The Mech Touch

"So that is why you have been so subdued the past few days?" Ketis raised her eyebrow. "All of this happened to you because you listened to a simple story that is clearly a biased retelling of the history of the Gemini Family and their famed ace pilots."

"It is a true story." Venerable Joshua insisted.

"You are letting a single source of information change your entire outlook towards your life and career! Don't you think you are being way too serious about this supposed lesson?"

"Then what else am I supposed to do? I was blundering around in the fog for a long time, sometimes without knowing that I had gotten lost. This is the first time that someone shone a beacon for me. If I can follow the light, I can get out of this fog of confusion and regain my clarity!"

The female swordmaster stared at Joshua for a few seconds before she decided to take pity on her husband.

She reached out across the table and placed her calloused palm on his hand. The warmth of their contact seemed to bring them closer together.

"I'm sorry that I couldn't help you more. I would have wanted to lead you out of the fog myself if I was more capable."

"It's not your fault, Ketis. You are around the same level as me. You don't have the experience and insight of a pair of ace pilots. Those Gemini Saints have gone through a lot more ordeals. They have genuinely spoken from experience."

Ketis frowned at the mention of the Gemini Saints.

"That doesn't mean that you should automatically follow their example. No ace pilot is the same as the others of their kind. They are all strong and they have all overcome their challenges through different means."

"Some requirements are universal." Joshua shot back. "I don't think it is wrong to assume that I need to be true to my heart in order to become stronger. According to the Gemini Saints, our growth is fueled by our need to grow strong enough to realize my convictions and protect what I hold dear. As long as I am of the opinion that I am too weak, an invisible part of myself will make sure to stimulate my willpower so that it can expand in strength."

Ketis did not disagree with this assertion. "I am somewhat familiar with that theory. Many swordmasters believe in this as well, but have you ever thought it is not the complete picture? There are so many swordmasters back in the Heavensword Association who deeply believe they need to become a Sword Saint in order to safeguard the interests of their sword schools and their state, but only a single individual among them have made the leap, and their advancements could mostly be attributed to the legendary Heavensword that symbolizes their office."

Joshua looked up at his dearest wife. "What are you trying to say?"

She sighed. "I'm a mech designer as well as a swordmaster. It is because of the former that I have learned to deal with theories and anecdotes. A proper scientist and engineer shouldn't blindly believe in the tales spoken by others. They should exhibit more critical thinking and determine whether the source is reliable and unbiased, whether you have received the full story, whether there are other alternatives that haven't been mentioned yet and whether the situation described by the story is applicable to your own circumstances."

"You sound as if the story of the Gemini Saints has no bearing on me at all. I don't feel that way. I have a strong sense that following their example can help me overcome my doubts and help me become an ace pilot sooner."

Ketis retracted her hand and leaned back on her chair. She rapped her fingers against the surface of the table.

"Let me tell you what I think about that story that the Gemini Saints forced down your throat. The simplified narrative they spun for you is a story that centers around defiance. It is a tale where the protagonists continue to get stronger and have all of their wishes come true the more they fight against the status quo. The antagonists meanwhile are other people who for one reason or another sought to take their family down."

"Uh, I guess that is the case."

"Have you ever thought that the protagonists might not be the good guys?"

Joshua frowned. "That is an intolerant remark. I never looked down on you because you were a former pilot and because your body had undergone so much genetic tampering."

"This isn't about me! This is about you and those damn Geminis! What I am trying to say is that just because the tale is told from the perspective of the Gemini Saints, it is natural for you to sympathize with them, but that is not necessarily the wisest thing to do. You need to take a step back and avoid casting any judgment on either side. Let's assume that the Gemini Family is neither right or wrong for trying to run an organization where every twin becomes a married couple. Do you think that they are completely in the right?"

"Yes. Well, maybe not so much."

"Why do you think the latter may be the case?" Ketis asked.

"Because… the Geminis want to pursue and possibly spread a way of life that is not naturally viable." The expert pilot slowly answered. "Technology may have solved the inbreeding and genetic defect issue, but human society isn't wealthy enough to give every single human access to designer babies. They are just too expensive and there aren't enough geneticists out there that can splice together so many designer babies. The vast majority of humans outside of first-rate states have to depend on old-fashioned natural reproduction to pass on their bloodline."

Ketis nodded. "You see the problem then. It is one thing for the Gemini Family to keep their practices to themselves. It is another thing for them to set a detrimental example to society. Of course, you can argue that their behavior does not really affect anything because genetic modification has become more widespread over the generations. I am infertile myself due to my genetic treatments so I have no choice but to resort to designer babies in order to have kids."

Both of them looked at their children. Their two adorable kids were cuddling together as they watched a cartoon drama.

"So what is it that you were trying to tell me, dear?" Joshua asked.

"Oh. My point is that the Gemini Saints gained their power from making lots of enemies. They drew strength from their defiance, but have you ever thought about all of the expert pilots who did the same but fell in the process?"

"Uhh…"

"There is a concept called survivor bias in science, Joshua." Ketis told him. "Deriving your conclusions from successful outcomes will lead to a distorted conclusion of reality. If you have done your research, you should be able to find many more tales of defiance that have ultimately led to doomed outcomes. I won't bother to pull from the galactic net as we can draw from plenty of examples in our lives. Take Ves' demented cousin for example. What has become of Venerable Ghanso Larkinson when he turned his back against Ves, the Larkinsons, the Bright Republic and ultimately his own honor."

"...He's dead and his cause remains unfulfilled."

"What has become of Venerable Relia Foster and her quest to take revenge of Ves and the Larkinsons for… I don't know, stuff?"

"She died and can no longer protect her precious Vesia Kingdom."

"I can take out more examples, but I think you get the point." Ketis said. "These are but a few illustrations where expert pilots became so full of themselves that they committed to fights that were clearly stupid but didn't bother to think whether their decisions were sane enough."

"Keeping my sanity is exactly why I am struggling right now! Sometimes, I feel like I am the only sane and normal person in the clan. Everyone just automatically thinks it is okay for us to deploy our mechs and use their awesome power to crush humans and aliens who weren't necessarily doing anything objectionable."

"So what do you want to do about it, hm?!" Ketis growled. "If you take your lessons from the story of the Gemini Saints, then I am afraid that you will make the conclusion that the best and maybe only way to stay true to your heart is to follow it without any regard for the consequences. This means that you will turn yourself into a superidiot who only cares about trying to spread peace among the stars."

"That doesn't sound like a bad conviction to me." Joshua remarked.

"Others won't be kind to you because of your intrusive ideals!" She hissed. "In a reality full of fighting, none of the reigning powers want to put a stop to the conflicts. People will especially react poorly to you when you begin to spread a cosmopolitan message! You will make enemies, Joshua, lots of enemies."

"The Geminis also attract a lot of enemies no matter where they go. Their family is still going strong."

"This is different, Joshua! A message of universal peace and cosmopolitanism is much more dangerous. You might very well invite attention from the MTA or the CFA. Once that happens, you're dead. Poof. You're gone. At best, your wife and children will be left alone! At worst, we will go with you in order to snuff out any chance that we will want to take over your banner and continue your mission!"

"Saint Sandro and Saint Kaia told me that we shouldn't be deterred by fears and what-ifs. They believe that strength can only form from staying true to your heart."

Ketis wanted to wring her stupid husband's neck!

"That won't help you if you are dead! Have you ever taken the time to think critically like I told you? Now, I am sure that those two ace pilots didn't lie to you or tried to lead you astray, but is this truly the best way for you to go forward? What they proposed is nothing but a high-stakes gamble! Sure, your chances of advancing to ace pilot may be 100 percent, but if that comes at the cost of lowering your chances of survival to 0.1 percent, is it truly as good as you think?!"

Venerable Joshua looked shocked. "Now that you put it that way, maybe… I was overlooking a few details."

"You did more than that. You didn't question the assumptions that you have made. Not enough at the very least. For example, have you ever thought that you can change your heart to something that is more palatable and less suicidal?"

"I would be lying to my heart if I do that? You can't change your inner desires!"

"That's stupid, Joshua! Who says that you can't change your heart, especially over time?! I used to believe that I would always live my life as a pirate in the old frontier. I never imagined that I would have kids and enjoy raising my family. I also couldn't believe that I would be able to become a high-ranking mech designer and a swordmaster at the same time. I never set out to become this impossible existence, but I worked hard enough and received enough luck to succeed beyond my wildest dreams."

"And how is that relevant to my situation?"

Ketis snorted. "Do I need to spell it out to you?! My heart has gone through many changes to the point where I am frequently forced to readjust my goals. That hasn't stopped me from becoming stronger. What we need is a goal. Any goal will do as long as it can motivate us into becoming stronger. I have big dreams, but I have no chance in hell to make it happen unless I become a sword god. I do not need to think about it too much. For now, I have much more modest and realistic goal posts in mind. Those are enough to drag me forward. The best part of this is that I can keep my head down and avoid making enemies that I am not equipped to fight."

"Oh. I see." Joshua became enlightened. "I never thought that your approach would work so well."

"Granted, I have yet to become a sword saint, so I cannot say whether my approach is completely correct, but at least I won't make too many enemies for myself and our clan. Pursuing your dreams is all well and good, but don't do so at the cost of unduly compromising the safety of your family and friends. Don't forget that you also have a duty to protect us all and keep us safe."

Ketis had uncomfortably reminded Joshua of his other major commitment.

"From the moment you decide to make a selfish decision and give us all up in order to impose your cosmopolitan on an unwilling society, you will implicate me, your children and the clan that you have vowed to guard with your life. I can think of no better way for you to betray what you hold dear in your heart."

The expert pilot glumly lowered his head. "You are right. I have overlooked too much stuff. Their example isn't really applicable to me as their family fully shared their ideals. That is not the case with me. It's funny, really. Family always comes first in our clan, but I was about to violate this principle because I became too enamored by the tale spun by the Gemini Saints."

Ketis relaxed now that she saw that her husband was no longer sounding like an idiot.

"That is what spiders do, Joshua. They spin a web in front of you that you will inadvertently approach until it is too late for you to withdraw."

"...Damn Geminis."

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