The Mech Touch

With one more day to go before he launched his attempt, Ves quietly bided his time.

No one appeared to have discovered the clue. Even though Ves tampered with a lot of systems through Luckyʼs assistance, he had always been careful to keep his changes as limited as possible!

If he made just a single mistake, the crew of the Scarlet Rose might discover his manipulations, forcing him to make his move prematurely!

With so many essential steps in his plans, he couldnʼt afford to miss any detail! Ves had to do far too much in a very brief amount of time!

Ves estimated that he needed to complete all of his objectives within just ten minutes! As long as he finished his plan within ten minutes, the Scarlet Rose would definitely fall into his hands!

However, if he encountered some delays, he risked giving the crew an opportunity to regain control over the ship!

All of the specialists stationed on the mobile supply frigate were much more knowledgeable about the systems of the ship than Ves! As long as they had enough time, they would certainly be able to fix his sabotage and restore some functionality to the ship!

Once that happened, it would be too easy for the crew to make use of some sort of internal defense system to take him out!

In short, Ves had to be both fast and thorough. While he could rely on many different advantages, he never forgot that he would be fighting on someone elseʼs turf!

Even though Ves believed he gained a very good grasp on the Scarlet Roseʼs layout and configuration, who knew if he overlooked some important function!

Since Ves had to move quickly, he didnʼt have the time to follow up on some of the unknown parts and machinery that made up the ship.

However, Ves did not expect too many unpleasant surprises. A mobile supply frigate was not built for battle. All of its safeguards and precautions were mainly geared towards addressing low-probability events.

It did not make much economic sense to invest too excessively in the internal security systems like the Scarlet Rose.

While Ves tried to calm his nerves, Patricia visited his quarters once again.

”Youʼre back.”

”Would you rather have me stay away?”

”Oh, not at all!” Ves quickly said. ”Youʼre much more pleasant to talk to than Aisling.”

”Sheʼs not very pleased with that. Why do you keep closing yourself off to her? Lady Curver really isnʼt as bad as you think.”

”You already know my answer to that. I havenʼt changed my mind. The only way Iʼll change my mind about her if she lets me go! As long as Iʼm free to go, I donʼt mind corresponding with Aisling on a more cordial basis.”

Of course, Ves firmly decided to block Aisling from contacting him as soon as he got back to safety! There was no way he would ever forgive this scheming Fridayman mech designer for depriving him of his freedom!

Apparently, Ves hadnʼt hidden his thoughts well enough.

”You donʼt look very sincere.”

”Can you blame me? Iʼm still mad as hell. No matter what kind of carrot Aisling dangles in front of my head, I would rather bite off her head!”

Both of them fell into silence after he made this remark.

Ves realized that he let his fury get the better of him. Ever since he became an unwilling guest, it became increasingly harder to suppress his temper!

Fortunately, his captors did not take his spiteful words to heart. Since he fell into their clutches, it was only a matter of time before they brought him back to the light!

”You are very irritable, Ves.”

”I guess Iʼm an emotional person.”

”There is more to it than that. Youʼre not very stable. Your mood and temperament never sit still. I fear that if you continue like this, youʼll eventually cross a line.”

”Whatʼs it to you, Patricia?”

”I donʼt want to see a former classmate and a brilliant mech designer fall.”

”What do you mean by that?”

She studied him carefully with her clear and tranquil eyes. ”You advanced too quickly. You grew up too fast as a mech designer.”

”Whatʼs wrong with that? The MTA values those who break through before they reach thirty!”

”Itʼs a trap!”

”What are you talking about!?”

Ves genuinely looked puzzled. He always thought that it was a good thing to become a Journeyman quickly. Those who surpassed the extraordinary threshold always had a bright future ahead of them because their potential was always high!

”Itʼs kind of a secret within the mech industry.” Patricia spoke in a softer voice while looking at him in pity. ”Iʼm not sure whether I should tell you. It wonʼt help you as you canʼt turn back the clock and undo your mistake.”

”Just tell me! Donʼt tease me with your hints!” Ves slammed his hand against his lap!

After a brief moment of hesitation, Patricia bowed her head. ”If you insist. Let me ask you first. When you.. Advanced to Journeyman, did you do anything to regulate your mood?”

”Uhh…”

Ves remembered that he advanced shortly after introducing the Aurora Titan to the public. He just holed himself up in an empty room in the exhibition center and broke through just like that.

”I see.” She said. ”You didnʼt prepare for your breakthrough, nor did you attempt to regulate it, am I correct?”

”Is there something wrong with that?” He asked defensively.

Had he made some huge mistake? Had he unwittingly squandered his potential by using the wrong method to advance to Journeyman?

”Itʼs.. complicated. There are different opinions on this matter. Do you know that Iʼm still an Apprentice?”

Ves nodded. It was very obvious in the way she conducted herself in front of Aisling and him. If she was a Journeyman, she would have behaved like an equal.

To mech designers, their backgrounds and origins didnʼt matter as much as their competence in mech design.

As long as Patricia was able to match their prowess in mech design, she should have been able to lift her head in front of Aisling!

”If I really wanted to, I could have worked harder in order to advance faster. I might have even been able to become a Journeyman a year ago if I drop everything else and concentrate solely on elevating my design capabilities!”

”Why would you slack off?”

As far as Ves was concerned, every Apprentice longed to be a Journeyman! He couldnʼt imagine how anyone would want to delay their advancement and waste so much precious time!

The older someone advanced, the less time they had to work on reaching the next rank!

”The reason why I slowed down is because I needed to restore my mentality.” Patricia tapped the side of her head. ”Think about it. When you design a mech, do you feel enthusiastic? When you succeed in creating what you want, do you feel euphoric?”

”Yes.”

”Ordinarily, your passion, enthusiasm and sense of fulfillment can do wonders for your motivation. When you get caught up in designing mechs, your strong feelings can make you more inventive and improve the quality of your work!”

Ves was very familiar with this. If he wasnʼt so passionate in his work, he would have never achieved so much in his career!

”That doesnʼt sound so bad, Patricia.”

”Iʼm not finished. Strong feelings can swing both ways. In other words, itʼs a double-edged sword. Passion can empower your work, but also detract from it when something goes wrong!”

Ves was shocked by her revelation. He had never thought badly of his passion! To hear that it could be a threat to him was not something he could accept!

”Why is that so?”

”Donʼt get me wrong. Passion and enthusiasm are very useful. Some of the most brilliant innovations in mech design have emerged because mech designers have done their utmost to fulfill their goals! However, itʼs exactly because they are willing to go through extremes that they can be a danger to themselves!”

Ves wasnʼt stupid. He started to understand the gist of her argument.

”You mean that mech designers who get caught up in their passion and advance in such a state are too prone to be led by their emotions?”

”Exactly.” Patricia. ”There is a strain within the mech industry that believes that mech designers ought to be rational. One of the most essential demands is to keep a very tight control over your emotions. A rational mech designer must be in control over their emotions instead of the other way around!”

”This.. I never heard about this!” Ves responded with astonishment. ”Is this what you are trying to become?”

She nodded. ”This is why Iʼve delayed my advancement. Itʼs not wrong for me to feel passionate about my work, but I donʼt want to be consumed by it. I want to design mechs with a clear mind and purpose! To do so, I have to temper my emotions and unconscious impulses by letting them fade over time!”

”Is it that easy?”

”Not exactly.” She shook her head. ”If I pause too long between every successful design project, Iʼd be delaying my career progression too much. There are certain methods that can regulate your mood. Letting some time pass is just one of the simplest options.”

”I see. What exactly is the advantage of doing this? Can you point me to an example of a so-called rational mech designer.”

”Master Olson is a very good example.” She pointed out. ”While Iʼm not too familiar with your former Master, she obviously exhibits some behavioral traits that suggest that she has employed some methods to maintain control over herself!”

Now that he thought about it, Ves had always admired Master Olson for being so calm and collected. He could never imagine his Master in an angry or enthusiastic state!

”How can she advance to Master so quickly when sheʼs suppressing her passion?”

Patricia shrugged. ”I donʼt know. Itʼs not a rule that rational mech designers are supposed to be slow in progressing their careers. Master Olson is very brilliant for becoming a Master while simultaneously maintaining a clear mind.”

”What is so bad about a mech designer who doesnʼt bother with all of this stuff?” He asked. ”From what you told me, mech designers who care a lot about their work can make brilliant achievements!”

Ves had a very high interest in the answer to this question!

”I donʼt look down on you, if thatʼs what you think. Itʼs just that mech designers who are caught up by their emotions are too unstable. This is not reflected in their work, but in their overall judgement. Have you heard about mech designers who are so consumed by their work that they have gone too far?”

Ves thought about mech designers such as Gloriana and the Skull Architect.

As much as he felt uncomfortable about it, he put himself in the same category as them! After all, Ves couldnʼt deny that he often let his emotions and unconscious feelings override his rationality!

”I think I understand what you are getting at. However.. are rational mech designers really better?”

”There is no consensus on this subject.” Patricia answered. ”However, if you ever get in touch with certain organizations, youʼll find out that rational mech designers often consider themselves superior. This is because they value control above anything else!”

”Certainly passionate mech designers like us must feel differently, right?”

She nodded. ”As Iʼve mentioned before, most brilliant mech designs and other pivotal innovations come from mech designers who donʼt abide by logic! As long as passionate mech designers are able to avoid indulging themselves in self-destructive behavior, their achievements can easily surpass those who are more steady and firm in mind!”

”So to sum it up, there are pros and cons to both types of mech designers, right?”

”Yes, so donʼt feel bad for yourself for choosing this road. I believe that you can absolutely go far in your current course. Itʼs just that your current behavior is not helping you. The sooner you give in to Lady Curver, the better!”

”That remains to be seen.” Ves smiled tensely at her. ”To me, my feelings are inseparable to me! I could never imagine giving up my greatest strength!”