The Mech Touch

Ves estimated that it might take weeks if not months for the Aducs to come to a consensus on what they should do with the Old Lady.

There was no way that a single meeting was enough to decide the life and death of their most important relic!

The significance of the Old Lady was so great that the Aducs needed to weigh every possible option carefully.

What was worse was that the vast majority of the members of the Aduc Family had developed a strong emotional bond to the Old Lady.

Their regard towards their Earth tree went far beyond mere respect. They worshiped her as if she was the Aduc Family's ancestor and patron saint!

All of these symbolic and emotional entanglements meant that it was impossible for the Aducs to settle for the most rational chance with the greatest chance of producing a favorable outcome.

This made little sense to Ves. Attempting to ship the stupid tree back to Old Earth was futile and self-destructive behavior.

The Aducs couldn't possibly be selfless enough to part with their precious heirloom and hollow out their spiritual foundation.

Ves was confident that his alternative solution was the best option the Aducs could settle for! Perhaps they might be desperate enough to look for help from other corners, but no one knew whether they could actually find a helper who could provide a better solution!

"I don't expect we will have to wait too long before we get a response from the Aduc Family." Minister Shederin said shortly after the delegation returned to the Larkinson fleet. "You should make preparations to conduct your procedure soon. Once the Aducs have made a decision, you should move quickly before they have second thoughts."

It turned out that Shederin's prediction was accurate!

Only a day after visiting the Green Dream, Ves received a notification from the Aduc Family that its matriarch requested another meeting. She was already boarding her shuttle in order to talk to Ves in person on his flagship!

"You can smell the urgency from the Aducs." Shederin smugly told Ves. "Your read of the Aducs is not wrong, but you have underestimated one crucial detail. The Aduc Family is a fairly centralized and unified family organization. While its members may struggle to make the right decision, Matriarch Erexi Aduc will not hesitate as much. A good leader can make all the difference."

It didn't take long for Matriarch Erexi to arrive at his office.

Due to the sensitivity of the current matter, Ves decided to meet her in private.

When the woman passed through the hatch, Ves was just finished with teasing Lucky. He tossed a half-eaten mineral across his shoulder. Lucky instantly dashed past his shoulder in order to catch his snack!

"Meow!"

Ves gestured to the nearby chair. "Please take a seat."

The head of the Aduc Family did so even as she looked around the office. She could learn much about the person she was talking to by studying how he decorated his workplace.

The various projected visuals and furnishings did not look too remarkable in her eyes. The leader of the Larkinson Clan clearly left the interior design to others.

The only truly personal touch he added to his office was his display case. There were several odd and strange trinkets on it. She only spared a brief glance towards the masterwork mech figurine but gave the prosperity tree a deep look.

The miniature tree was far from comparable to the Old Lady. Nonetheless, the small plant was still a notable specimen in her eyes.

Her demeanor lightened a bit as she finally reached the front of the desk before taking her seat.

"Thank you for allowing me to meet with you on short notice, patriarch. It would have been more convenient to talk over the galactic net, but the nature of our discussion does not allow for that. I also do not wish to waste too much time by communicating through our intermediaries."

Ves directed an odd glance towards the Aduc Matriarch. Her words as well as her actions showed that she had put herself in a lower position than the Larkinsons. This essentially exposed the Aduc Family's urgency and desire for a quick resolution.

This did not do their bargaining position any favors!

"My door is always open to friends and allies." Ves said in a calm tone. He needed to avoid getting caught in the matriarch's rhythm. "What can I do for you, matriarch?"

"You should know why I am here. Our family… held an important discussion about the future of the Old Lady. After weighing our choices and considering every conceivable alternative, we have decided to accept your offer of assistance."

"...That's remarkably efficient."

"Just because we value stability does not mean we are unable to accept change." The woman spoke with a determined tone in her voice. "Our family has lived through many difficult periods including the transition from the Age of Conquest to the Age of Mechs. There are times for deliberation, but there is also time for decisive action."

"Are you sure you want to proceed so quickly?" Ves skeptically asked. "Your tree is still in decent shape. I already told you that your oak tree's spirit will not die off anytime soon."

"We are aware of that, but the Old Lady has already suffered far too long. Her pain is our pain. It is unconscionable for us to go about our day as if nothing is wrong when there is hope for a better future. There is no use in procrastinating."

"Hm. That makes sense. I applaud your family's decisiveness."

"Can you help us, then? We would be immensely grateful if you can evolve the Old Lady to a state where she has overcome her suffering."

Ves subtly shook his head. "Your gratitude is appreciated, but I can't fill my stomach with it. I don't mind helping out your family, but you should be aware of the value of the service that I am offering to you. Evolving your Old Lady will grant you and your fellow Aducs a vast amount of benefits. As the leader of a large and growing clan, it would be irresponsible for me to aid you without fair remuneration."

What he was able to do for the Old Lady went far beyond the level of a favor, and both of them knew it. No matter the risks, the potential benefits were too great to be sold at a bargain!

"We will not demand your aid for free. Our family is not particularly large, but we have built up an interesting collection of resources over the years. One of the benefits of terraforming planets is that we can gain extensive access to rare planet-based goods."

Matriarch Erexi did well to hide her anxiousness, but Ves clearly knew he held a commanding position in this negotiation.

There was no way that Ves would squander this golden opportunity!

Ves leaned forward while folding his hands on his desk. "I'm not interested in ordinary minerals or alien tissue samples. We can obtain much of that on the open market. Money is even less interesting to us. Our financial position is stronger than ever and our mech company is bound to rise in the Red Ocean."

Matriarch Erexi frowned. "Then what do you require from us instead? We are willing to pay a price, but not if it cuts into our foundation."

"I have three demands." Ves straightforwardly declared before raising a finger. "First, I want your family to cooperate sincerely with our Larkinson Clan. The Transhumanist Faction brought us together because I asked for people with special abilities to engage in extremely sensitive research. The results we can achieve may be drastic enough to change the course of human history. Given how much of this research is based on my work, I think my clan deserves 80 percent ownership of the T Institute. If the help of your Aducs is effective enough to accelerate the progress of its research projects, then I am willing to give your family the remaining 20 percent."

"20 percent is not sufficient. The T Institute will only be an empty shell without the researchers from my family. Give us 40 percent."

"25 percent, but no higher. Having a lot of researchers doesn't mean anything if they don't have any viable research directions."

Matriarch Erexi curled her lips. "Let me hear your other demands first."

Ves raised another finger. "My second demand is that your Aduc Family forms a permanent partnership with our Larkinson Clan. You can choose which form you prefer. If possible, I would like to bring your family into our Golden Skull Alliance. However, you will have to implement many changes to the way you operate while our existing alliance partners will also have to make a lot of accommodations. If this is not viable, then your family could choose to become a fixed member of our Open Consortium or simply partner with our Larkinson Clan on a bilateral basis."

This was a more foreseeable demand. Matriarch Erexi didn't have much of an objection regarding this as the Transhumanist Faction already wanted to bring the Larkinsons and the Aducs together.

The only problem was determining the exact nature of the partnership. Joining the Golden Skull Alliance was anything but simple! Just thinking about all of the enemies it had made and all of the battles it had fought over its short existence already prompted her to reject this option in her heart!

Ves raised another finger. "Third and most importantly, I want to obtain whatever secret method your family employs to develop your spiritualities. During my visit to your Green Dream, I have observed that many of your Aducs have built up strong affinities for life and earth. I have never witnessed such a high concentration of spiritually activated humans in my life. What is even more improbable is that their alignment to life and earth is so uniform. There is no way that this is natural. I want your family to pass on the method responsible for producing these results."

"Impossible! Your last demand goes too far!"

"Why?"

Matriarch Erexi let out a tired breath. "I don't know how you are able to learn so much about us, but your deduction is close to the truth. We indeed possess a special means that has helped us become more effective at terraforming planets. This special method is the greatest secret of our family. Our ancestors have sworn an oath to maintain its secrecy, and every Aduc since has made the same pledge! It is unthinkable for us to break our promises!"

"If the very same rules no longer safeguards the Old Lady but instead contributes to her continued decline, then we should not hold on to them any longer. Is this not what you have taught to your children a day ago? Why are you unwilling to follow your own advice?"

"This is different, Patriarch Ves. Breaching our oath may save the Old Lady, but it will doom our family."

"Why? To whom did your ancestors pledge this oath of secrecy? Are the counterparts still around? If they are, do they have the guts to show up and punish your family for violating a centuries-old promise?"

"...The matter is complicated. Please change your request. Our family will not agree to your last demand. You are asking too much."

"I don't see it that way." Ves retorted. "Think about what your family will be getting in return. I am offering more than salvation. I am offering ascension. Your Old Lady will become far more than a mascot to your family. Just like the Golden Cat, it will become your literal guardian spirit, binding you to her existence so that she can always stay connected with you and your family members! There are so many benefits to the transformation that I have in mind that I cannot even explain it all. Compared to all of these changes, why bother with maintaining an obscure secret for no apparent reward? You won't lose anything by sharing your secret method to us. Our clan will promise to you that we will not pass it on any further."

"You are persuading us to breach our oath by guaranteeing that you will not break your promise to us. Do you not recognize how you are contradicting yourself?" Matriarch Erexi remarked.

"Promises only matter if they are based on contemporary interests as opposed to ancient covenants." Ves glibly replied. "Tell me the truth. Who are you benefiting by upholding your old and outdated oath?"

"I… cannot say."