The Mech Touch

At this point in time, Barrow and Radagast were already convinced that the Auto Heretic mech was the real deal.

They did not think that Radagast would attempt to hoodwink them because it did not make sense.

The profits that he could earn from a possible scam was too low, and the heat he would attract would be far too high.

After all, Barrow was not only the treasurer of the NMRI, but also the CEO of a major corporation of the Genser Federation!

As long as he was willing to spend enough money, there was no way that Radagast could shake off pursuit!

While Barrow and Idni were frankly eager and impatient to to pilot their own 'Carmine mechs', they also wanted answers.

Information may be even more important than the opportunity to pilot a Carmine mech right away.

The latter would only allow them to fulfill their own long-held dreams, allowing them to die with a smile on their faces.

The former would give them the clues they needed to eventually allow the entire population of humans in the Milky Way to pilot their own mechs one day!

However, when Barrow and Idni came into continuous contact with selfless researchers who dedicated much of their lives and careers to open up mech piloting to the rest of the population, they eventually came to value the cause just as much.

Information therefore became a high priority to the pair of leaders of the NMRI!

Surprisingly enough, Radagast readily supplied all of the data and information in his possession.

"Here you go." The older man said as he transferred a series of files and documents to his guests. "I have sent you the original package that you will need to fabricate your own Auto Heretics. Mind you, the three mech designs corresponding to every tech level are only localized to the Yeina Star Cluster in the galactic rim. If you want to produce your own copies of the Auto Heretic line, you will have to design your own based on the included mech templates."

That did not come as a big surprise to Barrow and Idni. The former dealt with mech templates frequently while leading Yarad Industries. The latter had been involved in translating mech templates into region-specific mech designs in the past.

Idni already began to study the design. "The mech templates are not too bad, and the

Designs they are based upon are not that complicated. Our in-house mech designers over at the NMRI should be able to rush out a localized mech design within a week, maybe two. It will take longer to develop more proper mech designs, but I do not think that anyone has enough patience to wait that long.

"Can you spot the Carmine System?" Barrow asked.

"I can. It is obvious how it starts at the cockpit and spreads across the internals of the Carmine mech. It... is not what I expected. I know my biotechnology, so I cannot see anything that is responsible for opening up a new data transmission channel between the mech pilot and Carmine mech. This... this doesn't make any sense! Why did the mech designer go out of his way to include a human-derived vascular system scaled to a mech when it doesn't do anything except circulate blood to different parts of the frame and back to the pilot?"

Although Barrow was not a mech designer or a biologist, he knew enough to understand that this was nonsense as well.

"Are you saying that the Carmine System works by blood circulation alone? Can it be that the blood cells contain data that is transferred from one party to another and back again?"

"Absolutely not." Idni shook his head. "Such a primitive means of data exchange is incredibly slow and prone to errors. The lag time between issuing a command and having a mech execute it may be several seconds long. It is impossible to pilot a mech with so many delays! Blood is being used in a different manner that somehow allows for much faster data transmissions between the two parties.

Radagast nodded. "You are right. According to what I know, the blood does not convey data directly, but it is not redundant either. Trust me. My men have tried. Attempting to control a Carmine mech without sharing blood between the two of us is... not possible." That signified that blood still played an important role, though how remained unclear. "Tell us more about the mech designer, his design philosophy and how the Carmine System fits into his work."

"I was just about to explain that. I will give you the short version."

Radagast began to introduce the basics.

"Mechs are alive?! That is impossible!" Idni heatedly reacted. "Class IX design philosophies are known to be ridiculous, but this is beyond the norm!"

Radagast merely smiled in response. "My initial reaction was not that different from yours, but you will change your mind soon enough. From the moment I first interfaced with my personal Auto Heretic, I personally discovered that it is all true. In fact, it is exactly because the Carmine mech is alive that I can control it without a neural interface."

"How?"

"The Carmine System. It forms the conditions that are necessary to form what is called a 'Blood Pact! It is exactly what it sounds like. It is some sort of metaphysical covenant that any human, even a norm, can form with a 'living mech. Blood serves as the connecting medium between the two of us. The Carmine System is therefore especially designed to produce a form of blood that is compatible and adaptable to the physique of most humans. The Auto Heretic design does include a large amount of safety warnings that this does not apply to everyone. First-raters and certain second-raters who have undergone more extreme or alien forms of physical augmentation"

This was not a big surprise. Augmentations always came with dangers and complications. Those who committed to the pursuit of greater performance more extensively than others naturally had to pay a price for their greed.

Of course, it was not impossible for them to pilot a Carmine mech. They just had to hire the right biotech experts to modify the Carmine System of an Auto Heretic to accept the circulation of a different kind of blood.

Neither Barrow nor Idni had anything to worry about. Their augmentations were not too extreme compared to the average in the Genser Federation.

"What is the Blood Pact exactly?"

"I cannot begin to describe the science of it, but I can constantly feel its existence." Radagast replied. "From the moment I formed a Blood Pact with my mech, I can feel as if an invisible tether has formed between myself and the machine. We are truly tied to each other. The best description that I have heard is that the Blood Pact is a marriage. It is a lifelong commitment that you can never back out on. The pact will exist for as long as either of us are alive. If any of us die, the pact will become invalid, and the survivor will not be able to form a similar bond with anyone else for the rest of their lives." These words conveyed a huge amount of information. Barrow and Idni quickly managed to figure out the most important implications.

"Does that mean... we can only pilot a single Carmine mech for the rest of our lives?"

"Yes."

"If the Carmine mechs gets destroyed but the pilot survives..."

"The Carmine mech pilot has lost his only chance to pilot a machine" Radagast said in a serious voice. "I know how this sounds. It completely contradicts everything you know about mechs. The manual written by Professor Ves Larkinson is very clear about the flaws and shortcomings of his 'third generation Carmine System! Everyone who becomes a Carmine mech pilot must cherish their only machine like a treasure. You must never get involved in unnecessary battles and you must make sure to upgrade your bonded machine on a regular basis. The Auto Heretic is especially designed to make that easier."

Realization dawned on Idni's expression. "So that is why this Auto Heretic is designed as

A semi-modular mech. This mech is designed with upgradeability from the start. It is easier and less costly to upgrade individual Auto Heretics on a piecemeal basis." Barrow meanwhile found it difficult to accept the limitations of the Carmine System. "I do not know whether to be happy or disappointed. I am happy that the Carmine System allows norms that have been forgotten by the mech community to pilot a real mech, but... the gap between us and potentates still remains wide. The latter will always enjoy an advantage as neural interfaces do not come with as many restrictions." It may be ridiculous for Barrow to complain about Carmine Systems when they represented a massive leap in possibilities for norms like himself, but he was already beginning to think ahead.

The limitations of Carmine Systems all but relegated norms who were able to pilot Carmine mechs to an embarrassing status within the mech community. Even if Carmine mech pilots managed to get inside, they would still be seen as undesirables who would instantly become useless as long as they lost a single mech! Idni smiled and patted his friend's back. "Who cares what other mech pilots think? What

Matters is that we can finally pilot a mech. Be grateful for that, Barrow. We need to take this step by step. It took over 4 centuries for a brilliant Senior Mech Designer to devise an alternative control system to the neural interface. It is clearly stuck in early development, so there is definitely a considerable amount of room for improvement. It is possible that Professor Larkinson is already working on the fourth generation of his Carmine System. Even if he is not, the NMRI and all of our partner institutions will definitely pick up the slack. Our descendants will be able to enjoy better options, but for now we must make do with early generation products."

He was right. They might be able to pilot better Carmine mechs in the future if they remained patient and waited for a number or years and decades, but how could they

Possibly hold themselves back for so long?

Their dream was within their reach!

After waiting for over a century to achieve marginal progress in their collective quest to

Open up mech piloting to the masses, now they found out that their main goal had already been completed by another mech designer!

The two couldn't wait any longer. They only managed to maintain their composure because they were pretty sure that Radagast did not invite them here for no reason.

"When... can we begin to pilot our own Carmine mechs?" Barrow asked. "Now, if you want." Radagast said as he gestured to the side.

A set of warehouse doors slid open, revealing two pristine Auto Heretics that had recently been unpacked from their containers and were currently being prepared for use by a team of trusted mech technicians!

"These are yours as long as you agree to do us a few favors."

That instantly caused Barrow to grow vigilant. He knew that there was a price for making use of the Auto Heretics. A mech like this that could turn nearly any human into

A mech pilot was indeed far more valuable than a high-tier first-class multipurpose

Mech!

"What is your price?"

"Nothing unacceptable. I can assure you of that, Mr. Rakovshchik." Radagast responded

With a smile. "I represent a party that has a strong interest in spreading the Auto Heretic

Across human space. In order to ensure that the Big Two and other authorities do not succeed in suppressing the proliferation of this revolutionary mech line, we must ask for the assistance of mech enthusiasts such as yourselves to help us spread the mech templates, mech designs and copies of the actual Carmine mechs to as many people as possible."

"Is that even necessary? A product like this already sells itself."

"It is not as straightforward as you think. You may think that a mech that can be piloted

By norms does not need heavy promotion, but that is only true in a society that is not governed by the Mech Trade Association. You see, there are several reasons why the

Mechers may do everything in their power to ban the sale and use of the Auto Heretic models." Idni frowned. He could already deduce a few of the reasons why the MTA would seek to keep these Carmine mechs out of the hands of civilians.

Barrow did not understand. "Shouldn't the MTA be pleased that the mech community is now able to encompass everyone? No longer is it limited to mech pilots, mech designers and all of the support personnel whose work is related to mechs. Now, many more

People can enjoy the wonders of mechs. They are no longer limited by the capricious results of their genetic aptitude tests."

"That is true, but there are good reasons why this mech line is called the Auto Heretic. This is because it flagrantly defies and makes a mockery out of many of the long-standing rules and customs enforced by the MTA. Chief among them is the prohibition on autonomous mechs. Have you noticed how well I piloted my Auto Heretic at the start? That is because I let the living mech control much of the actions of the mech frame. If necessary, the living mech can even take complete control over itself. Do

You know how the mechers will react to a mech that does not necessarily need humans in order to fight?"

"...Oh. That explains why you are introducing us to the Auto Heretic at this location."

"The Auto Heretic is labeled as a High Autonomy Living Mech. Each of the three mech templates and mech designs are designed from the ground up to give a large amount of leeway to the living mechs. While I am told that they are not hackable in the conventional sense due to the metaphysical basis of their living existence, they can still be turned against their own pilots and other humans under extreme circumstances.

Accepting these Carmine mechs will mean that you openly oppose the MTA's strong

Prohibition on autonomous war machines."

"That is... disappointing to hear."

In other words, the act of researching, producing or piloting the Auto Heretic was

Considered a crime from the perspective of the mechers!

The rules set by the MTA left no ambiguity on this matter. Carmine System or not, so

Long as the machine could control its own actions independent of a human, it had turned into a potential threat to the human order! Radagast clasped his hands. "Now that I have done my due diligence by warning you about how the mechers may respond, what is your decision?"

Idni scoffed. "Do you need to ask? The MTA has never done anything to help norms such

As ourselves. We had to struggle to raise our own funds and devote our own time to research on how to turn mech piloting into a common profession. As far as I am concerned, Professor Ves Larkinson has single-handedly done more for us than all of the Star Designers put together!"

"My dream has always been to pilot a mech no matter the circumstances." Barrow said in a voice filled with determination. "If the MTA arrives and takes me into custody by the end of the day, I will not mind at all, because to pilot a mech even once is already enough

To make this experience worth it. I agree with my friend. The MTA has done nothing to earn our respect, so why must we extend ours?"

Nothing could stand in the way to realizing their dream and fulfilling their common

Cause!

They were even willing to become enemies of the Big Two if that was what it took to pilot a mech!

Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!