The Mech Touch

When Shederin Purnesse told him that he was a bad leader, Ves did not object to the accusation.

He held the same opinion for a long time, after all. He just didn't like any of the alternatives.

When Shederin told him that he drafted a set of reforms that was so drastic that he packaged it under the Larkinson State Plan, Ves did not reject the notion that the clan was overdue a number of changes.

Ves never imagined that the clan he founded under modest circumstances would grow to this scale so soon. The original institutions that he had set up such as the Larkinson Assembly and the Larkinson Court might have worked fine when every Larkinson knew each other by name and when their fleet hardly amounted to anything, but everything had grown too quickly.

Yet when Shederin pushed forth his own son as the acting executive of the Larkinson Clan, Ves finally had enough.

"You'll have to convince me why this is the wisest and most proper course of action." He said with a grimace. "Because to me, this stinks awfully of nepotism."

"I am quite aware of that." Mr. Shederin replied while maintaining a calm demeanor. It was as if this entire conversation was well under his control. "I have the best interests of the clan in mind, though I do not deny that I have a more personal interest in advancing my proposed plan. Let me explain further."

He waved his hand, activating a projection that grouped the proposals into several pillars.

"The way I see it, our entire organization is split up into three large groups. First, you have the Larkinson Clan itself. Then, you have the military forces of our clan. Last, you have the primary source of income for them both, which is the Living Mech Corporation. All three comprise the pillars that hold our entire expeditionary fleet together."

This was an easy enough division to understand. "So what's the issue?"

"All three pillars have become shaky. In fact, I would say that cracks have already emerged from within. They haven't showed up on the surface yet, but I do not doubt that the pillars might collapse if we continue to proceed without enacting any corrective measures."

Shederin highlighted the pillar that represented the Larkinson Clan first.

"Now, it is clear that you have already had the structure of a state in mind when you initially founded the clan. You have tried your best to form the three branches of power that are present in any state. However, details matter, and the branches aren't completely set up to serve the clan well as it continues to grow."

Ves looked thoughtful. "You have already alluded to that several times. I need to hear specifics. What exactly are we doing wrong?"

"You, the clan patriarch, is the glue that should hold all of these elements together. Instead, your frequent absences have caused the clan apparatus to slow down and exhibit many inefficiencies. It has gotten so bad in fact that the other arms of the Larkinson Clan have become accustomed to solving major issues on their own without explicitly asking for your input."

"I don't need to deal with every trivial matter, Mr. Shederin. I prefer to delegate as many responsibilities as possible so that I don't have to stay stuck behind my desk all day when I could have been spending my time on designing mechs instead. I only have so many years of my life to practice my primary craft. Being able to design one more mech can make a considerable difference."

"Then why have you not delegated your remaining responsibilities?" Shederin asked. "Given your clear preference for designing mechs, the most optimal course of action is to shift all of your leadership duties to a capable agent."

Ves threw the old man an impatient look. "You know very well why I keep holding onto this office. The responsibilities that I am burdened with also convey authority to me. When it comes down to it, I created the Larkinson Clan and I'm continuing to fund nearly all of its expenditures through my work. Though I don't say it out loud, the clan exists to facilitate my own career ambitions. If I pass on my position to someone else, I am not certain whether this will remain this way. Only by maintaining my grip on the clan will I be assured that it will continue to serve its original purpose."

Both Shederin and Novilon shared a knowing look with each other. They already anticipated as much.

"This is fine when you are talking about a company, but a state is something different." Shederin gently said. "While there are instances where very large corporations have maintained their original governance systems even as they begin to resemble states, in the end they either fail or complete the transition. I believe the Life Research Association is an illustrative example of what could go wrong if a state does not go far enough in adjusting to its new circumstances. The policy decision to turn biotech researchers into rulers has not turned out well for the state and its citizens."

Ves had a very profound memory of the dysfunction of the Life Research Association. Shederin was not exaggerating.

"I don't mind us being compared to the Life Research Association."

"Yet the parallels are too similar. Don't you see, patriarch? The LRA was led by a highly-accomplished academic that essentially supports the entire state while also using its manpower and resources to its own advantage. The Larkinson Clan is led by a highly-accomplished mech designer that essentially supports the entire clan while also using its manpower and resources to its own advantage. Do I need to go on or do you get the picture?"

Though it was hard for Ves to accept the comparison between him and the Supreme Sage, Shederin conveyed a very clear argument that he couldn't quite refute.

He sighed. "I get it. What exactly do you have in mind to prevent our clan from going down the same hill as the LRA?"

Shederin tapped the projection, causing it to zoom into the pillar representing the Larkinson Clan.

A pyramid-like structure came into view. It was a typical organizational chart that put the highest decision makers on top and the lowest worker at the bottom. It kept branching out as the different ranks assumed responsibility over different parts of the clan administration.

What Ves found notable was that the executive branch was a lot more elaborate than what was the case right now. The name of the person who was positioned directly below Ves was also very eye-catching.

"According to this chart… none of my leading subordinates who currently answer to me are directly connected to me anymore. Instead, they all have to go through this so-called 'vice patriarch', who Shederin happened to nominate his son to assume this powerful position."

From what Ves could understand, the vice patriarch would do the actual governing of the clan. He would make all of the major decisions and exercise broad authority with very few checks.

The only ones who could stop the vice patriarch from going wild was the Larkinson Assembly and Ves himself. Perhaps the Larkinson Court might also get involved if Novilon was stupid enough to do something that grossly violated the clan rules, but that should never happen.

The point was that Ves would have to delegate virtually all of leadership responsibilities if he agreed to accept this reform plan.

This did not sit well with him. "Why must we set up a new office called the vice patriarch?"

"Because the Larkinson Clan needs an actual leader and not an absent one, sir. Given your strong desire to maintain hold of supreme authority, I have come up with a simple compromise solution. In this scheme, you will always hold the final word, but you shouldn't have to speak out often under normal circumstances. The vice patriarch might not hold as much authority, but he possesses enough legitimacy to effectively make significant policy decisions with the assumption that you implicitly support them unless stated otherwise."

"I don't know, Shederin. It sounds too easy for me to become divorced from power. Before I know it, the vice patriarch becomes more respected than the actual one!" Ves voiced his concerns.

"There are numerous ways to prevent this outcome. Merely overstating your own importance while keeping the vice patriarch in the background is already effective enough. The position of vice patriarch does not need to be permanent either. You can set up a rotation where each vice patriarch is allowed to assume this powerful post for only five years at a time before they need to pass on the mantle to another clansman."

"That… sounds more manageable." Ves reluctantly said. "Who decides the next vice patriarch, though?"

Shederin pointed directly at Ves. "You. The authority to appoint or boot the vice patriarch is a strong reminder that you are ultimately in charge. It will also keep the vice patriarch accountable to you. In essence, this is a variation of the division between a head of state and head of government."

The head of state was the symbolic leader of a state. These were kings, presidents and other relatively powerless leaders whose only job was to look nice in public and strengthen the identity of the people.

The head of government was the effective person in charge. They may or may not be the head of state as well. Whatever the case, the head of government was able to make actual decisions and could wield a considerable amount of power.

If a random person on the street was asked which one they preferred to be, most would probably choose to become the head of government!

Even though it sounded nice to be a king, aside from the luxury, the role didn't have much meaning in a constitutional monarchy. People much preferred to wield actual authority and make decisions that could affect the lives of trillions of people!

Right now, Shederin Purnesse effectively told Ves to become the head of state of the Larkinson Clan while his own son got to take over the reins of power by becoming its new head of government!

Ves paused for a moment to think over this situation. "I can acknowledge that implementing your bold reform plan will improve how the clan administration will be run, but I am anything but comfortable about pushing me to a symbolic symbol. Powerless kings and presidents tend to become jokes in states where they can't or won't exercise any authority. You may say that I have the power to overrule any decision made by someone lower on the totem pole, but if the clan keeps going on while being run like this, over time the clansmen might not accept my veto or overriding decision."

"I doubt that will be a concern for someone as essential to our clan. No one in the fleet is ignorant of your importance. The scenario that you are afraid of will not happen as long as you occasionally issue directives on your own and exercise your authority in other ways. Just because the vice patriarch will take over all of your burdens doesn't mean you are prohibited from taking back your own responsibilities for a brief amount of time. You don't have to make as many decisions as now, but each one you make will be felt by the entire clan. This should be the best use of your limited time given your priorities."

Ves softened his expression. This was a much more palatable scheme to him. He strongly wanted to maintain the option to have his way regardless of what everyone else was doing.

Still, his reluctance to entrust others with matters of vital importance to the running of the clan kept him cool towards this proposal.

He gestured with his arm. "Let me think about this measure further. Please explain the other reforms you have in mind. I see that you have also decided to reorganize our departments."

"Ah, yes. I suggest that we no longer use this term to describe them. It makes the clan sound as if it was a corporation, and it is best to avoid that association. In order to distinguish the clan administration from the LMC, I suggest to refer to them as ministries in order to reinforce the truth that our clan has grown to become a proper state, if one without any permanent territory barring our own ships…"

Ves listened carefully as Shederin espoused a grander future for the Larkinson Clan. The former ambassador certainly possessed a bold vision.