The Mech Touch

They reached a large meeting hall that had been set up as both a conference room and a place to formally meet with foreign guests. The luxurious interior was highly modular and could transform into different arrangements depending on the needs of the hosts.

Given the typical character and interests of the Vulcanites, Minister Shederin had already preconfigured the meeting hall's interior design in a specific manner.

The luxury and open display of prosperity was amped up. The hall also contained a noticeably greater number of statues, mock-ups of Larkinson mechs and other artful displays.

Though Ves hadn't made any of these pieces, the Larkinson Clan had a lot more craftsmen than just himself and his fellow mech designers.

Since the clan was led by a mech designer, it developed an increased emphasis on anything related to production. Both mass production and artisanal production became prized in the Larkinson Clan as many clansmen aspired to become the next Ves even if they weren't necessarily aiming to become a mech designer.

The recent effort to expand the non-combat oriented aspects of the clan led to a substantial increase in the number of painters, sculptors and other creative artists in the ranks. The acquisition of the Vivacious Wal opened up a lot of room for professionals who weren't able to contribute to the immediate survival of the Larkinson Clan but nevertheless added a lot of value to its people over time.

If Ves had to mention one fault about the display, it was that the various art pieces were all made by different artists whose overall intentions didn't align with each other.

Every creator possessed a design philosophy. Even if it wasn't as remarkable as that of a mech designer, anyone who engaged in a creative pursuit developed a style and set of principles that characterized their work.

From all of the various pieces in the hall, Ves was able to detect a myriad of different philosophies.

For example, one artist felt that art must always put people to thought. He or she therefore sculpted a statue that depicted a cat in a vaguer and less substantial manner. The viewer had to employ a serious amount of thought in order to derive any meaning from the partially-abstract work.

Another artist focused on pomp instead of depth. This person believed that a good work was supposed to be a visually-impressive spectacle that immediately evoked a reaction. The cat made by this person looked larger than life and was replete with hyperrealistic details.

Although these statues and more were not designed with the same theme in mind, they showcased the diversity of creativity in the Larkinson Clan, which was also impressive in a way. None of the pieces were bad, though that depended a lot on taste.

Fortunately, the dwarf wasn't picky in that regard. His eyes darted from one direction to another with great interest.

"I've seen better, but this is a decent display." Olivier Persham gruffly said.

Shederin smiled. "Our clan specializes in designing and producing mechs. We would love to show our best war machines to you, but many of them are strategically sensitive."

"I get it. You can keep your toys to yourselves. When I took over our chamber of commerce, I learned early on that it's best to keep my curiosity in check if I want to stay in business."

Yet the Persham Chamber of Commerce took a substantial risk by conducting business with tall folk. Sure, the Larkinson Clan may have received a pass from the MTA, but Ves imagined that it did not endear the Pershams to their fellow Vulcanites.

This wasn't his problem, though. It was up to the Pershams to manage their own reputation. He was here to obtain a ride to the Paramount Province and out, nothing more.

Once the three settled down on a couple of comfortable seats, the minister started to discuss ordinary business matters with the dwarf. Director Olivier Persham was a businessman by nature so it made sense to start this conversation in familiar territory.

The two mostly reiterated the terms that they had already agreed beforehand. They only proposed minor changes based on what they managed to observe from each other.

For example, Director Olivier became so impressed by the craftsmanship displayed by specific people such as Ves that he even asked for pieces of the patriarch's work.

Ves awkwardly smiled. "I am afraid I cannot oblige you, director. I am a mech designer. I am only qualified to sell my mechs. However, we don't have any dwarven mech models in our catalogue and we do not have any plans to expand our business activities to the Fermi Star Cluster."

"I'm not asking for your mechs, Patriarch Larkinson." The dwarf said with a touch more respect in his tone. "I am interested in purchasing one or more pieces like that giant cat bust that you have placed in front of your palace. These glows of yours are fascinating and your craftsmanship is impeccable. Even if they are not masterworks, the fact that they are made by a masterwork craftsman already increases their value and significance to our people. A select clientele in our empire would be greatly interested in buying your handmade works."

Though Ves felt flattered by the praise, he wasn't sure whether it was desirable for his work to end up in the hands of dwarves.

"I'm sorry, Director Olivier, but I have my principles. Please respect my artistic vision." He said.

Though the old dwarf looked disappointed, he was professional enough to keep it at that. A businessman faced countless rejections throughout his career.

"That is a pity, patriarch. I have become even more convinced that you are blessed by Vulcan. You were born the wrong way in my opinion. You should have been a dwarf! If you were born among our people, you would have been celebrated as one of our rising stars! If you are ever interested in letting your great work be appreciated by those who value true craftsmanship, then I can refer you to a renowned clinic that is excellent at converting tall folk like you into dwarves. I can offer you a voucher that will give you a 7 percent discount on the top-of-the-line operation."

Ves immediately raised his palm. "Thank you for the helpful offer, but I am already content with leading and supporting my own clan. It would be irresponsible for me to drop out and become a member of your esteemed empire. I am truly grateful that you see me as a potential dwarf. In another life, I could have indeed become one of your greatest people, but alas that time has passed."

Minister Shederin quickly interjected before the dwarf could bring up any further nonsense.

"Director Olivier, let us discuss our planned route to the Paramount Province and back. I understand that we require approval from multiple provincial authorities in order to pass through their territories…"

As the two began to talk about relevant matters again, Ves reflected on the earlier conversation.

In some strange way, he felt as if he was responsible for making the Vulcanites develop an interest in craftsmanship. It was rather strange to see how his influence from decades ago produced huge ripples that changed an entire star sector and affected the culture of an entire population.

From a twisted perspective, the Vulcan Empire was much like the Larkinson Clan. They were both his. Without him, they wouldn't have existed. This realization caused Ves to feel oddly responsible for the Vulcanites.

They were like delinquent children in a sense. They may have walked a crooked path and developed in ways that disgusted Ves, but they were still 'his people', though no one except himself was willing to acknowledge this truth.

It was funny to think like this but Ves truly began to see the children as Vulcan as his own children. His absence during their critical growth period had led them astray, resulting in a hateful people occupying a hateful state.

He quietly sighed. It was too late for the father to return home when the children had already grown up into adults. He lost the right to raise the Vulcanites a long time ago when his Mastery experience came to an end.

Besides, he seriously doubted whether he could walk up to any group of dwarves and convince them that he was their actual god. He would probably get beaten to death before he said another sentence!

"It's agreed, then." Shederin stood up and held out his hand. "You arrange all matters concerning our passage and we hand over the funds and goods."

"Aye. That sounds right by me. It's a shame you won't sell your patriarch's artwork. They're really fine, I tell you." Director Olivier Persham said as he slid down his seat and reached his hand up to shake the minister's hand. "I'll bring you right to my stomping grounds, have no doubt about that."

The two proceeded to sign a contract after they finalized all of the details. Once this business was done with, both Shederin and Olivier relaxed a bit. The negotiations had concluded.

Though the dwarf didn't have any business left aboard the Vivacious Wal, Ves decided to show him around the ship some more. The Vulcanite was friendly enough and didn't possess any blinding hate against the so-called tall folk. Shederin did well in selecting a rather tolerant dwarf to be their guide.

"You've only flown above the streets of Dawn City on our way in, but that is no way to see what our clan is actually like. Would you like to tour it on foot?" Ves offered.

"Why sure! It's not every day that I get to explore a fancy ship city. This is the first time I've worked with a client that even has one. I mostly get to step aboard boring cargo haulers."

They proceeded to venture out of the Golden Palace and into the downtown area of Dawn City under considerable escort. Though the presence of all of the guards caused the Larkinsons who frequented the streets to quiet down or make way, they were not overly concerned with the changes.

Due to the heightened alert activity, the streets were a bit more barren than Ves liked, but the city still held plenty of interest even if it gave an empty impression.

The architecture, the monuments erected to honor various clansmen and mech legions, the roaming pets and more all gave Director Olivier a taste of what it was like to live among the Larkinsons.

"Your clan is truly loaded." He uttered as he looked up at a tall and elaborate fountain. "If your people have enough money to squander on stuff like this, then I don't even want to know how much you spent on your combat assets."

"It's not modest, that's for certain." Ves grinned. "What is your own home like, director?"

"Paramount is.. a lot more basic than you can think. It's the birthplace of the revolution, but it's also the first place that is abandoned by it." Olivier said frankly, not caring whether he said anything bad about his government. "The richest and fattest dwarves all reside in the Uriburn Province and other second-class areas. Folk like us from third-class provinces don't get any of the fancy investments and development projects. We are constantly being told we have to pay for our own development, so that is exactly what we've been doing."

"I see." Ves said. "I can imagine that this is an immense project. I used to be a third-rater myself, so I know full well how much of a gap there is between a third-rate state and a second-rate state."

Olivier responded with a sad smile. "I'm not even thinking about bringing all of my folks back home to second-class standards. I'm already happy if I can make their lives just a little bit easier. More schooling, better hospitals and greater infrastructure can go a long way in turning the Paramount Province into a more pleasant place."

"That's a noble aspiration. I hope our contribution can help with bringing you closer to your goal."

"Oh, it will definitely help, patriarch. I wouldn't be so friendly to you if you didn't promise so much compensation!"