The Mech Touch

The difference was rather subtle, but the aura of the prototype definitely shifted when Taon Melin interfaced with it for the first time.

According to his theories on the X-Factor, Ves believed this was because of a strong compatibility between the mech and mech pilot.

Because the X-Factor of the Transcendent Messenger was unusually pure and one-dimensional, the changes a mech pilot introduced to the X-Factor became very obvious.

To Ves, it seemed that Taon Melin's intensity carried over to the mech through the man-machine connection.

It was like a drop of color fell into a clear glass of water. The edge added to the hero mech's X-Factor was a combination of both the mech and mech pilot.

As the newly-activated prototype proceeded to perform basic actions to test the integrity and range of motion of its frame, Ves thought of the implications of his latest observation.

Normally, mech pilots didn't exhibit a lot of focus. They contributed very little to the expression of X-Factor to their mechs.

In contrast, both the mech and mech designers exhibited very strong spirituality together.

For this reason, Ves always considered his mech designs as a means to impose their X-Factor to their mech pilots.

The theory he developed so far was that mech pilots needed to conform to the values and principles embedded that Ves had imparted to the mech through its X-Factor. The greater the resemblance, the greater the expression of X-Factor.

A calm and methodical mech pilot wouldn't gain much benefit out of a mech with an aggressive and impulsive X-Factor.

The differences were so great that the opposite of synergy might happen. The mech and mech pilot might fight against each other, thereby impacting the machine's effective performance!

If the mech and mech pilot were completely in sync, then the best result would happen. At least, that was what Ves always believed.

Now, he wasn't so sure anymore. As Ves discreetly activated his spiritual vision and observed the changes in the X-Factor of the prototype, he became fascinated by the possibilities it opened up in his mind.

Taon Melin's influence on the X-Factor of the prototype was miniscule due to his dull and negligible spirituality.

Yet what if the mech pilot was stronger? What if he was an expert candidate or expert pilot? With greater spiritual strength, the mech pilot earned a right to have a say in the expression of X-Factor!

This realization meant that Ves was able to achieve different effects with his mech designs as long as they are piloted by higher-ranking mech pilots.

Each X-Factor would mutate and take on a different emphasis depending on the traits of the individual mech pilot. As a result, each individual mech diverged from the template of their design and became something novel and unique!

"Total compatibility isn't the only solution." Ves whispered to himself.

He long believed that the X-Factor would only be able to reach its full potential if there was a hundred percent sync between a mech, mech pilot and mech designer.

The complete resonance he witnessed beforehand in Eloise Pelican's mind strengthened his belief in this theory.

If Ves could design a mech that managed to achieve unity between man and machine, then he would feel an unprecedented amount of satisfaction!

Yet what if there wasn't a perfect sync? What if the beliefs and principles of the mech, mech pilot and mech designer differed a little bit?

A different form of resonance might occur, one based on synergy rather than unity.

Ves came up with a very bold speculation. If the mech, mech pilot and mech designer all amplified each other's strengths, something even more powerful than complete resonance might occur!

Yet even if synergistic resonance or whatever he decided to call it didn't exist, just the changes the mech pilots brought to the X-Factor opened plenty of new doors to Ves. Now that he knew that an effect like this existed, he could experiment with it and see what benefits it brought when he designed an expert mech in the future.

Overall, the main lesson he learned today was that there were multiple roads to greatness!

The next couple of days hit this lesson home to Ves. The prototype tackled the tests while radiating an aura that blended absolute faith with a quality that Ves best described as zeal.

Taon Melin was a mech pilot that not only exhibited strong faith, but also became very enthusiastic at the prospect of spreading it through his piloting.

"Looks like he's a close fit to the virtue of zeal."

For his current design project, Ves didn't plan to delve into this matter any further. Once Ylvaine's spiritual fragment became the design spirit of the Transcendent Messenger, the spirituality of the mech would definitely minimize the influence the elite Kronon mech pilots exerted on the X-Factor.

In the face of such a wide disparity of spiritual strength, the differences didn't matter. It was best for Ves to aim for compatibility rather than synergy.

"The Transcendent Messenger is designed to embody the different aspects of Prophet Ylvaine's faith. The mech pilot plays the role of a willing vessel in this dynamic."

Right now, Taon became more and more accustomed to the nuances of the prototype. His hesitation lessened and his decisiveness grew stronger. He piloted the mech with confidence through various tests.

From shooting projected dummy targets with its ballistic carbine to sparring against a practice mech with its heavy saber, the Transcendent Messenger fought with zeal and enthusiasm under Taon's control!

"What an inspiring mech." The director of the testing ground sighed. "I've seen a lot of Ylvainan mechs over the years. Some have come close to looking as impressive as your mech, but it truly surprises me that a foreigner is able to accomplish this much. What's the secret?"

Ves smiled politely as he kept an eye on the telemetry readings of the mech. "It's simple. I'm simply good at designing mechs that leave a powerful impression on people. This is one of the reasons why Madame Cecily Curin commissioned me to design her ceremonial bodyguard mechs."

"Yet you are not a worshipper of the Ylvainan Faith. How can you possibly design a mech that appears to be more devout than our homegrown mech designers?"

"While I'm not a believer, I've taken the time to learn about your faith. I have dived into the scriptures of your faith and familiarized myself with its central beliefs. I have gained a strong respect for your faith and carried that over in my work."

The director frowned at the hidden implication in that response. "It is rather odd that your respect is stronger than our earnest belief in our faith."

"I don't mean to belittle the devoutness of your Ylvainan mech designers. Besides, according to the tenets of your faith, everyone is an Ylvainan, right? No matter if someone is an atheist or an adherent to another faith, we are all destined to be reunited as brothers and sisters during the Time of Ascension. The citizens of the Protectorate seem to be obsessed with drawing a line between themselves and foreigners, but is this truly Ylvaine's will?"

What Ves just said put the director and any eavesdropping Ylvainan into an introspective mood.

In the Bright Republic, Ves grew up in a culture that believed in the ideals of the state but also opened their doors to others as long as they weren't Vesians. While many of their neighboring states were weirdos, they nonetheless learned to be a little tolerant if they wanted to conduct business with their closest trading partners.

When Ves visited the Reinald Republic for the first time, he experienced what it was like to live in a state that took their openness and tolerance to foreigners to an extreme. The Reinaldans gleefully attracted as many tourists and visitors as possible in order to milk them of their money.

In contrast to those states who fully integrated into the galactic community, the Ylvaine Protectorate maintained the opposite. They closed their borders and restricted the movement of trade goods and people.

They had a good reason to do so, at first. At the founding of the state, the Ylvainans were defeated refugees who suffered enormously at the hands of non-believers. They needed some time to recover and heal their wounds.

Yet even after they recovered, the Ylvainans became so used to isolating themselves from the rest of the star sector that they continued to to close themselves off.

The central struggle between reformers and traditionalists centered around what was best for the Protectorate.

Should the Ylvaine Protectorate stick to their old ways and risk getting further behind on the prevailing trends?

Should the state welcome foreign influences at the risk of diluting their religious fervor?

The reformers believed the latter served the Ylvainans best.

The director of the testing ground worked for the Curin Dynasty, so he ought to believe in the same ideals.

Yet he still looked uneasy at the prospect that Ves might overshadow their domestic mech designers.

"If respect is enough to express our faith, what is the point of being devout?" He asked with doubt.

"I think Prophet Ylvaine once stated that faith is not a competition." Ves spoke, referring to one of his sayings recorded into scripture. "We are all connected regardless of our beliefs. The rewards of being devout are not immediate and will only be given later."

The spiritual fragment in his mind pulsed in approval.

The prophet had been rather tolerant of other faiths early on. Though he made sure to claim that they all fell under his own in the end, he never compelled someone to convert to his faith. That the Ylvainans grew more intolerant to non-believers was an inevitable development that resulted from the faith's explosive growth.

"There is still value in belief. Perhaps this isn't necessary reflected to mechs."

"This is due to their primary function." Ves replied.""Mechs are designed to fight. They are first and foremost war machines. They aren't meant to be altars of faith. This is one of the reasons why most mechs look flat and generic despite how many references to the faith your domestic mech designers have embedded into their designs. If you want to inspire the faithful and convert the unenlightened, then you're better off building a church rather than a mech."

Ketis spoke up from the side. "I don't agree, Ves. Mechs can certainly convert a lot of people into believers. I've seen it happen plenty of times in.. where I used to live. I've witnessed cases where mechs piloted by cultists invade a settlement and force the villagers to convert to their beliefs at gunpoint. Let me tell you, when there's a huge mech pointing its enormous rifle at your body, you'll be begging and crying to convert!"

"How uncivilized!" The director became aghast. "We would never do something like that?"

"Really?"

She was right to be skeptical. From what Ves read of the history of the Ylvainan Faith, the believers used to be quite militant in spreading their beliefs. They grew more and more violent and unrestrained in their attempts to increase the reach of their faith.

This was also why the states affected by this growing threat moved quickly and decisively to assassinate Prophet Ylvaine and wipe out his entire dynasty.

Of course, Ves would never mention this out aloud. The Attendants of Ylvaine made sure to erase this part of the history of their faith.

"I think the greater point here is that mechs are tools that are inclined towards specific usages." Ves said in an attempt to blunt what Ketis had said. "When you cut a steak, you have better luck using a knife than a fork. While it's still possible to cut a steak with a fork, it's not the best application for this tool."

"That is unless you press your fork onto the neck of someone who holds a knife." Ketis said. "You can threaten the other person to cut the steak for you or simply take the knife for yourself."

That left both Ves and the director speechless.