The Mech Touch



[Impressive! Impressive! Impressive!]

The panel of experts exploded with praises as soon as Ves and Juliet were finally done with putting the finishing touches on their pair of competition mechs!

[I almost cannot begin to describe how the mechs fabricated by Patriarch Ves Larkinson have reached an entirely different grade. They are not masterworks by any means, but they exhibit refinements and a level of finishing that is more commonly seen in well-designed production mechs. How the Larkinson duo is able to fabricate so many high-quality parts in so little time is a mystery.]

[It is not a mystery in my opinion. There is a simple answer that can explain why these two mechs are qualitatively better. The answer is 7 masterwork certificates.]

[You are putting too much stock in masterwork mechs! It is not essential for a mech designer to fabricate a masterwork mech in order to progress much further. Granted, understanding the physical and tangible properties of mechs before improving them in many small ways can massively aid that individual's chances to advance to Master and beyond.]

[Let us briefly examine the physical appearances of the two completed mechs, shall we? The first comment I want to make is that they look harmonious together in a manner that I am missing in the other mechs completed thus far. Now that I am actively comparing this pair to the pairs of earlier completed mechs, the difference is truly too great to ignore. I cannot describe in exact or concrete terms why my judgment is skewed towards this conclusion, but looking at the mechs designed by Ves Larkinson and his partner Juliet Stameros plants the suggestion that they cannot be separated from each other under any circumstances.]

[That is an interesting opinion, because I happen to share the same thoughts.]

[I as well.]

[Oh, we have just received confirmation on the names that the two impressive mech designers have bestowed on their completed mechs! The light skirmisher that appears nimble enough to dance in the wind is called the Sensia. The hybrid mech that is armed with a multitude of weapon systems is called the Furia. Together, they constitute the Twin Souls!]

"Sensia!"

"Furia!"

"Twin Souls!"

"What is up with that, anyway?"

[Names are merely labels. They do not grant any additional power to mechs. What truly earns them respect is how well they can fight against other machines. The so-called Twin Souls do not have the most obvious synergy between their mech archetypes. I have already mentioned previously that a light skirmisher paired with a hybrid mech on a diet can turn into a recipe for disaster. I do not presume to question the wisdom of the patriarch of the Larkinson Clan, but I 'commend' his courage in committing to an all-out offensive combination.]

[I can see how the Sensia and the Furia can run roughshod over half of the competing combinations while holding their own against the rest. The Twin Souls will most likely struggle against a number of teams that are likely to make it far, however. Can this rare pairing of mechs continue to power through every match or will a solid obstacle be able to stall their momentum before they reach their intended destination?]

[Let us not be dramatic. Barring any unlucky early matchups, the Twin Souls shall definitely enter the top 18. It becomes more difficult after that as the wheat is separated from the chaff. The surviving combination of mechs have all been tested at least twice. Their assigned mech pilots have also been able to learn their characteristics and build up a better accord with each other.]

[The same advantages apply to the Twin Souls as well, so these arguments are not necessarily decisive. Let us at least make it past the first round before we make any judgments regarding the learning curve and the potential that can yet be tapped from the competition entries. I have good reason to assume that the Sensia and the Furia may rise in performance the hardest out of all of the other mech duos.]

[That is a brave prediction. Are you willing to make a wager?]

[Bring it on! Patriarch Ves Larkinson is a proven winner, and I have utmost confidence in his ability to add another victory to his name!]

As the panel of experts continued to exchange their opinions, Ves and Juliet finally received a chance to enjoy a welcome respite.

Even though they could easily persist for many more hours, they did not resist the offer to retreat to a private suite where they could rest and recuperate.

The design phase had reached its end. It would take less than six hours for the combat phase to commence.

Many more casual viewers had already retreated after the design phase had ended. They either got what they came for or wanted to enjoy their own breaks before returning later.

A surprising number of people showed great patience and continued to stay in Spencer Hall.

Sure, they retreated to the restrooms in order to freshen up or visited one of the attached restaurants in order to fill their stomachs. Yet even the Seniors and Masters finished their meals quickly before returning to their seats.

Their anticipation was palpable and their expectations built up with each passing minute!

The Twin Souls had made a strong impression and pretty much outshone every other pair of mechs in the competition.

Although there were definitely several competing combinations of mechs that could probably give the Twin Souls a hard time, these alternatives did not look as dominant as the mechs designed by Ves and Juliet.

From a psychological standpoint alone, the Sensia and the Furia already carried the air of champion machines!

Hours went by as the tournament organizers prepared for the next phase of the Twin Weapons Tournament.

They not only shifted the layout of Spencer Hall in order to accommodate frequent high-intensity mech combat, but also inspected each and every submitted mech.

That latter step was extremely important. Even though all of the competing mech designers had been working in sight of the public as well as the judges, who knew what these enterprising Journeymen had slipped into their mech designs.

The inspections behind the scenes were meant to prove once and for all that none of the competing mech designers had cheated in any fashion.

What many people did not know was that a lot of the mech designers and other officials that had initially left their seats had quietly gathered in an underground chamber.

They had all been invited to inspect the newly completed Twin Souls up close in advance.

Having seen Ves Larkinson design and fabricate the two mechs over a span of 48 hours already granted them a good understanding of these works.

However, their impressions of the Sensia and Furia improved now that they were able to see and touch the living mechs up close!

"They are truly alive."

"The two mechs are twins. That is what they are conveying."

"The closer they are together, the more effectively they can bounce off each other."

Of the notable collection of people that had gathered in front of the Twin Souls, Master Hergard Elroy and Madame Reina Kernsk were among the more important ones.

"Has your opinion on Patriarch Larkinson changed?" The female chief of staff of the federal president asked.

"What I am able to detect from these mechs is similar to what I receive from studying other living mechs. There are a number of anomalies, but they do not pose a particular threat to us and our fellow human beings. What Ves Larkinson has made is strong in ways that I cannot replicate. I can rely on my own advantages to design a mech that exceeds the Sensia and the Furia in performance, but it is difficult to say for certain with so many intangibles at play."

"Should we maintain our high priority on the Larkinson Patriarch?" Reina Kernsk asked directly.

"Yes. Continue to arrange a meetup with Master Decimus Horst and the journeyman in question. What Ves Larkinson has just demonstrated is that he is ready to tackle the greater responsibilities of supplying strategically important mech designs to the military."

This was high praise, but nobody felt like correcting it. The Furia especially provoked a lot of discussion due to being a rare hybrid mech in these parts.

It may seem silly for a lot of important people to pay an excessive amount of attention to the properties of a competition mech. It was even more ridiculous for these folk to use their observations to make decisions of great import to an entire colonial state! A mech design tournament hardly showed the full capabilities of a mech designer, but it was one of the few instances where interested individuals could take the measure of a subject of interest.

Certain individuals still found it important to track the initial experiences of the target subject. Their regard for the Twin Souls improved even further now that their impressions had become a lot more optimistic.

As more time passed, the sleeping mech designers eventually woke up. They got ready for the day and stepped out of their suites so that they could cautiously hear what the others slipped from their own sneaky mouths.

A lot of competitors paid close attention to Ves as he entered a communal hall. Fame came with the territory and it had the potential to grow into an even greater hassle. He needed to become accustomed to this sort of attention soon.

The six participating Larkinson mech designers soon managed to gather together.

"Hey, everyone. How good do you think your chances are now that you have completed your works?"

Dulo Voiken haplessly shrugged. "From the way that everyone is talking about your 'Twin Souls', I think it is safe to assume that my sister and I are the underdogs."

Janassa Pellier smirked. "Tifi and I know your tricks, sir. Our beast mechs may be able to knock your light skirmisher and your hybrid mech out of the competition."

Beast mechs could be difficult to handle as they traded away versatility for hard power. If Janassa Pellier and Tifi Coslone designed at least one tiger mech as Ves anticipated, then it could pose a considerable threat to both the Sensia and the Furia as long as it was able to pounce on its target!

It was at this time that numerous other mech designers on standby noticed the arrival of the most famous journeyman among them. They quickly converged onto his position!

"Patriarch Larkinson!"

"May I have a moment of your time, please?"

"Do you have any job openings in your clan?! I have 40 years of design experience!"

Ves became irked but tried his best not to show his irritation on his face. He turned to the crowd of eager Journeymen and immediately labeled them all as pathetic. There was no way he would take the initiative to invite any of these wannabe sycophants into his clan.

He still had to go through the motions and talk politely to everyone.

"Are you planning to recruit us after this tournament has passed?"

Ves smiled. "My clan has a number of openings in our Design Department. We are particularly interested in hiring ranged weapon specialists and defensive specialists, but we do not reject mech designers who excel in other areas. I have a comprehensive set of criteria that determines whether I am willing to hear you out or approach you. The better your competition mechs perform during the combat phase, the greater your chances of entering my clan."

He did not mind inviting mech designers whose competition mechs got knocked out in the first round. The losers may have been unlucky enough to match up against Ves and Juliet or any of the other favorites. It all depended on the actual performance of the competition mechs along with the soundness of their designs.

"The matches are about to start soon! The military mech pilots have already acquainted themselves with our works. Each of them are about to bring out the competition mechs under their control and begin to test the recently completed machines in an actual fight!"

How exciting! Ves and the others couldn't wait!