The Mech Touch (Web Novel)

5673 Customer Bias

"Good day, fine citizens of the Red Ocean. I am your host Locur Deklok, and I shall be giving you a relevant and up-to-date outlook of the mech market for today. Today, our focus rests entirely on the market for second-class heavy artillery mech. Sales of the famous Ultimatum design have broken through yet another record! Designed by Professor Larkinson and mainly distributed by Isthmus Manufacturing based in the Rubarthan Pact, more and more mech factories are being retooled in order to meet the insane demand for a mech model that is 7 times more expensive than a more conventional equivalent!"

The man dressed in a rich green suit continued to address his audience that was largely made up of mech insiders throughout human space.

The Monthly Mech Report was one of the most authoritative news portals in human space. It did not deliver the news as lightning fast as other publications, but it had earned the appreciation of many professionals due to the depth of its analysis and the capacity to accurately measure the pulse of the mech market.

"Today is yet another day where the recently released Ultimatum UDS-550 has broken a new sales record. The trend is slowly starting to reach a plateau, but we predict that the sales of the total mech line will spike two times in the near future as the much-anticipated release of the UDS-551 and UDS-552 variants draws closer! We have polled many mech users and they have all indicated a strong interest in purchasing versions of the Ultimatum that are much more optimized for space combat at longer ranges. Once the two new variants are released, we expect Isthmus Manufacturing to break through a record despite its best attempts to discourage overconsumption through setting purchase limits and charging higher premiums."

The sales of the Ultimatum could not be stopped. Many of the astonishing claims surrounding the Ultimatum had all been proven valid. Though the actual effect on the battlefield did not always match the hype, the fact that the mech possessed a solid foundation in both conventional technology and E-technology was enough to make countless second-raters excited!

"In order to gain a greater insight on the Ultimatum line, we here at Monthly Mech Report have managed to secure an exclusive interview. For the first time since the release of his award-winning Ultimatum line, Professor Ves Larkinson has agreed to attend this studio in virtual form and answer my question as well as some of yours!"

Locur Deklok spent the next minutes on explaining the process and the rules for submitting questions.

The communication lines of the show had already started to get flooded with proposed questions!

The workers in the background definitely had their work cut out for them. They had to select the most appropriate questions and make sure that it did not contain any allusions towards unsavory topics.

As many viewers submitted their questions over the galactic net, the much anticipated guest finally made an appearance!

Professor Ves Larkinson's body shimmered into place onto the seat opposite to the desk where Locur Deklok stood ready to greet the famous mech designer.

The tier 3 galactic citizen most definitely dressed for the part. Compared to his previous public appearances, he now wore an exquisitely tailored smart blue suit that was covered with subtle off-color patterns that depicted cats and other symbols of the Larkinson Clan.

Normally, such a design would have looked garish, but subtle color differences and lack of too much contrast made it look elegant instead.

The Senior Mech Designer looked like a true first-rater. If not for the fact that he still looked relatively young for his galactic citizenship tier, he would have definitely commanded a lot more respect!

"Welcome to the show, Professor Larkinson. It is no secret that many different publications sought to secure an interview with you. For months, you have closed yourself off to outside inquiries and continued to go about your day on the surface of New Constantinople VIII. What is the reason for your refusal to offer personal clarification to the many current and future buyers of your all-time bestseller?"

"It is quite simple, Mr. Deklok. I believe that the Ultimatum model doesn't actually need that much clarification. The Living Mech Corporation and the Isthmus Manufacturing have already published an exhaustive amount of documentation. They do not explain every facet of the Ultimatum model, but it is enough to make proper use of my mechs. I encourage every customer to explore any further aspects themselves."

"That is not a satisfying answer to your customers."

"Even I cannot explain everything there is to know about all of my products because living mechs are constantly growing. That means that they can improve certain parameters and become much better at performing a specific task than before. The direction of their improvement correlates with the activities they are doing and how much the mech pilots emphasize specific actions. Rather than rely on the input of a mech designer who is far too busy to handle individual customer inquiries, it is better that you explore my products yourselves."

"Your message is clear, Professor Larkinson. Customers must continually monitor and track the growth of their living mechs themselves. Is this the entire reason why you have refused to issue any statements relating to the Ultimatum?"

"The Ultimatum model is the first of many commissions that I have accepted." Ves replied. "Once I have completed the design and delivered it to the intended recipient, it is up to the latter to determine how to handle it. Isthmus Manufacturing is more than capable of marketing any mech, and does not require my assistance to properly handle the downstream activities of this product."

"I see. It is logical that a mech that has such a strong connection to the Rubarthan Pact and one of its god pilots is under the control of a Rubarthan institution. Speaking of which, the Ultimatum continues to remain a rare sight within the Terran Alliance. Despite the obvious desirable traits of your hyper heavy artillery mech model, the Terrans and the citizens living within their sphere of influence have consciously rejected the use of your Ultimatum, preferring to use their arguably inferior second-class heavy artillery mech models instead. What is your opinion on this undesirable state of affairs?"

This was a contentious topic to say the least. Anyone utilizing the Ultimatum while in Terran space would not get beat up, but they would definitely become ostracized until they left or got rid of the arch-Rubarthan mech!

Ves had prepared for this kind question well in advance, so he was not afraid of offering his direct reply.

"I admire both the Terrans and the Rubarthans. They are both great people who possess two distinctly different cultures that have withstood the test of time. That said, I am not a part of either of them. I am a former citizen of a third-rate state and have risen up to lead my own independent clan. I do not seek to divide my market and exclude my products from any group of customers. It is regrettable that I cannot control the behavior of the Terrans."

"Are you blaming the Terrans for showing bigotry against an arguably Rubarthan mech?"

"As a mech designer, I do not see any borders when I observe a mech." Ves calmly replied while sounding as principled as possible. "Whether a product is associated with the Terran Alliance or the Rubarthan Pact should not be a reason to reject it in the other market. Mechs do not pick sides. They serve whoever pilots them. If the Terrans and their dependents are open-minded enough to sincerely pilot the Ultimatum, I think they will be pleasantly surprised by how much my living mech can accommodate their needs as well."

Locur Deklok clapped his hands at this elegant and diplomatic response.

"You may have voiced the opinions of many mech designers who find their products to be unfairly excluded from different markets due to reasons outside of merit. Let us turn our attention to a different matter. How did you manage to convince the Destroyer of Worlds herself to sponsor your heavy artillery mech?"

Ves made a slight shrug. "I asked nicely. This may sound simple, but in my exceedingly limited experience, a god pilot is not as inhuman or unsociable as they appear. Perhaps my identity and contributions may have played a large part in this, but I found that it was simple to reach a limited form of cooperation with Her Divinity. The situation is really not that complicated. The Destroyer of Worlds is eager and able to assist red humanity win more battles and save more lives. I happen to have the capacity to channel a small aspect of her power throughout all of the mechs based on one of my designs. It is logical for us to work together, especially when there is no conflict of interest between us. Thus, a new heavy artillery mech model in development that was only supposed to be highly accurate has also gained a large amount of firepower."

"There has been a considerable amount of criticism that the Ultimatum's unique capability to draw upon the power of the Destroyer of worlds has been... underwhelming. Once the initial wave of excitement has died down, mech pilots have discovered that their attacks have not become nearly as powerful as they expect from a god pilot who is known as the ultimate destroyer."

"The Destroyer of Worlds is not a nanny or a power dispenser. She has her own missions to fulfill. Mech pilots should focus on their fundamentals instead if they want to become more effective in battle. Ignoring these factors in favor of begging for power is not a sign of strength. It is a sign of weakness and surrender."

"That is clear."

"Besides, the Ultimatum can also only do so much, at least when it is at the beginning of its life cycle. I suggest that each of you who wishes that their living mech can wield more power be patient and nurture their battle partners over the long-term. There are living mechs out there that are 5 years old that can clearly defeat their younger counterparts. This is the difference that age can make. This phenomenon is especially relevant in the Red Ocean as the existence of E energy radiation has amplified the performance of any form of E-technology, which serves as the core of my living mechs."

"Not everyone is willing to wait 5 or 10 years for their mechs to reach their ultimate forms." Locur Deklok responded in a disapproving tone.

"They are welcome to purchase any other mech that offers more static and consistent performance. They may perform better at the start, but they will only deteriorate and wear out over the years. My products are the opposite. Their inherent growth properties will only make them stronger and more valuable. My Ultimatums are no exceptions to this rule."

"There are critics who have lodged the accusation that your Ultimatum is forcing heavy artillery mech pilots to become worshipers of the Destroyer of Worlds. Whether they are willing or not, too many pilots of your latest release have become avid believers in Divine Mox. Is this your intention, or...?"

The interviewer did not finish his sentence, but everyone smart enough knew that Deklok was hinting at the possibility that Ves was doing this at the behest of the Destroyer of Worlds.

This was the first time that Ves frowned. "I am a Brighter. I am tolerant of different beliefs, but I do not advocate for any of them. I can assure you that the Ultimatum does not induce its pilots into worshiping the Destroyer of Worlds. It is more likely that they were overtaken by their emotions and have fallen in love with the stellar performance of my machines."

"Does that not lead to the same outcome, Professor Larkinson?"

"I disagree. It is not my intention to turn the pilots of my Ultimatum into the worshipers and lackeys of the Destroyer of Worlds. I think that many people have a serious misunderstanding of the purpose of my latest release. The Ultimatum is not a mech that was originally based around the power of a god pilot. It is a machine designed to eliminate difficult targets and end battles through overwhelming superiority."

Deklok looked impressed. "It is doing a good job at that based on all of the battle reports circulating through the galactic net. The mech exemplifies power."

"That is true, but do not overlook the other piece of the puzzle. The human who pilots my living mech is meant to grow alongside the Ultimatum. Together, they can produce better results, find greater purpose in life and become the heroes they always dreamt of. What makes the Ultimatum different from any other mech is that it can inspire others to step up and become the next great hero of our civilization. It has a high skill ceiling and can tolerate a lot of pressure. As long as the pilot has the will, there will always be a way to turn a difficult situation around. Ultimately, I am hopeful that my latest contribution to the mech community may foster a new cohort of heroes who will shoulder the burdens of red humanity in the future."