The Mech Touch novel Chapter 914

Sadly, Virtual Doctor Neeran proved to be an ineffectual source of information when it came to Project Icarus. Most of what he heard consisted of hearsay his human counterpart used to pick up over the years.

[The Starlight Megalodon used to serve as a central bulwark of the CFA.] Dr. Neeran explained. [She is not ’just’ a battleship. She served as the mobile headquarters of a powerful regional CFA war fleet. As one of the most powerful warships at the CFA’s disposal, she served as an ideal research center. After all, who in the galaxy had the guts to attack a CFA battleship?]

"There’s a flaw with that plan, though. A battleship of her size requires a lot of crew to keep her running. Obviously, the CFA failed pretty badly when it came to stopping spies and moles from taking up positions on this ship."

Neeran smiled ruefully at Ves. [That is all in the past. I can scarcely remember who I used to serve. While I haven’t heard much about the project you mentioned, I know that it is one of the most significant and tightly-guarded research projects of the Research Division. I don’t believe any virtual officer has access to the lab that houses the project right now. In fact, it is under strict lockdown ever since the old captain lost his position along with all the humans.]

"It’s that sensitive?"

[That’s an understatement, Mr. Longhorn. There are many secrets involved with this project, and the captain is intricately involved with it. Don’t bother asking, because I don’t have any answers. From what some of the other virtual officers have hinted about the project, the lockdown is there for our own protection. If whatever is locked inside comes out, the Starlight Megalodon’s destruction might very well be at hand!]

Ves didn’t know how seriously he should take these rumors. Hyperbole aside, it sounded as if gaining access to Project Icarus would be a lot harder than anticipated.

Well, it wasn’t as if he planned to do the Five Scrolls Compact a favor anyway. If it was too hard to gain access to this project, he felt no compulsion to go through with the mission handed over to him by Virtual Rear Admiral Ordoth.

After Neeran repeated all of the rumors associated with this sensitive project, the two wrapped up their meeting. Ves stood up and shook the virtual exobiologist’s hand before he left.

[Remember to prepare more merits to cover for my services, Mr. Longhorn! The advance you’ve given me isn’t even enough to fill the gaps between my virtual teeth!]

"I’ll be back as soon as I prepared the merits! I hope you have finished your analysis and treatment plan before then!"

As Ves exited the frosty Exobiology Department, he inwardly lamented his lack of merits. It took no time at all to spend the modest stash of merits he received from the dwarf officer, and he owed the exobiologist a lot more than that. Even if Neeran was a low-level Compact plant didn’t change the fact that the virtual exobiologist needed merits as well.

"After all of these distractions, I shouldn’t stray any longer. From now on, I should make the Research Department my home and churn out as many merits as I can earn!"

He crossed over to the next compartment and entered the familiar confines of the Research Department. He first entered Virtual Commander Cosit’s office to report in for the first time since his promotion.

[Mr. Longhorn, your performance is admirable in the short time since you rejoined the Research Department. I had no doubts at all that you would succeed in your promotion test to Senior Apprentice!]

"It is thanks to your care that I managed to promote, Commander Cosit." Ves said in fake modestness.

Cosit laughed in self-satisfaction. [I appreciate your compliment. Anyway, let us get to business. As a lieutenant of the CFA, your security clearance is no longer stuck near the bottom. I have taken the liberty to apply for an increase in your clearances, which has just been approved. At least with regards to the Mech Research Sub-Department, your access and authority to the research projects has expanded enormously.]

Ves glowed when he heard that. He knew that the Research Department housed hundreds of serious research projects that weren’t like the side projects he worked on before.

This was real, core research meant to push the envelope of what the CFA knew about mechs back then! Even though it was a shame that most of the projects were horribly outdated by now, the mech designers back then truly attempted to innovate.

"Will I finally be able to contribute to real research projects, ma’am?"

[Hold your horses, Mr. Longhorn. A Senior Apprentice Mech Designer is still an apprentice in our books. Even if your security clearance is bumped, you are still not eligible to work on the most truly valuable mech research projects. However, you’ve gained enough status to access many intermediate research projects, some of them interdisciplinary, that urgently require humans to achieve a breakthrough. Even if you don’t manage to complete them, there are still merits to be earned if you manage to push them along.]

This sounded pretty good as well. Right now, Ves wanted broad access to as much research projects as possible in order to pick and choose where he could best spend his time on. Not every project yielded the same amount of merits over time.

"Which projects do I have access to now, ma’am?"

Virtual Commander Cosit projected another list of research projects and elaborated on their nature. About a dozen or so research projects glowed, overshadowing the others.

[I’m not yet inclined to give you the discretion to choose your own research projects yet, but as soon as you promote to Senior Mech Designer I’ll reconsider my decision. For now, I want you to ease into the simpler research projects that have opened up to you. Do well and I will hand you over some of the more difficult projects.]

Naturally, the more difficult and significant the research project, the more merits Ves stood to gain as long as he succeeded.

"I will try my best, but some of my capabilities have gone rather rusty, ma’am." Ves said cautiously.