The Mech Touch

Chapter 6396 The Optimism of Technological Progress

Dreams could rarely be fulfilled because those who imagined them lacked the ability to realize their unrealistic fantasies.

What Ves had just done was give his audience a harsh reminder that just because they could, did not necessarily mean they should.

Anyone with a basic grasp of economics and the dire state of red humanity would know that it was impossible for everyone to instantly quit their current jobs en masse and become Carmine mech pilots the next day.

The laws of supply and demands did not magically disappear due to the invention of the Carmine System.

The more people wanted to pilot a Carmine mechs, the more barriers they would have to overcome.

This was a dynamic process, so Ves expected that the amount of people who were willing to drop everything they had and dedicate themselves to piloting Carmine mechs would eventually reach a sustainable equilibrium point.

More people would get to pilot mechs. That was almost certain. Yet the increase shouldn't be dramatic enough to disrupt the functioning of society.

"Let us proceed with another question. Master Miriam El Misri, you have the word."

The spotlight shone on another private box. A female Master Mech Designer stood up and faced the public with a sagely demeanor.

"Professor Larkinson, when you have briefly described the mechanisms of your Carmine System, you described the Blood Pact as a sacred covenant between Carmine mech pilot. and Carmine mech. This has many implications. What will happen if either party perishes? Can a Carmine mech pilot form a new Blood Pact with another Carmine mech, or will he or she encounter hindrances that complicate this action?"

"Good question, Master El Misri." Ves said. "You have touched upon one of the harshest limitations of my new tech. The honest answer is that people can only form a Blood Pact with a Carmine mech once in their lives. There are few if any exceptions. I took the trouble to share the story of Venerable Jannzi Larkinson because that is the sort of dedication and commitment that every Carmine mech pilot must show to the machine that has given them a new future. Do not disrespect the Blood Pact. It is not a tool. It is a mutual promise between two life-long partners. It is a marriage that can never be annulled."

That generated another wave of disappointment among the audience. The limit of being able to form only one Blood Pact in a person's lifetime was a massive limitation!

The majority of mech pilots were accustomed to switching over to pilot other mechs on a semi-regular basis. They never fell under the sway of a restriction that would only permit them to pilot a single mech for the rest of their lives. The very thought frightened the pilots!

Master El Misri therefore represented the concerns of many people who previously held a lot of optimism towards the Carmine System.

"If this is the case, then if a Carmine mech pilot loses his or her Carmine mech, that person has no means to continue to fight as before?"

Ves nodded. "Yes. All of the time, money and missed opportunities that the pilot has spent to control his very own Carmine mech will go to waste as soon as the bonded machine is lost. This is a limitation of the current and past generations of the Carmine System. People who are interested in piloting Carmine mechs should take this limitation into account and make a careful choice on whether now is the right time for them to switch their careers."

"Your words imply that there may be remedies in the future."

"That is true." Ves smiled. "Technology opens many doors. Did we not live in a universe where only 3.5 percent of our population is capable of piloting mechs? That has turned into close to 100 percent due to my innovation. While my Carmine System comes with a heavy restriction, we should never rule out the possibility of subsequent advances. The Carmine mechs that I am about to unveil to you have incorporated a solution that partially mitigates the chance that Carmine mech pilots will be forced to retire once their machines shatter. In addition, more comprehensive solutions are being pursued." "Can you elaborate?"

"My direct disciple, Miss Alexa Streon, is working to develop living legacy mechs. While her concept is still in the initial stages, I see great promise in her endeavors. As long as she is able to progress her research far enough, I may be able to collaborate with her to develop a line of legacy Carmine mechs that form a cohesive collective identity. This should theoretically make it possible for a prospective Carmine mech pilot to form a Blood Pact with a dynasty of Carmine mechs as opposed to an individual living machine. The goal is to permit one Carmine mech pilot to be able to pilot multiple different Carmine mechs of the same generation."

This idea excited a lot of people!

There were many members and leaders of old and established family organizations who immediately recognized the value in this potential solution! They already began to look up Alexa Streon and thought about how they should invest in her research in order to secure first dibs on her so-called legacy mechs!

Master El Misri looked impressed. "That is an inspired proposal to lift the current. limitations of your new design application. Since your direct discipline can contribute to a solution, other mech designers should be able to develop their own solutions." "Yes," Ves grinned. "This is the strength of the mech industry. There are so many mech designers among us that we have advanced the technological development of mechs at a high pace since the start of the Age of Mechs. The Carmine System is new and exciting, but it is also a young and underdeveloped piece of technology. I have no doubt that there are many of you who can take what I have created and develop your own improvements on top of my basic framework. However, before you get ready to license my Carmine mech designs at the first opportunity and begin to butcher my work, the consequences of making mistakes are as severe as mishandling neural interfaces. When the lives of real mech pilots are on the line, experiments related to the Carmine System can only be conducted under the supervision and approval of the Red Association." That deflated the eagerness of mech designers who already intended to sink their teeth into the Carmine System. The Red Association imposed many restrictions on any research related to neural interfaces. The mechers would probably treat the Carmine System just as seriously!

Even so, there should still be a chance. People with greater understanding of the Red Association knew that it would never completely prohibit research into this field entirely. The Carmine System was still too flawed and featured a lot of room for improvement. Every advancement in this area would further cement the supremacy of mechs over other combat platforms.

Ves proceeded to answer a few more questions. Not all of them warranted a lot of attention from him, but they dealt with topics that he had to address sooner or later. "According to your explanation, the Carmine System serves as an extension of your living mechs. Is it possible to integrate your Carmine System into a mech designed by others?" "No. It is completely useless if you replicate the material components of the Carmine System onto a more traditional mech. In order for a Carmine mech pilot to control a machine, he has to form a Blood Pact with the latter. This is categorically impossible if the machine in question is not alive in the style of my living mechs."

"If we are committed to piloting 1 Carmine mech for the rest of our lives, will we have to worry about our machine becoming outdated over several generations?" "No. A living mech is flexible enough to maintain its life even when it is damaged or upgraded. So long as the Carmine mech does not get completely disassembled or blown to pieces, you can rest assured that it will continue to serve as your steadfast partner as long as you take good care of it. The premise is that you or the organization that you work for is willing and able to invest in the maintenance and upgrades of your Carmine

mech."

After answering a few more relatively uncomplicated questions, Ves finally reached the

big one.

This one demanded his full attention due to the identity of the submitter, so Ves sharpened his mind and tried to be as attentive as possible.

"Please welcome the Nanolord, who has graciously decided to honor us all by attending

this product in person."

Everyone suddenly fell completely silent. Invoking the name of the famous Rubarthan

Star Designer had that effect.

This was one of the 14 Star Designers that continued to make massive contributions to

the survival of red humanity!

Just as his title suggested, Myrwyn Jest had risen up to become the foremost authority on smart metal systems. He had been behind many advancements that benefited the development of all nanomachines. He was also the main reason why smart metal mechs still earned a place in the mech community.

As the spotlight shone on the human figure of the Nanolord, nothing unusual stood out. The Rubarthan Star Designer wore a resplendent white and blue coat that featured streaks of light, betraying the fact that it was completely made out of his own

nanomachines.

In fact, many people guessed that the Nanolord never bothered to go out with his real

body anymore and just piloted a facsimile that was completely comprised of smart

metal.

Whatever the case, the Nanolord earned everyone's full consideration no matter whether he was present in the flesh or piloting a smart metal puppet from a secret and

undisclosed location!

"Professor Larkinson. Let me begin by applauding you for solving a problem that has

vexed far too many of my colleagues. Your solution may only give us a starting point, but that is the most precious gift of all. Your capacity to innovate has not only met our expectations, but exceeded them by a large margin." The Nanolord spoke with a gravelly and masculine voice.

Ves made a brief bow. "I am pleased to receive your approval."

"I shall not take too much of everyone's time, so let me proceed by asking my question.

According to the data and the partial blueprints that you have put on display, the Carmine System consist of organic or biomechanical components. Is it possible to implement a purely non-organic version of your Carmine System, perhaps one that is composed entirely of metallic nanomachines?"

It figured that a Star Designer like the Nanolord would be interested in this angle. Ves carefully composed his words. "I have currently advanced my Carmine System to its second generation, but I have been unable to completely rid myself of this requirement. I have conducted experiments where I have successfully substituted the requirement of an exchange of blood into an exchange of an inorganic medium, but there are so many dangers, complications and exceptional circumstances that I cannot replicate it on a large scale. However, this single outcome is enough to prove the possibility of altering the Carmine System into other forms, which also includes non-organic ones. My time is limited and my capabilities are more so. I am not invested in this line of research, but the beauty of being a part of the mech industry is that there are so many more brilliant. minds that may be willing to pick up this mantle. Now that I am about to share my Carmine System and Carmine mechs to the public, any of you can improve upon my work, provided that you clear your experiments with the Red Association." The Nanolord imperiously nodded after receiving this answer.

"I shall study your work carefully and endeavor to relieve your Carmine mechs from this

impractical requirement. Much of the mech industry is not adequately prepared to blend conventional technology with biotechnology. We can significantly reduce this unwanted logistical burden by developing a version of your Carmine System that can be fabricated entirely with more standard industrial production machines."

"I agree, Your Excellency" Ves modestly replied. While he did not have a lot of hope that the Nanolord or anyone else would be able to

succeed in this effort, who knows what they were capable of. The mech industry was not short of creative and supremely intelligent minds.

"While you have been gracious enough to answer my initial question to the best of your

ability, I would like to take the opportunity to ask another question." The Nanolord did not back down yet. "Are you willing to engage with me further, Professor Larkinson?" Ves struggled to keep his expression straight. This was not permissible under the rules. He did not have an opportunity to vet the Nanolord's second question. However, Ves had not become powerful enough to say no to a Star Designer in public.

"I am willing to extend more time to your unexpected request, but please be aware that I am restricted from sharing information that is currently deemed confidential." That sounded overly vague, but it gave Ves enough of an excuse to massage his answer.

"Very well. You have stated that you have currently developed the second generation of your Carmine System. Would you be willing to disclose your current research direction with regards to this subject? We wish to learn how you intend to improve the design application that you hope to realize your design philosophy with, and how confident you are in succeeding in your research."

That was an important question.

Ves actually was not quite sure how to answer this because he hadn't made up his mindNôv(el)B\\jnn

on his future direction!