The Mech Touch

The Q&A session proceeded fairly normally after that. A lot of journalists were not unscrupulous by nature. They were already satisfied if they could gain answers to fairly normal questions.

"How much market share do you expect to capture with your latest product, Professor Larkinson?"

"We do not have a clear indication of that, other than that sales will likely exceed our minimum acceptable target. It is much more difficult to anticipate how much market share the Fey Fianna will gain because of its low barrier to entry and obvious attraction to non-traditional buyers of drone mechs. I am confident in stating that our latest commercial products will most certainly expand the market for second-class drone mechs. It may even double or triple in size. How can you possibly calculate the expected market share in such malleable circumstances?"

The female reporter from the Stein VI Daily Cord smiled. "Then let me rephrase my question, professor. As you are most certainly aware of, the Sparrow Storm Mark XII currently occupies the greatest share of the second-class mech market at around 30 percent. Do you have the confidence that your Fey Fianna will match or exceed this share by the end of the year?"

Definitely! Ves had no doubts at all about this question!

However, it would be too ugly for him to show so much overconfidence or even hubris. Ves quietly reminded himself that he needed to maintain his caution and dignity.

"No one can say, miss. Much can happen in a single year. Just think of how much our mechs and technologies have leapt ahead since the start of the Age of Dawn. The Hyper Generation is still in an early phase, so hyper technology and E-technology will continue to advance at a rapid rate. Perhaps my Fey Fianna can be regarded as a mech model that is ahead of its time, but it is not certain whether it is 6 months or 6 years ahead of the rest. I have the greatest respect for an old and trusted megacorporation such as SKL Mech Industries. Its award-winning design teams may choose to update its Sparrow Storm line later this year."

Ves was almost certain that this would not be the case. The analyses conducted by Gavin and Alexa came up with many logical arguments that this year was not the time to act hastily.

Of course, Ves was not particularly afraid if SKL surprised everyone by releasing the Sparrow Storm Mark XIII anyway. He just wondered whether the drone mech would still be competitive enough to stop the momentum of the Fey Fianna.

"Acacia Bratislava of the Terran Telegraph. Professor Larkinson, your current permanent residence is located on New Constantinople VIII in the Terran Alliance, which you have emigrated to at the first possible opportunity. Since you are both teaching and studying in the best mech community of human-occupied space, how soon will you debut your first Terran mech design?"

Ves ignored the political undertones of this 'question' and answered it in a straightforward fashion.

"Unless I work on commission, I generally do not wish to restrict the market availability of my products. The only exceptions are the colonial states that my clan and I have conflicted with in the past. That means the Friday Colonies by the way. As far as I am aware, I am on good terms with every other colonial state, no matter whether it is first-class, second-class or third-class. As a mech designer and an entrepreneur, I prefer to make friends rather than enemies. It is my principle that my mechs should benefit our society as a whole, and not a select clique or subgroup that only represents a part of our great civilization."

"Yet you refuse to add the Friday Colonies to your generous list."

Ves narrowed his eyes and leaned forward. "The Fridaymen have been murdering, kidnapping, stealing, exiling and slandering my fellow Larkinsons and I for at least a decade. Thousands of my blood relatives as well as my adopted relatives have died at the hands of unprovoked aggression from the citizens of the Friday Coalition and its Red Ocean counterpart. A formal declaration of war has never been made, but we have never signed a formal peace treaty either. Current developments may not allow either of us to pursue open hostilities against us anymore, but that does not mean that I am eager to do business with the Fridaymen. There are plenty of alternative products on the market."

Perhaps this was not the most politically elegant way he could have responded to this question, but he did not want to back down on this matter.

The current trend in red humanity was that even when people ceased to fight against each other, the competition that existed between them had never faded.

They just chose to fight against each other by fighting against the aliens instead!

"Next question."

The randomizer happened to give the word to a man that clearly did not look like a journalist.

There were more than enough clues that pointed to this conclusion. He was not accompanied by a personal recorder bot. His understated but excellent formal suit was made of excellent materials. Most importantly, his spirituality clearly matched that of a Master Mech Designer!

"Thank you for giving me the word. Let me introduce myself. I am Master Aulaus Kreshnik, the current Acting Chief Designer of Pritchard & Terse. Have you heard of our Rubarthan mech company?"

"I am afraid not." Ves shook his head. "I have yet to travel and spend time in the Rubarthan Pact, but I intend to do so in the future. We might be able to get into contact more often when that happens."

"That... is a possibility." The Rubarthan Master Mech Designer said. "Your lack of familiarity with P&T is excusable. Let me state my purpose. As one mech designer to another, I challenge you. I challenge your Fey Fianna. Our mech company has recently finalized the development of a defensive rifleman mech model for the second-class mech market. Let us see which one can defeat the other in this mech arena."

Oh boy. This was it. The first challenger had arrived. How should Ves respond to this development?

He needed more information. Fortunately, Alexa had rapidly collected a lot of details and compressed it all in a succinct report before transmitting it to his cranial implant.

The context of this challenge immediately became a lot clearer.

Master Aulaus Kreshnik definitely had strong reasons to challenge Ves and his work!

The reason for that was the mech company that did not bore his name. Pritchard & Terse might not be a megacorporation, but it used to be a fairly large player in the Milky Way. It had only dipped its toes into the Red Ocean in the past decade, and hired additional mech designers such as Master Kreshnik in order to coordinate R&D activities between the galaxies.

Yet when the Great Severing occurred, the former owners and chief designers of Pritchard & Terse could no longer access their branch in the displaced Red Ocean!

This caused a huge legal and financial mess as the P&T branch was never meant to operate as a completely independent mech company in isolation!

Nobody could have foreseen this accident. Not even P&T. The result of this was that the company had so few applicable contingency plans in place that its very existence was at stake!

Although the proof was not present in the report compiled by Alexa, she suspected that the Smokestack Principality that wielded a disproportionate influence over the economies and industries of the Rubarthan Pact was willing to sort out this mess in exchange for other favors.

Alexa boldly speculated that Master Kreshnik was deliberately sent to challenge Ves. Once the fight began in earnest, it may be possible for the Rubarthan Master's work to trounce the Fey Fianna by relying on advanced first-class knowledge tech that he had downgraded to second-class standards!

This challenge was not fair on the surface. Ves was merely a Senior Mech Designer, while Master Kreshnik was over 200 years old!

According to the galactic net, Master Aulaus Kreshnik transferred to the Red Ocean because it provided a lot of inspiration and new research material that could spark a renaissance in his specialty.

Master Kreshnik possessed a Class III design philosophy. His strength lay in fast-regeneration energy shield systems.

The attractiveness of transphasic energy shield technology was the primary reason why the Master Mech Designer found himself stuck on the other side of the greater beyonder gate!

Now, the Master coincidentally got rid of anyone who was more senior or more deserving to take over P&T in the Red Ocean.

It was a pity that Master Kreshnik's claim was not strong. He only possessed a modest amount of stock in the mech company, and this became his greatest stumbling block.

Right now, challenging the Fey Fianna was a possible way for the Rubarthan Master to strengthen his claim!

No mech company could do without mech designers. Its business model literally depending on their work!

Delivering a brilliant victory during this product reveal would assuredly win over all of the holdouts of P&T!

Not only that, but Alexa strongly guessed that the Smokestack Prince personally commanded Master Kreshnik to challenge Ves' latest work!

Although Ves had pushed the Rubarthan Pact out of his mind for the time being, he did not forget that he had already become a de facto member of the militaristic faction led by the Inferno Spear Prince.

From the moment it became known that he was 'acquainted' with the Destroyer of Worlds, Ves had automatically taken the side of the peak Rubarthan ace pilot and prince!

That was not good news for the industrialist faction led by the Smokestack Prince!

Both descendants of the legendary Star Emperor vied for power in the Rubarthan Pact. The first-rate colonial superstate would never be able to unite and rally around a single leader figure so long as the Rubarthan princes kept fighting for the Red-stained Throne!

From this context, this challenge was not as innocent as it seemed.

Should Ves accept it knowing that it would deteriorate his relationship with a powerful faction of the Rubarthan Pact?

"You have yet to present the mech model that you have high hopes for." Ves spoke.

The Master smiled in response before activating a projection that displayed a snapshot of a dark blue-coated mech. "I was waiting for you to ask this question. What you see before you is an image of my new Nelerat ANEN-733-2 Mark I, which is classified as a defensive rifleman mech. I am confident that it shall pose a much greater and more authentic challenge to your Fey Fiannas in the arena."

Defensive rifleman mechs were not too scarce, but they showed up from time to time. They were rifleman mechs that carried physical shields and enhanced energy defenses. That practically turned them into artillery mechs with better mobility and not enough punch.

Despite all of these shortcomings, the Nelerat Mark I truly had the potential to become a valued mech model.

However, for all of its defensive prowess, Ves seriously doubted that this shield-carrying rifleman mech was able to resist the direct attacks from an alien warship, but it probably did better elsewhere.

"Alright, Master Kreshnik. You have my interest. Proposed terms?"

"Minimum 3 mechs on one side. Quantity and quality of the mechs assigned to the opposing side is variable depending on cost, tech and the counter factor. No time limit. No terrain features. Flight allowed."

Ves frowned again. He had the strongest feeling that these terms benefited Master Kreshnik more. Which variable was responsible for setting a trap?

Gavin's words discreetly transmitted into his ears. "You need to invite the mechers to preside over this formal challenge. Otherwise, a Rubarthan magistrate who is on good terms with Master Kreshnik might find a way to give his side access to another mech by skewing the interpretations."

"Good idea. I shall mention that right away."