The Mech Touch novel Chapter 4120

Chapter 4120 Master Rexen

"No. Absolutely not. This is out of the question, Anton."

"Why not, Master Rexen?!" Professor Anton became more agitated as his immediate supervisor shot down his experimental proposal. "I know it sounds risky, but we don't have to apply the results of my experiment to the expert mech if they fail to meet our demands. What is the harm in trying this out? I won't delay the progress of the design project at all. I will conduct all of the work and experimentation in my free time in any lab or facility that is available. Please grant me the opportunity to explore this idea. The performance boost that I can provide to expert mechs might reach as much as 5 to 10 percent if I succeed! Think about it. Our Blue Cavalry would definitely be able to increase its standing relative to the Sundered Phalanx."

Master Rexen did not look amused. The older man remained completely unmoved by the proposal from a Senior who had otherwise performed exemplary after returning from his sabbatical.

"Have you forgotten that you are working in the service of the Blue Cavalry and the state? Have you mistaken your identity to that of an independent entrepreneur? You are a public servant, not a maverick who can decide upon his own actions. The Blue Cavalry expects you to deliver a basic expert mech for Venerable Stixson within budget within a timely manner. The higher ups are not asking for anything more than that, and most certainly will not embrace this harebrained scheme of yours that will not only waste everyone's time, but also cause your simple project to balloon to the point where it most certainly exceeds the strict budget and time constraints that we have imposed."

Professor Anton grew frustrated. Why couldn't Master Rexen understand the great potential of his plan?!

He had worked days on this proposal. He had racked his brains for every possible lead he could find in order to potentially increase the efficiency and the performance of his expert mech design project by as much as 10 percent!

"Please reconsider, sir." Anton pleaded as he grew desperate. "How can we keep up with the competition from the other coalition partners and the Hexers if we do not put more effort into innovating our expert mechs? We should not let go of any opportunity to gain an advantage over our opponent. If you can just allow me to work more closely with Venerable Stixson and attempt to develop a revolutionary new method to increase the degree of symbiosis between the expert pilot and his expert mech, we can—"

Master Rexen visibly grew annoyed. "STOP. I will not tolerate this nonsense from you any further! Listen to yourself! Do you know how irrational you sound? Your proposal is filled with vague promises and unscientific terminology. If you want us to take your ideas seriously, then at least make an effort to sound serious. This is anything but what we would consider sound. No supervisor in his right mind would allow such a ramshackle experiment to proceed under his nose, and I will certainly not stand for this reckless adventurism." _{frёeweɓηovel.coɱ}

"But—"

Master Rexen did not even allow Professor Anton to get another word out. He resolutely swiped the air with his palm as if he was cutting off his subordinate's entire chance to speak.

"I will hear no further of this, Anton! You are out of line! There is a time and place for research and development. Wait until you have built up more experience and hammered out your theories so that they are no longer based on spurious assumptions that you have grasped from thin air.

Professor Anton's theories were not based on thin air! Although he hadn't been able to prove all of his assumptions, he was convinced that his chain of logic was sound! Why couldn't a Master Mech Designer recognize the truth!?

"You are not the first mech designer who proposed to empower an expert mech by searching for a method to transfer the psionic qualities of an expert pilot to the machine in question." Master Rexen calmly spoke as he adopted a lecturing tone. "It is an idea that is regularly put forward by mech designers who think they can empower a mech with psionic properties. Are you aware of the results that they have obtained through their efforts?"

"No, Master. I tried to search the archives for any prior research, but neither our internal databases nor the MTA's own libraries have provided me with relevant information."

"There are reasons for that. First, the experiments have never come close to succeeding. They have all ended in failure. The greatest variable to them is the damage that they have wrought. At best, they wasted a large amount of money and time. At worst, their pseudoscientific approaches have produced actual harm to the expert pilots that they pretend to serve. That is the exact opposite of what mech designers such as ourselves stand for, and it is for good reason that the entirety of the mech industry has suppressed these inane research proposals."

The message was clear. Professor Anton would not be able to explore his fantastic train of thought because his research direction was effectively declared taboo!

"May I ask if there are any secret research labs that…"

Master Rexen contemptuously let out a snort. "Give it up, Anton. The only source of expert pilots in the Vermeer Group is the Blue Cavalry, and it will never embrace any experimental procedures that expose their assets to unnecessary and excessive risks. While I am not aware of every secret research lab operating within our borders, I can assure you that even the most shady of them will not entertain your idea."

"Why not, Master?"

"First, they simply won't do it. Second, even if there is the tiniest possibility that they are interested in this research direction, they would never entrust any of it to you. Your specialization is related to energy transmission systems and internal architecture. There is nothing in your record that gives anyone confidence that you are competent enough to succeed in this undertaking. You are a highly orthodox mech designer, and that makes you excellent in your current position. Experiments like these are normally performed by colleagues who possess more flexible minds and are more accustomed to thinking outside the box. You are not such a mech designer."

Professor Anton would have retorted that he had begun to move in this direction as well. His submitted research proposal was proof of that!

Unfortunately, Master Rexen was so rigid that he was not even willing to open any backdoors to Professor Anton.

The friendship and respect that they built up over the course of many completed projects meant nothing in the end.

The Senior Mech Designer left the office with a profound sense of disappointment. He was more passionate and enthused about his daring research proposal than he was with any of his prior projects.

What struck him the most was how betrayed he felt by the Master who guided him and taught him during all of these years.

"How could you… I trusted you, Master…"

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