The Mech Touch

Ves waited until he and his family boarded the shuttle that would bring them out of Pentahull Station that he addressed what happened with his wife.

"Thanks for the backup." He said in a partially resentful tone.

Gloriana didn't even look at him as she held Marvaine in her lap and treated him like a baby.

"You are the patriarch of our clan, my dear. Haven't you insisted time and time again that you should be the man in charge? I have done nothing else but abide by your wish. I did not wish to counteract your strategy as you seem to have the situation well in hand. From the moment that Reynard Clarke made his offer, I already predicted your response."

Well, at least she got that right. The last thing that Ves needed was to have his own wife mess up his response.

"What is your viewpoint on this issue?" He asked. "Do you think it is worthwhile to join the Rubarth if we have the opportunity?"

His wife paused for a moment before a disapproving expression appeared on her face.

"No. I do not think that is the wisest decision that we can make. The New Rubarth Empire is strong, but it is led by a tyrannical emperor who has utterly debased the concept of family and love. He treats women like single-use toys and he has spawned so many children that no one has an accurate count of them. The values that he holds and the example that he sets for his subjects are so deplorable that I would never want our offspring to grow in such a culture. Although I do not approve of everything you do in your clan, you at least value the concept of family."

As Ves listened to his wife, he briefly glanced over at his daughters who were in the process of playing with the new toys and mech figures that they had bought during the shopping trip.

He tried to imagine how his children would become affected if they suddenly turned into Rubarthan citizens.

Their lives wouldn't be as pleasant, but they would probably succeed. Ves has invested a lot of money and resources into setting them up for success. From starting their lives as designer babies to imparting them with remarkable companion spirits that supercharged their mental development, they would doubtlessly be able to stand out in a society that rewarded brilliance and talent!

However, there were always better people in this vast and mighty empire. Ves had heard of vast groups aligned with powerful Rubarthan princes that invested enormous sums into researching human augmentation.

After centuries of accumulation, each of these groups mastered unique and propriety forms of augmentation that gave their descendants unparalleled strength in specific occupations!

This was the basis on which powerful lineages retained their dominance in Rubarthan society in the long term. Newer entrants either had to join these established influences or get crushed by the ruthless competition.

This was one of the reasons why Rubarth produced so many exiles! The cake had already been divided a long time ago, so the only way for new powers to rise was to defeat an established rival!

Sometimes, these challenges succeeded, but more often than not the gambles ended in failure.

Ves did not think that he and his children would do any better. Their heritage and accumulation was simply no match against that of a powerful Rubarthan principality.

Of course, the Larkinsons could easily avoid these problems by formally surrendering themselves to one of those very same Rubarthan principalities, but that was unacceptable!

"After getting let down by one superior after another, I vowed that I would never pledge my loyalty to another higher authority again." Ves spoke with determination in my voice. "It doesn't matter whether the Rubarthan Emperor steps away from his throne in the heart of his empire and travels all the way to the Red Ocean in order to vassalize me in person. I will never put my life in the hands of another leader again. Our clan may be an ant in front of a mighty first-rate superstate, but at least it is mine."

His wife grinned in approval. "Well said, Ves. The clan is completely ours."

That ended any further thought on Reynard Clarke's offer.

Ves was already happy with his current situation. The MTA appreciated his work and potential but always maintained a certain degree of distance due to its policies.

This might not sound great to many people, but it was exactly what he wanted. He had too many secrets and entanglements and did not want the mechers to figure them all out. Only trouble would arise once they stumbled upon a secret as shocking as the Mech Designer System.

Besides, the MTA was much more powerful and influential to a legacy state that had been forced to bow down in front of the Big Two. There was no compelling reason why Ves should trade away all of the goodwill and relationships he built up with the mechers just so he could mingle with the weaker Rubarthans.

Ves already knew how the MTA worked and understood what he must do in order to increase his importance in their eyes. The two factions he was associated with possessed clear ideologies and ambitions that he could satisfy by continuing to progress in his current trajectory.

He would have to throw all of that away if he decided to become a Rubarthan!

"To be honest, I would have felt a lot more tempted if we had the opportunity to join the Greater Terran United Confederation instead." Gloriana unexpectedly revealed.

"Huh?" Ves threw a questioning glance at her. "The Terrans are worse than the Rubarthans. At least the latter rewards actual ability. I'm not so certain that the former will do the same."

"The Terrans prize family much more than the Rubarthans. It is the heart of their power structure. The ancient clans that reign over the confederation prize bloodline, lineage and inheritance above everything else. As long as our clan can join their ranks, we will also be able to ensure that our children and our grandchildren will receive the greatest of privileges."

Ves looked contemptuous when he heard that. The ancient clans were responsible for much of what was wrong with the decadent first-rate superstate. The only reason the Terran Confederation still managed to keep up with Rubarth was because the former could still rely on the immense amount of accumulation and heritage of its enormous history.

Still, even that didn't help the Terrans fend off the powerful upstarts known as the Big Two.

"If I was forced to choose between the two first-rate superstates, I would definitely cast my lot with the Rubarthans." Ves stated.

"You wouldn't say that if you understand the advantages of being a Terran. It is true that their society is weighed down by the sheer depth and breadth of their legacy, but the sheer amount of ancient clans that have carved their own territories in the superstate means that none of them are ever able to rise on top of the others."

"And that matters because…?"

"Let me finish, Ves. The state is a confederation in the truest sense of the word in that it is run as a union of many different groups. Every ancient clan under its umbrella enjoys a great amount of autonomy and control over its own citizens and certain laws. The Terran clans only cooperate in areas where collective power is essential such as external defense and foreign relations."

"This is the main reason why the Terran Confederation has remained stagnant all this time." Ves retorted as he crossed his arms. "The lack of a single clear authority figure makes it hard to implement changes that are necessary to revitalize the state. With all of these fractured power bases opposing each other, the organizational inertia is so great that the Terrans can barely get anything done!"

Gloriana didn't see anything wrong with that. "What you are describing is a state that is governed by consensus. This means that the outcome that you have always feared should never happen to us as long as we are a part of the decision makers. Don't you see, Ves? There is no overpowering emperor or sovereign who can dictate what the clans should do! If our Larkinson Clan can earn the status of a Terran ancient clan, we will be able to have it both ways! You can retain your control over your own fief but also enjoy all of the protection and benefits that a first-rate superstate has to offer!"

Ves had to admit that Gloriana did not speak as much nonsense as usual this time. Her descriptions of the virtues of the Terran Confederation were accurate as far as he knew.

It was too bad that all of it was just as absurd as putting lipstick on a pig. The few good points of the first-rate superstate did not outweigh its many ailments!

"It doesn't matter, Gloriana. The Terran Confederation's power base is completely solidified. Every existing ancient clan has already carved out all its available territories. There is no way to defeat these entrenched insiders given that they have so much history and accumulation on their side."

"That may be true in the past, but have you forgotten about the Red Ocean Promise already?" Gloriana reminded her husband. "The Terran Confederation has made a commitment to promote the top 5 pioneers of the Terran Alliance into ancient clans. Previously, you never took this offer seriously because you did not have faith that our Larkinson Clan would have a realistic chance of making it that far. Now that over five years have passed, do you still think that is the case?"

Ves fell into thought. The speed in which his clan had grown and the enormous implications of his recent innovations were astounding. This made him feel that he and his clan may have a realistic shot to become one of the winners of the Red Ocean Promise!

He quickly shook his head. So what if this was the case? He and his clan would still have to enter a shark tank and try to fend off countless ruthless predators in order to make it to the top.

There was no way a second-class organization like the Larkinson Clan would be able hold its ground against the many first-class organizations that sought to grasp this exceedingly rare but rewarding chance to become a Terran ancient clan!

He looked disapprovingly at his wife. "Don't be stupid, honey. Entertaining these fantasies will only get you killed. There is no shortcut to power. Those that promise to protect us are only interested in exploiting us. They will discard us as soon as we have outlived our usefulness. It has happened in the past and it will definitely happen in the future. The only way we can make it through is if we rely and build up our own strength."

Neither the Terrans nor the Rubarthans were any good in his opinion. Ves recognized that they were still powerful in a sense, but there were good reasons why they had been relegated to the background after the beginning of the Age of Mechs.

Even if the Big Two might possibly decline in the future, Ves believed that the next leading powers of human civilization would have no relations with the existing powers.

The trend of human history always favors upstarts for various reasons. Losers that had been deposed in the past never regained their former glory because they never went far enough in confronting the root causes of their failure.

Heritage, legacy and history were all handicaps that prevented the former rulers from rising again.

The human race always progressed forward. It never regressed backwards. Ves believed it was the height of folly to throw his lot in with a relic of the past when it was so obviously outdated!

"I don't know what the future holds, but there is one thing I know for certain."

"And what is that, Ves?"

"It is the power of adaptation rather than strength that will determine the winners."

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