a mech, or faced some other threat to his life.
Ves didn't treat his safety lightly this time. "Now that someone put a substantial bounty on my head, the best way for killers to go after me is by pulling something off in Bentheim."
"Meow!" Lucky bumped his paw against Ves in protest.
"Yes, I know that you've become quite deadly after all the meals you've enjoyed, but you're just a single cat. What if someone drops an artificial meteorite over my head? Can you claim to single-handedly intercept such a huge mass as it crashes down to the surface?"
"Meow-meow!"
"I know that it's far too ludicrous that someone can pull something like that off in a star system as heavily guarded as the Bentheim System. It's just an extreme example. That doesn't detract from the danger I'll face from determined assassins."
Ves was so worried about his safety that he ordered Melkor to arrange the Avatars of Myth to accompany him as his security detail.
"It will be difficult to muster enough mechs and mech pilots for your security detail." Melkor frowned. "A third of our Avatars are still deployed in various missions. The remainder are exempted from off-world missions at this time or have to guard the Mech Nursery."
"Tell it to me straight. How many mechs can you afford to send?"
"Only four. The good news is that they'll consist of two Blackbeaks and two Crystal Lords."
Ves nodded. "That will do."
He had absolute faith in his own designs. While traveling on Bentheim with landbound mech escorts was a rather slow affair compared to flying high in the skies, they at least formed a very powerful form of deterrence.
Unless the assassins employed their own mechs, they could forget about harming the armored shuttle he rode on!
For fifty million credits, it didn't make any sense to employ mechs in the assassination attempt. Cheap bargain bin mechs didn't stand a chance against the Blackbeaks and the Crystal Lords, but to employ an even greater force than that assuredly meant that the Planetary Guard would stomp on them even if the assassination attempt succeeded!
In effect, it simply wasn't cost-effective to kill Ves while he was surrounded by such a strong mech guard detail!
Unfortunately, Ves still had to rely on a real security company to round out his other security arrangements. So far, the Avatars of Myth didn't employ a shuttle or infantry-based guard force, which was a glaring hole in its ability to provide all round protection to their owner.
Ves placed a call to the local branch office of SASS and informed them to make the appropriate preparations at Bentheim.
While Ves would still be traveling comfortably aboard the Barracuda, the luxurious corvette would not travel alone this time. One of the two light carriers he commissioned previously would be joining them to transport the four mechs that made up his mech guard detail.
"The Greenfeather will be accompanying the Barracuda to Bentheim and back." Melkor informed him half a day later. "Before you ask, the Greenfeather is the name I've settled upon for one of your light carriers."
Ves frowned at that. "What did you call the other carrier, then?"
"The Redfeather."
What charming names. Obviously, Melkor did not excel in this aspect. His creativity must be sorely lacking.
Since Ves owned the two light carriers, he could name them however he wanted. If he wanted to change their names, it was as simple as snapping his fingers. Melkor and his subordinates would take care of the actual paperwork involved with officially changing the name of a starship.
Ves just couldn't be bothered to do so. While Melkor did a poor job in naming his light carriers, the Avatars already got used to them. Ves would be undermining Melkor's authority unnecessarily if he insisted on a name change.
With his security matters taken care of, Ves felt relieved that no one would be able to spoil his latest visit to Bentheim.
"Yep. Absolutely nothing will happen to me this time. I'm sure. Totally."
Before he left, he took stock of his company. At this time, Phase 2 had run its course. The Living Mech Corporation completed its transformation into a more cohesive corporation. While the company couldn't claim to understand his design philosophy entirely, it took on enough traits to understand the general direction where he wanted to take his mech designs.
Even if the company stopped holding company events so frequently, Ves made sure they held enough activities to keep the employees engaged. It was important to refresh the indoctrination they previously went through from time to time lest the company's influence stopped taking hold.
The changing mood affected the company from top to bottom. Not only did every employee gain a clearer awareness of the LMC's mission, they also revered Ves even more.
In fact, it disturbed him quite a bit to be seen as a figurative god among his workers. No matter where he went, he always aroused some sort of fanfare as worshipful employees gathered to gawk at him or bow respectfully in his presence.
While such attention did wonders to his ego, Ves was careful not to get swept by the sensation.
"I should finish the Aurora Titan design first before I bask in my own glory."
Without publishing a new mech design, the LMC would never be able to regain its previous growth trend. This was why his current joint project played such a pivotal role.
After finishing his brief inspection of the company, he found everything to be in order. The LMC ran a tight ship in the Mech Nursery, and Ves was glad to see that nobody tried to pull a fast one on the company.
The next day, Ves boarded the Barracuda which had landed directly in the Mech Nursery's landing zone. The corvette picked up Ves, Ketis, Lucky and their luggage before lifting off into space.
Accompanied by the Greenfeather, the two ships leisurely traveled to the nearest Lagrange point and transitioned into FTL.
Several days later, the two ships arrived in the Bentheim System. With the privileges Ves received, the security patrols quickly cleared the Barracuda and the Greenfeather for entry into the inner system.
After arriving close to Bentheim, it took a bit more time to ship the mechs of the Avatars of Myth to the surface.
Ever since the peace treaty took effect, the BLM had remained completely silent. The Bright Republic didn't hold any illusions that the BLM quietly faded away into the background. Those crazy separatists might be preparing an even more desperate attack with the forces they accumulated all this time!
With or without the Vesians, the Bentheim Liberation Movement was determined to wrest Bentheim from the grasp of the Republic!
The threat that the BLM hung over Bentheim continued to put a dampener on the recovering economy. Nobody expected the BLM to let Bentheim off.
It wass in this depressing atmosphere that Ves finally landed at the spaceport in Dorum and boarded an armored shuttle prepared by SASS.
The shuttle lifted upwards, but only a little bit, and traveled slowly in order to keep up with the pace of the four imposing mechs guarding it from each direct.
The sight of the Blackbeaks and the Crystal Lords instantly caught the attention of bystanders in the vicinity. Even though they were merely silver label mechs, their auras were so remarkable that they never failed to stand out from the crowd.
The Blackbeaks and Crystal Lords weren't the only mechs deployed by a private force in Bentheim. Dorum was the capital of Bentheim and so hosted a high number of businessmen, government officials and other important dignitaries that needed guarding.
Fortunately, the main streets of Dorum were wide enough to accommodate entire ranks of mechs. There was more than enough space for guard details to pass each other by without bumping into each other.
When Ves activated a projection that showed him an outside view of the shuttle, he studied the mechs that made up the other guard forces. In general, they employed more mechs but of lesser quality. Seeing twelve budget mechs surround a couple of shuttles was not an unusual sight in Dorum.
In his estimation, those budget twelve mechs costs as much as his four-mech guard detail. Ves saw the merits in relying quantity. It would be very hard for four mechs to repel a massed attack. At least with cheaper mechs they could cover more ground.
Ves turned to Ketis. "Did you visit Bentheim before?"
"No." Ketis shook her head while stroking Lucky who was treating her lap as a bed.
"Really? I would have thought you couldn't resist the urge. This is the most exciting planet in the Bright Republic, and it's right next door to Cloudy Curtain."
"From what I've learned, Bentheim is a pretty great place, but I wouldn't know where to go without you. It's kind of scary to visit such a busy planet by myself, you know."
"I'll make sure you'll see some of the sights." Ves promised.
They eventually reached a classy hotel fit for people like Ves. Even though he wanted to visit NORA Consolidated's headquarters straight away, Professor Ventag held many obligations. As a professor of the Dorum Center of Technology and Innovation, he needed to spend a significant portion of his time on his teaching duties.
Right now, Professor Ventag was at the DCTI conducting some sort of exams to prospective mech designers.
As someone who studied mech design himself, he knew how serious those exams could be. Ves was not surprised that Professor Ventag needed to be present in person.
"What do you think about Bentheim so far, Ketis?"
"A lot of people live here. It's kind of intimidating if you think about it." She said. "The frontier is mostly empty. What settlements exist only house thousands of people at most. A settlement that holds more than a hundred-thousand people is a major city in our eyes. Yet here? A settlement of that size wouldn't even register to this planet!"
Ves noted that Ketis wasn't saying this out of the blue. She truly felt a bit apprehensive at the thought of walking among so many people. It was a completely different experience from the places she visited in the frontier! Sparsely populated settlements and scrappy space station simply didn't host that many people.
Perhaps more people lived on Bentheim alone than the entire human population of the Faris Star Region!
Ves leaned over and patted her back. "It's okay, Ketis. You'll get used to it. Bentheim is not even the most populated planet in the Komodo Star Sector. Perhaps someday I'll bring you to the Friday Coalition. Some of the planets there are covered with so many structures that there isn't any free space left!"
Even though Ketis hadn't lost her apprehensiveness towards the unknown, she at least got a grip on it. To a daughter of the frontier like Ketis, unknown people signified threats. The more people gathered at a single place, the greater the chance of trouble. There was no way to predict whether a pirate in the frontier would burst out into violence.
Such stupid incidents almost never took place in Bentheim. Civilized space was governed by law and order, though not always to the same extent.
Still, with all of the forces stationed on Bentheim right now, the chance of trouble popping up was very low. Ves already noticed various mech patrols from the Mech Corps and the Planetary Guard passing by their guard detail. Even with the recent peace, the local forces maintained a high level of alertness against any shenanigans the BLM might pull off.
In fact, both the Mech Corps and the Planetary Guard appeared to be standing on a hair-trigger. Did they suspect that a threat might be imminent?
"Did I come at a bad time?"
Chapter 1102
Bentheim. This pivotal planet served as a hotbed of activity for the Bright Republic, for both good and ill.
It attracted a fair amount of money as the goods that flowed through the Bentheim System shipped to almost every star system in the surrounding regions.
The Bright Republic took advantage of the Bentheim System's propensity to attract trade by setting up numerous industries in and around the star system.
The overall idea around their trade policy was simple.
Rather than let various raw materials used in the production of mechs, starships or structures flow through its star system after taking a small cut or a minor tax, why not work with it to transform them into mechs or starships themselves?
"This is the main reason why Bentheim is as prosperous and highly populated as today." Ves explained to Ketis. "Bentheim is in itself a planet-sized manufacturing complex that takes in raw materials shipped from neighboring star systems or the frontier and converts them into finished goods which can be twice as valuable!"
"For such a wealthy planet, I don't think the people are all that happy."
Ves shrugged. "You have a point. People here lead busy lives. While Bentheim is not as tranquil as Cloudy Curtain, the quality of life is still fantastic compared to the conditions in the frontier. Whatever you may think of the Bright Republic, Bentheim is an intricate part of its identity."
"It is also a hotbed for trouble."
As someone who lived on the edge of danger many times, Ketis couldn't help but notice the pervasive fear and uncertainty on the streets. Even though the average citizens tried their best to celebrate the recent peace and return to their old routines, the complete lack of response from the BLM was an ominous sign.
However, Ves did not wish to believe the BLM would be so irrational as to launch a wildly suicidal attack just so it could vent its fury. Having seen the way the Vesian rebels operated, Ves knew that a rebel movement thrived on local support. A heavy-handed attack that would very likely inflict massive casualties and disrupt many people's jobs and livelihoods would serve no purpose except to turn the population against them. There was no rational reason to launch an attack that no one on the planet supported.
At least, if the commanders of the BLM abided by logic. Ves could not completely rule out the idea that they would do something stupid that wasted a lot of their men and mechs just so they could have their temper tantrum.
"If the streets aren't so unsafe, I would have wanted to bring you out for a tour." Ves said.
"Oh well. I can see the sights later. It doesn't have to be now." She shrugged. "Besides, we didn't come here for a vacation, right? We're about to build the first prototype of your new design!"
Both of them looked forward to the moment the first copy of the Aurora Titan design rolled off the production line. Although the design and mech required a lot of testing before Ves would even think of publishing it, the mech would certainly be a good representation of the final product!
Ves worked on the Aurora Titan for months. The amount of work and effort he put into it exceeded that of his prior projects. Although the work on the Blackbeak and the Crystal Lord designs came close, the Aurora Titan encompassed many of his latest techniques.
The Aurora Titan served as the precursor of his future designs. As long as the innovations he employed resulted in substantial gains, Ves would be able to incorporate them in his core design style.
Two days passed quietly as Ves and Ketis continued to remain in the safe confines of their hotel. After that, Ves finally gained an opportunity to visit the headquarters of NORA Consolidated at Mech Designer's Row.
Ves visited this famed street once before. A lot of important mech companies stationed their headquarters right next to each other here, each building exuding a more exotic architecture than others.
NORA Consolidated on the other hand maintained a plain facade. Ves had already noticed that Corus Ventag's design philosophy emphasized function over form. The shape and form of Ventag's mech design always tended to lean towards simplicity and utility.
This was the charm of NORA Consolidated's mechs. They didn't offer the flashiest mechs, but their mechs were very functional, quite cost-effective and dependable machines even during the most arduous battles.
The reputation the company acquired over the years won a lot of fans in the Bright Republic and did wonders for its sales. The company definitely deserved to station their headquarters on Mech Designer's Row.
After going through numerous security checks, Ves and Ketis met the professor in his main office.
"Ves. It's good to see you again. And this lady here is Ketis, right?"
"Yup! I helped design the sword for the Aurora Titan." Ketis stated proudly.
Although her contribution to the project was not as large as she thought, both Ves and the professor couldn't be bothered to burst her bubble. They moved on to business.
"My company has a lot of production sites for you to produce your prototype. The production lines and fabrication equipment are all incredibly capable. What kind of environment do you wish to produce the first test version of the Aurora Titan?"
Ves had already noticed from his time at the KNG that large mech companies maintained certain production sites for mass production and other sites for more meticulous production.
"You wouldn't have a small and preferably quiet site that is geared towards artisanal production?"
"I do. I have already expected you to make such a request. My company currently maintains a high-class workshop on the outskirts of Dorum. It is where I develop most of my custom mechs. The fabrication equipment at the workshop is some of the best I have, but they can be difficult to work with compared to an average 3D printer. Make sure to study their specifications and explore their options before you work with them. Their enhanced precision comes at the expensive for a lower tolerance for errors."
"Understood. I will make sure to keep the waste to a minimum."
Most of the costs associated with the testing phase would be borne by NORA Consolidated. The Senior's company took a seventy-five percent cut of the profits, so it stood to reason that they would also be bearing at least seventy-five percent of the costs.
"By the way, professor, can you tell me if there are any threats on Bentheim I need to be worried about? When we passed through the streets, we noticed a lot of discomforting expressions."
The professor smiled. "The masses are too haunted by the BLM. They fear ghosts where there are none and assume that the presence of smoke always signifies the presence of fire. The so-called threat posed by the BLM is much less dire than you think. The Mech Corps has mostly maintained their wartime garrison of Bentheim, so even if the BLM wants to act out, they'll quickly be suppressed by the military or the Planetary Guard."
"That is.. Quite the confident outlook you have there, professor. Are you really sure the BLM won't pull something off anyway?"
"I know what you are thinking. The BLM have always been crazy. Who's to say they won't launch an attack despite knowing that they wouldn't have the cover of a Vesian invasion as a distraction? However, the actions of some isolated cells led by dimwits and incompetents doesn't change the fact that the heads of the BLM bear a great responsibility. They would never sacrifice the lives of so many rebels just for the satisfaction of giving the Bright Republic a bloody nose."
"The BLM has surprised us before."
"The rebels have existed for centuries. They didn't make it this far by chasing after short-term gains at the expense of their long-term viability. In fact, some of us in the Bright Republic don't entirely believe the BLM even want to liberate Bentheim."
That threw Ves into confusion. "How could they not attempt to fulfill their greatest mission?"
"It's because the BLM is an organization that enjoys a lot of grassroots support. Through the generosity of sympathisers, the BLM is able to obtain manpower, resources, mechs and other goods far below market price. Think about it for a moment, Ves. If you are a rebel leader who directly commands all of these assets, would you want to give it up for the vain hope of liberating Bentheim from the Bright Republic?"
"Agency problem." Ves summed up the concept that Ventag alluded to. "If I was in their position, I would probably try to ensure that I can continue to enrich myself."
The people at the head of an organization generally tended to pursue their own benefits over the interests of the organization. In the case of the BLM, the status quo afforded them a lot of wealth but very little oversight. A rebel movement wasn't the most accountable organization, after all.
It wouldn't take too much trouble for the leaders to abuse their position of authority. As long as they managed to mislead the rank-and-file, they could essentially run the rebel movement like a criminal gang and reap the benefits from their shadowy chambers.
In that light, Ves had to admit that the professor's argument made a lot more sense. The BLM prepared a lot of assets in preparation for a coordinated attack with a possible invasion force. Just because the Vesians pulled out of the plan didn't mean the leaders of the BLM couldn't employ their considerable amount of war materiel in other ways.
Over the course of his career, Ves learned two important lessons.
First, people tended to make decisions that satisfied their greed.
Second, people were irrational and did not always follow the best course of action.
If Ves applied these two statements to the BLM, then a contradiction occurred. Logically speaking, the leaders of the BLM should indeed do what Professor Ventag described and hold back in order to maintain their assets.
Yet since when did the BLM shy away from making sacrifices? Even if the leaders of the BLM were more interested in lining their own pockets than fighting the good fight, the middle and lower ranks of thee rebel movement might not think the same. Those fanatics might just try to pull off something on their own even if their leadership tried to rein them in. The indoctrination they went through to make them loyal fighters of the BLM could definitely backfire in this fashion!
Therefore, even as Ves and Ketis left Professor Ventag's office after a short discussion, a cloud continued to hang over their heads.
Having experienced a lot of the depravities that went on in the frontier, neither Ves or Ketis held much faith towards the idea that the BLM would show restraint.
The ordinary folk who lived in Bentheim all smelled trouble. Even though Professor Ventag regarded the masses as mindless sheep, Ves would rather put his faith in the judgement of the people who lived on the streets than in an ivory tower alongside many other towers on Mech Designer's Row.
Ves even contemplated cutting this visit short and returning to Cloudy Curtain immediately. Just because trouble might break out during his stay on Bentheim didn't mean he had to suffer through it personally. Now that he was out of the Mech Corps, he wasn't obligated to take part in the coming fight.
Unfortunately, Ves didn't think he could fabricate the best prototype of the Aurora Titan at the Mech Nursery. Although the Dortmund production line was quite good for artisanal production, the Aurora Titan deserved better.
Even though Ves was only thinking of making a single prototype, it needed to be as perfect as possible in order to prove its design concept in its future trials.
"Ketis?"
"Yes?"
"When we return to the hotel, make sure to bring out your sword and take it along wherever you go. Although I don't think something will happen during our visit, I can't rule out trouble."
"I didn't bring along any combat armor."
"Where do you think we are?" Ves grinned. "This is Bentheim! Even though this planet is famed for producing mechs, there is a lot more to it than that. Let's go visit an outfitter along the way."
Since he was already here, Ves might as well do something about his deficiency in gear. With Lucky devouring his extremely capable CFA-issued Squalon, Ves lacked a quality suit of armor.
With all the billions of credits in his bank account, Ves could afford to splurge for a bit.
Chapter 1103
Due to his elevated status and his inordinate amount of wealth, Ves did not frequent any casual store. Bentheim featured a large amount of stores that sold weapons and armor, but most of these products were aimed towards the average consumer.
Ves was anything but an average consumer. Whereas someone might struggle over the decision whether to fork over a thousand credits for a basic laser pistol, Ves could easily purchase a million pistols in bulk!
No, as a more refined customer who was willing to spend big money, he instead decided to visit a more upscale outfitter store. Bentheim hosted a decent amount of stores geared towards millionaires or billionaires. Those with more discerning tastes expected much greater service.
After sending a message to Professor Ventag, he received a short message in return that recommended him to a particular business in downtown Dorum.
The armored shuttle touched down on a landing pad next to a range of exclusive shops catered to the rich and wealthy. The Blackbeaks and Crystal Lords escorting the shuttle could no longer proceed forward from this point. Security within this shopping street was very high, and the guests who frequented it would not feel comfortable being around mechs controlled by other people.
"You are only allowed four guards for a party of this size." A Planetary Guard lieutenant stated at the entrance to the shopping district. "Your SASS security guards are already vetted, so they are free to accompany the two of you. Please have a nice day, sir."
Retaining the services of Sanyal-Ablin proved to be quite a boon in this instance. The security company maintained a significant presence in Bentheim. Whereas unknown security guards would have been blocked from entering the high-class shopping street due to the risks they posed to everyone's security, SASS did not have to deal with this problem due to the reputation they built up over the years.
With four armored guards in tow, Ves entered the shopping district and passed by various wealthy visitors or locals on his way to his intended destination.
Due to the exclusive nature of the shopping street, only a modest amount of people were about. All of them inevitably brought along their own guard escorts, ruining the tranquil nature of their visits.
Eventually, Ves and Ketis walked up to an understated but very classy store called Renny's Outfitters. Lucky also came along, of course. The gluttonous cat was comfortably nuzzling in Ketis' arms.
"Mr. Ves Larkinson!" A store attendant called inside the foyer of the upscale, multi-leveled store. "Welcome to Renny's Outfitters. Professor Ventag has sent us word that you might be stopping by. It is an honor for us to meet the needs of an esteemed war hero and mech designer such as yourself. You can call me Dias. I have been assigned to personally tend to your needs, so if you have any requests, feel free to voice them. Here at Renny's Outfitters, we offer a wide range of personal gear, and if we don't have something that you need, our extensive network of suppliers will be able to ship them personally to your doorstep."
Ves brushed past the marketing spiel and went straight to the point. "Well, Dias, I would like to outfit myself and Ketis here with some personal gear. To be more specific, we want to acquire high-quality weapons, armor and and various handheld tools."
Dias presented him with a gleaming smile. "We offer some of the finest weapons, armor and tools in our extensive product catalog! In order to offer you the most suitable selection of products, it would help if you list out some criteria. What is your budget? Do you wish to buy locally-produced gear, or would you rather take a fancy for some of our imported products from the Friday Coalition?"
"I'm looking for products that esteemed craftsmen have made by hand." Ves stated immediately. While he did not expect to obtain something as fantastic as the original Amastendira, he wanted to obtain something better than mass produced gear. "Preferably, I'd like to obtain custom products, but I'm kind of in need of gear right now."
"Hmm. It is indeed difficult to obtain customized gear on short notice." Dias frowned. "Many craftsmen that produce the best weapons and armor have waiting lists that stretch for months or even years. Those that are more immediately available won't offer the quality that a discerning customer such as yourself will be satisfied with. However, we offer a wide range of high-quality ready-made products that are just as good as custom pieces. Please follow me while I guide you to a showroom."
They moved up a few levels and entered a largely empty showroom. Dias activated a command on his comm which caused a table to arise from the floor. A projection appeared in front of the table which gave the user access to the product catalog of the store.
Dias then began to manipulate the interface, causing a few weapons to appear on the table from below. "We know that each piece of craftsmanship is a unique work that differs from every other product even by the same maker. Looking at a finely crafted product through a projection is as senseless as admiring jewelry from afar. Here at Renny's Outfitters, we offer you the opportunity to touch and study all of our readily-available products up close."
Ves and Ketis approached the table and studied the wide range of pistols on display. They encompassed most of the types and subtypes of pistols in use in the Bright Republic.
"Ketis, you need a new sidearm, right? Do you prefer a laser weapon or a ballistic weapon?"
"Laser. It's easier to work with when paired with a good targeting system." She replied.
Dias immediately latched on to that. "While a fair number of our laser pistols are geared towards expert marksmen who distrust targeting systems, we offer hundreds of laser pistol models that are highly compatible with all of the targeting systems integrated into our other products. Even if you pair a pistol imported from the Friday Coalition with a suit of combat armor from the Reinald Republic, our software engineers have already made sure that they will be able to work together without any of the usual incompatibility issues."
Ves nodded in satisfaction. This was indeed a legitimate concern to most people who sourced their gear from different sources, but an all-service store like Renny's Outfitters saved their customers a lot of eeffort.
With a few commands, the other types of pistols disappeared from the table. Instead, more laser pistols emerged in their places.
Like a kid visiting a candy store, Ketis immediately leaned forward and grabbed the shiniest pistols on offer. She weighed them in her hands and admired their exquisite craftsmanship.
As a mech designer, she possessed enough awareness to know that these were genuine expressions of craftsmanship. They were literally individual pieces of art with a useful function thrown in for good measure. These pistols were the kind of weapons that Ves could hang up on the wall of his penthouse office to impress the visitors.
Ves only found it regretful that he hadn't spotted any mastercrafted products. Even a store as renowned as Renny's Outfitters wouldn't easily display any mastercrafted gear. Such products usually came about by chance. The craftsmen who were lucky enough to produce a work of mastercraft quality would almost certainly sell them to their friends or favored customers.
If someone like Ves wanted to obtain a genuine mastercrafted piece of gear, he would have to either make friends with a craftsman or obtain one at a sky-high price in an auction.
Ves did not have the time to wait for either of those possibilities. Besides, his expectations may be high, but they were not was not willing to fork out billions of credits just for a single piece of exquisite gear.
"Ves! Come take a look! I think this laser pistol is the right one for me! I have a good feel for this gun!"
To his surprise, Ketis favored a large, masculine looking laser pistol. Its visual design incorporated a brutal element that looked very macho when used by tough guys. In the hands of Ketis, however, all of her dormant pirate traits began to rouse themselves. It was as if a sleeping dragon started to wake!
After holding out his hand, Ketis passed over the hefty weapon. The weapon bore its name on its side.
"The Udor is not an elegant pistol, but what it lacks in grace, it more than makes up for it with its punch." Dias explained. "The Udor is a large laser pistol with a high capacity and offers a wide variety of firing modes. Whether you want to burn through a hatch or stop a mob of hundreds of madmen, the Udor is capable of saving you from a variety of threats with the right configuration."
Ketis practically fell in love with the Udor already. She bobbed her head so vigorously that her poofy beret threatened to fall off!
All of the capabilities mentioned by Dias sounded somewhat similar to what the Amastendira offered, though not as powerful. Perhaps that was part of the reason why she opted to go for a large pistol rather than a smaller and more concealable sidearm.
Ves recognized the Udor as a true piece of craftsmanship. Not that Renny's Outfitters would ever stoop to passing off mass-produced goods as artisanal pieces, but it helped that Ves could feel the care and attention its maker put into the gun. A weak but very present form of spirituality suffused the weapon.
There must be a story behind the Udor. Perhaps something related to pirates for its maker to incorporate so many visual motifs related to frontier pirates into the design.
"Price?"
"39 million credits. This price encompasses both the product and the services we offer. The Udor requires periodic maintenance in order to retain its peak condition, and we have many experts on hand if you desire some adjustments."
Ves already made his own evaluation of the weapon. The Udor, despite its brutish appearance, was a very high-quality pistol that incorporated a lot of expensive exotics in a very tiny package.
"We'll take it. Please inspect the Udor thoroughly."
Dias understood Ves' concerns. "We work with various independent appraisers and inspectors to make sure that the hardware and software of our products are free from defects and malicious elements. It will take a few hours for them to inspect the Udor, but you will eventually be able to receive it in a sealed state along with certificates that verify its integrity upon the moment of delivery."
With the Udor sinking back down the floor to be sent for inspections, Ves moved on to picking his own sidearm.
Since he already possessed the Amastendira, Ves sought out a weapon that inflicted physical damage. He didn't wish to buy a gun as big and excessive as the Udor. Instead, he wanted something that was much less ostentatious, yet still exuded a lot of class.
When Ves presented his criteria to Dias, the man manipulated the interface and caused every laser pistol to sink away. Moments later, dozens of ballistic pistols and a few more unusual weapon types rose up. Each of them called for his attention.
"I want a pistol with a high magazine capacity." Ves added. "It should be capable of firing rounds with decent armor-piercing capability, but I don't want the gun to run empty after firing only six or seven rounds."
If Ves ever lacked aim-assist, he would probably need more chances than that to actually hit a target at a distance!
Dias wordlessly retracted over half of the pistols, only to cause new ones to take their place.
Most of the pistols still consisted of regular ballistic pistols, but a few looked decidedly odder. Ves lacked the training to use these more advanced weapons proficiently, so he didn't study them for long.
"Let's see what I can use."
Chapter 1104
Sometimes, the simplicity of a ballistic weapon trumped more advanced ones such as plasma weapons or gravitic weapons.
High tech weaponry often implied more firepower or more damage dealing capabilities, but they also imposed higher demands.
To Ves, he already possessed a copy of one of the pinnacle personal weapons in human space. While his Amastendira saved his life time and time again, there would come a point where even its prodigious firepower might fail or be pushed to the limits of its heat capacity.
In those times, a second weapon might come in handy. If his opponents ever learned about his Amastendira and made a lot of preparations to negate energy damage, then possessing a weapon that dealt a surprising amount of physical damage would be able to throw them off a loop.
What Ves requested earlier shouldn't be so easy to fulfill. He wanted to pick out a ballistic pistol that possessed both a high capacity but also packed a lot of punch.
Cheaper ballistic pistols could only fulfill one or the other. In contrast, some of the products offered by Renny's Outfitters did their best to accommodate both demands.
A ballistic weapon in this day and age could be quite simple and cheap. Some were barely distinguishable from their more ancient counterparts that humanity used when they were still stuck on a single planet.
However, the use of more sophisticated materials, more potent propellants, more advanced rounds, more capable integrated software and most importantly the use of inertial dampeners to mitigate the enormous recoil of the powerful rounds allowed them to remain relevant even in an age of laser and plasma weapons!
Therefore, none of the ballistic pistols on display were negligible. Some could outright even punch through a suit medium combat armor with a single shot!
Unfortunately, those powerful weapons usually consisted of massive handcannons or revolvers that carried only six rounds at most.
After discounting the pistols with way too much power and not enough capacity, Ves studied the various weapons that met his criteria. He eventually noticed one ballistic pistol that exuded a bit more spirituality than the other handmade products.
"Ah, that is one of young Mato King's most recent works." Dias said appreciatively. "Mato King is a relatively young gunsmith, but he has already started to make a splash in the Bentheim gun community. The weapon you are holding in hands is called the Hope by Force."
Ves raised his eyebrows. Names carried a lot of significance, particularly with the regards of one-off crafted products like this one. "What's the story behind the name?"
"Mato King did not share the story behind the weapon to us. He desires its users to develop their own interpretation of its name."
When Ves brushes his senses against the Hope by Force, he felt a sense of loss, fury and above all else a desire for retribution.
It was a weapon fit for vengeance rather than self-defense. Even as Dias rattled off a number of desirable features of the Hope by Force, Ves firmly placed the weapon back onto the table.
Its X-Factor, as rudimentary as it seemed to Ves, simply did not fit with his requirements.
Instead, Ves inspected the other weapons until he finally came across an artful-looking ballistic pistol. It immediately caught his eye due its sensuous design and its intricately sculpted shape. It looked like a marble statue of an elf with its wide open mouth serving as a muzzle.
As far as the weapons on the table went, this weapon seemed to emphasize art over function.
Yet Ves felt inexplicably drawn to it for some reason. As Ves extended his spiritual senses once again, he noted that it felt like the weapon had been designed and made with great care. The X-Factor of the gun carried a touch of.. remembrance to it, as if the weapon signified the passing of someone important.
"Ah, that is the work of one Bentheim's oldest gunsmiths, Keon Aluis. Mr. Aluis is not the most renowned gunsmith on Bentheim, but he served as a mainstay in the community for many decades. The Peaceful Repose that you are holding is one of the finest expressions of his distinct design style. Mr. Aluis believes that every individual weapon that he crafted in his hands is a piece of art. He designed and crafted the Peaceful Repose in remembrance for the passing of his wife."
That explained it. This was a weapon that carried a great meaning to its gunsmith, and it showed through his spiritual senses.
While the Hope by Force exuded a stronger X-Factor, the Peaceful Repose's sense of peace, contentment, remembrance and finality spoke much strongly to Ves. Although its artistic design went a little overboard on the visual spectacle, it nonetheless made Ves feel good when holding it. It was a classy weapon beyond compare!
"This is a weapon that makes an artform out of ending other people's lives!" Ves uttered softly.
"Is that gun even a functional weapon?" Ketis asked. "It's more of a sculpture and less of a weapon in my eyes."
"I can assure you that the Peaceful Repose can be just as deadly as your Udor." Dias said.
He went went on to state some of the ballistic pistol's specs.
Overall, the weapon featured a medium capacity, medium degree of firepower and a medium ability to pierce armor. Although it sounded as if the Peaceful Repose didn't excel at anything, the quality of the entire gun elevated all of its capabilities to a respectable level.
"The secret ingredient behind the Peaceful Repose's performance is that it only fires the Exil rounds developed by Keon Aluis. Each round is individually handmade by either Mr. Aluis himself or one of his apprentices. The rounds made by their apprentices are available in bulk, while the rounds made by Mr. Aluis himself we have on hand is not even enough to fill a single magazine."
"How much?"
"We offer the Peaceful Repose for 21 million credits. A single Exil round handmade by Mr. Aluis costs 1 million credits. The Exil rounds made by his apprentices only go for 50,000 credits per round."
Expensive. Very expensive. While the Peaceful Repose was cheaper than the Udor, it cost a lot more money to fire the weapon than the Udor!
Unlike a laser pistol which could be recharged on the cheap with any available power source, the potent Exil rounds that were so sophisticated that the gunsmith had to craft them one by one all cost an arm and a leg with each shot fired!
Most of the cost of the laser pistol came from its advanced internal parts. A ballistic pistol on the other hand exhibited a simpler construction that incorporated less advanced tech, though its costs could quickly run up with the use of more expensive exotic materials.
Nonetheless, when comparing weapons of the same tier, ballistic pistols were generally cheaper at the start.
If Ves was some kind of gun-toting bounty hunter gallivanting across the galaxy, he would never purchase the Peaceful Repose. Not only would he be spending more money than what he earned every time he got into a firefight, he would also have to return to Bentheim each time he ran out of Exil rounds!
Fortunately for him, his situation was quite different from that of a galactic wanderer.
First, Ves did not envision getting caught up in a lot of fights. As a mech designer, Ves did not belong anywhere near a battlefield.
Second, he also did not plan to travel very widely for the foreseeable future. Even if Keon Aluis designed the Peaceful Repose to only work with his own rounds, Ves could accept this limitation as long as the Exil rounds delivered what they promised.
Dias summoned up a pair of magazines from the table. They came in exquisite white boxes that shared the same aesthetics as the pistol. When the store employee opened one of them, a polished magazine rested on a pillow glistened in the reflective light of the showroom.
"This magazine holds thirty Exil rounds crafted by apprentices. Although Mr. Aluis did not craft the rounds himself, his apprentices are no slouches. Each round has gone through multiple inspections before they are determined fit for sale."
Ves picked up the magazine and loaded it into the Peaceful Repose. The addition of the magazine weighed down the weapon, but that only made the weapon firmer, as if a final piece of the puzzle returned to its rightful place.
Due to its complex X-Factor, holding the Peaceful Repose made Ves feel at peace, though only slightly.
Not even the Amastendira could affect his mood so strongly!
"I'll buy the Peaceful Repose. Please add in all the Exil rounds made by Mr. Aluis as well as four-hundred rounds made by his apprentices."
The total price amounted to 61 million credits. This was a hefty price, but Ves did not envision returning to Renny's Outfitters to pick up new rounds anytime soon.
After Ves returned the pistol and magazine to the table, which slowly disappeared so that the store could send them for inspection and certification, he moved on to the other items on his shopping list.
"That's enough for weapons. Let's move on to armor."
The process of shopping for combat armor was just as intricate as shopping for pistols. Dias led them to a different showroom that encompassed various fitting instruments to take their measurements and to assist them in trying out various suits of armor.
After an hour of trying out different armor models, Ves eventually settled upon a suit of light armor called the Sparous Vize.
Odd name aside, the Sparous Vize fit his purposes due to its ease of use and its small profile. It barely bulked him up, but the use of compressed armor plating added enough protection to withstand most infantry-grade firepower for a time.
The reason why he decided to go for this specific armor above others was that it excelled the most in the area of communications and hacking. It not only featured powerful internal and extendable antennas that could pierce through a certain level of jamming, it also incorporated a fully automated hacking module that could hack most outdated software in use in the Bright Republic.
The Sparous Vize's weak X-Factor exemplified its shifty nature. It carried the aura of a scoundrel.
Ves kind of liked it as it made him feel as if he was too slippery to catch while he wore the Sparous Vize.
Naturally, Ves paid big money for these capabilities. The total cost of the Sparous Vize, which included lifetime software updates, amounted to 80 million credits!
A single suit of armor cost as much as a very good premium mech!
"It's all in the materials." Ves said when Ketis looked googly-eyed at the mention of the skyhigh price. "If we used the same compressed armor formula used in the Sparous Vize for my mech designs, then they would cost well over several billion credits each! This armor formula is actually fit for second-class mechs!"
While the Sparous Vize would never be able to equal the level of protection of his lost XV-99 Squalon, it at least gave Ves the confidence to withstand a couple of handcannon rounds in the faceplate.
Ketis wanted to augment her battlestyle with her own selection. After browsing various models of medium combat armor, she eventually settled upon a suit of armor called the Rising Red Dragon.
This plain name evoked an immediate sense of ferocity. The Rising Red Dragon was significantly bulkier than the Sparous Vize. Not only did it offer a lot more protection than the lighter armor, it also carried a powerful set servos that enhanced the wearer's running speed.
This not only imparted the wearer of the Rising Red Dragon with a momentous charge, it also allowed the wearer to close in on the enemy quickly!
The total cost of the Rising Red Dragon amounted to 140 million credits. Such a huge amount of money was more than enough to buy two premium mechs with money to spare!
Ketis looked rather guilty as Ves approved of the purchase.
"Are you sure you want to be handing over something so expensive to me, Ves?"
"It's okay. The contributions that you'll make in the future will earn back my investment many times over. Earning a couple of hundred million credits isn't all that hard, especially if you're a Journeyman."
After ending up in precarious situations many times with hardly any gear to protect himself, it felt extraordinarily good to Ves to finally be able to spend his hard-earned money on enhancing his ability to defend himself. Even if trouble suddenly broke out on Bentheim, he would at least have the confidence that he wouldn't succumb so easily!
Chapter 1105
Ves stayed at Renny's Outfitters a little longer. While the store prepared his main orders, he also browsed the other items in order to get a sense of products made by other high-end craftsmen.
The sightseeing certainly opened the eyes of both Ketis and Ves. While Ketis only appreciated the thorough effort put into crafting unique and distinct gear, Ves noted the nourishment they received from the love and attention of their makers.
Not every piece of gear received such attention, and only a handful of them stood out as works of passion.
Nonetheless, the higher quality goods generally tended to convey more meaning. They were also some of the most expensive pieces in the store.
The amount of gear held in Renny's Outfitters quite frankly surpassed Ves' expectations. Professor Ventag didn't refer him to any regular store, but one that might be offering the best and most extravagant selection of gear on Bentheim!
"You'd never find this kind of gear in the frontier." Ketis remarked as they viewed a selection of hunting rifles specifically geared towards killing exobeasts. "Even treasure hunters don't use guns like this. They'll just employ a mech that costs five times cheaper than that railgun in the center."
Ves nodded. "These are toys for the rich. No one would ever equip a regular unit with gear worth this much. It is good if you buy one or two sets, but it quickly gets unaffordable if you want to splurge on your bodyguards."
He didn't realize until now that alongside the expansive mech industry, a lot of other cottage industries existed on Bentheim. The gunsmith and armorsmith communities held significant sway.
"Mechs are kind of made in this way too, right?" Ketis asked.
"Yep. They're called custom mechs. If a specific client likes your design style a lot, they might contract you to develop a custom mech for them. This doesn't mean you'll design a mech from the ground up. You can just take one of your existing designs that your client picked out and develop it into a variant. The only issue is that the amount of time you need to invest in the development is significant. That's not a big problem to Novices or Apprentices, but higher-ranking mech designers value their time a lot more."
Apprentices and Journeymen tended to take the lion's share of the custom mech market in the Bright Republic. Their time wasn't as valuable yet so most clients would still be willing to fork out the amount of money needed to get their chosen mech designers to tailor a mech to their needs.
On the other hand, many Seniors only designed custom mechs for expert pilots. Designing an expert mech not only allowed Seniors to work with the best technologies and the best materials at a much higher budget than usual, but they could also apply their design philosophies in the best conditions possible.
Ves was still too far away from getting involved with expert mechs, but he hoped he would get the opportunity to design some custom mechs once he advanced to Journeymen.
Although he had a laundry list of mechs he needed to design in order to expand the LMC's mech catalog, Ves believed that designing custom mechs was an essential part of his design philosophy.
"Ketis, do you remember the motto of the LMC?"
"Living Mechs. Partners for Life."
"There is no better way to provide a customer with a mech that they value as a partner than to develop a custom mech." Ves said.
"Did you get any offers to design a custom mech?"
"I did. I rejected the offers. Designing the Aurora Titan and filling out my mech catalog takes precedence over working on vanity projects."
Ever since he rose to fame, some potential clients reached out to the LMC to inquire on the possibility to design a custom mech for them. Most of the people wanted to brag about owning a custom mech designed by a war hero or a famous mech designer.
However, Ves did not believe that his clients would be able to fully appreciate his work. Ever since his disastrous experience with Vincent Ricklin's codpiece mech, Ves made a rule to himself that he would stop taking offers from spoiled brats and insincere clients.
"Our new gear should almost be ready."
Some time later, Ves, Ketis and Lucky left with their purchases mounted upon a mobile lifter bot. While their new suits of armor took up a lot of space, they had both been designed to fold up into a more compact suitcase-like shape when not in use. This function only worked as long as the armor hadn't sustained major damage, of course, and it still left the two with a conspicuous burden.
Nonetheless, Ves bore with the sight of the trailing lifter bot following behind him. With the murky undercurrents running through Bentheim at the moment, he would rather have some armor ready at hand.
"You're really paranoid, huh?" Ketis teased.
"With my track record for trouble on Bentheim, I can never be too prepared."
Now that they finished their shopping, they exited the exclusive shopping street and boarded the armored shuttle that took them to the outskirts of Dorum. The four mechs of the Avatars of Myth surrounded the slow-moving shuttle, attracting quite a bit of attention to the procession.
Fortunately, no trouble occurred during the trip. They reached Professor Ventag's high-end workshop without incident. Upon arrival and after going through some security checks, they were finally allowed to enter the personal workshop of a Senior Mech Designer.
A myriad of tools, lab equipment and production equipment greeted Ves. While Master Olson's workshop had impressed him the most, the one he was in right now was not too shabby.
"I'll have to spend some time familiarizing myself with the equipment." Ves said to Ketis. "You should read the manuals as well. Even if you won't use these machines, it helps to know their uses."
Both of them spent an entire day in the workshop. While Lucky grew bored and wandered off to explore the surroundings, Ves and Ketis quietly rushed through dozens of manuals.
Once Ves grew comfortable with using each and every relevant machine, he began to fabricate the prototype in earnest. With his mind connected to Qilanxo's spiritual fragment and focused on the vision, he entered a partial state of immersion.
The Aurora Titan was by far the most complicated mech he fabricated on his own. The polarizing module incorporated a fair amount of sophisticated components, some of which Ves failed to get right the first time.
Aside from that, Ves didn't fully understand the principles behind the mech's internal architecture. This lack of understanding hindered his attempts at reproducing the exact configuration. He needed to match the parameters of the design schematics even if he sometimes questioned a couple of points.
While Ves encountered plenty of setbacks over five days of trial and error, this was only his first time. The lessons he learned this time would shorten his next attempt at fabricating the Aurora Titan by at least a day.
"The learning curve of the Aurora Titan isn't too steep. As long as a production line keeps working on the same mech, it's not impossible to lower the fabrication time to three days."
Not so surprisingly, the Pisaro armor system posed little challenges to Ves. The Pisaro only made use of one compressed alloy formula as opposed to the more complex Veltrex armor system which layered three separate alloys on top of each other.
"The Veltrex armor system is better in terms of protection, but the Pisaro wins in cost effectiveness and ease of maintenance."
There was only one downside to fabricating his mech on Bentheim. He did not have the best equipment at hand to fabricate the alien crystals and activate them with the crystal relic.
"It's a good thing I already thought about that issue."
Ves already fabricated the eight crystals beforehand and shipped them to Bentheim. It only took a single word for SASS to ship the crystals to Professor Ventag's workshop.
As he put the finishing touches on the Aurora Titan, Ketis had been watching at the side all this time. To her, watching Ves at work was like observing a wizard perform magic. She witnessed far too many feats that completely went over her head!
Even so, she did not lose heart at the disparity between Ves and herself. Whenever she thought of her recent mental augmentations, she developed a burning ambition to catch up to Ves and design a mech that could stand equal to his own designs!
Once Ves finished applying the coatings on the Aurora Titan, both of them stepped back and admired the finished product in its full splendor.
"It's big." Ketis uttered.
"It carries a lot of presence." Ves noted with satisfaction.
Its predominantly white coating mixed with various blue stripes allowed the mech to stand out in the dark of space. Its larger-than-average size and its masculine contours conveyed a sense of strength and indomitability to the mech.
Paired with its broadsword and its tower shield, the Aurora Titan looked supremely capable of fending off against even the most powerful blows!
Mingled with its imposing physical appearance, its hollow but very present X-Factor amplified the impression the Aurora Titan conveyed.
If the prototype already felt so visceral to Ves, what about when Qilanxo's spiritual fragment finally moved out of his mind and inhabited the design?
However, until that happened, the prototype would not be capable of expressing the full potential of its beastly X-Factor.
"Some presents are best enjoyed at the end."
Once Ves and Ketis got over their admiration of the prototype, they spent an extra day subjecting the mech to various scans. The scanning equipment at the workshop was capable of penetrating right through the entire mech. This enabled Ves to develop a detailed schematic of the prototype which he subsequently compared to its theoretical design.
A number of discrepancies popped up. No matter how careful Ves fabricated the prototype, he was still only human. Even if highly-tuned AIs took over the production processes, deviances would still pop up. Raw materials were almost never completely uniform and even the best fabrication equipment exhibited limitations when it came to precision and consistency.
Ketis looked disappointed. "You worked so hard on fabricating the prototype. It's a shame that it's still different from the design schematics."
"Nothing in the galaxy is perfect." Ves nonchalantly shrugged. "Only materialization technology can reproduce a mech down to the exact placement of atoms. Yet mechs produced in such a fashion are soulless copies of each other. In fact, I like it that every mech comes with small inconsistencies. Each mech is unique. The design, the time, the place, the mech designer or mech technicians involved in fabricating a mech all leave their own marks behind, giving the finished product an individual identity that isn't matched by anything in the galaxy."
"You care a lot about that stuff." She said. "It's never about the physical product to you. It's all about the touch you put on a mech."
"I'm not pursuing perfection in my mech designs. Instead, I'm trying to give each of my mechs their own identity."
"This is your design philosophy, right? It's very hard for me to understand."
"I know. You don't have to understand it entirely. I'm sure you'll be able to recognize the benefits as long as you continue working by my side."
While Professor Ventag was too occupied at the moment to pay a visit to the workshop, he did spend half an hour studying the finished prototype from remote. After viewing the mech through projections and studying the results of the deep scans, the Senior expressed a lot of satisfaction.
"I'm glad to see that you have been able to use my production equipment proficiently. I would have thought you still needed some more time to master their use. They are not exactly the most standard equipment out there."
"I have a lot of practical experience in fabricating and servicing mechs." Ves stated simply.
"Right. Well, I'm glad you finished the prototype without any major hiccups. I will arrange for it to be shipped to my space testing facility in the Green Nebula region. You can leave for my testing facility whenever is convenient."
"I'll depart immediately." Ves replied.
Who would want to stay on Bentheim while the threat of the BLM continued to hang over the planet's head?! Ves couldn't wait to leave this dreadful place and avoid getting caught up in the storm that might erupt very soon!
Chapter 1106
Ves, Ketis and Lucky departed from the surface of Bentheim without any major incidents.
To be honest, Ves half expected to encounter an assassination attempt or a terrorist attack along the way. Yet neither assassins or rebels showed any hide or hair in presence.
For some reason, Ves felt distinctly odd to be able to spend his time on Bentheim in peace. It was as if not getting shot at was an extremely unusual experience to him. It wasn't until he finally stepped aboard the Barracuda that he no longer felt exposed.
"Strange." Ves muttered.
The close shaves he experienced in the past still haunted his psyche in a way.
In any case, with the Aurora Titan shipped to the testing facility, the Barracuda traveled to the Green Nebula region alone. Since NORA Consolidated's space testing facility was situated in an asteroid belt in a lightly-populated star system, there was no use in bringing along the landbound mechs of the Avatars of Myth.
Therefore, Ves ordered the Greenfeather carrying the four Avatar mechs to return to Cloudy Curtain.
"In cases like these, it would have been handy to have a number of spaceborn mechs at my disposal."
Ves wasn't too worried about getting caught up in any attacks. The Barracuda was a very mobile little starship that could evade or outrun any threats. The Green Nebula region was situated in the center of the Bright Republic, so was exceptionally devoid of pirates.
The space testing facility itself hosted its own guard force. NORA Consolidated tested a wide range of finished and unfinished mech designs at the facility, so the company would never neglect its security.
After more than a week of travel, the Barracuda quietly arrived at the star system in question. The ship navigated to a certain section of an expansive asteroid belt and reached the security envelope of the space testing facility.
Since the guards already expected guests, it didn't take long before the Barracuda passed their inspection and gained permission to move on. Once the ship docked at a space station built out of an asteroid, Ves, Ketis and Lucky stepped out and greeted the station manager.
"Mr. Larkinson. It is an honor to meet you." The station manager greeted. The man was garbed in a standard vacsuit uniform. "Your ship has arrived faster than the transport bearing your prototype. It will take a number of days before the mech reaches our facility. Would you like to take a tour and familiarize with our testing methods in the meantime?"
"Sure."
When it came to testing mechs, Ves still lacked a substantial amount of experience and knowledge in this area. Even though the LMC set up its own testing ground in order to verify the performance of each finished mech, Ves had not involved himself too much in its development and expansion.
He already lacked in experience when it came to testing landbound mechs. He knew even less about testing spaceborn mechs.
Fortunately, Ves did not have to be responsible for anything except to provide some direction every now and then. The testing facility tested so many mechs that nothing confounded them anymore.
"We are used to testing some of Professor Ventag's new spaceborn designs without his input." The manager explained. "Sometimes, one of his subordinate mech designers will accompany a particularly valuable prototype to supervise the testing process, but in most cases the professor is content with leaving this responsibility in our hands."
Ves looked impressed. "He's putting a lot of trust in you. A prototype of an unfinished design is very valuable."
"We have proven our competence over many decades. If the professor still needs to hold our hand, how can we possibly earn our jobs?"
Throughout the tour, Ves noted that the testing facility possessed very stringent security measures.
The station manager described their greatest concern. "Testing mechs is in our nature. The testing process is guaranteed to go smoothly. The only variable that we can never fully account for are the actions of third parties. Corporate espionage is a very large concern for NORA Consolidated."
"That's why the company set up this testing facility in this rural star system, right?"
"Correct. Anything that goes in and out is meticulously monitored. The local population has also come under our company's influence. While I can't tell you the exact details of our security arrangements, I can freely tell you that we've caught hundreds of spies and nosy observers over the last decade."
That was a lot! "What happens to the spies once they're caught?"
"We aren't killing them, if that's what you think." The station manager smiled. "Usually we just hand them over to the authorities and be charged with the relevant crimes."
"Do they actually get convicted?"
"Why yes, Mr. Larkinson. Why would you ever doubt that? Corporate espionage is a serious crime and the Bright Republic takes any instance of foul play very seriously. However, in our experience, every major company engages in some form of corporate espionage. Mech companies are constantly on the lookout for any new mech designs that can displace the market shares of their existing mech models."
As long as a company obtained advanced warning of the exciting new design their competitor developed, they could prepare for it in advance.
There was nothing worse to a mech designer than to publish an exciting new mech design, only for a competitor to publish a similar product the very next day!
Even worse, their competitors might even opt to publish a direct counter for the design the very next day!
As Ves chatted a bit more with the station manager, he asked why so many spies still attempted to infiltrate the testing facility when the punishment for corporate espionage was so harsh.
"Their families are always taken care of. Even if the spies don't have anyone they care about, they will still receive a fortune up to the tune of millions of credits if they keep their mouths shut throughout the trial process."
In other words, the spies could look forward to receiving a big bag of money as long as they did not point their fingers towards their employers.
"Doesn't that defeat the purpose of their punishment?" Ves asked.
The station manager smiled and shook his head. "That's the way the game is played. You can see it as an intricate dance between competing mech designers. Every company employs spies who are often put to work in keeping tabs on their most important competitors."
"There are a lot of mech companies in the Republic and even more in the galaxy. It's impossible to keep tabs on them all."
"That is true, but there are always a number of mech designers who form a more direct threat to the market shares of your products. For example, right now you are in the process of designing a super-medium space knight with the professor. What if right after you publish the design, the entire mech community immediately turns against it? You can't rule out the possibility that a competitor got wind of your design and laid the groundwork for an overwhelmingly negative reaction from the public."
Such a possibility would be ruinous for the prospects of his design. Ves widened his eyes as he started to consider if spies had somehow managed to worm their way into the LMC and caught wind of the joint design project.
While SASS did a decent job in providing allround security, Ves wasn't reassured that they were equipped to stop the most determined spies.
Hearing about the many ways in which his enemies and competitors could ruin the success of his mech design, Ves began to consider his response in the event of a coordinated action.
In times like these, Ves could sorely use a spy by his side. He recalled his plan to set up a shadow force under his control. He just needed to recruit a reliable spy to take charge, which was nearly impossible in his eyes.
To Ves, there was no such thing as a trustworthy spy!
Interacting with intelligence operatives such as Calabast or Leland made that abundantly clear. The rules they abide by was so far removed from the norm that they wouldn't hesitate to stab their mothers in the back if they could get ahead in some way!
Ves tired of talking about spies. Instead of worrying about something which he had little means to deal with other than to intensify his security arrangements, he would rather focus on his original purpose.
A few days passed by until the transport vessel bearing the prototype finally arrived at the testing facility. Ves personally supervised the inspections on the mech to make sure it hadn't incurred any damage of tampering during the transportation process.
Fortunately, aside from coming under the influence of cosmic radiation, everything appeared to be in order.
The first prototype of the Aurora Titan design was ready for testing!
The testing facility employed their own test pilots, and the one responsible for testing defensive mechs had already studied the documentation on the Aurora Titan.
Ves in fact wrote most of the documentation himself. He provided a fairly detailed instruction manual which elaborated extensively on the uses of the Aurora Titan's two gimmicks.
Even so, Ves did not expect any mech pilot to get the hang of the polarizing module and the alien crystals instantly. This was why he decided to meet the test pilot just before she was about to enter the cockpit of the mech for the very first time.
"So you're the test pilot, right?"
The short woman garbed in a piloting suit nodded. "Correct, Mr. Larkinson. I have fifteen years of experience in test piloting various space knights and striker mechs. I'm also proficient in test piloting heavy mechs."
Ves felt relieved that the test pilot already possessed an abundant amount of experience in testing different mechs.
"Do you understand the features of the Aurora Titan?"
"Somewhat. While I have never worked with a polarizing module before, I know the theory. I have already tried out mechs that makes use of a polarizing module in the simulators. I think I can get the hang of its use in a couple of days."
Ves quizzed the test pilot some more and found to his satisfaction that she was well prepared to put the prototype to its paces.
The test pilot also took the opportunity to ask her own questions.
"The documentation states that the Aurora Titan is oriented towards defense. How much does offense play a role?"
"Not that much. Don't strain the mech over its limits when you perform offensive maneuvers."
"It's my job to push the mech to its limits, sir. Even if your mech isn't designed to launch attacks, we'll be testing its offensive capabilities if only to see how bad it is at offense."
Ves did not expect good results from those tests. The Aurora Titan was way too heavy and immobile to launch any attacks on its own.
After Ves and the test pilot finished speaking to each other, the station manager invited Ves and Ketis to a monitor center.
A large row of terminals and projections greeted them as they entered the monitoring center. Various specialists and technicians manned the terminals in preparation for the latest test.
Once the test pilot settled into the brand-new cockpit of the prototype, she activated the mech for the first time. With the press of a button, the entire cockpit lit up in radiant splendor.
All the systems that came online caused a small hum to emanate from the Aurora Titan. Several lights lit up and its compacted wings already started to unfold a little.
The Aurora Titan activated successfully!
"It's a success! The prototype is online and operating according to normal parameters!"
Ves already knew that the prototype wouldn't stutter upon activation. He possessed way too much confidence in his own work to fear any setbacks.
Instead, he turned his attention to the telemetry related to the test pilot. What he wanted to know was what the test pilot experienced when she interfaced with the prototype. Had she already come under the influence of the prototype's X-Factor?
Eventually, Ves decided to patch into the communication channel and ask the pilot directly.
"What do you feel?"
"It's.. big." She uttered. "The mech is very expansive. I am feeling some urges that I have never felt when I test piloted other mechs."
That sounded interesting.
"Can you describe your urges?"
"It's faint, but... I feel as if I'm piloting the embodiment of an exobeast instead of a mech!"
Chapter 1107
The unusual sensations that the test pilot experienced upon activation were so odd that they immediately derailed the first testing session.
Concerned that the neural interface might have been tampered with, the test pilot quickly received orders to halt the test and shut down the mech.
Even though the test pilot only described some vague feelings, the station manager did not feel relieved to proceed with the tests.
Ves wanted to say that the test pilot wasn't in danger, but the testing facility was way too professional to gloss over any unusual observations.
Various specialists scoured the prototype from top to bottom, paying particular attention to its cockpit systems and its neural interface. Hackers and software engineers manually scoured through the programming of the neural interface in order to make sure that no one tried to slip in any nasty surprises!
"We aren't suspecting you of sabotaging your own prototype." The station manager stated to Ves. "It might be that a spy sent by one of our competitors managed to infiltrate the transport ship and upload a virus in the mech's operating system."
Ves nodded in understanding. Although he felt upset that his work was being questioned, he knew that this wouldn't be the last time his work might attract alarm. The Farund Affair made mech designers and mech companies a lot more sensitive towards mental tampering!
Predictably, even after several hours of intense inspections, the specialists found nothing wrong. While Ves implemented a lot of innovations in his mech design, even he did not dare to tweak its neural interface.
Even if he could apply some minor tricks courtesy of his experiments on Aeon Corona VII, he was no longer in the deep frontier where he could get away with anything. Now that he returned to civilized space, Ves needed to pay more than lip service to the rules and regulations of the MTA.
After the specialists had their fill of excessive precautionary measures, the test pilot boarded the prototype once again and activated it with a hint of reluctance.
She immediately encountered the same sensations yet again. "I am still subjected to various influences on my mind. I can't accurately describe them, but it still feels as if I'm piloting an exobeast in a way. It is faintly.. Disturbing."
The station manager threw a glance towards Ves before moving over to some experts who specialized in neural sciences.
Eventually, the experts determined that none of the telemetry they received signified anything that hinted at foul play.
"We can state with confidence that the prototype does not exert any permanent mental influencing on the mech pilot. Both the hardware and the software of the mech's neural interface are completely standard and have not deviated from the MTA-mandated specifications in any way."
Of course Ves didn't tweak the neural interfaces. Without the requisite permission from the MTA, Ves would be committing a major crime if he changed even a single line of programming in the standard neural interface programming provided by the same organization.
Only a small number of mech designers received permission from the MTA to work with altered neural interfaces, and Ves wasn't one of them. When he performed some experiments with neural interface designs on some dwarves, he learned that the MTA's restrictions on this matter was for a very good reason.
After all, a neural interface wasn't supposed to cause a mech pilot's head to explode!
"I think we're making a mountain out of a molehill here." Ves said in an exasperated tone. "None of the telemetry indicates anything amiss. As far as I know, none of the sensors and monitoring systems are malfunctioning either, so there's no reason to question the data. Can we just proceed with the first tests?"
"Very well, Mr. Larkinson." The station manager agreed. "Proceed with deploying the prototype!"
This was the moment of truth for Ves. As the mech walked up to the hangar bay hatch, it slowly unfolded its flight system. A radiant golden glow surrounded its wings, increasing the presence of the mech by at least twice!
"Lift off!"
The prototype of the Aurora Titan engaged its flight system to the fullest and pushed off into space, passing through the energy screen that kept the air inside the hangar bay.
The mech flew slowly. With its golden wings propelling it forward, the prototype attracted so much attention that some of the specialists took their eyes off the readings they were supposed to monitor. The Aurora Titan was simply too compelling to look away!
"Wow. Hardly any of the professor's designs look so impressive."
Ketis, who had remained quiet all this time, finally grinned. "Looks like you did it again, Ves. Out of every mech designer I know, you're the only one who always manages to wow the people who look at your mechs."
"A good product always exceeds expectations. The wow-factor is an indispensable tool in changing people's misconceptions about super-medium mechs." Ves stated.
Visiting Renny's Outfitters and browsing through its extensive catalog of high-end artisan products reaffirmed his artistic outlook. A weapon as beautiful as the Peaceful Repose would have never attracted his attention so strongly if not for its lavish appearance.
As the Aurora Titan began to accelerate harder, putting more strain on its flight systems, the mech began to take on an imposing air. The mech looked like a king advancing staunchly on the battlefield!
"Ah, damn! I knew I forgot something!" Ves palmed his face.
What did the Blackbeak and the Crystal Lord incorporate that the Aurora Titan lacked?
The Festive Cloud Generator!
This frivolous module may not serve any purpose except to emit colored vapor in the air, but the visual effect it brought to his designs had practically become his calling card. As long as he succeeded in making his mechs look more impressive with the use of the Festive Cloud Generator, then it wasn't a waste to incorporate it into his designs!
Unfortunately, when Ves thought about trying to implement the Festive Cloud Generator into the Aurora Titan, he realized to his dismay that it wouldn't work in space. The module had always been designed to operate in normal atmospheric conditions. It would almost certainly glitch or fail when subjected to the vacuum of space!
"No matter. I can just find another module that is capable of emitting particles in space."
Once he got over this realization, Ves turned his attention back to the Aurora Titan in flight. He had to admit that the glowing wings did a good job in replicating the effect of the Festive Cloud Generator. The huge mech looked so majestic in flight that Ves couldn't wait to see it flex its capabilities.
A number of hours went by as the test pilot performed a series of basic maneuvers with the mech. She tested the mech's range of motion, its mass distribution, its ability to change direction in flight and how it would move with or without equipping its sword and shield.
The heavy tower shield impacted the mech's center of gravity by a noticeable amount. Due to his recent Mastery experience, Ves already accounted for this difference. The stance of the mech automatically adjusted whether it carried a shield or not, though the mech pilot would easily be able to override the settings.
Only near the end of the first testing session did the test pilot engage the polarizing module.
A faint white field came into being on the front surface of the shield. At this point, the testing process did not call for putting the mech under fire to test the effectiveness of the polarizing field.
Ves found that to be a shame because he worked so long on getting the polarizing module to work well with his design that he couldn't wait to see if it performed up to standard.
After thirty seconds of maintaining the polarizing field, the mech shut it off and instead covered its chest plating with a contained polarizing field.
The mech was able to maintain the field and keep it contained to the chest plating, with caused Ves to let out a sigh in relief. Keeping the polarizing field in a specific shape was one of the most difficult engineering challenges he faced when he designed the Aurora Titan.
Sections of its back, arms, legs and even its head lit up in white without any hiccups. The success signified that the polarizing module was able to provide complete protection to the mech, which Ves had always aimed to deliver!
"Alright, that marks the end of the first testing session." The station manager said. "Please recall the prototype and have it undergo a deep inspection."
Ves groaned when he heard that. It seemed the testing personnel still suspected some sort of foul play. A deep inspection meant that the testing facility's mech technicians would have to partially disassemble the prototype in order to access its interior and inspect the internals of the machine up close!
More than an entire standard day passed by as the mech technicians did as they were told. Ves found it painful to see the Aurora Titan being cut apart in order to root out a nonexistent problem.
Due to everyone's unfamiliarity with the design, Ves needed to be on hand to instruct the crew in the best ways to disassemble and reassemble the mech.
Naturally, nobody found anything fishy. Ves even joined in on the inspections, but found nothing that deviated from his design other than the minute inconsistencies that he had already observed before.
To all intents and purposes, this mech was the most representative copy of the unfinished Aurora Titan design as it could get!
In the next couple of days, the Aurora Titan continued to undergo a cycle of continuous tests interspersed with extensive inspections. The testing facility seemed to be obsessed with tracking the structural integrity and any wear and tear the prototype accumulated.
"One of our main roles is to watch out for any accelerated deterioration." The station manager explained to Ves and Ketis. "The Aurora Titan seems to be a very fine design, but we all know that what works in theory might not work out in practice. It is our job to catch these potentially fatal flaws before you publish your mech design and allow your customers to suffer a catastrophic mishap."
Even if Ves didn't subject his mech design to any field tests, the MTA surely would. While not every design underwent the MTA's validation process, any mech designer who wanted to publish his mech design with an eye towards the market needed to provide the MTA with a physical copy of the mech for them to throw it around.
"Have you found anything disconcerting?" Ves asked.
"So far, no. Knowing that Professor Ventag is responsible for much of the mech's internal design, we are accustomed to encountering no major flaws at all. Perhaps some of his more complicated designs might exhibit some unusual quirks, but so far the prototype looks as if it can comfortably hold up for at least ten years."
The tests grew increasingly more burdensome to the mech and mech pilot. Ves watched on as the mech engaged in melee combat against a practice mech armed with a huge padded stick that replaced its sword.
While the Aurora Titan was able to deliver powerful blows that could crunch a light mech with a single hit, the mech predictably moved too sluggish to keep up with a light mech. It performed a bit better against medium mechs, but its overall performance wasn't very stellar.
"This mech is no good in melee duels." The test pilot remarked with a weary voice. "This mech should never be deployed on its own. Any cheap light skirmisher can easily dismantle this mech from behind."
Aside from that disappointing level of performance, the tests related to determining the prototype's defensive capabilities went a lot better!
Ves, Ketis and everyone else looked impressed as the Aurora Titan was able to fend off numerous laser beams with a polarizing field covering its shield. The polarizing shield was so effective in blocking laser damage that the shield suffered practically no damage at all!
"This is just the start. Let's see how the polarizing field can hold up against heavier firepower."
Chapter 1108
The Aurora Titan prototype began to impress the specialists at the testing facility more and more as time went on. As the tests became more arduous, its performance continued to perform just as well if not better than Professor Ventag's regular designs!
Its highly efficient and damage-resistant internal architecture allowed the mech to hold up even against severe shocks. This was an essential requirement for any defensive mech and Ves became reassured that the professor's work allowed the Aurora Titan to hold up adequately against physical damage.
It helped that the test pilot became increasingly proficient in piloting the Aurora Titan. The super-medium space knight piloted differently than any other regular medium space knight, to the point where she needed to unlearn some of her old habits.
The mech simply did not exhibit the mobility required to perform various standard maneuvers! It moved much like a heavy mech in a sense, but fortunately the test pilot had also tested a few heavy mechs now and then so she only took a day to adjust.
Another change that helped the prototype excel was that the test pilot became increasingly more comfortable with the unusual sensations coming from her mech. Rather than distrust it, she achieved much better results by opening herself up to the machine.
Human and mech began to accept each other. While no one paid attention to the alignment between the test pilot and the prototype, Ves paid keen attention to this relationship.
The more the test pilot embraced the prototype, the more intuitive her reactions became. This played an especially significant role when subjected to fire from all sides. The test pilot was able to call up and redirect multiple polarization fields when needed.
"I have to say, at first I did not think that the Aurora Titan can do much." The station manager told Ves. "A mech that's heavier than a medium mech but lighter than a heavier mech should ordinarily exhibit the worst of both weight classes. Yet now I see that the Aurora Titan's defensive prowess is sufficient to call it a pocket heavy mech. While it is nowhere near as resilient as a genuine heavy space knight, it still offers more than enough protection to justify its value."
Ves nodded in agreement. He liked the word pocket heavy mech. "Super-medium mechs don't make sense to powers that have the ability to field heavy mechs. In the past, the specs of super-medium mechs simply aren't good enough to justify a mech of this weight class. However, better materials and the use of defensive tech allows it to provide just enough protection while not being bogged down to a total crawl."
If Ves designed a super-medium space knight a hundred years ago, then the mech wouldn't be able to present a good value proposition. It would have been weighed down too much by heavy armor plating that didn't offer a sufficient amount of protection.
Even so, a regular third-class mech of this weight class still presented a rather unattractive package. If Ves allocated much of the space taken by the polarizing module into thicker armor, then sure the resulting mech would be able to sustain more damage.
The only problem there was that the mech's mobility reduced even further, to the point where it could only be used to defend relatively fixed objects such as space stations. Another factor that made it unattractive was that all of that armor not only increased its upfront cost enormously, but also made it very expensive to repair when it sustained serious damage!
Losing five or more medium space knights was cheaper than repairing a heavily damaged super-medium mech that largely consisted of armor!
The charm of the Aurora Titan was that while it may be larger, it wasn't as weighed down by armor so much. While its polarizing module took up a lot of internal volume, it wasn't as dense and heavy as an equivalent amount of armor plating!
The polarizing module allowed the Aurora Titan to act as a defensive mech without breaking the bank for the outfit that fielded it. The mech operated best during short raids and skirmishes where neither side committed to an all-out attack. As long as the polarizing fields absorbed all the damage, its expensive armor plating required little to no repairs.
The station manager praised the utility of this feature. "The polarizing fields perform quite well. It is interesting to see the mech be able to absorb lasers with ease. Those strange crystal of yours helps out the mech as well, though I am not sure whether they are completely necessary. This mech is highly capable in absorbing energy damage, but it does not offer anything special aside from its thick compressed armor to withstand kinetic and explosive damage."
The increasingly arduous tests made that clear. The polarizing field could negate some physical damage. It fared better against ballistic shells and missiles as their explosive damage was usually spread across a wider surface area.
However, kinetic weapons and railguns formed a substantial threat to the Aurora Titan due to their highly concentrated damage projection. A polarizing field was like skin which could easily hold up against a slap or a punch but pricked easily when being poked by a needle.
The only consolation was that the Pisaro armor system fared decently against physical damage, so it wasn't as if the Aurora Titan fell apart when hit by a couple of kinetic rounds.
"Unfortunate, with the way that space battles are being fought, kinetic weapons and melee weapons will be its downfall. The only way for the Aurora Titan to remain viable is if it is paired with mechs that can divert these threats." The station manager concluded.
Ves never intended the Aurora Titan to be deployed in isolation. It was a mech that worked best when protecting other assets. Its relative vulnerability to physical damage and its ineptness in melee combat sounded rather bad, but no mech was perfect.
The key to any modern mech force was to employ combined arms that integrated multiple mech types to cover each other's weaknesses while achieving synergies in the areas they were good at. With the upcoming generation rumored to herald a golden era for laser weapons, a mech which excelled against lasers should turn into a very appealing product.
After three weeks of thorough testing, the prototype endured so much damage that much of its internal compartments became exposed. When Ves, Ketis and the station manager paid a visit to the hangar bay just as the mech returned from its final round of testing, they both gazed up at the massive mech and its scorched, cracked and hole-laden exterior.
"Wow." She said. She couldn't stop saying that word when she witnessed the prototype's performance. "The testers threw so much firepower at the mech, but it still managed to limp its way back to the hangar bay."
The heavily-damaged prototype took its time to return, as heavy damage from the rear damaged the flight system to such an extent that they looked like stubby wings. Its propulsion was so weak that it took five times as long to return than if its wings were still intact.
"The flight system is still too vulnerable from attacks from the rear." Ves shook his head.
Every spaceborn mech shared the same common weakness. The more defense-oriented mechs might come equipped with more robust flight systems, but they could only be reinforced so much before their propulsion power took a nosedive.
Overall, Ves became very satisfied with the results of the tests. NORA Consolidated's professionals did a great job in testing almost every single feature to their limits. The Aurora Titan performed well in the areas that Ves expected to do well.
Of course, the prototype also exhibited some reactions that neither Ves or Professor Ventag expected to happen. While the inconsistencies were fairly minor, they became increasingly more impactful as the mech sustained more damage.
The simulations of the Aurora Titan generally modeled the mech's performance adequately when it was at its peak state. As the mech sustained serious damage, its actual performance began to deviate from its simulated results.
These discrepancies became bigger as the mech sustained more damage. However, what surprised Ves the most was that in many cases, the mech actually held up better than the simulators predicted.
Even though the mathematical models employed by NORA Consolidated approximated the effects of Professor Ventag's design philosophy very accurately, they still failed to encompass every inexplicable effect.
In fact, even the station manager exhibited some surprise. "We all know what to expect from Professor Ventag's designs. His mechs always seem to be able to hold up better against damage than normal, and we have tweaked our tests to take these qualities into account. Even so, the Aurora Titan fares just a little bit better than what we are used to seeing in the professor's work."
That sounded a bit unusual to Ves. "The Aurora Titan is a mech that is almost completely geared towards defense. It shouldn't be much of a surprise to see it working well even if it looks like it is falling apart."
"It's more than that." The older man said while gesturing towards the damaged prototype that was shutting down. "Our testing facility knows what to expect from Professor Ventag's defensive mechs. We have already calibrated all of our tests and instruments to account for their increased performance with regards to damage control. Nonetheless, there is a small but significant improvement. Either collaborating with you has brought more benefits to the design than expected, or the professor has achieved a new milestone in his research."
Ves did not think that Professor Ventag achieved anything notable recently. If the Senior did make a breakthrough in his research, then he would have showed it in his behavior.
Even though these results were rather unexpected, the whole point of testing the prototype in realspace conditions was to unearth these kinds of surprises.
Not all of the unexpected results turned out well for the Aurora Titan. If there was one area which the prototype disappointed Ves, then it had to be how fast its energy cells drained when employing its polarizing fields.
"This is a really energy-hungry mech." He remarked. "The prototype showed that all the extra energy cells I've added barely manages to extend its operating time when subjected to a lot of incoming fire."
Ves could foresee that in some situations, it was better for the mech pilots of the Aurora Titan to turn the polarizing module off and tank the damage with the Pisaro armor plating. Even though it cost an outfit a lot more money to repair the damaged armor plating, the mech would at least be able to remain on the battlefield for a while longer.
"Well, we've gathered enough data to tweak the design." Ves stated with satisfaction. "What is the usual procedure when it comes to handling the prototypes?"
"They usually end up in such a damaged state that we will immediately recycle them down. We know it's important to deconstruct them as fast as possible in order to minimize its exposure to spies." The station manager explained.
Ves agreed with that approach. "Please see to the processing of the prototype. At its current state, it is too damaged to be of any use."
He found it somewhat regretful to consign the prototype to a quick death after a short period of existence, but the station manager had a point. At this stage, Ves wasn't ready to publish the design.
As a number of mech technicians already started to assess the prototype for dismantlement, Ves, Ketis and Lucky bid farewell to the testing facility and returned to the Barracuda.
"Captain Silvestra, please take us back to Cloudy Curtain."
"Aye aye, sir. We've already locked in our route."
Ves already entered his stateroom aboard his corvette and began to study the abundant amount of data he received from the testing facility. Almost every aspect about the mech's actual performance became known to him. With so much data at his fingertips, Ves would be able to implement a lot of small improvements.
"The Aurora Titan will definitely become more perfect after my second pass on the design."
Chapter 1109
Some time went by when the Barracuda returned to Cloudy Curtain. The excursion to NORA Consolidated's space testing facility located in the Green Nebula region provided Ves and Professor Ventag with a lot of practical data.
The tests exposed a considerable amount of deviations from predicted results. What this meant to Ves was he would have to make so many changes that the Aurora Titan design needed to undergo at least two more iterations of realspace tests.
"You've seen from the results that simulations and realspace testing can diverge significantly." The professor said over a comm call. "The unexpected problems we've uncovered need to be addressed, but this will change the design in such a way that we won't be able to judge if it will perform as predicted. The simulations performed on the changed design will only deliver more skewed results that will certainly deviate from the realspace testing of our second prototype."
Ves smiled grimly. "Testing the second prototype will reveal new flaws and inconsistencies that we've introduced by trying to solve the old flaws and inconsistencies. This will force us to go back to the drawing board yet a third time to address the new issues. Yet that in turn causes the mech design to change so much that a third round of realspace testing is required."
"This process can indeed become a vicious cycle in which a mech designer would be endlessly stuck in a constant process of adjustments and improvements. However, it will only become a detrimental process so long as the mech designer doesn't know when to quit."
"When should a mech designer quit, professor?"
"When your time is better spent elsewhere. You have to realize that the more iterations a mech design goes through, the more its overall parameters improve. At some point, however, the improvements become so marginal that it is frankly a waste of time to continue iterating on the design. A good mech designer with sound judgement will be able to recognize when enough is enough and go through with publishing the design despite its remaining flaws."
Designing a mech without flaws was impossible. No mech design could ever be perfect or free from flaws. The best a mech designer could do in this situation was to do the best they could until the improvements they could achieve became too marginal to bother with. Who cared about spending several months on developing a solution that elevated the effective performance of a mech by only 0.00001 percent?
Such a compromising approach likely wouldn't result in designing award-winning mechs. That said, spending years to design a single mech was not a good use of time! An efficient mech designer would be able to design three or four mechs at the same time as a perfectionist mech designer finally became satisfied with designing a single mech!
In short, unless a mech designer was certain that they'd be able to design a mech that sold as well as four imperfect mech designs, they shouldn't be getting hung up on trying to perfect a single product.
The professor did offer a caveat. "Mind you, trying to pursue perfection isn't always detrimental to a mech designer. Some mech designers have completely devoted themselves to designing trendsetting mech designs that everyone wants to own. However, it is always a gamble whether a particular mech design can achieve mass market appeal. All the marketing research in the galaxy can't predict market response with even a moderate degree of accuracy. Too many factors are in play that can skew results in one direction or another. Trying to model the mech market is thousands of times more difficult than trying to model the Aurora Titan design."
One had to do with human behavior and the other had to do with purely technical matters sprinkled with some metaphysics. No matter how much magic a mech design made use of, it was still far less complicated to predict than the mech market!
The two ended the call shortly afterwards. Both of them had some design work to do in light of the data they gathered.
Before Ves resumed his work, he took the time to check in with various people. One of the people he paid a lot of attention to lately was Jannzi Larkinson. At this point in time, the Avatars of Myth would soon be setting up the nucleus of its first spaceborn mech company. Two of the three new Larkinsons would finally get to pilot a real mech instead of virtual ones.
"You called, sir?" Jannzi asked after stopping by his office.
"Yes. I wanted to talk to you about your upcoming role in my new mech design. As you are already aware, the Aurora Titan will be the LMC's first spaceborn mech design. It is imperative that the Aurora Titan will be able to showcase its capabilities in practice."
"You want me to demonstrate your new mech?" She frowned. "I don't know, sir. I'm barely out of the mech academy, you know."
"You don't have to sell yourself short. Your Larkinson training as given you an excellent foundation that puts you ahead of mech pilots who are older and possess a lot more experience. There is no one else nearby who I can entrust this responsibility except for you. As a Larkinson, I know you will be able to do right by the Aurora Titan."
While Jannzi still looked a little floored, the gleam in her eyes showed she was definitely interested. "I'll do it if you are confident in my skills."
"I know you can. The only thought you have to keep in mind is that the Aurora Titan is different from other space knights. It's a lot heavier and therefore a lot more sluggish. You'll need to get used to its lack of mobility and cope with it the best you can. You also have to become proficient in operating its polarizing module. It makes a huge difference to the mech's operating time if you master its use in the most efficient way possible."
Ves arranged Jannzi to train with a special simulator pod which held the virtual version of the first iteration of the Aurora Titan design. While the mech she would eventually get to pilot would deviate substantially from the older version, they shared enough in common that piloting one version was still very similar to piloting another version.
In any case, Ves really wanted Jannzi to get as much practice with the polarizing module as possible. Back when the first prototype was being tested, the test pilot constantly found ways to improve her ability to work with the active shielding system.
After sending Jannzi off, Gavin entered the office to report on the company's performance.
"Our market presence is diminishing again now that the effects of publicity has faded." Gavin stated. "The LMC has been able to prolong the good times by sustaining a persistent marketing campaign that builds up on your recent fame, but people's memories are short."
"I know. I never expected the recent uptick in orders to last. Is the LMC at least still getting enough orders?"
Gavin nodded. "Our analysts expect that the company is still good for a year. The only problem is that the Blackbeak and the Crystal Lord are continuing to lose value in the eyes of our consumers now that the new mech generation is very close. We can either reduce the prices of our mechs to match the expectations of the market or we can maintain our current price levels and see our orders fall even further."
The decision to lower the prices was very sensitive to the company. If they lowered the price too soon and too much, then they would be devaluing the two mech designers even further in the eyes of the market. When the next mech generation finally commenced, the LMC would inevitably be forced to drop their prices once again, to the point where the two mech models stopped generating profits.
From a long-term perspective, it was best to hold back on dropping the price and instead maintain the current level to give the market the illusion that the Blackbeak and the Crystal Lord were still valued designs. This course of action would at least insure that the company would be able to generate some profits five or ten years from now.
Yet... was it really important for the LMC to continue selling the Blackbeak and the Crystal Lord after such a long time. While they were only a couple of years old, the onset of the new mech generation made them a lot less relevant in the changing battlefields of tomorrow.
Ves made a judgement call at this time.
"The LMC should prepare to phase out the Blackbeak and the Crystal Lord from its mech catalog. Just like the old Marc Antony Mark I and II's, the two mech models are products from an earlier time. I've improved a lot since I initially designed them. The LMC is not the small company it used to be a few years ago."
One of the biggest turning points that Ves anticipated was his impending advancement to Journeyman. Once that happened, his older work plainly lost a lot of relevance.
There was a big difference in mechs designed by Apprentices and mechs designed by Journeymen.
The former would never be able to capture any meaningful market share and could only be content with filling up the cracks.
The latter on the other hand stood a realistic chance of success in capturing a substantial chunk of market share!
Even though foreign mech models and the mechs designed by Seniors dominated the Bright Republic's mech market, plenty of Journeymen still found ways to become a real presence in the mech market. The old Kadar-Neyvis Group served as a good example.
Even though scandals forced it to shutter its doors, the KNG at its height impressed Ves a lot with its expansive mech catalog. The company had so many mech models on offer that even if most of the models only sold modestly, the accumulated volume of sales built up to a very sizable amount!
Not only that, but due to the KNG's frequent product releases, they gained a lot of opportunities to hit the jackpot. Some of their mech models won so much regard from the mech market that they became overnight successes!
Part of the reason why this model worked so well with the KNG was because it operated flexible production lines that could switch to mass producing a different mech model when needed. The training and logistical flexibility required to run their manufacturing complexes in an efficient manner under these circumstances still provided a lot of inspiration.
Gavin thought over the argument for a moment. "I think you're right that the Blackbeak and the Crystal Lord are getting on in their years. However, as long as we adopt more flexible pricing, we can extend our sales of those two mech models. Are you really sure about phasing them so soon? We will need other mech models to prop up the LMC. You'll have to design a lot of mechs in the coming years in order to fill up the gap."
Ves nodded. "I'm sure. Don't worry about our mech catalog. I'll be adding plenty of new designs that tide us over in the coming years. Even though many customers are waiting for the new mech generation to roll in so that they can buy the latest products, many price-conscious mech buyers won't be able to afford the elevated prices of the latest mechs. The market demand for competitively-priced mechs is still strong as ever."
While the Aurora Titan would not be able to meet market demand as well as Ves would like, the mech design still served a useful role in proving that he could design better mechs than before.
"Are you confident in my abilities, Gavin?"
"Even if you haven't improved, as long as you design mechs like the Blackbeak or the Crystal Lord, I'm sure the LMC will do fine. I'm just afraid that you're overestimating your abilities. Your first two original mech designs happened to become a commercial success. I know enough about the mech market that this doesn't happen very often. What if your latest design flops?"
"It won't flop, or at least not as severely as you think." Ves replied confidently.
He already prepared a backup plan if the Aurora Titan failed to catch on. The market would come to appreciate the Aurora Titan one way or another.
Chapter 1110
A week passed by as both Ves and Professor Ventag adjusted the Aurora Titan's design. They worked away as many flaws as possible without compromising the strengths of the mech.
When it came time to fabricate the second prototype for testing, Ves begged off the opportunity to do it himself.
"I trust in your company's capabilities."
"Oh? That's quite different from last time, Ves. Why the change of heart?"
"I am used to doing everything myself." Ves replied over the comm. "However, after seeing how competent your subordinates are, I think they can do an excellent job in my stead. The difference in quality won't be very noticeable."
"That is true. I hardly ever bother with fabricating a mech by myself. My employees have gotten very good at fabricating even my most complicated designs due to focused efforts on enhancing their capabilities. This is something that every mech company can accomplish over time as long as you keep nurturing your mech technicians."
The professor raised a good point. At this time, Ves would never trust his mech technicians as much as the professor did his own. The LMC's mech technicians were still rather basic in their qualifications. Learning how to fabricate an entirely new mech design took way too long. They would need to fabricate at least dozens of Aurora Titans in order for them to pass through the steepest part of the learning curve.
Aside from not wanting to bother with redundant work, Ves also had two other reasons to leave the matter in someone else's hands.
First, he already observed the effect of the Aurora Titan's underdeveloped X-Factor. Its strength was so strong that the test pilot already noticed its presence from the start.
Ves did not wish to attract more attention to this aspect of his design than he liked. The testing facility would doubtlessly be scratching their heads trying to disassemble and reassemble the Aurora Titan over and over again if they encountered the same phenomenon yet again.
By letting others be responsible for fabricating the prototype, the X-Factor of the mech would still be present, but in a substantially weaker form. It shouldn't be strong enough to attract any alarm.
Ves figured the incident with the prototype mostly had to do with the fact that Ves fabricated the prototype personally by hand. As his Spirituality increased in strength, its effects gained in strength as well. Any mech designed and handcrafted by Ves gained a lot more value than before!
In general, this was good news, because his gold label mechs and any custom mechs he developed became even more fantastic compared to their bronze and silver label counterparts. Even the latter two editions also rode along as the more potent X-Factor of the design meant that even if others mass produced his mechs, they would still retain a good amount of spiritual strength.
It was like diluting a cup of wine. In order to retain its alcohol content even after dumping some water in the cup, it was best to start with a stronger wine.
Aside from his concerns on the prototype's X-Factor, Ves also had a second reason to remain in Cloudy Curtain.
He simply didn't want to travel to Bentheim again. After seeing how close the planet was about to blow during his last visit, Ves couldn't wait to get out as fast as possible! Why would he possibly return and expose himself to the same risks as last time?
Even though Bentheim remained oddly quiet during the past few weeks since his departure from the planet, Ves still didn't want to take the risk of getting caught up in a terrorist attack!
They moved on to discuss the marketing of the Aurora Titan. The closer they came to publishing the design, the more they began to shift their attention towards prepping it for the market.
So far, the initial tests showed that the Aurora Titan held a lot of promise. The challenge was in trying to convince the market to appreciate the value it could bring to a spaceborn mech force.
Marketing the mech was crucial to the mech design's commercial success. While neither Ves or Professor Ventag would bleed if the Aurora Titan flopped in the market, it wasn't in their nature to give up before a fight.
This was why both of them pooled together a substantial amount of money into the Aurora Titan's marketing budget. The LMC together with Bollinger Mech Trade would focus on marketing the Aurora Titan in Bentheim. NORA Consolidated would try to market the mech model in the rest of the Bright Republic and the star sector.
These two marketing campaigns required a lot of funding to take hold. If the Aurora Titan didn't sell more than a thousand mechs per year, then both companies would lose more money than they earned from its sales due to all of the money wasted on ad campaigns and other marketing activities.
"Where do you think NORA Consolidated spends most of its money?" The professor suddenly asked.
"Research?"
Ves knew that a Senior Mech Designer often engaged in expensive research in an attempt to advance their design philosophies. They needed to perform many different experiments, many of which involved the use of very high-end materials.
Advancing to Master was the ultimate dream of every Senior Mech Designer. Without devoting a sufficient amount of time and money into their research, they would never be able to come close to join the ranks of vaunted Masters in their profession!
Yet surprisingly, the professor shook his head. "It's actually marketing."
While Ves had an inkling that the professor might say that due to the current topic of discussion, the answer still surprised him a lot!
"How much do mech companies actually spend on marketing?"
"It depends on many factors, but generally the larger the mech company, the more they are able to leverage their scale to achieve very substantial gains from marketing. There are mech companies in the Bright Republic that spend twenty, thirty or even forty percent of their budgets on marketing!"
Forty percent! A mech company that spent almost half of their budget on advertising and other marketing activities alone must almost certainly run on hype alone!
"Does it work?"
"That's a difficult question to answer, but generally yes. Marketing does work. Why do so many mech companies allocate such a high proportion of their budgets to marketing activities if it's just a waste of money. It's an investment, Ves. In order for a company to make money, they have to spend money. Even if my company releases a new mech model, it can't rely on my reputation alone to turn it into a great success. Even though my company's brand is very strong, there are other companies that are also just as well-regarded."
"So mech companies are constantly competing against each other on marketing?" Ves furrowed his brows. "Won't that turn into an arms race at some point? Company A spends ten percent of its budget on marketing to capture marketing share from Company B. Subsequently, Company B spends twenty percent of its budget on marketing to recapture that same marketing share. In response, Company A ups their spending on marketing by thirty percent, and so on. Won't that eventually eat away at every company's profitability?"
The only companies who won in this arms race were the news portals and other media outlets who played the advertisements on behalf of the mech companies! They must be rolling in credits with all the money the mech companies threw at them to run their ads!
Even now, the LMC prepared to invest up to 8 billion credits on marketing the Aurora Titan! This was far more than the company invested in marketing the Blackbeak and the Crystal Lord during their launch!
For the same money the company prepared to spend on its upcoming marketing campaign, it could have easily used the money to buy another Hanover production line and still have 2 billion credits left to spare!
"These spending levels are fully reasonable, Ves." Professor Ventag stated. "Sure, we are gambling heavily on our Aurora Titan design to achieve at least moderate success, but in order to maximize these odds, we need to invest a great amount of money."
"Still, ten billion credits is a lot of money for the LMC. If not for.. extenuating circumstances, my company would have never been able to gather this much money for the Aurora Titan's marketing budget."
The problem the LMC faced was that 10 billion credits was actually on the small side! The advertising landscape was so saturated with ads for different mech models that it was hard to get a consumer to pay attention to the Aurora Titan unless ads about it continued to pop up. Not only would ads have to be present in Bentheim's virtual sphere, but a physical presence was also essential.
The professor underscored the necessity of spending this much money. "Think about how many Aurora Titans need to be sold to earn back all of this money. Leaving aside our profit split, we only have to sell 100 copies to recuperate your share of the marketing budget. Does it seem so difficult for us to manage to sell at least this much mechs?"
This rosy picture conveniently ignored the other costs related to producing the mechs. Even so, selling a couple of hundred Aurora Titans would still allow the LMC to pay back its investment in its marketing campaign.
Ves nodded reluctantly. "If you put it that way, then maybe spending so much on marketing doesn't seem so bad. With how extensive our marketing campaigns can be, achieving a couple of hundreds of sales doesn't seem impossible."
This was the perspective of a true major mech manufacturer! The LMC still had a long way to go before it began to equal the likes of the old KNG or NORA Consolidated.
The Senior elaborated on the issue of marketing. "Right now, you're still an Apprentice, so you have always treated the competition as numerous but formless. Yet will that last? When you advance to Journeyman, you no longer compete with kids anymore. The moment you lift yourself up is the moment you and your company enters the big leagues. Not only will you be competing in a much less crowded arena, your competitors are as capable if not better than you. Even if you believe that marketing is a waste of money, what about your competitors?"
Ves knew that the nature of an arms race was that both sides had to one-up each other in order to remain viable in the race. The moment a participant stopped competing, they would quickly fall out of consideration.
While Ves became increasingly more dour, he knew that Professor Ventag had given him a very necessary dose of reality.
No mech company could do without marketing! Not if they wished to continue to grow!
A marketing campaign was like a mech regiment meant to be employed in the war for market share. In this analogy, the side which fielded the best and most numerous mechs gained the upper hand against a less-well funded mech regiment.
If Ves continued to remain as miserly with regards to marketing as before, his company's marketing activities would only be as strong as the Flagrant Vandals.
In an equal battle, the Flagrant Vandals would definitely lose out against the Hostland Warriors or the Spiral Shockers!
The Mech Corps invested a lot of money into maintaining the strength of their mech regiments. Mech companies were similar in that they spent huge amounts of money into their marketing activities.
Whether it was the military or a private mech company, both of them were required to fight their own battles.
A mech company like the LMC would always need to fight against someone in the market in order to secure some market share.
Ves ended the call shortly afterwards in order to digest the lessons he received.
The professor was also a teacher, after all, so he always imparted the information that Ves needed to know the most.
"I'll be glad if the Aurora Titan sells a hundred copies at the start. Yet with all of this money being spent on marketing, the Aurora Titan needs to sell a lot more copies in order for our companies to break even!"
This was quite an expensive gamble!
Chapter 1111
A lot of time went by as Ves and Professor Ventag iterated on the Aurora Titan design. After the second prototype followed a third and a fourth prototype. Each subsequent tests revealed fewer flaws and inconsistencies. All the major flaws had been worked away, and most of the newer problems that popped up emerged in response to earlier solutions.
Along the way, Ves also adjusted the Aurora Titan's aesthetics in order to make it look more appealing. The mech's likeness began to look more like its namesake. It looked like a large and bulky titanic sculpture with a modest amount of muscle definition. The mech resembled an ancient marble statue, but Ves swapped the humanoid head with an exobeast head on a whim.
That last change perplexed Professor Ventag a bit.
"The Aurora Titan is very much a humanoid mech. Why would you change it to a dinosaur head, Ves?"
"Since every test pilot who interfaced with the prototypes describe that they feel like they are piloting an exobeast, why not play around with it?" Ves replied over the comm. "Both you and I know that appearances matter. A humanoid head is so ubiquitous that it doesn't convey any particular meaning. The lizard head on the other hand will make the Aurora Titan a much more interesting visual spectacle. It stands out even more from the crowd of standard humanoid space knight designs."
The professor still looked like he disapproved. "The Aurora Titan's intrusive aesthetic features are too bold and in your face. I know from your previous works that you have a flair for adding an artistic touch to your mech, but the muscle definition that you've added to the mech will increase the cost and demand more skill to make the armor plating. This complex-looking lizard head is much more troublesome to produce than a standard humanoid head."
"Only the gold label edition of the Aurora Titan will feature all of these frills." Ves retorted. "The extra care and attention put into the aesthetics of its top-shelf model will make buyers more happy with spending tens of millions more credits on what is essentially the same mech. I've also worked on simplifying the artistic elements on the bronze and silver label editions to make them more suitable for mass production. The crystal tech I incorporated in them is also weaker but simpler to reproduce."
The three-tiered mech model scheme of the LMC somewhat clashed with NORA Consolidated's own approach. While Ves favored an artistic touch if he could get away with it, Professor Ventag generally valued form over function. The Senior preferred to design simple and clean-looking designs that were easy to fabricate and easy to repair.
The two argued over this issue for a while but Ves held his ground despite going against the will of a Senior. Since the Aurora Titan was pretty much his brainchild, Ves eventually got his way.
The professor dismissively waved his hand. "Fine. I'll indulge you on this matter. I do have to admit that your art does look appealing in some sense. This will be a benefit to our marketing campaigns even if you don't plan on selling a large number of gold label mechs."
The gold label mechs often times became the public face for the lesser editions even though there weren't that many out there in the wild. This happened with the Blackbeaks and the Crystal Lords. Their rarity turned them into genuine collector's items in some circles.
Ves did take the liberty of adding one particular aesthetic feature to every edition of the Aurora Titan.
He first scoured through NORA Consolidated's expansive library of licenses but failed to find what he needed.
He then browsed the MTA's library of endless component licenses and found the perfect component the job.
The Rescue Particle Generator was a small and energy-efficient component that emitted long-lasting glowing particles. As its name suggested, it was meant to be employed as a signal flare for stranded mechs and shuttles who were waylaid in deep space.
Unlike the Festive Cloud Generator, it did not require a source of fluid to function. It worked on both on land and in space and only increased the energy consumption of the Aurora Titan by a negligible amount. It was also small and flexible in its employment.
Ves added the emitters of the Rescue Particle Generator on the rear of the Aurora Titan design. The particles emitted from this addition not only blended in with the glow emanating from the flight system, but they also left behind a persistent trail in space that looked fantastic when the Aurora Titan was on the move.
Of course, Ves took into account that not every outfit or mech pilot wanted to paint a glowing golden stripe of its passage through space. There was no reason for the mech to puff itself up during routine patrols.
Aside from deactivating the Rescue Particle Generator, owners could also opt to remove them entirely without affecting the structural integrity of the mech.
"Hopefully, not a lot of people will choose this option."
The best part about the Rescue Particle Generator was that its function was so useless in raising the functional battle performance of a mech that its license was dirt cheap. It hardly impacted his bank account at all to license it for ten years, though he did contemplate on licensing it on a perpetual basis instead.
"With the knowledge I possess, it shouldn't be impossible for me to design my own gadget one day." He judged.
A perpetual license was many times more expensive than a standard ten-year license. Ves figured that within this span of time, he would surely be able to come up with something that provided even more visual flair than a component meant simply to put up a colored light to attract rescue.
Perhaps distracting himself with these visual aspects may not be entirely to the benefit of the actual design. However, both his design philosophy and Qilanxo's spiritual fragment approved of his attempts to beautify the mech. It turned the Aurora Titan into a much more interesting mech that distinguished itself further from the concept of mechs as disposable commodities.
"A mech that costs 100 million credits or more to buy ought to represent more than function."
While Ves admitted that form over function or simplicity to the point of minimalism each had their good points, that was simply not his design style.
"Functionalism and minimalism devolves the identity of a mech into its base role to its extreme. The company brand matters plays a greater role in how the mech is seen that its individual merits."
Some mech companies built up a very strong brand name and reputation for quality. They published simple-looking mechs with a unified aesthetic design that all leaned towards simplicity. Their designs were also part of the same product family, so they worked particularly well with each other.
All of this resulted in a trend whereby some outfits fielded an entire force of uniform-looking mechs! Actually encountering such a mech force was quite a sight!
In general, most mech designers didn't bother all that much with the visual design of their mechs. The general trend of mechs was to treat them as functional war machines. Mech designers therefore tended to lean towards simplicity and leave aside any unnecessary visual elements that might negatively impact the performance of their mech designs.
Ves actively fought against this trend. Why couldn't mechs be art?
"Even if mech designers don't actively work on the aesthetics of their mechs, they are still engaging in art."
The most important factor to take into account to Ves was that mech design involved both art and science. In fact, the profession blended the two into an intermingled whole. The science part affected the parameters of the mech while the art part shaped people's perception of the mech.
Many people and even mech designers often underestimated the impact of perception to the performance of the mech. Ves believed that mech pilots would treat their mechs like crap if they looked like garbage. On the other hand, if their mechs looked classy and expensive, then the mech pilots would never treat them like crap!
While these were extreme examples, mechs that looked boring or generic would not arouse any specific feelings to the mech pilot. This was a wasted opportunity to shape their perception and therefore the way they treated their mechs.
"If mechs are bots, then their appearances don't matter. The AIs that control them won't perform any differently whether machine looks like a rust bucket or a sculpture come to life. Humans are different. They are ruled by logic as well as emotions. It's the latter that is the key."
Due to his design philosophy, Ves spent a lot of effort in trying to master the ability to shape people's moods and emotion.
"They say a picture is worth a thousand words."
The true meaning of this phrase was that a picture was a great means of indoctrinating an audience without resorting to overt means!
"To put it more bluntly, art brainwashes people!"
This was a crazy statement to make, but as a mech designer Ves constantly tried to find a way to shape the perception of his target audience to his product.
Every artist tried to convey meaning in their works. Even if Ves visited an art gallery and taped a nutrient pack onto a wall, this work would still qualify as art! While the idea of affixing a nutrient pack onto a wall sounded ridiculous, it nonetheless sent out a specific message that affected the thoughts, emotions and moods of its audience!
Therefore, Ves very much thought that mech designers who focused more on the science and engineering aspects of their designs missed some of the points about their profession. Design encompassed both function and form. The latter deserved at least some attention, if only to prime the opinion of the market without resorting to expensive marketing campaigns!
Still, Ves was very cognizant that he could take this particular quirk of his and turn it into an obsession. His preoccupation with visuals frankly distracted him from paying more attention on the basic functionality of the design. Because he was very much willing to sacrifice a bit of performance if it made his mech look better, his products would never reach their full potential in terms of performance!
"So what? With my current design ability, my mechs already perform well enough to keep up with competing products."
While Ves did care about about the performance of his mechs, he did not fixate on improving it at all costs. Mech designers such as the Skull Architect were so sensitive towards inefficiencies that they would keep themselves preoccupied for weeks or months just to find a way to solve a minor issue.
During his time with the Whalers, the Flagrant Vandals and Lydia's Swordmaidens, Ves made an important observation that shaped his perspective on mech design. While many people tended to nitpick over the technical specifications of a mech, hardly any mech pilot ever managed to reach the upper limit of what their machines were capable of! What a mech could do in theory and in practice were very different!
Again, the example of the Skull Architect came to mind. His mechs were such impressive high-performing machines that one would think that his products would dominate the battlefield. The reality was very much different, especially in a very poor environment like the frontier.
Only aberrantly-skilled mech pilots, expert candidates and expert pilots hit or surpassed the limits of their mechs. The overwhelming majority of mech pilots always performed significantly worse than the capabilities of their mechs implied.
Therefore, rather than wrack his brains on maximizing the theoretical performance of his mechs, Ves would rather attempt to increase the average performance of the mech pilots that used his products.
"This approach is central to my design philosophy."
Shaping opinions and brainwashing his mech pilots through a mix of spiritual and visual design were very underappreciated aspects in modern-day mech design.
Any product or work of art that involved some design aspects always conveyed a meaning.
Ves just recognized this fact and weaponized it in order to advance the goals set by his design philosophy.
"Let's not kid myself. The biggest reason why I bother so much with visual design is because it will help me sell more mechs!"
Chapter 1112
The time to develop the Aurora Titan surpassed the time limit initially set by Professor Ventag. With all the successive iterations being developed and sent to the Green Nebula region to undergo testing, they wasted a lot of time on improving and optimizing the design.
However, Ves considered the effort to be fairly worth it. By the time they developed a fifth prototype and got it tested, Ves and the professor decided that this would be the final iteration of the design.
Aside from implementing some very minor last-minute tweaks, the lengthy design process eventually came to an end!
"It's done!" Ves celebrated.
"The design is functionally complete." The professor nodded over the comm. "As long as you are sure that this is the product that you wish to publish in our names, I will fabricate a copy myself and send it to the MTA for validation."
"That sounds good. I trust in your capabilities."
Ves still held the same concerns as before. Unless it was absolutely necessary, Ves did not plan on visiting Bentheim at all!
Unfortunately, he might not have his wish.
"While our companies have prepared elaborate marketing campaigns for our new product, it is nonetheless vital for us to announce it in person. My company has already booked a large exhibition venue in Bentheim. As the lead designer of the Aurora Titan, it mainly falls on you to introduce the public to this mech design. Are you up to the task?"
This was a difficult question to Ves. If he declined, then the professor would take up the stage. That might be good in attracting more attention to the Aurora Titan design because any mech designed by a Senior was notable.
However, letting Professor Ventag be the public face of the joint design project did not help Ves out in any way.
The audience might think that the Senior was the real lead designer and that Ves was only a junior hanger-on who coasted on Ventag's reputation!
If Ves wanted to put some truth into the fact that he was responsible for setting the concept, vision and around seventy-five of the Aurora Titan design, then he needed to step onto the stage in person!
Therefore, despite his great reluctance to return to Bentheim, Ves eventually nodded. "Please let me do the product reveal. In fact, could you let me be in charge of fabricating the show models as well? It will help if I can present the works I made with my own hands."
"Are you certain? NORA Consolidated's production equipment is a lot better than our own company's production equipment. You've entrusted the fabrication of the prototype to my company and I don't see the need to change that. At least one of my crews have become quite adept at fabricating copies of the Aurora Titan."
"Your mech technicians are very capable." Ves praised. "Yet a mech designed by myself will carry my personal touch. I think that is what the show models need the most at its upcoming product reveal. I'm very good at this. Otherwise, my gold label mechs wouldn't be so valued compared to their bronze and silver label counterparts."
"What about your company's fabrication limits? Is it capable of fabricating an Aurora Titan?"
"The situation is different now." Ves stated. "I've tasked my company to order some extra equipment and rework some of my production lines. My manufacturing complex is now fully capable of producing the Aurora Titan without any complications."
The professor eventually agreed, dismissing it as one of Ves' many eccentricities.
These upgrades may have cost some money, but Ves considered the investment to be well worth it. It helped that he only upgraded a couple of production lines, thereby minimizing his expenditures.
If everything went according to plan, then NORA Consolidated became responsible for the bulk of fulfilling the orders for the Aurora Titan model. The bigger company was much more equipped to output a lot of Aurora Titans at a consistently high quality.
NORA Consolidated therefore became responsible for the production of both the bronze label and silver label editions of the Aurora Titan model.
While it was weird to entrust the company with the production of both the bronze and silver label editions of the new mech model, neither mech designers thought it was a good idea to involve a third-party.
The Aurora Titan design was very much a niche product that fulfilled a very narrow role. It would never sell as much as standard medium space knights. With its low sales projection, there really wasn't any point in outsourcing production of the most affordable edition to a different company.
That didn't prevent other companies from licensing the design from the MTA, but even so they would likely be wasting their money.
While the professor's mech company became responsible for mass production, the LMC would fulfill more special orders. Ves planned to fabricate the gold label edition of the Aurora Titan in limited amounts in order to impress the public, meet the needs of the Avatars of Mech and propagate mechs with the strongest X-Factor he had ever produced up to this point.
He would also fulfill any custom orders he found worthwhile to fulfill. Ves considered his time to be very valuable, so he wouldn't easily spend his time on customizing an Aurora Titan to a specific client without getting a lot of rewards in return.
All in all, both of their companies had already made full preparations for the upcoming introduction of the Aurora Titan design. From both a production and a marketing standpoint, their companies were as ready as ever to work with the new design!
After agreeing on several other matters, Ves eventually ended the call with the professor.
"Heh." Ves chuckled. "This will likely be the end of my easy access to a Senior Mech Designer."
The joint design project gave Ves a lot of opportunities to interact with a Senior in an intimate manner. For all intents and purposes, the professor had taken on an unofficial role as a mentor to the younger mech designer.
This was something that Ves really lacked. While he showered Ketis with a lot of attention before during his time with the Vandals, this time he had become the beneficiary of someone who was better and more experienced.
Naturally, Ves did not think that Ventag spent so much time on mentoring him because the professor appreciated his talents. Perhaps that might have played a role, but ultimately Professor Ventag was trying to pull Ves deeper into his orbit.
As long as Ves continued to become more prominent, the professor's investment would pay off big time!
Ves recognized the influence game that the professor was playing and implicitly accepted it as he benefited from the tutelage of a Senior. He gained a lot of small but important insights such as the importance of marketing to a mech company.
However, both of them were busy mech designers with many priorities on their minds.
Professor Ventag not only had to design a lot of mechs to keep NORA Consolidated at the forefront of the mech market, he also fought to keep the DCTI relevant in the face of AUMD's dominance in Bentheim's academic mech community.
Meanwhile, Ves had to prepare his company for the impending transition to the next mech generation. In order for the company to maintain its market presence, Ves also had to come up with a number of stopgap designs in the next couple of years.
Just like the Aurora Titan design, these stopgap designs would straddle between two different mech generations and be able to provide value in both instances. Ves aimed to work with more versatile mech concepts for his stopgap design with greater sales potential than his Aurora Titan design.
"It's all well and good to innovate on a mech design, but I shouldn't lose sight on the importance of making money."
The LMC needed to offer appealing mech designs in the next couple of years. These products would fill the void that emerged when the company retired the Blackbeak and Crystal Lord models from its mech catalog.
"If my company stops receiving orders, my production lines will all fall dormant. Most of my company's employees won't have anything to do and my company will continue to bleed an enormous amount of money while remaining idle."
A company that spent most of its time by sitting on its hands all day was not a productive company! Even if Ves could use extraordinary one-off means to generate huge amounts of money, this was not a sustainable way to run a company.
If Ves needed to bail out his company out of its dire financial straits all the time, what would that do to the confidence of his employees? They would think that the LMC wasn't strong enough to stand on its own! If such a sentiment ever took root in the minds of his workers, then their morale and shared identity would all plummet into nothing!
Therefore, in order to sustain the long-term health of the company, Ves needed to pump out several mech designs with interesting formulas. As long as these designs achieved enough sales as the Blackbeak and the Crystal Lord, then that was enough of a success in his book.
"I also can't forget about my other obligations." Ves grimaced.
In other words, Ves would likely be so preoccupied with his own matters that he wouldn't be able to remain in regular contact with Professor Ventag.
"Perhaps it's for the best. If I continue to learn from him, eventually I will lose my own way."
As a mech designer, Ves had a very clear idea on what kind of mechs he wanted to design. While there wasn't anything wrong with learning from another mech designer, he should always be wary of supplanting his own design philosophy with someone else's!
"Well, enough musing about. Let's finalize the design."
Ves upheld a very different definition of finalizing a mech design than others. Most mech designers would simply file some paperwork to convey the message that the latest version of the design was the official one.
Not him. While Ves would still have to follow the same steps in order to satisfy the laws and regulations set by the MTA and the local jurisdictions, he needed to take one additional step to truly finalize a design.
"It's time to add the final touch."
Ves called up the design schematics of the Aurora Titan from his desk projector and centered himself for a moment. He concentrated his mind and connected himself to the dormant spiritual fragment in his mind.
He conveyed a simple message to the fragment.
The fragment pulsed in response.
Ves could sense the excitement emanating from Qilanxo's augmented spiritual fragment. After months of riding inside his mind and taking an active part in designing the Aurora Titan, it could finally end its months-long wait!
With the spiritual fragment's assent, Ves opened up his mind while staring intensely at the projected design of the Aurora Titan.
It was time for the spiritual fragment to breathe life into the design!
"Go! Take up your new home!"
With a mental breeze, the spiritual fragment phased right through his mental space and flitted over to the spiritual domain of the Aurora Titan.
The design seemed to glow in his mental vision. Some very inexplicable reactions occured as the design truly seemed to come to life in his eyes! Its X-Factor become more and more enlivened, and in some sense Ves even received the illusion that the design even managed to surpass a limit that he never knew before!
As the design stopped glowing in his spiritual vision, Ves felt a huge void in his mind. The immensely powerful presence of Qilanxo's spiritual fragment no longer inhabited his mind!
Even though he missed its presence, he nonetheless felt an unprecedented amount of satisfaction. The spiritual fragment not only succeeded in integrating itself into the design, but also pushed its X-Factor to unseen heights!
Ves cherished the memory of this moment. "It will be a long time before I can replicate this amazing moment."
Chapter 1113
Finalizing a mech design meant that the System would inevitably evaluate the design. While Ves felt very curious about learning what the System thought of the unprecedentedly strong X-Factor of the Aurora Titan design, he held himself back from activating it right this instant.
"I designed the Aurora Titan for myself."
He did not design the Aurora Titan to impress Professor Ventag, to make a lot of money, to enhance his reputation or to please the rigid priorities of the ambiguous System.
In fact, Ves felt disgusted at himself for his impulse to immediately reach for the System like a Pavlovian dog salivating for treat from its master.
"I think I deserve a break."
Ves decided to take a few days off in order to clear his mind and readjust himself to his changed mental landscape. The lengthy presence of Qilanxo's spiritual fragment in his mind left a lot of marks behind. Not only that, he never felt he was completely alone while the fragment still resided in his mind.
It was simply too lifelike for Ves to dismiss it as a soulless entity.
While it didn't hurt to take a few days off, he should also try to regain his peak state as fast as possible.
If Ves wanted to make the best possible splash during the product reveal, then he needed to show the Aurora Titan in its best state. How better to accomplish this goal than to present a number of gold label mechs?
"I have to be in the best condition possible in order to fabricate the most impactful copies of the Aurora Titan."
Even without reading the System's evaluation for the Aurora Titan's X-Factor, Ves also sensed its extraordinary strength. What kind of benefits the X-Factor provided, Ves frankly didn't know. However, they would most definitely allow the Aurora Titan to stand out to the mech pilots who came in touch with a copy!
Ves already looked forward to seeing the reactions of his customers. The Aurora Titan was meant to fulfill the needs of space knight pilots, after all. If he couldn't satisfy their desires, then he considered the design to be an abject failure.
"Hopefully, the market can look past its weaknesses and appreciate its strengths."
Ves particularly cared about how Jannzi Larkinson took in the new mech. As a member of the Avatars of Myth, she was entitled to pilot some of his best mechs. The Aurora Titan he planned to provide her would not only be a gold label mech, but also incorporate one of Lucky's super gems.
"Your byproducts will finally play a role again, Lucky." He told his cat who was lounging on a cat bed placed on his imposing desk.
"Meow."
"Yeah yeah, I know. I haven't made use of your gifts for a long time. It's different now. The Avatars of Myth deserve the best of what I can offer. After all, my safety is in their hands so it stands to reason that their mechs are better than the rest."
The powerful effects of Lucky's super gems made Ves feel a bit leery about implementing them in any commercial mechs. If anyone ever compared a gem-augmented mech to a non-augmented mech of the same design, then they would find that the disparity in performance was too blatant, especially when the differences reached as high as forty percent!
Ves couldn't risk his secret sauce being found out. Even if he made use of the Anonymizing Stamp to hide the presence of the gem, determined researchers would still be able to sniff it out through employing a process of elimination.
It was best to keep this advantage close to his chest. By customizing the mechs a bit, Ves could worm the super gem into its frame and use the excuse that the elevated performance was due to the more expensive exotics he added to the mech or something.
"Custom mechs always perform better than standard mechs. It stands to reason that their parameters are higher."
Ves considered this a good way to camouflage the effect of the gems. Not only that, but the benefits brought about by the changes to the standard design would also synergize with the effects of the gems, thereby multiplying the performance gains!
Since the gem-augmented mechs strictly belonged to the Avatars of Myth, their abnormally high performance wouldn't be at risk of any outside scrutiny! It was his personal mech troop after all. Why would he conduct an investigation in his own mechs?
Ves picked up Lucky and carried him against his shoulder as he left his office. Every employee in the headquarters of the LMC was used to seeing Lucky alone or in the grasp of Ves or his confidants, so he did not attract more attention than the usual admiration and hero worship that he already received.
His ploy of making his workers and the public get used to see him carrying around his mechanical pet continued apace.
Ideally, Lucky would become an inseparable accessory of Ves in their impression of him. This was because aside from his gem production ability, Lucky was his strongest bodyguard!
Ves paused his journey alongside a wall that depicted the company's logo with the motto placed underneath.
All this time, the LMC adopted a stylized depiction of Lucky resting comfortably on a rainbow cloud surrounded by a triangle.
"It's a shame it's outdated." He remarked.
"Meow!"
Back when he initially conceived of the logo, Lucky looked like a bronze mechanical contraption. After consuming a lot of exotics as well as high-quality Rorach's Bone and whatever materials the CFA put into its shuttle and gear, Lucky looked very different now.
While he was still as small as an organic cat, Lucky's exterior pulsed with glowing blue energy between his metallic white exterior plating. The gem cat looked a lot more futuristic than when Ves initially received him as a gift from the System.
A gift that Ves found out hadn't been a random prize from a lottery ticket. Instead, his mother deliberately rigged the System somehow in order to put Lucky in his possession.
Ves still didn't know what to think of it. Despite Lucky's intimate relationship to his incorporeal mother, he still considered his pet to be his closest companion.
In some way, Lucky was the family pet. That perspective made it a little easier for Ves to accept his cat's uncertain origins.
He turned his attention back to the logo. Even though Lucky's exterior no longer looked like bronze, Ves didn't think it was worth the effort to implement a vast and costly company-wide change just to reshade the company logo.
"With your bottomless appetite, you'll probably look different again a year from now."
"Meow!"
Lucky tried to look innocent, but Ves knew better than to take his cute pet at face value. The heart of a gluttonous devil resided inside the metallic bone shell of his cat.
"Well, let's move on."
Ves continued to carry Lucky downwards until he reached the ground floor. Some security guards automatically followed him as he made his way outside and beheld the cloudy skies of his home planet.
"I can never get tired of this sight. Others might think this planet is drab, but to us its home."
"Meow."
Lucky probably didn't care. He was a cat, after all. The only concerns on his mind was eating valuable minerals and exotics while making sure that his master remained alive to continue feeding him these goodies.
Ves leisurely strolled across the garden-like plaza of the Mech Nursery and reached the annex of the complex reserved for the Avatars of Myth.
Their base so far became increasingly crowded as the Avatars continued to expand their ranks. Ves figured that at some point it would be best to erect a separate base for his personal force.
"Ves!"
Melkor stepped out of the administrative office of the Avatars of Myth and greeted Ves in person. "I've received word that you are heading this way. What brings you to our base?"
For a moment, Ves admired the sight of the Blackbeaks, Crystal Lords and various other mechs in his sights.
"I wanted to check up on Jannzi." He said. "She's been practicing in the simulators, right?"
"Correct. Ever since you tasked her with piloting a show model of your new mech, she's been hard at work trying to master its intricacies. She's really devoted to doing the best job possible. All of us know what your new design means to you and the company."
It gladdened Ves to hear that Jannzi maintained her diligent practice all this time. "How good is she with the latest virtual version of the Aurora Titan?"
"Why don't you see for yourself?"
They moved over to the practice facility which hosted a large variety of training equipment for the mech pilots. The Avatars made use of quality simulators to train the mech pilots, though no simulator could ever model reality with total accuracy, so the actual benefits didn't compare to practicing with actual mechs.
If not for concerns about accelerating the wear and tear of their existing mechs, the Avatars of Myth would be practicing with actual mechs all the time.
When Ves, Melkor and Lucky stepped into a control room that administered the simulators, they called up a projection that depicted Jannzi's current practice run.
It depicted a harrowing battle while Jannzi's Aurora Titan desperately tried to shield three vulnerable rifleman mechs against a full company of enemy rifleman mechs!
It was impossible for the Aurora Titan to shield its fellow mechs from the onslaught of firepower pouring in from each direction. The enemy ranged mechs surrounded their outnumbered prey on all sides.
Yet even if it was impossible to shield her comrades in every direction, Jannzi didn't go down without a fight! The Titan glowed in gold and white as it mustered out as much energy as possible to present a shielded front against the most intensive volleys of incoming fire!
"I can last longer!" She shouted to herself as she gritted her teeth.
The Aurora Titan proficiently absorbed pinpoint laser beams with polarizing fields that were only a couple times larger than the radius of the beams. This was a very efficient application of the polarizing fields as it was just large enough to block the laser beams and its scattering heat!
Even so, much of the shield and armor plating of the Titan slowly turned to slag or vaporized away as the mech endured volley after volley of laser fire!
Eventually, the Pisaro armor plating gave up the ghost, exposing its internal components to space. Laser beams quickly raked the gaps, inflicting substantial internal damage to the mech! I f not for the effort that Professor Ventag put into compartmentalizing the internal architecture of the mech, a couple of laser beams might have already crippled Jannzi's virtual mech!
Even so, the widening armor breaches gave the enemy mechs more and more opportunities to beat up the Aurora Titan from within. The insides of the Aurora Titan was nowhere near as resilient as its exterior armor plating, so the mech finally succumbed from all of the damage a short time later!
The simulation ended!
"Damnit! I lasted shorter than the last time!" Jannzi berated herself as one of the simulator pods cracked open.
She suddenly came to attention when Ves and Melkor entered the room that hosted the simulator pods.
"Melkor! Ves!" She yelped and straightened her back.
"At ease." Ves said with mirth. "You don't have to act like we're in the military. We're family."
"Ah, yes."
She still looked nervous though. Even though Melkor was her older cousin, he was also the force commander of the Avatars of Myth. Meanwhile, Ves possessed an eminent status in the Bright Republic. His bank accounts alone was rumored to be countless times bigger than the Larkinson Estate's entire investment portfolio!
"You performed quite impressively in the last simulation." Ves praised. "You lasted several minutes longer than an average mech pilot would have lasted in the same position."
Jannzi firmly shook her head. "It's not enough. I know my uncles and aunts would be disappointed in me if they witnessed my performance. It's just that the strain of using the polarizing module to block laser fire coming in every direction is too burdensome for me to cope."
"Don't be ridiculous, Jannzi. It's not every day the Aurora Titan will find itself surrounded from all sides by an entire mech company. It's inevitable that the Aurora Titan will succumb when caught out alone with only a couple of friendly mechs by its side. A regular space knight wouldn't perform any better in the same situation, you know."
"I know it's just a practice exercise." The female Larkinson said. "It just gnaws at me that I still have a lot more to go before I can perfect my use of the polarizing module."
"Well, if you are really determined to do better, just wait until you receive one of the first copies of the finalized design of the Aurora Titan. I expect you'll be able to perform real miracles with my new mech!" Ves grinned.
Chapter 1114
Aeon Corona VII. A planet of the gods. When the Starlight Megalodon crashed onto the surface of this heavy gravity planet, an endless cloud of disruptive but extremely potent higher-dimensional particles covered its skies and blanketed the rest of the star system. This not only caused the planet to become isolated from the rest of the galaxy, but also formed the basis of remarkable forms of life.
The vault of the gods, the all-encompassing clouds of higher-dimensional particles, not only blocked the suns of the star systems from shining on the surface, but also wormed their way into the native lifeforms of the planet. Everything changed due to the higher-dimensional particles leaking from the perpetually-active FTL drives of the Starlight Megalodon.
Perhaps the most drastic effect was that time passed ten times faster on the surface of the planet. Three-hundred years went by in the galaxy since the disappearance of the Starlight Megalodon, which meant that the planet went through three-thousand years of change and transition.
The planet's ecosystem underwent massive, directed changes as the survivors of the Starlight Megalodon terraformed the planet to suit their needs.
However, they did more than turn Aeon Corona VII into a livable planet. After some of the surviving researchers initiated Project Icarus, they began to employ widespread genetic modification on both humans and the native exobeasts of the planet.
This led to the proliferation of the Cursed People, genetically engineered dwarves that used to come from the stock of enlisted spacers of the Starlight Megalodon. It also led to the emergence of the Blessed People, genetically optimized humans with remarkable mental properties due to their exposure to the remarkable properties of the planet.
However, the extreme genetic modification performed on the native exobeasts served as the central focus of the CFA's followup investigation. A small fleet of warships maintained a permanent presence in the star system, preventing the aggressive sandmen from disrupting the proceedings on the planet.
The Starlight Megalodon was no more. Sigrund's awakening made sure of that. The hybrid alien AI was long gone as well after making sure that it left no traces of its existence behind.
The sentient AI had also been vindictive enough to sow mass destruction onto the planet, using its influence over his lesser sandman cousins to destroy each and every ancient city on the planet.
Hardly any Blessed People survived the genocide. Hardly any Sacred God survived as well, as most ignorantly tried to resist the massive sandmen motherships with their metaphysical powers.
While Sacred Gods possessed remarkable powers, these land beasts stood no chance against the might of a warship-equivalent like a sandman mothership.
Only those few Sacred Gods who wandered the wilderness between the ancient cities survived. Most of the Wild Gods, lesser exobeasts that hadn't been implanted with the remarkable god crystals, survived as well.
The CFA attempted to preserve the the god beast race when they arrived on Aeon Corona VII and learned some of the events that transpired.
Despite their remarkable scientific advancements, they were failing.
The researchers watched with dismay as every Sacred God and Wild God on the planet began to waste away, losing energy and body mass on a constant basis no matter how much they ate.
The god crystals implanted onto the hides of the Sacred Gods and the murky crystals that both Sacred Gods and Wild Gods were born with all lost their luster and energy.
The vault of the gods had disappeared, and the constant influx of higher-dimensional particles into the ecosystem disappeared along with it. This was disastrous because the god crystals and the murky crystals both consisted of crystallized higher-dimensional particles!
The sudden end of the supply of higher-dimensional particles caused both types of crystals to lose the ability to retain their integrity in the material dimensions. The god beasts that Project Icarus spawned slowly lost their integrity as well as their massive physical bodies depended on higher-dimensional particles as well.
"They're all dead." A head researcher said. Sadness suffused his voice. He was disappointed in himself and his subordinates for failing to come up with a way to retain the research gains of his predecessors. "Only one remains, but she is not long for this galaxy."
A visiting CFA commander standing next to the researcher frowned. "Your research teams have exposed our diminishing number of captive god beasts with various forms of higher-dimensional particles. Why have these remarkable exobeasts fail to sustain themselves with the new sources?"
The researcher sighed. "Higher-dimensional particles are a catch-all term for the myriad of unknown forms of matter that exists in what we colloquially call the higher dimensions. In this case, the particles that we presume to have leaked from the Starlight Megalodon's FTL drives are exceptionally difficult to pin down."
The CFA research teams tried their best. They employed advanced machines that emulated the peculiar behavior of the Starlight Megalodon's FTL drives to expose the exobeasts with many different types of higher-dimensional particles.
However, finding the right type was like looking for a nanometer-sized needle in a galaxy-wide haystack! There were too many different types of matter and energy in the endless higher dimensions!
The researcher and the commander both looked through the giant cage through the transparent screen. The last living exobeast, breathed her last breaths as her emaciated body began to experience widespread organ failure.
Various researchers, bots and medical equipment were on site trying to keep the animal alive, but its aberrant physique was too alien and too dependent on higher-dimensional particles! Not even locking it in stasis worked, because the deterioration of the giant beast's body continued irrespective of the passage of time!
At some point, her nineteen god crystals began to crack. Minute by minute, the cracks grew bigger. The surface of the dim and listless crystals also began to crumble in tiny grains that slowly faded out of existence.
"This is the end."
The Sacred God known as Qilanxo breathed her last natural breath as her decaying body finally succumbed.
However, moments later, in a different place and in a very different state, Qilanxo breathed yet again!
To some entities in the galaxy, death was not the end of life!
Back on Cloudy Curtain, Ves still basked in the pleasure of completing his fourth original design. He knew nothing of what had occurred on Aeon Corona VII and wasn't even aware of Qilanxo's passing.
Instead, he became preoccupied with his next steps after finalizing the design. On its own, the Aurora Titan design did not have much significance. Only when Ves introduced the mech to the market and attracted orders would he truly feel that he succeeded as a mech designer.
In order to know how he could best market his design, it was imperative for him to know how it fared.
When Ves finally thought his mental state entered into a good state, he decided to activate the System. Out of every individual he could ask to judge his design, only the System provided the most objective and complete evaluation.
He took Lucky down to his lab and locked himself inside his isolation chamber before activing his Privacy Shield. Only then did he feel safe to engage the System.
"Here goes nothing."
[Design Evaluation: Aurora Titan AT-A-01]
Model name: Aurora Titan AT-A-01
Original Manufacturer: Ves Larkinson
Weight Classification: Super-Medium
Recommended Role: Defensive Space Knight
Armor: A
Carrying Capacity: C
Aesthetics: A
Endurance: C+
Energy Efficiency: D+
Flexibility: C-
Firepower: D+
Integrity: A+
Mobility: E
Spotting: D
X-Factor: A
Cost efficiency: B-
Project involvement: 67%
Original component composition: 13%
Overall evaluation: The Aurora Titan is a super-medium space knight that excels in defending relatively static positions and withstanding directed energy damage. The mech is able to offer the best performance in low-to-medium intensity combat against ranged opponents, but performs poorly in other situations such as withstanding physical damage and fending off melee mechs. The Aurora Titan's X-Factor is tied to Qilanxo, the Shield of Samar, an exobeast and Sacred God native to Aeon Corona VII.
[You have received 1000 Design Points for completing an original design that has no other equivalent.]
[You have received 50,000 Design Points for designing a mech with a high presence of X-Factor.]
Fifty-thousand DP. That was way more than the System ever bestowed Ves for finishing a single design! Designing the Aurora Titan for up to seven months had not been in vain in this aspect at least, because with this much DP he could easily afford to obtain another Mastery from the System!
"So the Aurora Titan's X-Factor did manage to break into A-grade territory!"
Ves labored for years to bump the X-Factor of his mechs out of the C-grade. He finally succeeded when he designed the Crystal Lord. The key to his success back then had been to employ the heavily eroded spiritual fragment of a long-dead leader of the crystal builder race as the basis of one of his images.
With the Aurora Titan, Ves resorted to the same method but ran it to the next level. The spiritual fragment that Qilanxo voluntarily bestowed to him had always been exceptional. Its strength was so immense that to call it a mere 'spiritual fragment' was a huge misnomer!
"I should probably call it a spiritual clone or a spiritual egg or something." He shrugged.
No matter what he called it, the gift from Qilanxo offered him a glimpse of the future. He knew that he could never obtain a spiritual fragment as potent as the one bestowed by the Sacred God through his own power.
If Qilanxo wanted to, she could have crushed his own spiritual existence when he initially made contact with her through the imaginary realm!
Ves therefore felt incredibly grateful that she was friendly enough to play along and work with him on integrating her spiritual fragment into the X-Factor of the Aurora Titan design.
"What a powerful X-Factor! I can't even fathom how powerful an A-Grade X-Factor can be! What do you think, Lucky?"
"Meow!"
"Uh-huh. Any copy of the Aurora Titan will be incredibly remarkable, that's for certain. The silver label edition of my new mech might be as strong if not stronger than the gold label of the Crystal Lords."
As for how a Aurora Titan would turn out if Ves passionately crafted it by hand, he could hardly wait!
The product reveal for the Aurora Titan took place in three weeks, giving the LMC and NORA Consolidated a narrow window of time to prepare. While Professor Ventag and his mech company organized the upcoming event in Bentheim, Ves had tasked himself with fabricating five gold label copies of the Aurora Titan.
One of which would be piloted by Jannzi Larkinson, while the remainder fell into the hands of four skilled mech pilots of Professor Ventag's company mech force.
"Jannzi will get the best copy." Ves had already decided. "I should add something extra to her mech to spice it up. She's family, after all."
An interesting notion popped in his mind. As a mech designer, Ves became used to designing mechs for the market. His customers mostly consisted of random citizens in the Bright Republic and elsewhere in the Komodo Star Sector.
Ves did not share a connection to them other than selling them his mechs. He did not know people like Raymond Costa and Carla Dio, who recently shared their stories to the LMC's workforce.
While Ves appreciated the successes his customers had achieved with his products, he nonetheless did not feel much sympathy if they encountered a mishap and died.
Ves had way too many customers to care about lives!
Yet it was different when it came to his own family. Melkor piloted his own personal gold label Crystal Lord for a couple of years now with great skill. Now, another Larkinson partook in his bounty.
Ves often equated the X-Factor as a metaphysical phenomenon arising from the alignment in thoughts and beliefs between the mech, mech pilot and mech designer.
If this description was accurate, then changing the mech pilot from a stranger into a family member might result in a stronger effect!
Chapter 1115
In order to fabricate the best Aurora Titans for the upcoming product reveal, Ves obtained a special shipment of raw materials.
The metals, alloys and composites used in the fabrication of a mech was not as consistent as mech manufacturers would like. Various impurities and imperfections resulting from rushed and careless processing led to various inconsistencies in the materials.
Therefore, like any mech company, the LMC first scanned the materials in order to determine how many inconsistencies and impurities they contained. Any batch of materials that contained too many flaws would soundly be rejected and sent back to the supplier.
Aware that something like this might happen, Professor Ventag went out of his way to have NORA Consolidated ship an excellent batch of materials to Cloudy Curtain. It was enough to fabricate six complete copies of the Aurora Titan!
When the mech technicians scanned the materials and inspected their quality, they couldn't help but sigh in admiration at the lack of impurities! They were almost completely flawless!
"All of these materials are the cream of the crop." Chief Cyril noted to Ves, who visited the warehouse floor in order to supervise the inspection process. "Our existing suppliers are nowhere near as good as those who have a long-term relationship with a big mech company like NORA Consolidated. The suppliers give their fixed customers the best batched at reasonable rates, while dumping their excess batches of middling quality into the open market."
In other words, up until now, the LMC only received the leftovers from the big suppliers in the Bright Republic.
This wasn't as bad as it sounded like. Any company that did business in the open market needed to deliver what they promised, or they would run afoul with the law.
Even so, no company promised that the batch of materials they delivered would always be of acceptable quality.
Did Ves wanted to keep working with materials of mediocre quality? Of course not! Yet establishing a close relationship with a supplier did not come about just because he wanted to. A company led by an Apprentice Mech Designer simply didn't sell enough mechs to earn the consideration of all the major suppliers!
"Right now, the LMC hasn't acquired enough standing in the mech industry." Ves stated frankly. "Only until I advance to Journeyman or the company sells ten times as much mechs will they finally realize that we exist."
"How long will it take to reach that point?"
"Not long, I hope. Please finish the inspection of the materials. I want to work with them as soon as possible."
The mech technicians didn't rush their work but instead continued to perform their duties diligently. Even though they hadn't found any major issues with the materials they received, Ves still wanted to be absolutely sure that neither the supplier or some nefarius third party tampered with the batch."
He couldn't rule this possibility out. Ves had various enemies and his recent exploits garnered him the attention of even more opponents. Ruining the upcoming product reveal by fudging with the materials used in the fabrication of the show models sounded like an easy way to ruin his career.
The mech technicians found nothing amiss. Even though it took a decent amount of time to inspect the special shipment, Ves felt relieved that all the elements were in place to fabricate the inaugural copies of the Aurora Titan.
"These gold label mechs will set the standard for this mech model!"
Ves went to work with the excellent batch of materials. They were simply too tempting for him to leave aside, so after a bit of prepwork they had all been transferred down to the manufacturing floor.
After some consideration, Ves decided to fabricate his new mech with one of the new Hanover production lines instead of the old Dortmund production line. The specialized production equipment of the Hanover production line shared some resemblance to the high-quality machines in Professor Ventag's private workshop facility.
"It's better to fabricate my components with specialized equipment rather than leave it entirely to an all-purpose 3D printer."
Specialization often led to greater results. The Hanover production lines may have been a potentially ruinous investment for the LMC, but Ves could not deny that they deserved their price.
To assist in the fabrication process, Ves enlisted the aid of Ketis and some of the best mech technicians of the LMC. He felt confident that his Spirituality was strong enough to minimize the influence of others during the fabrication process. As long as he played a pivotal role in the creation of the mechs, their X-Factor would still remain pure.
They worked slowly. Ves wanted to insure as little imperfections carried over into the physical copies of the design. He instituted regular breaks in order to relax his mind so that he would be able to return to his peak state.
During these breaks, engaged in regular conversation with Ketis on the nature of their work.
"The Aurora Titan should be the first mech design in which you are formally credited with its development." Ves said.
"Really?" She perked up.
"Yep. As long as the MTA completes the validation process and puts its stamp of approval on the design, you will be credited as one of the handful of assisting mech designers who participated in our joint design project!"
That was no small honor for a mech design as sophisticated as the Aurora Titan! Even though she would be placed alongside a number of other Novices and Apprentices from NORA Consolidated that performed all of the simulation work, Ves believed that Ketis already got off to a great start in her career.
Naturally, Ves deserved most of the credit as the lead designer in the joint project. While he couldn't have designed the Aurora Titan so well without the help of Professor Ventag, the Senior was content with leaving behind his name on the project as a lesser co-designer.
As the first production mech of the Aurora Titan design slowly took shape, Ketis and some of the mech technicians already began to feel its remarkable nature. Even in an unfinished state, the Aurora Titan's X-Factor already started to exert its influence!
"There's something funny about this mech." Ketis frowned after the first production mech was halfway done. "Ever since I arrived at the LMC, I often studied your mechs, you know? Your designs are all remarkable from the schematics, but they always manage to look even better up close. This mech carries that same quality, but there's something very different about it! What did you do with the mech that makes it stand out so much?"
Ves confidently smiled back at Ketis while he petted Lucky who was nuzzling on his lap. "Do you recall my design philosophy?"
"Something about making mechs come alive and turning them into valued partners for mech pilots. To be honest, I never understood your design philosophy. Even now, I still can't say what you are trying to achieve, but this mech.. this mech has given me a clue."
"All of my mechs are special, Ketis. Out of every mech designer in the galaxy, there is hardly anyone who treats them with more care and affection than me. All of these mechs are my babies in a sense."
The old Ketis would have dismissed the unusual nature of the unfinished mech frame. The new Ketis who gulped a large amount of candy was different.
"I'm starting to think your design philosophy has a lot more going to it than I initially thought. What are you hiding, Ves?"
"What makes you think I'm hiding anything?"
"Oh come on. The way you describe your design philosophy and the LMC's principles is so vague and obtuse that it's clear to me that you're holding something behind your back."
Ves shrugged. "Perhaps you're right. If what you say happens to be true, then I can hardly reverse my course all of a sudden. Some secrets are too dangerous to divulge."
"No secret lasts forever, Ves."
"I know, but I can at least enjoy it while it lasts."
"Why am I even here, Ves, if you don't trust me with your secrets? Your whacky design philosophy isn't the only funny business going around here. Lucky here is able to do things that shouldn't be possible for a mere pet of its size, and there's also your abrupt and stupendous pace of improvement!"
Ves turned his full attention to Ketis and subjected her to to some of his Spirituality. "Some day, I'll tell you my secrets. Until then, I suggest that you keep learning and progressing so that you will become worthy to learn my secrets."
Ketis nodded vigorously, causing the poofy beret on her head to flop back and forth. "I understand. I'll do my best to catch up to you. Even though my design philosophy is nowhere near as complicated as yours, I don't think my mechs will be any worse than yours someday!"
"That's the spirit!"
The first production mech of the Aurora Titan continued to take shape. Even though NORA Consolidated already fabricated a copy of the finalized version of the design for the MTA, Ves did not really consider it as a true representation of his design.
No. The true first production mech in his eyes would be the mech that took shape in front of him. Within a closed hall of the Mech Nursery's underground manufacturing floor, the mech continued to gain in size and mass as Ves added more and more parts to its frame.
At the end of a four-day fabrication process, the mech was close to finished!
Ves looked considerably more exhausted as he exerted his utmost focus and attention on getting it right. If all went according to plan, then Jannzi Larkinson would have the privilege of piloting the first production mech! It was therefore of vital importance to him to get it right the first time!
Even though the mech still required some additions to announce its completion, the sheer spiritual strength that emanated from the mech already floored Ves. Within his spiritual sight, the mech glowed with life. Each single part glowed with spiritual energy. Its X-Factor pulsed with life.
This was the most living mech that Ves had ever seen!
Even Ketis and the mech technicians looked impressed, and they had been working on the mech for days!
"This mech looks quite complete." Ketis said. "What more do you want to add?"
"The finishing touch." Ves replied mysteriously and climbed up to the cockpit of the mech alone with only Lucky hovering over his head.
The mech designer and the mechanical cat both plopped inside the cockpit where Ves took out a very familiar gem to Lucky.
[Ardent Wish]
The determination of a great human mech pilot is caught within this gem. Increased the spiritual feedback of a mech by 40 percent.
Ves wanted to bestow the mech intended for Jannzi Larkinson with a special property. Out of all of Lucky's super gems, he finally decided to go for the Ardent Wish.
While other super gems such as the Sin of Altruism elevated the performance of the mech in a much more concrete fashion, Ves did not think it was prudent to implement it in a mech intended to be used as a show model.
"This mech and four others like it will be put on display in Bentheim in a few weeks. There will doubtlessly be instances where it will be used to demonstrate its performance."
With that much media attention, Ves simply found it too risky to make Jannzi's mech stand out so much. As a show model, Ves couldn't customize the design in order to provide some cover for the benefits brought about by the super gems.
The only super gem that would work in this case was the so-called Ardent Wish. This odd gem applied purely to the spirituality of a mech, boosting it by as much as 40 percent!
If Ves applied this super gem to one of his bronze label mechs, then it would have been an enormous waste. His bronze label mechs exhibited the weakest X-Factor of all of his mechs, so boosting it by 40 percent would simply simply turn it into a mech with a weak X-Factor.
"This is very different, though."
A 40 percent amplification of a mech with the most powerful X-Factor that Ves would ever be able to achieve for now would be absolutely huge!
Ves had already treated the super gem with his Anonymizing Stamp. This convenient tool provided by the system ensured that the gem would not attract any attention from any scans or inspections, at least directly.
Not that the gem carried anything that attracted attention aside from its remarkable luster.
After taking a deep breath, Ves affixed the gem in the position of the button that allowed the pilot to activate the mech.
As soon as he installed the super gem and the golden plate that served as its label into the cockpit, the mech was finally complete.
Ves felt a thrum from the cockpit seat. It was a thrum that resonated with his Spirituality instead of his body!
Chapter 1116
Ves could not entirely describe what he experienced at that moment. An enormous sense of nirvana overtook his mind as he blanked out for a time. Even Lucky became affected by the abnormally strong pulse of spirituality that emanated from the first production mech at the moment of completion!
In fact, not just Ves, but Ketis and the mech technicians standing next to the feet of the mech had been swept up in the spiritual ripple that expanded from the mech.
For a moment, every single worker at the Mech Nursery inadvertently paused!
Although their moment of inattention lasted for a short time, the pause led to a fair amount of mistakes and defects on the manufacturing floor! A lot of mech technicians quickly cursed as they were forced to throw away their work and redo the same procedure again.
As for Ves who sat in the very epicenter of the phenomenon, he simply didn't know what he just experienced. What had just happened? Why did he suddenly blank out?
Only a vague impression of what just transpired remained in his mind. For some reason, Ves felt as if he had just resonated with Qilanxo. Some of her thoughts and impressions that he had become familiar with by hosting her spiritual fragment in his mind had come to the fore again.
Love. Protection. Survival. These words and more encompassed the ideals that Qilanxo had long strived for. Even though she was an exobeast, a Sacred God as every bit as sentient and alive as any human!
And now, what Ves believed to be an echo of this great entity now lived onwards in the Aurora Titan design!
As the first production mech of this new design, the mech that Ves just augmented with the Ardent Wish was perhaps the greatest reproduction of the Aurora Titan of all times!
"This mech embodies the greatest strength of the Aurora Titan!"
If Ves presented the Aurora Titan to others, they would probably think its greatest strength was its supreme defensive capabilities and directed energy weapons.
They weren't wrong. The spec sheet of the Aurora Titan made it clear that the design revolved around defense.
Yet that did not make the mech special in Ves' eyes. Instead, the element that excited his design philosophy the most was its very potent spiritual nature.
Not only was the Aurora Titan's X-Factor already ludicrously strong, but the addition of the Ardent Wish amplified this remarkable property to even greater heights!
For a moment, Ves feared that he may have moved too quickly and went a little overboard. Even though he wasn't a mech pilot, Ves already felt as if he wasn't alone in the cockpit of the recently-completed mech!
"Meow!"
Lucky hissed with agitation as he perceived a great threat. An enormous predator was eying them right now!
"It's okay, Lucky! There shouldn't be any danger around! It's just a mech!"
No matter how much he tried to coax Lucky, his cat remained poised against danger.
"Let's go out."
In order to prevent Lucky scratching up the interior of the cockpit with his powerful energy claws, Ves grabbed Lucky and quickly exited the cockpit.
He met Ketis, Chief Cyril and the mech technicians just in front of the recently-completed mech.
"That is something." Ketis said simply.
"It's a very emotional moment for all of us to complete the first production mech." Ves replied smoothly, trying to downplay the unusual moment that occurred as a purely psychological phenomenon. "With how much care and attention we put into its fabrication, it's not usual for us to be swept by the jubilation of completing it. We should all be proud of what we accomplished!"
While most of the mech technicians looked like they bought his story, Ketis remained a bit more skeptical.
"Uh-huh. Whatever you say, Ves."
Once Ves calmed down from whatever happened, he arranged the mech to be shipped to the testing ground. Even though the Aurora Titan was a spaceborn mech, it could be activated on the surface of a terrestrial planet. It could even go out for a walk, though it wouldn't be too healthy for the mech to go on a sprint.
For now, it was enough for them to see if the mech would activate and function properly. They could ship the mech out into space and into the hangar bay of the Redfeather light carrier sometime later.
Ves, Ketis and Lucky arrived at the testing ground first and waited until Melkor, Jannzi, Rhode and Chette Larkinson all arrived.
The moment the beheld the first production mech, they exhibited the same reaction as Ketis upon the mech's completion.
"This.. this.. what is this?"
"What an amazing machine!"
"Why am I not piloting something as remarkable as this mech?" Rhode whined.
Ves patted Rhode's back. "You'll get your turn someday when I came around to design a landbound striker mech."
Even the normally inscrutable Melkor looked visibly moved at the first production mech. "When I initially heard you describe your next mech design, I didn't think you could pull it off very well. Now.. regardless of its faults, there is no way this mech will fail to turn heads!"
"A mech as remarkable like this should carry its own name." Jannzi said. "What's its name, Ves?"
Just as Ves tried to wrack his brains for a suitable name, a strong impression already formed in his mind.
It appeared the mech had already chosen its own name for itself!
"It's called the Shield of Samar. It is the title of a great beast and a protector of the Ancient City of Samar."
Ketis recognized the name. She immediately turned to Ves for an answer, but Ves did not elaborate any further. It was already dangerous for him to say this much because he divulged something he shouldn't have.
Even so, Ves wanted Jannzi to know some of the context behind the name in order to facilitate her bond with her new mech. The Shield of Samar was the most spiritually strong mech that Ves had ever made or seen.
Even the Larkinson Ancestor's ancient mech did not carry as much spiritual weight as the Shield of Samar!
Jannzi rolled the name off her tongue. "Shield of Samar, huh? It's like this mech is made to carry that name!"
Once they finished admiring the mech from a distance, Jannzi changed into her piloting suit and slowly entered the cockpit. Ves and everyone else entered an observation room and stood behind the specialists sitting behind their terminals.
"Commence the test. Activate the mech!"
Ves turned his gaze towards the projection that depicted the interior of the cockpit of the Shield of Samar. As soon as Jannzi pressed the super gem with her finger, a number of screens and projections came to life.
"It's activating!"
More than just the mech woke up. A dormant beast seemed to wake!
For a moment, Jannzi blanked out as she experienced something much like Ves once did when he completed the design at that very same seat. She was undergoing an unknown process that was completely unknown even to Ves!
Even though he worried a bit about Jannzi's safety, he trusted that the X-Factor of the mech would treat her right. There shouldn't be any reason for the spirituality of the mech to turn against her. Ves specifically fabricated the Shield of Samar just for Jannzi!
Now that Jannzi finally interfaced with the Shield of Samar, two pairs of a greater whole united for the very first time. An abnormally strong bond developed between Jannzi and her new mech, so much so that some of the specialists yelped in alarm.
"The interfacing strength between the mech pilot and the mech is showing some unusual parameters!"
"Jannzi Larkinson's physiological reactions are spiking!"
"Mr. Larkinson, do we abort?!"
"No! Nothing should be wrong! Continue the activating process! Don't interrupt it under any circumstances! It might do more harm than good!" Ves firmly ordered.
Even though the managers of the testing facility all expressed concerns, Ves knew for sure the man-machine connection that had just been formed did not pose a threat to Jannzi.
After several minutes of blanking out, Jannzi slowly recovered her wits. In Ves' spiritual vision, he noticed that the Shield of Samar had stopped convulsing. It managed to stabilize itself and form a strong and unbreakable bond with its mech pilot.
Ves took his time to study the telemetry transmitted by the Shield of Samar, and he noted that other than some elevated readings, nothing else unusual seemed to have occurred.
"Everything appears normal, mostly. Proceed with the initial tests. Jannzi, can you please try and move your mech? Just a few steps is enough."
"I can do that, sir."
The recently-activated Shield of Samar moved its ponderous weight and took a weighty step forward.
One step.
Two steps.
Three steps.
Each footstep seemed to fall like the thump of an exobeast. The super-medium mech possessed legs that were barely strong enough to move the Shield of Samar in standard gravity.
Ves admittedly did not strengthen the mechs as much as he would have for a landbound mech. A spaceborn mech was not as dependent on its legs as a landbound mech, thus being able to walk in standard gravity was already a luxury!
Even so, the Shield of Samar moved with confidence. Nothing seemed to crack or fall apart or malfunction during the arduous movement.
The mech was a success! The absence of any major defects meant that Ves had succeeded in fabricating a great copy of the Aurora Titan design!
"It's working!"
Ves only needed to know so much at this point. He had no doubt that its space trials would go on swimmingly.
"That's enough, Jannzi. You can return the Shield of Samar to its starting position and shut it off. We'll ship the mech into orbit to perform some space trials tomorrow. You'll get the opportunity to flex your skills at that time."
"Can I stay in this mech for a while, Ves?" Jannzi asked over the communication channel. "I'm still acclimatizing to piloting the real thing. This mech is so impressive that I don't ever want to leave the cockpit!"
Ves understood her sentiment. With a mech as spiritually strong as the Shield of Samar, it made sense that she wouldn't want to separate from it so quickly.
"You have three hours. After that, a transport will come by to pick both of you up and move you to the Redfeather. For the next two weeks until the product reveal, you'll be spending your time on the light carrier in order to practice with your new mech."
"I know. I'll be sure to become familiar with this mech! I haven't practiced in the simulators for nothing!"
Jannzi's clingy attitude towards her new mech pleased Ves immensely. He felt as if he fulfilled his mission as a mech designer by providing a mech pilot with the best mech that he could provide to her. The growing bond between the mech and mech pilot already hinted towards something great!
"From the way Jannzi is so ecstatic about her new mech, you'd think that they've already become partners for life." Ketis joked to Ves.
Ves nodded seriously. "I think that's an apt description. Those two are inseparable the moment they first interfaced with each other."
Partners for Life. This phrase was part of the LMC's motto, but up until now, he never felt as if his company embodied these words. Only now did Ves believe that his company gained some hope of fulfilling its mission. With the Aurora Titan design as its new standard bearer, the LMC would surely be able to become a distinct mech company in a mech industry full of strong competitors!
"Let's return to the manufacturing floor." Ves told Ketis. "We've got four more mechs to fabricate, and I hope they'll all be as impressive as the Shield of Samar."
His hope would remain unfulfilled. There would never be another mech like the Shield of Samar unless Lucky produced another super gem like the Ardent Wish. For better and worse, the Shield of Samar would always stand above the other copies of the Aurora Titan design.
Jannzi didn't even know how lucky she was when Ves bestowed her the privilege of piloting the Shield of Samar!
Chapter 1117
Four more gold label Aurora Titans emerged from the Hanover production line. After Ves and his crew fabricated the Shield of Samar, they became more and more familiar with the quirks of fabricating this model.
Each Aurora Titan carried a strong aura. The X-Factor that the copies possessed each possessed a lively touch that resembled the one on the Shield of Samar.
However, unlike the first production mech, the other four copies lacked the super gem that spiced this quality up. Their auras were not so dramatic as the one on the Shield of Samar, and while the test pilots noticed plenty of unusual sensations, it did not result in anything drastic other than a yearning to keep piloting the Aurora Titans.
This last quality proved to be rather problematic. While Ves claimed that he excelled in designing mechs that provided mech pilots with a comfortable experience, the effect was very strong when it came to his handcrafted mechs!
Concerns popped up from those who observed the abnormal reactions of the test pilots. Specialists persistently inspected the mechs and particularly their neural interfaces for anything amiss.
They found nothing, of course.
"These mechs are the Aurora Titan sent to the MTA for validation." Ves argued tirelessly. "If my mech has a brainwashing component built inside of it, then the MTA would have rejected the design."
The MTA generally took their time to validate the mechs that they received on account of how many they received. Still, they usually returned their results early if they found a serious defect. Why bother testing the full range of parameters of a mech when a disqualifying feature rendered the mech unsuitable for sale?
So much time had passed and while the MTA hadn't given their approval yet, the lack of rejection thus far should be a hopeful sign. Ves and Professor Ventag weren't the kind of mech designers who submitted a sloppily-designed mech, so they saw no reason why the MTA would ever reject their design!
As the LMC and NORA Consolidated continued to prepare for the product reveal, the venue of the announcement had been fixed.
In order to attract as much public as possible, they chose to announce the Aurora Titan at the Grand Skyward Exhibition Hall.
"The Grand Skyward!" Ves uttered with surprise when he received the message. "That's one of the best places to introduce a spaceborn mech!"
The Grand Skyward was a prestigious exhibition hall situation in the Old Commercial District in downtown Dorum. The octagon-shaped hall resembled a huge octagon, and while its capacity may not be the biggest among convention centers and exhibition halls, it featured one exceptional feature.
It could launch into space.
Although its ascent was not the fastest, the enormous structure had an excellent track record of lifting off into space with a combination of thrusters, lightweight construction and prolific use of many, many antigrav modules.
This made the Grand Skyward Exhibition Hall a popular venue for revealing spaceborn mechs. Even though it cost a lot of money to book a slot in the Grand Skyward, its ease of access from the city center and its ability to bring many bystanders in space was practically essential to mech designers who wanted to attract big crowds at their product reveal.
"Crowds are a measure of success. A product reveal that is crowded with people can foster a lot of hype."
It was much more difficult to attract a crowd if the product reveal took place in space from the start. For security reasons, working mechs weren't allowed to operate near or inside a space station. Shuttling random visitors and commuters at those space stations to one of the specialized venues in space was a lot of hassle.
The Grand Skyward could also land back down in Dorum with ease. The operators of the flying exhibition hall already received all the permissions they needed from the local government.
"If we had more time to prepare, we could have sent out invitations ahead of time." Ves muttered.
Even so, the Grand Skyward consistent attracted huge crowds for every product reveal that it saved them both a lot of time and effort.
With the venue set and the four gold label mechs shipped to Bentheim ahead of time, Ves only had a couple of days left before the start of the product reveal.
He decided to check up on Melkor at the headquarters of the Avatars of Myth.
"Ves. What brings you here?" Melkor said as he looked up from his terminal.
"I'm just stopping by to check up on the security arrangements." Ves said while he took a seat at a nearby chair. "I've shared my concerns about Bentheim before. How many Avatar mechs will you send this time?"
"It helps that we know about the event in advance. Also, a detachment of Avatars recently completed a small mission, so we have more mechs on hand than before. I'll be able to allocate a full squad of twelve mechs to your security detail. They're all geared towards urban combat and protection duty, so they can help secure the surroundings of the Grand Skyward. Our mechs won't be able to follow it in space, but I've been told that the exhibition hall has made their own security arrangements in that regard."
Ves nodded. "That's great to hear. I don't expect any threats to arise during the product reveal. NORA Consolidated and the Grand Skyward are both very accustomed to arranging these matters that the Avatars likely won't even be needed. It's just the time before and after the event that I'm worried about. I will have to stick around in Bentheim for a few days to promote the Aurora Titan and attend some interviews."
As the lead designer of the Aurora Titan, he could not just show up once and disappear right after. As Ves and his company grew more prominent, the impact of media appearances increased. News portals devoted much more time and attention on famous and notable mech designers. Just the involvement of Professor Ventag alone was sufficient to elevate the standing of the Aurora Titan!
"Let's talk about the future of the Avatars." Ves said. "Are you satisfied with your role as the Avatar Commander?"
Melkor frowned a bit. "What has brought this on all of a sudden?"
"I'm just curious. You've led the Avatars for a couple of years, but I don't really know whether you even like your job. You wanted to join the Mech Corps, right?"
The Mech Corps discharged Melkor from their ranks for a murky reason that Ves still didn't know.
"To be honest, I do regret the opportunity." Melkor spoke frankly. "Like most Larkinson mech pilots, I dreamt of joining the Mech Corps all my life. That dream is over now. The door is closed and the war has already started and ended without me. Yet there is more to piloting mechs than serving in the Mech Corps. Even though I'm not an outfit commander, I did my best to raise the Avatars from scratch. They are much my men as they are yours."
That was a very important admission. Even though Ves funded the Avatars, to most of the mech pilots that signed on, they were most familiar with following Melkor's orders rather than Ves' orders.
This might lead to problems if Ves and Melkor disagreed on a particular course of action.
Yet who else could Ves put in charge of the Avatars of Myth?
Ves would only exacerbate the problem of authority if he put an older and more experienced Larkinson in charge.
As for putting a complete stranger in charge of his own bodyguard force, Ves did not even consider that option. At the very least, the Larkinsons wouldn't do something like plotting the death of their own family members. The same couldn't be said for a mercenary commander who possessed no particular attachment to Ves or the Avatars of Myth.
"Are you willing to remain in charge of the Avatars of Myth for the long haul, Melkor?"
Melkor took a moment to formulate his answer. "If you trust me enough and if I think I can competently discharge my duties, then I would gladly like to stay with the Avatars. With all the funding and mechs you're willing to provide for my men, they can become something great. Trying to raise the Avatars of Myth into one of the most premier private outfits in the Bright Republic is not an impossible dream!"
"It's good to hear you're ambitious, Melkor. As long as I advance to Journeyman and continue to progress my career, I'll do my best to facilitate its growth. The star sector is becoming more and more unstable over the years. In such cases, all the money and business relationships in the galaxy won't be of much help to me. I'll be counting on a solid mech force to keep me safe during these turbulent times."
"I'll do my best, but keep in mind that it is hard for us to do anything other than protecting you and the Mech Nursery."
That reminded Ves that he also wanted to broach another topic.
"I want to expand the ranks of the Avatars of Myth. I'm thinking of adding landbound and spaceborn mech company. The money is already there." He said.
"That's a little hasty. Why now?"
"Now that the war has ended, a lot of mech pilots are about to retire from the Mech Corps. Those military veterans are excellent prospects. If we can manage to hire some of them, then the Avatars will be set for the next five years as the LMC continues to expand."
"I'm not too sure about that, Ves. Raising a mech force is harder than it sounds like. The Avatars of Myth is not completely stable as an outfit. It lacks the heritage, tradition and reputation to stand upon its own. We've barely started to raise our first spaceborn mech company and now you want to add at least eighty mechs and mech pilots to our roster. That's too fast."
"You don't have to expand the Avatars immediately. Go ahead and finishing raising our first spaceborn mech company first. I just want the Avatars to consist of four mech companies in total by the time the new mech generation starts. The transition to a new generation is always accompanied by upheaval. Having an abundant amount of protection at hand is essential for me to take advantage of the opportunities that arise."
Melkor nodded. "I will make some plans for the coming years. It will help me out a lot of I know what you intend for the Avatars."
"It's the same as before. As my personal force, the principal goal of the Avatars is to protect me. Protecting the company's assets come second. As for my other intentions for the Avatars, we can talk about that later when the Avatars are more established."
Ves eventually wanted to have the Avatars accompany him to any eventual excursions in the frontier, but at this moment of time that simply wouldn't be possible. Many of the mech pilots that agreed to join the Avatars did so in order to enjoy a stable posting on a single location so they could return to their families after the end of each shift.
For Ves to force them to accompany him to the frontier for weeks or months was too much to ask for most mech pilots in the private sector.
It frustrated him a bit that he couldn't snap his fingers and order his subordinates to do whatever he wanted, but that was the reality of the situation. Only military mech pilots could be ordered to undertake lengthy, risky missions far away from home.
A couple days later, the Greenfeather landed at the Mech Nursery and took in twelve mechs of the Avatars of Myth. The light carrier also loaded in the Shield of Samar.
In the meantime, Ves, Ketis, Lucky and Gavin all boarded the Barracuda.
Ves invited Jannzi to travel on his personal corvette, but she refused, opting instead to remain by the Shield of Samar during transit.
Both ships lifted off into space and traveled to the nearest Lagrange point in order to transition into FTL.
The time to reveal the Aurora Titan to the mech market was close at hand!
Chapter 1118
Professor Ventag arranged for Ves and his entourage to stay at one of NORA Consolidated's guest accommodations during their visit to Bentheim. It was a much better option than staying in a luxurious hotel because it offered plenty of room for the squad of Avatar mechs to secure their surroundings without bumping into the security detail of other important guests.
With only two days to go before the product reveal, everyone that Ves took along split off.
Gavin paid a visit to Marcella Bollinger in order to discuss some final details about the LMC's marketing campaign that was just about to kick off.
Ketis expressed a desire to explore Bentheim for a day on her own. She had grown increasingly curious about Bentheim and lost her apprehension towards the stupendous amount of people living on the planet.
"It's not safe on the streets right now." Ves warned her. "The Bentheim Liberation Movement is a serious threat to public safety, particularly now since it appears they've prepared to launch a major attack for years."
"Oh, come on, Ves. An attack hasn't occurred since your last visit. Why would the BLM choose to attack now of all times? I'll be perfectly safe. You know I can take care of myself. I'll even bring my greatsword and my armor along in a floating case."
While Ves still expressed a lot of concerns, he was not her parent. Eventually, he acquiesced to her request, though he insisted that she'd be accompanied by some guards dispatched by Sanyal-Ablin Security Services.
During the first day of his stay on Bentheim, Ves received an invitation to meet with Professor Ventag. This time, his armored shuttle didn't travel to Mech Designer's Row, but instead turned towards Dorum's Academic District.
As its name suggested, the Academic District hosted a large amount of schools, universities and other academic institutions. It was a city within a city as it hosted a very vigorous student community. Many of the students consisted of Bentheim natives, but the rest came from all over the Bright Republic and even beyond the border!
Only mech academies didn't make their home here. Due to all of the live practice they conducted, it wasn't safe to operate so many mechs in the middle of a metropolis. Most of the mech academies of Dorum were situation in the outskirts of the capital city.
As the armored shuttle touched down on a very expansive landing zone, Ves emerged with Lucky in his grasp and with some armored guards in tow. Around the shuttle, a number of mechs from the Avatars of Myth began to prepare for a long standby session as they weren't allowed to step onto the campus of the DCTI.
"So this is the Dorum Center of Technology and Innovation." Ves sighed as he and Lucky stared out through one of the gates.
The DCTI was the second mech university of Bentheim, so it took up a considerable amount of valuable real estate within the Academic District. As a premier learning institution, it provided its students and staff with a tranquil but very mech-focused campus environment.
Large amounts of greenery and parks suffused the campus. Huge facilities capable of holding dozens of mechs were spread across the campus, and large empty fields provided the students with plenty of space to try out their new creations.
"Not even the Rittersberg University of Technology is willing to give its mech design students so many opportunities to work with real mechs!"
Even if the students practiced with outdated mechs and cheap materials, the costs could easily run up over time. To be frank, most mech design students simply couldn't afford the tuition costs that could easily run up to several hundred-thousand credits a year!
And this was already factoring the generous subsidies the DCTI received from the central government in order to maintain its competitiveness against the Ansel University of Mech Design!
The Ansel University of Mech Design cast a huge shadow over the DCTI. No matter how impressive its campus looked, it simply didn't compare to Ansel's splendor!
Ves shook his head. "Both are already fine institutions. The gap between them concern me very much."
He knew that Professor Ventag didn't invite him to the DCTI for nothing. The Senior's intentions couldn't be more clear.
A university was not without its students. Most were attending classes, but plenty of them were still out and about. Many of them took immediate notice of Ves and his bodyguards.
Some of them even recognized his face.
"Is that Ves Larkinson?"
"That famous Apprentice Mech Designer? The one who was awarded with the Golden Mech?! What is he doing here?!"
Ves ignored the idle speculation of the students. They would come to learn of his visit in two days when he officially revealed the Aurora Titan to the public.
Ves slowly crossed the campus and reach the administrative building of the DCTI's Internal Design Faculty. The faculty specialized in teaching all manner of courses related to the mechanics, internal architecture and other aspects about the insides of a mech.
Professor Ventag happened to be the dean of the Internal Design Faculty. The DCTI employed six Senior Mech Designers in total. Each of them were deans who led the different faculties of the school.
As far as Ves knew, the DCTI also employed twenty-five Journeyman Mech Designers as associate professors.
However, these esteemed mech designers did not spend all of their time teaching the students or grading their work.
The actual teaching work was being done by various respected academics in the various fields of science and engineering related to mech design.
In order to teach courses that dealt directly with mech design, the DCTI employed various older Apprentice Mech Designers who possessed an abundant amount of experience as assistant professors.
Overall, the students of the DCTI did not have a lot of opportunities to get in touch with the Journeymen and Seniors who fronted the university. These esteemed individuals all invariably led their own companies or worked for the government in some capacity, so they could never devote their full time to teaching the next generation of mech designers.
Still, their presence at the DCTI was very essential because they determined the curriculum, decided upon high level policies, occasionally motivated the students and judged many mech designs.
Ves knew that one of the main benefits in accepting a professorship at a university was that they could look out for emerging talents and promising experts. As long as they spot someone first, they could immediately offer them an attractive contract that bonded them to the professor after they graduated!
All in all, mech universities like the DCTI organized themselves in a way to maximize the benefit of its professors!
That said, the students got a pretty good deal out of it as well. The most promising ones would receive great hiring prospects while the average ones still occasionally received some direction from the Journeymen and Seniors that put some of their time at their disposal.
After some time, Ves met Professor Ventag at the top floor of the administrative building. The Senior's office offered a very attractive of both the campus and the rest of the city.
"I see you've made it here, Ves. How is your impression of the DCTI? Is it to your liking?"
"It offers a very harmonious learning environment. It's very comfortable here."
"Does it look like a place where you might want to work in the future?"
"Maybe." Ves replied ambiguously. "Right now, I'm fully preoccupied with my design work. The LMC demands too much of my time for me to divert my attention to other activities. Perhaps we can revisit this topic later when I'm not busy anymore."
The professor accepted that excuse. "The DCTI offers more attractive conditions for Journeymen and Seniors. Apprentices who teach our classes are paid well, but they are mostly expected to work fulltime. That's not very ideal to a young and growing mech designer like you. It's clear from the work you've done with the Aurora Titan design that your time is better spent on designing mechs rather than teaching others. However, once you've achieved a great measure of success, don't neglect the obligations that come with your great position. Successful mech designers have a moral obligation to provide guidance to aspiring mech designers."
This was more than a moral obligation. It was something actively encouraged by the MTA. Becoming a teacher was a good way to earn some kudos from the powerful organization.
"You've received the show models I've fabricated by myself, right?" Ves asked, changing the topic. "What do you think about the mechs?"
The professor sent Ves an appreciative expression. "They are very impressive, and not just from a technical standpoint. Your fabricating and assembly skills are very developed, which is unusual to see from a mech designer. In this area, you are already more than qualified to teach these subjects. Your handmade mechs are so impressive that I feel we should have sent one of them to the MTA for validation instead!"
"The mechs produced by you and me should be virtually identical. It won't make much of a difference." Ves awkwardly laughed.
"I think there is a strong difference. This must be related to your design philosophy, right? Having collaborated with you on the Aurora Titan design has forced me to discard my initial misgivings on your rather esoteric design philosophy. To put the focus on the mech pilot rather than the mech should be obvious, but many mech designers including myself have forgotten the human element. The four show models I've received make it clear that mechs made humans are different than mechs designed to advance their maker's interests."
"I don't think you're bad at this either, professor. You care a lot about the safety of the mech pilots who use your products."
Ves felt a bit relieved that Professor Ventag hadn't nailed the truth. A Senior Mech Designer could be frightfully insightful when it came to mechs, so Ves always risked exposing some of his secrets by working together so closely on a single design.
Fortunately, the general vagueness of his design philosophy made it so that Professor Ventag filled the gaps with his own interpretation.
In fact, the Senior came fairly close to the truth. It wasn't wrong to say that Ves put the needs of the mech pilot central to his designs.
After a bit of chatting, the professor invited him to a short tour around the campus.
"Come walk with me while we discuss our upcoming plans."
"Okay."
Ves continued to hold Lucky while he walked alongside Professor Ventag. Both of them were accompanied by guards, though they kept a wide distance in order to provide them with the illusion of privacy.
"Have you practiced your speech?" Ventag asked.
"I have. Don't worry, this isn't my first rodeo."
"That's good to hear. Public speaking is an essential skill to master when you become a prominent mech designer. A mech design does not exist in isolation, but is intricately tied to its creator. Your conduct in public can affect the public's perception of your work. Every product reveal is a grand show that has to impress the audience from start to finish."
The two discussed some of the arrangements of the product reveal. Central to the introduction of the Aurora Titan was to display its prowess in a realistic scenario.
To that end, Ves and the professor prepared to demonstrate the Aurora Titan's formidable defensive capabilities by subjecting the show models to a lot of firepower!
This was a very risky addition to the event, but there was no better way to demonstrate its value otherwise. Performing a few empty maneuvers in space wouldn't cut it, not if Ves wanted to convince the skeptics among the crowd that a super-medium space knight was not an impractical toy!
"It's a shame to damage the show models." The professor said with a regretful expression on his face. "Your personal works are almost as precious as mastercrafted works."
"I can make more as long as I spend enough time on fabrication. Besides, the show models can be repaired and restored to their peak condition. I don't intend to wreck them entirely."
However, they would certainly be banged up quite a bit. Even the Shield of Samar wasn't an exception!
Chapter 1119
The next day after his visit to the DCTI, Ves intended to supervise the final preparations for the upcoming product reveal.
However, Professor Ventag rang his comm first thing in the morning.
"Ves, there's trouble! Go read this article first!"
The professor sent him a link to an article published in the current edition of the Bentheim Mech Report, an authoritative mech publication in the Bentheim mech community! While not every mech designer and mech pilot read or watched it every day, its standing was among the highest!
When Ves followed the link, he came across an article with a very pertinent headline.
THE TRINITY OF WEIGHT CLASSES: WHY LIGHT, MEDIUM AND HEAVY MECHS ARE THE ONLY PROPER MECHS
BY PROFESSOR NORMAN PENDLETON
Ves knew of Professor Pendleton. He was a famous Senior Mech Designer and a professor of the Ansel University of Mech Design.
He specialized in mass reduction and weight management, which was a complicated way of saying that he was really good at making his mechs mass lighter than they ought to!
This was a very valuable specialty because every design project he became involved with resulted in mechs that moved faster while retaining almost the same capabilities.
Therefore, Professor Pendleton held a considerable amount of authority on the subject of weight classes.
As Ves rapidly read through the article, he basically got the gist of it. Professor Pendleton claimed that the custom of artificially categorizing mechs into light, medium and heavy mechs had become so ingrained in the mech industry that there was no longer anything artificial about it. Each weight class came with their own strengths and weaknesses, but they were so well balanced that any other weight class besides these three categories were inevitably worse!
"This article is very biased." Ves frowned at the text before looking up at Professor Ventag's projection. "The timing of it is even more suspicious."
The Senior nodded. "It's not a coincidence that the Bentheim Mech Report published this article a day before our product reveal. My sources have found out that the Ansel mech designers have managed to uncover some information about our design! They're already starting to spoil the launch."
"Why would they do something like this? It's just a single mech."
"It's because of me." The professor admitted. "My enemies have to haunt you. Any project I'm involved in will eventually face opposition from the mech designers associated with Ansel."
Ves was already aware that Ansel might oppose him, but he didn't think they would take action so directly. Publishing this opinion piece a day before the Aurora Titan's announcement was a direct shot across the bow!
A single opinion peace in a single publication could single-handedly change public opinion. Not under ordinary circumstances. However, if Ansel took the article as a basis and criticized the Aurora Titan in multiple occasions, then the damage could quickly build up to become a major threat to his design's success!
"Is Ansel really so bored that they are taking their valuable time out of their own work to criticize my work?" Ves asked with dismay in his voice.
"The AUMD is very cognizant of their status as the premier mech design university on Bentheim and the Bright Republic. They are constantly fighting to remain in first place, and this attack is a part of their overall strategy to discredit every mech designer associated with the DCTI as much as possible!"
The goal was not to discredit the Aurora Titan, but rather the people involved in its design! Professor Ventag may have attracted Ansel's attention at first, but Ves' willingness to work with a mech designer from the DCTI inevitably made him their enemy as well!
Ves felt as if he got dragged into a war between two irreconcilable mech design universities. No matter how much he professed his neutrality, Ansel would always recognize him as an enemy!
"This article isn't their only attack, right?"
"Correct. This is just the start. Aside from wielding their considerable influence in the local mech publications to agitate against the very idea of the Aurora Titan, Professor Pendleton has personally sent word to me that he will personally attend the product reveal!"
Obviously, Professor Pendleton of the AUMD would not come to cheer Ves and Professor Ventag on as they revealed the Aurora Titan!
"What?! Did you reject his attendance?"
"I can't, Ves. That's not the way that mech designers work. Any mech designer who publishes a design in such a public fashion will need to be prepared to face public scrutiny over their works. If you block Professor Pendleton from entering, then he'll use his own media presence to roast your design as much as possible. Not only would we be unable to neutralize his criticism on the spot, but he'll also use the fact that you barred him entry into the Grand Skyward as an act of cowardice!"
Basically, to bar his critics from entering provided proof that Ves wasn't confident enough in his own design. Such a perception could prove fatal to the success of the Aurora Titan design!
Ves already envisioned facing a tougher crowd than expected. If Professor Pendleton heckled the design from the side, then his status as a Senior Mech Designer from the most renowned mech design university in the Bright Republic might allow him to steal the show!
Who in the audience would ever question a Senior when he argued against a mere Apprentice?
To that end, Professor Ventag offered to take over for the product reveal. "I know that the Aurora Titan is mostly your creation, but a heckler in the form of a Senior is a grave threat, one that you aren't equipped to handle. Let me take over the presentation."
"No."
"No what?"
"The Aurora Titan is my principally my mech design." Ves stated emphatically, and he said those words with his heart. "It is a great mech design, and while it isn't perfect, it stands on its own merits! With such a good product, Professor Pendleton would have to work hard to tear it down! I don't think another Senior is required to defend the Aurora Titan! I will do!"
The professor shook his head over the comm. "I admire your enthusiasm, but this is the big leagues. I don't need to tell you how incisive and formidable a Senior can be when he wants to pick apart a mech design. I know Pendleton well enough that he'll be perceptive enough to point out every single flaw and weakness of your design and magnify them until they drown out its good points!"
"THIS IS MY DESIGN!" Ves yelled.
The outburst came so violently that Lucky yowled and jumped out from his lap in alarm!
It even brought the professor to a pause. "You care about it a lot."
"I do." Ves said with a tired voice.
"You're making a very poor decision here, Ves."
"I don't care. It's my design. It's my responsibility to defend it during its introduction to the public. Am I wrong?"
"You are making an emotional decision instead of the right decision. Please sober up, Ves."
"Dare to design."
"What?"
"Isn't that what you imparted me back then? I followed your advice. I came up with a radical mech concept and worked with it until it resulted in the Aurora Titan design. Since I dared to design a super-medium mech, why wouldn't I dare to face a Senior that is heckling my design?"
"Ves, I keep telling you, Professor Pendleton is extremely skilled at analyzing mechs. Your entire design will be exposed regardless if you showed him the schematics or not. With his access to the MTA's database, he might have already called up the schematics from the license catalog. The MTA just validated the design, after all."
This meant that Professor Pendleton would have done his homework on the Aurora Titan design. There truly was no hiding from his criticism if he had access to the nitty gritty details!
Ves personally experienced the damage such acid words could do. Hadn't he single-handedly turned away the Blind Men from attacking the remnants of the Flagrant Vandals and the Swordmaidens by incessantly criticizing their shabby mechs?
This would be similar, but this time Ves would be on the receiving end!
Yet Ves did not waver in his fighting spirit. Even if a Master Mech Designer came to scorch his mech design, he would still fight back tooth and nail!
Ves stood behind each of his mech designs!
Just because an authoritative figure in the mech industry decided that they didn't like it was no reason for Ves to abandon his own work and distance himself from it for fear of suffering damage to his reputation!
A true mech designer stood by his work no matter what storm it endured. That didn't mean that Ves should consider his design to be the best design ever. He merely believed that its combination of strengths and weaknesses still resulted in a mech that brought very real benefits in the right conditions!
That was enough of a reason for the mech design to exist!
Ves and Professor Ventag argued back and forth over this issue for a while, but Ves insisted on going through with the original plan.
His principles and his pride as a mech designer accepted nothing less!
"Fine." Professor Ventag said, throwing in the towel. "You're making the wrong decision here, but I've seen how stubborn mech designers can get with regards to their own creations. If you employ at least this much vehemence against Professor Pendleton tomorrow, then you might be able to salvage some regard for the Aurora Titan."
"Thank you, professor. I know it looks as if I've impulsively decided to argue against a Senior, but I'm not going to underestimate his threat when I walk up to the stage tomorrow. I'll prepare for any criticism he might mention and develop some responses beforehand."
A mech designer knew their own designs the best. Ves was more than capable of pointing out the weaknesses of the Aurora Titan. If he could do that much, he could also develop counterpoints for why they existed and how they facilitated the other strengths of his design.
However, the professor did not intend to let Ves take on the full brunt of Professor Pendleton's criticism alone.
"Just to be sure, I'll be present in the front row myself. We should maintain contact with each other through a private communication channel. I can provide you with some advice on how to respond to Professor Pendleton's arguments. If he ever mentions something related to my own specialty, I'll stand up and defend my design choices by myself. You should grant me at least this much."
Ves nodded after a few seconds. He could concede at least this much.
"Will there be other complications during the product reveal tomorrow?"
"As I've stated earlier, Ansel wields a considerable amount of influence at the various mech publications based in Bentheim and Bright Republic. They are giants in the mech industry, and no publication dares to cross them. Not if they want to keep receiving invitations to attend their press conferences and other events."
"Are these publications going to torch the Aurora Titan design regardless of what happens tomorrow?"
"It's not that bad. Some mech publications lean towards Ansel while some take pride in remaining objective. Even the former will sometimes publish articles that criticize the works of Ansel mech designers if they are really bad. This is also the reason why the Bentheim Mech Report remains so authoritative despite its Ansel slant."
In other words, the journalists of these mech publications did not work directly for Ansel. Ves could work with that. The outcome of the fight tomorrow would not be in vain. As long as he did a good job in defending his controversial mech design, then enough publications might come around to take his side and approve of the Aurora Titan!
"I don't see Norman Pendleton as a threat." Ves said.
"Oh?"
"He's also an opportunity. As long as we can beat his arguments and convince the audience and the mech publications that the Aurora Titan is a good design despite its unusual weight class, then other skeptics won't be able to command much respect!"
If even a Senior Mech Designer couldn't tear down the Aurora Titan, then how could the public be so easily convinced by a lesser critic?
Chapter 1120
The Grand Skyward Exhibition Hall lit up in splendor yet again, signifying the impending announcement of a new mech design. Mech designers announced their new designs on Bentheim all the time, and it was something of a fun attraction to both locals and visitors attend these shows.
Who didn't love to witness a new mech? Especially one announced at the renowned Grand Skyward, a premier venue to showcase amazing new spaceborn mechs.
The LMC and NORA Consolidated both extended numerous invitations. Friends, acquaintances, business partners, customers, the press and numerous other figures arrived first. Each of them enjoyed the frontmost seats.
The Grand Skyward opened up its doors to the public as well. Many people on Bentheim considered themselves to be mech afficiados, so plenty of people paid the modest fee to enter the venue.
It helped a lot that the mech to be announced involved NORA Consolidated, one of the largest and prominent mech companies in the Bright Republic!
In comparison, the involvement of the young and upcoming Living Mech Corporation attracted much less attention. Perhaps in the eyes of most people, the upcoming design had been designed by Professor Corus Ventag with Ves contributing some small and important elements.
Ves would abuse the audience of that notion very soon.
Tens of thousands of seats quickly started to fill up. The journalists already set up their live recording bots and began to speculate on the nature of the soon-to-be-announced mech design. A lot of mech insiders in the Bright Republic avidly followed the exploits of their favored Seniors. They rooted for them much in the same way fans supported their favored mech athletes!
In a backstage prep room, Ves studied the text of his speech for one last time. He already knew what to say, but it helped to review the points he needed to raise. In the meantime, various bots neatly groomed his appearance and his clothes.
"The opening speech isn't important." Gavin said. "The real challenge is when Professor Heckler stands up and forces you to enter into a debate with him. You need to be quick on your feet while maintaining your composure. Are you sure you are up to the task?"
"I don't fear Professor Pendleton. Even if he's a renowned Senior from Ansel, he will have to stick to the facts if he wants to tear down the Aurora Titan."
"Even Seniors aren't above resorting to misdirection and distortion to win an argument." Professor Ventag warned. "The competition between mech designers can get very ugly sometimes. The only saving grace is that Professor Pendleton should still maintain some reserve when he heckles our mech. It is unseemly for a Senior to go all-out to put down an Apprentice's mech design."
"He'll probably approach it with a patronizing mindset, like an elder correcting a wayward child."
That would make Professor Pendleton appear as the wise man and Ves as a stupid and misguided kid. If all the mech publications portrayed the upcoming debate in such a light, then the Aurora Titan would inevitably be branded as a whimsical mech design!
Gavin emphasized the most important priority. "Regardless of whether you win or lose, you need to look good in front of the live recordings and archival footage. If you break down for some reason, you'll completely destroy your credibility as well as the credibility of your new mech. As long as you look confident and composed, our marketing campaigns can still use the footage to paint the Aurora Titan in a good light."
In other words, even if Ves failed to sound convincing in his attempts to refute Professor Pendleton's arguments, the Aurora Titan's prospects could still be salvaged. Many mech designs that had been torched by rival mech designers had always managed to climb back from their purgatory.
However, their damaged reputation meant that their designers were forced to discount them and cut their prices.
Since the Aurora Titan's viability as a product depended heavily on its high product margin, it could not afford to be discounted! If Ves had to cut its price by 20 million credits, then he would inevitably have to cut it by another 20 million credits after the new mech generation arrived.
This would essentially wipe out any profits that could be made from selling the Aurora Titan!
Professor Pendleton doubtlessly aimed to achieve this result and more. Anything that gave the mech designers associated with the DCTI some difficulties was a win in Ansel's book!
"It's almost time." Gavin reminded Ves. "Even Professor Heckler arrived. He's sitting in the center in the front row."
Senior Mech Designers deserved the best seats. That was basic courtesy, but even if that custom didn't exist, Ves still wanted Professor Pendleton to be as close as possible to Ves who would be standing on the stage in a couple of minutes.
"Are the show models in place?" Ves asked.
"Yup. All of them have been checked and we found nothing amiss. They're ready to be shown off at any time."
The mech pilots of the show models had already geared up and entered the cockpits of the mechs. Janni Larkinson and the four mech pilots sent by NORA Consolidated had all trained with the Aurora Titan in the simulators and with their actual mechs for a considerable amount of time.
All five of them became very familiar with the more advanced functions of the Aurora Titan. As a mech with a high learning curve, it was essential for the mech pilots to demonstrate the best uses of the mechs.
"It's time now."
Ves took a deep breath. "Wish me luck."
While Professor Ventag exited the backstage in order to take a seat close to Professor Pendleton, Ves walked up to the stage in a confident gait. Lucky followed him as well, this time held in his grasp.
The noise and conversation in the entire exhibition hall slowly died down, partially helped by the sound-dampening measures built into the enormous chamber. Gavin and a team of professional technicians manned the Grand Skyward's many controls, allowing them to manipulate the senses of the audience to their liking.
Right now, the lights in the main hall had dimmed down. Aside from lighting the emergency exits and Ves himself, hardly any details could be seen. Curtains currently blocked their sight of what lay behind.
Ves "Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Grand Skyward. My name is Ves Larkinson, and you may have heard of me. Over the last couple of months, I have worked together with the esteemed Professor Corus Ventag on a joint design project that incorporates features that are rarely seen in mechs currently on offer. Today, the LMC and NORA Consolidated is proud to present to you an innovative new mech design!"
The curtains behind his back slowly drew back, revealing the outlines of five huge objects. The relative darkness in the chamber prevented the audience from seeing the mechs in their full glory. However, even the faint backlight that outlined their contours was enough to suggest that they were considerably large mechs!
As soon as the curtains parted, the audience already sensed something remarkable about the mechs! A strong, formless aura emanated from the mechs. All of the gold label mechs possessed an identical X-Factor, with the mech at the center exerting the strongest effect.
All five of their auras blended together, amplifying their effects on the minds and spirit of the audience members.
Even Professor Pendleton at the front row looked discomfited for a short moment before he wiped the confusion off his face.
Ves smiled as he noticed that the auras accomplished their intended effect. These machines were the closest things to living mechs that he had ever designed and fabricated! With the Aurora Titan's potent A-grade X-Factor, how could its effect on average, spiritually weak humans be negligible?
From the start, Ves intended to take advantage of this property to manipulate the audience to his side. The threat of Professor Pendleton standing up to badmouth the Aurora Titan only increased the importance of this measure!
Even if Professor Pendleton won the upcoming argument on facts and logic, how could the audience ever be convinced by them when their mood and emotions overwhelmingly became impressed by the mechs?
The upcoming verbal battle was not meant to force either Ves or Professor Pendleton to admit their wrongs. Mech designers could be rather stubborn people especially if it came to their own work.
No, their actual goal was to get the audience on their side. As long as Professor Pendleton managed to work the entire crowd against the Aurora Titan, then the live broadcasts and subsequent footage could be used to hammer the Aurora Titan over and over again until practically nobody would dare to buy the mech for fear of inviting ridicule!
Yet even without revealing the full appearances of the five show models, Ves already gained an inestimable advantage. Tens of thousands of attendees already became mesmerized by the strong compelling aura emanating from the five mechs looming at the rear of the stage!
"What is a mech?" Ves rhetorically asked while stroking Lucky's back. The cat had garnered some attention as well. "A mech is a fighting machine. We all know that. Yet I believe that they can be something more. My company and I believe that mechs carry an intrinsic quality that goes beyond their technical performance on the battlefield. Don't believe me? Then what about the mechs you see behind me? Can you really call them lifeless machines that are only meant to be used as tools?"
The audience went completely still. Even if someone farted loudly or something, the systems running in the background would make sure to not only suppress that sound, but suck away the awful odor before it went on to disturb the people sitting next to the offending farter!
The silence seemed to magnify the unusual pressure in the air. To Ves, it appeared that his remarkable mechs responded to his meaning!
The Aurora Titan wanted to become a success as much as Ves! No mech design wanted to remain forgotten and unused!
Ves grinned as the dramatic pauses and the other little tricks continued to sway the crowd to his words. Even though he was cheating by taking advantage of the strong auras of his best mechs to date, he nonetheless gained a lot of confidence, and it showed.
He leisurely petted his cat while he continued his opening statement. "As the lead designer of the mech design that I'm about to reveal to you, I am proud to say that it is an innovative product with no equal in the mech market. In coming up with the mech concept, I questioned every assumption that many mech designers take for granted and reevaluated them according to their individual merits. This has led to a radical vision for a new mech that is incredibly suitable in both the current mech generation and the next mech generation!"
Anticipating music began to play in the massive chamber. Vibrations emanating from the air and from the seats helped build up everyone's expectations!
"Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome the LMC and NORA Consolidated's latest mech design, the Aurora Titan AT-A-01!"
A huge glow of bright light washed over the five Aurora Titans from above right at the climax of the music!
As people's vision adjusted to the sudden brightness, they beheld the splendor of the Aurora Titans in full!
At least half of the crowd gasped in surprise. Others showed milder reactions that nevertheless hinted at their amazement of the mechs!
The tantalizing hints that Ves fed the crowd had not prepared them to the full sight of the mechs! The Shield of Samar and its four sibling mechs of the same model finally showed themselves to the crowd, to the Bright Republic and to anyone else who was watching the live broadcast!
After more than seven months of development and design work, the Aurora Titan design finally made its debut to the mech market!
Chapter 1121
The moment the lights shone down on the Aurora Titans, the crowd all eagerly studied the impressive-looking machines.
They were big! Almost every person had seen numerous mechs before, and they developed a pretty good eye for how large they should be. The Aurora Titans were considerably larger and bulker than even the most encumbered medium mechs!
The Aurora Titan was a mech that defied the conventional weight classes!
After the attendees got over the huge bulk of the mechs, they began to take in their appearance. From their marblish white coating to the partially unfolded flight systems starting to glow, the mechs immediately looked remarkable!
Ves even had the mechs run their Rescue Particle Generators in order to enhance their visual flair from behind. The light glowing clouds of golden particles made it appear that the mechs were gods in the form of machines!
Yet perhaps the most remarkable aesthetic feature of the mechs would have to be their lizard-like heads mounted on top of their titanic humanoid frames! The sight of these heads amplified the sensation that the crowd wasn't looking at a bunch of mechs, but rather a pack of living, breathing exobeasts!
A very faint thrum ran through the floor of the Grand Skyward's main hall. Ves ordered the technicians to run a heartbeat-like sensation through everyone's bodies at the moment the light shone down on the mechs.
At the time, nobody understood why Ves ordered such a thing. Such vibrations might irritate the crowd and make them feel that Ves tried too hard to make his mechs look more impressive.
Yet the reality of the situation was that the Aurora Titans already impressed the audience even without the use of tricks. The low thrum the audience felt right now happened to resonate with the aura released by the mechs. The Shield of Samar piloted by Jannzi Larkinson felt especially more lifelike in combination with the deep vibrations!
In fact, Ves modeled the thrum to emulate Qilanxo's deep heartbeats. Back when he was involved in the beast rider project, he interacted closely with the Sacred God that the Vandals and the Swordmaidens took captive.
Aside from her bulk and her primordial appearance, Qilanxo's deep heartbeats always managed to impress upon Ves of her might!
This small trick of showmanship was enough to amplify the first impressions of the audience towards the Aurora Titans. All five mechs appeared so vivid that most of the crowd immediately felt that their design was anything but regular!
Even if they couldn't articulate what they felt, hardly anyone would be able to state that the Aurora Titan design was boring! Just its artistically-sculpted facade alone was enough wow the audience!
Each Aurora Titan appeared on stage with their broadswords and their imposing tower shields in their hands.
Jannzi moved her mech first. The Shield of Samar took one step forward, shaking the floor enough to make everyone feel that step in their bones, and held its sword with its tip pointed aloft at the high ceiling!
It looked like a triumphant lizard-headed warrior basking in the adulation of the crowd!
A roar of excitement erupted from the audience! Helped along with plants from the LMC and NORA Consolidated, the rest of the people witnessing the spectacle spontaneously joined in the jubilant roars as they showed their admiration for the new mechs!
Ves continued to smile as he calmly pet his cat like some sort of evil mastermind. Just as the Aurora Titans basked in the glory of the moment, so did their maker.
A mech designer never designed a mech for themselves. They always aimed their products to be used by others. Therefore, they worked tirelessly to design mechs that would sell well in the market!
Even though the most difficult portion was yet to come, Ves already became inordinately pleased by the effects of his showmanship.
He calmly waited for the excitement to die down. As the crowd fell silent in anticipation for what Ves had to say next, they nonetheless continued to stare up at the mechs instead of Ves. How could a human ever be as interesting to see than those fantastic-looking machines?
"The Aurora Titan is a super-medium space knight design. Yes, you've heard that right. It is not a regular medium mech. Instead, it is heavier than even the most defense-oriented medium mechs on the market. It is roughly around twenty percent larger and heavier than regular mechs."
Ves began to introduce the basic specs of his design. He described the Pisaro armor system, and put a positive spin on its practical and simple material composition. He also described the polarizing module and the alien crystals in detail and emphasized their strengths against directed energy weapons.
"The polarizing module is the defining feature of the Aurora Titan. From the start of the joint design project, I wanted to design a mech that made use of active defenses. There are several great advantages to the use of a polarizing module. In the best-case scenarios, it is able to completely negate any incoming fire through expending energy instead of armor plating. Think of the cost savings that you could achieve by employing the Aurora Titan through this fashion! One of the biggest expenses of every active outfit is the cost of repairs. In many cases, mercenary corps always succumb due to the ludicrous repair bills they rack up after a disastrous battle!"
The Shield of Samar showcased its polarizing module right this instant. A thin field of glowing white shone on the front of its tower shield. The mech activated its polarizing module live in front of the audience and the recorders with ease!
After a few seconds of holding a polarizing field on the tower shield, Jannzi quickly deactivated it and started to light up other sections of her mech with polarizing fields.
Its chest armor, its legs, its arms, its head, its back all lit up in white in quick succession. The skillful and precise manner in which Jannzi set the parameters of the polarizing fields earned a nod of appreciation from Ves. It took a lot of skill to control the polarizing module with such speed and precision. It looked especially impressive when Jannzi maintained three or four different polarizing fields at the same time!
"In this day and age, laser weapons are already dominant in most battles between spaceborn mechs. Their ubiquity will inevitably be boosted once the next mech generation commences. In such a time, normal medium space knights might not suit your needs. A single Aurora Titan possesses such a great defensive ability to resist laser weapons that fielding one of them is the same as fielding two or even three space knights! To outfits that field carriers with limited space, every mech they carry matters. While there is something to be praised about the allround application of regular medium space knights, in some instances they can achieve better results with a more specialized solution!"
Outside of its intrinsic X-Factor and the benefits it brought, the main selling point of the Aurora Titan was that it was the right tool for the right job! The Aurora Titan specialized in offering a solution to a problem that would only grow more prominent in the next ten to thirty years!
Now came the most difficult part of the presentation. Ves could not avoid the elephant in the room forever. One of the most important parts to any product announcement was to reveal their pricing.
After Ves finished his overview of the Aurora Titan's various qualities, he finally addressed the prices.
In order to illustrate his next points, projections of two simplified-looking Aurora Titans appeared next to the five real mechs.
Different from the physical show models, the projected mechs looked a lot more practical and less artistic.
"The Aurora Titan is principally a product of the Living Mech Corporation, so our company's three-tiered model structure applies. NORA Consolidated will soon start taking orders for the bronze label and silver label editions of the Aurora Titan. The bronze label Aurora Titans will go on sale for 100 million credits while the silver label Aurora Titans are priced at 120 million credits."
Another gasp struck the crowd, but not a welcome one this time.
100 million credits!
120 million credits!
Was Ves addled with stimulants or something?! How could he charge so much for what amounted to souped-up premium space knights?
Even so, the shocked reactions of the crowd was more muted than many experts anticipated upon hearing such ludicrous sums. Most people were still preoccupied in admiring the Shield of Samar and its sibling mechs to care about their prices!
Most people in the crowd were laymen who didn't possess the aptitude to pilot mechs. Neither did they have the funds or means at hand to buy a mech and pair them up with a mech pilot. They were just attending the product reveal for fun, so insanely high prices hardly affected them on a personal level.
The most abrupt reactions instead came from the handful of mech pilots, mech designers mech commanders and other people involved in the large and diverse mech community. They knew best what it meant to charge 100 million credits for the cheapest edition of the Aurora Titan!
Ordinary outfits could forget about fielding this luxury product! Despite the compelling auras and the imposing looks of the show models, various outfit officers and commanders bled their hearts as they thought of their modest accounts and their straining finances.
Why did Ves tease them with such a fantastic mech, only to drop a bombshell in their laps with his price announcements?!
Even so, the good impression they had already gained of the Aurora Titan simply increased the value of the design in their minds by another notch!
Humans loved expensive, high-quality products!
Just because the overwhelming number of people in the crowd could never afford an Aurora Titan didn't make their admiration for the mech lessen any bit!
Just like any luxury product, a very strong psychological effect was at play that made people admire expensive mechs like women loved expensive fashionable clothes or handbags!
Ves worked hard to present the Aurora Titan in the best light possible so that when it came time to announce their pricing, the crowd would think that every single credit was worth it to obtain such a fantastic machine!
"However, the pinnacle version of the Aurora Titan design comes in the form of our exclusive, limited edition gold label mechs that you see before you. Each gold label mech is personally handcrafted by yours truly. As the lead designer of the Aurora Titan, I can confidently state that any copies I fabricate by hand is superior to any other copy in the market, hence their exclusive status! The LMC will be responsible for taking a limited amount of orders for the gold label edition of the Aurora Titan design. They will go on sale for 150 million credits."
150 million credits!
After the shock of the previous price announcements, the drastic price difference of 50 million credits between the cheapest and most expensive edition hardly fazed the crowd. All of them subconsciously believed that the gold label Aurora Titans fully deserved to be charged so much. They were as much of a work of art as they were functional mechs!
At this time, the party pooper finally stood up. While Ves could easily order the technicians to muffle Professor Pendleton's voice and even drop a dark cloud on his body to obscure his entire body, what would be the point?
Not only would such an act be extremely disrespectful towards a Senior, Ves did not even want to avoid the confrontation in the first place!
Ves had always been aware that his mech design would arouse a lot of controversy. Rather than fighting the battle over scattered marketing campaigns and interviews, he would rather hold the debate right here and now when he had already prepped the crowded over to his side!
Perhaps Professor Pendleton was aware that Ves had worked hard to settle the battlefield in his favor. It did not matter. A Senior did not have to pay attention to such trifles when he addressed a mere Apprentice!
"Mr. Larkinson." He began. His voice was being amplified so that the entire hall could hear his words. "I can no longer maintain my silence as you are attempting to peddle your unorthodox mech design. Not even first-year mech design students have come up with a worse mech concept than your Aurora Titan!"
The crowd instantly smelled a drama was about to take place! Some of the people even drew their attention away from admiring the show models to look up at the projection of Professor Pendleton being broadcasted to the audience!
Chapter 1122
Professor Norman Pendleton was a respectable-looking Senior Mech Designer who was roughly as old as Professor Ventag. They were very close rivals to each other for that reason. Each of them tried to outdo the other for many decades now. Even when they successfully advanced to the rank of Senior, they never let up on each other!
Alongside their personal rivalry, the competition between the AUMD and the DCTI played a role as well. Senior Mech Designers never deigned to attend the press conferences of Apprentices unless they were their mentors or involved in the design project in some fashion.
This made Professor Pendleton's abrupt decision to attend this product reveal so noteworthy. As his image was being projected on the stage for everyone to hear and see, Ves knew that the fight had finally started in earnest.
"Let us not go into the many shortcomings of your design that makes it unfit for sale, let alone a passing grade in any mech design class. What in the galaxy did you injected into your bloodstream to charge a mech by almost twice its actual worth?! Young man, a little greed is fine, as everyone wants to be rewarded for their work, but the insane margins you are demanding from your customers is downright price gouging!"
"The Aurora Titan is more than worth its price, no matter the edition." Ves calmly replied. He repeated one of his earlier points. "In the right circumstances, its performance can equal that of two or three medium space knights."
The professor smiled sardonically at those words. "Two second-hand economy space knights, maybe. Yet just because you preface your claim with 'the right circumstances', doesn't mean you can get away with your deceptive statement. Battles are always messy. The right circumstances that you describe don't happen as nearly as often as you want your potential suckers to think. Mechs in space use all kinds of weapons other than lasers! Tell me honestly, how does the Aurora Titan fare against physical rounds? How well does the Aurora Titan fight against melee mechs?"
Ves had only vaguely stated that the Aurora Titan did not perform optimally under these conditions. The truth was that the mech performed downright awful in some of those scenarios!
He could never disparage his mech in public outright. That would be giving his critics ammunition to clip his admission and use it as the basis of attacks in the media!
There was hardly any argument against a mech that was more convincing than the disparaging words of their own designers!
Therefore, answering this question presented a tricky problem to Ves. Yet one point in favor to him was that there wasn't any rule that stated that he needed to respond to a question directly. There were no arbitrators or moderators like there was in a formal debate to call him out if he engaged in tricks.
This gave Ves license to resort to his favored means of resolving difficult arguments, which was to lie, cheat, misdirect and distract and misrepresent the truth!
Part and parcel of his arsenal of tools was to make use of his considerably flexible Spirituality. Even though a Senior Mech Designer possessed an incomparably strong design philosophy that formed the basis of mentality and their beliefs, they were not like mech pilots who had the ability to employ their force of will on other people.
While Ves hadn't mastered this application of spirituality, he knew some of the theory behind it. He even managed to imitate the effect.
Right now, the main reason why Ves stood so close to the front edge of the stage was because he could stand as close to Professor Pendleton as possible.
It wasn't a coincidence that Ves specifically instructed the staff to seat Professor Pendleton right at the center of the front row of seats. The actual distance between the two was close enough for them to stare each other in the eyes.
This was a close enough distance for Ves to employ his weakly-imitated force of will in a direct confrontation against Professor Pendleton's mind!
Ves did not ask for much. He just wanted to make Professor Pendleton appear a little more discomfited and less sure of his arguments. This was why he emulated Venerable Foster's domineering force of will in an unrelenting aggressive pressure!
Unfortunately, it didn't appear that Pendleton noticed much of what Ves tried to do. Professor Pendleton was an old man who had seen a lot in his day. He even interacted with expert pilots a lot due to his involvement in several expert mech design projects!
Even if this spiritual attack failed to take hold on the professor, it nonetheless affected Ves as well!
Venerable Foster always seemed absolutely confident and strong. Her uniformly domineering force of will played a huge role in making her larger than life!
The same effect played out on Ves as well. He voluntarily subjected himself to a form of self-brainwashing as he let the imitated force of will suffuse his entire judgement and take root in his mind. This action not only imparting him with an aura of righteous conviction, but also fired up his fighting spirit to the maximum!
Up close and on the projection, Ves was practically on fire as he started to hit back at the Professor!
"Why are heavy mechs so bad against light mechs? Why are melee mechs constantly outgunned by ranged mechs? Why do aerial mechs always get the drop on landbound melee mechs? The guiding paradigm of the mech industry is specialization! An outfit that fields mechs that are average at everything will never be able to beat an outfit that combines several specialized mech models in a synergistic fashion!"
"I am not talking about your Aurora Titan's ability to hit back against a ranged mech. That's a completely unnecessary gimmick of your mech design that only serves to jack up its prices, by the way." Professor Pendleton quickly adjusted.
"The alien crystal technology is not a gimmick but a core addition to the Aurora Titan. A skilled mech pilot will be able to employ their strategic placement and retaliate at unexpected moments. My Crystal Lord design has already proven the viability of this tactic!"
"I'll talk about the gimmicks later." Pendleton shook his head. "First, I want to address the core function of a space knight. You seem to have the mistaken impression that their only use is to be slightly mobile barriers against massed firepower. That is only a small part of what they do! The true purpose of a defensive space knight is to frustrate the enemy! They not only need to block enemy firepower, but also fend off aggressive mechs that are trying to run down vulnerable friendly mechs!"
"The Aurora Titan is not designed to serve those roles." Ves stated. "It is designed to do one job and do it well. Even fielding just a single Aurora Titan is enough to expand the tactical possibilities of any outfit! Sometimes, a spaceborn mech force can benefit from adding what amounts to a mobile barrier against massed firepower in their mech lineup. My new design serves as an excellent solution to this problem! Even for its price range, the value that our customers can get in return will more than makeup for the initial investment!"
The professor smiled patronizingly at Ves. "You are doing your customers, what few you have, an enormous disservice. As I've said, your grossly overpriced mech model resembles a student design project that breaks far too many rules than I could count! While its defensive prowess can exceed that of orthodox medium space knights, the tradeoffs to its mobility must be immense! Even a space snail accelerates faster this ungainly lump of alloy matched with a flight system that is far too weak for its mass!"
"Professor Pendleton, with respect, if you can design a space knight that is as agile as a light skirmisher, then you would immediately win an award from the MTA!"
Some in the audience laughed a bit at this joke, to Professor Pendleton's surprise. He had not expected them to laugh at the expense of a respected Senior!
"We are comparing space knights to space knights. Within this single classification of mechs, your Aurora Titan is merely a pretty shell compared to true space knight designs! Your Aurora Titan's agility and mobility is so slow that even the shabbiest pirate pilot inside a 3 million credit light skirmisher can quickly turn your 100 million credit mech into scrap! I don't even know why you even bothered to pair your design with a sword seeing how ineptly it can swing the weapon!"
That argument took hold on the audience a lot better this time!
Certainly, the Aurora Titan looked like an extraordinarily capable defense mech. It had to be if it cost 100 million credits to obtain the cheapest model.
Yet to hear a Senior say that a mech that cost thirty times cheaper could quickly make short work of this expensive boondoggle was quite a serious claim! The professor's high status lent more credence to his statement!
Ves knew that his response might end up very poorly for the Aurora Titan if he botched it. He could only offer a somewhat baseless reply.
"The Aurora Titan is fundamentally a melee mech. Its fighting capabilities up close are not negligible! A skilled pilot will be able to fend off a light skirmisher, but that is not the Aurora Titan's primary job!"
The heckling professor released a disdainful snort. "A skilled pilot of your ungainly mech will only be able to fend off a light skirmisher if the latter is piloted by an autistic mech pilot who is drunk and jacked up with stimulants."
"That is besides the point." Ves quickly continued. "The scenario that you painted will never happen outside of grossly contrived mech duels! Space knights always act in unison with other mechs, some of which can't block a hundredth of the damage the Aurora Titan can tank but are deadly against light skirmishers! To compare the battle performance of different mech types against each other is a flawed comparison because most mechs are never meant to be employed in duels! There are mech models for sale that are specifically designed to compete in mech duels! Perhaps you are getting on in your years and visited the wrong exhibition hall by mistake, professor!"
Some in the crowd erupted in laughter yet again, humiliating the professor even further. When was the last time Professor Pendleton was ever subjected to ridicule?! Even though the status of high-ranking mech designers in society did not equal that of high-ranking mech pilots, a Senior was still accorded supreme status due to the benefits they brought to their states!
That did not matter as much in this particular instance. Half the crowd didn't even recognize Professor Pendleton. Those that did somehow didn't consider the Senior to be particularly impressive at the moment.
With the mighty show models of the Aurora Titan standing just behind Ves, it was as if the presence of the mechs enhanced his stature and made him a lot more credible than an average apprentice!
Ves felt that his personal attacks seemed to take hold a lot better than purely factual arguments about the performance of his mech design. The aggressive mood that took over in his mind pushed him to keep attacking!
Since he already achieved some success in turning away uncomfortable arguments by ridiculing the Senior, why not go for broke?!
"Let me ask you one thing, Professor Pendleton. Have you lived through the war like I did? Have you spent moments where you are in the thick of the fighting where your comrades in the Mech Corps are all that stands in the way of death or captivity by the Vesians?!"
The professor was momentarily caught by surprise by this off-tangent remark. "Every mech designer of the Bright Republic has done their duty. In my youth, I put my already considerable design ability at their disposal. As a Senior Mech Designer, I have aided in the design of many military mech models as well as numerous expert mechs used by famed Brighter expert pilots!"
Ves brashly laughed. "Hahaha! It doesn't sound like your wartime experiences amount to much! I don't think you've never been caught by the explosion of a missile screaming down from the air, or been spaced out of an exploding carrier and be forced to crash land on a planet in nothing but a shabby escape pod! If you've never witnessed war so close that your very life is on the line, how can you stand there and lecture me, a true survivor of the recently-ended war, how mechs are supposed to work?! All the books you've read and theories you've developed in the comfort in your ivory tower is nothing compared to living through the most harrowing parts of the war!"
"Wartime experiences are not relevant to a mech designer's ability to design a good mech."
While this was a factual statement, it sounded extraordinary weak!
Ves smirked. "Which mech designer did the Mech Corps award the Darkness Eater? The Torchbearer? The Golden Mech? Distinguished Service Medal? The War Saint? The Frontier Service Medal? The Mech Corps Commendation? The Vermillion Heart?"
All of them were famed medals of the Mech Corps. While favors and political influence played a considerable part on who was awarded with them, they were never bestowed without basis!
For Ves to earn such a rich lineup of prestigious awards during a very short war sounded extremely impressive! Even though his bountiful recognition from the Mech Corps was already old news, repeating his distinctions at this time served as a powerful attack against the Senior!
Especially since Ves followed up with a poignant question.
"I think we all know which mech designer present here won those awards. Let me ask you, then. What about you, Professor Pendleton? What medals have you been awarded with by the Mech Corps for your valiant service in the past wars?"
A fatal silence ensued for Professor Pendleton.
Chapter 1123
"Oh yeah, I also forgot to add the Plasma Spark to my list of combat awards." Ves faked an awkward laugh. "Sorry about that. I earned that particular medal shortly before the end of the war. Please forgive my spotty memory."
The people sitting in the rows of seats took the cue and erupted into laughter, forcing Professor Pendleton to stifle his rebuttal.
The crowd loved a winner, and right now Ves radiated absolute confidence!
The effect would have been even better if he wore his medals today! While he left his actual medals and ribbons back at home in Cloudy Curtain, Ves still had a solution for that. He wasn't the first person who left his military awards behind.
He leisurely put Lucky down next to his feet and activated his comm. He inputted a few commands that caused his medals to appear on the chest of his formal clothing in the form of projections!
Even though they weren't really physical present, their splendor still managed to look impressive on his body!
Ever since Ves heard that Professor Pendleton of the Ansel University of Mech Design intended to spoil his product reveal, he read up the older man's public record.
The notation regarding his wartime service in his younger years only mentioned some brief platitudes about 'doing his duty' and 'contributing to the war effort'.
Nothing else.
What little recognition Norman Pendleton received from the Mech Corps amounted to little more than participation awards.
This was not that big of a deal to mech designers in the Bright Republic. The Mech Corps did not expect too much from their conscripted young mech designers.
Certain individuals with connections to major influences such as the AUMD even got a free pass from the Mech Corps. These mech designers would receive cushy positions in the interior of the Bright Republic so that they would never be exposed to actual danger.
Ves hadn't forgotten his half-year posting at Flashlight's Frozen Point Research Base. The young Ansel mech designers there were like flowers in a greenhouse. Their school had already arranged everything for them! Every single one of those brats would survive the war without facing a Vesian even a single time and would be able to boast about 'doing their duty' with a straight face!
No one called them out about their farcical deployment compared to the poorer and less well-connected mech designers exposed to regular danger.
This was because the average mech designers deployed to the frontlines didn't have much to boast about their service either. Their performance was average at best and cowardly at worst. It was too difficult to find a single courageous mech designer among their ranks!
However, exceptions always existed.
Ves happened to be one of the few mech designers to fall outside mold.
Some of the awards that Ves received were mere participation medals, such as the War Saint which every serviceman received. However, the top awards were very different. The Darkness Eater and the Torchbearer were both prestigious awards that could only be bestowed for performing supreme merit during a combat situation!
As for the Golden Mech, its standing among mech designers could not be overstated! Only Seniors earned this award from the Mech Corps for designing exceptional, war-winning designs!
For an Apprentice like Ves to receive one may be a bit undeserved if he was being honest. However, since he already got it, why not take advantage that he received the Golden Mech while the professor only got some lame participation awards?
Right now, Ves wanted to club Professor Pendleton's head with the weight of all of his medals! Even though it was a thuggish act for Ves to abuse his medals to belittle a Senior for his lack of valor during his wartime service, so what?!
The aggressive force of will that Ves had emulated from Venerable Foster seemed to take a life on its own, egging Ves on! The best way to fend off a Senior from haranguing him on the Aurora Titan's factual shortcomings was to keep shifting the conversation away from his design!
In the meantime, both the crowd and the journalists all became enraptured by the fierce words spat out by Ves! They loved the drama!
The ordinary respect that should have been afforded to a Senior was nowhere to be seen! Most of the crowd already unconsciously took Ves' side. Nobody rose up to lend their support to the much more superior mech designer because they could not bring themselves to side against a genuine war hero!
"I am Ves Larkinson of the Larkinson Family!" Ves declared exultantly, not even hesitating to involve the reputation of his family! "We Larkinsons have always served in the war! Countless Larkinsons have lost their lives over the years, but many more have distinguished themselves in battle! Benjamin Larkinson is my grandfather! Ark Larkinson is my uncle! Ghanso Larkinson is my cousin! When it comes to the war against the Vesians, there is no family in the Republic who has contributed more to the war than my own flesh and blood!"
"Larkinson! Larkinson! Larkinson!" The audience spontaneously echoed!
The professor was just about to speak up, but Ves' shameless method of hugging his family's illustrious wartime reputation forced him to a halt again!
How could Professor Pendleton put down this personal attack on his honor? By dismissing the worth of the medals? That was political suicide! The Mech Corps was one of the most respected institutions in the Bright Republic, and their awards were not to be questioned!
At the same time, while the the Larkinson Family had its detractors, it was mostly the other military families who opposed them. For a mech designer like Professor Pendleton who never risked his life during the past wars to dismiss the Larkinson Family would definitely piss off former and active servicemen!
Every Senior Mech Designer in the Bright Republic maintained strong relations with the military. They cooperated with the Mech Corps by providing their mech regiments with mechs or helping them with designing new military mechs. They also played a vital role in the development of expert mechs!
Yet Professor Pendleton might put this cozy business relationship into jeopardy if he spoke out carelessly against either the Larkinson Family or the many medals that Ves had been awarded with! With the Mech Corps playing such a huge role in the Bright Republic, it was very taboo to publicly denounce the military!
The situation for the Ansel Senior grew more and more awkward. If the man had built up some support from the crowd, then he might have been able to weasel himself away from the attack, but the lack of any friendly sentiment around him gave him very little openings to extricate him from this difficult situation.
He shouldn't have come to confront an aberrant mech designer like Ves who showed no scruples at all in putting a Senior on the spot like this! His conduct was a major breach in etiquette among their profession!
To be frank, Ves already knew that he was definitely burning some bridges in the mech industry, but so what? It felt good to smack a hostile mech designer whose solely attended the product to tear down the Aurora Titan!
The domineering force of will that affected his conduct grew in strength as more and more of the audience sided with him. Ves suddenly realized that a force of will never acted in isolation!
An expert mech pilot might have sparked the initial fire in their minds, but the adulation of the masses truly set it ablaze!
Tens of thousands of people had entered the Grand Skyward's main hall. Through various tricks and theatrics as well as the auras exerted by the show models, Ves managed to get the crowd fully over to his side with his fiery words! No matter if they were Brighters or foreign visitors, all of them couldn't help but voice out their support to the scrappy young mech designer!
The strange interaction between the audience's adulation and the imitated force of will affecting his mind made Ves understand expert pilots a little better.
Perhaps the custom of calling high-ranking mech pilots gods was not entirely baseless after all!
Even though the spirituality of average people was weak and formless, somehow they resonated with his force of will, especially if they had become swept up by his mood!
Ves felt that if he was a real expert pilot, he might be able to strengthen his force of will and even transform it into an entirely new form!
He mentally shook his head. This was not the time to contemplate the myriad wonders of spirituality! He had a Senior to put down first!
His small distraction gave Professor Pendleton enough time to muster up a decent-sounding response.
"Your service and your family's service to the Bright Republic is very much appreciated. I have never questioned the courage of the Larkinsons." He said mildly. "Yet no matter how you distinguished yourself in the war, the lives of the mech pilots who use your mechs are at stake. Being a soldier is very different from being a mech designer! We do not exist to fight enemies directly! We instead design the tools needed for our soldiers to fight our enemies to the best of their abilities! It is this core responsibility that I believe your Aurora Titan design is failing in! Your improperly-designed mech poses a threat to its own mech pilots!"
Ves had to hand it to Professor Pendleton. He chose a great way to pivot the conversation back to the Aurora Titan. Pendleton saw that there was no way forward by questioning Ves' competence directly. Instead, the Senior framed his argument against the Aurora Titan in the context of the duty that all mech designers held towards mech pilots!
No matter how great Ves puffed himself up, if his mech designs were so bad that they actually killed their users, then none of his medals could save the Aurora Titan from ruin!
Still, the professor lacked momentum on his side. Ves was on a roll and he had plenty more ways to fend off this latest thrust!
"You've never seen the Aurora Titan in action yet and you are already ready to denounce my design?" Ves mockingly asked. "How can you make such a blanket statement about my mech just from its introduction alone? Just look at my show models!"
Ves gestured his arm towards the Shield of Samar and the four other gold label mechs. Their splendor and their aura were so impressive that hardly anyone could bring themselves to dislike them even if they watched the event through a projection from the comfort of their homes!
At the same time, Ves subtly transmitted a command to Jannzi Larkinson and the other mech pilots. In unison, they clanged that swords against their shields!
The shock of the simultaneous impacts caused the entire audience to jolt! The show models drew back their swords before clanging them against their shields yet again. They repeated the action in a slow but measured rhythm, causing them to resonate with the low thrum that emulated Qilanxo's heartbeat.
The show models somehow appeared more glorious and ready for battle than ever before!
The thunderous clanging echoed throughout the chamber. Its rhythmic pattern seemed to hypnotize the crowd into a fanatic fervor for the mechs that went well beyond mere admiration for their design!
Ves pulled out the pistol from his toolbelt. His aggressive mood took on a bit more solemness as he wielded the Peaceful Repose.
The artful gun drew a lot of attention back to Ves. He resolutely tried to pivot the discussion away from his mech. What better than to employ more theatrics?
The biggest mistake that Professor Pendleton could make was to enter a venue that was completely under Ves' control!
Ves not only had the crowd on his side, but could also manipulate the surroundings in a way that strengthened his connection to the people!
"How many lives have you saved? How many Vesians and other enemies have you killed?"
The professor looked as if he was choking a cough. What did this have to do with mech design?!
Chapter 1124
Ves drew his pistol for a reason. Even though it wasn't the Amastendira, the impressive-looking gun nonetheless gave him a dangerous air that neatly complimented his aggressive demeanor.
The show models that kept bashing their swords against their tower shields resembled the rhythmic pounding of war drums. The synchronized metallic clanging sounds evoked a martial atmosphere in the main hall of the Grand Skyward that drifted their thoughts further away from Professor Pendleton's arguments.
"I killed people." Ves exclaimed in a dramatic fashion. "I killed hundreds of enemies of the Republic! Not from afar, but up close, close enough for me to shoot them with my gun. Do you know how many Vesians pointed their guns at me? Do you know how many times I barely managed to survive the encounters?"
He was exaggerating a bit here. It was mostly pirates and other scum that threatened his over the course of his romp throughout the frontier.
Yet what was the harm in embellishing some of his harrowing experiences? A bit of distortion here and there didn't hurt!
In order to play up his theatrical performance, he quickly issued a series of commands under his breath that he was sure that Gavin and the specialists in the control room could hear.
"I even faced an expert pilot in combat multiple times and survived by the skin of my teeth!"
Venerable Foster grabbed his collar and slammed him against a surface not just once, but twice! That Ves managed to escape from those confrontations with his life intact was a win in his book!
Nonetheless, despite the weak and grossly distorted foundation of his latest claim, the public ate it all up! Somehow, the sight of Ves wielding his Peaceful Repose against the backdrop of the show models made it seem as if he fought off an expert mech all by himself!
Far be it for Ves to disappoint their expectations of the crowd. He abruptly pointed his Peaceful Repose at the Shield of Samar and fired off a powerful Exil round!
A powerful crack echoed throughout the entire main hall! The sound had already been amplified by the technicians of the control room in order to make the gunshot sound more dramatic!
The Peaceful Repose hardly needed the assistance because the 1 million credit Exil round seemed to crash against the senses of the public! A corona trail almost instantly emerged from the muzzle of the Peaceful Repose and impacted against the chest plate of Jannzi's mech!
A very minute dent in the coating of mech appeared.
"I did this in order to save the lives of my comrades in arms!"
The Peaceful Repose cracked out another million credit Exil Round at the Shield of Samar!
"I have witnessed the deaths of thousands of brave and loyal soldiers of the Mech Corps!"
Ves fired off another round!
"I have seen thousands of friendly mechs fight to the very end as their mech pilots refused to go the easy way out and eject from their cockpits!"
The Peaceful Repose barked out a fourth expensive Exil round!
Whatever the merits the handcrafted rounds brought to the weapon, its dramatic trail and its powerful explosive impact against the armor plating of the Shield of Samar was already worth the ludicrous amount of money he paid for a batch!
"I know why mechs fail! I have learned what our men and women in uniform value in their mechs! With my very life and the lives of my comrades at stake, I learned exactly what mech pilots truly demand from their mechs in order to fight to the best of their ability! I wouldn't have survived the war without the lessons that mech pilots, mech technicians and other brave servicemen have taught me during the war!"
Ves fired the Peaceful Repose for one last time. The round exploded against the chest plate Shield of Samar with a powerful and vividly-colored blast!
The mechs stopped banging their swords against their shields, causing an uncomfortable silence to ensue which strengthened the desperation that Ves tried to evoke!
"For you to tell me that my judgement in mech design is lacking is completely false!" He exclaimed while forcefully engaging the safety of his Peaceful Repose and putting it back in its holster. "My mechs are designed to accommodate their mech pilots to the best of their ability! The LMC's products excel in this area! The sacrifices of thousands of servicemen underpin the innovations I have introduced into my designs!"
Professor Pendleton still hadn't given up. If he wanted to salvage his reputation, then he needed to stop acting as Ves' verbal punching bag!
"Your personal experiences aside, the Aurora Titan design is a fundamentally flawed design whose entire premise is faulty from the start! Don't try to distract the public from its problems by talking about matters that are only tangentially related to the quality of your mechs!"
Ves would have none of it! "Are you calling my wartime service irrelevant? Are you saying that mech designers who never saw a mech in actual battle with their own eyes know better than a mech designers whose lives depend on the battles taking place mere kilometers away? To question my Aurora Titan's viability in protecting their own mech pilots is laughable! Unlike an elite mech designer like you, I didn't enjoy any special privileges when the Mech Corps drafted me! Instead, they packed me off to the Flagrant Vandals, which immediately embarked on the most daring campaigns of the war! We attacked the Vesia Kingdom in the very heart of their territory!"
Some parts about his war record weren't classified. Something as public and propagandized as the Detemen Operation could hardly remain a secret with how much the Bright Republic promoted it in order to rally everyone's morale! His attachment to the Flagrant Vandals wasn't any secret at all, which gave Ves enough license to borrow the renown they earned from their exploits!
"Have you ever crossed into Vesian territory during wartime? Have you ever went many light-years deep into their territory, surrounded on all sides by enemy Vesians who want nothing more than to tear you apart and break your mechs and starships? One of the main reasons why we survived despite the lack of supplies and safe harbour is due to the great care given to our mechs! I have seen mechs stretched beyond their breaking point due to lack of supplies and time to service them properly, but they held up admirably regardless due to their excellent design!"
Professor Pendleton wanted to get in a word, but Ves quickly opened his mouth again before the Senior could say anything!
"Have you ever seen your own mechs when they are in poor condition, Professor? Mechs are built to last twenty years, but in practice they last much shorter than that, especially when they went through several battles. I have employed the best practices that I've picked up from the military into my own design work! While I can't claim my Aurora Titan is able to last forever, with proper maintenance it will continue to stand by its mech pilots through both the good times and bad times. They are just as dependable as the military mechs of the Mech Corps! Like actual soldiers, all of my customers will always be able to depend on my products to see them through!"
An increasing sense of doubt overcame Professor Pendleton's expression. How could he properly debate with Ves on the merits and shortcomings of the Aurora Titan design when this thuggish young mech designer kept harping back on his track record and personal experiences in the military!?
Even though Ves quite blatantly kept clubbing Professor Pendleton in the head with his medals and his military exploits, as long as it worked, Ves would keep abusing the Senior because it was the one area in which he could not be challenged!
To question Ves' military exploits was to question the Mech Corps, and that was a very bad idea regardless of whether Professor Pendleton was a Senior!
Even though resorting to this method helped Ves fend off his heckler, it did not come without a cost. Ves likely didn't endear himself very much in the eyes of mech designers and other professionals in the mech industry. The overwhelming majority of mech designers had more in common with Professor Pendleton than Ves when it came to their own time in the Mech Corps!
In addition, Ves figured the Mech Corps wouldn't be pleased to be dragged into this acrimonious argument. The only point in his favor was that he thought that they were irritated at mech designers who pulled some strings in order to be stationed as far away from the fighting as possible.
It did not serve their interests to rebuke Ves, who distinguished himself during the last war, to support a Senior with no notable combat action in his record!
The professor's continued attempts to avoid talking about his own accomplishments during wartime was enough to brand him a coward in the eyes of the crowd.
What right did a coward have to question a war hero in public?
Such an absurd development completely went against Professor Pendleton's expectations of how this afternoon would turn out! Ves only barely stuck to the script before going completely off-rails! This turn of events was so grossly unfair that the man wanted to tear his hair out!
Sitting at a seat a short distance away, Professor Ventag continually groaned as he buried his face in his hands. The extremely aggressive means that Ves employed to counteract Professor Pendelton's criticism to the Aurora Design would lead to a storm in the mech community. How could an Apprentice be so brazen as to drag a Senior into the mud?
For a moment, Ventag regretted putting his support behind Ves! This viper-tongued young mech designer would be the death of them and their high regard in the mech industry if he continued to hammer at a fellow Senior!
He stood up, interrupting Ves' the unrelenting tirade.
"This event is reserved to introduce the Aurora Titan to the public." Professor Ventag spoke, providing a reasonable and composed counterweight to Ves. "My fellow co-designer has a point. Rather than question the viability of the design so soon, why not let the mechs speak for themselves? This argument has gone on long enough. I think everyone would be best served if the Grand Skyward makes its way into space so that we can all witness which mech designer is right!"
The abrupt interjection by his collaborator injected a much-needed dose of rationality in Ves. Although he eagerly wanted to land some more blows on Professor Pendleton, he would only be making himself seem more unhinged if he insisted.
Ves already beat the professor black and blue in the public arena! He inflicted so much damage with his thuggish conduct that Professor Pendleton could hardly lift his head and continue his original mission to detract the quality of the Aurora Titan design!
He decided to end the first part of his presentation at this moment. He relaxed his mind and let go of the aggressive emulated force of will that affected his behavior. He instantly felt calmer and more at ease.
"Please excuse the unexpected delay." He said while smiling amiably towards his audience. "In thirty minutes, the Grand Skyward is scheduled to lift off into orbit where you will be able to witness the performance of the show models in various live-fire demonstrations. If you have other plans, please exit the exhibition hall before the time is up. You can also visit the restroom before the Grand Skyward flies up in orbit as you will need to be strapped into your seats during the ascent for safety reasons. That is all!"
The curtains closed the view to the stage, obscuring both Ves and the show models from view.
The first half of the product reveal finally came to an end!
Ketis immediately ran up to Ves and smacked her palm against his back. "Looks like you haven't lost any of your fire! You sure roasted that old mech designer really bad!"
"I sure did." Ves awkwardly chuckled. "I don't know whether the price is worth it, though. I can't imagine what my reputation will look like once the public hears of what just took place!"
Chapter 1125
After the dramatic events at the main hall, Ves retreated to his backstage room to have some time to himself. Getting caught up in the fever of the moment, no doubt aided by the emulated force of will that he imposed on himself, drained a lot of energy and spirit!
In fact, summoning up the courage to confront and berate a Senior directly was probably responsible for at least half of drained state!
"The event is not over."
Ves still needed to put up a good front when the show models exhibited some of their capabilities. He also needed to be present as the first wave of customers approached the sales representatives to register their first orders of the new mech model!
As for Professor Pendleton? With all the bashing he received from Ves, why would the heckler ever subject himself to more abuse?
According to security, the Senior from Ansel quietly scurried to the exit the instant the curtains closed!
"At least that problem is dealt with." Ves momentarily smirked. "Still, if Ansel is only mildly irritated with me before, they'll definitely be out on the warpath after today!"
Attacking one Ansel mech designer was the same as attacking all of them! The school's considerably powerful alumni network would definitely close ranks around their wounded comrade and hit back at Ves and the Aurora Titan in other ways!
The only way to blunt the inevitable counterattack from Ansel was to ensure the show models delivered their best performance in the following hours!
"Only if my mechs perform impressively enough will they be able to endure the storm of criticism!"
Any mech model that sold more than a negligible amount of copies per year would inevitably be faced with criticism. Customers either judged the mech by themselves or listened to experts who earned their living from reviewing mechs.
A whole cottage industry of mech reviewers existed that provided mech publications with countless evaluations!
Both mech fanatics, mech pilots and professionals in the mech industry eagerly read these reviews as a favored past time. The influence of these reviews on the sales of the mech models in question was quite considerable!
The Blackbeak and the Crystal Lord may not have been covered by many mech publications, but they generally received somewhat positive reviews.
Back when Ves released his first two mech designs, he hardly stood out from the crowd of other Apprentice Mech Designers. He was a nobody, frankly.
This time would be different. Not only had his public profile risen in multiple occasions, but the news about his fiery confrontation was already spreading over the galactic net like wildfire!
While this would definitely do a lot of favors to the Aurora Titan's exposure to the mech market, it also cemented Ves as a firespitter who wasn't afraid to savage Seniors!
Ves switched on his comm and skimmed through a couple of news portals. He quickly groaned once he read the headlines and quickly shut his device off.
"The good news is I'm famous again. The bad news is I'm famous again for the wrong reasons!"
Even the non-mech publications started to report on the developing controversy!
"Meow."
Only Lucky was by his side for the moment. The cat attempted to offer Ves some support by brushing his head against his body.
"Haha, it's not so bad, Lucky. Professor Ventag is right that my mechs ought to speak for themselves. I'm very certain that they'll be able to impress the public today. In fact, my mechs will definitely exceed their expectations as long as I employ my backup plan!"
Ves already developed a plan to be used in emergencies like this. The current situation definitely called for something extra to spice up the performance of the Aurora Titan!
Just as he contemplated whether he should commit to his backup plan, Lucky suddenly yowled and hissed from his lap.
"What's wrong, Lucky?"
"Meow meow meow!"
"There's someone here?"
"Your cat is right." A familiar-sounding voice emerged from the corner of the room as someone in an infiltrator suit revealed his presence. "We meet again, Ves."
Ves recognized the unassuming young man and his deceptively mild voice! "Leland Toll! What are you doing here?!"
"Why can't I be here? Flashlight has a stake in your company as well, or have you already forgotten who is standing behind Sibilant Asset Management? Since we own twenty-one percent of your company, we want to make sure our investment is paying dividends."
The sudden appearance of Leland should not be a coincidence! Flashlight never did anything without a good reason!
"Somehow, I don't believe the dividends you're talking about is in the form of money."
"Correct." Leland grinned. "I'm sure you can guess that I'm here for a different reason than that. We have been observing you and the LMC for a time now. To your credit, this is harder than it sounds like. That blasted security company from the Konsu Clan is very good at spotting any irregularities. In any case, the glimpses we've received and the trials of the prototypes that we've managed to observe have impressed us very much."
"I'm glad to hear you are supportive of the Aurora Titan. Now why are you really here, Leland?"
"I'm getting to that. After analyzing the metrics, our evaluation of you and your company has grown by another notch. Despite the events of today, we believe that you will definitely be able to reach greater heights. Flashlight wants to take advantage of that. As long as you are in a position to advance our objectives, we don't mind lending you a hand every now and then."
Ves sardonically smiled at Leland. "Of course you wouldn't lend a hand out of the goodness of your heart. Do you still even have one by the way? So what exactly do you want to pass on to me that you had to show up in my backstage room in person with this ridiculous getup of yours?"
"Well, I was planning to make a more impressive entrance, but that remarkable cat of yours has a more impressive ant-stealth detection system than I thought." Leland said with a frown while giving Lucky the stink eye.
"Meow!"
For his part, Lucky belligerently eyed the spy with vigilance.
"Alright. I've come to pass on two messages from the agency. First, we've deployed agents in and around the Grand Skyward and intercepted several potential troublemakers. By troublemakers, we don't mean the likes of Professor Pendleton. Instead, I'm talking about the armed and murderous kind of troublemakers."
"I know I have a 50 million credit bounty on my head. I'm not too concerned." Ves nonchalantly shrugged while stroking Lucky's back in order to calm down his pet. "I'm sure the Grand Skyward's existing security arrangements are sufficient to stop the assassins."
"That may be true, but that may happen too late. A deadly firefight and bodies dropping to the ground is a sure way of ruining your big moment. Our agents took the liberty of intercepting these troublemakers the instant they strayed close to the Grand Skyward. A thank you would be nice, Ves."
"Thank you, Flashlight, for halting the entry of intruders." Ves sarcastically said with a snort.
"The other message that I want to pass on is that while we do not approve of your methods, we will cover your back when it comes to your vendetta against Ansel. The AUMD is way too powerful for their own good and they could use some humbling. We'll make sure that Ansel won't be able to exert an undue influence on the government in order to retaliate against you. The LMC should still be able to do business without any significant hindrance from the government."
"Well, thank you for that as well."
This time, Ves sounded a bit more sincere, because he knew the LMC could have definitely landed itself in more trouble without the cover of a government organization.
"We expect you to repay our generosity in time." Leland said. "When the LMC gets over this bump and manages to grow to another extent, expect us to return in case we have need of you or your company's services. Even if the war against the Vesians is over, the Bright Republic is constantly facing threats."
With those words, Leland waved goodbye and faded out of view after he reengaged his infiltrator suit.
Ves had to press Lucky into his lap in order to prevent his cat from jumping out and clawing the agent from Flashlight.
The unexpected appearance of Leland at this time was anything but normal. Evidently, Flashlight held him in a higher regard than before, which many not entirely be a bad thing. The more value that Ves brought to the military intelligence agency, the more effort they put into protecting him and the LMC.
However, thinking about his past collaborations with the Flashlight put Ves ill at ease.
Leland himself ordered Ves to be shot through the heart just because it strengthened the case against the KNG!
With this kind of track record, Ves felt extremely leery about any future collaborations with Flashlight and Leland specifically.
"Why did Flashlight send Leland of all people? Has he been assigned to supervise me and my company?"
He did not have the time to think on the implications of the short meeting with Leland. The Grand Skyward would be lifting off very soon.
"I've spent enough time recuperating. Let's go, Lucky."
Sometime later, Ves entered the central control room and walked up to Gavin.
"The Grand Skyward has already finished its final checks. It's about to lift off in the air!" His executive assistant said with excitement. "This is my first time riding such an enormous flying structure!"
"Let's enjoy the show."
Everyone who wanted to leave had already left. It did not matter much as someone else filled their seats. In fact, due to the explosive news of what took place here, a lot of Bentheimers grew curious and traveled to the Grand Skyward as quickly as they could!
The seats in the main hall were filled to capacity at the moment! Their thick seats which had been partially configured into crash seats started to lock down their occupants by strapping them in. This ensured that they wouldn't be flung in every direction in the event that the inertial dampeners shut off.
"Three, two, one, go! Initiate the ascent!"
The massive Grand Skyward Exhibition Hall rumbled to life as enormous thrusters began to burn! Massive structure-grade antigrav modules worked over the entire hall, causing it to weigh much lighter than usual at the cost of expending a lot of energy.
With practiced ease, the workers of the Grand Skyward neatly manipulated its controls and assured that the massive reinforced structure rose into the air in an even and stable fashion!
More thrusters came online as the Grand Skyward had reached beyond the skyline of Dorum. The moving structure accelerated its approach to space!
Ves could not imagine the amount of energy and fuel it took to lift this gigantic structure up!
Even though it wasn't safe for anyone to be walking about at this time, Ves ignored the safety rules and walked off from the control room. He followed the directions down into a hall built to accommodate the mechs.
He came here because he wanted to take some steps to insure the success of the upcoming trials. While he couldn't do anything to improve all five show models on short notice, he could still find some ways to improve the Shield of Samar.
"The success of the Aurora Titan and the LMC hinges on what will happen next!"
Leland's visit had been a wakeup call to Ves. Although the spy did not mention too much about Ansel, the fact that Flashlight constantly concerned themselves about the AUMD's pervasive influence in the mech industry signified that Ves should take them more seriously as well!
Despite Professor Pendleton's pathetic performance as a heckler, the Senior would definitely find a way to his back at Ves somehow!
Chapter 1126
The first step in his plan would be to make use of his long-neglected Special Upgrade Voucher.
[Special Upgrade Voucher (Machine)]
This voucher can be applied to any object that fits the definition 'machine' and will comprehensively upgrade them to a higher rank. The smaller the machine, the more extensive the upgrade. This voucher is less effective on advanced and complex machines.
His intuition faintly approved of this course of action. Ves felt that something very good might result from the use of his voucher on Jannzi's mech.
The only regret was that he would be wasting his voucher on a mech that likely wouldn't be useful forever. The Avatars of Myth could not keep making use of outdated mechs as time went by. There would come a time when the Shield of Samar lost its relevance in the changing battlefields.
Yet Ves was still determined to use up his voucher. The Shield of Samar was such an impressive mech that elevating it even marginally could lead to substantial improvements in its performance.
"The Shield of Samar will probably be in use for at least ten years under normal conditions. That's not a lot of time in the overall scheme of things, but I am still in a very vulnerable position right now."
Yet who said a mech needed to adhere to its original design throughout its lifetime? Ves knew that a mech could always change and morph into a different form over time.
The field of customizing existing mechs was a deep and extremely extensive field. Some mech designers wholly abandoned designing new mechs in favor of customizing and tuning existing ones.
These mechanics earned a prominent place in the crews of mech athletes. They took existing commercial mechs and transformed them into mechs that were exquisitely tuned to suit a single mech pilot.
Every competent mech designer could work as mechanics, particularly when it came to their own mechs.
"Mechs don't have to have a finite lifespan." Ves realized.
The parts and frame that made up a mech could each be updated over time. As long as Ves wanted to, he could keep the Shield of Samar relevant on a continual basis by replacing older tech with newer tech.
In addition, if he ever updated the Aurora Titan into a Mark II version, then as long as he preserved the essence of its vision, then it would retain the same X-Factor and the spiritual qualities!
This was vitally important to Ves because it would be a waste to discard the qualities that a mech and mech design built up over the course of their use. Could he extend the lifespan of the Shield of Samar to a century?
Very much so. Perhaps almost none of its original parts would be retained, but as long as the change happened gradually, the Shield of Samar would be able to continue to serve as Jannzi's partner!
"Living Mechs. Partners for Life."
The company motto never sounded more relevant up until now!
Hardly any mech designer put any special emphasis on preserving the continuity of a mech design. However, it was customary for mech designers to update their old mech designs to incorporate the new technology of the times, particularly if the mech designs in question were bestsellers or staple products in their mech catalog.
Some mech designers even went to great extremes and devote their entire mech design careers into perfecting a single mech design! They were almost always obsessive about their precious mech design, and some even managed to advance to Star Designers with this ideology!
"These single-design fanatics may be onto something."
Ves contemplated whether he should update the Blackbeak and the Crystal Lord. Their X-Factor wasn't the strongest, but their mech concepts should still remain relevant in the future.
Perhaps Ves could even bolster their X-Factor by blending in some spiritual fragments!
"Well, I'll consider that for later. For now, the Aurora Titan should definitely deserve this treatment!"
The Aurora Titan design held special meaning to Ves. It was his first mech which reached an A-grade X-Factor and incorporated the spiritual fragment of a very special exobeast friend. These valuable qualities made the design extremely valuable to Ves. It was worth keeping this design up to date with periodic updates!
"If the design deserves to be updated, then the Shield of Samar deserves to keep up as well!"
Afraid that the voucher might arouse a visual spectacle, Ves ordered the Shield of Samar to be moved into a small workshop in the Grand Skyward.
As an overall rule, exhibition halls generally afforded mech designers some privacy in their workshops, but Ves knew better than that.
He activated his Privacy Shield, though that was only enough to cover a two-meter radius around him. The System did offer some upgrades to it, but to increase its radius by twenty-five meters already cost Ves a whopping 1,000,000 DP!
Instead, Ves made use of a simpler solution. He turned to Lucky who he held in his arms. "You ate all of the communications systems of my CFA shuttle and CFA officer-grade comm right? Go work your magic. Block out any electronic surveillance in the workshop. While you're at it, see if there are any invisible sneaky bastards like Leland around and hunt for any loose spy bugs."
Although Ves believed his Privacy Shield worked far more effectively than CFA jamming tech, they worked equally well against the prevailing sensor technology of the Bright Republic.
"Meow!"
Lucky eagerly showed off its capabilities. A jarring wave emanated from the mechanical cat and easily encompassed the entire workshop. Ves rated CFA tech very highly, and if it didn't work on the monitoring system in the workshop then Lucky would have informed him. The cat meowed a few times to indicate that no one was currently present in the workshop.
"Okay then. Here goes nothing."
He mentally navigated towards his Inventory and activated the voucher, applying it on the Shield of Samar before his sight.
As Ves envisioned the voucher tearing itself in half from his Inventory, the Shield of Samar started to glow in green. It did not change form, nor did its materials upgrade into anything better. From all outward appearances, the voucher hadn't seemed to change the mech very much!
"Is that all?" Ves disappointedly asked.
The voucher did claim that it worked less effectively on larger and more advanced objects. Without deep scanning the mech, Ves wouldn't be able to figure out what exactly changed about the Shield of Samar.
The luminescent green glow eventually subsided as the voucher finished its transformation process. To all intents and purposes, the Shield of Samar remained roughly the same, so much so that no outside observer would be able to tell the difference.
Ves still didn't regret using the voucher. It wasn't as if he had any other device on hand which desperately needed an upgrade.
Investing in the Shield of Samar seemed like a worthwhile effort to him. In fact, to strengthen its performance in the upcoming demonstrations, Ves did not intend to upgrade mech alone.
He wanted to upgrade the mech pilot as well!
Although Ves knew he could work his Spirituality in some ways to effect such a change, he was far too unpracticed in it. Instead of trying to fumble around with something extremely dangerous by himself, why not employ an expert instead?
This expert happened to be the Aurora Titan's spiritual identity that lay at the heart of its X-Factor!
Ves had never communicated much with his images after he finished designing a mech. Doing this was a new experience for him, and he wasn't entirely sure if it would even work.
"It ought to work."
Qilanxo's spiritual fragment integrated into the design, but did not lose its own distinct identity during the process. Instead, it simply took on a new job as it settled into its new home in the imaginary realm!
Ves needed a new name for the images and spiritual fragments that integrated into a design. He decided to call them design spirits, because the words succinctly described their roles.
They were living spirits which animated lifeless designs and mechs! This especially applied to what Qilanxo's spiritual fragment turned into! As Ves stepped closer and closer to the Shield of Samar, he could feel its radiant spiritual fluctuations.
The mech was very much alive in his senses. Ves could not help but repeatedly admire the strong effects of A-grade X-Factor. Most of all, its spirituality still carried the strong imprint of Qilanxo's spiritual fragment!
"It's a bit different since last time."
The spiritual flavor took on a little bit more mech and a little bit less exobeast. Being attached to a mech design would inevitably cause the design spirit to assimilate a bit more from its immediate surroundings. Perhaps this transformation would gradually continue over time until hardly anything would be left of its roots!
"Is this a good transformation or a bad one?"
Ves didn't know. While he was glad to see the design spirit develop and evolve based on its circumstances, he did not wish for it to forget its roots.
Right now, there wasn't much for him to be concerned about, but that might change in the future.
For the moment, Ves concluded that there should still be enough of Qilanxo left to bargain with the design spirit.
"It's just a matter of making contact."
Ves concentrated his mind. He called up his Spirituality and extended an invisible and intangible tentacle of spirituality from his mind. He gently moved it over to the dormant Shield of Samar and tried to poke it into the cockpit that served as the heart of the mech.
A connection had been formed!
Strong sensations traveled through the tentacle! A confused jumble of thoughts and minutiae flooded his mind, causing Ves to utter a scream!
It had been a bad idea to make a direct connection with such a strong design spirit!
Ves barely lasted a few seconds as he desperately tried to convey his meaning before he forcefully retracted his spiritual tentacle!
"Damn! That hurts!" Ves winced as he rubbed his head.
Although the contact only lasted for a short time, Ves felt as if his entire mind had been burned by the raw exposure to the Aurora Titan's design spirit!
"I can only hope it got the message." He muttered wearily. "Okay, Lucky! My work is done! You can deactivate your ECM now!"
Sometime later, the mech technicians moved the Shield of Samar back in the hangar bay in order to be prepped for launch. Jannzi reunited with her mech again and was just about to hop into its cockpit in order to ready herself for the big demonstration.
The success of the Aurora Titan in the market depended upon her upcoming performance!
Ves deemed this event to be so vital that he couldn't help but give out some hints. If he wanted the Shield of Samar to perform at its best, then he shouldn't be too stingy with his secrets.
He took Jannzi to the side and activated his Privacy Shield yet again in order to have a private conversation.
"What did you bring me here for, Ves?"
"I wanted to tell you something that will help you interface deeper with the Shield of Samar. Have you ever felt as if there was something special about your mental connection with your mech?"
"I.. have." She frowned. "I'm not sure what's going on with that, but your Shield of Samar is unlike any other mech I've piloted before. I've even sat in the cockpits of the other mechs of the Avatars of Myth, and I've noticed that the Blackbeak and the Crystal Lord are different as well. We've all known you are doing something different in your mechs."
Since the Avatars of Myth worked the most with his products, they would have been fools if they hadn't sensed something distinct in the Blackbeak, Crystal Lord and Aurora Titan models.
"Since you already know this, let me fill you in on a secret that will help you form an even more intimate connection with your mech. You see, while I'm not allowed to say so, I did some research on neural interfaces and the man-machine connection during my service time."
The dwarves who died due to his research had not sacrificed their lives in vain!
Jannzi looked at Ves with a rapt expression. She believed in him! How could she not? He was a very capable mech designer! He had to be in order to design a mech as amazing as the Aurora Titan!
"What's the secret?" She asked. She could barely contain her excitement! "How can I form a better connection with my mech?"
Chapter 1127
When it came to family members who joined the Avatars of Myth, Ves was willing to set aside some of his rules.
He never told the customers of his mech how to best use their mechs. Mech pilots and the owners of his products all had their own way of doing things. It would be far too intrusive for the mech designer to butt into their midst and force them to listen to his advice.
The only place where he could exert such control was with the Avatars of Myth, but even then Ves felt leery about enlightening the hired help with hints that alluded to the secrets related to spirituality.
Out of all the people he wanted to succeed, he wanted his family to reap the greatest benefits!
Therefore, Ves made an informed decision to slowly elucidate the likes of Melkor and Jannzi to how they could draw upon the hidden potential of their mechs!
The only challenge was that Ves did not want to be too direct in the event the secret might leak out. Just like describing his design philosophy and the LMC's founding principles, he needed to take an indirect approach in order to set Jannzi on the right path.
He began by repeating the company motto.
"Living Mechs. Partners for Life. You've heard of it, yes? Before you do anything else, just think over those words. Do you think they apply your bond with the Shield of Samar?"
His cousin furrowed her brows. "I'm not a deep thinker, Ves. I'm not sure what you're getting at. I thought that phrase is just a clever marketing slogan."
"The company motto functions as that, but more. It describes the essence of what I'm trying to accomplish with my mech designs. Think about the Aurora Titan design. Each and every copy is exceptional. Yours is in fact the most special because it's not only the first production mech, but also because I showered it with a bit more attention."
"So what exactly is so different about the Shield of Samar that can help me pilot it better?"
Ves hesitated for a moment before he decided on the best way to approach the issue. "My mechs are designed to be.. Adaptive."
"Adaptive? You mean they change?"
"Yes, but not on a purely technical or hardware level. Instead, the man-machine connection between you and your mech can change in response to your attitude towards your mech. This automatically happens to each of my mechs regardless of who is piloting them, but there are certain methods you can employ to hasten the changes and quickly deepen your connection with your mech."
"So what are these methods?"
"Well, first, you should think about the core purpose of the Aurora Titan. Why does it exist? What is it meant to do?"
"It's a defensive space knight. It exists to defend friendly mechs, ships and other assets in space." Jannzi stated the obvious.
Ves nodded. "That's correct. The Aurora Titan does that but to a greater extreme. It is an obsession for mech, in fact. If you can adopt a similarly single-minded focus towards its core purposes, then you are moving closer to its essence of existence. The closer the two of you are aligned, the deeper your connection with your mech and the more responsive the piloting experience will become. Do you understand me up to this point?"
"I guess." She frowned. "What does this have to do with the adaptiveness of my mech? It sounds like I'm trying to make myself more suitable for my mech instead of the other way around."
"That's a fair point to make, but the closer your mindset matches to the core purpose of the Shield of Samar, the less the mech has to exert itself to adapt to your presence. Think of it as an intimate relationship. Both you and your mech are trying to get closer to each other in order to form a strong and enduring bond. This isn't something without a consequence because it can definitely affect your performance with your mech!"
Jannzi scratched her head. "So you're basically saying I should marry my mech?"
"If that is how you understand it, then sure. If you love your mech, your mech will love you back. Not directly, mind you, but the Shield of Samar will definitely be able to unearth your full potential if you are of one mind with your machine!"
All of this vague advice confused Jannzi a bit. She understood the sentiment that Ves tried to convey, but she simply couldn't wrap her head around how all of this would even be possible.
Was the mech governed by an extremely sophisticated AI that constantly tweaked the software of the mech to respond more readily to her thought patterns?
She understood too little about the technical side of mechs. She could only take Ves at his word and try out some of his advice.
"I'll give it a try. Is there anything else I can do to help me pilot my mech better?"
The next bit of advice came a bit closer to the secret concerning expert pilots. However, the Larkinson Family was not completely clueless about it. They often emphasized the instillment of a core set of family values to every mech pilot in order to facilitate a coherent belief that would serve as the core of their force of will.
The only flaw with that approach was that the force of will needed to adapt to the specialty of the mech pilot.
"This will sound a bit esoteric, but I need you to pilot the mech with a strongly focused mindset. Don't worry too much about the company, our family and all the people that are watching your performance. Just try and dedicate most of your mental concentration to the core values of your mech. The purer your thoughts, the more closely you will mesh with your mech."
"That's very dangerous, Ves." She said. "A mech pilot constantly needs to extend their awareness in each direction. What if I become so focused on showing off that I won't be able to spot the space debris about to crash into my machine?"
"I'm not telling you to be so immersed that you lose your situational awareness." Ves shook his head. "My research on the man-machine connection has taught me that mech pilots will generally achieve better results if they didn't share so many irrelevant thoughts with their mechs. I've designed my mechs to react better to mech pilots who are strongly focused with values aligned to their design."
"This is a little hard for me to wrap around." His younger cousin frowned. "Can you give me an example?"
"Sure. Let's take an aggressive mech pilot like Raella Larkinson. You've heard of her, right?"
"Yeah. She quit the family a few years ago."
"She's a very aggressive person and that plays well with her mech specialty and fighting style. Raella is eminently suited to pilot to pilot light skirmishers. Now think about what would happen if she piloted the Shield of Samar instead? Let's leave skill out of the equation and just assume that she can pilot a space knight just as well as a landbound light skirmisher. Would she be able to muster up as much potential with the Shield of Samar as you?"
Jannzi answered back with another question that expressed her doubt. "A mech is just a mech, right? Why is it so picky about their mech pilots?"
Ves sighed and shook his head. "Jannzi. After spending several months with the LMC and the Avatars of Myth, I would have thought you would have learned that mechs are more than just machines. Try considering them as living machines that have their own thoughts and emotions. You've sensed some of that with the Shield of Samar, right?"
"Right.."
"Treat your mechs right, and they will back you up. The more you open your mind to your mech and the closer you align yourself to its purpose, the more responsive the mech will become to you. This is what makes my mechs stand out from the machines designed by other mech designers. They regard mechs as disposable tools. I'm different. All of my mechs are designed to be more than tools. They are designed to be partners!"
The overall message that Ves wanted to convey to Jannzi was to treat her mech like a partner rather than a machine. This went against the general lessons that mech pilots received in their mech academy days.
Mech pilots were taught not to get attached to their assigned mechs. They learned to take care of the mechs, but only to the extent of avoiding unnecessary wear-and-tear.
According to the mech academies, mech pilots needed to be adaptable enough to pilot several different mechs when the situation called for it! This did not only entail piloting an identical copy of the same mech model. A versatile mech pilot should be able to jump into the cockpit of a different mech model without requiring any adjustment period!
Ves knew that his advice went against the grain of what the mech academies tried to instill, and Jannzi knew that as well.
She raised her eyebrows. "So essentially, you want me to focus completely on mastering the Shield of Samar?"
"In a way. That doesn't sound so bad to you, right?"
"The Shield of Samar is a great mech." She nodded. She finally came around to his advice. "I think.. if you will allow me to, I'd like to stick with the Shield of Samar for the long haul."
This was what Ves wanted to hear. "As long as you perform well enough with the Shield of Samar, the mech will continue to be assigned to you. I'll make sure Melkor knows what to do. Just keep my advice in mind when you pilot the mech. If you aren't using the Shield of Samar to its full potential, then I won't hesitate to take it back and assign it to a more promising space knight specialist."
This finally caused Jannzi to panic and widen her eyes in alarm. "Don't take away my mech, Ves!"
With how attached Jannzi had become to her new mech, the threat of taking it away from her would make sure she stayed on her toes!
Ves clapped his hands and deactivated his Privacy Shield. "Alright! That's all I wanted to pass on to you. Get ready to board your mech. The Grand Skyward will still take some time to move into position, but try and apply some of the advice I've imparted to you while you are warming up your mech. I think you'll be able to achieve some immediate results as long as you adopt the proper mindset."
"I'll keep that in mind, Ves."
"One more thing. Don't tell anyone about what I just said, alright?"
"Why? Shouldn't more people hear your advice so they can pilot your mechs better?"
"They're not exactly applicable to everyone in every situation. I don't want to cause any trouble to my mech pilots that can get them killed. The LMC will have to pay billions of credits in legal fees to fend off all of the lawsuits that will ensue."
Jannzi nodded in understanding, accepting the excuse that Ves had casually thrown out.
To be fair, a non-mech pilot really shouldn't be giving advice to a mech pilot on how to do her job. People had gotten in trouble before by giving out improper advice to mech pilots that caused them to make stupid moves that risked not only their own lives, but the lives of their comrades as well!
Even mech designers had to be careful on the advice they gave out. Just because they knew how to design a mech didn't mean they knew how to pilot them to the best effect!
As Jannzi began to climb into the cockpit of the recently-enhanced Shield of Samar, Ves made his way back to the stage where the audience would soon be allowed to witness the show models in action!
Chapter 1128
At the appointed time, Ves made his way back to the main hall of the Grand Skyward. Right now, the flying exhibition hall had risen far above Bentheim's surface and entered into space.
Specialized towing ships latched on to the Grand Skyward's superstructure and carefully moved it further away from orbit and the busy traffic in the vicinity.
Ves picked up Lucky and held his pet in his grasp as the pair became the center of attention once again. He walked forward with confident steps. He tried to convey the belief that he was absolutely assured that his new mechs would exceed everyone's expectations!
The extraordinary measures he resorted to should make sure that the Shield of Samar would definitely be able to make a splash!
"I've given you plenty of chances to elevate your performance, Jannzi. It's up to you now to see whether you understood the gist of what I've been trying to impart."
He could have given her some more advice. Ves hadn't mentioned anything about the exobeast the Aurora Titan had been partially based upon. If Jannzi became fully aware of the Sacred God known as Qilanxo, then she would have been able to align herself much closer to her mech!
Yet how could Ves explain something like that without exposing his secrets? As much as he liked Jannzi, he still reserved his judgement with regards to her commitment to Ves, the LMC and the Avatars of Myth. Just because she was family did not mean that Ves trusted her unconditionally.
The example of Raella running off to join the Blood Claws came to mind. While she hadn't specifically betrayed Ves, she willfully abandoned her responsibilities in order to pursue her own passion.
Giving Jannzi the mistaken impression that Ves had employed advanced technological means to make his mechs adaptable should be sufficient for now.
If a true mech designer heard this story, they would definitely dismiss it as nonsense if they had access to the full design schematics. Instead, they'd likely guess that the special quality that Ves imparted to his mechs came from his design philosophy, which came awfully close to the truth.
Ves would have to explain his design philosophy more clearly to mech designers some day, especially if he wanted to collaborate with them. He had already tasted the benefits of collaborating with a competent mech designer and wanted to do more projects like this in the future.
He quickly put that thought out of his mind as he walked up the middle of the stage. He took a deep breath and centered himself again. He could not afford any distractions from this point onwards.
"Thank you for your patience. I know the ride into space can take a rather long time, but the wait is almost over! We have almost reached the asteroid which will provide the venue to demonstrate the capabilities of the Aurora Titan!"
The crowd responded more enthusiastically when the backdrop of the enormous wall behind Ves turned transparent.
The main hall had turned into a giant observation chamber!
The instant the wall turned transparent, five Aurora Titans flew into sight and performed a couple of fancy, synchronized maneuvers!
The white mechs made for a mesmerizing sight that instantly attracted the attention from the audience. Their golden, glowing wings and the golden aftertrail emanating from their Rescue Particle Generator that only faded away after a couple of seconds made them look incredibly radiant!
Various projections appeared as well in order to provide a better view of the mechs. The Shield of Samar took the lead position in the 5-mech V-shaped formation. Ves only regretted that he hadn't customized its appearance to reflect its special status.
He could only remedy that issue afterwards.
As the crowd became distracted by the slow but smooth coordinated space maneuvers of the show models, the towing vessels placed the Grand Skyward relative to the nearby asteroid that had been towed all the way to Bentheim's high orbit.
The Grand Skyward hosted many mech trials in space. They were more than aware of the dangers of discharging an improperly aimed weapon.
It would be disastrous is a mech armed with a kinetic rifle fired a slug at a mech, only for the projectile to miss and travel onwards towards the surface of the planet!
Although some projectiles would burn up and vaporize during their violent descent into Bentheim's atmosphere, the tougher ones retained enough mass to pose a deadly threat to any vehicles and people at the end of their trajectories!
Therefore, the local government mandated that all space trials in the vicinity of Bentheim would either have to use a moon or an asteroid as a backstop to block all lasers and rounds from projecting into deep space!
Although the chance that these projectiles would travel onwards until they hit a starship or a mech that happened to be in the way was miniscule, it could not be ruled out!
Therefore, only until the Grand Skyward and the mechs traveled fairly close to the asteroid could they proceed with the demonstrations.
One of the Aurora Titans moved forward until it stood in front of a dummy that stood for a friendly rifleman mech.
"The Aurora Titan is entirely focused around defense, so the upcoming demonstrations will fully showcase their defensive ability. The first demonstration will showcase the resilience of its thick tower shield and its Pisaro armor system. No other defensive method will be employed for now, and the weapons used against the Aurora Titan will be a mixture of the three most common ranged weapons used by mechs in space."
Three mechs appeared a distance away. One of them wielded a laser rifle. Another one wielded a kinetic rifle. The last one wielded a handheld missile launcher.
All three mechs began to fire at the dummy mech, only for the Aurora Titan to block the incoming firepower! Though no sound propagated in space, the audience could feel the powerful impact and the damage the weapons inflicted!
The attacking mechs were using real mech weapons that hadn't been weakened from their standard parameters!
If Ves wasn't absolutely confident about the Aurora Titan's defensive prowess, he would have never approved of this demonstration so easily!
"As you can see, the tower shield is slowly being whittled away." Ves narrated the proceedings. "By default, the Aurora Titan is supplied with a thick tower shield made of uncompressed alloy. While not as resilient to damage as a shield made of compressed alloy, it is much more convenient and affordable to replace and repair in the field. Its sheer thickness ensured that it will take a lot of firepower to break through this barrier!"
Eventually, the shield succumbed, but not after withstanding several minutes of focused attacks!
Laser beams, kinetic rounds and errant missiles soon began impact against the surface of the mech.
This was a very dangerous situation for the mech pilot in the Aurora Titan! If the design possessed any critical flaws, the mech pilot might inadvertently suffer injuries in case of an accident!
Ves did not allow any of his doubts affect his confident facade. He could only hope the demonstrations would succeed in giving his Aurora Titans a moment to shine.
"As you can see, its Pisaro armor system is able to hold out well against all types of damage. The Aurora Titan is larger than regular medium knights, which means it has more surface area to disperse any incoming damage. Its armor is able to provide excellent protection from the front and decent protection from the rear as long as the Aurora Titan retracts its semi-foldable flight system."
The incoming fire eventually led to serious-looking breaches as individual armor plating finally began to buckle! Ves suppressed his wince as best as he could as he imagined the serious internal damage the mech was suffering as some of the firepower spilled into the internals of the mech.
Yet Ves kept reminding himself that all of this had been planned beforehand! The mech under fire ought to be able to hold against this much damage!
The audience didn't think that much. Instead, they felt pain for such a beautiful and compelling mech being marred and ruined by all of the incoming fire! Wasn't Ves concerned about killing the mech pilot?! Some of the breaches were very close to the cockpit!
"There is nothing to be concerned about! The Aurora Titan's exquisite internal design incorporates extensive damage control measures added by Professor Corus Ventag! His work ensures that even if the mech suffers breaches in its armor, the machine will still be able to maintain its core functionality through the use of redundant channels and parts and compartmentalizing them into separate internal chambers!"
The attacking mechs eventually stopped firing, sparing the beaten-up Aurora Titan from becoming completely ruined.
Seconds later, the Aurora Titan unfolded its mostly-intact flight system and began to fly around like a triumphant survivor!
The audienced oohed and awed at the remarkable sight! The mech withstood so much damage but could still muster up the ability to fly back to the Grand Skyward's hangar bay!
"This is just the start." Ves grinned. "The next test will showcase its other defensive means."
Subsequent Aurora Titans began to showcase its polarizing modules. Glowing white fields covered various sections of their shields and armor. The large amount of laser beams they blocked while leaving very few signs of damage to the mechs themselves impressed the crowd yet again.
The polarizing fields also performed decently against ballistic shells and missiles, but buckled fairly quickly against kinetic rounds.
The next Aurora Titan showcased its ability to employ its alien crystals to absorb laser fire retaliate by firing radiant light beams from the charged crystals!
The accuracy of the retaliatory light beams were very poor as the Aurora Titan had never been designed to accommodate ranged weaponry. This was also why the Aurora Titan hit a large dummy target only a few hundred meters away. Such a target was so close that even the most inept marksman mech pilot would be able to land a hit!
The unexpected lightshow emanating from the mech drew a considerable amount of fascination from the enraptured audience. This was exactly what Ves wanted to achieve.
All of the demonstrations had meticulously been planned weeks beforehand in order to provide the best impression of the mechs without coming off as inauthentic.
This came into play when an Aurora Titan flew forward with its broadsword ready to strike against an opposing swordsman mech.
Normally, the Aurora Titan would not be able to beat a melee mech in equal combat.
However, it was a very different case this time because the opposing mech pilots were very familiar with each other! They already practiced the choreography in the simulators until they memorized the moves by heart!
The Aurora Titan in question entered into a measured duel against the swordsman mech. While the swordman mech was lighter and swifter with its sword, the Aurora Titan easily showed off its ability to withstand errant sword blows while dishing out powerful counterattacks with its strong limbs!
The message that Ves tried to convey here was that the Aurora Titan was not useless in melee combat! It merely had to employ specialized fighting styles developed specifically for slow-moving mechs!
Once the fourth Aurora Titan 'convincingly' won the duel by sacrificing portions of its armor, the time for the Shield of Samar step had arrived!
As Jannzi maneuvered her mech into place in front of a dummy mech, Ves worked up the crowd.
"The next and final demonstration will showcase all of the capabilities of the Aurora Titan shown thus far when used in unison! My cousin, Jannzi Larkinson, will be facing against ten ranged mechs and one melee mech! As the opposing force will do their best to destroy the dummy mech behind her, Jannzi will use every means possible to hold out as long as she can against the onslaught! Even outnumbered by eleven-to-one, the Aurora Titan will still stand strong!"
This was it. While the choreographed demonstrations up to this point had excited the crowd, Ves wanted to achieve more. The audience may have developed a good impression of the Aurora Titan's capabilities, but that was far from convincing potential mech buyers to order the mechs!
Only by showcasing all of the Aurora Titan's capabilities at once during an extremely arduous demonstration would the mech be able to bloom in full splendor!
Chapter 1129
Jannzi Larkinson breathed deeply as she brought out the Shield of Samar out into space and towards the demonstration site.
She brushed her shoulder-length raven hair back as she continuously explored how she could better connect to her mech.
Strangely enough, some of the strange advice that Ves had given her actually seemed to work!
Her experience with the Shield of Samar was unlike any other mech she piloted before. As a younger Larkinson, she mostly piloted various training mechs used by many other mech cadets.
Training mechs had been designed to be as easy to interface as possible with as many people as possible. The space knights that she used to pilot felt like docile horses in her mind. The mech responded fairly easily to her commands.
She had never been an exceptional Larkinson. Born to a Larkinson mother at a common planet in the Rittersberg region, she enjoyed a fairly normal childhood. The lengthy visits to the Larkinson Estate every now and end brightened up her days as she got to play with many little Larkinsons.
As she grew up on the stories of her grandparents, her aunts and her uncles, she hoped she would be lucky enough to possess the genetic aptitude to pilot mechs!
Her wish came true when the test results came in! Her genetic aptitude had been graded as C+!
While her genetic aptitude didn't attract too much promise among the Larkinsons, it was still above average compared to mech pilots in the Bright Republic.
As she took her first classes at the mech academy, the question that came to her next was her specialty.
The decision to specialize in a certain domain of mechs came up early. Many mech cadets couldn't decide in their first few years at the mech academy. Not Jannzi.
The basic mech academies only focused on teaching the fundamentals of piloting landbound mechs. Young mech cadets would occasionally go on a field trip in space to try out various spaceborn mechs, but their complexity made them unsuitable for most mech cadets to start with. This gave Jannzi very little opportunity to pilot spaceborn mechs in her early teens.
Yet as soon as she entered the cockpit of her first spaceborn training mech, she instantly fell in love with flying free in space.
There was something very fascinating about space. Humanity thrived in it. In the Age of Mechs, the ceaseless expansion of human civilization in the galaxy may have stalled, but it had cemented its rule over countless star sectors.
How could she turn her eyes to the ground when there was so much to explore in space? Planets only made up a miniscule portion in the vast gulf that was space!
She developed a fascination for spaceborn mechs early on, and enjoyed the few times she got to pilot them for real.
Her regular forays to the Larkinsons and the training she received from her family allowed her to explore spaceborn mechs much more often than regular mech pilots. She eagerly learned the basics of piloting spaceborn mechs even before she fully mastered the basics of piloting landbound mechs!
The moment she could choose which advanced mech academy to attend, she immediately chose a famed spaceborn mech academy based in the New Foundation System!
Upon arrival, she eagerly explored the range of possibilities available. Although she enjoyed almost every spaceborn mech she laid her hands upon, her lack of skill in marksmanship made her unsuitable to specialize in ranged mechs.
Of the melee mechs that remained in her consideration, she eventually chose to go for a very uncommon specialty.
She decided to dedicate herself to piloting space knights.
Why space knights?
"Because my friends and comrades need protecting."
Although she enjoyed piloting agile light skirmishers, she found it burdensome to keep up with the rapid decision-making required to make the most of these machines. Other melee mechs were easier for her to pilot, but she just constantly felt vulnerable while piloting those offense-oriented mechs.
Space knights gave her the feeling of piloting a mobile bulwark. They meshed well with her because she felt useful just by being there. A space knight's main task was to shield more vulnerable mechs from damage, and while it was not a glamorous job, it was a very vital one that Jannzi didn't mind fulfilling.
Whereas most mech cadets thought dismissively of space knights as clunky mechs that flew like pigs with wings, Jannzi enjoyed the responsibility she took upon piloting this type of mechs.
Everyone looked up to their space knights when they needed cover! Jannzi always felt gratified when she managed to gain the appreciation of her fellow mech cadets for performing this vital role.
The only regret she had was that she wished she had been born a few years earlier. The war already broke out when she attended the advanced mech academy. Although all the advanced mech academies accelerated their training programs in order to hasten the supply of new mech pilots, the war had already ended before she even finished graduating!
To the Larkinson potentates, missing out on the war just before they graduated was one of the most painful moments in their lives!
The worst part about it was that the war ended too early! If the war had lasted five years as usual, then Jannzi would have had enough time to get settled into her new mech regiment. A year should have been enough for her to see real action and become a real Larkinson!
This regret haunted her endlessly after the outbreak of peace. Even if she graduated from the advanced mech academy with honors, she felt utterly listless at the thought of spending twenty to thirty years of endless training, boring patrols and feeble skirmishes before she could finally live up to her family name.
She was so envious at the likes of Ghanso and Porellia Larkinson for being able to bloom during the war!
While Jannzi didn't have much hope of advancing to expert candidate due to her aptitude, had she been born at the same time as the latest stars of the family, she would have been able to go home with her head held high!
As it was, the war was over and nothing could be done about it. Jannzi completely felt as if she had suddenly gone adrift. What was there to do for her? The Mech Corps which she long hoped to enlist in would never engage in any action that could equal any major battle during the war. How could she find any fulfillment in her duties in those times?
She initially regarded the family's decision to assign her to the care of Ves Larkinson and his thriving business as a moment for her to reflect. She did not think too much of the mech business that one of her richest cousins in the family had founded. To her, the Larkinsons were never that short of money, and Ves had only designed a couple of landbound mechs so far which didn't spark her interest.
All of that changed when Ves came up with the Aurora Titan. From the moment she first heard of its conception, she found the design to be fascinating in so many ways.
"The Aurora Titan a space knight taken to an extreme!"
While the developing design was not as sturdy as a genuine heavy space knight, it nonetheless offered a lot of defensive power. The lack of mobility was a sore point, but Jannzi had already become accustomed to piloting sluggish mechs.
Even then, she never realized the full potential of this design until she finally came face-to-face with the Shield of Samar.
It was the most impressive mech she'd ever seen. The same compelling quality that was present in all of Ves' mechs pulled her in immediately and never let her go! As she interfaced with the mech for the very first time, she felt she entered a state of nirvana as she felt as if her mind elevated into a higher at that moment!
As Jannzi practiced more and more with her mech, she developed a strong affection for the Shield of Samar!
Despite its many flaws and shortcomings, piloting the mech was such a joy that she had completely forgotten about her earlier regrets!
Even then, she never considered the Aurora Titan to be more than just a mech. She loved the Shield of Samar like she loved a favored tool or weapon.
Yet did she adopt the right approach to her mechs?
The Shield of Samar already felt responsive to Jannzi. Could she really achieve an even greater connection with her mech?
"Is Ves really on to something?"
It didn't hurt to try. She tried to follow Ves' instructions the moment she entered the cockpit and turned the mech into standby mode. This kept the mech active but with all of its functions locked down.
With her safety and the safety of her surroundings assured, she tried to put her mind into a deeper connection with her mech.
What was the role of a space knight? To defend, to shield and to protect. The Aurora Titan design exemplified these ideals to an even greater degree than regular medium space knights!
Jannzi already adhered to these ideals herself, but this was the first time she actually invoked them in her mind while she interfaced with her mech!
She followed the other advice that Ves gave her as well. She cast aside as many distractions as possible and tried to embody the other traits the Shield of Samar was supposed to embody.
"What is Samar anyway?" She idly wondered.
The moment this distracting thought passed through her mind, she felt a distinct pulse of feedback from her mech!
The strange reaction creeped her out, at least at first.
"Who's there?!"
As Jannzi explored the strange landscape of her man-machine connection with her mech, she found nothing else besides the soothing presence of her mech.
The only difference was that she felt as if her mind had come significantly closer to her mech than before!
More than that, her mental proximity to her mech allowed her to sense that the Shield of Samar was more than a cold machine that ran on processor logic!
The mech somehow felt warm and welcoming to Jannzi, as if it was an affectionate pet like Ves' mechanical cat!
Somehow, equating the Shield of Samar as something similar to Lucky rather than a regular mech helped Jannzi gain an even closer connection to her mech!
Was Ves truly right in that she could do much more with her mech if she regarded it as a living partner? Was the company's motto truly applicable to its products?
A sea of change went through her mind. Jannzi became immersed in deepening her connection with her mech. Although the mech instructors at the academies always warned of the dangers of diving in too deep into the man-machine connection, she took no notice of this warning at this moment!
She felt as if she had found a wonderful partner in her mech! She no longer felt as if the other end of the man-machine connection was a lifeless puppet for her to inhabit. Instead, she felt like she had developed an intimate bond with a mech-sized pet!
Jannzi became so immersed in this wondrous state that she almost missed the moment of her launch!
Even though she drew back her immersion in order to focus on her performance during the upcoming demonstration, the mech nonetheless continued to accompany her! It was as if the Shield of Samar was as eager to show off its full capabilities to the public as Jannzi!
The moment she positioned the Shield of Samar in front of the dummy mech, she had entered into her highest state of focus! The importance of her performance to the success of the Aurora Titan model and the company made it critical that she piloted the Shield of Samar as flamboyantly as possible!
Though it seemed like an illusion, Jannzi somehow believed that her mech would do its utmost to assist her in giving the audience a great show!
The moment the laser beams struck her mech, she already entered into an invigorated state! She no longer fought alone! She had her partner to back her up this time!
Chapter 1130
The Shield of Samar immediately caused the audience to gasp in admiration as it intercepted several simultaneous laser beams at once with its polarized shield.
The mech's tower shield covered a very expansive surface area. To polarize the entire surface of the shield was very wasteful and would quickly drain the energy cells of the mech.
Jannzi did not employ the polarizing module in such a crude fashion. Instead, small square fields of light covered all of the sections of the shield about to be struck by lasers.
While she didn't manage to intercept every laser in this fashion, the fact that she managed to block at least half of them from damaging the surface of the shield was impressive enough in itself!
Lasers traveled at the speed of light! It was impossible for any human or machine to perceive the trajectory of the deadly beam of energy as it propagated through space!
The only way to predict their trajectory was to keep a close eye on where the enemy mechs pointed their muzzles at! The difficulty of doing so to a mech pilot already burdened with multitasking various functions was immense!
Yet Jannzi somehow managed to make it seem almost effortless!
Ves continued to stand on the stage as he watched the proceedings while stroking Lucky's back.
"Meow."
"I know. Jannzi is going all-out this time! It seems like she has taken some of my advice to heart!"
Although the distance between him and the Shield of Samar was too great for him to sense the spiritual strength emanating from the impressive mech, its splendor had become even greater than before!
If the previous Aurora Titans looked good during their individual demonstrations, then the Shield of Samar fought like a beast!
Under Jannzi's proficient direction, the Shield of Samar began to absorb the incoming firepower in a measured way. Even as small missiles and kinetic weaponry impacted her mech as well, she rapidly configured the shield of her mech to only absorb the energy damage.
By blocking all the lasers with its polarizing fields and blocking the physical damage with the mass of its tower shield, the Shield of Samar withstood the incoming fire as efficiently as possible!
All the mech pilots and more knowledgeable mech enthusiasts in the crowd recognized the incredible mental effort required to direct the polarizing module with so much alacrity!
However, even as Jannzi proficiently intercepted all the ranged firepower coming in her direction, a swordsman mech approach the Shield of Samar from an angle.
The Shield of Samar was about to get entangled in close-quarters combat while continually being bombarded by ranged fire!
Jannzi couldn't move her mech out of the way. Aside from exposing the mech dummy she was supposed to protect, her mech simply didn't have the mobility worth mentioning to dodge most of the incoming fire anyway.
She needed to stand her ground!
The moment the swordsman mech came into range, the two mechs entered into a showy duel. Even though her opponent made exaggerated attacks, they nonetheless hit at full force!
The Shield of Samar couldn't stand still and let the swordsman mech beat them up. Due to the diverging angles of attack, the tower shield could not block both sources of damage at once!
As previously planned, she fended off the swordsman mech with the Shield of Samar's broadsword while continuing to employ its tower shield to block the rain of fire.
The mech did so splendidly! Not only was it able to continuously employ its polarizing field to mitigate the lasers, it also wielded its broadsword sufficiently enough to block and parry the swordsman mech's powerful slashes!
Even though the mech insiders among the crowd that such a silly situation would never arise in an actual battlefield, the Aurora Titan model never looked as impressive as now!
Nobody questioned why the swordsman mech didn't simply bypass the Shield of Samar in order to strike the dummy mech behind it. They all became enthralled in the impressive way the mech continued to hold out against overwhelming odds!
The searing beams of lasers and the kinetic rounds impacting the surface of the shield looked impressive, especially considering that it could do some serious damage if the Shield of Samar showed any weakness!
Nonetheless, Jannzi never even once indicated any alarm. She continued to fend off the swordsman mech with her sweeping sword moves while her shield slowly chipped away.
Against so many ranged mech attacking the Shield of Samar at once, its tower shield lasted for a respectably long time, especially considering that it was made up of conventional uncompressed armor!
However, nothing lasted forever, and the audience groaned as the shield finally snapped in half due to the horrendous-looking breaches inflicted by the kinetic rounds and explosive missiles!
The mech had lots its shield!
A torrent of fire immediately poured onto the surface of the Shield of Samar. Even as the mech looked like it was being baptized in fire, the mech amazingly held out without suffering much damage!
Its Pisaro armor system resisted much of the damage! Not only did it fare well against physical damage, the polarizing fields that Jannzi called into being resisted most of the energy damage as well!
Jannzi managed to do all of this while at the same time becoming burdened by fending off a swordsman mech up close!
The performance up to this point had already surpassed her best results in the simulators. Even as she directed the Shield of Samar to employ her polarizing fields in the most efficient fashion, she also started to allow some lasers to strike the alien crystals embedded on the surface of her mech!
As laser fire occasionally hit in the vicinity of the crystals, they absorbed most of the energy from the lasers. After a minute of charging up, the crystals then began to fire a radiant white beam back at the ranged mechs!
The moment this happened, the entire crowd peaked in their excitement!
Even though they already witnessed this reaction at an earlier demonstration, to see it employed in such an arduous scenario impressed everyone! While the Shield of Samar's unexpected counterattack hadn't taken out any enemy mechs, the light beams nonetheless caused them to enter into disarray!
The broadsword, the Pisaro armor system, the alien crystals and the polarizing module all formed an impeccable combination that showcased the Aurora Titan design to the fullest!
Even though the armor of Jannzi's mech slowly started to chip away, the mech still lasted for a very respectable amount of time! A midrange medium space knight would have already succumbed at this point, but the Shield of Samar still endured!
Ves knew that the end was close, though. While he contemplated manipulating the battle scenario in a way that allowed the Shield of Samar to take out some enemy mechs, such an outcome would be too contrived.
He made the decision that it was better to focus on showcasing the Aurora Titan's defensive capabilities and leave the question of offense up in the air.
"Jannzi should be sending the signal to end the demonstration at any moment now." Ves muttered to himself.
Even though she employed the polarizing module as efficiently as possible, the energy reserves of the Shield of Samar would definitely be hitting below twenty or thirty percent by now. Once Jannzi was forced to abandon the use of her polarizing module, the damage incurred by the mech would quickly escalate, thereby necessitating a stop.
Yet even as the Shield of Samar continued to sustain more damage to its armor plating, the radiant mech still held its ground!
What was Jannzi thinking?!
The mech did not draw back from the demonstration as planned. Instead, it grew increasingly more active! Even as it endured the incredible amount of fire pouring in its way, the mech aggressively attacked the swordman mech that had been harrassing it all this time!
Through a display of unexpected zero-g acrobatics, the Shield of Samar engaged its flight system to rotate its orientation so that its legs faced the enemy melee mech just as it had finished launching an attack!
The legs grappled with the sword and somehow caught it in a way that allowed the Shield of Samar to rip it off the grasp of its wielder!
The swordsman mech was disarmed!
Jannzi reacted instantly on this development! Not only did she control the Shield of Samar to fling the sword off into the asteroid behind her mech, she also surprised the weapon-less swordsman mech with three simultaneous light beams from the charged alien crystals she held in reserve!
The light beams struck fairly hard at close range! Not only that, but they had been aimed in the most strategic weakpoints of the enemy mechs!
One light beam struck the head and blinded its main sensors!
Another light beam hit a critical joint in the left wing of the swordsman mech's flight system, causing a portion to detach! This caused the mech to spin unevenly for a moment!
The third light beam struck the chest of the mech during its spin! While the chest plating easily resisted the damage, the particular position Jannzi had struck happened to be aimed directly at the cockpit of the mech pilot!
All of these attacks gave the Shield of Samar enough opportunity to engage its flight system into another rotation that allowed it to chop at the unbalanced swordsman mech with a powerful half-moon chop!
The crowd went absolutely bonkers as the swordsman mech lost both of its forearms! Like a fish on the chopping block, Jannzi's powerful attack managed to cleave straight through the two limbs!
Another attack struck at the swordsman mech's unbalanced flight system, destroying it utterly from its base!
The melee mech lost all of its mobility in space! It spun helplessly as the mech's feeble legs couldn't find any footing in empty space!
As Ves wondered what the hell Jannzi was doing, she decided to go on the attack!
The Shield of Samar gripped the spinning mech with its free arm that used to hold the tower shield and used the swordsman mech as a makeshift shield!
This immediately forced the ranged mechs in the distance to stop shooting! How could they fire on their own comrade, and in an exhibition battle at that?!
Yet Jannzi ignored all of those considerations and willfully used the immobilized mech as a shield to bring the Shield of Samar closer to the ranged mechs!
While the Shield of Samar accelerated rather slowly with the added burden, the distance to the ranged mechs wasn't all that far!
The mech pilots of the ranged mechs were so shocked at the unplanned turn of events that they only reacted when the Shield of Samar reached halfway! They quickly flew their mechs backwards in order to avoid getting entangled in a battle up close, but Jannzi made a surprising move during this time!
Her mech arced her sword arm back before flinging the broadsword forward!
It spun unerringly in space at the fleeing ranged mechs before managing to clip one of the flight systems of the mech! The mech instantly lost half of its maneuvering power! Not only that, but the uneven damage caused the mech a lot of difficulties in adjusting its trajectory!
All of these problems allowed the Shield of Samar to come close enough to let go of the mech it used as a shield to wrestle with the ranged mech!
The Shield of Samar used its considerable bulk and strength to crush the ranged mech's flight system and break the joints of its arms and legs!
The mech had been crippled in an instant!
Even then, Jannzi still hadn't gotten enough! The Shield of Samar picked up the disabled ranged mech as a makeshift shield and continued to accelerate towards the other fleeing ranged mechs.
Though the super-medium space knight could never catch up to its swifter opponents, the mere absurdity of the situation had stunned the audience before gaining their full support!
The entire crowd cheered Jannzi Larkinson on! Strong waves of enthusiasm and admiration emanated from the audience as even the non-mech fanatics got caught up in all of the excitement!
Even though Ves wanted to excite the crowd, this battle scenario had completely gone off the rails! The mech pilots involved might have gotten seriously injured, which would inevitably result in a major scandal for the LMC and NORA Consolidated!
Just as Ves tried to figure out a way to rein in his berserk cousin from causing an even greater scene, the Shield of Samar faintly flickered as a strange field minutely flickered around the mech!
Although the field only lasted for an instant, Ves widened his eyes as he recognized the effect!
A veteran mech pilot sitting at the front seat suddenly stood up!
"I recognize the flicker that happened back then! That's the precursor to forced resonance! The mech pilot of that Aurora Titan has just broken through to expert candidate!"
A lot of people nearby heard the veteran's words. The news instantly spread like wildfire among the audience!
"Jannzi Larkinson broke through!"
Chapter 1131
When most mech pilots broke through to expert candidate, they usually did so under dire circumstances. Even then, the turning point was rarely apparent at first.
Aside from the elevated performance of the mech pilot in the heat of the moment, they only belatedly made the realization when the telemetry of the mech registered the faint onset of resonance.
Only in rare circumstances was the breakthrough strong enough to prematurely show some hints of forced resonance! The summoning of an energy field that only lasted for an instant was like an advanced taste of what might result in the future!
Even though the energy field was extraordinary weak and only lasted for an instant when Jannzi Larkinson peaked in her performance, all the instruments on the mech and the Grand Skyward registered the resonance phenomenon!
This was incredibly impactful to Ves and anyone in the crowd aware of the implications! This was because forced resonance flickering was a very good sign the newly-advanced expert candidate would easily achieve an eventual breakthrough to expert pilot!
Jannzi Larkinson was strong! Stronger than Ves and the entire audience had expected her to be! Even as she single-mindedly continued her futile pursuit of the spooked ranged mechs, nobody kept the demonstration in mind anymore.
Everyone was abuzz at how they had just witnessed a mech pilot breaking through to a barrier that so many mech pilots failed to pierce!
And she was still so young and unknown!
Some people in the crowd expressed skepticism however. Perhaps the forced resonance flickering had been forced. Perhaps the sensor footage had been manipulated.
Ves knew the situation had entered a fluid moment. He needed to make decisions quickly.
Since the breakthrough already happened, he should run with it and take as much advantage of Jannzi's fortunate moment as possible!
He instantly ordered the control room to call up a projected screen that transmitted all the raw telemetry related to resonance.
"Ladies and gentlemen, may I have your attention, please! I am very happy to announce that it appears that the mech pilot of the Aurora Titan currently in the field has just broken through expert candidate! Projected to the side is the raw telemetry of what has happened from the moment leading up to her breakthrough! Before she started to demonstrate the capabilities of her Aurora Titan, she was a regular mech pilot. It was only until the demonstration entered into its most heated state did she managed to find the turning point that allowed her to break past her barrier! Please welcome the latest expert candidate to emerge from the Bright Republic, Jannzi Larkinson!"
"Jannzi! Jannzi! Jannzi!" The crowd yelled as all of them had become fully swept up in the moment!
The glory of witnessing a mech pilot transforming into an expert candidate was such a rare occasion that many of them coveted this moment in their memories. They might have witnessed the birth of a future famed expert pilot of the Bright Republic!
In a society that worshipped high-ranking expert pilots, the audience's fervor towards Jannzi Larkinson's ascension was such a glorious moment that some even forgot about the existence of the Aurora Titan!
However, not everyone thought that way! While Ves didn't say anything explicitly, he nonetheless emphasized the fact that Jannzi Larkinson started off as a regular mech pilot until she fully became engaged in piloting a copy of the Aurora Titan!
The hidden message here was that if Jannzi Larkinson could manage to find the turning point to take her first steps to apotheosis, what about other mech pilots? Some of the more affluent mech commanders and mech pilots in the audience wondered if they could also manage to achieve a breakthrough if they piloted an Aurora Titan.
There was no established theory that certain mechs increased the odds of breaking through than others. Some mech pilots even broke through to expert candidate while piloting cheap rust buckets.
Yet Jannzi Larkinson's example stood out by how rapidly and unexpected she broke through! Everyone could see that she was young, too young to participate in the war most likely. Not only that, but the telemetry projected from the control room made it clear that her genetic aptitude wasn't the highest.
A spontaneous breakthrough during a product reveal demonstration of all occasions should have been impossible! Yet Jannzi Larkinson broke through anyway as if she was fighting a pitched battle against overwhelming odds!
Even as Ves shared in Jannzi's turn of fortune, he nevertheless began to hold some doubts in his mind. The extraordinary means he resorted to beforehand definitely played a hand in Jannzi's breakthrough.
The most glaring issue for him was that he truly hadn't expected for Jannzi Larkinson to break through so easily!
"How could she advance to expert candidate with so little foundation?"
Ves just wanted Jannzi to deliver a great show. Therefore, he used his upgrade voucher on her mech to upgrade its quality in ways that he hadn't fully understood yet. He also gave Jannzi some tips on how to engage with the Shield of Samar's in order for her to work with its X-Factor.
Various factors must have combined into play all at once to facilitate Jannzi's transformation. Ves did a lot of preparations beforehand that each contributed to the possibility of breaking through. Nonetheless, he determined that a single source must have tied these factors together.
The Aurora Titan's design spirit.
Ves communed with the design spirit for a few painful seconds. He beseeched the entity that used to be Qilanxo's spiritual fragment to take care of Jannzi Larkinson and to accommodate her as best as possible.
The design spirit must have responded to his plea in a dramatic fashion! Not only had the design spirit facilitated Jannzi's bond with the Shield of Samar, but it also went a step ahead and actively transformed her into an expert candidate!
Ves did not expect the design spirit to go so far! Having witnessed the spiritual fragment's operation in transforming Eloise Pelican straight into an expert pilot, he knew the fragment had lost a significant chunk of spiritual energy. Although the fragment seemed as potent as ever after the Mastery experience, the design spirit shouldn't have been able to recover all of that lost energy after being partitioned from Qilanxo's mind.
"Is my understanding of the fragment mistaken? How is it able to replenish its spent spiritual energy?"
Eloise Pelican's situation was a lot different than Jannzi Larkinson circumstances. The former had already fought ten arduous years in the barren Dark Sphere. The mech pilot constantly obsessed over protecting her comrades and trying to find a way back home to reunite with her child.
In comparison, Jannzi Larkinson was barely into her adulthood. Fresh out of the advanced mech academy, she hadn't yet found a strong conviction to fight for. Even if some of Ves' advice nudged her into the right direction, she was merely at the start of her formative journey into exploring her place in the galaxy!
The Aurora Titan's design spirit shouldn't have easily been able to infuse spiritual energy into Jannzi's errant emotions and thoughts and turn it into a coherent force of will!
"Unless that's not the case anymore."
If Jannzi followed Ves' advice on how to adopt a compatible mindset with her mech, then perhaps that had given the design spirit just enough material to spin into the beginnings of a uniform force of will!
Even as Ves tried to present Jannzi's ascension in the best possible light, he continued to question the exact circumstances of this event in his mind. He really only wanted to make Jannzi enter into her most optimal condition so that she would be able to showcase the Aurora Titan to the best of her ability. That she would smash through her boundaries came as a surprise even to the ultimate culprit that enabled this situation to occur!
Jannzi Larkinson stole the show in a dramatic fashion! Although her breakthrough while piloting the Aurora Titan would definitely be a great public relations coup for the mech design, a number of headaches quickly resulted as well.
The Mech Corps would probably come knocking at their doors very soon.
In addition, he could already see the conspiracy theories that the Ansel crowd would doubtlessly spread. An expert candidate could not be faked, so they could not discredit Jannzi herself.
What they could do was to accuse Ves of employing someone who was already an expert candidate to fake a breakthrough during the demonstration.
Ves and Professor Ventag needed to get on top of this situation as soon as possible. He flitted his eyes towards the front row. The professor nodded to him before standing up and departing towards the control room.
"I know what to do, Ves." The professor said through their private comm chanel. "While the authenticity of Jannzi's breakthrough can be questioned if all of the data comes from us, Bentheim is an incredibly busy star system. There are thousands of ships and mechs in high orbit. If their sensors hadn't managed to catch the resonance readings, the nearby space stations and defensive installations would have certainly captured something. I'll contact everyone present in the vicinity of this area of space and ask whether they are willing to share their sensor readings and corroborate their testimony in public."
"I'll leave the matter in your hands, then." Ves quietly nodded.
Professor Ventag enjoyed a very high status in the Bright Republic. There was no doubt that most of the entities he contacted would be eager to do him a favor.
With that matter taken care of, Ves stared at the Shield of Samar whose mech pilot still hadn't woken up from her single-minded pursuit.
He patched into her comm channel. "Jannzi! Stop! The demonstration is over now! You don't have to fight anymore!"
She didn't respond! Ves had an inkling that she might have followed his advice too closely and lost her awareness of the greater situation!
None of his mechs carried a killswitch, at least in ordinary circumstances. The only way to stop the Shield of Samar would be to employ other mechs to bar her path. Yet that was an exceedingly risky prospect considering the security mechs would have to go against an expert candidate!
Yet was that all Ves could do?
"Perhaps there is another way to shock her out of her immersion."
Ves was familiar enough with Jannzi that he believed he could find her presence in the imaginary realm. Even as it looked as if Ves observed the projection of the Shield of Samar's continued pursuit, he had long drawn his concentration inward and focused his senses in the imaginary realm.
He immediately honed in on Jannzi's unstable presence close by. He found a strange convulsing ball that represented Jannzi's newly-developed force of will. It radiated vague concepts of protectiveness, duty, and other values that Jannzi shared with the Aurora Titan's design spirit.
Although Ves was not too knowledgeable in spiritual phenomena, the ball looked awfully unstable. He guessed that Jannzi's elevation had come too forcefully and abrupt! It might have strained her mind excessively and put her recently-acquired force of will at risk of blowing up!
Ves needed to do something to calm the roiling force of will.
He decided to do so in the only way he could think of. He carefully extended a spiritual tentacle and tried to make contact. Even as various strong thoughts bled through the connection, Jannzi's spirituality was not as overwhelmingly strong as the Aurora Titan's design spirit.
He conveyed a strong message through the connection. "Calm down. It's over now. Stop fighting."
The messages immediately took effect. The force of will stopped churning so much. Even as it calmed down, Ves drew back his attention from the imaginary realm in order to check if the Shield of Samar reacted as well.
The mech ceased acceleration!
Jannzi finally regained her senses and pulled back her machine!
Ves sighed in relief. While she likely wasn't in the clear yet, at least she had a chance of stabilizing her volatile spirituality before it unraveled.
Aware that the public still needed some direction, Ves turned around and clapped his hands. "My apologies for the delay. Jannzi Larkinson is fine. She will be returning to the Grand Skyward's hangar bay as soon as possible. This concludes the demonstrations of the Aurora Titan. Please stand by while the Grand Skyward will soon descend back onto the surface of Bentheim!"
No matter what, if Ves didn't take advantage of this rare opportunity to promote the Aurora Titan, he did not deserve to be in charge of his mech company!
Chapter 1132
The demonstrations ended in a spectacular fashion. Even as the Grand Skyward dove back down to the surface of Bentheim, a modest number of wealthy businessmen, outfit commanders and other powerful people immediately walked up to the booths where the sales representatives stood by to register their orders for the new mech!
Ves figured that many of them ordinarily wouldn't buy a clunky mech like the Aurora Titan. However, they quickly changed their minds as they witnessed Jannzi Larkinson's miraculous transformation to expert candidate.
How could these wealthy clients not get inspired? The mech pilots among them secretly dreamt of replicating Jannzi's feat. Despite the fact that she was a Larkinson and a rigorously-trained mech pilot, she was really far too young and inexperienced to break through at such a time.
For her to be able to reach her new heights so easily while piloting the Aurora Titan, what about others? The majority of the people who raced up to impulsively place some orders of the Aurora Titan each hoped to reach Jannzi's fabled status!
The quota for the gold label mechs ran out practically instantly.
The silver label mechs were being ordered by the dozens while the bronze label mechs received more than a hundred orders!
While this didn't really sound that much in the greater scheme of things, these many orders already smashed Ves' wildest expectations!
Even the cheapest bronze label mech sold for 100 million credits per copy! Yet with how fast the orders accumulated from just wealthy individuals from the crowd alone, Ves even had the impression that he should have jacked up the price even more!
"This is crazy!"
In addition to the orders coming from the audience, the people watching the live broadcast from elsewhere also started to register their orders at NORA Consolidated's virtual portal. While they couldn't order any gold label mechs through this channel, the amount of bronze and silver label mechs they reserved was almost equal with the orders from the audience!
Although a lot more people watched the amazing events through the live footage, a much smaller proportion of these people actually placed the orders. They hadn't been close enough to become affected by the auras of the show models, hence they managed to remain a lot more sober than others!
Still, Ves did not delude himself that this would be the extent of the orders pouring in for his latest mech design. Jannzi's example served as an extremely compelling story! That the Aurora Titan design had the privilege of fostering a mech pilot into an expert candidate would doubtlessly turn it into a focal point in the entire mech community for the coming days!
"Even the mainstream news outlets will report on this event!"
All the press coverage that would doubtlessly ensue after this day was free publicity as far as Ves was concerned! Instead of paying all the media outlets to carry ads that promoted the Aurora Titan, their broadcasts and articles would promote the mech design for free!
This was far from his expectations or the expectations of his marketing campaign. They only set up a lot of recorders and sensors near the demonstration site in order to capture good footage to use in their ad campaigns.
Now, all of the footage turned into treasures that the LMC and NORA Consolidated could easily spin into a selling point for their joint design! Not only did Jannzi Larkinson showcase the Aurora Titan to its full potential, but the valiant turnaround at the end looked amazing even if she hadn't broken through expert candidate!
As Ves watched over the crowd of people hurrying to place their orders, Gavin walked up to him to inform him of the latest developments.
"Jannzi Larkinson is mentally and physically exhausted." Gavin said. "When the staff pulled her out of her mech, they immediately brought her to the Grand Skyward's infirmary. While we don't know what exactly transpired that put her into such a state, I've been told that her condition is stable. The Mech Corps is dispatching an armed escort to the Grand Skyward right now to take her to a military hospital for more thorough checkups."
Ves pressed her lips. "Is the Mech Corps already claiming her?"
Gavin shook her head. "Technically, no. They're definitely interested, but Jannzi herself stated that she didn't want to make any decisions regarding her future at this moment."
"That is.. remarkably wise of her to say." Ves grew suspicious. "Who told her to say that?"
"I did." Gavin grinned. "I already anticipated what a storm would ensue so I took the liberty of meeting her first in order to coach her on the things she should say."
Ves looked at Gavin in appreciation. This fellow truly lived up to his current responsibility as his fixer. "Thank you for that. I'll be sure to give you a bonus. Tell me, has Jannzi said what she wanted to do?"
"She.. doesn't really want to leave the Avatars of Myth. She said she likes it here and that she loves her mech."
While Ves was glad that Jannzi expressed some desire to stay with him. He felt like he owned her since he indirectly facilitated her ascension to expert candidate. He didn't want to see his investment being taken away by the Mech Corps.
Nonetheless, if Ves truly wanted Jannzi to remain under his thumb, he needed to fight for it. While expert candidates were not as remarkable as expert pilots, the military still prioritized their recruitment!
Ves knew that the Mech Corps would want to bring Jannzi in their ranks as soon as possible so that they could indoctrinate her into becoming loyal to the state! It would be too late for them to shape her loyalties when she advanced to expert pilot, so it was imperative for the military to get her into their grasp!
"I don't want to let her go." Ves firmly said. "Give me options. What should I do?"
"I don't really know, Ves. If you want my take on it, go call your family. They're much more knowledgeable and connected to the military."
"I'm not sure whether they will be as helpful as you suggest. The Larkinsons probably want to force-march Jannzi to the Mech Corps themselves." Ves shook his head. "The policy towards expert candidates and expert pilots is very military-oriented in the Bright Republic. There are hardly any expert pilots who are working in the private sector."
A small number of known expert candidates and expert pilots did remain unattached to the military. Due to special circumstances, the Mech Corps didn't insist on recruiting them. However, their conditions weren't all that good.
Expert candidates generally needed to develop themselves. The Mech Corps invested a lot of time, attention and resources into helping their expert candidates advance.
As for expert pilots, their full range of abilities would never reach their full potential unless they piloted an expert mech! These fantastic machines cost a ridiculous amount of money to design, develop and maintain. Ves estimated that the cheapest ones were worth about 5 billion credits, but such a cheap machine was simply not a good complement to a genuine expert pilot.
The decent ones probably cost around 30 billion at the very least, though Ves wasn't exactly sure of that. All in all, while the LMC would tentatively be able to develop and maintain an expert mech, it would be a significant financial burden!
"The problem is the Bright Republic." Gavin reiterated. "It's such a war-involved state that it has come to regard domestic expert candidates and expert pilots as strategic resources. Perhaps in the Reinald Republic an expert candidate can get away with rejecting the offers of the Honored Ones, but the Mech Corps can probably come up with a conscription order to force Jannzi to leave our midst."
It happened before. The Mech Corps were notorious hoarders when it came to expert candidates. Any expert candidate that popped up from the private sector would quickly end up in their hands.
Perhaps in other states they may have a decent shot at retaining Jannzi, but not in the Bright Republic!
Even though the latest Bright-Vesia War had already ended, that did not mean the Bright Republic was without threats. Ves knew the real reason why both states ended the war in a premature fashion!
If an even bigger threat loomed that necessitated the two squabbling states to temporarily put aside their animosity, then the demand for expert candidates and expert pilots would be even higher! The Mech Corps should be vigorously trying to collect as many of them as possible in preparation for an even more intensive conflict!
Ves already started to consider keeping Jannzi within the Avatars of Myth a lost cause. The only thing he could do was to make sure he got as much concessions out of the Mech Corps for relinquishing his cousin.
"Contact my grandfather and coordinate an action plan. If the Mech Corps is insistent on taking Jannzi away, then they better give us something in return!"
"Will do, Ves!"
As Gavin left his side in order to contact the Larkinsons, Ves met with Professor Ventag.
"I've managed to convince more than fifty ships and installations to share their sensor readings and their testimonies to me." The professor said. "The authenticity of Jannzi's breakthrough won't be in question with so much corroborating evidence."
"Is there any way for me to retain Jannzi in my service?"
The professor shook his head. "Ordinarily, no."
"There is a way, then?"
"Nothing is impossible, Ves. If Senator Tovar exerts his full effort, he might be able to grant an exemption to Jannzi's conscription. The only issue is that he has no reason to do so. Fighting to keep an expert candidate out of the hands of the Mech Corps costs a lot of political capital, and it isn't clear what he can gain from this in return. The other founding families will see the senator's actions as an attempt to secure an expert pilot that is loyal to the Tovar Family, and that is deeply taboo in their circles. One of the rules the five founding families have set for themselves is that they wouldn't compete on expert pilots."
Ves raised his eyebrow. He expected the opposite! "That's a remarkably enlightened stance to take. Why is that?"
"Because they have seen what would happen if expert pilots become loyal to a single faction rather than the state. If the Tovar Family secured the loyalties of three expert pilots, that would mean the Mech Corps would have three fewer expert pilots to deploy during war. If the five founding families and other powerful organizations begin to hoard dozens of expert pilots, that would mean the Mech Corps would become horribly outmatched against the Mech Legion!"
"Won't the founding families and other organizations lend their expert pilots to the Mech Corps in the event of war?"
"That wouldn't work, Ves. The internal divisions and the politicking that will inevitably ensue will disrupt the Mech Corps from within. We've seen the consequences of excessive infighting and tribalism in the Vesia Kingdom's military! If the Mech Legion's noble officers didn't fight each other all the time, they would have been able to conquer Bentheim already!"
If even Professor Ventag expressed little hope at retaining Jannzi, then Ves figured that the Larkinsons wouldn't be able to come up with anything better. Not that the family wanted to see Jannzi's potential being wasted by staying out of the military.
The high reputation of the Larkinson worked against Ves this time. Everyone would expect Jannzi to join the Mech Corps because that was what Larkinsons did. Renouncing the family name like Raella did wouldn't be of any use. Jannzi was too famous and high profile to resort to that excuse!
"I'll go visit Jannzi in person." Ves said. "Could you take over here?"
"Sure. Go ahead and check up on your cousin. Despite what will follow, do remember that this is a great development for her. Many mech pilots would kill to be in her place!"
Ves parted with Professor Ventag and moved to the Grand Skyward's infirmary while carrying Lucky. He knew that the main reason Jannzi felt reluctant was that she was probably unduly attached to the Shield of Samar and the Aurora Titan model. If the Mech Corps picked her up and put her in a random mech regiment, then she wouldn't have the opportunity to pilot a commercial mech model like the Shield of Samar anymore.
Such a forceful separation might ruin any chances for Jannzi to advance to expert pilot!
"I have to do something about this!"
Chapter 1133
Lucky rested on Jannzi's lap as the newly-advanced expert candidate sat up on a bed in a guarded infirmary room. She looked visibly drained since the last time Ves saw her. She spent nearly all of the energy in her body and looked like she would fall asleep at any moment.
When Ves inspected Jannzi with his spiritual vision, he noted that a force of will had already formed within her mental space. The only difference from actual expert pilots such as Venerable Foster and Venerable Pelican was that her force of will was very weak and mostly contained within her mind.
Ves knew that until she broke past a barrier in her mind, she wouldn't be able to affect reality. The reason why expert mechs could display their might was because an expert pilot's force of will was able to extend out of their minds to resonate with their mechs.
Still, Jannzi's case was slightly different in that her barrier already possessed some holes. Her ascension to expert candidate happened by force due to the pivotal influence of an outside factor.
While this led to some damage in her mind, it also prematurely broke the barrier stopping some expert candidates from advancing to expert pilot! The forced resonance flickering that briefly appeared around the Shield of Samar was a sign that some of Jannzi's weak force of will had minutely begun to spill through those holes!
What this essentially meant was that Jannzi possessed a head-start when it came to achieving apotheosis!
Everyone who witnessed the forced resonance flickering knew that his phenomenon essentially meant that Jannzi's advancement to expert pilot was assured!
As someone who grew up in a family of expert pilots, Jannzi knew what it meant as well. Even though she felt jubilant about her luck, she experienced too many strange surprises in one day.
"I heard from Gavin that you don't want to join the Mech Corps."
"They won't allow me to pilot the Shield of Samar." She stated. "I know the Mech Corps. They only work with their own designs."
"Is it vital for you to continue to pilot the Shield of Samar?"
She vigorously nodded. "I have a connection with my mech. It's like your company motto. I found my partner. I can't imagine what it would be like to be separated from my mech just when I learned to appreciate it!
"Unfortunately for you, the Mech Corps won't let you go. The military is always prepared for war, and an expert candidate with so much promise of advancement is not something they can ignore."
Jannzi looked devastated at the thought of leaving behind her mech! "Can't you do something about that? Can you make it so that the Mech Corps would still allow me to pilot the Shield of Samar?"
"This.. maybe. It sounds a lot more realistic than trying to keep the Mech Corps from taking you away."
"You're a bigshot mech designer and war hero, right? Can you please do me this favor? I would really like to keep piloting the Shield of Samar. I would do anything to stay together with this mech. I don't think I'll be happy with piloting a military mech even if it has better hardware!"
Ves had been thinking over this suggestion ever since Jannzi raised the suggestion. He knew how the military worked and he knew that mech regiments carefully curated the mech models they added to their roster.
It wouldn't be easy to convince a mech regiment to absorb the Shield of Samar into their ranks. Even if it was just a single machine, its presence was a disruption to their existing arrangements!
When Jannzi looked like she was already dozing off, Ves quietly picked up Lucky and left her to recuperate. He knew what she valued the most and it matched his own expectations.
"Jannzi truly values the Shield of Samar."
He felt very gratified to feel that. It was the most ideal outcome as far as his design philosophy was concerned. In fact, his design philosophy had begun to churn ever since he witnessed the audience place hundreds of orders for the Aurora Titan!
Ves believed that his advancement to Journeymen was very near!
It could even happen today or tomorrow! His design philosophy had become so energetic that Ves felt it was on the cusp of an unknown transformation!
"Finally! I've been waiting for this moment for years!"
The only regret that held him back was that the primary motivating factor for the initial sales was not entirely due to the merits of the Aurora Titan. Instead, many of his customers became inspired by Jannzi's fortune! All of them regarded the Aurora Titan as a mech that could possibly help them advance to expert candidate themselves!
While the Shield of Samar did indeed play a crucial role in Jannzi's change of fortune, it was undeniable that she stole the show! The crowd was abuzz with conversations about the mech pilot instead of the mech. This was not exactly what Ves and his design philosophy wanted to see!
Even so, a sale was a sale! Selling hundreds of very expensive mechs in such a short time did wonders for his confidence in his design! Even if half of his customers bought a copy of the Aurora Titan for the wrong reasons, it was likely that they would quickly learn to appreciate their new purchases when they took them out for a spin!
Before Ves wanted to explore his design philosophy any further, he first needed to arrange Jannzi's matters. As he walked back to Professor Ventag, he called Gavin.
"Have you heard back from my family?"
"Yeah." He nodded. "Benjamin Larkinson is on his way to Bentheim right now, actually. He told you he'll be visiting in order to bring Jannzi up to speed on matters that any expert candidate should know."
"What's his opinion about the Mech Corps?"
"Jannzi has to go. Your grandfather is clear about that this is the best possible solution for her." Gavin said. "He did want to pass on that he can help influence which mech regiment she's assigned to. The Larkinson Family will do the best they can to help Jannzi find a new home in the Mech Corps!"
This was what Ves wanted to hear. He quickly closed his call with Gavin and went back to Professor Ventag.
The older man thought over the suggestion. "I can help you with that. I am involved with various mech regiments. I've helped design some of their military mechs and I've participated in the development of numerous expert mechs. I think at least a couple of spaceborn mech regiments would be glad to accept an expert candidate even with the extra conditions you've added. However, my influence only extends up to the regiment commander. I don't have much sway within the headquarters of the Mech Corps."
"If you can get the mech regiments to agree with allowing Jannzi to retain the Shield of Samar, then the Larkinson Family can take care of the other end." Ves assured.
As the Grand Skyward slowly descended down to the surface of the planet, Ves and Professor Ventag worked behind the scenes to negotiate such a settlement.
They had to take action quickly! Once the armored shuttles of the Mech Corps arrived to take Jannzi to their military hospital, they wouldn't have much leverage left!
Ves contacted his grandfather directly to inform him of his plan.
"I think I can arrange something if that is what Jannzi wants." Benjamin said over the comm channel. "I'll get on it right away."
A couple of hours went by as his grandfather and Professor Ventag coordinated with each other to exert their influence on the Mech Corps. Their shuttles already came and brought Jannzi away as the event started to wind down.
Almost all of the guests had already left the Grand Skyward by the time Professor Ventag came back.
"Both your grandfather and I cashed in some favors, but we managed to get the Mech Corps to play along. I've sounded out a very suitable mech regiment that is happy to receive Jannzi. They've agreed to most of your conditions. They'll let Jannzi pilot the Shield of Samar, though they insist that she must try out their other mech models and become proficient in their operation."
The mech regiment must be hoping that Jannzi would find their mechs better than the clunky Shield of Samar. Fat chance! Ves knew that even second-class mechs wouldn't be enough to tempt Jannzi away from the mech she formed a bond with! Her devotion to the Shield of Samar transcended the affection that regular mech pilots developed with their machines!
It was very normal for mech pilots to become attached to their mechs. However, it was much like falling in love with a good pair of shoes. If a mech regiment suddenly came by and offered them a mech that was ten times as expensive, then the mech pilots wouldn't hesitate to dump their old mechs to the side in order to pilot a better machine!
Such a dynamic wouldn't take place in this case. Ves was very sure of this prediction.
"As long as the mech regiment abides by the agreement and doesn't force Jannzi away from her Shield of Samar, then I'm fine with it. Which mech regiment are we talking about?"
"The 7th Apocalypse Heralds of the 2nd Bentheim Division. I made sure to work with a unit based in Bentheim so it won't be difficult for you to pay a visit to Jannzi or help make adjustments to her Aurora Titan mech."
The Apocalypse Heralds! Their imposing name came from their orientation around heavy artillery in space. They fielded a mix of medium and ranged mechs oriented around long-ranged firepower and destructive artillery. They were often employed to break heavy-defended installations in space or to defend a vital space station from a determined assault!
While the Apocalypse Heralds likely preferred to obtain an expert pilot who specialized in piloting artillery mechs, obtaining someone like Jannzi was a good fit as well. The ungainly Shield of Samar would not have to move too much to protect the slow-moving artillery mechs!
Although Ves was not too familiar with the Heralds, what Ves heard from Professor Ventag already made him satisfied.
"Did they agree to the conditions with regards to her expert mech in the event that she advances to expert pilot in the future?"
"The regimental commander isn't pleased about this condition. Colonel Efein claims he'll take Jannzi's preferences under advisement, but he still wants a Senior Mech Designer in charge of the design project."
"And that's you, right?"
"That's right." The professor smiled. "I won't be able to become the lead designer if the expert mech in question has to be a heavy artillery mech. However, if we're talking about a defensive space knight, then I have enough qualifications for the Heralds to put me in charge. I'll be able to bring you onboard the project as a contributing designer long as you've advanced to Journeyman."
"Speaking of that, I think I'm very close to taking that step." Ves said, surprising the professor.
He described some of the unusual sensations he perceived from his design philosophy. The professor seemed to recognize what Ves was talking about.
"If you aren't lying, then you are indeed correct. You are close to advancing to Journeyman!" The professor looked surprised. "In fact, I think a breakthrough might be imminent! You should find a quiet place and meditate on your gains today. Apprentices are able to advance to Journeyman when they are able to reflect on their design philosophy!"
Ves did not obtain any more advice than that, as mech designers needed to find their own answers to any questions related to their design philosophy. If the professor went too specific on how Ves should process his thoughts, then contamination might occur that diluted the purity of his design philosophy!
Therefore, Ves immediately raced to a locked room within the Grand Skyward. Only Lucky kept him company this time, and he had his pet activate his ECM systems in order to keep this moment private.
As Ves began to reflect on recent events, he already felt his design philosophy becoming more active!
"It's happening!"
Chapter 1134
Ves spent the first fifteen minutes reflecting back on his design philosophy and how it played out with his latest design project.
He contemplated how well the Aurora Titan design embodied the principles and aspirations of his design philosophy. Not only did the audience perceive something special about the show models, but Jannzi's abrupt advancement served as the strongest example yet that all of his beliefs concerning the relationship between a mech and mech pilot was beneficial to them both!
"The key to my design philosophy is symbiosis." Ves described to himself. Only Lucky heard his words, but he was just a cat. "Mechs are inseparable without mech pilots. Not any mech pilot is suitable to pilot a mech. Not every mech is suitable to be piloted by every mech pilot. Only when the two are combined will they both be able to synergize their strengths!"
The mech provided the fighting capabilities while the mech pilot served as the controller. That was the conventional viewpoint on their pairing.
Ves believed in a slightly different relationship. The man-machine connection could be much more than a way to put a human mind in charge of a giant war machine!
"If the mech pilot trusts their mech, why not let it play a role in the decision-making as well?"
Rather than puppeting a mech like it was a lifeless shell, Ves instead wanted to see mech pilots treating their mechs as living partners. Jannzi's analogy of equation her relationship with her mech like Ves enjoyed with Lucky sounded somewhat apt.
Although Ves exerted far less control over Lucky than he liked, the point was that he did not try to control Lucky as if he was a simple mechanical pet. His gem cat was much more than that!
Basically, everything that happened to Jannzi today conformed to his design philosophy. Jannzi's deep bond with her mech and the gift its design spirit granted to her showed that this relationship was not empty talk! It could lead to very real benefits for both the mech and mech pilot!
"It's important that this relationship is beneficially mutual! The gains won't be as much if one is trying to exploit the other!"
Ves resigned himself to the fact that abusive mech pilots existed. Some of them were not right in the head or behaved excessively carelessly. They wouldn't be able to take good care of their mechs, even if they piloted an expensive machine like the Aurora Titan.
In these cases, the mech pilot should never be able to develop a closer bond with their mechs. If the mech pilot only regarded their mechs as tools to be used, then they shouldn't be surprised if their mechs rejected their presence!
"Most mechs are designed without an eye to their intrinsic value. Mine are different. My mechs are alive! If not in body then in spirit!"
As long as both his mechs and their mech pilots regarded each other as equal partners, then true symbiosis could be achieved!
The boundary between the mech and mech pilot would be blurred whenever they established a man-machine connection. The control exerted by the mech pilot gained a substantial boost! The spiritual impulses of the mech would assist the mech pilot in making the best decisions in the heat of the moment!
All of these changes were very real improvements that took place when Jannzi developed a deeper bond with the Shield of Samar!
"What happened with Jannzi is no exception! Not if I have anything to say about it! My design philosophy is all about bringing out the best of both the mechs and mech pilots!"
Ves envisioned a possible future where the LMC became a dominant mech company in the Bright Republic. It might happen twenty, thirty or even fifty years from now, but there would come a time where his company and his mechs obtained a huge amount of market share in the domestic mech market!
Many mech pilots who piloted his designs achieved greater success! While the specs of his mechs may not be at the top, their ability to bring out the most of their mech pilots almost always led to better results in battle!
Such a grand future where the Living Mech Corporation truly lived up to its company name and its motto send Ves into an ecstatic mood!
"A single state is not the end! The entire star sector will come to know what my products bring to the table as well, and perhaps the rest of the galaxy will follow suit as well!"
This fantasy invigorated his mind, his mood and his design philosophy. Ves was so caught up in this future vision that his entire body and spirit seemed aligned in a single, central desire to see his design philosophy come to fruition!
An explosion occurred in his mind at that moment.
The insubstantial mass of spiritual energy that formed his nascent design philosophy began to collapse on itself! Ves noted with wonder as he sensed the loose spiritual energy begin to compact into a single point!
"It's compressing itself!"
This process took place over several minutes, during which Ves began to feel some mental strain as his mind drew upon every single bit of spiritual energy in his mind! Not only his design philosophy was being absorbed, but also some other errant spiritual thoughts!
"This is bad!"
Ves realized what was happening. The process of compacting his design philosophy would transform it into a smaller and more concentrated form. This was likely what Journeymen relied on to give them some advantages in their design work.
"The problem is that it's not related to mech design! All kinds of crap is being shoved inside this seed as well!"
He perceived the compacting process as a crystallization process which took loose spiritual energy and compressed it to an unimaginable degree until only a small crystal seed of fixed spiritual energy was left.
The core of what Ves started to call the design seed consisted of his design philosophy. Yet large portions of it consisted of elements not entirely related to it! His thoughts, his habits, his perspective on life and all kinds of other crap was about to become a part of his design seed as well, which essentially meant those elements became permanent traits to his personality!
This must be what made high-ranking mech designers so eccentric! Because their design seeds absorbed all kinds of random thoughts and impulses during their advancement processes, they became stuck with their personality traits for the rest of their lives!
Ves tried to control the elements that his design seed absorbed. He wasn't very effective at it. His design seed was like a voracious black hole and the entirety of his mind fell within its event horizon! There was no way the mental force he could exert over his spiritual energy could resist the overwhelming pull of his design seed!
"The process proceeded rather chaotically as well. His design seed was like an intoxicated eater at a buffet. The attraction force it exerted was very uneven and often changed directions. This basically meant it was only absorbing some spiritual elements in his mind while leaving others alone!
No matter what Ves tried to do, his influence on the absorption process was minimal. Only until his design seed absorbed a good portion of the loose spiritual energy in his mind did it finally have its fill!
Ves felt a weary ache in his mind. Although the process hadn't been as painful or as straining to his mind than he expected, he definitely felt exhausted!
Yet when Ves tentatively studied the result, he immediately became happy as he mentally observed the spiritual crystal resting in the deepest part of his mind.
"It's beautiful!"
The design seed was a remarkable spiritual object that Ves felt intricately connected to. It was different from a spiritual fragment in that it was a lot more compressed and solid. Ves wasn't sure of the significance of this form, but he could explore the differences later.
It immediately became apparent that his design seed was a far stronger spiritual object than the loose ball of spiritual energy that used to be his nascent design philosophy.
Ves understood now why Apprentices were so susceptible to outside influences. "Their design philosophy is fluid. Their lack of fixed form means that it is too easily to shape them into something else!"
Yet now that his design philosophy had crystallized into a design seed, Ves no longer had to worry about losing his way! He would always be able to depend on his design seed to stand firm against other powerful influences!
A second property about his design seed stood out as well. It seemed to be intimately connected to Ves. Despite the lack of any channels connecting his design seed to the rest of his mind, Ves somehow perceived that his design seed and his consciousness were one and the same!
Ves speculated that all of the random spiritual elements his design seed absorbed from his mind left an incomparably strong personal imprint on it! It would be very hard to steal his design seed from his mental space!
"Hard, but not impossible." He muttered.
He sensed that his grip over his design seed was only as strong as his Spirituality.
Aside from these observations, Ves also determined a third property about his design seed. It seemed to generate and emanate faint spiritual waves from its crystal body. These spiritual waves were very weak, but they reached a huge distance!
Ves scratched his head. He didn't see the significance of this phenomenon yet. He only perceived that this process was self-sustaining as his design seed did not seem to grow any weaker.
In fact, when Ves looked into his design seed further, he somehow perceived that it was absorbing a minute amount of spiritual energy directly from the imaginary realm!
That was quite convenient! His design seed didn't absorb his own spiritual energy anymore so Ves would not have to worry about its upkeep.
Overall, Ves had become endlessly fascinated by the transformation of design philosophy. It was a radically different process from the apotheosis that mech pilots underwent upon becoming expert pilots.
"Mech pilots are predominantly focused outwards, while mech designers are mostly focused inwards!"
A fixed crystallized design seed could not be employed like the force of will of expert pilots. The latter could take on various shapes and could be spread outwards from their minds like empowered fog.
A design seed could not be flexed in this matter. In fact, it couldn't change its shape at all! It was like a shiny rock resting in the center of his mind.
"Ves decided to forestall any further speculation and emerge from the locked room. He ordered lucky to deactivate his ECM before departing from the room as an entirely new man!
When he wearily dragged his body over to Professor Ventag, the older man studied Ves with a critical expression.
"You look a bit less exhausted than I thought. Most newly-advanced Journeymen would get knocked out at the end of the process. I'm surprised you even managed to stay conscious!"
"I have a very abnormal physique. It takes a lot more to put me out cold!" Ves chuckled as he rattled off this excuse. "So what's your verdict, professor? Have I become a Journeyman?"
"Let me touch you for a moment."
"Sure."
As the professor placed his hand on Ves' palm, a small spiritual clash occurred.
Ves felt as if his newly-crystallized design seed bumped into a much larger solid object!
The professor drew back his hand with mild surprise. "Seniors have a way of telling whether you're a Journeymen or not. As far as I'm aware of, you've definitely advanced!"
Jubilation marked Ves' face as he heard the verdict. The amazing transformation that took place in his mind didn't leave him with any doubt, but it was reassuring to receive confirmation!
After several years of toiling away as an Apprentice, Ves had finally taken his first real step towards greater prominence! He had graduated from a kid into an adult in the mech industry!
Ves and Professor Ventag decided to make use of his advancement as a public relations coup! The timing of it was simply too fortunate!
That day, an explosive piece of news erupted on all the news portals!
Not only had Jannzi Larkinson advanced into an expert candidate, but Ves Larkinson, the cousin who designed the mech she piloted during her transformation, advanced to Journeyman Mech Designer as well!
The official statement published by the LMC carefully included a caveat. Right now, Ves could only be regarded as a de facto Journeyman. He needed to obtain official recognition from the MTA in order to be treated as an actual Journeyman.
Nonetheless, this did not detract too much from the explosive events. With Professor Corus Ventag personally testifying that Ves had advanced, few doubted the truth!
The remarkable mech that caused both Larkinsons to transform their lives immediately received much greater scrutiny in the media.
This was the mech that created both an expert candidate and a Journeyman!
Chapter 1135
Ves basked in the glory of his successful advancement to Journeyman. After several years of toiling, he managed to succeed just before he reached thirty years old!
"While it's rather close, the fact that I succeeded will mark me as a notable Journeyman!" Ves laughed while he held Lucky above his head.
"Meow."
For once, his cat did not show any annoyance at being handled like a doll. Lucky shared his jubilation and his tail playfully whipped about as if he already envisioned Ves becoming rich enough to feed him billions of credits worth of mineral.
The only snag was that even though he advanced for real, the Mech Trade Association would not see it that way. They maintained a very strict demand that mech designers should design at least five original mechs before they applied for recognition.
The professor explained the reasoning to Ves succinctly earlier in the day.
"The process of becoming a Journeyman is very opaque. You happened to have the benefit of a Senior like me being present to confirm your breakthrough, but what about other mech designers? There are many Apprentices who get high on stimulants and mistake it as a process of grand enlightenment. All of these Apprentices can't approach a Senior so easily, so they go on and knock straight at the doors of the MTA, who have to waste the valuable time of their own Seniors to confirm whether they were really serious or simply crackpots who didn't know any better."
"There are Apprentices who actually do that?" Ves frowned. It sounded absurd!
"Enough that the MTA has implemented a strict policy." The professor smiled. "Design at least five original mechs of significant importance before you apply. This rule alone stops most arrogant Apprentices from trying because the original mechs need to meet a minimum quality standard that only serious Apprentices can surpass."
"Why five? It sounds a bit arbitrary."
"It's actually well below average. Most Apprentices need to design more than a dozen mechs before they even get close to advancing to Journeyman. You're something of an anomaly that you've designed four original mechs before you broke through. This is quite remarkable and speaks highly of your adaptability. Cases like yours happens every now and then, but not enough to make the MTA change their mind about this rule."
"So what do I do?"
The professor shrugged. "Just design another mech. You don't have to be too thorough compared to the effort you put into the Aurora Titan design. As a Journeyman, you will find all of your design capabilities improve in a significant capacity. I'll let you explore that on your own. The point is that de facto Journeymen like you really shouldn't have any problems designing another original mech."
The professor was right. Ves shouldn't be making a big deal out of the fact that the MTA wouldn't recognize his new status yet. Due to the role the MTA played in verifying Journeymen, the Bright Republic also didn't recognize him either, at least in a formal and legal sense.
If Ves wanted to be recognized as a true Journeyman, then he needed to quickly design another serious mech. He also needed to do it in a few months before he turned thirty so that he would still get that achievement under his belt.
There was a difference between a Journeyman who advanced before their thirties and those who advanced after their fifties. Though both mech designers should be somewhat close in skill by the time they advanced, what about the next step?
Time was a very valuable resource for a mech designer. Each year missed meant one or two mech designs less! Added up to twenty years, then that meant the older Journeyman in his fifties would miss out on designing twenty mechs before he reached the end of his lifespan!
That twenty-mech disparity might mean the difference between advancing to Senior or dying as a capable but bottle-necked Journeyman!
The mech industry's approach to talent also played a large role in evaluating mech designers. Those who advanced to Journeyman early in their career could be expected to advance to Senior fairly early as well.
For example, it would be a great achievement for Ves if he managed to advance to Senior within fifty years!
Those who took a long time to advance to Journeymen might not necessarily take a long time to advance again. There were plenty of examples of late bloomers in the mech industry. Nonetheless, the odds of such cases happening was not very large. Therefore, it was almost always better to advance sooner rather than later.
While Ves disliked the idea of rushing his next mech design, he disliked finishing it before he reached thirty standard years even less!
"I guess I'll have to whip up something quick and dirty." Ves sighed.
So far, Ves designed four original mechs. The MTA officially credited him in playing at least a major contributing role in the Blackbeak, the Crystal Lord, the Enduring Protector and now the Aurora Titan designs.
This was an important distinction as playing an assisting role in the design process like Ketis had done for the Aurora Titan's sword didn't count.
Nonetheless, even if Ves did not receive official recognition, he received plenty of unofficial recognition! The press and the mech industry already recognized him as a de facto Journeyman!
Ves already received hundreds of letters of congratulations from the various Journeymen and Seniors of the Republic!
He even laughed a bit when he received a letter from Professor Norman Pendleton as well. The Ansel mech designer's gesture showed that despite their differences, Ves' ascension to the ranks of Journeyman was still a good addition to the Bright Republic.
"We can still come together despite our differences."
Ves felt as if this was a recurring theme in the Bright Republic. Even though different factions constantly struggled against each other, they could still join hands in order to present a united front against their common enemy.
This stood in stark contrast to the Vesia Kingdom, where infighting reigned supreme!
A day after the product reveal, Ves decided to hold a private celebration at an upscale restaurant in Dorum's entertainment district.
As food and drink kept pouring into the luxurious dining room that the LMC reserved, Ves celebrated his success with some of his friends and family.
Aside from bringing Lucky and Gavin, Ves also invited Marcella Bollinger. In addition, he also arranged for Raella and Melinda Larkinson to be present.
While Lucky blissfully munched on a bowl's worth of low-grade exotics, the two female Larkinsons stared at each other with visible animosity. They followed completely opposite career trajectories and if they weren't family, they would have never tolerated each other's presence.
"A Journeyman is a big deal." Melinda said while smiling to Ves. "Having worked on Bentheim for a couple of years, I've learned how important they are to the Republic. There's way too many Apprentices, but so few of them managed to become a Journeyman. The family will get a massive boost now that you've become a big deal!"
"Becoming a Journeyman is just the start." Ves boldly claimed. "Although I won't make any promises, I don't think advancing to Senior in a couple of decades is out of reach!"
He had the confidence to make such a claim due to the possession of the System. Although Ves was confident that he could advance to Senior even without making use of the System, making use of it would likely speed it up, thereby saving him a lot of valuable time!
Out of all the people in the crowd, Marcella looked the most sober. She was the oldest adult in the room, after all, and she had interacted with many different mech designers.
"I wouldn't rest on my laurels so easily, Ves." She said even as she sipped a glass of wine. "This is a great moment for you, but you need to temper your confidence. There are so many Journeymen who have gone so caught up in their new status that they stopped putting their full effort into designing mechs."
Ves nodded seriously. "My motivation for designing mechs hasn't abated. I'm very much aware of the pitfalls of neglecting my job."
He could not forget the instance where Professor Velten shared her many regrets in her life. The old and decrepit Senior Mech Designer presiding over the Flagrant Vandals could have achieved much more in her illustrious life if she didn't waste so much time on distractions.
"I have to admit your advancement still surprises me." Marcella continued. "When I initially decided to work with you and invest in you, I never conceived you would grow this quickly. In the span of five years, you've grown from a pipsqueak who needs my help to sell individual mechs to a respectable Journeyman who can sell a 100 million credit mech with a wave of your hand!"
"Does that make me your main client?"
Marcella chuckled. "All my other clients are Novices and Apprentices. I've partnered with some of them for over twenty years, but none of them have the combination of drive, talent and capabilities that you possess!"
At the start of his mech design career, Ves used to look up to Marcella as a giant in the Bentheim mech scene. Now that he advanced to Journeyman and his LMC grew into a behemoth, he realized that Marcella wasn't such a dominant entity anymore.
Even though Ves no longer needed her, he still intended to retain their business relationship. Not only were their companies intertwined with contractual obligations, but Ves also appreciated the help she provided him when he was still young, ignorant and poor.
Marcella was a true friend, and a useful one to boot. Her extensive connections to the local Bentheim mech community made life a lot easier for the LMC.
"I think you should consider moving your company to Bentheim." Raella suddenly suggested. "Not only will I be able to visit my favorite cousin more often, but I can also get the Blood Claws to put your company under their wing. Nothing will happen to the LMC while it's here, I swear!"
Melinda snorted from the side. "So Ves is your favorite cousin all of a sudden? I'm sure the main reason for that is the free mechs he gave you. Don't think the Planetary Guard is aware where the three new Crystal Lord mechs the Blood Claws have been flaunting lately came from. Ves is not a mech dispenser that spits out free mechs whenever you want to cozy up to your bosses!"
Ves held out a palm in a placating gesture. "It's fine, Melinda. I didn't give away my mechs for free. As long as Raella gains some benefits, I will benefit as well. As for the topic of shifting my company's operations to Bentheim, I don't have any compelling reasons to do so. While such a move would definitely simplify the LMC's logistics, a lot of other burdens will weigh down the company instead. At its current scale, the LMC is doing quite well on Cloudy Curtain."
"I think Ves has a fine point." Marcella said in support. "Just the taxes alone on Bentheim will negate most of the gains made in streamlining the company's supply chain. Frankly, there are too many mech companies based in Bentheim. The local government eagerly takes advantage of this by jacking up the local taxes, knowing that there will always be a new crop of mech designers who set up their companies here."
The small gathering continued to throw out ideas on what Ves should do next. He heard plenty of interesting suggestions, though he already had a firm plan in mind for the next couple of years.
"If only Melkor, Calsie, Carlos and Jannzi could be here." Ves sighed.
He only received a few sporadic messages stating that Jannzi required an extensive period of recuperation. Ves worried about her health. The unusual nature of her breakthrough left a lot of mental and spiritual scars behind that would take months or even years to heal.
Hopefully her continued exposure to the Shield of Samar would help her recuperate from all of that damage.
Chapter 1136
Ves spent another week on Bentheim in order to capitalize on the publicity that resulted from the Aurora Titan's product reveal.
The twin breakthroughs of Ves and Jannzi dominated the news cycle for a short period of time.
Unquestionably, the Larkinson Family came under much greater prominence. Aside from Ghanso Larkinson advancement to expert pilot, both Porellia Larkinson and Tusa Billingsley-Larkinson now gained another equal in the form of Jannzi Larkinson.
Yet that wasn't all. When Ves managed to advance to become a de facto Journeyman, the family took on an entirely different status! Now that the Larkinsons boasted their first Journeyman Mech Designer, their influence had grown beyond the traditional military circles!
It was a great time to be a Larkinson this time!
Aside from the rising fortunes of the Larkinson Family, the LMC gained greater prominence as well. A company led by a Journeyman was a major force in the Republic! Not only that, but the Aurora Titan's involvement in the advancement of both Ves and Jannzi showered the mech model with an immense amount of attention!
This was why Ves found it important to capitalize on the publicity! He subjected himself to back-to-back interviews with both local, domestic and sector-wide news publications.
While it was tiring for him to answer the same boring questions over and over again, he knew that the more he showed up in the news, the more he could shape the narrative around the Aurora Titan.
The Ansel mech designers hadn't remained silent all this time. They attempted to use the pull they possessed in the major domestic mech publications to point out the many glaring weaknesses of the Aurora Titan design.
If not for the twin breakthroughs overshadowing every other news related to the Aurora Titan, then these negative articles might have actually hampered its popularity.
As it was, the Aurora Titan continued to be ordered in generous amounts each day! The LMC and NORA Consolidated registered over six-hundred orders, which was an exceptionally high amount considering the stupendously high price levels of the different editions of the Aurora Titan!
The only downside to this success was that Ves wouldn't be able to capture the bulk of the profits from its sales. The profit-sharing agreement that Ves had made with Professor Ventag entitled him to only twenty-five percent of the profits.
The professor was definitely raking in a huge amount of money, not that he needed it in the first place!
Ves had to be content with earning a more paltry sum while doing little else other than to fabricate a number of gold label mechs.
"I have to fabricate twenty of them in order to fulfill all the orders the LMC has taken." He muttered.
This would take valuable time away from designing his fifth original design. Ves once again found himself in a spot of trouble where he needed to balance his time. Now that the LMC had taken the orders, the company could hardly renege on their word and cancel them! That would do a lot of damage to their credibility!
"Promises are promises. That said, any promise can be renegotiated."
He decided to fulfill the critical orders first while asking as many clients as possible if they would accept a small delay. Ves even considered throwing in a bonus by allowing for minor customizations to be made to their individual products. The offer to customize a mech should be very attractive, especially when it came from a Journeyman instead of an Apprentice!
Ves passed on his instructions to Gavin between his interviews.
His assistant nodded. "I'll make the arrangements. I think it's a good solution. The people who pay 150 million credits for a gold label Aurora Titan aren't buying it for its functions. Instead, they're buying it to satisfy their vanity. Customizing a mech by adding a few bits here and there will instantly increase its collector's value."
"Try not to go overboard. Make sure at least a few gold label mechs will fall into the hands of our customers. The more my gold label Aurora Titans are out in the wild, the more attention they'll attract!"
The undeniably strong X-Factor of the gold label Aurora Titans turned the mechs into public attractions. Ves wanted to make use of this effect to encourage even more sales for his notable mech model. What better way to inspire potential buyers than shoving a gold label mech in front of their faces?
Ves, Jannzi, the Larkinson Family, the LMC and the Aurora Titan all enjoyed an unprecedented amount of attention in the Bright Republic! While the other states in the Komodo Star Sector didn't pay much attention to the proceedings, sales from foreign markets ticked up as well.
Achieving a thousand sales in the first year of the mech model's introduction did not sound so ludicrous anymore!
During this hectic period where Ves engaged in public relations, he hadn't forgotten about the System either. The System never cared about the MTA, so he figured it would probably acknowledge his advancement regardless of the lack of official judgement.
Therefore, during a quiet evening after his last interview, Ves locked himself up in the bathroom of his luxurious accommodation and activated both Lucky's ECM field and his personal comm's Privacy Shield before activating the System.
As expected, the System underwent a major change!
[Congratulations for upgrading your status to Journeyman Mech Designer. You are now able to design mechs that are worthy of notice. The Mech Designer System will now initiate an upgrade. Please stand by.]
Ves waited patiently as his comm's projection fizzled out. Shortly after that, his comm turned into a fluid mass of smart metal while wrapping around his hand like a glove.
He felt as if he put his hand in the mouth of an exobeast. Even though his instincts told him that he should get rid of this eerie metallic mass, he tried his best to endure the uncomfortable sensation.
Five minutes later, his comm finally stopped doing whatever it was doing. It changed back into its old metal band-like shape around his wrist and resumed projecting an interface as if nothing weird had happened earlier!
[Your access to the Store has expanded. You are now able to exchange more advanced items with Design Points.]
That didn't hold much meaning to Ves because he knew that most of the items would still be unaffordable. The Store was pretty much filled with traps in that regard.
[You are now able to purchase bronze lottery tickets for the preferential price of 20,000 Design Points.]
While the bronze ones sounded like a step up from copper lottery tickets which cost only 500 DP, Ves did not consider them to be a good deal at all. "20,000 DP is way too much for only bronze lottery tickets."
Spending his precious DP on lottery tickets was another trap from the profiteering system. He could not put it past the System to rig the prizes massively in its favor!
After these perfunctory messages, the System finally came to the message that Ves anticipated the most. It finally unlocked a new ability for Ves!
[The Inventory module has unlocked the Inventorize ability. You are able to select any handheld object in your possession and add the property to materialize and dematerialize them from your Inventory. The Inventorize ability only comes with one use and can only be replenished through lottery ticket prizes, mission rewards and other sources.]
Ves' eyes instantly shone. "So the Inventory won't be acting as a bag for the Amastendira anymore!"
The Inventory was one of the biggest weapons in his arsenal. Although many of the other functions of the Systems overshadowed this module, Ves owed his life to it! Without the Inventory, he would never be able to carry his Amastendira around!
The Inventorize ability gave him hope that he would one day be able to store an entire arsenal into his comm!
If not for the size and mass limitations that came with this ability, Ves would have chosen to Inventorize the Barracuda or something. Carrying a fully-fledged FTL-capable starship around him all the time would ensure he would never have to fear about getting stranded in space!
"One can only dream."
As it was, Ves already made his decision which object he wanted to Inventorize.
He did not choose the Peaceful Repose, his artful custom ballistic pistol.
He did not choose the Vulcaneye, his powerful System-redeemed scanner.
He did not choose the shield generator that Master Olson gifted him long ago.
He also didn't choose the Sparous Vize, his custom light combat armor. When compacted into a briefcase-sized object, it was just small and light enough to meet the Inventorize ability's criteria.
"While armor is important, there is one object in my possession that surpasses them all in importance!"
"Meow?"
Lucky drifted down and nuzzled his cheek.
Ves chuckled. "Not you, Lucky. My personal comm!"
"Meow!"
His cat indignantly floated away from his head after bumping his paw against his nose.
Although Ves toyed with the thought of Inventorizing Lucky, Ves wouldn't gain very much out of it. Lucky was already fairly elusive with his ability to turn incorporeal and pass through solid objects. With his newly-assimilated ECM systems, the cat could hide his presence from almost every form of electronic surveillance as well!
Therefore, the added benefit of being able to hide Lucky in his Inventory was a bit redundant to Ves. Rather than opt to Inventorize Lucky or some other piece of gear, why not try it on the System itself?
One of the biggest annoyances to his military service was that he had been unduly deprived of the System! While his separation from the System did him a lot of good in preventing him from becoming too dependent on its functions, there were many times when Ves wished he could buy something quick from its Skill Tree or Store!
There was another reason why he contemplated using this ability on his comm. Being able to carry his System around in his intangible Inventory not only ensured constant access to its functions, but kept other people from taking it away!
One of the biggest worries Ves grappled with during his time away from the System was that someone might recognize and steal his comm!
While Ves trusted Lucky to keep his comm safe, his cat was not invincible. If the Mech Trade Association, Common Fleet Alliance or the Five Scrolls Compact somehow tracked the System down, there was nothing a single gem cat could do to keep his personal comm out of their greedy hands!
Keeping the System stored in a dematerialized form in his Inventory neatly solved that problem. Although Ves guessed that the materialization technology could probably be blocked with some sort of advanced tech, he did not think he would be subjected to such an effect very frequently.
"There are too many reasons in favor for me to hesitate any further. Let's try this ability!"
When Ves selected the option in the inferface and designated his personal comm as the target, the System surprisingly didn't block the option.
[You have selected this comm to be Inventorized. Do you confirm your selection?]
"Yes, goddammit! If you ask me, you should have come with this function from the start!"
The System ignored his complaints and dutifully went to work. His comm seemed to shimmer around his wrist, causing Ves to quickly remove it from his body. The comm floated in the air before slowly dematerializing.
Eventually, it disappeared.
"It worked?"
Ves concentrated on his Inventory. Right next to the copy of the Amastendira, he perceived the presence of his personal comm.
He sent a mental command to summon it back into realspace.
His comm slowly appeared in the air again. Ves quickly picked it up before gravity asserted itself on the slim object.
"It worked!" Ves laughed.
A huge burden lifted off his shoulders! With the System permanently accompanying him in his Inventory, nobody would be able to take it from his possession!
Chapter 1137
[Status]
Name: Ves Larkinson
Profession: Journeyman Mech Designer
Specializations: Spiritual Man-Machine Symbiosis
Design Points: 328,742
Attributes
Strength: 1.4
Dexterity: 1.0
Endurance: 2.0
Intelligence: 2.2
Creativity: 2.1
Concentration: 2.1
Spirituality: 1.3
Neural Aptitude: F
Skills
...
Abilities
[Superpublish]: Available. Can be activated once a year.
[Inventorize]: Unavailable.
Evaluation: A young Journeyman Mech Designer with a very distinct specialty.
Just before Ves stowed away his comm in his Inventory and ask Gavin to supply him with a new one, he looked up his Status.
Not much had changed, which surprised Ves a bit considering what a momentous change he had gone through.
"Part of it is because this Status isn't capturing the condition of my design seed."
Was it because the System couldn't access it, or because it didn't know how to assess and quantify it? With the amazing capabilities of the System, those possibilities did not seem very likely to Ves.
"Maybe it's too lazy." Ves snorted.
He first scanned how much DP he earned over the last seven months since he embarked on his joint design project.
While he spent a lot of DP on upgrading his Skills and acquiring Space Knight Mastery I, he earned much of it back through regular sales of his Blackbeak model. The Crystal Lord sold a lot as well, but the System withheld all the DP he earned from its sales because he Superpublished the laser rifleman mech design.
"This ability is really a double-edged sword."
Despite this price, Ves contemplated using the Superpublish ability again for his fifth original mech design. He hated the thought of rushing his next design project because he wouldn't be able to refine and optimize it to the best of his ability.
Superpublishing the design would solve all of the inadequacies that Ves had missed in his rush to bring it to the market.
"It doesn't take very long to design a functional mech, especially now that I've advanced to Journeyman. All those months spent on optimizing the design will only elevate its performance by five to ten percent at best. Superpublishing delivers an equivalent amount of improvement after only a single activation!"
There was no use deciding on this matter at this moment. He would have to design his mech first and see where he stood in a couple of months before he made his decision.
One significant chance from his last Status update was that the System finally recognized his specialty now that it had crystallized into his design seed.
"Spiritual Man-Machine Symbiosis. That's quite a mouthful to describe."
While Ves found the description the System came up with to be extremely clunky and inelegant, it nonetheless fit what he understood of his own design philosophy. All this time, he focused his attention on designing mechs that excelled in spiritually empowering its mech pilots and vica versa.
It was not a label he would be proud to carry in public, though. "If anyone asks what my specialty is, I can probably say that I specialize in metaphysical man-machine symbiosis!"
Replacing the word spiritual with metaphysical made his specialty sound ten times vaguer and broader. Hardly any mech designer would be able to figure out what Ves exactly specialized in when they came across this word soup!
"The more confused they are, the more they'll substitute the actual meaning with their own guesses!"
Ves would never tell the truth about his design philosophy to anyone. He much preferred to be as vague as possible so that other people would come up with their own logical explanations.
He next went over his list of Attributes. All of them remained the same except for a single notable change. His Spirituality jumped from 0.8 to 1.3! This was a substantial leap in score, and while Ves had difficulty figuring out the System's measurement scale for Spirituality, such a big jump meant his spiritual abilities gained a substantial boost in strength!
The most important of which was imbuing his designs with a stronger X-Factor!
"If I am able to apply more of my own Spirituality on my own designs, I'll be less dependent on the strength of external spiritual fragments."
This basically meant that Ves would be able to design mechs with a higher grade of X-Factor by depending on his own imagination. He even developed an inkling that he would be able to create images in his mind that equaled Qilanxo's potent spiritual fragment in strength one day!
"I'll probably have to advance to Master or Star Designer before I reach that point." Ves chuckled deprecatingly to himself. That was too far away for him to contemplate at this time. "At least I'll be stronger during my spiritual incursions through the imaginary realm. There are a lot of treasures there to be mined as long as I'm strong enough to brave its many threats!"
After passing over his Attributes, Ves quickly turned to his Skills.
His extensive list of Skills hadn't changed at all. Ves might decide to spend some of his DP to upgrade some of his cheaper Skills and Sub-Skills, but right now he did not feel a pressing need to do so. He was already very knowledgeable compared to other Journeymen!
The Inventorize ability rested immediately below the Superpublish ability. The single descriptor signified that Ves had already spent his single use of this ability.
"Even so, since this ability remains on my Status page, it shouldn't be impossible to gain another chance to Inventorize an object!"
The greedy, slave-driving System wanted Ves to work for the opportunity this time. Unlike the Superpublish ability which refreshed every year, Ves probably needed to work his butt off in order to earn this reward!
Speaking of tasks, the System prompted him with a message.
[You have received several new missions. Please check the Mission page for the details.]
Five new missions popped out of nowhere!
[Supply Mission]
Mission: Material Supply 1
Difficulty: S-Rank
Prerequisites: Advance to Journeyman Mech Designer
Description
The Mech Designer System needs to be supplied with several rare materials to facilitate future upgrades.
This Supply Mission can be completed by offering 45.5343 grams of Orpheidan Glow Glass.
Reward: 1 use of the Inventorize ability, 1,000,000 Design Points, 1 golden lottery ticket.
[Supply Mission]
Mission: Material Supply 2
Difficulty: S-Rank
Prerequisites: Advance to Journeyman Mech Designer
Description
The Mech Designer System needs to be supplied with several rare materials to facilitate future upgrades.
This Supply Mission can be completed by offering 2.353 kilograms of EE-343F-00334R.
Reward: 1 use of the Inventorize ability, 1,000,000 Design Points, 1 golden lottery ticket.
[Supply Mission]
Mission: Material Supply 3
Difficulty: S-Rank
Prerequisites: Advance to Journeyman Mech Designer
Description
The Mech Designer System needs to be supplied with several rare materials to facilitate future upgrades.
This Supply Mission can be completed by offering 49.53 kilograms of Timpala Steel.
Reward: 1 use of the Inventorize ability, 1,000,000 Design Points, 1 golden lottery ticket.
[Supply Mission]
Mission: Material Supply 4
Difficulty: S-Rank
Prerequisites: Advance to Journeyman Mech Designer
Description
The Mech Designer System needs to be supplied with several rare materials to facilitate future upgrades.
This Supply Mission can be completed by offering 12.556 milligrams of Yondu Milk.
Reward: 1 use of the Inventorize ability, 1,000,000 Design Points, 1 golden lottery ticket.
[Supply Mission]
Mission: Material Supply 5
Difficulty: S-Rank
Prerequisites: Advance to Journeyman Mech Designer
Description
The Mech Designer System needs to be supplied with several rare materials to facilitate future upgrades.
This Supply Mission can be completed by offering 2 complete pieces of Abalask Eyes.
Reward: 1 use of the Inventorize ability, 1,000,000 Design Points, 1 golden lottery ticket.
"What the hell? Why did you dump all these S-rank missions on my lap all of a sudden! Orphedeian Glow Glass? EE-343F-00334R? I've never heard of this crap before!"
Surprisingly, the System deigned to provide him with an explanation this time.
[The aforementioned materials are rare, high-grade exotics found in specific parts of the Milky Way Galaxy. Please endeavor to secure these materials in the specified amounts in order to complete the Supply Missions and obtain your generous rewards.]
Ves wanted to puke out blood. Although he already had an inkling that it was not going to be easy to secure these high-grade exotics, the rewards seemed very uneven!
Oh sure, earning 1,000,000 DP and another opportunity to Inventorize an object sounded great to Ves. The only objection he had was that the System only added in a single golden lottery ticket!
"I recall an A-rank mission where you rewarded me with 10 golden lottery tickets, System! Why have you cut back on them all of a sudden! Shouldn't you at least maintain the same amount?!"
[...Suggestion noted. Please wait while the rewards for the Supply Missions are being adjusted.]
Ves didn't wait and immediately browsed the details of the Supply Missions once again. The rewards for each of them changed!
Reward: 1 use of the Inventorize ability, 10 golden lottery tickets.
"What?! Why take away the 1 million DP!"
The System didn't respond this time, evidently having enough of Ves' demands.
While Ves momentarily bled over the loss of all of those points, he quickly reigned himself in. Now that he advanced to Journeyman, was it really impossible for him to earn a million DP from a single design?
DP was by far the easiest reward he could earn by himself. Although it hurt a lot for him to say goodbye to the 1 million DP reward, he figured that all of the extra lottery tickets was more than worth it! Ves hit the jackpot by winning his copy of the Amestendira from one of them! The prospect of earning more rewards as remarkable as his Inventorized laser pistol sent him into a greedy mood!
"As long as I complete all five Supply Missions, I'll not only be able to Inventorize five more objects, but get fifty golden lottery tickets to test my luck on! With so many draws, I'm bound to hit the jackpot at least once or twice!"
His luck with lottery tickets wasn't all that great. The odds of drawing a price at least comparable to the Amastendira was woefully low, but as long as Ves could go through so many lottery tickets, he was bound to get something good eventually!
The only snag was that these missions didn't seem very easy to fulfill. "I've never seen an S-rank mission before."
A-rank missions already gave him a lot of trouble. If he had to do something that surpassed the Glowing Planet campaign in difficulty, then obtaining these five different high-grade exotics should not be simple!
As soon as Ves memorized the names of the materials, he deactivated the System and put down his Privacy Shield and Lucky's ECM. He quickly went on the galactic net and searched for the plainest-sounding one.
[Timpala Steel. Processed alloy made by a long-extinct alien race. Remnants of this highly-desired material is occasionally found in the Wilting Rose Star Sector. No actual market price.]
"No market price?!"
This was worse than he thought. If the galactic net could not cough up a market price, then obtaining Timpala Steel was not as simple as throwing enough money at a supplier. This material was probably as valuable as a thin sliver of high-grade Rorach's Bone, if not more!
S-ranked missions weren't S-ranked for nothing!
Ves immediately grew suspicious at the System for imposing these missions on him all of a sudden. It strengthened his theory that the System may be incomplete or suffered from serious damage and required a number of exceptional materials to recover its former strength.
"I don't need to search the other materials to know they're just as priceless!"
He felt like the System knew him too well. It wanted these materials, and it had no scruples dangling bits of juicy bait in front of Ves in order to get him to gather them in its stead!
The worst part about it was that it was working!
Chapter 1138
Throughout the week of interviews and celebration, Ves also received a very important call. As soon as he read the name of the person calling him, he immediately took a break.
"Ves Larkinson. Congratulations on your successful advancement to Journeyman."
"Thank you, Master Olson."
Although his Master hadn't been very present during his formative years as an Apprentice, he still enjoyed some of the halo she bestowed on him. Ves was very cognizant that Master Olson didn't pay too much attention to Apprentice Mech Designers like him unless she nurtured them to inherit her design philosophy.
It was different when it came to Journeymen. Even in the prosperous and highly-populated Friday Coalition, Journeymen were valuable resources that could be employed in many areas as long as their loyalty could be assured.
The problem that Master Olson faced in this situation was that she probably did not expect Ves to advance to Journeyman so fast!
This threw her calculations on him completely out of whack, though she did her best not to show any of her doubts to Ves in this comm call. By all appearances, Master Olson genuinely looked pleased at his turn of fortune.
"Now that you have become a de facto Journeyman, it won't be long before you receive recognition from the MTA. Are you aware of your obligations once you reach that point?"
Ves nodded. "I'll have to travel to the MTA's sector headquarters."
"There are some important ceremonies and rituals that you have to go through. Advancement to Journeyman not only means your ability to design mechs has matured, but it also means you have become a true galactic citizen. The MTA will outline all the benefits a Journeyman like you is entitled to. They will also reveal some very important secrets about the true meaning of our profession."
That sounded as if his impending visit to the MTA's headquarters in the Komodo Star Sector wasn't just a regular meet and greet.
"I look forward to my upcoming visit." Ves said, even though he felt anything but enthused.
His relationship with the MTA was admittedly mixed. Ves flagrantly broke their rules and ran roughshed over their taboos several times. Like a crook visiting a police station, Ves didn't want to be close to them at all, especially considering that his body was marked by gene optimization treatments from the CFA!
Even so, as far as Ves was aware of, every Journeyman went on a pilgrimage to one of the bulwarks of the MTA. The Mech Trade Association might possess an innocuous name, but they were very adamant on keeping every mech designer in civilized space under their control!
"Your visit to the MTA's headquarters come first." Master Olson emphasized. "After that, I would like you to pay a visit to Leemar to inspect you on your progress and impart some knowledge to you. I will also be offering some opportunities to you that are well worth your time. I advise you to clear your schedule and arrange matters at home before you embark on your visits."
It sounded like Master Olson already wanted to put Ves at work. "What are these opportunities you talk about?"
"Do you know the meaning of the word Journeyman?"
"A Journeyman is a craftsman who has matured. They are competent in their craft and can be trusted to deliver a sound product by themselves."
"One of the historical customs of journeymen in ancient crafts was that they traveled from place to place after graduating from apprentices. This allowed them to move beyond their hometowns to experience different approaches to their own craft. A Journeyman Mech Designer is not obligated to travel around, but it is generally a good idea to broaden your horizons."
This sounded rather big to Ves. "You want me to travel around?"
Master Olson smiled. "Have you ever traveled beyond the Komodo Star Sector?"
"I have." Ves admitted. "Several missions brought me to the Faris Star Region."
"Then you must be very much aware that different customs exist for mechs depending on the region they operate. A resource-poor region like the frontier cannot sustain the existence of high-quality mechs. Each star sector exhibits their own nuances when it comes to the prevailing mech doctrines. I'm very glad you've already taken a step to expand your horizons, but it would do you well to explore what more prosperous star sectors have to offer as well."
It seemed to Ves that Master Olson was trying to encourage him to accept the opportunities she wanted to present to him during his visit to Leemar.
Since he was quite intrigued by the prospect of travelling to another star sector, he expressed some enthusiasm.
"I look forward to what you have to offer."
In any case, he could neatly fit a possible excursion in his schedule as long as it didn't take too long.
After he designed his fifth original mech design, he wasn't under very much pressure to design another mech.
With the next generation of mechs about to arrive in five years or less, any mech he designed in the waning years of the current generation would quickly be devalued. While his Aurora Titan model exceed its initial sales projections, Ves would not be able to spiritually empower his other mech designs with something as strong as Qilanxo's spiritual fragment.
Without possessing the critical element that allowed him to elevate the X-Factor of his design to A-rank, his subsequent mech designs would never match the Aurora Titan's splendor. Rather than spending his time on designing lackluster mechs, Ves would rather go on an excursion to expand his horizons and improve his ability to design mechs for the upcoming mech generation!
After a bit more chatting, Master Olson finally ended the call. While she wanted to impart a lot more information to him, he would visit her soon enough at Leemar anyway.
"A Journeyman really receives different treatment from everyone." He sighed.
It kind of made sense as Journeyman Mech Designers technically enjoyed the same status as expert pilots. Nonetheless, the MTA treated high-ranking mech pilots with much more reverence than high-ranking mech designers. It was as if they believed that expert pilots needed extra protection while Journeymen Mech Designers could take care of themselves!
"Well, with how difficult it is to extend the lives of expert pilots and how often they are subjected to combat, it's really hard to insure that enough of them are around at any single time."
Mech designers were more than capable of taking care of themselves. Journeymen and higher were guaranteed money-making machines. It was impossible for them to go bankrupt and starve on the streets unless they pissed off the state or the MTA!
As long as someone had enough money, they could convert it into different forms of power and influence. Ves happened to be flush with money right now, so much so that he didn't know what to do with it other than to invest in the Avatars of Myth.
"The Avatars are growing stronger every day, but it's still a slow process."
Throwing more money at the Avatars at this stage would do more harm than good. Melkor was very clear about the need to grow the Avatars organically rather than by brute force. A rapid growth would introduce too many unstable elements in their ranks.
As the days of interviews and celebrations came to an end, Ves finally had the opportunity to pay a final visit to Jannzi.
He arrived at the same military hospital which he had been treated for the injuries sustained by his last assassination attempt with Lucky in tow. While the guards looked at his cat with askance, they let them through anyway.
When Ves and Lucky entered the hospital room where Jannzi recuperated from her arduous breakthrough, they encountered an extra guest!
"Grandfather! You're here!"
Benjamin Larkinson amiably smiled at his exceptional grandson. "I took the fastest corvette to Bentheim in order to catch you before you returned to Cloudy Curtain. I'm very proud of what you've achieved, Ves. Your sudden advancement has completely upended the family!"
"Are there any changes in store?"
"Now that you've become a Journeyman, you carry real weight in the family. As far as I'm concerned, you have the right to stand equal to the expert pilots in the family! While it will take some time for me to convince the other elders to respect you in this fashion, it is undeniable that you are a leader of the family!"
That.. was pretty big news to Ves. While the Larkinson Family did not specifically obey the orders of their experts unquestionably, they still had a lot of say in how the family was being run.
Most of Benjamin's leading influence in the family came from his past status as an expert pilot! Even though his battle injuries took away his strength, Benjamin was still an influential leader in the family!
For Benjamin to suggest that his grandson enjoyed the same renown was to suggest they now stood as equals when it came to decision-making within the family!
"I'm honored you feel that way." Ves responded mildly. "I'm not really chasing after power in the family, though. I'm already occupied with my own work."
"I know you aren't interested. Ghanso Larkinson isn't interested in exercising his power either. The day-to-day operations of the family will still remain in the hands of old geezers like me. The only important point to keep in mind is that if you really want something that requires the support of the entire family, it's a lot easier to get our backing now. For example, the recent moves you've made to align ourselves to the Tovar Family has long been met with resistance from many conservative Larkinsons. That's different now."
This was what it meant to be a leader in the family. The Larkinson Family didn't know what to do with the first Journeyman Mech Designer in their ranks, so they defaulted to treating him as an expert pilot.
Both of them turned to the patient in the room. Jannzi looked a bit better than Ves had thought. She already looked as if she could be up and about after a few more weeks of recovery.
"How are you, Jannzi?" Ves asked gently while placing Lucky on her bed.
The cat playfully climbed up to Jannzi and allowed himself to be petted by her hand.
"The doctors say I'll have to make a long recovery. They've been pouring over the telemetry and they've all been scratching their heads over why my breakthrough was unusually violent."
Ves had a good idea why, but it was best to keep his thoughts to himself. "Will you be able to regain your strength?"
"I think so. The Apocalypse Heralds will help me recover. Thank you for letting me keep the Shield of Samar, Ves. I know it's a very expensive mech for you to give away."
"As far as I'm concerned, you're the true owner of the Shield of Samar. I already arranged Gavin to transfer the ownership of the mech over to your name. It is truly yours now!"
Jannzi looked very ecstatic at the news! She brightened up instantly and spontaneously hugged Lucky to her chest.
"Thank you for this gift, Ves! I don't know how I can repay this favor."
"I'm just paying you for your services, Jannzi. The stunt you pulled off during the demonstration has already inspired many people to buy a copy of the Aurora Titan. The earnings I've made from those extra sales are more than sufficient to cover the value of your mech. Besides, we're family."
Ves, Jannzi and Benjamin all enjoyed a happy moment. Benjamin was glad to see that Ves was generous to Jannzi. Family needed to stick together and help each other out.
"Are you happy with joining the Apocalypse Heralds?" Ves asked.
"To be honest, I would rather join a heavy assault regiment that likes to take the fight up close." She said. "Still, my Shield of Samar is a lot more useful protecting the slow-moving artillery mechs of the Heralds. Their static, defensive-oriented mech doctrine fits well with a low-mobility mech like mine."
She'd be able to fulfill the core purpose of her mech to the utmost with the Apocalypse Heralds. With all the murky signs that another conflict might be on the horizon, Jannzi would have plenty of chances in the future to distinguish herself in battle with the Heralds!
Chapter 1139
The visit to Jannzi capped off a fantastic week for Ves. With orders for the Aurora Titan continuing to pour in, Ves believed he had done all he could do to maximize the exposure of his mech model. After achieving a sufficient amount of saturation in the public sphere, further interviews and publicity stunts wouldn't be of much use.
While most of the public heard of the Aurora Titan's existence, they still reserved their judgement on its design. Only through seeing it in action would they truly make up their minds on whether this eccentric mech possessed any actual merit!
In fact, as Ves boarded the Barracuda along with Lucky, Ketis and Gavin, his assistant handed him a datapad containing the first reports of what his first customers were doing with the first batch of mechs that had already rolled off NORA Consolidated's formidable production lines.
"This looks quite bad." Ves remarked.
"A lot of your customers overestimated their skills or the skills of their space knight specialists." Gavin shrugged as they secured themselves to their seats as the Barracuda lifted off from Dorum's spaceport. The corvette would quickly be joining the Greenfeather on their way back to Cloudy Curtain. "While the LMC and NORA Consolidated attached plenty of warnings to the Aurora Titan, the reality is that the majority of our customers are woefully ill-prepared to make use of such a machine."
The lack of mobility didn't seem so bad when viewing Jannzi Larkinson's brief performance in her Shield of Samar, but it was a lot more glaring in practice! In addition, the operation of the alien crystals and the polarizing module both required a lot of extra effort on the part of the mech pilots. It took Jannzi months to become proficient in their uses!
"I hope our companies have made it clear that the Aurora Titan comes with a steep learning curve. We don't take refunds and I don't want to see our customers begin to second-guess the Aurora Titan and cancel their outstanding orders."
"We're aware of how much this problem can blow up in our faces." Gavin said. "The LMC and NORA Consolidated already joined hands to tackle this problem and nip it in the bud before it grows into a major problem. Right now, we're rapidly developing a number of virtual and realspace training programs. The mech pilots of the other four show models are already being employed as trainers."
"All of that sounds good. I'm very pleased with the initiative being shown. Good work, Gavin."
The LMC did not require any intervention from Ves when it came to addressing problems of this nature. Phase 2 not only set the tone of the company's corporate culture, but also introduced many organizational changes that decentralized the different departments of the company.
In some sense, the organizational structure of the LMC resembled the way the Starlight Megalodon organized her own departments, if not as dysfunctional and prone to tribalism.
As much as Ves held some misgivings over this decentralized approach, it was the most appropriate one to take when it came to larger companies. As the LMC grew larger and larger, delegating more responsibilities became a necessity as Ves and the top management of the company couldn't possibly micromanage its massive day-to-day operations.
Therefore, the LMC transitioned to an organizational model where the departments gained more autonomy to make their own decisions. Supervisors at the top and inspectors rotating among the different departments of the company made sure that they did their jobs, but other than that Ves did not care too much about the direction they took.
At this point, Ves was not exactly the most active CEO of his company. His only two responsibilities was to lead the design team and pump out more mech designs.
"What about the pushback we received from Ansel? Has Professor Pendleton and his ilk made any notable moves against the Aurora Titan?"
"Not as such." Gavin shook his head. "So far, they've only been content with publishing nuances critiques of the Aurora Titan design. However, their reviews have a very wide reach in the Bright Republic's mech community. Although our marketing blitz has managed to overshadow the unflattering reviews for the moment, after the immediate excitement dies down the reviews will gain a lot more weight!"
Many people blindly followed the reviews from authoritative mech designers. The Ansel mech designers learned the hard way that it was best not to engage in a debate with Ves directly, so they decided to address the many shortcomings of the Aurora Titan design through numerous reviews and evaluations.
Ves could hardly rebut the criticisms directly. He'd have to go through the trouble of writing up a formal rebuttal which the mech publication could opt to publish it or throw it in the trash can.
"I believe plenty of customers will come to learn to appreciate the Aurora Titan in time." He said. "All the negative reviews only pay attention to the specs of my design. They aren't evaluating it holistically or mention anything about well a mech pilot is able to mesh with the mech. As long as word of mouth about the remarkable properties about my mechs are spreading, the reviews won't hold as much weight anymore."
The Blackbeak and the Crystal Lord models already underwent something similar, if to a lesser degree. The mechs of the LMC always turned out to be more remarkable than met the eye!
While many mech buyers put a lot of stock in mech reviews, they were also highly susceptible to the recommendations other people who boasted about their fantastic experiences with their new mechs!
"Has the Ansel crowd done any more than that?"
"We haven't seen any signs." Gavin said. "According to Marcella, you're protected by the halo of your recent achievements. It's not wise to attack you at your current peak."
"Are they planning on retaliating when the dust dies down?"
"Maybe. We're not sure. There isn't much point to it. Usually, the main way the Ansel mech designers puts down their competitors is to publish a competing design with the same mech concept!"
The mech designers who graduated from the Ansel University of Mech Design possessed so much confidence that they weren't afraid of direct competition!
If Professor Pendleton really wanted to hit back at Ves, then he would surely be designing his own version of a super-medium space knight at this very moment!
Nonetheless, Ves did not express any apprehension towards this possible threat! Instead, he grinned with excitement.
"The Aurora Titan can not be matched so easily. No one can replicate the special sauce I've added to my own mech designs. Even if the specs of the Aurora Titan's competitors are a little better, the piloting experience will still differ by a drastic margin!"
Competition was the prevailing rule of the game. Mech designers constantly competed against each other. Nothing forbid any mech designer to compete directly against the LMC's products.
Perhaps any other mech designer would be shaking in their boots at the thought of publishing a fantastic new mech design, only to be overshadowed by a superior mech of the same type a couple of months later!
Heck, the competing mech model didn't even need to take that long to enter the market. Corporate espionage allowed a competitor to get wind of what another mech designer was designing early. As long as the competitor worked harder and better, they could publish their design first!
Although these kinds of shenanigans took place a lot of times if the sensational stories in the mech publications were true, none of it was forbidden. As long as a competitor didn't get caught with engaging in corporate espionage, they could publish all the competing mech designs they wanted!
As Ves kept himself up to date on the market reception of the Aurora Titan, the Barracuda and the Greenfeather quickly arrived at Cloudy Curtain. Ves, Lucky, Ketis and Gavin departed from his personal corvette after landing at the Mech Nursery.
Ketis took Lucky and quickly ran off, leaving Ves and Gavin to their business.
Since he had just returned to the company, Ves wanted to check by his office to see if anything new had been placed on his desk. He entered the headquarters and rode the elevator to the top. Once there, he encountered a surprising old face.
"Carlos!"
His old friend and classmate finally returned to the LMC after the Mech Corps released him from his draft!
Ves and Carlos immediately hugged each other before separating and taking in each other's appearances.
"You look a lot more formidable than last time, Ves." Carlos said with a slightly hoarse but impressed voice. "Wow, so this is what becoming a Journeyman will do to you!"
"You look different as well, Carlos. You're much more fit and mature. I see the war has left a heavy mark on you as well."
Carlos wore simple work clothing while sporting a plain buzz cut. His skin had tanned by quite a bit and it appeared he also seemed to be a little jumpier than usual.
Most notably, one of his arms wasn't as tanned as the other!
"That arm.. Is it cloned?"
"Yep." Carlos shrugged. "It's nothing compared to what you've been through. I heard you got shot in the heart on Bentheim and that your entire chest needed to be replaced."
Ves chuckled a bit. "Yeah. I enjoyed some of the best medical treatment in the Republic, so hardly any mark is left behind. The doctors even made sure to match my cloned skin's pigment with my original skin!"
The disparity in the quality of their treatments reflected their importance to the Republic. While Ves enjoyed the attention and favor of Flashlight, the Tovar Family and Professor Ventag, Carlos had been left on his own!
As a low-ranking Novice Mech Designer, his status among all the drafted mech designers was firmly at the bottom! This made Carlos no different from cannon fodder in the eyes of the brass.
From the glimpses of haunting gazes that Ves sensed in the eyes of his friend, Carlos must have endured a lot of traumas during the war!
"The LMC will always welcome you back, Carlos." Ves gently said and invited him inside his office. "Let's go inside. You're welcome to share your story if you want."
"It's nothing special, really." Carlos wearily said. "I spent most of my time during the war assigned to supervise a maintenance division at a landbound mech regiment deployed to the frontlines. It was a very hectic three years."
Having gone through a lot of dangerous encounters himself, Ves recognized that Carlos didn't want to bring up painful memories.
Ves quickly changed his tack. "That's fine. Just know that Cloudy Curtain has always been very far away from the action. It's the perfect place for you to recuperate and integrate back into society."
His parents chose to settle on Cloudy Curtain for a very good reason that Ves only realized after he returned from the war itself.
The planet was very tranquil! While it was conveniently positioned close to the Bentheim System, it was also an unimportant, rural backwater where nothing exciting happened!
To people haunted by the war such as his parents, himself or Carlos, spending their placid days on this underdeveloped planet was a great way to heal from the mental scars left behind by the war!
As Ves tentatively managed to engage Carlos in casual conversation, he carefully asked an important question.
"How far have you progressed in your mech design career? Have you learned a lot."
"I have." Carlos nodded with a bit more energy. "My recent improvement in learning ability quickly caught the attention of more senior mech designers. They assigned a lot of reading material to me over the years! While I don't claim to equal your knowledge, I'm sure I can be of use to you now!"
"That's good to hear. Have you found your specialty yet? Deciding upon the basis of your design philosophy is an important step to take for a mech designer."
Carlos tentatively nodded. "I've almost settled on an idea, although I'm not entirely comfortable with it yet. I keep coming back to it despite my reluctance to embrace the idea."
"Are you willing to describe your potential design philosophy?"
"Alright, but please don't laugh. Simply said, my design philosophy revolves around big guns. There's just something about unleashing powerful physical impacts and explosions at range that fascinate me. If I ever design my own mechs, I want them to be armed with the biggest and most powerful rifles and cannons I can hook up to their frames!"
"That is.. certainly a very specific idea." Ves answered while doing his best not to look nonplussed. "If that is where your passion leads to, then you should pursue it without hesitation."
"That's the thing.. I don't know if it is something I want to focus on for the entirety of my mech design career. What if I regret the decision?"
"Only you can resolve the doubts in your heart, Carlos. Take all the time you need. I'll be waiting."
Chapter 1140
Throughout the evening upon his return to Cloudy Curtain, Ves managed to worm out a few more details on what Carlos had been through.
After a brief bout of training, the Mech Corps immediately assigned him to the 5th Root Raiders of the 5th Havensworth Division.
Ves immediately understood what Carlos might have gone through once he'd been assigned to the Root Raiders. The mech regiments of the Havensworth Divisions usually saw the most action as they were based at or around the Havensworth border system.
The Root Raiders served a very specific role in the 5th Havensworth Division. They excelled in operating in arboreal terrain. Forests, trees and abundant alien or Earth-standard fauna posed fewer difficulties to them than other mech regiments.
They fielded a large range of light mechs and slimmed-down medium mechs. Their mechs either wormed their way through trees or chopped them down with the axes that every Root Raider mech carried in their default loadout.
In fact, the Root Raiders were famous for not issuing a single sword to their melee mechs!
The reason the Root Raiders developed such a specific mech doctrine was because they were mostly employed to contest the rural, underdeveloped border planets at the frontlines.
Although the systems they fought at weren't necessarily important in a strategic sense, the Root Raiders still played a vital role in forcing the Vesians to divert additional forces to root the raiders out.
Naturally, the Root Raiders often had to play with fire when they deployed. Time and time again, they suffered major casualties when they overplayed their hands or came across more Vesian reinforcements than expected.
Knowing this, Ves did not feel the need to ask Carlos to share more of his story anymore.
"The fifth of the fifth are my brothers." Carlos said. "To be honest, sometimes I doubted whether I should return home after surviving so much with them. The Raiders extended an offer to me, you know."
"Why did you decide to return?"
"I promised to come back to you, right? Also, I don't think I can stomach more war. At that time amidst the explosions and hasty evacuations, I became aware of what mech designers are truly capable of. We design engines of destruction! Each mech is a killing machine! Destruction is central to what they bring to the table! And where destruction ensues, death eventually follows!"
Ves was taken aback by his friend's sudden outburst. "Whoa, there Carlos. Perhaps you should calm down a bit. The Republic is long at peace now. The Vesians won't return to rain down destruction on us. The Mech Nursery is one of the safest and most heavily-guarded sites on the planet."
"I.. I'm sorry Ves. I think my mood swings have gotten the better of me. The reason why it took so long for the Mech Corps to release me from service is because I had to go through a few months of therapy."
If Carlos was this bad right now, then he must have been quite a sight in the past!
"Are you taking any medicine?" Ves asked suspiciously.
"I'm on a prescription."
"Make sure you check up with our own doctors about your medication. The LMC should have a competent staff on hand, and if not you can always check with the doctors from Sanyal-Ablin."
"I'll do that."
"So now that you've left the Mech Corps, is your return to your expectations?"
"I don't know." Carlos admitted. "I feel as if I went through hell and back, but then I hear about you earning the Darkness Eater and the Golden Mech while possibly going through something ten times worse than I've ever experienced! Not only that, but you also managed to advance to Journeyman shortly after the war!"
"How does that make you feel?"
"It makes me feel as if I can never catch up to you. It makes me feel jealous of your sudden good fortune these past few years. It makes me feel that no matter how much sweat and tears I put into my work, it will never equal a minute's worth of effort on your part!"
This.. was very honest of Carlos. Ves could see why he would feel that way. His friend obviously suffered a lot, but he likely never received anything close to Darkness Eater as a recognition of the services he rendered during the war.
"I can't do anything about the way you feel about me." Ves replied after a brief but deliberate pause. "I've enjoyed some spates of good luck, I admit. However, I don't think it's healthy for you to compare yourself to me. What will that do except to strain our friendship even further? Mech design is not a race. There are Masters and Star Designers who are a million times more capable than me, but do you see me casting jealous glances at the success they enjoy?"
"They're all older than you, Ves. They have hundreds of years to develop a head-start. My situation is different. We were classmates! We attended the Rittersberg University of Technology in the same class in the same year group! We graduated at the same time with pretty much the same level of grades! How can you move so far ahead since then? You're a Journeyman now, for heaven's sake!"
"Not officially. Technically, I'm merely a de facto Journeyman."
"Don't be pedantic with me. I'm not the Carlos you knew back then. There's something very odd about you. Between the time you graduated and since you designed your first variant, something weird must have happened that gave you a leg up in your mech design career. What is it, Ves?!"
Carlos was not the first person to cast doubt on Ves' unusual background and his abnormally rapid career progression.
Normally, Ves would have denied every accusation for fear of exposing the System. While this concern never went away, he had grown a lot more confident about himself lately.
Even if others found something suspicious about Ves, so what? With all of the pervasive influences at work in every layer of society, it could be anyone who secretly backed his ascent.
Ves figured that the best way to deflect these questions was to simply leave them open and let the person make up their own guesses.
However, on account of his friendship with Carlos, Ves believed he needed to supply some sort of answer this time.
"Carlos.. if you've seen a glimpse of the full extent of the galaxy as I have, then you'll realize that the Bright Republic and the Vesia Kingdom are only tiny fishes in an unimaginably huge pond. I think in the coming years you'll begin to realize that only the greater powers truly matter."
"What kind of answer is that?"
"It's the truth. Whether you believe me or not is up to you. All I want to add is that if you are not comfortable working under me anymore, you are free to go. As long as you abide by the NDA's you've signed, I'll support you whether you want to return to return to the Root Raiders or work for another company?"
"Will you support me if I want to found my own mech company?"
"I'm even willing to do that if that's what you want. However, my help will come in the form of a business investment rather than a personal handout. I will expect to have a say in how your company is run and be entitled to a commensurate share of dividends."
"What if I don't want your help?"
"Even if you manage to secure alternate funding sources, I will still insist on owing a small share in the profits your company has earned." Ves bluntly replied. He firmly shook off the velvet gloves this time. "With all the assistance I've provided over the years, you owe me at least that much. I invested in you because I'm hopeful that you'll be a fine addition to my design team. If you want to walk away, then I will at least demand a small proportion of the profits or income you make in any future endeavors. This is the custom among mech designers in the mech industry."
The harsh dose of reality poured cold water on Carlos' increasingly wild ambitions. Even though he had become much more competent as a mech designer lately, what would he be without Ves?
As much as Carlos yearned for more, he needed to consider whether he had the ability to make it on his own in the first place!
Unless his buddies at the Root Raiders provided the seed money for him to found his own mech company, Carlos could only turn to his old friend and employer for funding. Yet where would that leave him? Having Ves as a major shareholder of his new company was no different than working for Ves directly at the LMC!
Either way, there was no escaping the fact that Carlos needed to continue to work for Ves if he wanted to get his mech design career off the ground!
As Carlos went through various calculations and considerations, Ves calmly observed his friend while maintaining a calm facade.
Ves did not want to coerce his newly-returned friend. He hoped that Carlos would set aside his overblown ambitions and fall in line.
The two might have been classmates once, but as a Journeyman Ves had gone much further ahead in his career!
The disparity between the two had widened so much that Ves would only be doing Carlos a disservice by coddling him. They were both adults. While their friendship and their shared past counted for a lot, as a successful mech designer Ves could not set aside basic realities when deciding how to handle this thorny situation.
Stuck between a gentle approach and a firm approach, Ves decided to assert himself and put his foot down!
Sentiment may have counted for something, but Ves would not allow it to stand in the way of business to this extent!
After a minute of internal struggle, Carlos lowered his shoulders. "I don't know what I want to do with my life, Ves. I think I need some time to myself to figure it out on my own. Can you give me some time?"
"Sure." Ves nonchalantly waved his hand. "I suggest you go on vacation. Go on a trip to Moira's Paradise or something and clear your mind. Once you figure out what you want in your life and the best way to accomplish that, you can come back to me to deliver your answer."
"Thanks.. I know I've crossed a line, but.. I'm really tired."
"I understand. Some people come back from the war with more scars than others."
As someone who grew up in the military family, Ves was very cognizant about the psychological wounds that war could leave behind in someone's psyche. Not all wounds could be healed by replacing damaged portions with cloned tissue. When it came to wounds to the mind, aside from taking dubiously effective medicine, only time and therapy worked.
"Do you have any family, Carlos?"
"You've met my parents before, Ves."
"Then I suggest you visit them for a time. If there's anything the Larkinsons have learned about healing from the war, it's that spending your time around family is the best solution!"
"That's a good suggestion. I'll do that."
After packing Carlos off, Ves watched the high doors of his office close, leaving him alone in his imposing office.
At the beginning, he felt as if he reunited with a friend.
At the end, he felt as if he ended an inconclusive negotiation with a recalcitrant employee.
The two demanded different approaches to the problems that Carlos presented to him. Ves made the decision to prioritize business over friendship in this instance.
"Although I will always consider Carlos as my friend, I won't allow him to take advantage of me." Ves muttered to himself. "If he thinks he can resign from my company in order to pursue other prospects, then he better pay back what he owes."
Chapter 1141
Ves paid a visit to the base of the Avatars of Myth. Few mech pilots were lounging about. Instead, they disappeared into their mechs or simulator pods and poured their hearts and souls into training!
How could they continue to take it easy when Jannzi Larkinson, a young mech pilot fresh out of the mech academy, underwent a highly improbable breakthrough to expert candidate!
One of their own ascended from the ranks of mortals and took her first step onto godhood! Jannzi had only been an Avatar for a scant few months, but already she shed her role of emulating a mythical being into becoming one herself!
How could this incredibly fortunate example not inspire the remainder of the Avatars into a frenzy?!
Aside from that, everyone heard about Jannzi's close connection to the Shield of Samar. Melkor told Ves all the details when all the Larkinsons on Cloudy Curtain met in the Avatar Commander's office.
"The men and women of the Avatars of Myth have developed the belief that your mechs can help them turn into expert candidates. Even though there is only a sample size of one so far, Jannzi's circumstances during her breakthrough are very remarkable. Aside from being a Larkinson and paired with a mech that is practically tailored for her use, the rest of her background made a quick advancement extremely unlikely."
Mech pilots fresh out of the academy just don't advance to expert candidate after a single show match." Rhode Larkinson added with a hint of incredulity. "You need to accumulate at least some battle experience to get a realistic chance of becoming an expert candidate."
All the other Larkinson expert pilots that popped up over the years all broke through under arduous combat. Each of them faced tough opponents and put their lives on the line, forcing them to sum up every scrap of ability before they ultimately broke through an invisible barrier in order to achieve even greater performance!
Having heard from both Melkor and Rhode, Ves turned to Chette. "What about you? What do you think?"
Chette was the oldest Larkinson mech pilot among the three little chicks. Well, Ves supposed he should call them two little chicks now. One of their own had suddenly evolved from a plain juvenile chicken into a majestic young phoenix!
"A lot of us Larkinsons dream of becoming expert pilots. You know that, Ves. Yet even though the family boasts hundreds of active mech pilots, less than ten have managed to take the next step. The odds that we can follow in Jannzi's footsteps aren't all that big. If it happens to me one day, I'd be ecstatic, but if not I'll just live my life as a normal Larkinson."
"That's a very sober outlook to take." Ves nodded to Chette in appreciation. "While there's nothing wrong with harboring some ambitions, don't put too much stock in my abilities. I'm not a sorcerer who can simply wave my hand and turn you all into expert candidates. Jannzi's example is a very clear outlier that likely won't be repeated."
He was being a little disingenuous here. Ves knew more than anyone how expert candidates emerged! Not only that, but he also possessed the tools to replicate the feat!
However, for a second expert candidate to emerge from the ranks of the Avatars of Myth was too conspicuous. Once may be coincidence, but to have something incredible like that happen again in a short time would definitely attract a lot of attention from some very high places!
Nonetheless, was it really so bad if people began to associate his mechs with an increased chance of advancing to a higher form of life?
Even if Ves did nothing to encourage this phenomenon, the remarkable X-Factor of his mechs would do the job for him. As long as the mech pilots became aligned with the X-Factor of their machines and earned the favor of their design spirits, their chances of breaking through would definitely increase!
This effect should be most pronounced when the mechs they piloted came from designs with A-grade X-Factor or higher!
For now, Ves did not think he could reproduce an A-grade X-Factor without resorting to extraordinary means. Without the aid of something as powerful and benevolent as Qilanxo's spiritual fragment, his customers shouldn't transform into expert candidates anytime soon.
Still, considering he was facing family, Ves decided to throw them a bone to chew on for a while.
"I don't want to dash your hopes. Maybe you'll achieve something similar one day." Ves said to his cousins. "I will share some of the same advice to you that I gave Jannzi just before she deployed on that fateful day. What do my company and my mechs stand for? What is most remarkable about each of my products?"
"Living Mechs. Partners for Life."
"You're just parroting the company motto, Melkor."
"I know the meaning, Ves. I haven't attended all of those company events for nothing." Melkor frowned. "Your mechs are supposed to be valued partners to mech pilots. Treat them right, and they will treat you better. That's the idea behind your mechs, right?"
"Correct. However, few people truly embody that ideal. You all have a tendency to regard your mechs as cold machines or lifeless tools, right? What if I tell you that Jannzi firmly rejected that stance. What if I tell you that Jannzi put her faith in my ideology and earnestly tried to bond with her mech?"
That put the three Larkinson mech pilots in Melkor's office into deep thought. Staying at the Mech Nursery for a few months taught them all about the LMC's beliefs. Yet that did not necessarily mean they took them literally.
Perhaps only now that Ves directly connected Jannzi's lucky break with the company's ideals did Melkor, Chette and Rhode begin to take them seriously.
Maybe Ves was really on to something here!
"I'll let you guys figure out the rest yourself." Ves shrugged. He only wanted to give them a push in the right direction but not much more. "I can only promise you that as long as you stay in the Avatars of Myth, you will be in the best possible place to follow in Jannzi's footsteps. Melkor, what is the founding principle of the Avatars of Myth?"
"The Avatars of Myth are meant to showcase your mechs." Melkor replied. "Our name comes from your aspiration to have our mech pilots exhibit the full potential of your mechs. Each time we pilot our mechs, we become avatars for the incredible machines that are inspired by beings of myth!"
Ves smiled. "Exactly! The avatar component in the name of my personal mech troop refers to mech pilots such as you and Jannzi. The definition of an avatar is a manifestation of a mythical godlike being. While that generally means that you are only able to emulate a god, perhaps you'll be able to learn from the experience. The key is the Myth component of the name."
A light shone in Melkor's eyes, not that everyone saw it due to his annoying habit of covering his upper face with an opaque visor.
"I see now. You are saying that the key to being an Avatar is to understand the myths we are meant to embody. That's what you intended from the start when you decided upon the name, right?"
"Correct." Ves nodded. "As you all know, I hold some very unusual and eccentric beliefs with regard to the relationship between mechs and their mech pilots. You can review all of the LMC's reading materials if you want to refresh your understanding on them. Suffice to say, I don't just design a mech as a functional product. Instead, I get inspired by great beings and figures of myth. If no convenient examples are within my reach, I just let my imagination get the best of me. You can say that my mech designs each have the shadow of a mythical being behind them. What Jannzi understood that you do not is that there may be some benefits to opening yourself up to this shadow."
After passing on his words of advice, Ves left his relatives to stew on them. Even though he didn't think they would be able to advance from his lessons, he at least expected them to perform significantly better. His mechs had always been designed to perform at their best when their mech pilots believed in them. As the most prominent members of the Avatars of Myth, his Larkinson cousins should lead by example!
"The Avatars of Myth do not yet live up to their name." Ves shook his head in regret. "It will take a lot of time for Melkor to build up their ranks and for me to supply them all with my own mech models."
Perhaps a few years earlier, Ves would be content with fielding only one or two mech companies. Now that he advanced to Journeyman, he knew it was not enough to keep up with his growing ambitions.
"All of that takes time."
Speaking of time, Ves already had his hands full with tasks to occupy his time. Before he embarked on designing his fifth original mech design, he needed to fulfill the promises made by his company.
After Gavin arranged the LMC to renegotiate the sales contracts, he managed to postpone the promised delivery of fifteen gold label Aurora Titans in exchange for Ves adding a little something extra to the machines!
"We had to work hard to get some of the more stubborn ones to loosen their stance." Gavin said as Ves returned to his office.
"I hope you haven't promised too much."
"It's fine, boss. As long as you make their mechs look unique from every other gold label Aurora Titan, they'll be content. I know enough about your design style that making cosmetic changes to your mechs is as easy as pie for you. You can do it, right?"
"No problem. Art is in my blood. It's really no problem for me to dress up my Aurora Titans in a different coat."
Perhaps other mech designers would have some objection to trying to develop fifteen unique looks for a single mech model, but Ves possessed a very creative mind.
While he preferred to think that he inherited his active imagination from his mother, the truth was that all the Creativity Attribute Candies he ingested supercharged his imagination. Ever since he bumped his Creativity to practically inhuman levels, he never worried about running out of ideas!
After he finished checking with Gavin about the LMC's daily business, Ves decided to pull up his sleeves and go to work.
Over the next thirteen days, Ves, Ketis and a dedicated crew of mech technicians labored hard to pump out five excellent gold label mechs.
Although Ves rushed the fabrication process, he still worked meticulously enough to ensure the mechs equaled the condition of the show models when they first rolled off the production lines.
With the production of five new gold label Aurora Titans, ten of them existed in total now!
Ves gifted the Shield of Samar to Jannzi while putting the other four show models at Professor Ventag's disposal. The delivery of these five new mechs should ensure that a small but decent sample of gold label Aurora Titans showed up in the wild!
Some of the lucky clients who obtained the first batch of gold label Aurora Titans bought them to show them off to the public. One notable client that Ves prioritized highly happened to be the Bentheim branch of Bosworth's, one of the most renowned mech show room operators in the star sector!
Bosworth's was like a museum for notable mechs! For them to decide to place a gold label Aurora Titan on display was a massive honor to Ves!
"With all of the foot traffic that Bosworth's attracts each year, millions of people will be able to experience one of my best works up close!"
Projections of his mechs simply didn't cut it. People had to witness his mechs in person to experience their full splendor!
"Infatuation is great for sales!"
After all, if customers became infatuated, they wouldn't hesitate so much when deciding to purchase a product. To Ves, they were pretty much suckers fooled into impulse buying one of his products!
Chapter 1142
Now that Ves took care of his immediate business, he turned his attention to a project that had been on his mind for a while.
"It's time to design my fifth original mech."
This would be a milestone for Ves. As long as he completed this project to the MTA and the market's satisfaction, he met all of the conditions to be recognized as a Journeyman!
With his thirtieth birthday within reach, Ves needed to design his next mech at a brisk pace in order to earn the much-coveted achievement of advancing to Journeyman while young!
"Mech designers who are older than thirty aren't young anymore in the eyes of the MTA." He muttered to himself.
Although Ves and everyone else already regarded him as a de facto Journeyman, the MTA did not compromise at all when it came to enforcing their rules on others. If they say a Journeyman needed to design at least five original mechs, then they better have at least that much designs under their belt before they applied for recognition!
"If the MTA isn't so insistent on this point, I wouldn't be so much in a hurry to finish this project!"
The most important implication of his lack of time was that the quality of his next design would not be as good as his previous design.
Aside from the lack of time, Ves had also been deprived of a crucial advantage that helped elevate the quality of the Aurora Titan design by a substantial degree!
"I won't have the benefit of Professor Ventag by my side this time!"
They collaborated on only a single joint design project. Now that they published the Aurora Titan design and put the model on the market, their cooperation came to an end.
Ves deeply benefited from collaborating with a Senior Mech Designer! Not only did Professor Ventag act as a sounding board for his ideas, the Senior also contributed substantially to the Aurora Titan's internal design!
"If that isn't enough, gaining access to his company's expansive library of component licenses is a massive convenience!"
Now that Ves returned to designing a mech on his own, he no longer enjoyed any of these advantages.
"The only two mech designers I have on hand is Ketis and Carlos. They won't be much help to me at this point."
While Ketis made a lot of strides over the past few months, she still had ways to go before she met the standard of becoming a contributing designer in any of the LMC's major design projects.
As for Carlos... Ves slowly felt the onset of a headache as he thought about how extensively the war had changed his friend.
Right now, Carlos took his advice and went back to the Rittersberg region to stay with his parents for a time. Ves hoped that returning to his familiar childhood home would put some perspective in the man.
Privately, Ves already made some preparations to write Carlos off. If his friend couldn't let go of his envy towards Ves, then it was best that they went their separate ways.
"Time changes everything, and not always for the better."
He put his two subordinate mech designers out of his mind for now. Right now, he was back on his own when it came to designing another mech.
"My fourth original design was a grand project and a marvel of innovation."
Ves wanted to make his fifth original mech design an innovative work as well, but he had much fewer means to work with this time. Without Professor Ventag and more important a powerful spiritual fragment from Qilanxo, it was inevitable that his fifth original design would disappoint him in many ways.
"It's as if I enjoyed a taste of heaven before descending back to reality!"
He only managed to reach that height with assistance. On his own, he could never jump high enough to enter the gates of heaven!
The only way to design a mech as good as the Aurora Titan was to keep improving himself until he became capable enough to make up for the shortfall!
Therefore, Ves did not wish to place too much expectations for his upcoming design project. "My next mech has to be good enough to uphold my reputation, but that is all. It doesn't have to sell thousands of copies a year like the Blackbeak and the Crystal Lord. It also doesn't have to be as innovative and groundbreaking as the Aurora Titan either. Perhaps my fifth design will share the most in common with my third original design.
The short-lived and underutilized Enduring Protector design was very different from his other original designs. Developed specifically for the Flagrant Vandals, only a handful of copies had been made before the circumstances at Aeon Corona VII quickly made them irrelevant.
Ves always regretted that his Enduring Protector never received the opportunity to fulfill its purpose. It never got the opportunity to fight back against the Vesians in the hazardous red zone around the Starlight Megalodon where the breakdown effect was the strongest.
"It would be great to design a mech that doesn't have to appeal to the market."
One of the most enjoyable aspects about designing the Enduring Protector was that Ves only needed to please the Flagrant Vandals. It was a lot easier to design a mech for a single client than to attempt to make it as appealable as possible to a wide variety of potential buyers.
With all the renown that Ves and the LMC had earned, perhaps completing a private commission wasn't out of reach anymore!
Ves summoned Gavin to his office.
"You called, boss?"
"Yes. Let's say I'm in the mood to accept a private commission to design a mech for a specific client. Has the LMC received any inquiries of that nature?"
"We have. Not a lot, and they're mostly fishing attempts. The majority of the people who sent these requests to us have approached hundreds of different mech companies. To them, it doesn't matter how many mech designers they annoy. If at least one of them accepts their request, then they're already happy!"
"I see no value in working for undiscerning clients like these. If I am about to design a mech that is tailored to a specific client, then they better be sure about what I can bring to the table!"
A client who didn't care about which mech designer fulfilled their request would never fully appreciate his work. Ves wanted his work to have meaning, and to do that he needed to make sure they fulfilled their purpose.
The case where he poured his heart and soul into designing the Enduring Protector, only for it to become irrelevant should never happen again! Not if Ves had anything to say about the matter!
This time, Ves had the luxury of choosing his own clients and commissions. Out of all the requests he received, some of them should meet his standards, right?
"Tell me about the most promising or the most meaningful commissions. They don't have to offer the most money or result in the most mechs."
"Well, we've received three possible commissions that are both interesting and promising." Gavin said. "Given what I understand about your personality and your standards, only these three options are worth your time."
"Okay, then. Let's hear it. Tell me about the commissions."
"The first commission is to design a mech for a mech athlete. Not just any mech athlete, but one with prior ties to our company. Do you remember back in the day you designed virtual mechs? The team captain of the Mosville Fireflies fell in love with your DarkSpear virtual design."
It took a second for Ves to refresh his memory. "I remember. Jarle Brenthill. We sponsored him to showcase my old DarkSpear assassin mech in Iron Spirit. That was a long time ago."
"It seems like Jarle Brenthill fell in love with your design style. He wants to commission a dueling mech designed by you. He specializes in piloting landbound light skirmishers, but he's okay if you incorporate some elements of the DarkSpear design into the commissioned mech."
"So he basically wants a single custom mech?"
"Yep. Mr. Brenthill doesn't plan on adding another light skirmisher to the roster of the Mosville Fireflies."
That basically meant that Ves would be designing a mech for a single person. In other words, a custom job in the most traditional sense.
Even so, as long as Jarle Brenthill made use of the mech in a serious capacity, it qualified as a serious mech design that enabled Ves to meet the MTA's quota.
Gavin was right. Ves became intrigued by this commission. Even though its scale was on the small side, Ves felt that it might be helpful in his development if he branched out to designing a dueling mech for a professional mech athlete.
"The Mosville Fireflies are big on Bentheim. If you are credited with the design of the mech used by the team captain to crush his opponents in the mech arena, then your reputation will definitely soar!" His assistant enthusiastically gushed. "While designing commercial mechs is all well and good, it's mostly geared towards the more serious mech insiders. Your reputation hasn't penetrated into the massive audience of the mech games as of yet! Fulfilling this commission can help you break new ground!"
"It can also backfire on me." Ves noted with much less enthusiasm. "Designing mechs for the market is difficult because I have to appeal to many mech pilots. However, the advantage is that a single bad mech pilot in the wrong place and the wrong time won't be able to do much damage to my reputation. For every bad mech pilot, there is at least one good mech pilot who is able to showcase the potential of my products."
"I don't think you have to worry about incompetence, boss. We're talking about the Mosville Fireflies here! Jarle Brenthill was already good enough to become the team captain when he worked with us on promoting the DarkSpear virtual model, but he's even better now that he's had more seasons under his belt!"
Perhaps a bit paradoxically, the mech games still took place during the war. Even though much of the Bright Republic became consumed by the war, the citizens still needed their regular dose of entertainment. The mech games was by far the most popular sport in the state!
If the Bright Senate ever tried to abolish the mech games during wartime, at least half of the Brighters would rise up in rebellion! If the Vesians came and promised to restore the mech games, then the most ardent fans of the sport would definitely defect!
This extreme example showcased the importance of the mech games in the lives of many average citizens. The Bright Republic was no exception to this either. Practically every state hosted their own professional mech dueling circuits to please the masses!
As one of the mainstays in the Bentheim duelling circuit, Ves knew very well that the Mosville Fireflies possessed a lot of reach. While their hometown of Mosville on Bentheim was their strongest bulwark, they attracted fans from every corner of the Bright Republic, including Cloudy Curtain!
For Ves to design a custom mech for the team captain was to undertake a very major responsibility. If Ves screwed it up or if Jarle simply didn't pilot his new machine well enough, then both of them would suffer the consequences!
While Ves normally loved to gamble every now and then, the stakes were so high now that he visibly hesitated whether he should take this opportunity.
"Tell me about the other two commissions." Ves requested.
If the first commission was to design a mech for Mr. Brenthill, then the other commissions should be interesting as well!
Gavin outlined the second commission. "We've received an offer from a basic mech academy in the Green Nebula region. The Astreya Mech Academy has noticed a trend where many of their mech cadets are piloting your Young Blood and Old Soul virtual mechs in their free time. The teachers have even had some success in incorporating those virtual mechs in their simulator lessons!"
"I'm very glad to hear my virtual mechs remain relevant."
He designed the two virtual mechs as training mechs for young mech cadets. It gratified him to hear that many mech cadets still polished their skills with his two old designs.
"The teachers aren't content with working with virtual mechs. They believe they can achieve better results if they incorporate your physical mechs into their classes! They want you to adapt the Young Blood and Old Soul designs to make them practical and workable to be put into use in reality!"
Chapter 1143
Fulfilling the Astreya Mech Academy's commission sounded very interesting to Ves. He would have to design training mechs that played the same role as his virtual training mech designs.
The Young Blood design consisted of a knight mech with a few gimmicks that put some oomph into its performance. The Old Soul was a much more eccentric mech that made use of ECM and a very powerful but low-capacity rifle to assassinate unsuspecting targets with a single shot!
While both of them possessed a number of weird quirks that made them unsuitable to be piloted by every mech cadet, they nonetheless helped their users develop some very specific skills.
Ves saw the advantages in designing physical training mechs for mech cadets. What better way to capture the hearts of his customer base by getting to them when they were young?
As a marketing specialist, Gavin was more than aware of the implications.
"While designing a mech for Jarle Brenthill is a good way to reach a wide audience, this option is pretty good as well! Mech pilots are most impressionable when they are young! Why do you think so many companies market their products to their kids despite mainly selling their products to adults? That is because they know that if they can turn those kids into early converts, their loyalty will already be assured by the time they grow up and have the means to buy their products!"
Marketing to children was one of the most effective ways for companies to grow their market share and insure their dominance in their sectors.
This strategy was most pronounced at a very famous trans-galactic casual restaurant chain. Even though the quality of their food was dubious at best and as awful as nutrient packs at worst, scores of people still frequented their chains in the trillions!
While it helped that their franchises was present in every corner of civilized space, another reason for their dominant market share in the business was their deliberate strategy to hook in children.
By offering a kid-friendly environment and using many other means to hook them in and earn their love, their devotion to the restaurant chain would be seared into their psyche even after they shed their innocence and grew up to be parents themselves!
While these adults really should have known better and frequent a better restaurant chain, the fond childhood memories they cherished kept pulling them back to the same damned franchise, this time with their own kids in tow!
This way, this deviant restaurant chains could already begin to indoctrinate their next generation of customers!
This pattern of wooing children into becoming their future customers was so strong because it continued to build up its momentum with each passing cycle! In fact, it was so strong when done right that it propelled that ancient restaurant chain from its modest beginnings on Old Earth before the Age of Space into one of the most far-reaching trans-galactic enterprises in the Age of Mechs!
While all of this sounded rather devious, it was a legitimate business strategy that worked in countless different sectors!
"Just think about it, boss! The brand loyalty that emerges from childhood infatuation is one of the strongest forces in the multiverse!" Gavin slavishly gushed at the thought of indoctrinating thousands of mech cadets into becoming the LMC's devoted fans!
Even Ves became awfully tempted by the opportunities presented by this commission. While training mechs are designed to be cheaper, simpler and less sophisticated than commercial mechs, the competition in this market was extremely intense!
The example of that millenia-old restaurant chain proved that even if you offered a crappy product, as long as you captured the hearts of the young, you could still achieve enormous success!
Therefore, countless mech companies competed to supply mech academies with training mechs at such low prices that they practically gave up any hope of making a profit.
This was because these savvy mech companies knew that they would be able to earn much more money down the line once the mech cadets grew up and influenced the purchasing decisions of their outfits!
While Ves understood this logic and wanted to take part in it as well, one major caveat stood out.
"If the Astreya Mech Academy wants me to adapt the Young Blood and Old Soul designs, then I can't accept this commission. Neither of those virtual designs are original works of mine. They're both variants based off existing mech designs!"
Back then, designing an original mech was an unimaginably daunting challenge to Ves. Designing variants was a necessary stopgap to earn money, expand his reputation and get some much-needed practice.
"Astreya isn't demanding something as modest as that." Gavin retorted. "They have several lists of demands for the two training mech models that diverge from the Old Soul and the Young Blood."
"So the commission is to design a knight mech and a rifleman mech that merely resembles my virtual training mechs?"
"That's the gist of it, boss. It shouldn't be a problem to design original mechs that are 'inspired' by your old variants, right?"
"It sounds like they expect two different mech designs from me." Ves grimaced. "Even if I'll be working with outdated component licenses, it's still a tall order for me to design two training mechs in just a handful of months. It is critically important for me to deliver a flawless product. If any flaw in the design remains, it might end up resulting in the death of a mech cadet, which will present my company with a public relations nightmare!"
Marketing to children had a lot of merits, but the risks were high as well. If the company behaved in an ethically unscrupulous fashion, it would quickly provoke a backlash among parents. If it acted negligently in their handling with children, then the lawsuits that ensued would drag its reputation into the abyss!
After Ves returned to the LMC, he put a lot of effort into restoring its reputation for quality. With all of the renown he earned lately, the LMC once again became a standard for selling classy premium mechs.
If Ves wanted to maintain his company's hard-fought reputation, then he needed to put his full effort into designing the two training mechs for the Astreya Mech Academy.
"I spent seven months to design a modern, feature-bloated mech design like the Aurora Titan." Ves said. "Designing the two training mechs based on outdated standards should take much less time, but even then, due diligence requires me to put at least months in each design! That's too much time!"
Eventually, Ves decided to reject this commission despite the benefits it brought to him and his company. He simply didn't think it was responsible for him to rush the design of vital teaching tools.
"Please send a message to Astreya telling them that I appreciate their interest in my work, but that I am too predisposed to fulfill their commission. Does that sound polite enough?" Ves asked.
"It will do, boss. It's kind of a bummer to them but they many other mech designers are eager to fulfill their commission. They won't be short on new training mechs."
Ves grunted in acknowledgement. He knew that even if Astreya commissioned another mech designer to develop copycats of his Young Blood and Old Soul designs, the mechs they received would never be able to replicate the charm of Ves' work!
He hoped that Astreya's mech instructors prepared themselves to be disappointment, because their mech cadets would definitely perform differently!
"Okay, let's move on to the third commission. Give me the details."
Gavin presented his boss with the last commission worthy of consideration.
"The LMC is becoming more known outside the Bright Republic. While our market penetration in foreign states is miniscule, we are involved in many different markets so the amounts all add up. What if we gain an opportunity to increase the brand recognition of the LMC in a foreign state? Perhaps we can even elevate it to the level of one of their domestic mech companies!"
Ves raised his eyebrow. "A foreigner wants me to design a mech for them? Why me? Why not approach a mech designer from their own state?"
"The client is a powerful family from the Ylvaine Protectorate. You know how those religious nuts are fairly closed off to the Bright Republic despite being neighbors, right?"
"They are known to be rather insular and intolerant to foreigners."
"Well, somehow, your mechs have started to build a small but loyal following in the Protectorate. In fact, of all the orders that the LMC and NORA Consolidated has received for our new Aurora Titan mechs, the Ylvainans number the most out of all of our foreign customers!"
That sounded fairly remarkable to Ves. "I thought the Ylvaine Protectorate has always been a marginal market to the LMC. Is the Aurora Titan popular with them because we are riding on NORA Consolidated's coattails?"
"NORA Consolidated has a wider presence in the Protectorate, but they're still small fry all considered. Instead, a recent development has occurred. Some bigshot came into power and suddenly ordered numerous batches of Blackbeaks and Crystal Lords for whatever reason. That single-handedly aroused the interest of the Ylvainans into our products!"
That sounded very odd. Perhaps that bigshot had encountered one of his gold label mechs and became a fan of his designs. No matter what, a customer was a customer, and Ves was always happy to sell his mechs to more people, regardless of whether they were Brighters or Ylvainans.
Hell, Ves was even willing to sell his mechs to the Vesians if he wasn't afraid of seeing his own products used against him and his state!
"So what is the commission, exactly?"
"The client wants you to design a mech that is suitable for ceremonial guard functions. They are supposed to be part of that Ylvainan leader's mech bodyguard detail."
Ves frowned at that request. "Are the mechs supposed to be for show or primed for battle?"
"Both. That's why she commissioned you specifically. Something about how your art will be able to compliment her stature or something. She wants six copies of whatever you come up with that meets her demands. That said, the client doesn't want you to design something that looks pretty but collapses at the first blow. The mechs you design will have to be at least as formidable as the Blackbeaks and the Crystal Lords."
"What mech type does the client want?"
"A landbound mech that is unique, looks good in projections and is versatile enough to deal with both distant threats and dangers up close."
Ves immediately had a bad feeling about the mech type in question.
"Does the client expect me to design a hybrid knight?"
"No." Gavin shook his head. "She wants you to design a hero mech."
"Are you kidding? A hero mech? A mech armed with a sword in one hand and a rifle in the other hand? How can they possible act as bodyguard mechs?"
"They won't make up the only mechs of the client's security detail, boss. She's already accompanied by knight mechs and other mech types. She merely thinks that she'll look better in her public appearances if the mechs in the backdrop consists of hero mechs. That they are versatile enough to respond to many different threats to her life is merely a bonus."
The request to design a hero mech was not simple at all. While Ves believed that fulfilling the request of a very powerful and very influential foreign customer would do his company a lot of good in the Ylvainan mech market, the difficulty was immense!
A hero mech defied the trend of specialization common among mech designs in this region of space! Their versatile loadout and their ability to adapt to many different situations all sounded great, but it presented countless problems to mech designers!
Ves would have to put in as much work as he did into the Aurora Titan design to even come up with a decent hero mech design!
He might as well ignore the commission and design it for the market instead if that was the case!
"Rejected. Hero mechs require way too much time and effort to design. I'm not looking to work on something so complex at this time."
Gavin's eyes glinted. "What if I told you that the reward will be worth it? The client is such a fan of your products that she promised to open up the LMC to their mech market without restrictions! That means we'll be treated the same as a domestic company by the Ylvainans!"
Ves widened his eyes. That was indeed a very magnanimous offer! The Ylvaine Protectorate's mech market was a lot more closed than the Bright Republic's mech market. Quota, tariffs and other trade barriers made it so that the LMC would never be able to reach more than a fraction of their potential customer base.
Yet this reward might change everything! It could turn the Ylvaine Protectorate into the LMC's second home market!
Chapter 1144
Gavin presented three interesting commissions to Ves.
The first one was to design a dueling mech for the team captain of the Mosville Fireflies.
The second one was to design original and more practical versions of his Young Blood and Old Soul virtual training mechs for the Astreya Mech Academy.
The third one was to design a hero mech geared towards ceremonial guard duty for a powerful and wealthy foreign leader.
Each of them had their pros and cons.
While more commissions doubtlessly existed, Ves trusted Gavin to act as his gatekeeper and filter out the more frivolous and insincere requests.
The personal power of a gatekeeper was not that impressive. While Gavin was effectively a nobody, his access to Ves and his responsibilities as a personal secretary to serve up the information that his boss required to make very impactful decisions turned him into the second-most important individual in the LMC!
This was a lot of power to put into the hands of a single person. Gavin was effectively able to shape Ves' decision-making by manipulating the options he brought to the table. The power of an executive assistant sometimes even surpassed that of the Chief Operating Officer or the rest of the top management team!
Yet even if Ves knew all of this, he could hardly do all of the secretarial work himself. He'd be stuck behind a desk all day while he juggled various schedules and requested various pieces of information from the various departments of the company.
For better or worse, Ves couldn't properly exercise leadership over his company without an executive assistant by his side.
If that was the case, he preferred having someone who stood by him at the beginning of his career. An added benefit was that Gavin originally studied marketing, so he possessed a very keen commercial mind that Ves could use as a sounding board.
Right now, Gavin showed his value yet again. "It's a shame you don't want to consider the commission from Astreya. Getting your hooks into the mech cadets while they are still in their formative years is one of the surefire ways to pave the way for the LMC's future dominance in the domestic market. If all the mech pilots that graduate in the next ten to twenty years have drunk much of the LMC's milk from birth, they'll become loyal customers for the rest of their lives!"
Obviously, the prospect of indoctrinating impressionable mech cadets into loving the mechs of the LMC was a marketer's wet dream.
It didn't help that each successive mech that Ves designed became more and more pronounced into converting mech pilots into adoring the LMC's products!
"The time constraints are really thorny." Ves repeated with a frown. "Working on two designs is a serious commitment. I only have the time to design a single mech. Although this opportunity sounds like a great way to secure greater market share in the domestic market, I don't think it fits with the current direction of the LMC."
This time it was Gavin's turn to frown. "You want to orient the company towards foreign markets?"
"That has always been the strategy the LMC pursued. As you know, I have a penchant for designing odd mechs that fill a narrow niche. The Blackbeak and the Aurora Titan stands out in this regard. While designing mass-market mechs is definitely on my agenda, I don't think it's a good idea for the LMC to put too much emphasis on the Bright Republic's mech market."
"You have some great advantages in the Bright Republic, though. Your fame and your exploits has turned you into one of the most promising debuting Journeyman Mech Designers! If you take advantage of your public profile and work together with Jarle Brenthill or the Astreya Mech Academy, you can convert your momentary fame into enduring brand equity!"
The kind of attention that Ves and the LMC attracted recently all consisted of short-lived news. While they were very noteworthy, the public didn't instantly recognize the LMC as a mainstay mech company in the Republic.
Although the scale the LMC had reached in recent years definitely propelled them into the ranks of major mech manufacturers, Ves had seen that there was much more to go. The old KNG and NORA Consolidated both dwarved the LMC's relatively modest output. The larger and older mech companies also offered at least twenty to fifty times more mech models!
Therefore, if the LMC wanted to become as revered as the old KNG in the Bright Republic's mech market, it needed to become a lot more involved in domestic affairs!
Partnering up with a celebrity or a mech academy were some of the surefire ways to improve the LMC's brand equity!
Yet having seen the wider galaxy, Ves no longer believed there was anything special about the Bright Republic's mech market. Why limit himself to a single market when he could cast his gaze further?
"With our current product strategy, I think it is best to develop the LMC as a true sector-wide mech company." Ves stated. "Although most of my mech designs are unlikely to capture significant market share in any single mech market, as long as my company maintains a presence in fifty mech markets at once, it's fine if we only sell a couple of hundred mechs in each state!"
"I don't know, boss. That sounds dangerous. What if we are suddenly cut off from all of those markets? The LMC at least needs to have a strong presence in our domestic market to serve as our fallback point."
"I don't want my company to become too dependent on the Bright Republic." Ves shook his head.
"Ah, but that's the beauty of the third commission, I suppose." Gavin replied with a smile. "As long as we fulfill the request posed by the Ylvainan leader, we can expand our presence in the Ylvaine Protectorate without restrictions! It'll be our second home base!"
The third commission intrigued them the most. It offered the most bountiful rewards for the LMC. The only problem to Ves was that it sounded rather too good to be true!
"Tell me more about the background of the Ylvainan client. Who is she and why is she offering such generous terms?"
"To explain her position, I'll need to explain how the Ylvaine Protectorate is run. Do you know their history?"
Ves nodded. Of course he did. "The basic story is that during the latter days of the Age of Conquest, some guy called Ylvaine emerged from the galactic heartland and believed himself to be a prophet. He was charismatic enough to convert billions of people into his followers while he issued all kinds of wild predictions. His burgeoning Ylvaine Faith started to become a major force to be reckoned with, so much so that the local states felt threatened and launched a huge attack on the new religion!"
The Ylvaine Faith suffered immensely at the attack from the local states! Prophet Ylvaine himself succumbed to the attacks along with the entire Ylvaine Dynasty that consisted of his harem and descendants!
Even though Prophet Ylvaine married hundreds of wives and conceived thousands of children, the assassins and bounty hunters employed by the states were very thorough!
Practically overnight, the entire Ylvaine Dynasty that lay at the heart of the powerful and expansive Ylvaine Faith had been rooted out from existence!
Stunned by the concerted attacks of the states and devastated at the loss of their visionary and his entire line, the remnants of the Ylvaine Faith suffered blow after blow!
At some point, the three most powerful surviving dynasties decided they had enough! They gathered their ships into a hasty refugee fleet and gathered their most pious and fanatic followers and made a bee-line towards the galactic rim!
Their flight coincided with the start of the Age of Mechs and the opening of the Komodo Star Sector. While they had too little strength left to contest the best colonization sites, they eventually managed to settle down at a decent region of space next to the newly-emerged Bright Republic.
Ever since then, the three surviving dynasties, scarred from the betrayals and the loss of their prophet and his descendants, adopted an isolationist posture over the centuries that followed.
Although a lot of tensions existed between the Ylvaine Protectorate and the neighboring Star Faith Collective, the Ylvainans generally kept to themselves.
"The three leading dynasties that brought the Ylvainan survivors from the galactic heartland still rule over the Protectorate to this day." Gavin reiterated.
"I'm aware of them. Each of them wield more power than the founding families of the Bright Republic or the ducal houses of the Vesia Kingdom!"
The Kronon Dynasty, the Protectors of the Faith.
The Poxco Dynasty, the Attendants of Ylvaine.
The Curin Dynasty, the Shepherds of the Flock.
Their titles spoke for themselves.
The Kronons became responsible for protecting the followers of Ylvaine and the state they founded.
The Poxcos led the Faith and curated the many claims, predictions, tenets, customs and rituals of Prophet Ylvaine.
The Curins provided secular leadership to the masses. They became responsible for managing the internal and external affairs of the state.
"So which dynasty does the client come from?" Ves asked. "The Curin Dynasty?"
Gavin nodded and summoned up a projection of a pretty but shrewd-eyed woman. "A new scion of the Curins rose up from obscurity last year. While it's difficult for us to map out the Curin Dynasty, all of our investigations so far suggests that Madame Cecily Curin is highly ambitious and destined for greater heights."
"What is her current position in the Protectorate?"
"The moment she joined the Protectorate's Ministry of Industry and Trade, she's been assigned as the Director of Strategic Mech Development."
"What the hell does that mean?"
"It basically means that Madame Cecily is responsible for setting a direction for the development of non-military mechs." Gavin succinctly explained. "With the power the Curins wield over the Protectorate, they have more than enough pull to put Madame Cecily into this very influential position despite her obscurity and lack of experience."
Ves equated the Ylvaine Protectorate's Ministry of Industry and Trade to the Bright Republic's Ministry of Economic Development.
Regardless of how they named themselves, they both existed to manage and meddle into the affairs of foreign and domestic companies that did business in their states.
Having experienced how powerful the MinEcDev had become and how they were more than willing to throw their weight around, Ves expected the Ministry of Industry and Trade to be a major force to be reckoned with. The title and position of Director of Strategic Mech Development was likely not a toothless appointment!
"So this Madame Cecily is a big fan of my mechs?" Ves frowned. The more he thought about it, the more this situation started to reek. "With the influence of her dynasty and the vast amount of power she wields in her current position, why does she want to work with a foreign Journeyman like me instead of one of the Protectorate's many Seniors?"
The Protectorate was a fully established third-rate state with a strong mech tradition of their own.
"It's not entirely clear to me, boss." Gavin admitted. "From what I have gathered, the Protectorate closed their mech markets from foreign competition for a very long time. Only in the last century did they decide to loosen up and open their markets to foreign entrants a little bit. Evidently, that isn't fast enough for Madame Cecily's liking. One of the first moves she made since she took up her position was to loosen up some of the most restrictive trade barriers that held foreign mech companies like the LMC back from expanding our businesses in the Protectorate."
"That must have pissed off a lot of domestic mech companies who have grown fat and lazy from maintaining their oligopoly in the mech market." Ves pointed out.
"This is also why Madame Cecily doesn't want to bring her commission to any of the Protectorate's domestic mech designers. Her new policies have made her an enemy out of all of them. How could she entrust her safety to the mechs from people who want nothing more than to get rid of her and place a more pliable Curin in her position? There are plenty of lesser scions in the Curin Dynasty who can't wait to become the new Director of Strategic Mech Management!"
The jostling for power in the Curin Dynasty reminded Ves of the infighting among the Vesian nobles. The Curins were very big and very powerful, but that also led to an even greater degree of infighting!
To Ves, it seemed that Madame Cecily was playing with fire. Working with such a controversial client would definitely pull him and his mech company into a very nasty political struggle.
Yet the rewards made it difficult for him to turn away from the request.
"Let me think over this commission." He said. "Continue to gather more information. Tell the analysts to estimate how much the LMC stands to gain if the Protectorate's mech market is no longer closed."
Chapter 1145
While Ves mulled over the implications of accepting a commission to design a hero mech for Madame Cecily Curin, he decided to address some other matters.
"Where is Lucky and Ketis?" He frowned.
The moment the Barracuda touched down at the Mech Nursery, Ketis grabbed Lucky and quickly absconded to parts unknown.
Normally, Ves didn't pay too much attention to the comings and going of Ketis, but he was starting to miss having Lucky by his side.
Lucky was his cat! What right did Ketis have to monopolize his pet?!
After making use of the monitoring system, he finally tracked the errant pair down at his private laboratory floor.
Finding out that Ketis and Lucky barged into his private workshop and laboratory immediately alarmed Ves! That was his private sanctum! He never gave anyone permission to enter his lab because he required completely concentration when he designed his mechs!
Only one other entity besides Ves received permission to enter his lab, and that was Lucky!
"What are they doing there?!"
The monitoring system only tracked their progress up to the entrance of the lab. Paranoid as he was about being observed, the entire lab and workshop floor did not contain any sensors and recorders that could give Ves a remote view of what the pair was doing at the moment.
Ves rode the elevator deep underground and stormed right through the entrance. Hearing sounds of active machinery at work, he immediately barged into the workshop section to see Ketis operating a small 3D printer by herself!
As for Lucky, the lazy cat was munching on a pile of valuable minerals that he got from who knew where!
"What is the meaning of this?" Ves announced.
His abrupt arrival and interruption caused Ketis to jump! She almost ruined her ongoing work!
"This isn't what it looks like, Ves!" She awkwardly laughed.
Ves continued to glower at Ketis. "This lab is my personal workspace. While I would have opened it up for you in time, it's very rude of you to use Lucky to squirm your way inside. Do you think I wouldn't have found out about your intrusion?!"
"Oh, come on, Ves. You trust me, right? I never intended to do anything bad to you. Can't you forget about it?" She pleaded while employing her puppy eyes.
The effect fell flat. Ves remained completely unmoved. "Tell me what you're up to. What are you working on that's so important that you need access to my lab facilities?"
"Well, I didn't originally want to use your lab, you know. When I went to the manufacturing floor and asked the chief technicians there to reserve a 3D printer for me, they all said no! They said that all the production lines are working in full capacity and that their use is carefully managed!"
Ves did not suffer from the same problem, obviously. He could borrow whatever production equipment he wanted with no questions asked. Whatever scheduling arrangements the chief technicians had made, they were forced to readjust their planning whenever Ves wanted to hog a production line to himself, as was the case when he fabricated five gold label Aurora Titans sometime earlier.
This was his privilege as the boss of the company!
As for Ketis, her position within the company was largely toothless. Despite bringing her in as one of the first members of his design team, Ves mostly handed a lot of homework for her to sink her teeth into. He still considered her a bit too raw and fresh to embark on actual mech design work.
Perhaps he had been belittling her too much, though. With all the textbooks she devoured during her months of study, she had become a lot more knowledgeable than Ves had been when he initially started with designing his first variants!
"I apologise. I've neglected your development lately." Ves sighed. "It's always my intention to make you feel at home at the LMC. Considering your current level of competence, I'll order Gavin to give you permission to make limited use of the LMC's production equipment. In the meantime, you haven't answered my question yet. What are you fabricating?"
Ketis still stammered in her response, so Ves simply decided to step up and inspect the interface of the 3D printer with his own eyes.
The object that Ketis tried to make turned out to be a scale model of a swordsman mech that shared a strong resemble to the Blackbeak!
Ves remembered that he taught Ketis how to work with precision tools by having her play with mech miniatures. From what he could observe, her proficiency with working on small details progressed so much that she had no issues with controlling a 3D printer to fabricate a fairly intricate mech miniature!
"Is the design of this miniature your own work?"
Ketis reluctantly nodded. "It's my first work. I'm much further ahead than you think. Enough that I feel confident about my first variant. I know it's not up to your standards, but I did the best I can to apply the lessons I've learned into its design. I figured I'd surprise you with a miniature instead of some boring design schematics!"
While Ves could already glean a lot of details from the data on the 3D printer's interface, he was willing to entertain Ketis this time. Despite her shifty behavior, Ves felt very pleased that she showed some initiative when it came to expressing her urge to design a mech.
She was making her first formal steps into the mech industry!
Everyone could study all day and night. That did not make a mech designers any better necessarily. Too many mech designers spent way too much time in the library and not enough time in their design studios or workshops.
A mech designer needed to balance their time between fulfilling their responsibilities, accumulating more experience and expanding their knowledge base.
Unlike every other mech designer, the last was something that Ves did not concerned himself too much about. With the System at his disposal, he only needed to spend minutes or hours to learn what other mech designers took years or even decades to learn!
While Ves expected Ketis to require a few more months to develop a solid foundation to design a mech, evidently he underestimated her artificially-elevated intelligence and concentration attributes.
As long as she was motivated, it wasn't impossible for her to make great strides!
"I'll let you finish your little project." He said in a gentler tone.
"Thanks. It won't take too long. I think I only need an hour to put the finishing touches on the scale model."
Ves loved mechs. His entire life revolved around mechs. Even if he lacked the ability to pilot them, he never stopped adoring them. Mechs would always be a part of his life.
To design mechs was a dream to him. To become so successful in this job that he had advanced to become a de facto Journeyman in a scant few years was an amazing opportunity to work with mechs on a higher level.
Therefore, Ves couldn't help but feel happy when he was present with other people who were passionate about mechs. He enjoyed his recent interactions with Professor Ventag and he enjoyed seeing Ketis becoming more and more capable of designing mechs on her own.
Both of them loved their craft!
As Ves stood a few paces away in order to give Ketis enough room to work with, he casually studied her work ethic.
For some reason, he felt like he saw echoes of himself in the amount of diligence she put into her work. Having observed Ves at work plenty of times, it appeared that Ketis acquired some of his habits.
Ves didn't know how to feel about that. The amount of concentration she put into her work was so much that she even stopped registering his presence after a few minutes!
In fact, as long as Ves could nudge her in the right direction, she might even be able to imitate some of his methods with regards to shaping the X-Factor of her creations!
The notion of passing along some of his extremely valuable and exclusive knowledge on the X-Factor popped up in his mind.
It quickly left his mind soon after.
How could Ves reveal such secrets so easily? Even if he trusted Ketis by quite a bit, it wasn't to the point of sharing everything yet. For now, Ketis would be best served with focusing on developing her own specialty rather than inherit a limited version of his own.
A few more minutes passed by until the small 3D printer finally spat out the last scaled-down parts of her variant. Ketis did not skimp too much on the materials she used to present her design in the best possible light!
She moved over to a workbench where she already laid out various precision tools. She picked one of them up and used them to assemble the parts into a complete mech miniature in the span of less than an hour!
The little mech was as tall as two palms and was very heavy for its size. When Ves stepped forward and picked up the menacing-looking mech, he had the odd sensation that he held a Blackbeak that shed its kite shield in order to dedicate itself to wielding a single sword!
"This variant bears a lot of resemblance to its base model." Ves commented. "Maybe a little too much."
"I didn't want to mess too much with its internal architecture. I'm not confident enough yet that I can rearrange them into something more suitable for swordsman mechs." Ketis admitted.
"Before we go into further detail about its expected performance, tell me about the concept and vision for this variant. What is its purpose?"
"I haven't named it yet. As you can tell, I started off with your Blackbeak design and attempted to turn it from a knight mech into a swordsman mech. The difference between the two mech types may be big, but they share a lot in common. It helps that your Blackbeak design is already geared towards offensive use. I got rid of the shield, slightly increased the size and strength of the arms and replaced its one-handed sword with a two-handed greatsword. I mostly kept its excellent armor coverage intact, though I shaved off some portions here and there to increase its mobility, agility and range of motion."
Aside from some other minor adjustments, the changes she described was pretty much the extent of her work. It didn't sound like much, but then again most variants never strayed too far from the parameters of their base models.
"First off, I'm very pleased to see you go as far as to attempt to change the mech type of an existing mech design. Usually, mech designers who want to develop a swordsman mech variant will just license an existing swordsman mech design and work from there as all of the essential elements are already in place."
"I know. I wanted to do that as well, but your library of licenses isn't very extensive. Since I don't have the means to license an existing swordsman mech design, I thought why not work with one of your own mechs? The Blackbeak design is a great design for my purposes!"
"That sounds great and all, but what is the overarching concept behind this design?"
"I guess it's my attempt at designing a premium swordsman mech. It adopted much of the same defenses and endurance of its base model. While it is not as tough as the Blackbeak, it possesses enough brute force to hack aside most opponents standing in its way!"
Ves shook his head in disappointment. "Is that all? You just wanted to design a swordsman mech so you made some adjustments to the Blackbeak design before handing it an oversized swords?"
"Uhh, yeah."
"So you haven't set any distinct vision for your variant? Have you forgotten my teachings already?"
It appeared that Ves had been a little remiss in his teaching. It became quite clear that despite the amount of concentration she put into the design of her variant, she did not have a clear picture of what she wanted to design from the start! The variant she eventually came up with was just a collection of various ad-hoc decisions without any overarching strategy in mind!
Chapter 1146
While Ves was pleased that Ketis shared his enthusiasm for designing mechs, he hated seeing her squander her energy like this. The variant she came up with might be decently put together when it came to its technical performance, but the lack of a coherent vision made the mech seem like a mere collection of parts in his perspective!
This was pretty much blasphemy to Ves! How could he tolerate the haphazard way that Ketis designed her variant?
"Come sit down with me for a moment."
The two moved over to a nearby table where Ves always ate his meals at. Once they made themselves comfortable, Ves picked up the miniature and waved it around.
"This is an interesting variant. I can see that you've applied much of the new knowledge you've learned. Whether it's mechanics, physics, metallurgy and more, you've all shown you possess at least a basic level of competence in applying the knowledge you've accumulated in those fields. The only problem here is that while you've been so focused on applying your mind that you haven't applied enough of your vision and your heart."
That remark threw Ketis off a loop. "Okay, I get how I screwed up with not having a clear vision for my design, but what does my heart have to do with my work?"
"That's a complicated question to answer. Have you heard of the saying that mech design is both an art and a science?"
She nodded. Most mech designers encountered the phrase in their earlier textbooks on mech design.
What Ves found out after meeting many different mech designers was that they brushed right past the meaning of this saying!
"I don't get it, Ketis. You've seen me at work so often and you even received an opportunity to contribute to the Aurora Titan's design. You've heard me describe some aspects about my design philosophy and learned some of the principles that my mech company adheres to. How can you forget about all of that when you designed your variant?"
"I thought.. it was something special about you. I never saw Mayra put too much emphasis on the stuff you cared about. A mech is a mech, right?"
"A mech can be more than a mech." Ves emphatically replied. "While I am aware that my beliefs aren't all that transparent, that doesn't mean you should ignore all of my best practices. There are some methods that you can easily apply. I think a mech designer like you is best served with adhering to the prior vision method."
"Figure out a solid vision for your mech before you begin your design work? I tried that, Ves, but I wasn't quite sure if I can implement all of the stuff I wanted to see in my design. This is all very new to me, you know, so I mostly spent my time trying out various stuff to see what worked."
"That's the approach of a student who aren't familiar with their limitations. You'll outgrow that once you get some more practice under your belt."
Ketis kept frowning. The more Ves pointed out her inadequacies, the more her confidence faded from her body.
"I guess I still have a lot to go before I design a good variant." She muttered.
"It's not so bad. At the very least, I can see from your miniature that you have a sufficient eye for detail. Your technical competence is a lot better than most Novices. You just have to adopt an approach to mech design that makes good use of your strengths."
Ketis' approach to mech design was as chaotic as a huge mob of rioters. A different mech designer who possessed a much shallower foundation would nonetheless be able to design a much better variant than hers if their approach was like a small but disciplined army!
"An important concept in mech design is the utilization and application of knowledge." Ves said. "This is why physics professors and excellent academics who are at the top of their fields are incapable of designing a mech that can surpass the work of a fresh Novice. They are capable of solving many problems, but they aren't trained to put together a mech."
The importance of maintaining a solid vision of a work began to dawn upon Ketis. "I think I get it. You're saying that a vision helps me coordinate my knowledge and makes sure I use them in the right way."
"That's the gist of it. It's clear that you've spent way too much time in the library lately. You need to return to performing a lot of practical exercises in order to for you to learn how to apply your gains. Designing a variant like this is a start, but I hope you develop solid visions for your next projects."
Ketis nodded with sparkles in her eyes. She wanted to rectify her earlier mistakes and design a variant that matched the one in her mind!
"What about that other stuff, about the heart and such?"
"That goes further into the phrase I mentioned earlier. Now that you have tried your hand at designing a complete variant on your own, have you paid any attention to the heart of your mech?"
"Uhh.. I think I was too busy trying to get the technical stuff to work to worry too much about that." Ketis morosely explained. "I think my lack of vision for what my mech is supposed to be didn't do me any favors in this regard."
Ves picked up the miniature again and played with it for a bit. "While you are free to adopt any design methodologies that you like, I highly suggest you try my ways. Not only will it make it easier for us to collaborate in the future, I truly think it will do your mech designs much good if they are designed to be coherent from the start."
"So how do I have to approach my design work?"
This was the moment where Ves stood at a crossroads. While he already resolved to share some of his methods, he didn't want to override her developing design philosophy with an imitation of his own. He needed to be very careful with the advice he gave.
"I think.. it is enough of a start if you imagine that your designs all possess a metaphorical heart. While I know this sounds rather silly considering that mechs don't have hearts, but it makes a real difference in your work if you treat them with love."
"Loving a mech design.."
"It's not as absurd as you think. This plays into the artistic side of mech design. Have you ever witnessed art created by AIs?"
Ketis shook her head.
"Well, they're pretty but shallow. Either they are pale imitations of existing masterpieces, or mathematically-oriented nonsense that is completely meaningless to humans. The point is that certain mech designers are so caught up in the technical aspects of their designs that they lose sight of more holistic concerns. I don't want you to fall into the same trap."
The analogy really shed a light in Ketis. "Ah, so I have to act less like an AI and more like a human when I design a mech?"
"Exactly! Designing a mech is like raising a child. You don't want them to put them in school all day and have them learn all the basic subjects. You want them to live out a full life full of joy and meaning as they grow up. Only then will your children grow up to be great individuals. It's the same with mechs. The heart you shaped for them plays a very important role in tying all of the tangible and intangible elements of the mech together."
Ves only started with these basic points but Ketis already looked overwhelmed. He decided this should be enough for her to chew on for the moment.
"Think over my words and see if you can apply them in your own work. I think your subsequent designs will be a lot more remarkable if they possess hearts!"
Naturally, Ves did not refer to literal hearts. He didn't wish Ketis to do something gruesome in the mistaken belief that she needed to integrate her mechs with actual organs! That sounded way too much like the extreme behavior of a very deviant fugitive mech designer!
Ketis looked down at the mech miniature she made and let out a frustrated grunt. "This mech has no heart at all. It's nothing like the original Blackbeak!"
She angrily picked up the mech miniature and moved over to the trash chute to chuck the useless object away. Far from impressing someone, Ketis only managed to display her shortcomings in a physical form!
As Ketis wrapped up her work in his private lab, Ves turned to Lucky who had finished his sumptuous meal of minerals. The cat currently lazed about in the air.
Ves grabbed his gem cat. "As for you, Lucky. Don't think I've forgotten about your transgression."
"Meow?"
"Don't you meow at me. You know exactly what you've done. My lab is off-limits to anyone except for us! Heck, the only reason why I gave you permission to enter is because you'd phase through the walls and floor anyway if I refused to clear your entry. That doesn't mean it's okay to bring people over who aren't authorized to enter this place!"
Lucky knew he was in trouble this time. The cat did as he had always done in response to earning the ire of his owner and attempted to turn intangible and phase through the floor.
Not this time!
Ves exerted his full concentration and attempted to lock Lucky's spirituality in place!
Different from last time, Ves was now a Journeyman! His Spirituality had grown significantly stronger ever since his loose design philosophy compacted into a solid design seed!
It worked! Lucky was far weaker when it came to spirituality and could never beat Ves in this regard! Not only that, but Ves also became much more adept at controlling his Spirituality.
All of these changes made it so that Ves had finally gained to power to prevent Lucky from slipping out of his grasp!
"Meow! Meow! Meow!"
Lucky yowled with panic as he desperately tried to slip away, but no matter how much he squirmed, his body simply refused to shift into an incorporeal state!
Ves grinned at his wayward pet in a devious manner. "You won't escape your punishment this time, Lucky. What should I do with you? Should I dump you in a bath and wash you? Should I lock you in a box and deprive you of minerals for a month?"
Lucky's yowling grew twice as loud!
"Hahaha! I'm just kidding." Ves said in a teasing manner. "While I'm still pissed at you, you're simply too cute to be punished."
"Meow?"
"I forgive you."
Lucky seemed to relax at that moment and sank into Ves' arms.
"Meow!"
"Yeah, I love you too. Even if you are naughty every now and then, you're still my companion."
After Ketis wrapped up the equipment she used and put them into their places, they left the lab floor.
The next day, Ves met with Gavin again who returned with various reports on the situation at the Ylvaine Protectorate. Although inserting himself and his company into the Protectorate's contentious political battles seemed unwise, the reward was simply too good to pass up!
"This offer won't be on the table forever, I think." Gavin noted as Ves speed-read his way through dozens of detailed reports on a data pad. "Madame Cecily might be a bit fond of your work, but every day that passes is another day her life is under threat."
"I understand, Gavin. I know I have to make a quick decision on whether to accept this commission. I think I'm almost getting around to the idea. The only issue here is the odd conditions she supplied with her request."
"Madame Cecily is really insistent on her demands." Gavin helplessly shrugged. "She doesn't want you to design and fabricate the hero mechs she requested from home and export them to the Protectorate. There are too many opportunities for bad actors to intercept the shipment or to tamper with them along the way."
The commission called for Ves to visit the Ylvaine Protectorate in person and use the component licenses and production equipment that Madame Cecily prepared beforehand!
The client really wanted to meet Ves in the flesh to discuss the details of the design in person!
"It seems I'll be going on vacation for a couple of months."
Chapter 1147
A formal business trip to the Ylvaine Protectorate entered the agenda. Ves made up his mind. Despite the many risks associated with Madame Cecily Curin's commission, the rewards sounded too good to pass up!
Of course, now that Ves became a de facto Journeyman, he could not just pack up his backs and travel immediately to Ylvaine. The entry of any notable mech designer to a foreign state on official business needed to be arranged in advance, especially to a restrictive state like the Protectorate.
The LMC worked behind the scenes to arrange a visa and other bureaucratic necessities for Ves and the people he decided to bring along for this months-long working vacation.
Fortunately, Madame Cecily exerted some influence on the relevant government institutions to expedite the paperwork.
"It will only take a week for us to receive the final permits." Gavin reported to Ves in the penthouse office. "If we depart now, by the time our ships reach the borders, we can immediately pass through and make our way to the Kesseling System."
The Ministry of Industry and Trade housed their headquarters in Kesseling. The Curin Dynasty wielded a lot of influence in this star system. Kesseling VIII not only hosted a fair amount of government institutions, but also boasted a modest industrial presence, which included many mech designers.
While the level of industry in Kesseling didn't come close to that of Bentheim, it was nonetheless very respectable.
"Is there anything else to note on the Kesseling System?" Ves asked.
"The Curin Dynasty has the most say in that system, but that doesn't mean that the other dynasties are powerless there. The three leading dynasties that led the original refugees of the Ylvainan Faith to the Komodo Star Sector are all equally in charge over the state."
"What does that mean to us in practice?"
"The three dynasties used to be of one mind." Gavin explained. "They all agreed to close their borders to the rest of the galaxy and develop their own state in peace. However, tensions between Ylvaine Protectorate and the Star Faith Collective has increased over the years, sometimes leading to outright war. The disparity between the two forces has become increasingly more evident. The Protectorate's insular mech market has led to too little competition, and their domestic mech designers aren't working as hard to push the limits of their mech designs."
"And with every skirmish and limited conflict that breaks out, the Protectorate's mechs are faring worse and worse." Ves nodded. He understood the consequences of closing the mech market to foreigners and coddling domestic mech designers like babies. "As far as I've heard, the Protectors of the Faith are still faring well in those conflicts. The Kronon Dynasty's mech pilots are known as the most fanatic fighters."
"Fanaticism can only partially compensate for the lower quality of mechs the Kronons have at their disposal. The Kronons have grown a lot more pragmatic over the years. They recognize that their domestic mech market needs to be shaken up. The Curin Dynasty had been advocating for opening up not their mech market, but their other markets as well, but not every Curin agrees and the supporters have always been outnumbered by the two other leading dynasties."
"I see. That has changed now?"
"Yeah. A large majority of Curins and a small majority of Kronons came to the consensus that they need to loosen up the trade barriers holding back foreign mech companies from doing business in the Protectorate. That's why the Ministry of Industry and Trade recently created the office of Strategic Mech Management and installed Madame Cecily as its director."
Ves came to an important conclusion. "In other words, while Madame Cecily obtained a mandate to reform the mech market, it isn't all that strong."
The opposition to opening up the market must be fierce. Any change would always be met resistance, but to overthrow centuries of tradition was bound to attract trouble!
Yet the greater the risk, the greater the reward!
"While we need to keep an eye on all of the factions of the Protectorate, there is one leading dynasty that we really have to tiptoe our way around." Gavin warned. "The Poxco Dynasty aren't called the Attendants of Ylvaine for nothing. While every Ylvainan is a believer in the Faith, the Poxcos are the most fanatical of them all! Worse, they're also extremely doctrinists! They can never tolerate any that goes against the teachings of Ylvaine!"
"What is their exact stance on opening up the mech market?"
"While Ylvaine hasn't explicitly said much about economic matters, the Poxcos have never gotten over the trauma of being betrayed. They're the most vocal advocates for closing off the Protectorate, and you can be sure that they'll do their best to hinder your work."
The opposition coming from the Poxco Dynasty concerned Ves quite a bit. As a whole, they were extremely sincere in their beliefs, which was something that Ves could respect. Yet their overly restrictive interpretation of Prophet Ylvaine's teachings and predictions also turned them into the most troublesome Ylvainans to interact!
"Clearly the Poxcos are in the losing trend if someone like Madame Cecily has come into power." Ves observed. "The other two leading dynasties have already started to come to their senses. The Poxco Dynasty either need to get on with the times, or be left in the dustbin of history."
"The trend is undeniable. The wind in the Protectorate is definitely changing." Gavin agreed. "As long as we complete this commission to the client's satisfaction, we can be among the first foreign companies to receive unrestricted access to their mech market. Obtaining such a first-mover advantage is extremely lucrative for the LMC!"
The process of liberalizing the economy took a lot of time. If the LMC waited for the Protectorate to open up on its own, then it might take decades before they could enjoy anything close to unrestricted access.
The value of Madame Cecily's reward couldn't be overstated! It was a really huge deal for the LMC to be able to effortlessly do business in the Protectorate like it already does in the Bright Republic!
Still, Ves was very cognizant that the choice of going in bed with the LMC was not just because Madame Cecily adored his products. After calming down a bit, he increasingly grew suspicious that the choice of issuing a commission to the LMC was a politically calculated move.
He scratched his chin. "If Madame Cecily wants to teach the Protectorate's domestic mech designers a lesson, then inviting a foreign mech designer is a great way to rile them up. However, the effect won't be very pronounced if she invites a lowly Apprentice. As for inviting a Senior, they are very difficult to get a hold of, and their entry into the Protectorate will scare the domestic mech designers to death!"
From his judgement of the situation, he concluded that inviting a newly-advanced de facto Journeyman like Ves was a middle ground solution. He was competent enough to pose a modest threat to the established circle of Ylvainan mech designers, but not much more.
Madame Cecily didn't wish to escalate her conflict with the Ylvainan mech industry unnecessarily. Working with someone like Ves was a shot across the bow that served to signal the Ylvainan mech designers that they needed to get off their butts and start working harder!
This was also why Ves considered the risk of accepting this commission to be within his range of tolerance. He knew he possessed a reckless streak, and an exciting foreign venture like this tickled all of his fancies.
Even if the risk was twice as big, he would still go ahead with designing a mech for Madame Cecily!
Ves inwardly wondered if this particular trait of his had been permanently absorbed by his design seed.
A comment from Gavin quickly pulled him out of his rumination. "Don't forget that Madame Cecily expects you to design a hero mech. I heard that they're as complicated to design as hybrid mechs and multipurpose mechs. As far as I know, you've never designed something as complex as that as a fully-featured mech. Are you sure you are up to the task?"
"While I don't possess any experience in designing hero mechs, I've witnessed several good ones in action. I know I have the chops to design one." Ves confidently replied. "I still have to hit the books and understand the nuances of the hero mech type, though. I'll be spending the entire trip to the Kesseling System cramming everything I need to know about hero mechs."
In fact, Ves was planning to do more than read a lot of textbooks on hero mechs. Seeing that he was flush with DP, he could easily afford to purchase another Mastery from the Skill Tree.
Considering the uncertain time duration of his previous Mastery experiences, Ves considered it best to go on a mental trip to the past while his body was travelling on the Barracuda. By the time he emerged from his Mastery experience, he would be ready to meet with the client.
Naturally, nobody else needed to know this little detail. Ves quickly turned to another topic.
"Has our final roster of people been set?"
"Melkor reports that he won't be able to bring as much mechs and mech pilots as he wished. The decision to go on an excursion to the Ylvaine Protectorate came too suddenly. He's scrambling to free up the existing commitments of his mech pilots and get them to agree to accompany your business delegation. Last I heard, he only managed to secure eight mech pilots, along with himself, Chette and Rhode."
That amounted to a guard detail of eleven mechs and mech pilots in total. While that didn't sound very impressive, Ves expected the Protectorate to cover most of his security issues during his stay there. He did not mind the lackluster amount of mech pilots that Melkor managed to scrounge on short notice.
"What about Ketis and you?"
"My visa will be ready as soon as yours. As for Ketis, it's a bit more troublesome to request a visa for her because she's a citizen of the Reinald Republic. You know how slow bureaucracy can get, especially when it involves cross-border communications."
Ves nodded in understanding. Ever since the galactic net came into existence, many theorized that distance no longer mattered in human civilization.
Reality turned out to be very different. Almost anything could be faked in the virtual realm. Much of the delays the Reinald Republic imposed on Ketis' paperwork was due to the sheer amount of verification they demanded in order to fulfill what should have been a simple bureaucratic procedure.
"If no additional snags come up, we depart tomorrow."
A day quickly passed by as the LMC arranged every matter that needed to be done before departure. The Barracuda received a thorough inspection while stocking up on fuel, energy and other supplies.
The Greenfeather took in eleven mechs. Most of them consisted of landbound mechs like the Blackbeaks and the Crystal Lords, but the light carrier also took in a single laser rifleman mech so that Chette Larkinson had something to pilot.
In the morning before the departure, Ves just finished giving Calsie some instructions on how to run the company in his absence before he received an important notification.
He received word of a discreet visit from someone that Ves would rather not meet!
Unfortunately, refusing to meet the guest was a really bad idea, so Ves had no choice but to allow the newcomer to enter his office.
"We meet again, Ves."
"Leland." Ves pressed his lips while stroking Lucky's back. "What are you doing here?"
Leland grinned. "Oh, come now. How could you leave us out when you abruptly decided to go on a business trip to the Protectorate? Flashlight is feeling left out, so they sent me to join your little business delegation. Foreign affairs is a very delicate matter, and everything you do abroad can result in major implications to our diplomacy towards the Protectorate."
"So you've been sent by Flashlight as a minder?"
"If that's how you see it, then sure. We just don't want you to open your big mouth at the most inopportune time and spoil the Bright Republic's relations with our neighboring state."
Ves looked at Leland with an askance expression. "Is that the extent of Flashlight's intentions?"
Leland wordlessly smiled.
Chapter 1148
Ves did not want Leland anywhere near him right now!
"As far as I know, Flashlight is a military intelligence agency. We've never gone to war to the Protectorate before and the chances of them turning against us is low. If any spy agency wants to butt their heads into my business, shouldn't I be welcoming someone from Searchlight instead?"
Leland snorted disdainfully at the mention of the Bright Republic's foreign intelligence agency. "While Searchlight is more competent than Spotlight, they don't hold a candle to us. As for the matter of jurisdiction, don't forget that our front company Sibilant Asset Management owns twenty-one percent of the LMC. Any business you do automatically makes it our business as well."
It seemed like Ves couldn't prevent Flashlight from meddling in his business, not that he realistically expected to succeed in the first place. If Flashlight wanted something done, they just did it without any regard for existing laws and customs!
"You should be happy, Ves. Flashlight has taken notice of your recent achievements. Remember our earlier visit? Well, our analysts had to revise our estimates of you and your company's potential yet again! It's becoming more and more clear to us that you are one of the most promising Brighter Journeyman to have arisen in recent times!"
"Isn't that a bit overblown? There should be at least a couple of other Journeyman who advanced just as fast or even faster than me. I hardly broke any records."
"They're different." Leland dismissively waved his hand. "Prodigal mech designers born in the Republic like Edwin McKinney are spending so much time in the Friday Coalition that they are basically only Brighters in name at this point."
Even though foreign mech designers faced numerous uphill battles if they decided to put down their roots in the Friday Coalition, a lot of them still pulled the trigger. The mech market there was far more prosperous and the scale was enormous!
Ves also became tempted to move to the Friday Coalition a few times.
"I'm glad that Flashlight considers me to be a loyal Brighter. Shouldn't you guys just trust me then?"
"That's not how the game is played, Ves. Your entourage sorely needs someone like me to keep your head above the water while you're diving head-first into a foreign lake. In fact, I won't be leaving at the end of this special business. I'll be staying at the LMC in a more permanent capacity from now on!"
No matter how much he argued, Ves could not prevent the annoying stain that was Leland from forcing his way into his company. Flashlight had already made up its mind to place one of their agents directly by his side!
The Flashlight agent already arrived with all the paperwork that supported his cover identity as an unimportant secretarial worker for the LMC.
The thought of Leland becoming one of his company's employees did not sit well with Ves at all.
When Gavin arrived in the office soon after, he was flummoxed by the new addition as well.
"Who is this?"
"This is Leland Toll. He's been sent by Sibilant Asset Management to join my staff and advise me on matters pertaining to government affairs. I expect the two of you to get along closely."
It looked as if Gavin picked up the discomfort in Ves' tone, because he immediately gazed at Leland with a wary eye.
As for the devil incarnate himself, Leland offered casual smile and handshake to his new colleague. "Pleased to meet you, Gavin Neumann. Ves regards you very highly. I hope you keep up the good work."
"Thanks." Gavin hesitantly replied while shaking the newcomer's hand. "So you're basically here as a representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs?"
"You can look at it that way. The government can't let Ves go to the Ylvaine Protectorate without supervision, after all. Who knows what diplomatic incidents can arise if he makes a misstep. It is very risky for Brighters to visit the Protectorate because most of their citizens are rather xenophobic towards non-believers."
"I see."
While Gavin still looked uncertain, he largely bought Leland's story.
Only Ves knew Leland and Sibilant Asset Management's true allegiance to Flashlight. To everyone else, Sibilant Asset Management was merely one of several holding companies managed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Leland's abrupt involvement in the business trip made it clear that Ves had entered into contentious territory this time. By now, it was impossible for Ves and the LMC to disassociate business from politics!
While Gavin took Leland away in order to help the latter integrate into the LMC, Ves remained in his office while stroking Lucky's back.
For some reason, he couldn't help but suspect that Leland wouldn't be staying obediently by his side during his stay in the Kesseling System.
"What does the Bright Republic want with the Ylvaine Protectorate?"
The two states may not be the best of friends, but they never entered into any major spats. Both of them had their own rivals to contend with to bother too much against each other.
Ves found it amusing that a highly religious state like the Ylvaine Protectorate tolerated a secular state like the Bright Republic but could not get along with the Star Faith Collective, which was another religious state!
If there was one thing a religion couldn't tolerate, it was another religion that advocated for completely different beliefs!
Lately, it seemed the Ylvaine Protectorate became more and more embroiled in conflict against the Star Faith Collective.
Many outside observers in the Komodo Star Sector even equated their relationship as another version of the irreconcilable hatred between the Bright Republic and the Vesia Kingdom!
While Ves didn't think the conflict between the two religious state was equivalent to the Bright-Vesia Wars, it did mean that the Protectorate was in desperate need to shore up its military and industry!
"The Protectorate will rather go in bed with the Bright Republic than the Star Faith Collective!"
Ves wasn't really interested in the Ylvainan Faith. He didn't have a bone in their religious conflict with the Star Faith either. He only wanted to expand the LMC's market presence in the Protectorate in order to sell more mechs and make a lot of money!
By the time the local afternoon rolled in, everything at home had been arranged.
While Melkor and the Avatars of Myth already boarded the Greenfeather in orbit ahead of time, Ves and his entourage stepped inside the Barracuda.
With Ketis, Lucky, Gavin and Leland on the corvette, Ves did not have to worry about running out of company.
Therefore, his announcement of locking himself in his stateroom for a few days or weeks came as a surprise to the rest.
"What are you up to?" Ketis asked with narrowed eyes.
"Nothing much." Ves tried to brush the matter off. "I just want to be left alone so I can immerse myself in my own studies. You know how I work, Ketis. I am always at my best when I'm completely alone and undisturbed."
"What if there's an emergency?"
"I doubt matters will arise that require my intervention. If I'm not available, you can defer to Captain Silvestra or Melkor for instructions."
"What if there's an issue that requires your direct attention?"
Ves already took this possibility into account. It would be highly inconvenient if the Barracuda and the Greenfeather bumped into trouble while his mind was still stuck in the past!
"You can go ahead and knock on the hatch to my stateroom. Lucky will decide whether it's worth bringing to my attention."
In truth, Lucky's job was to prevent anyone from entering his stateroom and uncover his seemingly comatose body!
To that end, Ves turned his attention specifically to Leland. "Without permission from Lucky or myself, no one enters my stateroom. I can't guarantee your safety if you decide to barge in against your better judgement. Is that clear?"
Leland slowly nodded. The Flashlight agent must be wondering what security measures Ves set up to keep out intruders. Perhaps some of the gadgets he brought along could help him circumvent those safeguards.
He could try. Lucky would be ready to meet any intrusion with violence.
Everyone brought their gear for this trip. Ves and Ketis did not forget to bring along their custom suits of armor and fancy weapons.
As for Leland, who knew what gadgets he brought along in his boring-looking floating coffers. Perhaps only Gavin stuck to bringing in plain civilian luggage.
As the Barracuda slowly lifted off into orbit, the corvette quickly flew alongside the Greenfeather and formed a small group.
The pair of ships deftly traveled to the nearest Lagrange point and simultaneously transitioned into FTL.
The LMC's business delegation had at least two weeks of travel ahead of them. While the Barracuda could have reached her destination faster, the Greenfeather was not as swift.
"Two weeks should be more than enough time for me to finish my private excursion." Ves muttered as he closed and locked the hatch to his stateroom.
"Meow."
"Yes, I know the timing isn't great and all. The crew and passengers are already looking at me with suspicion, but what can I do? A hero mech isn't easy to work with! Reading a bunch of literature won't be enough to bring me up to speed on all of the nuances of this complex mech type."
Ves set up an automated feeding system attached to his bunk while Lucky floated down from the ceiling.
There was no way for Ves to predict how long his upcoming Mastery experience would take.
If it dragged on for more than a week, then at the very least he didn't have to worry about returning to a starving body this time!
He raised a lot of eyebrows from Captain Silvestra when he ordered the Barracuda to integrate this system, but he didn't need to explain himself. He was the boss after all, and the Barracuda was his private property!
After setting everything up, Ves laid down on his bed and let the automated feeding system scan and connect to his body. Only until he triple-checked the diagnostics of the device did he move on to the next step.
He activated his Privacy Shield before engaging the System. He immediately entered the Skill Tree and sought out the Mastery he desired to acquire.
[Hero Mech Mastery I]: 80,000 DP
Ves almost puked out blood at the price. "You greedy System! Why does this Mastery cost twice as much as the others?!"
Like usual, the System didn't deign to answer his question.
In fact, Ves knew it was futile to complain. The System charged more for every Mastery related to more complex mech types.
"I hope it doesn't last longer just because it's more expensive."
With his ample reserves of DP, Ves could still stomach the doubling in price, even if it left a foul taste in his mouth.
"You're getting greedier and greedier, System!"
With no other choice, Ves confirmed his purchase.
The System's interface quickly faded away. As Ves laid down on his bunk hooked up to a feeding machine, invisible hooks quickly latched onto his consciousness and dragged it through a portal that led to the past!
As Ves' mental consciousness endured the ravages of this extremely incomprehensive mode of travel, he tried his best to retain his wits. He needed to be ready to hide his presence in the mind of his next host!
After what seemed like hours, the System finally deposited his consciousness in the mind of a stranger!
The sudden entry caused the host to jump.
"Is there something amiss, Mr. Axelar?"
"No, Benny. I think I've spent too long without a dose. Can you hit me up again?"
"As you will, sir."
A sturdy bodyguard-like figure withdrew a sophisticated syringe and pressed the soft tip against Mr. Axelar's neck. A quick injection later, a flood of chemical euphoria flooded the young highborn's mind!
Having just entered Mr. Axelar's mind, Ves' consciousness almost became swept by the rush of artificial pleasure emanating from all around!
"Goddammit!" He inwardly screamed. "Of all the candidates that the System could put me into, it chose a junkie of all people!"
Chapter 1149
In his last Mastery experience, Ves spent a week inside Eloise Pelican's mind.
Venerable Pelican was a respectable mech pilot even before she became an expert pilot.
While Ves did not relish his stay inside the mind of a woman and especially a mother who missed her son, he had nothing to complain about when it came to her deployments or her battle performance.
A decade of harsh living and dealing with constant shortages turned Eloise and the rest of the mercenary corps she was a part of into stoic, disciplined warriors. Their conduct was exemplary for remaining stuck in the horrible Dark Sphere for so long.
This was very different. For some reason that Ves couldn't fathom, the System had the bright idea of inserting his consciousness into the mind of a drugged-out wastrel!
In the six hours that passed since Ves entered Axelar's mind, he spent most of that time trying to anchor his consciousness in place against the violent waves of pleasure and euphoria induced my frequent injections of recreational stimulants!
Benny Smit, Axelar's tough and sturdy-looking bodyguard, obediently brought out a seemingly endless amount of high-tech syringes from his uniform!
"Oh, hell no, not another injection! This is your fifteenth already! How can an utterly degenerate person like you still remain alive with all of the drugs running through your body?!" Ves mentally wailed, not that Axelar was even coherent enough to detect the intrusion in his mind!
As the waves of chemical pleasure grew into yet another tsunami of euphoria, Ves endured the tides as best he could while he tried to dig out the details of where he landed this time.
Axelar's constant highs made it very difficult for Ves to dig up details from the mind of his host. If Ves hadn't broke through to Journeyman, he would have faced a steeper challenge.
Fortunately, his vastly-improved Spirituality allowed him to resist the tides and employ his abilities with more finesse. Even under adverse conditions, Ves slowly managed to glean some details about the current time and place.
As soon as Ves found out in which state he landed in, his consciousness practically jumped out of Axelar's mind!
"What! I'm in the Greater Terran United Confederation!"
This was a massive surprise! This was so far beyond his previous Mastery experiences that Ves turned speechless.
The System deposited him deep inside the galactic center!
Not only that, but Ves also entered the mind of a highborn scion of the Streon Clan, which ruled over several hundred star systems in the extremely prosperous Radiant Pulsar Star Sector!
The Radiant Pulsar Star Sector wasn't anything like the Komodo Star Sector. Comparing the two was like comparing a plain nutrient pack to a twenty-one course meal prepared by the best human chef in the galaxy!
No third-rate states existed in the Radiant Pulsar Star Sector. In fact, no second-rate state existed either. The entire star sector was just one of many ludicrously prosperous star sectors in the Greater Terran United Confederation.
Still, just because Radiant Pulsar was only ruled by a single state didn't mean that everything was peaceful.
Just like how the noble houses of the New Rubarth Empire struggled for power, wealth and influence, the Terrans were little different.
Various ancient clans with pedigrees spanning for thousands of years constantly competed against each other.
The only difference was that the Rubarthan houses frequently rose and fell. Hardly any noble house could rest on their laurels and rely on their past achievements to enjoy their positions of power.
As the originator of the Societal Vitality Theory, the Rubarthan houses were constantly compelled to fight in order to maintain or expand their current positions in their huge superstate.
While the Terrans snobbishly regarded themselves better than the Rubarthans, the competition between its ancient clans was just as serious, if not as frequent or violent.
Any conflict or competition that played out between the various rivalling clans only played out in extremely restricted battlefields determined in advance. Ves already knew that clans could only send out a restricted number of mechs to another star system and engage in battle in a very narrow region in order to determine whether the conquest succeeded.
This pattern of fighting led to a very peculiar mech culture in the Greater Terran United Confederation.
While clans still spent huge amounts of resources to maintain large standing mech armies, they nonetheless put most of their attention to training a smaller number of elite mech forces.
With every conflict between the clans restricted to a relatively modest number of mechs, it was vitally important that each clan raised at least one elite mech corps!
The amount of mechs the Terrans allowed to fight at any one time for the ownership of a star system differed from star sector to star sector. In the Radiant Star Sector, the maximum amount of mechs a clan could bring to a restricted battle was 50,000 mechs, which amounted to a full mech corps.
This sounded like a lot, but it was actually very small compared to the sheer number of mechs that ancient clans had at their disposal!
"It's the equivalent of determining a battle by sending out champions." Ves mentally concluded.
The ancient clans could easily field millions or even billions of mechs at a time! However, a battle involving so many mechs was extremely destructive! Not only would most of those mechs become trashed, but the sheer amount of collateral damage that ensued with the use of highly advanced and destructive weapons could wipe out all life on every habitable planet!
The fear of squandering so many assets and resources led the Terrans to adopt this custom of limiting the amount of mechs involved in a battle.
The strength of a clan and the amount of star systems they ruled no longer depended on their total military might. Instead, it depended on how well they are able to train and equip their elite mech corps!
One of the unintended consequences of turning every internal battle in the Confederation into a fair competition was that it turned into public spectacle!
While the Terrans still held many versions of competitive mech games, the actual battles between the clans drew the attention of countless Terran and foreign citizens!
Axelar Streon was a legitimate highborn scion of the Streon Clan. While he wasn't the firstborn heir of a prominent figure in the clan, he nonetheless enjoyed a very privileged station in life!
At the moment of his conception, his genes had already been tailored to perfection! The Streon clan spared no expense in insuring the genes of their main clan members was as superior as possible!
The result was that Axelar was already exceptional as a human from the moment of his birth! He was smarter, faster and stronger than the average citizen of the Confederation.
Compared to baseline humans who lived outside the first-rate superstates, the disparity in capabilities grew even wider!
Axelar enjoyed a pampered upbringing. The high position of his parents ensured that he was constantly surrounded by luxuries.
Naturally, Axelar quickly turned into a spoiled brat.
His situation changed a bit when he turned ten. Axelar's parents found out that their son possessed the genetic aptitude to pilot mechs!
This was a great opportunity for Axelar. His parents instantly packed him off to one of the Streon Clan's many premier mech academies.
For the next fifteen years, Axelar endured a very rough time. While the mech academies he attended treated any Streon clan member very well, the mech instructors nonetheless forced every student to become good at piloting mechs!
No matter what background the Streon clan members possessed, the mech academies did not let up on them just because their parents were powerful!
For Axelar, his time at the academies was hell! There wasn't a single hardworking bone in his body. He often got in trouble with the mech instructors for doing less than his best to learn how to pilot mechs.
Despite these odds, Axelar managed to graduate from both the basic and advanced mech academy with respectable grades.
Two reasons allowed him to pull through.
First, his genetic aptitude was graded at A-, which was extremely good! This meant that Axelar needed to spend less time in practice to become proficient in a specific skill!
Second, the talented young mech pilot resorted to taking stimulants in order to get through the day!
Even after he graduated from the advanced mech academy, Axelar still continued to take recreational stimulants. Even though he visited a doctor in order to flush out his body and remove his physical dependence to stimulants, his mental addiction still remained as strong as ever!
"What a huge waste of a mech pilot!" Ves lamented.
Axelar Streon was only a little bit inferior to Venerable Foster when it came to piloting talent. In fact, his superior gene treatments and the other advantages he received should have turned him into an even better mech pilot than Relia Foster in her pre-expert days.
Yet Axelar did not spend his time on polishing his piloting skills. Although the Streon Clan transferred him to an elite mech corps upon graduation, the wastrel actively avoided serving with them and instead spend much of his time in an incoherent daze due to all of the stimulants he took!
"What a stupid pig!" Ves berated his host. "You've got all of these advantages! Trillions of people in the galactic rim would kill to enjoy even a fraction of your good fortune!"
Of course, Axelar was so insensate that Ves could be yelling for hours without ever arousing the junkie's attention.
To Ves, this was no way to live!
"Don't tell me that my entire Mastery experience consists of witnessing Axelar getting high all the time?"
What about piloting mechs? The entire reason why Ves went along with this trip to the past in the first place was to witness a mech pilot in action from their very minds! He did not sign up to get caught up in the constant euphorias of a useless druggie!
"Benny, please hit me up with the seventh formula. I'm in the mood for something more mellow this time."
"Master Axelar." Benny coughed. "You have a mech duel on the agenda. One of your friends have come to visit your home planet. You agreed to duel him tonight."
"Ah.. is that so? I don't remember. Well, a buzz won't hurt while I'm piloting my mech. Give me the seventh formula, please!"
"If that is what you wish."
Ves looked with amazement as Benny acquiesced to Axelar's demand. As a different wave of pleasure erupted in the mind of his host, Ves simply couldn't fathom how Axelar continued to partake in stimulants with a mech duel just hours away from commencing!
After Benny tucked away the syringe containing the seventh formula, he raised his voice yet again.
"Master Axelar, seeing as you are about to enter another duel, you should prepare your mech at this time."
"Okay.. please summon the interface."
Benny pressed a button on his comm which summoned a large projection of what appeared to be a very slick and simplified mech design interface.
To Ves' amazement, Axelar raised his shaky fingers and began to manipulate the interface. He selected various parts which the software automatically put together. Through picking and choosing all of the essential parts of a mech, the AIs working behind the scenes automatically put them together into a single, technically-sound design!
Not only that, but the AIs completed the design without the input of any human mech designer!
Axelar grinned like a bleary drunk. "What do you think about my latest creation, Benny? It's a work of art! Just look at its smooth lines and its cool posture! I'll definitely be victorious tonight!"
"It is an excellent, Master Axelar. No mech designer can ever equal your work!" Benny said with a smile. The attendant manipulated the interface before turned it off. "Your mech is being materialized right as we speak. It will be ready for your upcoming duel."
Ves practically looked on with horror with what had just occurred. The mech that Axelar designed in his highly intoxicated state was anything but a piece of art! It was a bona fide abomination that should have never existed in the first place!
Chapter 1150
The Greater Terran United Confederation was the latest manifestation of the oldest continuous state in human civilization. Although the names might change, the humans who looked up to the ancestry of Old Earth always referred to themselves as Terrans.
As one might expect, Terrans thought highly of themselves. Old Earth was the original birthplace of mankind and even in the Age of Mechs it continued to play a pivotal role as one of the most important cultural institutions of the human race.
The stuck-up ancient clans that ruled at the top were so oppressive and insufferable that at some point during the Age of Conquest, a large amount of colonies rose up in rebellion!
Suffice to say, a lot of non-Earth humans hated the Terran elites and were just waiting for a moment to shake loose from their rule!
While the Terrans managed to suppress most of the uprisings in time using their awesome military might, the cowardly Terran leaders kept too many warships close to home. This afforded some of the more powerful rebellious colonies situated further away from Old Earth precious time to establish themselves!
By the time the conservative Terrans finally realized what their cautious defensive and reactive stance had wrought, the New Rubarth Empire already came into existence!
Ever since then, the Terrans needed to contend with the new kid on the block.
Having unshackled themselves from the stuffy Terrans, the newly-emerged Rubarthans quickly caught up and overtook their old masters! The bold and daring reforms they implemented through every layer of their society enabled the Rubarthans to become incredibly productive!
Seeing the Rubarthans rise up and take over the crown that rightfully belonged to the original birthplace of mankind, the Greater Terran United Confederation tentatively reformed their own society.
They had no choice! If they continued to stick to the old ways that led to most of their far-flung colonies rising up in arms, the Terrans would continue to decline!
In the end, while the Terrans implemented a lot of decent reforms, the ancient clans were far too unwilling to enable others to challenge their oligopoly on power. Many outside observers considered their reforms to be too half-hearted. Many of the same inefficiencies and excesses that plagued the old Terrans still existed in modern times.
This was why most of the galaxy considered the New Rubarth Empire to be the new standard bearers of humanity. Other than the Big Two, most of human space now looked up to the Rubarthans for leadership.
Ves always thought that the weakness of the Greater Terran United Confederation had always been overstated. Much of the galaxy became so inured in the wide reach of pro-Rubarthan influences that they completely disregarded the fact that the Confederation was still a first-rate superstate!
Yet now that the System forcefully inserted his consciousness in the mind of a decadent junkie like Axelar Streon, he began to think the Rubarthans may had a point!
Axelar possessed so much talent and ability, but he squandered it all!
Just the a-la-carte automatic mech design service he had access was an incredibly powerful tool in the right hands! Ves had never seen a layman put together a mech so easily!
In the right hands, a mech pilot would be able to use the auto designer to pick and choose the properties of a mech from the ground up!
This was incredibly valuable because a mech pilot would not be stuck with the same strengths and weaknesses of their existing mechs. A mech pilot who used an auto designer to their full potential would be able to put together a mech that precisely countered the opposition!
Combined with materialization technology that could faithfully reproduce any mech design down to the atom, then the power and versatility at Axelar's disposal should have been enough for him to dominate
Yet what did Axelar do with all of this power?
He just picked and chose random components and let the AIs mash them together without any regard for fit and synergy!
Ves was vaguely able to determine the date from some of the tech he witnessed in the auto designer's catalog. He estimated that the System sent him back at least ninety years this time.
Even then, most of the high technology at Axelar's disposal astounded him! Even though this junkie probably hadn't been coherent enough to know what he was putting in his own mech, the parts he selected all cost a fortune!
The mech that Axelar ended up with was technically a multipurpose mech. It featured half-a-dozen weapon systems, most of them integrated all over the torso and the head of the abomination the AIs produced.
Axelar only added a positron rifle and a Destroyer Sword out of force of habit.
The bloated hero mech that came out possessed arms unsuited for the weapons they carried, a targeting system that only worked well with heavy artillery weapons, legs that were a bit too light for all of the mass it was meant to support, a flight system with wings that were way too massive and cumbersome, an armor system that should have only been used in heavy mechs, and an amazingly resilient active shielding system that drained the mech's insufficient power supply within minutes!
In other words, the auto-generated hero mech that Axelar was about to duel with was a sluggish, bloated mess with practically no endurance should it activate all of its systems!
If Ves was in charge, he would have easily been able to build a mech that was at least ten times more effective in battle!
"You stupid drug-addled idiot!" Ves mentally cursed at Axelar. "Even if you know nothing about mech design, you should at least know better than to weigh your mech down with such a cumbersome armor system! Even if the flight system you chose is powerful, that is only the case with proper medium mechs!"
As it was, the hero mech that Axelar ended up with was practically a sitting duck! Its turning rate was so slow that practically any competent opponent would be able to circle around and attack Axelar's mech from the rear!
Even as Ves vented his frustration at Axelar for constantly clouding his mind with recreational stimulant, he also noted the technologies at the Terran highborn's disposal.
Practically every aspect surpassed the technology used in the galactic rim by an incredible margin!
"With all of this high technology and high-grade exotics at the Confederation's disposal, it's no surprise that they don't stick to specialized mech archetypes."
Many weapon systems didn't take up a lot of space, but could nevertheless inflict a lot of damage. This led to the trend of integrating various weapon systems in the frame of the mech.
It was kind of like integrating frontline mech traits into the frame of a standard humanoid mech. Through combining numerous internal and external weapon systems into a single machine, a multipurpose mech exhibited much fewer apparent weaknesses.
Not only that, but many of the high-tech flight systems available in the auto designer were not as cumbersome as those used in the galactic rim! Better tech and better materials allowed component designers to miniaturize and even break up the flight system into remarkably compact modules!
This basically meant that pure landbound mechs didn't exist in first-rate superstates! Almost every mech possessed the capability to fly because it was incredibly easy to integrate flight systems and flight modules to even the heaviest mech frames.
If designed correctly, then first-class mechs might even be able to operate under all four major environmental conditions! This meant that a single mech could operate on land, in the air, in space and underwater without suffering any major handicaps to their performance!
"This is practically the holy land of mech design!"
Ves envied Axelar's access to so much high technology and excellent materials. Although the scion of the Streon Clan was a member of the Terran elite, the mechs piloted by the rank-and-file shouldn't be too much worse!
"No wonder a lot of Masters succumb to the temptation of moving to the galactic center. With so many possibilities, Masters have a much easier time in realizing their ideal mech designs."
Still, the sheer amount of abundance at the disposal of the Terrans also led to a lot of waste. Every mech was overengineered and tried to stuff far more exotic systems and gimmicks than any single machine ought to possess. The high degree of restraint exhibited by mech designers in the galactic rim was nowhere present in the galactic center!
"More is not always better." Ves mentally shook his head.
As a mech designer from the galactic rim, Ves inherited the prevailing values of the region. Efficiency was paramount, and even if he did not always put this priority first, he still valued cost-efficient designs.
His exposure to Terran mech standards still left him reeling to be honest. Ves felt like he was a pauper who lived in the slums all his life, only to be picked up and dropped into a prosperous downtown city district!
"How many Terrans have access to something like the auto designer?"
Although Ves looked down on the crappy auto-generated mech that Axelar casually put together, it was still a genuine first-class mech that could defeat hundreds of third-class mechs in a straightforward battle!
"What a waste!" Ves couldn't help but lament at Axelar's ugly creation.
In practice, the multipurpose mech's lack of mobility and low endurance made the mech far too susceptible against long-ranged artillery bombardment.
While Ves continued to mentally berate the awful mech design that Axelar put together, a few hours passed by. Benny finally injected Alexar with some sort of flushing chemical that pulled the completely insensitive junkie back into a half-coherent state.
"Master Oliver of the Renwald Clan has arrived." Benny dutifully informed.
"Oh? Why is Oliver here?" Axelar asked with a slur in his voice.
"You scheduled a friendly mech duel with him tonight. Don't you remember?"
After seven painfully long seconds, Axelar a light finally dawned in his eyes. "Oh right! I promised I would kick his butt this time! With the amazing new mech that I've designed, I'll finally be able to gloat in front of his face!"
With the assistance of Benny and an array of bots, Axelar freshened up his appearance and donned a very sharp outfit. If not for his hazy eyes and his swaying movements, he might have actually lived up to the high reputation of the Terrans.
Moments later, Axelar moved to the foyer of his villa and met his friend.
"Axelar! How's it going, buddy?"
"I'm feeling fantastic, Oliver! Ever since I took over that pharmaceutical company, I've been enjoying some of the best highs in my life!"
"Hey, don't keep all the good stuff to yourself!"
"I would never deprive you of my stimulants. Benny, hit Oliver up with the latest formula."
Axelar's bodyguard silently stepped forward. Benny nodded once to Oliver's bodyguards before he injected the guest with a powerful stimulant.
"Whoa! I'm seeing stars! Damn, I need to sit down for this. I can feel the next wave coming already!"
"Hahaha! My drug company makes the best stimulants in the galaxy!" Axelar boasted. "Benny, hit me up with a dose as well!"
"Master Axelar, what about your duel?"
"Forget about the duel! Testing my company's latest formula is much more important! In fact, scrap the duel!"
"And your newly-materialized mech?"
"Dump it into a star for all I care."
Ves watched with mounting disgust as Axelar and Oliver both forgot about the mech duel they previously scheduled. Instead, they spent the rest of the evening sampling some of the latest stimulant formulas that Axelar's pharmaceutical company developed for their owner!
All of the drugs were very potent on their own, but when taken in quick succession, their effects blended with each other to achieve incredibly powerful physiological reactions!
Both Axelar and Oliver drugged themselves into a completely smashed and insensate state! Even newborn babies were more coherent than this pair of degenerate druggies!
