The Mech Touch novel Chapter 2772

Chapter 2772 - Dragon's Den

"One of our aims to visit the Life Research Association is to recruit a large number of doctors, exobiologists, geneticists, implant surgeons, veterinarians and other life science professionals, correct?"

Ves nodded as he stroked Lucky’s back. The lazy cat had settled on his l.a.p.

"That is indeed the case. I don’t want to hire a bunch of average biotech experts at every stop. Since we have the resources and the opportunity to do so, I want to absorb a lot of doctors, specialists and researchers in a single go. Our demand for their services is already high and will definitely go higher in the future."

"Then having the Dragon’s Den will definitely persuade the more skilled and proficient professionals to join our clan. Have you ever checked to see how the recruitment of biotech experts is going right now?"

"They’re not doing so well, but that is mostly because we don’t have permission to hire the better ones in the first place. All we are getting so far are the rejects and the dregs."

Vivian shook her head. "Even if you gain permission, the recruiters still aren’t optimistic. Think about the working conditions we offer. What are we depending on to attract new hires?" _{freeweɓnovel.cøm}

"Money. A path to greatness. Becoming part of a rising clan. Leaving behind the familiar in order to start a new life in the Red Ocean."

"A lot of people are attracted to these conditions to be sure, but the group you are targeting are different. Think about it. Lifers live in a state where biotechnology is ubiquitous. Will these professionals who are used to living in an environment where beetles take the place of cleaner bots want to live in a cold metal coffin in space? It is as alien as us trying to live on a bioship. Would you like to spend your years on an icky organic vessel that is made out of living flesh and bone?"

"No. I wouldn’t."

Vivian made a good point. The best and most competent Lifers available for hire wouldn’t feel comfortable if they were assigned to live and work on a classical starship.

While ordinary people like Ves and many other Larkinsons weren’t bothered by living in a completely artificial environment that was mostly made out of metal, the locals thought differently!

It was a lot more attractive for them to work aboard a ship with very clear biotech traits. The Dragon’s Den was actually a hybrid ship in this regard. Her core structure and exterior were made out of metal, but her interior was made out of organic matter that would ensure that any Lifer would feel at home inside.

"The Dragon’s Den is not fully made out of biomatter, which is an advantage to us." The shipwright told him. "It is easier for us to repair, maintain and upgrade most of her ship systems. As for her organic aspects, the biotech experts that will hopefully crew this vessel can take care of this need. I think it will make them very happy if they are responsible for decorating and setting up their own home."

It wasn’t just the living environment that made the Dragon’s Den compelling in the eyes of the Lifers. The previous owners and users of the bioresearch vessel were probably senior beast designers or something, because there was a lot of high-end lab equipment that ordinary researchers could only dream about!

The facilities were so comprehensive that they were able to accommodate many other disciplines aside from beast design. Anyone involved in human augmentation, medical treatment, cloning and even food cultivation would practically feel as if they had entered paradise if they stepped aboard the Dragon’s Den!

On top of that, the capital ship was big. With a total length of 3.3 kilometers, the vessel was capable of carrying a lot of organic cargo. She could even be used to transport non-living cargo if the Larkinson Clan urgently needed the extra space.

All in all, it was very hard to encounter a bioresearch ship that was so large and well-equipped that she was capable of supporting an entire bioindustry chain!

All of this sounded great, but Ves grew a bit suspicious. "What are the downsides of the Dragon’s Den?"

"Well, it’s quite obvious if you look at the projected schematic." Vivian answered and pointed her finger at the exterior layer of the vessel. "As you can see, the thickness and sturdiness of her hull plating is incomparable to the Graveyard. She’s not designed for combat at all. She’s a purely civilization research vessel that only possesses nominal capital-grade hull plating."

"What does that mean? What is nominal capital-grade hull plating?"

"It means that the Dragon’s Den is clad with the least amount of plating she can get away with. Her exterior shell has to be sturdy enough to support her inner structure and prevent any compartments from shifting. Her hull also has to be sturdy enough to withstand ordinary environmental hazards in space. Think of space junk, space dust, cosmic radiation, dangerous anomalies and so on. It’s also helpful to have at least some mass to defend against incidental attacks from mechs."

Thin hull plating to capital sh.i.p.s was actually rather thick for sub-capital sh.i.p.s. The Dragon’s Den wasn’t fragile at all in absolute terms. It was just that she was much less capable of resisting damage than sturdier capital sh.i.p.s.

In any case, as long as the Dragon’s Den was put in the rear, her poor defenses wouldn’t be a problem.

"Are there any other concerns that I should know?"

"Hmmm. Not as such. There are numerous complications due to her hybrid construction, but they are manageable. Despite her apparent sophistication, the Dragon’s Den is quite a simple vessel in shipbuilding terms. You don’t need to design a complex internal structure when the ship is only meant to carry beasts and serve as a research base."

"I see. I think I’ve heard enough. Let me think about this option."

Even though Ves wasn’t really interested in starting up a large biotech operation at the moment, that would definitely change in the future.

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