The Mech Touch



Master Goldstein proceeded to present a handful of other examples of alternative interfacing technologies.

Many of them sounded just as dubious and wacky as heavy digitization and heavy automation!

One application relied on merging the head of a human test subject with an aquatic alien that was known to possess incredibly powerful cognitive functions.

Another solution was to split up the burden of piloting a mech to six different test subjects.

The Mech Trade Association never became satisfied with these results!

The combat effectiveness of the 'mech' became seriously compromised.

The 'pilots' had to undergo extreme changes that were detrimental to human society.

The amount of money and resources put into these solutions were extremely wasteful to the point where it became uneconomical to employ them on a wider scale!

In short, these were all horrible ideas and had no way in hell of complimenting or replacing the currently established model of mech piloting!

"This is anything but an exhaustive overview of potential solutions." Master Goldstein eventually told Ves. "I do not have full access to all of the confidential research projects within the Mech Trade Association. First-rate states such as the Greater Terran United Confederation and the New Rubarth Empire are also known to conduct studies in this subject. Granting piloting capabilities to non-potentates has always been a holy grail to our industry."

"Have any of these researchers ever developed a more successful solution than the ones you have mentioned? Is my work on the Carmine System redundant?"

Goldstein shook his head. "You do not need to fear that your hard work and effort will be devalued. It is highly unlikely that anyone has developed an effective means to allow norms to pilot mechs. If there is, then the costs are either excessively high or the piloting experience is severely compromised. Neither of these outcomes are acceptable to the mech community. I will discreetly look into this matter further in order to be certain."

"Okay, but what if a secret Terran or Rubarthan research group managed to succeed beyond your expectations?"

"It is always better to have more options available than we strictly need." Goldstein smiled. "For example, your method is more economical and can easily be disseminated to the masses. Your solution may also offer a much more authentic piloting experience. The technological limitations of your Carmine System may offer much greater room for further development, allowing your work to catch up with an alternative that could not improve any further. You can always trust that our Association will not devalue your work due to changing circumstances."

Ves felt a little better after hearing this. He really did not want all of his work to go to waste.

To be honest, it was unlikely for this to be the case. Not only had many brilliant mech designers crashed and burned in order to chase after this unlikely dream, but the Blood Pact possessed properties that were highly relevant to Ves.

Even if the Carmine System never became popular, Ves could still turn it into a powerful advantage for the Larkinson Clan!

"Okay, I get it." Ves said. "The current outlook of alternative interfacing technologies is bleak. Many clever minds have worked on them for centuries without anything to show for it to the public. I am not sure if my own design application will end up the same."

"The possibility is not small. I am not versed in the particulars of your Carmine System, but I can foresee numerous potential outcomes. For example, the ability to pilot a mech through an alternative connection can only be exercised by an expert pilot. The 'pilots' may suffer severe trauma or outright perish when their mechs suffer a calamity. The pilots must undergo heavy training or augmentation in order to meet the high requirements. The difficulty of designing the mechs and the cost of producing the special mechs may make your work economically unviable."

These were all suboptimal outcomes that might very well come true. While there should always be room for improvement, Ves had no idea how much time and effort it would take to resolve all of the practical issues of his work.

That did not deter him from pursuing this path. Ves did not intend to back down until he had at least made a serious attempt. If his fears were all it took to turn him away from this research subject, then his resolve simply wasn't good enough!

"Suppose I succeed." Ves spoke up again. "Suppose that I have presented a working method to allow normal people to become mech pilots en masse. What will happen next? Will the MTA permit the public to make use of it, or will you guys put restrictions on my new tech?"

Vayro Goldstein's expression became uncomfortable. "You have asked a difficult question, Mr. Larkinson. I must model the responses of many different stakeholders. I must spend more time on making predictions."

The older mech designer did not wish to give any misleading or poorly constructed answers, so he took five whole minutes to make a lot of predictions and deductions.

"Your work is valuable, especially if you can control its negative aspects. Our Association will never seek to destroy your solution or permanently deprive it from everyone. It is impossible to do so anyway. There is an enormous demand for this tech. It cannot be withheld from our society forever. The best we can hope for is to form a plan to best control its usage and dissemination."

Ves asked a question that he had long been wondering about. "Will the MTA even agree to permit the public to utilize my 'carmine mechs' without restriction? Will any norm be allowed to pilot a mech through my alternative control method? I am afraid… the demand will become so high that it will disrupt our entire society."

The limitation of genetic aptitude was both a blessing and a curse. It ensured that only roughly 3.5 percent of the total population had a chance of becoming frontline soldiers.

This left the vast majority of humans with no choice but to fulfill many other important jobs. From factory workers to company managers, a lot of humans were required to contribute to an economy that was large enough to support a lot of warmaking potential!

A flawed or diminished economy severely compromised a state or organization's ability to field lots of mechs. There was no point in letting swarms of norm pilot his new carmine mechs if no one could afford them anymore!

"Your concerns are valid. It is good that you do not solely fixate on technological possibilities. Each action has consequences." Master Goldstein nodded. "Each innovation can change human behavior. Not all forms of technology will lead humanity to a better future. Your Carmine Solution touches upon the lives of so many humans that we must carefully decide on how to integrate it into our greater society. This is where the problem arises. The full Galactic Mech Council as well as all Star Designers and god pilots must debate on the possible options and cast a vote."

Ves already had a feeling that this would be necessary. He still did not like it, though.

"Politics." He spat. "I am sure that there are groups that will do everything possible to hinder my work from spreading."

Goldstein did not look too bothered. "It is not difficult to predict the responses of several different factions within our Association. "The Preserving Order Faction will vehemently block your new tech due to how much it revolutionizes the status quo. The Guidance Faction will hate your attempt to empower norms that previously had no access to military force."

These two factions used to be powerful in the early years of the Age of Mechs, but their stances had become increasingly less popular over time.

They still enjoyed a strong base of support among traditionalists. They were especially strong in the galactic center where a lot of old powers resided.

These were exactly the kind of people who feared a drastic change in human society the most!

"I see. It is pretty hopeless for us to persuade them to open up mech piloting to the greater masses."

"You will also encounter opposition from mech piloting purists who believe that their profession should solely be reserved to humans gifted with good genetic aptitudes." Goldstein continued. "This will be an especially popular stance among the current population of mech pilots. Each of them derive a great amount of superiority and self-esteem from their rare but valuable piloting qualities. It will be difficult to persuade them to surrender their exclusivity on piloting mechs."

This sounded a lot more serious. Existing mech pilots formed a huge and immensely powerful interest group that could make anything happen as long as they united in a single force!

Ves would get into a huge amount of trouble if he became the most hated figure among the soldiers and war heroes of human civilization!

"What about Survivalists such as yourself? Will you insist on controlling my tech as well?"

"I cannot say for certain, but I believe it will do more good than harm to make it available to our society. Currently, humanity is at its strongest point since the end of the Age of Conquest. The current quantity of mechs and mech pilots that our civilization can muster is more than sufficient for our needs. That may not stay that way. If our race ever becomes embroiled in a war of unsurpassed scale, then it may be necessary to draw upon all fighting resources, even ones that are initially deemed unqualified."

In other words, if humanity ever entered into an extinction war, then it would be much better if a lot of cannon fodder entered the fray!

Ves began to think about the other side of the political debate.

"Who among the mechers will strongly support my tech?"

"That is easier to answer. There may be a part of the Mech Supremacist Faction that will attempt to protect the sanctity and purity of original mech pilots, but a majority will enthusiastically support your work. This faction will celebrate any reason to make mechs more ubiquitous and widespread. Even if your works based on your new tech can barely be classified as mechs, it is still an improvement. This is also a reason for the Warship Abolitionist Faction to put its full support behind your initiative."

  "That sounds reassuring. What else?"

"The Unbound Humanity Faction will strongly support the Carmine System as well as it empowers many people. The Transhumanist Faction will be enthusiastic about unlocking another gateway to ascension to the masses. While you should accept their support, you should also be wary of them. Their radical ideals will encourage them to use the possibilities of your solution for their own purposes."

In other words, the Unbounders and the Transhumanists were useful but also crazy.

As someone who possessed a touch of madness himself, Ves did not mind it too much. All he wanted was greater support.

"What about the other factions?"

"They will either remain neutral or make decisions based on variables that I am not fully aware of. The Terran Faction, the Rubarthan Faction and the Longevity Faction are unlikely to support one side or the other, but they can always be bribed."

From what it sounded like, anything could happen. Ves could not really predict if the MTA would agree to disseminate his tech once he completed it. This was not an ideal situation, but at least he would have lots of time to conduct his research before he needed to consider these matters.

With clever and powerful backers like Master Vayro Goldstein supervising his confidential research, Ves had no need to worry too much about all of this political maneuvering.

"Do not lose heart, Mr. Larkinson." The MTA Master tried to reassure the younger man. "What you are working on can change an entire epoch. It has the potential to revolutionize our entire society and lower the threshold to piloting mechs. It can enable mech designers such as ourselves to pilot our own products and understand exactly what our customers must endure. It can prolong the Age of Mechs and prevent warships from making a comeback. In short, your Carmine System and its possibilities are of utmost importance to us. I can promise you that as long as you make an excellent case during the upcoming conference, our Survivalist Faction will endeavor to employ all possible means to introduce your work to the public."

That was just what Ves wanted to hear. Obtaining this promise was his main objective for this meeting!

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