The Mech Touch

It was quite rare for Journeymen like Ves and Gloriana to be able to talk to a genuine Master Mech Designer. Even though this was not their first meeting with Professor Cline, the pair still wanted to take advantage of the moment.

"Do you believe that the biomech industry has fallen behind?" Gloriana asked.

This was a s.e.n.s.i.t.i.v.e question, but it wasn't enough to rile up a Master.

"Perhaps." The professor shrugged. "Does that change anything? Not necessarily. When you live to my age, you think less in the moment and more across longer stretches of time. In my perspective, trends come and go, certain mechs become fashionable while others are phased out for whatever reason. These are all momentary events that are all part of a greater tapestry that tells the stories of mechs. Too many people make the mistake of focusing on the part of the tapestry that is in front of them. That is a short-sighted approach. You can gain an entirely different understanding if you take a few steps back and view the tapestry as a whole."

"Not everyone gets to live as long as you, professor." Ves responded in a mild tone. "What might be a moment for someone who is more than three centuries old can be half a lifetime to an average mech pilot."

"That is an unfortunate reality. Every society is diverse. That is what makes it so rich and vibrant. While it is regretful that life prolonging treatment still hasn't become accessible to the wider population, I hope that will change one day. Our society will become very different if average citizens are able to reach my age."

Ves wasn't so sure if he wanted to welcome such a future. When people lived beyond their natural lifespans, they tended to get very weird. If human civilization became filled with geriatrics with mentalities that were warped by age, then who knew what might happen to the future of their race!

"You have a very optimistic view of humanity. I cannot bring myself to accept your viewpoint. The proportions of humans in the galaxy that can only look at what is right in front of them far outnumbered those who can view the entire tapestry. Even though the latter has a considerable say in how our civilization is run, it is the former who truly decides how we live."

"That is true. This is why education is important. Even if progress is slow, we must never fail in our endeavors to improve everyone's lives. I have hope that we will one day achieve a level of progress where everyone can live like a prince."

Yeah right! Ves had to resist the urge to snort. Instead, he offered a restrained answer.

"Many millennia have passed since humanity ascended to the stars. Even after going through the disaster that was the end of the Age of Conquest, the lives of many humans haven't fundamentally changed. Our tech has improved, but humans who are born today still have to struggle to make a living and get caught in the same senseless wars."

The Master Mech Designer looked tired. "That is because the dominant model of our current civilization is an extension of the same flawed model of the past. The future that I and many of my colleagues are working towards is one where the solutions of biotechnology solved many of the shortcomings of societies outside our state. You may think us odd for favoring a technology base that seems alien to you, but we believe in our cause."

"You've been working for this cause for several hundred years." Gloriana noted. "How much longer will it take to attain your goals?"

"No one can answer that question. We can only continue to soldier on and wait until the moment is right. It might take centuries. It might take millenia. However, a time will come where the existing model has run its course. That is when our alternate model based on tech that works on different principles will show its value."

Though the professor did not raise his voice, Ves could feel the older man's conviction. The strength of a Master Mech Designer's belief was very strong!

Still, Ves wasn't fooled. Just because someone lived several centuries old and just because someone had become extremely good at designing mechs didn't mean he was automatically right in everything else!

Even Masters could be wrong. Ves had to remind himself of this truth.

They continued to talk about other topics until the duel was finally slated to begin.

As was usual in glitzy occasions like these, an extensive introduction followed first. As the announcers started to address the crowds of spectators who were all sitting on different viewing platforms extending from different tree structures, Ves and Gloriana sat down next to Raella and Vincent.

"The Lifers are really pulling out all the stops." Vincent looked impressed as a famous celebrity from the LRA appeared on the center stage in order to sing an inspiring song.

Raella smirked. "They have to be. This is the biggest show that the LRA has held in a while. It's all a bit rushed, though. The Lifers could have organized a much better introduction if they had a few extra months to prepare in advance."

Ves found their remarks to be intriguing. "Are you saying that the organizers are going above and beyond to popularize the design duel?"

"Duh. A single design duel isn't all that special, to be honest. The only ones who really have a stake in the outcome are the two mech designers taking part along with the mech pilots that fight on their behalf. It's not an interesting spectator sport to be honest because the real competition is too technical and abstract to laymen."

She was right. Mech designers were able to understand much of the nuance of design duels. As for ordinary people, they much preferred to view ordinary mech duels where passionate fighters instead of bookish engineers were the protagonists.

While there was a sense that the LRA had to put out its best foot in the eyes of the public and foreign viewers, Ves still found it to be an odd decision to organize such an elaborate show.

As singers, performers and even biomechs began to dance and sway with the music, Ves felt as if the Lifers were doubling down.

For some reason, the higher ups, which was mostly made up of conservatives, were very confident in Dr. Navarro's victory. Even with all of the effort they had undertaken to level the playing field as much as possible, the leaders still acted as if their fellow Lifer would ultimately prevail!

What gave them the confidence? What caused them to act as if Dr. Navarro had already won?

Ves didn't know the answer. There was a humongous risk that all of this showmanship would blow up right in their faces if the foreigner won!

Once the festivities ran their course, the main arena finally cleared. The enthusiastic announcer dramatically began to introduce the first pair of mechs.

[Now, the moment that you have been waiting for has finally arrived! Please welcome the first mech to enter the field!]

No one clapped or shouted when a gold-coated mech passed through the entrance and entered the field.

[The Bright Warrior Mark I Version B is one of Mr. Larkinson's most recent mech designs that are exclusive to his clan. It is a modular mech platform that possesses multiple configurations and infinite versatility. This particular machine comes in the swordsman mech configuration. Its main armament is a balanced sword, but that is not the only weapon. The Bright Warrior is a flight-capable mech that fights best in space but can handle other environments as well due to its flexible design.]

Ves was a bit upset that so many people got a good look at one of the mainstay mechs of the Larkinson Clan. It was not good if others were able to witness the Bright Warrior IB's performance and be able to analyze its strengths and weaknesses from the footage.

However, it was not as if his mechs would be able to remain obscure forever. Deploying them on regular patrols around his fleet already exposed their external appearances to any sensors pointed in their direction.

Any decent mech designer would be able to make a lot of estimates about the Bright Warrior model's performance from those long-ranged observations alone.

Yet estimates were quite different from solid data. With so many high-quality sensors and recorders doc.u.menting the upcoming match, his enemies would definitely know what to expect!

Fortunately, the Bright Warrior that had stepped onto the field was not an exact replica of the basic model. This modified version contained several deviations that should hopefully give it a better chance.

[Currently sitting in the c.o.c.kpit of the Bright Warrior is Captain Alazar Ipsich! A mercenary captain of the adventurous Dretton Shearers, Captain Ipsich has fought many battles and skirmishes inside and outside of our state. Due to his extensive foreign tours, our good mercenary captain has piloted plenty of classical mechs alongside his beloved biomechs. He is equally proficient in piloting them both and has expressed no difficulty in piloting this specially-prepared swordsman mech!]

The projected profile image of Captain Ipsich displayed a typical mercenary officer. As was customary among second-class mercenaries, the captain dressed well and took pride in his work. He was anything but the sloven cowards that Ves typically associated with third-class mercenaries.

He didn't know much about the man, though. The selection of mech pilots was out of his hands. He could only put his faith in the assurance that every selected mech pilot would be impartial in their evaluation of the mechs they utilized in the first and second phase of the design duel.

Since the winner and loser of the design duel rested in the hands of mech pilots like Captain Ipsich, Ves felt quite uncertain how much bias would play a role!

"He's been through a lot, that's for sure." Vincent commented from the side. "You can tell he's a real survivor, like me. He's been through rougher times than me, though. You can see it in the eyes. Those are the eyes of a man who has dropped into hell and used his own two hands to crawl out of it. Experiences like that changes people. I can also tell that Captain Ipsich really needs a girlfriend, though."

Ves disregarded the last sentence but did not discount the rest. As idiotic as Vincent sounded sometimes, he was quite good with people.

"How will he fight in battle?"

"That depends." Vincent paused in thought. "Mech pilots like Captain Ipsich will fight with caution for the most part. It's baked in the DNA of a merc, but it's also due to his nature as a survivor. However, if he ever becomes cornered, you'll see a different side of him. Survivors can burst out a lot of strength if they feel their life is on the line."

Raella looked a bit skeptical at her boyfriend. "You're just talking out of your b.u.t.t, Vincent. Do I need to remind you that your b.u.t.t is currently fixed to your hover chair? There's no way your psychoanalysis is accurate!"

"That's because you're a woman, babe! Mark my words. That fellow will fight exactly how I've described. Only true men understand other true men, and Captain Ipsich is exactly one who has proven himself in battle. The only question is whether he'll ever unveil his desperate side. The dueling ring is incomparable to an actual battlefield. Fights never result in fatalities. There's a reason why veterans and most working mech pilots underperform in the mech arena. It takes the mindset of a true competitor in order to showcase your full might on the stage."

That was an interesting perspective. It sounded quite logical as well. As Ves thought about what Vincent said, the opposing biomech finally entered the dueling as well!