The Mech Touch novel Chapter 916

The XV-99’s minifab system added an enormous amount of utility to Ves, yet it did not come without a price. It was the most vulnerable component to the XV-99 and could easily break from sustaining a direct impact or a moderate shock.

Due to how much space its components took up, the minifab system could only be mounted on the back of the armor, taking up space that should have been occupied by a modular backpack of his choice.

However, due to the high level of integration and structural strengthening around the minifab system, it could take a lot more impacts and shocks than if it turned into a fully modular system. Right now, Ves still possessed the possibility of taking off the minifab system in the field, but only if he removed his combat armor and disassembled the rear portion with tools.

[While this suit of armor isn’t the best in terms of protection due to its thin and light armor plating, the underlayer cushion is capable of absorbing a lot of shock. The XV-99 is most resilient against explosive damage, as it is often employed by our engineers during battle conditions to guard against equipment blowing up in their faces.]

Ves understood that rationale. The CFA almost always fought against aliens, pirates and rebels by pounding their assets with their huge, powerful guns from a very safe distance. The biggest threats to CFA warships was enemy warships with equally big guns.

There was no way any individual could survive a direct impact from a naval gun, but the real killer almost always consisted of being thrown into space or standing too close to a malfunctioning machine that blew up. Therefore, most non-security CFA hazard suits and suits of combat armor provided strong protection against explosions.

"What about its mobility?"

[The XV-99 makes use of small but very durable servos to assist in movement, but the boost they provide is rather limited.] Levitt explained. [The true gems are its EVA capabilities. The XV-99 is a popular model for engineers to take out whenever they need to perform external maintenance and repairs in space. Magboots allow you to stick to anything metallic, the integrated antigrav modules enables you to float under standard gravity, and a miniaturized flight system mounted along the limbs provide a non-grav means of propulsion in case you end up somewhere weird. In addition, it has a good integrated oxygen tank as well as a small water recycling system.]

"Are the antigrav and flight systems strong enough for flight on this planet?"

The virtual chief armorer shook his head. [Not for an armor of this caliber. Higher quality combat armor can do more, but we don’t have many of them left and they’re only available for redemption under exceptional circumstances.]

Well, that scratched off an escape route for Ves. He wouldn’t be able to fly away from the Starlight Megalodon with the Squalon under heavy gravity.

"Alright, tell me about the other functions that are of interest."

[I’ve taken into account your wishes and upgraded the internal scanning and sensor systems. They can make much better scans and observations than any multitool, and I’ve also integrated the anti-stealth function you’ve requested. The Squalon’s standard assisted targeting system is already good enough, and it’s compatible with a range of CFA weapons as well as most junk weapons you can pick up anywhere in the galaxy. As for those silly homemade ultracompact batteries, they’re shoddily made and a hazard compared to what we own. I took the liberty of recycling those pieces of junk.]

Ves adopted an awkward expression. When he researched and developed the ultracompact batteries, he felt so proud of his achievement. Yet it turned out to be nothing but pieces of junk in front of the virtual armorer.

"What about ECM?"

[Well, I can’t stuff a stealth system in your Squalon. It’s already packed with features. However, its standard ECM systems should suffice in hiding you from various scanners and sensors. I also integrated a proper replacement of that crappy signal jammer you cobbled up. It can block nearly every damn standard sensor, but it won’t do much if someone performs a powerful directed scan at your location.]

"It’s better than nothing." Ves murmured.

He knew that his new combat armor’s ability to hide from mech sensors and the like had significantly improved, although it wouldn’t do him much good against the Mark I Eyeball. He did not mistake his Squalon for an infiltrator suit.

[The Squalon is an armor for field engineers, so it is well-equipped with high-quality integrated precision tools. They’re not suitable for any heavy-duty work, but they are good at their intended purpose. I’ve also taken the liberty of adding an armored toolbelt with a standard-issue CFA multitool and CFA multiscanner thrown in for completion’s sake.] _{fɾeewebnoveℓ.co๓}

Ves studied their specs and noted that all the integrated tools, sensors and scanners possessed considerable capabilities far above par of what any standard-issue gear from a second-rate state should be capable of. The CFA multitool and CFA multiscanner that Levitt threw in as a freebie performed a bit worse, but they were small and portable and allowed him to use the devices without equipping the XV-99 Squalon.

"All of the gear has been updated with the latest security suites, right?"

[Who do you think I am?] The virtual chief armorer frowned. [Of course I did! Even if the Intelligence Department got ahead of me and submitted all kinds of new security suites and software, I have to admit they’re all pretty good. Mind you, a skilled CFA hacker can probably shut all of your fancy toys down within seconds, but you’re probably good against any other kind of foe.]

As long as the Vesians or any of the other rabble from the Komodo Star Sector wouldn’t be able to hack his gear, Ves had few complaints.

[As for what kind of additional loadout you can bring, the Squalon offers various small storage compartments. There is a dedicated data chip compartment that shields these fragile buggers against shock, impact, EMP and all kinds of other radiation damage. There are also other, less protected pockets for smaller bits and pieces. I tried fitting in those awful backup knives of yours into them, but they didn’t fit so I threw them away along with the rest of your junk. However, that inert stiletto of yours is very interesting. Even if its material composition is rather basic, the craftsmanship of this weapon is worthy of recognition.]

"Did you manage to upgrade the Cadisis?"

[Cadisis, eh? I don’t get why you humans like to name your weapons. Well, I’ve been puzzling over a way to upgrade stiletto without destroying its essence. I ultimately decided to submerge it into a bath of liquid exotics, infusing its structure with extra strength, penetration and more importantly decreasing its passive stealth and signal dampening capabilities even further. It’s damn near invisible against most sensors and scanners below CFA-standard. Of course, it’s no use hiding it from the Starlight Megalodon’s scanners. You owe me some extra merits for this service!]