The Mech Touch

Strangely enough, Juliet Stameros refused to remove the rather eye-catching ♂ symbol on her face.

"We Penitent sisters do not wear this mark with pride." She stated firmly. "It is a mark of shame, as you said. It reflects our guilt and reminds us that we are not finished yet for atoning for our crimes."

"But.."

"Do not make this request again! Not a single Penitent Sister will voluntarily remove this mark! If you help us to get rid of this sign, then help us earn our redemption faster!"

"You have already done enough in my eyes. You don't owe any debt to anyone."

Juliet stiffened her back. "I'm sorry, but that is not for you to decide. We are more than capable of making this determination ourselves. Not you, Miss Gloriana or any Larkinson Clan can make this judgement."

He didn't understand her stubbornness. This was yet another quirk of the Penitent Sisters that they still held close to their chests.

Ves reluctantly dropped the matter. There was no reasoning with the Penitent Sisters when it came to their core beliefs.

"I am afraid your mark of shame will attract too much attention when I attempt to introduce you to the Design Department tomorrow. Can you at least cover it up or something?"

"That would defeat the purpose." She immediately replied. "While I do not wear this mark with pride, it is essential for others to see me who I truly am. Don't make this request again."

His control over the Penitent Sisters wasn't very extensive. As long as he touched anything sensitive, the women immediately became prickly!

Ves let the issue slide. It was just a cosmetic mark that looked rather embarrassing. If Juliet and her sisters were tough enough to endure the shame of bearing it, then he was fine with letting them have her way. The mark played an important symbolic role in their subculture.

After he left the room and informed Commander Chancy of the imminent transfer, her reaction wasn't as bad as he feared.

"I see." The older woman spoke. "I had a hunch that you would come for her. I am glad for her promotion. She deserves more, and we are all grateful that you are willing to grant her the opportunity to develop herself again. Perhaps she will be able to smile again like old times."

"I am not taking her in because I take pity on her. As a second-class Journeyman, she can make significant contributions to the clan by contributing to our design projects. It is through designing new mechs that our clan is able to field more powerful mechs and earn enough money to afford new starships. No matter how you look at it, every Journeyman that joins our Design Department will have a direct effect on our growth trajectory."

This was also why Ves was so adamant about bringing Juliet Stameros aboard! With just one extra Journeyman, he could easily earn another trillion hex credits due to her effect on the productivity of the Design Department. This meant he would be getting a lot of good stuff sooner than he projected!

"I hope you will be treating her fairly, sir." Commander Valerie Chancy spoke. "If I recall, it is customary for Journeymen and higher to receive a stake in the mech company. While her design capabilities are not as strong as yours, she can still make a difference."

Ves suddenly regretted heaping so much praise on Juliet. Increasing her importance also raised her bargaining position.

"She still has to prove herself. Even if she has successfully integrated into the Design Department, it is still a question whether it is appropriate to award her with shares. The LMC is a much bigger mech company than the ones led by other Journeymen. My design philosophy plays a key role in its success. Any latecomers like Miss Stameros are essentially taking advantage of all of the effort and resources I invested into the LMC. She is also a lot more dispensable to the success of the mech company than myself. If I am gone for whatever reason, you can bet the LMC will collapse in a matter of years!"

This was undeniable. As Commander Chancy wasn't a mech designer, she did not pursue this argument further.

"I hope you won't shortchange her. I will be watching."

"I'm not a scumbag, commander. Every Penitent Sister is a Larkinson in my eyes. It is just that for the good the company and the clan, it is best not to split or dilute the shares of the LMC."

He just didn't want to give up anymore shares. While Commander Chancy was correct that Journeymen were usually entitled to at least some stock in the company they worked for, Ves vehemently objected to the practice.

No one was allowed to pry a single share from his hands! The 59 percent that was currently on his name all belonged to him and him alone!

Therefore, he hoped to hoodwink and distract everyone who was eligible for this reward. Even if they deserved it, Ves would not hesitate to employ his Devil Tongue to the fullest in order to dissuade his high-ranking mech designers from requesting shares.

In fact, if Ves really wanted to be fair, he should have given some shares already to Gloriana.

He did not do so.

He might love her, but some possessions were too precious to give away, even to his wife!

With all of the trouble he experienced about the ownership of his mech company, Ves was incredibly sensitive about any further giveaways.

He vowed that his ownership in his mech company would never drop below 59 percent ownership for the rest of his life! In fact, it would be great if he could get back the 16 percent owner that had fallen in the hands of the Bright Republic and the Ylvaine Protectorate. He would probably launch a party when that happened!

After successfully brushing aside the matter of awarding Juliet with some stock, Ves discussed one more topic with the Penitent Sister Commander.

"Do you remember how your Penitent Sisters fought in the previous battle?"

"Of course." Pride filled her face. "The Battle against the Abyss is one of the greatest battles of our lives. While it is regretful that many of our sisters have fallen, they have not died in vain. Defeating evil is one of the noblest ways to earn our redemption."

"Well, one of the factors that allowed your Penitent Sisters to exert so much power during the battle is the battle network I've implemented."

"We are very grateful for allowing us to receive the Superior Mother's blessing. You are truly her son for being able to convince her to give us a chance! We are unworthy. Each time we enjoy her blessing, our debt increases."

That was a very interesting detail. Perhaps their self-determined redemption wasn't getting closer over time. If the Penitent Sisters thought that every blessing from the Superior Mother cost something, then they might be laden with debt over time!

How did that even work? Did these crazy Hexers even accept the concept of bankruptcy, or would they just continue to allow their guilt to approach infinity?

Whatever. It was not exactly bad if the Penitent Sisters maintained the silly delusion that they were still damned. From what he had seen so far, they were remarkably obedient and open to compromise in their current state. Ves should cherish this advantage!

Besides, if Juliet Stameros thought the same way, Ves had even less reason to reward her with company stock.

In her current mindset, Ves could probably keep her happy by rewarding her with nothing but nutrient packs!

Of course, he wouldn't take advantage of her to this extent. As long as he threw enough scraps at her, he wouldn't invite criticism from the Penitent Sisters and the rest of the clan.

As Ves left the Penitent Sister ship, he began to inform some important people about his latest arrangements for Juliet Stameros.

He left it to Gavin to process the administration and make Juliet's new appointment official.

"Boss.. uhmm.."

Ves grew annoyed at the projection. "Just spit it out, Benny."

"Did you.. discuss this move with your wife, perchance?"

"GLORIANA DOESN'T RULE MY CLAN!" Ves angrily barked! "There is no reason for me to consult her about this move."

Gavin panicked. "You're acting too quickly, boss. I highly advise you to slow down. Let us get to know Miss Stameros better and ascertain whether she is a good fit for the Design Department. Just because she is a Journeyman doesn't mean she automatically fits in with your other mech designers."

"Every mech designer in the Design Department is subordinate to me." Ves replied with gritted teeth. "Their opinions don't matter. My orders are absolute."

"I can think of at least one mech designer who may have words about your choice!"

Ves glared at his assistant. "ENOUGH! Your job is to execute my will, not to hinder it. Right now, it is my will to transfer Miss Stameros to the Design Department and promote her to our third lead designer. Now stop getting in my way and make it happen!"

He immediately closed the communication channel, causing Gavin's projection to fizzle out. He took a deep breath and settled into his chair.

"Why does everyone think that Gloriana is in charge?"

Lucky heard his question and rolled his eyes as he floated around.

"Meow."

"That's slander!"

"Meow meow!"

"You're wrong! I can teach Gloriana who is truly in charge! Just wait for me to get back home!"

Adding a third Journeyman to the Design Department wasn't a simple matter. Ves had to spend the rest of the day informing the most important stakeholders of the drastic and sudden change.

People such as Raymond Billingsley-Larkinson and Ketis each reacted with shock at his decision. He had to explain himself over and over again before they acknowledged that he was being serious.

He also had to make some personal arrangements at the Design Department in order to make room for Juliet. He needed to ease her in as soon as possible so that he could briskly embark on his next round of mech design projects.

At the end of the day, Ves finished with his preparations. After considering his options, he reluctantly returned to the Stellar Chaser.

Fortunately, Gloriana's personal ship did not bar his way.

He took Lucky and slinked back to her stateroom. Once he entered, Gloriana was already lying in her bed. She directed a grumpy expression at him as she clutched Clixie against her chest.

"Did you have fun today?" She asked.

Ves moved to the attached bathroom but kept the hatch open as he changed his clothes and prepared for bed.

"I did not revel in the decision I made. I did what was necessary to strengthen our clan and bring us closer to our goals."

"Hmph! I bet you had an enjoyable time talking about mech design with our 'latest' lead designer."

"Gloriana… I love you. I would never hurt you by pursuing other women. You think too little of me. I take my vows seriously."

"I know you, Ves. You are ruled by your passions and emotions. Who knows what you have been thinking as you have been exploring her design philosophy today. Will you explore something else about her tomorrow?"

"Don't put words in my mouth. I am fully in control of my own actions. I have never lost control!"

Once Ves finished his evening routine, he emerged from the bathroom and approached the queen-sized bed. Just as he was about to slip in, a repulsive antigrav field emerged from the bed and pushed him away!

His body soared in the air and landed a short distance away. As his back smacked against the deck, he couldn't believe what had happened.

He rose to his feet and approached the bed yet again.

The antigrav field arrived yet again and slapped his body back!

"Gloriana. Let me in! I'm your husband!"

"No." She huffed. "You can sleep on the couch or go back to your stolen Fridaymen vessel. Whatever you choose, you are not sleeping in this bed tonight."

Ves tried to approach the bed several times, only to be repelled again and again. After the fifth time, he stopped and attempted to hack the device that was responsible for keeping him away.

Unfortunately, Gloriana's arrangements were too good! He couldn't hack her programming unless he borrowed his cat's CFA-derived hacking abilities.

"Lucky. Where are you? Help me beat this stupid repulsion field."

"Meow?"

"Miaow."

To his astonishment, Lucky had curled up next to Clixie. Both cats were lying comfortably on what was supposed to be his pillow!

"Wake up and help me already!"

"Meow!"

"Arrgh!"