The Mech Touch novel Chapter 660

Some much-needed clarity injected into his mind for a moment. Ves had been put out of his comfort zone after being on the receiving end of a passionate rant.

"Economists of all stripes can write entire virtual libraries on the subject of the mech industry and the mech market. I know what I am. I’m a mech designer. I know what I am not. I have not dived too deeply into questioning the model of the mech market in my mind."

"Is that your answer?" The Skull Architect scoffed in a disdainful manner. "You throw your hands in the air because matters of economy is beyond your scope of expertise? While I have a low opinion of the mech market, they set the rules that mech designers such as you must follow! For better or worse, every independent mech designer that has the power to publish their own designs must conform to market standard, however stifling they turn out to be! Doesn’t that rankle you?!"

The man’s response gave Ves some much-needed time to formulate a response. While he could have bopped his head and agreed with whatever the wise and mighty Senior said, Ves wanted to preserve his own ideas.

If he let the Skull Architect roll over him, Ves might as well convert to the gospel of the Skull Architect!

Ves calmed his mood and disregarded the other mech designer’s high-strung mood. "Let me turn this argument around, if I may. You say that the mech market is made up of conservative copycat mech designers and buyers that are anything but rational. Does that not make the two of us fallible as well? Who are we to tell that we know what is best for mech pilots?"

"That argument may hold some weight if the number of suppliers of mechs is only limited to a handful of mech manufacturers. That is the EXACT opposite of the current market supply! There are so many mech designers attempting to make their mark on the mech market that it is straining the MTA’s practically unlimited resources! Hahaha! Serves them right! Those control freaks are being brought down by the weight of their own success!"

The Skull Architect’s grievances against the Mech Trade Association must run very deep. Hardly any mech designer dared to say anything ill about one of the two most powerful organizations in human space. Though the MTA presented a friendly and accessible face to the public, Ves heard they were rather firm in keeping the industry under their ’benevolent’ supervision.

"My experiences with the Mech Trade Association have been shallow so far." Ves cautiously said. "I cannot say my experiences with them have ended on a bad note." _{freeωebnovēl.c૦m}

"You’re still a cub in their eyes, Mr. Larkinson. You still need to jump out of the spawning pond before the MTA will start to take you seriously. When you reach Journeyman, their scrutiny on you will intensify by a thousand fold. While the stereotype describes them watching over every mech designer through spy bugs and other high tech means, the real snake is hidden among your employees and associates. Do not trust a single of your man no matter how well you’ve secured their guarantees. ESPECIALLY do not trust the supposed ironclad contracts of the MTA to enforce non-disclosure agreements!"

"This.." Ves turned speechless for a moment. The idea sounded absurd, yet awfully plausible! "The MTA.. actively violates the confidentiality agreements they are supposed to uphold? This.. they are their own judge! There’s nobody in the galaxy that is accountable to the MTA!"

The Skull Architect cackled as if he achieved a victory. "Haha! That’s it! There’s the rub! Too many mech designers have fallen into their trap of placing total confidence in their integrity and impartiality! The MTA is anything but a sober and united institution. It suffers from the same infighting, nepotism, corruption, incompetence and bias as every other organization ran by humans! As long as humans are involved, the WORST CASE SCENARIO will ALWAYS take place without fail! IT IS IN OUR NATURE TO SCREW UP!"

Ves read the underlying argument. The Skull Architect evidently held a deeper grievance against humans in general. In particular, their irrational and emotional behavior hampered his own research ventures many times.

Still, Ves did not agree with that sentiment. "Humans are fallible, yes. But we are also the race that have managed to conquer half the galaxy during the Age of Conquests. Our many screwups aside, our breadth of life and our wealth of emotions has driven us to greater heights than almost any alien before us has achieved! Although I respect your opinions, I really can’t agree with your pessimism with regards to the imperfections of human behavior! Life is inherently dynamic, and while that makes our society imperfect, it’s at least better than living like bots!"

His words expressed his beliefs that human diversity of thought and preferences could be a boon for mech designers. After all, if humans always chose to purchase the ’best’ mechs on the market, wouldn’t they exclusively purchase the optimized-to-death mass market models? Small-time craftsmen and up-and-coming mech designers such as Ves stood no chance of entering the market with his creative but suboptimal mech models.

His words had a measurable impact on the Skull Architect. The pirate mech designer scowled even more, but Ves knew the man’s anger wasn’t directed at him. The Senior couldn’t refute Ves, not without sounding as if humans would be better off if they all turned into emotionless bots.

"Be that as it may, boy, the Mech Trade Association should have been held to a higher standard." Jimenez calmed down. "Quis custodiet ipsos custodes? Who watches the watchers? The MTA and CFA were initially conceived to split their powers and keep each other in check. Instead, they have decided to treat their area of interests as their exclusive domain in exchange for not bothering each other. The MTA is a tyrant within the borders of human space, while the CFA gets to terrorize the frontier on a regular basis. The original balance of powers envisioned at the start of the Age of Mechs is broken, and the cracks have already started to show in this last century."

"I.. I wouldn’t know, sir."

"Of course not, you’re just a small Apprentice Mech Designer. In our perspective, you are still a child. No matter. You will be apprised of the true state of human civilization when you reach my rank. Let me impart you with a free tip. Once you advance to Journeyman, which you inevitably will, DO NOT participate in any of their initiatives. They are all TRAPS designed to pull you into their .

The way the Senior spoke started to grate on Ves. While he sensed that the Skull Architect genuinely wanted to help him out, the older mech designer actually tried to pursue his own interests.