The Mech Touch

5753 Dragon King's Palace

"I do not feel different."

"That's the point. The fact that you do not feel that anything is wrong is a sign of a successful operation. Congratulations. Your human alter-ego has become a much smaller threat. The probability that he will grow powerful enough to regain control over his body is minimal."

"But not zero."

"Nothing is impossible, Sigrund. My expectation is that as long as all of the variables remain constant, you won't get overtaken by Zonrad Reze anytime soon. The complication is that the variables will definitely change over time. For example, if you suffer extensive damage or if you are exposed to a high concentration of E energy radiation that injects a huge amount of power into Zonrad, you will still be at risk of getting overtaken. I cannot account for all of these possibilities. The only way you can protect yourself against these risks is to exercise your spirituality. Your strength is the root of your existence. As long as you are strong enough, you shouldn't have anything to fear from your human body."

Sigrund did not look all that receptive to Ves' helpful words. Cultivation was still taboo in the Red Fleet. If he exposed any sign that he was engaging in any such activity, he would definitely face a lot of sanctions!

"Is there no other solution?"

"There are, but I am not sure that you are willing to entertain them. Have you ever thought about cloning your current human body and using it as the carrier of your AI core? Clones normally don't come with any spiritualities, at least at the start. As long as you complete the transfer quickly enough, you don't have to compete with other entities for control of your human form. As for your current body, you can choose to let it go or dispose of it if you deem its continued existence to be a security risk."

This was a legitimate suggestion, and Sigrund had to think really hard about it. "It is a viable alternative, but the risks are too great. The fleeters will notice the differences. If I am unlucky, then one of our departments will launch an investigation to get to the bottom of my decision to swap my body."

"Suit yourself."

Ves and Blinky conducted a few more examinations. They found no problems. The operation hadn't been complicated to begin with, but it was best to make sure.

Once Sigrund raised himself to his feet and confirmed that he retained full control over his human body, he deactivated and retrieved his high-tech jamming devices.

"Our conversation has been remarkably productive, Ves. I am afraid that I will not be able to get back to you right away. If it is deemed necessary, I may need to journey to the flagship of one of my superiors in order to provide my account in total confidence. I will not be able to return before the start of the public inquiry, but I should still be available to speak on your behalf by remote. If an admiral is particularly supportive of one of our proposals, then you may be able to receive more substantial backing from a fleet."

Ves crossed his arms. "I am not sure whether the favor of an element of the Red Fleet will go down well with the mech community."

"We are all humans, Ves. We cannot blindly reject innovation just because of the risk that it will backfire on us. Your living mechs have done much more good than harm, and I think that pattern will hold. I cannot imagine that anyone will succeed in implementing a total ban on the commercial sale and use of your products. Too many customers will riot against their states and organizations if that is the case."

Ves thought so as well, but it was not wise for him to assume that his opponents would let him go with a slap on the wrist.

"There are still substantial possibilities that these bastards will implement partial restrictions. They will most definitely hinder the propagation of my living mechs to an extent."

As much as Ves looked forward to closing a deal with the Red Fleet that might finally allow him to complete another Supply Mission, he had to deal with the more immediate issue first.

After sending Sigrund off, Ves tried his best to set aside most of his considerations related to the Red Fleet and figure out what else he could to improve his prospects during the public inquiry.

"I suppose I can meet with a few more supporters, but… will that truly help?"

Ves did not believe so, but it was not as if he had anything better to do with his time.

In the following few days, Ves continued to meet with various people who held different stances towards his living mechs.

Even if these conversations failed to improve people's impressions of his work, Ves still managed to get a better grasp of the groups that meddled into this affair.

Time went by until the first day of the public inquiry into living mechs had arrived.

Ves woke up fairly early, but he made sure he enjoyed a good night's sleep in order to restore him to his peak condition.

After freshening up his compressed body, he donned an understated blue business suit that did not contain any excessive embellishments.

Ves needed to project rationality and prove that he was in control over himself. This was not the time for him to engage in grandstanding or intimidation.

"Meow." Lucky floated around in concern.

"I'll be fine. I am more than ready to defend my living mechs. I have spent enough time on going over my arguments. It is the duty of every mech designer to stand by his work and defend his creations. I do not intend to fail in the coming three days. Even if these bastards manage to build up an advantage on the final day, I am still not without options."

If the worst case scenario was about to unfold, Ves could still resort to a number of nuclear options.

One of them was to defy the instructions of the mechers and expose the existence of the Carmine System.

The revelation was bound to shock everyone, so much so that all of the prior talk became irrelevant overnight!

However, Ves did not want to resort to this extreme option because it was an act of open defiance towards the Red Association.

If Ves broke his promise to the mechers once, he could do so again. He would never be able to rebuild the bond of trust that existed in the past.

His potential business dealings with the Red Fleet would only aggravate the situation.

Although Ves did not think that introducing the public to Carmine mechs a few years in advance would be a big deal, he would probably find it a lot harder to cooperate with the mechers on subsequent initiatives.

That was not a price that Ves was willing to pay. The damage to his interests would be too great.

For all of his expectations for developing a working relationship with the fleeters, Ves could not afford to forget that he was a mech designer at heart. It was vital for him to maintain good ties with the only authority that governed over anything related to mechs.

As Ves continued to think about what sort of extreme measures he would have to take in order to defend his living mechs, his shuttle finally took him close to the venue where the public inquiry was supposed to take place.

Consistent with the exotic aquatic theme that dominated Charvey, the entire place was submerged in a gigantic bubble of azure water.

The special shuttles built especially for the City of Seas effortlessly slipped past the energy shield that kept the water in place.

From there, the shuttle continued to propel forward until it had reached a secure landing zone where a bunch of aquatic mechs swam around and provided security.

When the shuttle touched down on a surface, the hatch opened, allowing Ves along with his mecher bodyguards to 'swim' outside.

Special energy shields kept their bodies dry, but also allowed their wearers to navigate the aquatic environments as if they were born in them. It provided a distinctly novel experience to first-time visitors.

"Charvey is a fantastic tourist destination." Ves remarked to his latest recruit. "The water not only immerses us in a radically different environment, but also provides an extra layer of security. A lot of weapons will find it a lot more difficult to propagate through water."

Kelsey Ampatoch nodded. "That is true, but the energy shields that keep the water in place are not infallible. There are probably redundant shield generators in place, but once they have been neutralized, a lot of upheaval will take place as all of the water disperses at once."

"If that happens, we better take advantage of this moment to get out of sight."

Not that Ves expected to be threatened by anyone today. Even though a lot of different groups had banded together to organize this public inquiry, the Red Association claimed total jurisdiction.

The mechers established a strong security presence at the venue. Both aquatic mechs and multipurpose mechs with aquatic combat capabilities protected the facilities up close.

Outside of the water bubble, more first-class multipurpose mechs patrolled the perimeter and beyond.

Anyone who did not have any business in the neighbhood had been forced to leave or turn away. Entire structures surrounded by water bubbles had to be emptied out because of security concerns.

The activity was no less frantic up in orbit. Ector V always imposed a lot of restrictions to orbital traffic, but the mechers became even more strict.

All of this provided Ves with enough reassurance to focus on the debate.

"The Dragon King's Palace." Kelsey Ampatoch said with amazement as he looked up at the enormous temple-like structure. It truly resembles an abode that is designed and built to house a mythical beast sovereign."

The main structure was enormous. The exterior was made out of a custom formula of white stone, but could withstand a lot more damage than it looked.

The expensive stone-like material was already impressive enough on its own, but the architects who decided how to employ them had sought to realize a magnificent design.

The enormous columns, the alloy-tipped dome roofs and the magnificent statues of dragons and other mythical creatures all combined in a grand abode that could simultaneously house an enormous creature while simultaneously host its royal court!

Ves was not familiar with the myths that the architects drew inspiration from, but that did not stop him from appreciating the vision and the craftsmanship of this grand endeavor.

The details that earned the greatest appreciation from him were the dragon statues. Each of them had been hand-carved with exquisite attention to detail, so much so that they had all become masterworks!

There were dragon statues everywhere, so the quantity of masterworks was absolutely incredible.

Ves did not know how many master artisans had been hired to produce all of these genuine masterwork sculptures, but it had to be a costly endeavor, even for a first-class organization that already invested huge sums into the colonization of the Ector System.

"What is this place even being used for?" He questioned.

"It is closed to the public most of the time." Kelsey said as he had already looked up the information. "It is a prestige project. It mainly exists to broadcast the wealth and power of the owners and rulers of Ector V. The fact that it happens to be large and impressive enough to host the public inquiry is a secondary concern."

"How wasteful. Don't get me wrong. All of this is beautiful enough to stir my imagination, but the waste of resources is so extravagant that I feel pained with every step I take towards the main palace."

"The Dragon King's Palace was entirely funded by old galaxy money. We lived in a different reality back then. Now, there is talk about dismantling the Dragon King's Palace, but it has never gained enough support to make it happen."

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