The Mech Touch

Chapter 7034 The Uncertain Future of the Red Association

After his talk with Gloriana, Ves immediately acted upon his decision and informed Jovy that he wanted to cash in one of his favors.

"Are you sure about this, Ves?" The Reality Trickster asked. "This is your favor, but it will end up benefiting your wife more than you. The advice and guidance from a Star Designer is a rare and highly coveted privilege. Many mech designers would literally kill their own parents if they could obtain such a reward. The right guidance from one of the best mech designers in existence could lead them away from dead ends and help them overcome their bottlenecks. There are many documented instances of mech designers experiencing a renaissance in their careers after holding a brief but insightful talk with a Star Designer."

Jovy did not exaggerate in his description. Star Designers had reached an unfathomable level when it came to mech design, scientific research and practical engineering. They were for all intents and purposes the gods of the mech designer profession.

Mortal mech designers — including most Seniors and Masters — were so much further behind that they could always gain useful pointers from a simple talk.

However, Ves had already made up his mind on the matter. His wife clearly needed assistance more than him. The continued inability to combine archtech with superdimensional technology was also holding back the development of all Larkinson high-ranking mechs.

"I have already considered all of the arguments." He said. "You do not need to dissuade me from making this choice. Just arrange a virtual meeting if possible, okay? I am not opposed to meeting the Resonance Smith in person, but I think we can save ourselves a lot of time if we keep it virtual. I can talk to him on the Tarrasque if the connection needs to be highly secure."

"I shall make sure to mention this request. Do note that every Star Designer has their own individual quirks and preferences. Some insist on holding meetings with others in person. Others are more tolerant to holding sensitive talks over the galactic net. From what I know, the Resonance Smith is rather mistrustful of the galactic net, but he is also one of the most open-minded Star Designers. He has to be in order to become a leader of the Unbound Humanity Faction."

The mention of that faction caused Ves to chuckle. "I guess what is unfolding across human space is a dream come true to him. Red humanity is becoming increasingly less bound by the overly restrictive rules imposed by the mechers and the fleeters. The Cybernetic Empire has explicitly rejected the rule of the Red Three and has amassed over 10,000 warships despite the restrictions set by the RF Warship Quota Program. The examples set by the Terran Alliance, the Rubarthan Pact and most notably the Cybernetic Empire will encourage other states to take back their sovereignty, exactly as the Unbound Humanity Faction has aspired."

Jovy's expression worsened. Most mechers were opposed to the extreme ideology of the Unbounders. Only the members of the Dissolution Faction were worse within the Association!

Currently, life had become awkward for Survivalists such as Jovy. One of their great leaders had left the Red Association in order to start her own empire.

That was already bad enough, but it became worse when she actively worked to undermine her old organization!

Fortunately, the Survivalist Faction could still count on the support of the Fist of Defiance and the Xenotechnician. Their prestige was no less than the Polymath and was more than enough to keep the faction under control.

That did not stop mechers and particularly the Survivalists from wondering whether the Unbounders had a good point.

Were most mechers wrong about the need to keep the space peasants under their thumb? Was it truly better to give people the rights that had been withheld for centuries?

Such debates became more and more frequent within the halls of the Red Association.

This was also why Jovy did not dare to issue any strongly worded statements about this contentious matter.

"Once you or your wife has met with the Resonance Smith, you only have a single favor left. Have you decided how to use this remaining benefit, or do you prefer to keep it in reserve?"

"I have thought about that, but our need for technical support is too great." Ves responded. "I am plagued by a number of troublesome problems. None of them are as acute as the issue with archetech, but I can still gain a lot if I can obtain the advance of a Star Designer."

"Which esteemed Star Designer would you like to meet?"

Ves spent a bit of time on filling Jovy in on his plan. The choice of tech that he wanted to improve in the short term dictated the choice of Star Designer.

Jovy listened and eventually smiled. "I am optimistic about your proposal and choices. A Star Designer does not wish to be troubled by trivial matters. Your ideas are worth considering at the highest level. I will attempt to arrange another meeting. How urgent is this business of yours?"

"Not that much, to be honest." Ves admitted. "Gloriana's case is more urgent. Any delays on her part will significantly impact our clan. My demands are not that urgent, so I do not mind if my turn comes later."

"That is good to know. This will make it much easier to arrange a meeting, either virtual or in the flesh."

They spent a few more minutes talking about the necessary rules and precautions when it came to speaking with a Star Designer.

"Every Star Designer bears a great burden." Jovy mentioned. "Aside from the Polymath, each of them is short on time. They have an excellent capacity to invent new technologies, refine existing ones and produce great works as long as they have abundant access to resources. However, doing any of that takes time. Star Designers do not look kindly on people who waste their time."

"I know. I can promise you that my ideas will not be wasteful to anyone."

Now that Ves had concluded the most important business, he relaxed his posture and began to explore Jovy's views on other matters.

"The Red Association has suffered a lot of blows as of late. Aside from strengthening your control over the Red Ocean Union, have you guys done anything to reverse the decline?"

Jovy sighed. He did not bother to hide his weakness in front of a close friend like Ves.

"We have indeed fallen into a pessimistic situation. We do not have the luxury to think about reversing the decline when we should still focus on stopping the bleeding. We do have a number of ambitious plans in the works, but none of them are close to completion. I think we must still monitor the Cybernetic Empire and the first-rate colonial superstates further before we can formulate a proper strategy."

"Are you guys hoping to restore the Red Association and the Red Fleet to their positions as hegemons of red humanity?"

This was an important question. Jovy sighed again.

"I do not think it is appropriate for the Red Association to govern human territories like the Mech Trade Association had done during the Age of Mechs. I am personally of the opinion that red humanity is ready to undertake greater responsibilities. While I do not necessarily agree with the Unbounders, now that multiple states have begun to claw back their rights, it is impossible to bring them back to the old status quo."

"Are you saying… that you don't want to go back to the good old days of the Big Two?"

"Not… precisely." Jovy said with a frown. "The Age of Dawn is not the Age of Mechs. Those that try too hard to make it this way will only see themselves crash into a titan shield. Our Association needs to adapt with the times. During the previous age, we provided security, stability and restraint to a traumatized race. These days, humans do not want to remain coddled. They want to grow up and undertake more mature responsibilities. They want to cast off the taboos that we have set for them in favor of making their own rules."

"That sounds a lot like children growing up to the point where they are ready to leave their parents and live by themselves." Ves remarked.

"That is a good metaphor, I suppose. It does not entirely apply to this situation as many states used to be old and powerful star nations or star empires. The Big Two had forced them all to regress into their immature states. Now that we have entered a new age, those that have always resented our control over them seek to shed our patronizing treatment of them and regain full control over their own destiny."

"Do you approve?"

"...Perhaps. It is not a simple matter, Ves. I admire the Terrans, the Rubarthans and even the Cybers for having the guts to maintain separation from the superorganization that has the greatest number of god pilots and Star Designers at its disposal. Then I began to think about the future of the Red Association."

"What did you come up with, Jovy?"

"Faultlines within the Association have grown worse. I can no longer contact a number of my old classmates, and relations between the factions are continuing to deteriorate. The intelligence debacles related to the Red Split and the unveiling of the Cybernetic Empire has put too many people on edge, both ours and that of the people. The Polymath has also proven that it is possible to effectively leave the Red Association and build your own little empire. Her success will embolden many other individuals, though not all of them are bona fide freedom warriors."

Ves instantly thought of a god pilot who had always been out of whack with the rest of his exalted kind.

"The Huntsman has become increasingly more estranged with the Red Association, right? Are you afraid that he will soon be next?"

Jovy simply nodded. "That is correct. It is no secret that the Huntsman is devoting much more attention to the development of his Hunting Association. He only needs to cease his ambiguous stance and make his preferences clear in order to clarify his new status as a leader of a powerful association."

What he left unspoken was that the departure of the Huntsman may spark a trend among the remaining god pilots and Star Designers.

If they all began to declare independence and rule over different fiefs, then red humanity's would continue to splinter in a time where unity was needed the most!

Just as Jovy was about to elaborate his concerns, both of them suddenly paused as they received emergency notifications.

"It's time." Ves whispered.

"It is." Jovy confirmed. "The warfleets of the Cybernetic Empire are finally ready to showcase their power."

The warfleets had reached their target destinations and had waited long enough to be able to strike at the same time!

In two different star systems, two formidable warfleets stood ready to challenge the armed forces of the native aliens!

In another star system, another CE warfleet was just about to reinforce a planet that had been losing a battle of attrition against the mutated voribugs!

None of the enemies targeted by the CE were easy to deal with. The native alien forces were all led by formidable phase lords while the mutated voribugs could drown the CE forces with overwhelming numbers.

Yet the Cybers did not try to avoid these challenges. They could have targeted weaker opponents, but in order to make a statement, they deliberately picked adversaries that would have inflicted significant losses to the elite armed forces of the Rubarthan Pact.

"Why are they starting up a fight at the same time?" Ves asked with a frustrated voice. "Don't they know this makes it harder for viewers to keep track of everything during a live broadcast?"

Setting aside this annoyance, Ves at least appreciated the detailed and high-quality view. The quality was far better than the perspectives of typical battle footage.