The Mech Touch

A few tense days went by as Ves and Gloriana both concentrated on their work.

The Adonis project entered a new phase as Gloriana finished mapping Vincent Ricklin's condition.

As a client, Vincent was less than ideal.

His piloting skills reflected his scattered piloting experiences. His lack of specialization meant that he didn't possess any strong strengths, which was generally seen as a disadvantage.

"Vincent is versatile, but that's generally not a good thing." Ves remarked. "Perhaps it's for the best that he wants us to design a hybrid mech for him. He'll be able to compensate for his lack of exemplary skill by relying on the arsenal of his mech."

Gloriana, who sat next to him at the design lab, nodded in agreement. "While it's not a good idea for a mech pilot to rely on the features of his mech to cover for his shortcomings, it's the only way he can make achievements on the battlefield. It won't be very conducive to his growth, though. A mech pilot that lets his mech do the heavy lifting will never improve as fast as a mech pilot who has to struggle for every victory."

This was a very well-documented phenomenon. The quality and capability of a mech had to match the skill level of the mech pilot.

For example, it was fine for Ves to design a mech as fantastic as the Transcendent Messenger because he knew it would be paired with elite Kronon mech pilots.

This was different, though. The budget for the Adonis was just as much as the budget for a Transcendent Messenger.

Obviously, the people who arranged the commission wanted Ves to design a mech comparable in performance as the Transcendent Messenger. He already proved he was capable of designing a great custom mech at this price level, and with Gloriana's help the Adonis would doubtlessly be even better!

Unfortunately, how well did these bureaucrats and officials understand what was appropriate for Vincent Ricklin?

Ves and Gloriana wouldn't feel so hesitant about their budget if it was only half as much.

Contrary to what many people might think, mech designers did not necessarily insist on designing the most expensive mechs.

If a more powerful mech was paired with an awful mech pilot, then it was hard to bring out the full potential of the machine.

"Don't worry too much, Ves." She attempted to comfort him by patting his arm. "I've faced these situations before back at home. Few can resist the temptation of piloting an impressive mech. We just have to make sure that we design a mech that Vincent can grow into after being baptized on the battlefield."

"So the premise is to design a mech that is easy to pick up but offers a lot of room for growth, right?"

"Exactly. In case of a hybrid mech like the Adonis, we can just implement some limiters and lock some functions until Vincent has grown skilled enough to handle all of its capabilities."

While this solution wasn't perfect, Ves thought it was good enough.

If Ves designed a mech as complex and formidable as the Transcendent Messenger, then it was best to pair it up with a highly-trained mech pilot such as Taon Melin or Lord Javier of House Eneqqin.

Both of them were very talented in mech piloting and enjoyed some of the most rigorous training offered by their respective states. Designing a mech to such capable mech pilots was any mech designer's dream.

As for Vincent…

He wasn't as good in swordsmanship as a swordsman mech pilot. His marksmanship left much to be desired when compared to a marksman mech pilot. He wasn't as good in piloting skirmisher mechs as Raella Larkinson, and he definitely wouldn't be able to match Jannzi Larkinson's ability in piloting space knights.

There was nothing Vincent was truly good at, and that troubled the mech designers.

If Vincent wanted them to design a simple knight mech or rifleman mech, then they could have easily designed it with a low skill floor and a high skill ceiling.

Yet everything became a bit more complicated because Vincent insisted on a hybrid mech.

From a defensive standpoint, the Adonis he demanded resembled a knight mech or a heavy mech. Vincent clearly wanted a mech that boasted the maximum level of protection a medium mech could bear.

From an offensive standpoint, the Adonis relied on multiple weapon systems. Fortunately, Vincent hadn't set any priorities, so the main armament of the mech was clearly its Sandbreaker rifle.

Ves and Gloriana treated the missile launchers, wrist-mounted nail drivers and spare sword as auxiliary weapons. They didn't have to devote too much capacity to accommodate these secondary weapon systems.

"If you strip all of the frills from the Adonis, it's basically an armored rifleman mech."

"You could also call it a long-ranged striker mech, Ves."

"The point is that we should approach its design as a ranged mech that mainly relies on armor rather than mobility to protect itself. It's similar to the Dawnbreaker and Novabreaker in that regard."

Of course, with a budget as generous as theirs, the Adonis would definitely be paired with an armor system that could withstand at least twice as much damage!

After Ves gained a comprehensive understanding of the data that Gloriana gathered, they began to design a draft for the Adonis.

"Vincent clearly prizes the cosmetic design of his custom over its functional design." Gloriana explained to Ves. As a mech designer who designed many custom mechs, this detail hadn't escaped her notice. "So it is best to start sketching out the external appearance of the Adonis before we proceed with trying to fit components into the draft design."

Though Ves wasn't quite comfortable with that approach, he deferred to her judgement on this matter.

"Let me take the lead first. I'm very confident in my artistic capabilities."

Ves began to draw some lines on the projected design interface.

When Vincent initially described his demands and showed him his awful sketch of what he wanted his mech to look like, Ves already formed some ideas in his mind.

He did not adhere too closely to Vincent's poor drawing. An artist like Ves had his own standards and ideas. If possible, he wanted to push forward his own interpretation of how the Adonis should appear.

In fact, he developed several possible interpretations. Since he couldn't quite make up his mind on which one to go for, he decided to sketch out two more initial drafts after he finished his first work.

Gloriana mainly sat by his side while she became enchanted by his expression of art. Occasionally, she pointed out a problematic area or suggested some improvements, but she was content with letting Ves take the lead.

At the end of the drafting session, Ves managed to produce three distinctive depictions.

The first one shared a strong resemblance to the Marc Antony design. The similarities invoked some nostalgia within Ves. After so much time had passed, he returned to his very first commercial mech.

Perhaps Vincent would feel nostalgic as well when he saw this draft.

Of course, Ves did not copy the Marc Antony's external appearance directly. He was a lot more skilled and experienced than before. He worked away many of the faults he overlooked when he was younger.

He also adjusted the first sketch's contours and proportions to appear more like a sculpted human and less like an armored machine. He also shaped the front torso of the mech in the form of a muscle cuirass.

With all of the detailed scans that Gloriana had made of Vincent's body, it was no problem for Ves to transpose the contours of his client's chest onto his sketch.

"What do you think about this draft? I call it the Caesar version."

"It's very familiar. It's as if it's a spiritual successor to your Marc Antony design." Gloriana smiled. "Still, I don't think it's quite your style anymore. The Marc Antony is a variant of the Caesar Augustus, which is someone else's design. While the Caesar Augustus has definitely shaped the evolution of your design style, you are so much better now. This sketch doesn't do you justice."

"That's very astute of you." Ves agreed with her assessment. "The intention behind the Caesar version is to see whether Vincent appreciates the nostalgia of the Marc Antony design."

They turned to the second draft. This one possessed a different shape and proportion of limbs. Though Ves kept the muscle definition on the chest the same, he heavily beefed it up to make room for more armor and capacity.

The mech basically resembled a heavy-armored warrior. The thick protection for the arms and other limbs made them a lot more unwieldy, which was not desirable for ranged mechs. The extra armor also slowed down the mech considerably.

However, Ves believed its defensive capabilities were much more robust as a consequence.

"This is the Colossus version." He introduced. "It's the most defense-oriented draft of the three. It's actually the safest version of the Adonis since it's so well-protected. The downside is that it's slower, less precise and not as agile."

"The Colossus certainly looks imposing. If Vincent doesn't care too much about making actual achievements in battle, then this is the mech that fits him best."

The third draft was a slimmer mech than the previous two designs. Ves shaped it akin to an athletic runner's physique. While its armor was a bit less robust than the other drafts, it possessed a very sophisticated masculine charm.

"I'm not too sure whether Vincent will like this draft. I call it the Olympian version since it is an attempt to balance offense, defense and mobility. While it diverges a bit from Vincent's demand, it offers something the other versions don't, which is higher-than-average mobility."

The Olympian version was less massive than the other two versions. It also featured a larger and more powerful flight system. Its mobility clearly surpassed the others by a considerable margin.

"I think this is a step too far, Ves. Mobility is clearly not an overarching concern to Vincent, otherwise he would have mentioned it by now. I think it's good that you have offered an alternative, though. Personally, I prefer this Olympian version the most. It embodied your artistic style the most."

Once Ves made some last-minute adjustments based on Gloriana's feedback, the two called in Vincent to listen to his feedback.

"We have translated the visual design of your Adonis as best as possible. Which one do you prefer the most?"

It did not take much time for Vincent to make his choice. He immediately pointed to the Colossus version. "I want this big boy here! I like how much armor you've added to the mech! With a mech like this, I'll be able to laugh off the attacks of the sandmen!"

Both Ves and Gloriana looked at each other and frowned.

"The Colossus version is not a space knight, Vincent." Ves carefully reminded him. "If you choose to opt for this version, we'll make sure to offer as much protection as we can, but it won't be as good in withstanding enemy fire as a proper space knight with a shield."

Vincent showed no concern. "It's fine! This much protection is enough! I'll definitely beat the sandmen before they can break the armor plating of my mechs! That's a promise!"

Though Ves did not entirely have faith in his client's assertion, he was too lazy to correct it. If Vincent was so eager to suffer a loss in battle, so be it. Ves just wanted to get the Adonis project over with so he could get back to designing the mechs he truly wanted to realize.

"By the way, there's something missing here."

"What is that?"

Vincent pointed straight at the lower waist of the Colossus. "The codpiece! How could you draft such a manly mech but forget about the codpiece?! Do you think you can get away with designing a eunich mech for me or something?!"

Ves wanted to palm his face.