The Mech Touch novel Chapter 1863

Chapter 1863 Siren Song

Disagreements frequently occurred between two different mech designers. Unless they were raised and educated the same way, it was inevitable for 'creative differences' to occur.

One of the more important challenges of a designer pair was how well they managed to resolve these differences.

When neither side wanted to give ground, it was difficult to come up to a solution that satisfied both.

In this case, Ves deeply desired to incorporate the high-capacity neural interface model into his Larkinson mech.

Actually, he wanted to adopt it for every mech if possible! Compared to more standard neural interfaces, the oddly-legal high-capacity models did not err on the side of safety!

From what he learned from fellow mech designers such as Old Man Terrence and books like the ones in Lady Curver's library, neural interfaces were capable of so much more.

Research in neural interface technology might be heavily curtailed these days, but enough studies had shown that deeper and more immerse connections often led to better performance.

The synchronization and responsiveness between the mech and mech pilot increased. In effect, a deeper connection allowed the mech pilot to embody the mech to a finer degree.

This meant that decisions that normally required conscious thought and manipulation became unconscious instinct. This freed up valuable mental processing power that the mech pilot could utilize on other, more important issues!

Naturally, the downside of a deeper connection was that the damage feedback between the mech and mech pilot also increased.

Despite all of the safeguards developed over the centuries since the popularization of mechs, brain damage was still a significant threat to every mech pilot!

Though Ves was aware of the risks, he already set his stance on this matter when he designed the Devil Tiger.

"Per angusta, ad augusta."

He set this phrase as the Larkinson Clan's motto for a very good reason. Deeper immersion and more extensive man-machine connections stimulated mech pilots to a greater degree, thereby increasing the chance that they would find the chance to advance to expert candidate!

Giving every Larkinson mech pilot a greater chance to transform their lives was worth the risks they incurred if they used a high-capacity model!

The day after Gloriana stormed off, Ves met her again at breakfast at the Austen Estate. When they quietly finished their individualized meals, Ves approached his girlfriend, who huffed and turned her head away.

"Let's talk about our problem."

"Why? I already made my opinion clear." She spoke.

"I don't understand why you object so strongly to this choice."

"Because it's wrong!" She shouted. "Look, you're a brilliant mech designer, and many of your choices are amazing, but sometimes you lose perspective and go too far! Just because you have dangerous proclivities doesn't mean you should pass that on to your clan and subordinates! Are you not a leader? Where is your sense of responsibility?"

Ves sat next to her and enjoyed her rosy scent for a moment. His voice grew softer as he issued his reply.

"I am always thinking about the good of others. I'm no longer a lone ranger, I get that. Hundreds of Larkinsons and thousands of subordinates rely on me, and I take that very seriously. This doesn't mean I want to bury my head in the sand or just sit back and relax while taking no risks at all. The galaxy is dangerous and our situation is very precarious. We also have to make a huge effort in order to form and launch our grand expedition in time."

Gloriana brushed aside her black hair and eyed her boyfriend with an impassive expression.

"I'm sympathetic to that, but your latest choice is needlessly excessive. You are experimenting with an innovation that you haven't even worked out yet! There is no proof that it could work, but already you're resorting to the most extreme option without considering safer alternatives!"

"I have a good feeling about my choice."

She let out a frustrated grunt. "Your feelings have been wrong before. Your intuition is not omnipotent. You're a far cry from Prophet Ylvaine in predicting the future!"

"My intuition is an expression of my inner mech designer. The same goes for you. Trusting in your intuition is not a bad idea."

"Sometimes, I think you are a slave to your intuition." She muttered. "You make choices that no one who is normal would take. Even you can't really explain why you went for a specific choice."

"Is that wrong? You're the same as me, you know. You make many choices that look weird to me but are completely normal to you. As mech designers, each of us pursue separate passions. It's not odd for you to question me, but you should be aware that I stand by every choice I made."

Gloriana scowled deeper. "You think I don't know that? I've let many disagreements slide because it's not worth bringing up. This decision goes too far though. High-capacity neural interfaces are rightfully shunned for very good reasons. I care a lot about the mech pilots who use my mechs. I can't accept the idea of using them as your lab rats!"

The two of them possessed many similarities, but also many differences. The treatment of mech pilots was a rather contentious subject for them. Gloriana's design philosophy caused her to view mech pilots with great importance. She sought to develop products that served their uses as best as possible.

Ves did not necessarily disagree with his stance, but his views on the matter were a little more... flexible.

He decided to be a little more drastic. He leaned into her and grasped both her shoulders. He pressed his face up against her own and stared directly into her eyes.

"Ves!" She gasped.

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