The Mech Touch novel Chapter 1966

Chapter 1966 Rim Avatar

"So Hogan, as much as I'd like to float around in a fake galaxy a little longer, I was expecting a little more from the Rim Exchange. Could you lead me to the Merit Hall and other places on the platform?"

[You are not ready to enter our platform in your current state, Mr. Larkinson.] The servile virtual android spoke. [As this is the first time you are entering our virtual portal, you must design your humanoid avatar which you will be using to interact with fellow associates and representatives of the Rim Guardians.]

Ves felt puzzled. "So I'm not going to be visiting the Exchange in a copy of my own body?"

[Correct. Here at the Rim Exchange, billions of Associates come together in one of our instanced virtual realities. Mech designers, mech pilots, industrialists and many other noteworthy people from across the galaxy are able to socialize and exchange with each other.]

"So I'll be able to encounter someone who is separated a hundred-thousand light-years away from the Komodo Star Sector?"

Hogan nodded his robotic head. [Technically, that is correct, though by default you will enter an instance that is mostly visited by your fellow associates in your star cluster. You have the option to transfer to a more cosmopolitan instance, but that is not recommended for Journeymen.]

It might be fun to talk to someone who lived on the other end of the galaxy, but the novelty quickly wore off after a time. Aside from conducting a shallow exchange, there was no point in collaborating with someone who was so physically distant.

"Tell me more about these so-called avatars, Hogan. Could you show me some examples as well?"

[Why certainly, Mr. Larkinson. Here is a random selection of Rim Avatars designed by your fellow associates.]

The android waved a hand, causing a carousel of a diverse selection of robotic, human-sized avatars to rotate past his view.

Many of them resembled androids like Delta-Gina and Gamma-Gamma-Hogan, but with much more sophistication in their designs.

Most of them were unclothed, preferring to bare their full technical brilliance to others.

Some of them adhered closely to the human form. Whether they were male or female, they looked human enough to pass off as one if not for their obvious technological appearances.

Others were a bit more creative. One looked like a robotic bear that learned how to walk upright, while another resembled a floating octopus that hovered above the ground using antigrav modules rather than its tentacles.

A substantial minority of avatars even took on the form of mechs on a smaller scale! These human-sized mechs were completely viable in reality. Aside from the lack of mech pilots, these mech-like Rim Avatars were obviously derived from the mech designed by their owners!

What impressed Ves the most about these avatars was that many owners used them as a canvas to express their creativity or send a message!

Some Rim Avatars resembled ancient, corroded relics that one might find in a centuries-old ruin. _{ƒreewebɳovel.com}

Another brilliant avatar even seemed to have been designed according to steampunk principles, operating completely on steam rather than conventional electricity!

Ves didn't need to ask why the Rim Exchange enforced the use of these Rim Avatars.

At least in the case of mech designers, the names and appearances of their fellow colleagues weren't as important as their ability in mech design!

Showcasing their design style and design skill in the form of a personally-designed Rim Avatar provided much more information to others with just a single glance.

The avatar bodies that Hogan showed off all provided Ves with a wealth of information about their owners just by reading their designs!

Some owners were eager to advertise their full abilities. Others were more circumspect and deliberately designed Rim Avatars that revealed as little information about their identities, design styles and skill as possible!

He even encountered a few sloppy, low-effort Rim Avatars that were barely better than cleaning bots in terms of sophistication!

All in all, Ves understood that he could pick any form of Rim Avatar he wished, within certain limits. Rather than a straightforward demonstration of design prowess, the Avatars also functioned as a way to shape to other people's impression of himself.

Whether he wanted to attract attention from others or avoid it like the plague, his unique Rim Avatar would be able to facilitate either desires depending on his design choices!

"What a fun game." Ves curled his non-existent lips into a smile. "It's fitting that a platform that is mostly frequented by mech designers to adopt such a novel custom."

After Ves expressed a desire to design his own Rim Avatar, Hogan waved his robotic hand once again, transferring him to a virtual design studio.

[As a convenience, you do not need to fabricate the components of your Rim Avatar. Merely design your Avatar and its virtual incarnation will immediately appear in front of you. As a level 2 external associate of the Rim Guardian Fraternity, you have access to a slightly wider selection of materials and advanced components.]

"I'm not level 1? Is that normal? What is this level structure?"

[External associates rank from level 1 to level 10. Each new associate starts at level 1, which is the most basic level. It provides no discount on official goods and services offered by the Rim Guardians and your access to various facilities and amenities are subject to many restrictions. At level 2, you receive a 5 percent discount and gain various privileges. This pattern continues at higher levels until you reach level 10, which affords associates with a 45 percent discount on official goods and services as well as many other privileges.]

Forty-five percent! That was a massive discount, especially if that applied to fleet beyonder tickets and life-prolonging treatments!

However, Ves knew that the Rim Guardians weren't generous for nothing. Just like the MTA they hailed from, mech designers probably had to toil for centuries to reach the highest level!

"How can mech designers reach a higher level of associate status?"

[Certain critical missions offer a promotion in rank as an optional or base reward. You can also reach a higher level by advancing to Senior or Master or by making certain important achievements. The reason why you have been promoted to level 2 is because you have received a masterwork certificate. This is an achievement worthy of recognition.]

So that explained it. That was a pretty nice extra, since a 5 percent discount already shaved off 5 million MTA merits off the hefty price of a fleet beyonder ticket!

"Well, let's start."

The design interface was virtually identical to that of a mech design software suite, though with various extra tools designed to cope with the smaller scale of the robotic avatars.

Ves had access to the public library of the MTA if he needed to look up on how to build a robot, and he even had the option of contacting some people if he needed advice or assistance.

He was too proud and confident to rely on others to design his Rim Avatar. He wanted it to become an expression of himself!

He saw no need to play any games and hide his identity behind a deceptive Rim Avatar. Insead, he wanted to translate his design style, his design philosophy and his other design-related traits in the form he chose to represent himself among the associates of the Rim Guardians!

Naturally, he would hold some characteristics back, but he was not afraid of showing other mech designers his distinctive design style!

Besides, anyone who looked up his mech designs would be able to view what he could do anyway.

Though Hogan mentioned that Ves had the option of hiding his identity, he didn't see the point in that. The Rim Exchange was a virtual reality that was fully under the control of the Rim Guardians. Privacy was an illusion and everything happened under the purview of the powerful organization!

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