The Mech Touch

When Ves, Samandra and Nitaa entered the interrogation room, Dr. Nigel Redmont sat at attention as if he was an eager schoolboy.

The knowledgeable biomech designer even maintained a pleasant smile.

"Mr. Larkinson, what a pleasant surprise. I did not expect you to visit me in person. It is an honor."

Ves was not amused by the cheek shown by the traitor. His initial impression was that Dr. Redmont did not feel any guilt for what he had done!

Since Ves continued to keep his hold on the Larkinson Mandate, he felt a disturbing degree of similarity between Dr. Redmont and Priestess Samandra.

Both of them were completely sure of their purpose. Ves only sensed this degree of certainty from fanatical believers.

As Ves continued to examine the accused, he confirmed his suspicions on how the Golden Cat managed to overlook Dr. Redmont's nefarious intentions.

The plain truth of the matter was that the saboteur didn't regard his act as betrayal against a clan he had sworn an oath of loyalty!

How that was possible, Ves didn't know. No amount of logic could justify such an act while staying loyal to the Larkinson Clan, so the only other possibility was that Dr. Redmont probably adopted a twisted argument to justify his crimes!

Ves stepped forward and lowered his armored form onto one of the reinforced chairs. His Unending Regalia wasn't the most comfortable when he was in a sitting position. He neglected to account for some factors when he designed and handcrafted his personal armor.

Samandra had a much easier time. She didn't appear to be afraid of getting caught up in explosions and other hazards as she continued to wear a robe that reflected her 'former' identity as a priestess.

As the woman took her seat, Ves carefully studied the traitor to observe his reaction to her presence. Samandra was a well-known figure to the Lifers within the Larkinson Clan.

Evidently, Dr. Redmont liked what Samandra stood for. Their beliefs were similar enough that he did not hold any animosity towards her. In fact, he did not hold any contempt towards Ves either.

How was he able to maintain these opinions while inflicting obvious harm to the Larkinson Clan? This didn't make any sense!

"Dr. Redmont." Ves slowly began. "How do you feel?"

"I feel fulfilled, sir. I accomplished my goal. I also feel regret."

"How so?"

"I regret that I was only able to eliminate just twenty biomechs. If I had the ability, I would have preferred to ruin every biomech in the hands of the clan!"

What a madman! Ves could hardly believe that Dr. Redmont was that gutsy. The Larkinsons possessed more than 400 biomechs even after 20 of them got ruined.

His industrious clansmen had managed to get numerous biomechs to work that originated from the inventory of the production facility.

More biomechs were in the process of getting fixed. The former occupants of this site had left plenty of organic wrecks behind. Some of them did not require too much effort to repair, most notably the biomechs whose c.o.c.kpits got stabbed by Venerable Tusa.

Ves let out a deep breath. "Please help me understand your motivation. Why harm our clan by depriving us of valuable combat assets?"

"I did not intend to do any harm."

"Well, you sure did! More lives will be lost as a result of your reckless actions! Do you even care about the consequences your actions have wrought?"

"It is exactly because of the consequences that I proceeded with enacting my plan." Dr. Redmont calmly replied. "While I acknowledge the immediate harm that my actions have sparked, in the bigger picture what I did will save us all! I have saved our clan from damnation!"

"DON'T ACT AS IF YOU ARE A LARKINSON!" Ves lost control for a moment! "Your acts directly harmed our ability to defend ourselves! Not only that, but you also damaged everyone's confidence in our ability to survive and thrive."

"I regret this outcome, but I would have made the same decision if I returned to the same point in time."

Ves wanted to palm his face. The delusion was too strong in Dr. Redmont. He hated talking with these kinds of people the most.

"Samandra?"

"Yes, patriarch?"

"Please take over. I need to understand why Dr. Redmont destroyed our assets."

"Certainly, sir."

The orange glow of her eyes intensified. Her stare became so intense that Dr. Redmont finally became a bit uncomfortable!

"Nigel. Please explain your position on biomechs to the Larkinson Patriarch."

The traitor did not immediately answer. He took his sweet time to formulate his answer.

Over thirty seconds passed before he was ready to explain himself.

"Biomechs are great. The Larkinson Clan is also great. However, it is wrong to combine the two. The products of the Life Research Association belong exclusively to the state and its people. As much as Mr. Larkinson has the potential to design a revolutionary biomech, it is completely wrong for him to take part in this field. He and his Larkinsons are not Lifers, so they are not entitled to touch the exclusive providence of a blessed state!"

Samandra's glowing eyes sparked. "I see. I recognize you now. Before you became a Lakrinson, you hailed from the Biomech Purity Movement, am I correct?"

The coy smile on Dr. Redmont's face was an answer in itself.

Ves coughed. "Please tell me what this Biomech Purity Movement is all about."

"It is a… small and obscure organization in the LRA that wishes to keep biomechs as pure as possible. Spiritus Sancti had some minor dealings with it, but we soon drifted apart due to differences in opinion."

"You are not entirely correct, priestess. The BPM is not confined to the LRA. It is a galaxy-wide movement. It has supporters from every state that has embraced every facet of biotechnology. If all goes well, the movement will spread to the Red Ocean in time if it hasn't already."

"That still doesn't entirely answer why Dr. Redmont destroyed our mechs." Ves complained. "Can the two of you make sense for once?!"

"I was getting there, patriarch. While our understanding of the BPM is not complete, we are familiar with the tenets. First, its members believe that biomechs are great. Second, they believe that biomechs that are designed, sold or used by people who do not come from a state like the LRA is a travesty."

"You are wrong again, priestess. The BPM does not frown upon people who embrace biomechs, even if they come from a non-biotech-oriented state. The movement just states that they must better be committed to biotechnology. Dabblers and indecisive people who want to have it both ways are completely misguided! Any half-hearted embrace of biomechs will only tarnish their dignity and prevent them from showing their full value. It is better for them if they are deprived of their biomechs! They will not have the opportunity to misuse them. I did the Larkinson Clan a favor!"

Ves' frown grew deeper and deeper as he listened to this barely comprehensible justification.

"Let me get this straight. You love biomechs, but believe they should only be utilized by Lifers and people who are similar to them. Larkinsons like us don't qualify because we are mainly committed to using classical mechs, is that correct?"

"That is exactly so! Biomechs must remain pure, and the foul and unclean hands of our clan will only taint them with their filth. Do you hear it, Mr. Larkinson? Do you hear the cries of pain and suffering that emanates from the biomechs that you have stolen? Our clan is torturing them. I had no choice but to liberate them from the torment that your clansmen have subjected them to. Not only have I saved those 20 biomechs, I have lessened the sins of our clan! Now that we have fewer biomechs in our possession, our crimes are reduced!"

Ves wanted to wrap his armored fingers around Dr. Redmont's neck and squeeze as hard as he could manage. This crackpot doomed himself and damaged the fighting strength of his clan for one of the stupidest, nonsensical arguments imaginable!

'You IDIOT!" He roared. "Purity in this context doesn't exist! Mechs are mechs. Biomechs are biomechs. Whether they come in the form of metal or flesh, they both fulfill the same purpose! Biomechs are not special compared to classical mechs. They are just different! It does not matter at all if their users have embraced biotechnology as their primary tech base. Even if it does, we have thousands of diligent and knowledgeable clansmen who originated from this state! You are one of them! Shouldn't that ensure that our biomechs will still remain pure?"

Dr. Redmont shook his head. "You do not comprehend, Mr. Larkinson. Purity is an exceedingly difficult condition to attain. From beginning to end, biomechs can only remain pure if every person involved in their creation and use are completely devoted to biotechnology. Not a single person or organization in this chain can be allowed to interfere. While the people you have referred to are relatively sincere, our clan as a whole is anything but pure due to the existence of you who have no roots in the LRA!"

A single drop of blood could taint an entire pool. This was one of the most poisonous aspects about purity. Obsessing over it forced people to hold to an impossibly high standard.

"So that's it?" Ves asked in a dissatisfied tone. "Your entire justification for destroying our biomechs is because we don't 'deserve' to use them. You also wanted to 'free' our biomechs from our impure handling."

"That is correct."

Ves banged the tabletop.

"WHAT ABOUT OUR NEEDS!? Have you ever thought we don't care about this dumb notion on purity and just want to strengthen our military power with any asset we could get our hands on? Besides, as much as I respect your professional qualifications, no one is more able to judge what living mechs feel than I. From my own inspections, I have never encountered any biomech that has clearly been mistreated!"

"You are wrong." The traitor looked disappointed at Ves. "While I acknowledge that our fellow clansmen have not intentionally mistreated our biomechs, good intentions are not enough to maintain their purity. Besides, did you forget about the biomech embryos that you have cruelly pulled out of their feeding pools? You have killed or stunted the growth of unborn biomechs! You misappropriated their w.o.m.bs in order to repair our tainted organic machines!"

Ves personally issued the order to pull those incomplete biomechs out of the biomech production facility's feeder pools. It was a waste to leave them to their current purpose when they could have been utilized to repair the battle damage of lots of existing biomechs!

Unfortunately, Dr. Redmont didn't see it that way.

"I have enough." Ves abruptly stood up. "I understand your motivation, even if it is completely twisted. There is no point in questioning any further because I doubt I will obtain anything useful or coherent from your follow-up answers."

"What will you do with me, sir?"

"As much as I wish to pull out my gun and shoot your head, I should allow our clan to enact its own rules concerning treason. Do note that treachery during a life-threatening crisis situation is vastly different from performing sabotage in peacetime. As a result, the trial will become much harsher and the punishment may be more severe than you expect."

"I am ready to bear any responsibility for my actions. I know that I am right, so I am sure I will be rewarded for my actions. I did our clan a favor!"

"The only favor you have done to our clan is exposing yourself early!"