The Mech Touch novel Chapter 2784

Chapter 2784 - Vincent the Pundit

It was quite rare for Journeymen like Ves and Gloriana to be able to talk to a genuine Master Mech Designer. Even though this was not their first meeting with Professor Cline, the pair still wanted to take advantage of the moment.

"Do you believe that the biomech industry has fallen behind?" Gloriana asked.

This was a s.e.n.s.i.t.i.v.e question, but it wasn’t enough to rile up a Master.

"Perhaps." The professor shrugged. "Does that change anything? Not necessarily. When you live to my age, you think less in the moment and more across longer stretches of time. In my perspective, trends come and go, certain mechs become fashionable while others are phased out for whatever reason. These are all momentary events that are all part of a greater tapestry that tells the stories of mechs. Too many people make the mistake of focusing on the part of the tapestry that is in front of them. That is a short-sighted approach. You can gain an entirely different understanding if you take a few steps back and view the tapestry as a whole."

"Not everyone gets to live as long as you, professor." Ves responded in a mild tone. "What might be a moment for someone who is more than three centuries old can be half a lifetime to an average mech pilot."

"That is an unfortunate reality. Every society is diverse. That is what makes it so rich and vibrant. While it is regretful that life prolonging treatment still hasn’t become accessible to the wider population, I hope that will change one day. Our society will become very different if average citizens are able to reach my age."

Ves wasn’t so sure if he wanted to welcome such a future. When people lived beyond their natural lifespans, they tended to get very weird. If human civilization became filled with geriatrics with mentalities that were warped by age, then who knew what might happen to the future of their race!

"You have a very optimistic view of humanity. I cannot bring myself to accept your viewpoint. The proportions of humans in the galaxy that can only look at what is right in front of them far outnumbered those who can view the entire tapestry. Even though the latter has a considerable say in how our civilization is run, it is the former who truly decides how we live."

"That is true. This is why education is important. Even if progress is slow, we must never fail in our endeavors to improve everyone’s lives. I have hope that we will one day achieve a level of progress where everyone can live like a prince."

Yeah right! Ves had to resist the urge to snort. Instead, he offered a restrained answer.

"Many millennia have passed since humanity ascended to the stars. Even after going through the disaster that was the end of the Age of Conquest, the lives of many humans haven’t fundamentally changed. Our tech has improved, but humans who are born today still have to struggle to make a living and get caught in the same senseless wars."

The Master Mech Designer looked tired. "That is because the dominant model of our current civilization is an extension of the same flawed model of the past. The future that I and many of my colleagues are working towards is one where the solutions of biotechnology solved many of the shortcomings of societies outside our state. You may think us odd for favoring a technology base that seems alien to you, but we believe in our cause."

"You’ve been working for this cause for several hundred years." Gloriana noted. "How much longer will it take to attain your goals?"

"No one can answer that question. We can only continue to soldier on and wait until the moment is right. It might take centuries. It might take millenia. However, a time will come where the existing model has run its course. That is when our alternate model based on tech that works on different principles will show its value."

Though the professor did not raise his voice, Ves could feel the older man’s conviction. The strength of a Master Mech Designer’s belief was very strong!

Still, Ves wasn’t fooled. Just because someone lived several centuries old and just because someone had become extremely good at designing mechs didn’t mean he was automatically right in everything else!

Even Masters could be wrong. Ves had to remind himself of this truth.

They continued to talk about other topics until the duel was finally slated to begin.

As was usual in glitzy occasions like these, an extensive introduction followed first. As the announcers started to address the crowds of spectators who were all sitting on different viewing platforms extending from different tree structures, Ves and Gloriana sat down next to Raella and Vincent.

"The Lifers are really pulling out all the stops." Vincent looked impressed as a famous celebrity from the LRA appeared on the center stage in order to sing an inspiring song.

Raella smirked. "They have to be. This is the biggest show that the LRA has held in a while. It’s all a bit rushed, though. The Lifers could have organized a much better introduction if they had a few extra months to prepare in advance."

Ves found their remarks to be intriguing. "Are you saying that the organizers are going above and beyond to popularize the design duel?"

"Duh. A single design duel isn’t all that special, to be honest. The only ones who really have a stake in the outcome are the two mech designers taking part along with the mech pilots that fight on their behalf. It’s not an interesting spectator sport to be honest because the real competition is too technical and abstract to laymen."

She was right. Mech designers were able to understand much of the nuance of design duels. As for ordinary people, they much preferred to view ordinary mech duels where passionate fighters instead of bookish engineers were the protagonists.

However, it was not as if his mechs would be able to remain obscure forever. Deploying them on regular patrols around his fleet already exposed their external appearances to any sensors pointed in their direction. _{freewebnøvel.com}

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