The Mech Touch

Ves, the directors and the top management of the company all helped with the planning of the upcoming widespread organizational changes to the LMC.

Implementing all of these changes all at once was difficult to pull off successfully. No matter what, they needed support from all levels of their workforce in order to succeed in their shakeup.

For that reason, the representatives from Sibilant Asset Management introduced some consultants from a renowned Brighter consultancy firm to help with the changes.

After a week of setting goals, defining their new corporate identity and issuing various directives to guide the changes, Ves delegated his remaining responsibilities to his subordinates.

"I still have lots of design work ahead of me, so I can’t babysit the company forever." Ves said as he patted Calsie’s shoulder. "I’m putting you in charge of keeping an eye on the proceedings. Don’t hesitate to warn me if you think the changes that are being planned are detrimental to my interests."

The young woman nodded. "Although I can’t say I’m an expert in these matters, I’ll be sure to keep an eye out for any shenanigans."

While Ves wanted to stay involved with the upcoming transition, he couldn’t neglect his design obligations. The sooner he finished designing his Super-medium space knight, the faster the LMC’s fortunes truly improved.

"It’s about time for me to go on a trip to the past." He muttered.

Before he did so, he addressed some other matters that remained first. After a week of recovery, Ketis finally came out of the mind bending psychedelic experience that saw her intelligence and concentration attributes expand to transhuman levels!

When Ves entered the infirmary room where she had been resting all this while, he noticed that the spark in her eyes had grown strangely brighter.

Considering the sensitive nature of their upcoming discussion, Ves preemptively activated his Privacy Shield.

"How are you feeling, Ketis? Have you recovered from your high now?"

"I’m still getting used to the weird mess my mind is in right now. What did you drug me with last week?" Ketis eyed him with suspicion. "Your so-called ’candy’ isn’t really candy nor is it some kind of stimulant. You did something to me. My mind is so clear and focused now that it’s unreal! Do you know how long it will take me to adjust to these changes?! Sometimes I feel like I’m not really Ketis anymore!"

"You’re still you, but better. The candies that I fed you are special and a very deep secret of mine. Don’t ask where I got them or how they work. Just know that it has done a lot of good for you. Have you noticed that you became smarter lately?"

She nodded. "It’s a lot easier for me to recall the theories when I reviewed some textbooks in the last few days. Is that the candy at work?"

"Yup. Let’s put your newly expanded cognitive functions to the test. I have a pile of homework for you to test your improvements."

Ves transferred a pile of documents and assignments to her comm. Each of them specifically tested her knowledge and application in different fields such as mechanics and electrical engineering. That would keep her busy for a month at the very least as she was required to study many different textbooks in the company’s internal library.

While Ketis frowned a bit at the sheer amount of textbooks she needed to study, she didn’t appear as resistant as before.

It was kind of eerie to Ves to witness the changes in Ketis. The vast increase to her concentration seemed to have changed her in a way that Ves recognized a lot in himself!

Perhaps he went a little overboard in raising her attributes to their human limits. How much of the original Ketis was still left?

It was too late to do anything about it now that she already ingested so much candy. For better or worse, Ketis 2.0 was here to stay. Ves doubted that he could obtain some kind of attribute reduction candy from the System that downgraded her back into her absent-minded self.

"The aid that I’ve given you is very precious. Don’t squander it and don’t tell anyone else. " Ves reiterated. He couldn’t stress this point enough. "In time, you will realize the full effects of your improvements. While you can revel in your new capabilities, don’t lose sight of your dreams and aspirations. The Swordmaidens and Mayra would want you to succeed as a mech designer."

"You’re right, Ves. What am I complaining about? If the candy is as amazing as you make it sound like, then I can surely catch up to you!" Ketis glowed, already thinking about what heights she could reach if she became a learning monster.

In order to keep Ketis on the right track, Ves prepared some incentives for her. "Some of the homework I’ve issued you is very difficult. They’re the kind of tests that the Skull Architect once posed to me, but easier in difficulty. As long as you can come up with some good solutions to the holes in the designs I’ve presented to you, I’ll give you another treat."

Ves pulled out a small container from his pocket and threw it up and down with his hand.

"Is.. there another candy inside?" Ketis asked as her eyes honed in on the tiny box.

"Yup. This one doesn’t improve your mind. Instead, it improves your strength. Sounds good, right?"

"I’ll definitely do my homework!"

Even though she became a much more capable mech designer, Ketis still hadn’t forgotten her Swordmaiden roots. Now that she experienced the amazing effects of candy once, she had already developed a desire to consume more, especially if it improved her already formidable genetically modified body! As long as Ves dangled a candy in front of her face every now and then, he was assured that she would do exactly what he wanted.

Of course, a time would come when candies would stop having an effect on Ketis. By that time, Ves hoped that he earned enough of her loyalty that she would remain dedicated to him without any special compensation.

As Ves turned off his Privacy Shield left the company’s infirmary, he reflected on the changes he put into motion.

Ketis 2.0. The Living Mech Corporation 2.0. The Avatars of Myth 2.0. Everyone and everything around him was undergoing some form of metamorphosis. While it would take a lot of time and effort for some of the transition to take place, once they finished Ves would have more power and influence at his disposal than ever before!

Naturally, Ves cared the most about the improvements to his genetic makeup and his Attributes and Skills. He retained very little of his old baseline human self prior to receiving the System. He was much further ahead in his personal evolution.

"If Ketis has only upgraded to version 2.0 of herself, I’m probably all the way up to version 3.5 or something." Ves chuckled. "She still has a lot to go before she boast about catching up to my progress."

As Ves returned to his penthouse office, he spotted Gavin waiting outside the tall double doors that led inside.

"Ves! There’s an emergency! We’ve got a huge problem on our hands!"

"Calm down Gavin. What’s the problem?" Ves frowned.

"We just received word from the local MTA branch office that an esteemed guest has arrived on Cloudy Curtain on an unmarked corvette! They say that we’re about to be visited by an official from the CFA!"

"What?!"

His good mood instantly evaporated. Worry instantly crept up Ves’ back as he realized the import of this visit. What could possibly compel the CFA to send one of their people to a backwater like Cloudy Curtain of all places?

"I guess a reckoning is due." Ves said grimly. "Do you know when the CFA arrives at the Mech Nursery?"

"I’m told they’re almost here! The corvette directly dispatched a shuttle from orbit to our headquarters a short time ago!"

CFA shuttles were the best in the galaxy! It took very little time for them to arrive on land. Just a few minutes later, Ves and Gavin both hurried all the way up to the roof of the headquarters building and came up to a special landing pad reserved for Ves and special guests.

A swift and sleek-looking shuttle whose design different remarkably from the outdated shuttles of the Starlight Megalodon descended from the air and plopped onto the landing pad without any noticeable impact.

The hatch instantly slid open, revealing a single confident-looking lieutenant in CFA uniform.

After several hundred years, the style of the uniform had changed in several different ways compared to the ones that Ves wore himself as a fake officer of the CFA. Even so, the insignia still remained the same.

Ves instantly read a lot of details about the newcomer’s identity from his uniform markings alone.

First, he was a commissioned lieutenant junior grade of the CFA. While the rank didn’t sound very impressive, that was enough for him to command authority on the entire planet! No one dared to defy the CFA in their face!

Second, the lieutenant was an inspector of the CFA’s Komodo Naval Fleet based in the star sector. Inspectors wielded a lot of authority when it came to investigating what they regarded as the local space peasants of the star sector. If this lieutenant wanted to have him killed, he merely needed to say the word and the entire Bright Republic would be out for Ves’ blood!

Ves tried hard not to gulp. "Welcome to the headquarters of the Living Mech Corporation, esteemed guest from the Common Fleet Alliance. I apologise for not preparing an adequate reception for your arrival. Your visit caught us by surprise."

"Please spare the pleasantries, Mr. Larkinson." The lieutenant replied imperiously, not even paying any special attention to Ves. "I am Lieutenant Renze Stimmons. The Office of the Naval Inspector General of this star sector has dispatched me to this dirtball of a planet to investigate your involvement in an incident related to one of our long-lost battleships in the frontier."

"Ehm, very well. Let’s take this discussion in my office."

Ves waved Gavin away and led Lieutenant Stimmons to his office. Its imposing decor might have intimidated regular people, but it had no effect at all to a lieutenant from the CFA.

After they took their seats, the lieutenant let Ves stew for a moment.

"What do you want to know from me, lieutenant?" Ves asked, breaking the unsettling silence between the two.

The lieutenant activated a signal jammer attached to his belt. Only until the field took effect did he speak openly.

"I have come here for two purposes. First, we are interviewing every notable individual involved with the matter related to the Starlight Megalodon. Second, we are here to retrieve the stolen property in your possession."

Ves cursed inside his mind. This inspector came too quickly and without warning on purpose! If word got out beforehand that someone from the CFA came to Cloudy Curtain, then Ves would have been able to smuggle the goods he looted from the Starlight Megalodon out of the Mech Nursery’s vault and hide them elsewhere!

"Am I.. in trouble, lieutenant?"

"That remains to be seen. The Bright Republic has already provided a satisfactory explanation to the CFA. As long as you cooperate to the fullest extent, we have no cause to direct any further attention to you, Mr. Larkinson. You should thank your patrons for taking responsibility for your actions."

Ves smiled in relief. It sounded like he wouldn’t be dragged away from his company by the CFA. His connection to the Tovar Family already paid off by getting the CFA to relent.

He didn’t even want to know what would have happened if the Tovar Family or the Bright Republic failed to cover his back! Even though he only participated on this mission on behalf of the Republic, the CFA might not see it that way!

Still, the thought of losing all of his precious gains from the Aeon Corona Mission made him despair!