The Mech Touch

5787 Strong Voices

Of the four major groups of red humanity, two of them had already formed a remarkably strong unified front on this issue.

The Terrans and Rubarthans already had the power to form the Red Collective by themselves. They did not strictly need the support of the existing Red Two.

It was just that any strong opposition from the mechers and the fleeters would definitely hinder any efforts to turn the Red Collective into an equal partner to the Red Association and Red Fleet!

In order to reduce delays, pushbacks and other hindrances, it was vital for the Red Two to be as supportive as possible!

At the very least, the more divided they were over this issue, the lower their ability to sabotage the development of the Red Collective!

Ves and many others waited impatiently for the leaders of the Red Association to show up and share their own verdicts.

The proposal had already gained an abundant amount of support and momentum, but the god pilots and Star Designers of the Red Association frequently disregarded popular trends in the past.

They drew their authority and legitimacy from their overpowering strength or their astonishing productivity.

While it was nice for them to be popular among the space peasants, they did not strictly need it as they were not politicians.

The galactic mech councilors used to act as the representatives of regular folk, but the Red Association quietly reduced their importance.

All of this meant that the Red Association could very well form a major obstacle to the Red Collective.

It did not take long after the declaration of the Spacelock for the projection of a completely different leader to appear.

The latest arrival conspicuously chose to emerge at a position that was separated from the other groups.

This time, the people did not kneel, but still chose to bow in respect.

Ves meanwhile became more tense as he caught sight of a probable opponent.

The first Star Designer had arrived!

The Lord of Thermodynamics did not pay attention to anyone aside from the Evolution Witch.

Both of them were mechers, but that was all they had in common.

Hendrick Polt was old enough to live through the end of the Age of Conquest.

Divine Lucie Miyazaki was among the youngest god pilots and grew up during the heyday of the Age of Mechs.

Strong personalities were usually shaped by their most formative years during their childhood and adolescence.

No matter how many centuries they lived after that, they were still extensions of their younger selves!

As such, it was inconceivable for the two to fully understand and agree with each other given the enormous generational gap that existed between them. They were effectively products of entirely different eras!

After the Lord of Thermodynamics completed his brief and silent exchange with the Evolution Witch, he stared directly at Ves.

It was fortunate that a projection was unable to convey the expansive domain and true self of a Star Designer, because Ves might have become fascinated if this was the case!

"I do not approve." The old Star Designer declared without any shame or ambiguity. "Our existing institutions are already adequate enough to regulate cultivation. The Red Association as well as the Red Fleet already have extensive familiarity with what it can unleash. We have defeated its evils once, and we can do it again by relying on our existing deterrence. Forming a Red Collective during a time of war will unnecessarily generate instability, empower leaders who do not deserve what they gain and divide red humanity even further. The risks are far too disproportionate relative to the possible gains that we can make. Far too many of you have no inkling of the destructive consequences of this initiative. I do. I have seen maddened humans tear itself apart once before. I do not want to see it happen again."

Damn.

The Lord of Thermodynamics had definitely put a damper on the effort to found the Red Collective.

Even though he was an old geezer, his advanced age only added to his reputation and renown.

The man had made far too many contributions over the centuries. His intellect and his output improved with each passing year. His voice carried a lot of weight for that reason.

Shortly afterwards, the projection of a second Star Designer appeared.

This was the first time that Ves locked eyes with the Web Mistress, if only by remote.

Ves personally held a huge amount of respect towards the Mother of Support Link Technology for revolutionizing the way that the best mechs as well as warships fought their battles.

By enabling them to share their energy, shielding and other resources among each other, the longevity and survivability of all assets that integrated support link technology had skyrocketed!

The technologies she improved and popularized was probably the chief reason why the armed forces of the Red Two managed to minimize their losses in the ongoing war.

Yet… just because Ves respected the professional contributions of the Web Mistress did not mean he had to agree with her political stances!

"I agree with my fellow Star Designer. The Red Collective is not a necessary or appropriate instrument. It will be too easy for dangerous radicals to capture this institution and put red humanity on a path of self-destruction."

That made it official. The Mech Supremacist Faction rejected the proposal.

Though Ves already expected this outcome, he still hoped that the two smart and powerful Star Designers would see reason and become more willing to embrace change.

Unfortunately, the Lord of Thermodynamics and the Web Mistress were still paranoid about bringing back the abuses of the Age of Conquest.

Another powerful presence emerged shortly afterwards.

This one happened to be a lot hotter as well!

The First Flame had emerged!

As the oldest god pilot in the Red Ocean, the man was a true living fossil. He was already old when the Mech Trade Association first came into power.

Due to his age, his mentality had shifted so much that he never really saw the need to engage in politics.

While he was longtime friends with the Lord of Thermodynamics, the First Flame always considered himself to be so far above other people that it was beneath him to join any faction.

He only represented himself today, though it could be argued that his weight within the Red Association was so high that he was practically a faction in itself!

"<nullb>I AGREE WITH THE STAR DESIGNERS. CULTIVATION IS A DANGEROUS POWER THAT SHOULD NOT BE MADE AVAILABLE EN MASSE. ONLY A SELECT GROUP OF WELL-

TRAINED ELITES CAN BE TRUSTED TO MAKE RESPONSIBLE USE OF THEIR POWER."

Well, that was a clear answer. Yet again, another member of the old guard showed that he was still stuck in the past.

Ves actually found it quite hypocritical for the First Flame to deny cultivation to the masses for fear of producing monsters when he himself was actually trying to transition away from a god pilot and attempt to become a more traditional qi and body cultivator!

The most ironic aspect about his unprecedented attempt to evolve into a powerful phoenix was that a prophetic vision indicated that there was a high chance that the First Flame would suffer cultivation deviation and turn into a mindless monster!

In short, the First Flame had no right to pass judgment on the perils of cultivation when he was most prone to become the evil that he hated the most!

It was not convenient for Ves to mention this particular point, so he dismissed the First Flame's hot projection and waited for other arrivals.

The Fist of Defiance showed up next!

This was a much more welcome arrival as the god pilot held a lot more goodwill towards Ves and vice versa.

Just like his name suggested, the Fist of Defiance possessed the most ideal pugilistic physique.

He did not even bother to wear a proper outfit and instead looked as if he was ready to brawl a phase whale bare-handed!

<nullb>"HAH! I LIKE YOU, KID! YOU ARE ONE OF THE FEW MECH DESIGNERS IN THE RED OCEAN WHO POSSESSED AN ACTUAL SPINE AROUND HERE. TOO MANY PEOPLE NOWADAYS LACK THE COURAGE TO TAKE RISKS AND PURSUE GREATER REWARDS. INSTEAD OF RUNNING AWAY FROM YOUR FEARS, IT IS BETTER TO CONFRONT IT HEAD-

ON AND CONQUER IT WITH YOUR FISTS! I AM WITH YOU ON THIS, LARKINSON! YOU SHOULD BE IN CHARGE OF THE RED COLLECTIVE AS FAR AS I AM CONCERNED!"

Ves smiled and bowed in gratitude. "You honor me with your praise, Your Holiness."

The Xenotechnician appeared next. The old man belonged to the same venerable generation as the Lord of Thermodynamics, but he adopted a much more tolerant attitude.

"In my lifetime of designing mechs and researching strange technologies, I have learned that humanity is all-too-often held back by its many fears. We fear alien inventions. We fear new knowledge. We fear societal change. There are times when it is wise to err on the side of caution, but this is not that time. Our side is disadvantaged in the Red War. Unless we can produce radical technological breakthroughs, our ability to win the war is slim. Embracing cultivation is an acceptable risk for us to take because its promises of power are exactly what we need to guarantee our race's survival."

Whereas the Fist of Defiance made a powerful emotional appeal, the Xenotechnician offered an exquisite logical argument.

Both leaders of the Survivalist Faction made it clear that they were fully behind this initiative!

Ves smiled in satisfaction and gratitude. The Survivalists might not have been able to do enough to protect him from the attacks of the Fifth Enforcement Fleet, but they were still willing to support him during this important time.

Combined with the existing support of the Evolution Witch, the Survivalist Faction and the Transhumanist Faction were definitely on his side!

Another Star Designer showed up. This one was a surprise to Ves.

Even though the general public was unaware that the Polymath had fallen from grace, many people in high places did not expect that she would be allowed to voice her opinion during this occasion!

The Polymath looked as emotionless but determined as ever. Her current posture betrayed no hint of her prior disgrace.

It was clear that the Red Association wanted to create the impression that the Polymath was still an active participant in leading red humanity to a better future.

She directed an unreadable glance towards Ves. Whether she was appreciative or upset with him was unclear.

The Polymath did not show up in order to reminisce about old times.

"Red humanity has fallen into a crisis." She spoke in a plain and factual tone. "In my personal opinion, the best way for us to maximize our potential is to unite our fractured population. Sadly, that is not a feasible possibility in our current climate. I do not favor the act of further dividing our people, but in the absence of the most ideal outside, I see the logic and the necessity of founding a specialized organization that can manage cultivation in a responsible manner. I approve of Professor Larkinson's initiative. Despite his relative youth and lack of experience, I too am in favor of appointing him as the leader of this Red Collective."

Gee. Thanks.

Despite his mixed feelings towards the Polymath, Ves welcomed her voice of support. She still carried a certain amount of weight given that she was still a Star Designer that was able to imitate difficult specializations that were no longer accessible in the Red Ocean.

However, Ves did not really like the fact that she insisted on putting him in charge of this messy new organization.

He already explained that he was too busy with designing mechs to waste his time on this difficult endeavor!

Ves could forgive the Fist of Defiance for making this suggestion because the god pilot merely thought it was best for human civilization.

The Polymath on the other hand might have wanted to take revenge on Ves by foisting him with a massive responsibility that he did not want!

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