The Mech Touch

Ves had thought long and hard about the ethical conundrum with regards to neural interfaces.

If he really wanted to, he could opt to use slightly different neural interface models popular in other regions of the galaxy that possessed higher or lower limits.

While this course of action would definitely arouse some suspicion of the MTA, Ves figured it was fine as long as he stuck to MTA-approved models.

He could also do nothing at all and continue using the neural interface models that were prevalent in the Komodo Star Sector.

To be honest, Ves still leaned towards the status quo.

Certainly, he found the MTA's policies to be abhorrent. They decided the limits themselves while withholding crucial information and agency in their own risk exposure.

It was for their own good. If too much hysteria emerged about the safety of neural interfaces, then how many potentates would still choose to pursue a career in piloting mechs?

As many potentates as possible had to be pushed into piloting mechs! All of the privileges, honor and high regard associated with mech pilots were there for a very good reason.

Without sufficient tangible and intangible rewards, not enough people actually chose to risk their lives in battle!

With so many potentates reluctant to become mech pilots, the last thing the MTA needed was people casting doubt on the safety of neural interfaces!

"It's no surprise then that the MTA expects more from mech pilots." Ves muttered.

By setting the limits higher, expert pilots emerged in higher numbers, but at the cost of an uncountable amount of worn-out mech pilots who accumulated significant brain damage in the later stages of their career!

Ves even believed that unsafe safety standards may have played a role in forcing his grandfather Benjamin to fall from grace!

"My grandpa used to be an expert pilot, but then he regressed."

His grandfather didn't like to talk about it. For an expert pilot at the prime of his career to suffer a devastating battle injury at that point was very painful. Though Benjamin seemed to have made peace with his descent, Ves nonetheless found it to be a huge pity, especially in light of the information he received.

"If neural interfaces were safer, would my grandpa still be an expert pilot?" He mused.

Another question was whether Benjamin Larkinson would have advanced to expert pilot in the first place if he made use of safer neural interface models.

Ves didn't know the answer to those questions. His inability to make a solid argument against the MTA's stance meant that he did not strongly object to them. In their view, they made the right choices.

"But is it the right choice for me as well?"

If Ves never met with Old Man Terrence, he would have guiltlessly kept making use of whatever neural interface models the MTA shoved down his throat.

Yet now that this blasted old mech designer pried open his eyes, Ves could no longer pretend ignorance.

"Thanks for that, old geezer." Ves scoffed.

He imagined that plaguing him with guilt and doubt was probably a funny game to Terrence Reedan. Ves both hated and appreciated the Chukan mech designer for enlightening him to the ugly truth.

Ves now faced a very difficult question. Should he condone an unsafe practice for the good of society, or should he reject it in order to protect his own vulnerable customers?

His brows continued to furrow as he struggled with his decision.

"Not every mech pilot aims to become an expert, ace or god pilot." He reminded himself.

Part of that was because the chances of any mech pilot to break through to expert candidate was low.

Even so, only a portion of mech pilots seriously wished to advance their careers. A lot of mech pilots simply saw it as a phase in their lives, a job they performed out of duty or to earn a lot of money.

It didn't help that potentates exclusively attended mech academies, which almost solely focused on teaching mech piloting skills.

As for other subjects such as history, language, economics and more? Forget about it! Mech pilots should only seek to pilot mechs, not become a professor of economics or such nonsense!

Though the MTA and various states pushed as many potentates into becoming mech pilots, the people in question were not always so enthusiastic about risking their lives.

"These people are only in it to earn their paychecks and secure their generous benefits."

Ves did not begrudge their lack of commitment. It was just the way they were. The problem was that mech pilots with a 'nine-to-five' attitude suffered the brunt of the consequences of the MTA's perverse policies.

Unsafe neural interfaces benefited ambitious mech pilots the most, granting them a greater chance to break through to expert candidate and beyond!

As for the more casual mech pilots? Their brains aged and degraded faster, which meant that they spent less time enjoying their comfortable retirements!

No mech pilot was the same. An enormous variety of people existed who piloted mechs for a living. The MTA conveniently ignored this reality by unilaterally adopting a one-size-fits-all solution.

Ves chuckled to himself. "Now, I'm pretty much doing the same thing."

In an ideal situation, he would give mech pilots the choice to set their own safety limits. Yet that entailed disclosing the actual risks of piloting mechs to his customers.

While it was the right thing to inform his customers, Ves believed the MTA would resolutely stop him if he did!

To the MTA, telling mech pilots how some neural interfaces models wrecked their brains faster was the wrong thing to do!

Forget about providing mech pilots with the opportunity to make an informed choice! As many potentates had to be pushed into piloting mechs as possible, all for the sake of producing more high-ranking mech pilots!

As a mere mech designer, Ves lacked the power to resist the MTA's will. Seeing how much effort they made into nurturing as many expert pilots as possible, Ves was sure that this was one line that he absolutely couldn't cross!

Bereft with the option of giving mech pilots the choice, Ves found himself in the unenviable position of making this important choice in their stead.

"Most of my mech designs so far are aimed at advanced mech pilots."

The Blackbeak, Crystal Lord and Aurora Titan models all demanded a lot out of their mech pilots. For this reason, the main users of his products consisted of more ambitious mech pilots.

"If I take my current customers into account, then sticking to the status quo is fine."

This might change if he ever ventured into cheaper mechs. If he designed a budget mech or a so-called 'economy mech', then he shouldn't expect too much from the mech pilots that get to pilot them into battle.

Utilizing safer and more limited neural interfaces with cheaper mechs was the most appropriate choice.

Yet… did he really wish to gimp some his mechs?

Ves oddly disagreed with this notion. Even if his mechs slowly accelerated the deterioration of the health of many of his mech pilots, was it worth it for him to rob them of the opportunity to earn greater glory?

Another factor complicated his consideration. Unlike many other mech designers whose specialties possessed little relation to neural interfaces, Ves was deeply dependent on their parameters!

Safer and more limited neural interfaces may curtail much of the damage that mech pilots regularly accrued over time, but they also limited the benefits provided by the X-Factor!

"The shallower the immersion, the weaker the interaction!"

While Ves had not tested this relationship in a rigorous experiment, according to his existing knowledge, the X-Factor was strongly related to the depth of the man-machine connection!

"It's like comparing a long-distance relationship to a physical relationship! The two can't be compared!"

For this reason, his mechs performed vastly better in the hands of his mech pilots if their neural interfaces possessed very liberal safety limits. The less constrained the neural interface, the greater the potential for symbiosis!

If Ves made the decision to transition to safer neural interfaces, then he would basically be shooting himself in the foot. The degree of interconnectedness between the mech and mech pilot would be subject to many limitations.

"The famed piloting experience of my mechs will be a lot more muted than before! Mech pilots will notice the difference and think I've lost my touch!"

This would be an absolute disaster! After years of strengthening the X-Factor of his mechs, making use of safer neural interfaces would mean that the X-Factor would be subject to artificial caps!

"It's like lowering the ceiling of a house so that only dwarves can live in it! Who wants to live in such a tiny home?"

Nobody except dwarves and those who liked to crawl on their feet!

If Ves wanted to maintain his principal competitive advantage and preserve the unique strength of his products, then he should not opt for neural interfaces with more stringent safety constraints.

In fact, he should do the opposite!

"While it doesn't apply to everyone, for me, it's better if I aim for greater potency!"

Neural interfaces that allowed for greater immersion and depth of connectivity meant that the mech pilots that used his products grew much closer to them! This would likely lead to a substantially greater effective performance than before!

His eyes lit up at the thought. "For regular mech designers, looser limits will only yield modest gains at an increasingly greater cost. But the calculus is different in my case!"

Because of the properties of his specialty, a deeper neural interface connection directly correlated to a greater interaction with the design spirit of his mechs!

To put it in a simpler way, unsafe neural interfaces directly amplified the effects of the X-Factor of his mechs!

The realization exploded in his mind like a bomb. Ves always knew his design philosophy depended heavily on the man-machine connection, but only now did he understand that he could precisely manipulate its effects by messing with the neural interfaces of his mechs!

Ves tried to envision what would happen if he adopted riskier neural interfaces. The rate of brain damage and other adverse consequences would increase among his customers.

However, many of them also stood to enjoy a lot more gains from using his products!

"The effective performance of regular mech pilots will increase! As for those who already perform well, their chances of breaking through are doubtlessly greater!"

To the MTA and almost every other mech designer, the most optimal balance lay somewhere in the middle between absolute safety and reckless potency.

Yet to Ves, his mechs became so much more with this change. Their true potential would be unlocked as many mech pilots enjoyed a greater degree of symbiosis!

Another thought briefly interrupted his glee at the possibilities. One of Old Man Terrence's warnings came to the forefront.

"There are always two sides to the same coin!"

Loosening the safety limits paved the way for greater symbiosis, but also greater adverse side effects! On top of the known side effects, mech pilots also became exposed to greater risk if they happened to be incompatible with the design spirits of their mechs!

The possibility momentarily sobered him up. "If the mech pilot hates his mech and vice versa, then the damage the mech pilot suffers will be amplified as well!"

However… Ves found it hard to care about mech pilots who clashed with their mechs. If the design spirit hated a mech pilot to the point where it actually harmed the individual, then it was probably justified!

Ves found out that he didn't mind it if his mechs wanted to harm or kill their own mech pilots!

"My mechs demand respect!" He exclaimed. "The stupid mech pilots have it coming if they fail to heed this warning!"

Less and less objections stood in the way for him to transition to using unsafe neural interfaces. Even though he essentially took the MTA's heartless stance and took it into a more extreme direction, Ves did not feel guilty for making this determination.

Deep in his heart, he believed he was making the right choice for his customers!

"Mech pilots will thank me for this decision!"

As Ves exulted over his brilliant decision, he quickly came across a great idea.

While all of this theorizing was great and all, who knew whether his assumptions panned out. What better way than to test his theories by applying it on his upcoming mech design?

His eyes lit up as he began to recall the progress he made on his incomplete smart metal tiger mech design.

"With the changes I have in mind, my mech will be even more autonomous and lifelike! Hahahahaha!"