The Mech Touch

In the following minutes, Master Bouderin explained the technicalities of what Ves had just opted in to earlier.

Ves did not become a Survivalist. That was only reserved to actual mechers. He had become an associate to the Survivalist Faction, and only a tentative one at that due to his low value.

Yet just establishing a shallow relationship with the Survivalists was enough to put him ahead! Compared to many other Journeymen in the wild, Ves managed to obtain more solid backing from the MTA, or at least a part of this massive organization!

This not only provided Ves with greater protection against all kinds of external threats, but also provided crucial cover from within the Association itself!

In fact, Ves already enjoyed a portion of these benefits from Master Willix, but they were only effective in regions within the reach of her direct influence.

Once he entered the Red Ocean, it was too difficult for Willix to exert any pressure on his behalf hundreds of thousands of light-years away!

With this consideration in mind, Master Willix pushed him to her faction so that Ves was able to develop a more formal and concrete relationship with mechers that were present in every region of human space.

No matter whether Ves traveled to the galactic center or another dwarf galaxy in the future, as long as the MTA was present, he would always be able to barter for the assistance of a Survivalist!

Of course, the premise of all of this was that Ves built himself up to a height where other mechers would be glad to extend favors to him! He still had a long way to go in that regard.

Once Master Bouderon was done with passing on essential information to Ves, he directed his attention to the other three Larkinson mech designers.

"Although the three of you are not a priority to us, I can give you an introduction on account of your close association with Ves Larkinson. However, be aware that the same rules apply. Reciprocity is our guiding principle. If you cannot bring any value, do not demand any favors until this changes."

Well, that was as blunt as ever, but the other Larkinson mech designers clearly got the message.

Juliet announced her decision first.

"I cannot make any significant contributions for the time being. I don't harbor any greater ambitions and Ves is already able to represent the interests of the Larkinson Clan. I prefer to stay out of this game."

Master Bouderon nodded with respect. "Abstaining is never a wrong choice. It is always best to concentrate on your work and progress your design philosophy. You should only reconsider when your work is being obstructed by limitations that can be solved by cooperating with a stronger party. That is the reason why many mech designers opt to join a faction."

Ketis revealed her own decision.

"I agree with a lot of points about your faction, but… there is another one that sounds more attractive to me. I think I'll be able to get along with those folk a lot better than you Survivalists."

"You are considering the Transhumanist Faction if I am not mistaken."

The swordmaster nodded. "I can bring more to the table to them than elsewhere. I want to design the sharpest swords and the best swordsman mechs than anyone else, and the key to doing that is leveraging both my specialties. I think the Transhumanists can help me develop them both so that I can reach my goals."

Master Bouderon looked intrigued. "You have made a bold choice, Miss Katis. I am familiar with numerous Transhumanists colleagues, but it is questionable whether they will take you seriously at this stage. I can write an introduction letter for you so that you can make your case. If you fail, then that is no great loss. Build up your record and research contributions before you try again. Becoming a Senior and Master will also increase your chances of success."

"Thank you for your assistance and advice."

"This is only a small matter for a young and unique Journeyman who has managed to accrue several masterwork certificates." The MTA Master complimented.

What just happened was quite interesting to Ves. He thought that if his fellow peers had the option of getting in bed with any MTA faction, they would join the Survivalists in order to strengthen the Larkinson Clan's ties to this powerful group.

Instead, the Larkinsons had already split on this matter. Ves indeed thought that Ketis fit better with the Transhumanists. As long as she was able to establish a bond with them, the Larkinson Clan would maintain friendly ties with an additional part of the MTA!

This was the safer and more prudent course of action. If Ves ever did something that soured his relationship with the Survivalist Faction, then he wouldn't be screwed as long as another MTA faction supported the Larkinson Clan!

Ves was glad that Ketis' decision enabled his clan to hedge its bets and avoid putting all of its eggs in a single basket. He had a history of turning powerful friends into enemies for some reason and it was quite wise to have a backup ready!

He turned towards his wife, who looked rather troubled. There were 12 powerful MTA factions and many of them appealed to a different part of her. She didn't look like she intended to cooperate with the Survivalist Faction.

"Similar to Ketis, I am supportive of the Survivalists, but I am more passionate about working together with some of the other factions."

"Which faction do you prefer the most, Gloriana?" Ves asked.

"I'm not certain as of yet." She answered. "The Mech Supremacist Faction is a good choice for me. I can probably agree with most of their stances, but I am not certain whether I can take it as far as them. I think I can provide a lot of value to them. We share the same interests and there is probably nowhere else that concentrates on mechs more than this faction."

She directed a hopeful look towards the MTA mech designers.

Jovy eventually decided to give her a bit of help. "The Mech Supremacists are… intense, and not always in a good way. Now, don't get me wrong. Everyone within the MTA loves mechs. There isn't anyone among us who thinks that mechs should be abolished. It's just that this particular faction concentrates many of the most passionate mechers. If you love good mechs above all else, then you will easily be able to get along with them. If not, then you will need to work harder to earn their appreciation."

Gloriana frowned. She looked down at Aurelia, who was sleeping peacefully against her chest.

There was no doubt that she loved mechs and always aspired to design better ones. Yet she had other priorities as well, some of which might detract from her professional ambitions.

She had no idea how the Mech Supremacists would react to her sensibilities. She didn't want to make the wrong choice.

"What other factions did you have in mind, honey?"

"Uhm, I am personally attracted to the Guidance Faction." She revealed. "Human space is too disorderly. We're immersed in pointless conflicts that do nothing but consume our resources and productive potential. It would be better if we acted with a stronger hand and imposed more order in every star sector. Think of how much safer and better everyone lives would become if neighboring states no longer invaded each other at the drop of a hat."

Out of all of the answers, Ves honestly did not expect her to favor the Guidance Faction!

From what little he heard, the Guiders were a bunch of meddlesome bastards with delusions of grandeur. They wanted to rule over humanity as if they were the sovereigns of a united human empire!

This was a foolish notion and one that would never come to pass!

To his credit, Master Bouderon did not choose to stomp on Gloriana's argument. "The Guiders can be overbearing to many of my colleagues, but they generally mean well. It is not their intention to become the latest tyrants who try to rule humanity with an iron grip. The problem is that their plans and ambition may very well lead to a bleaker future regardless of their intentions. Due to this reasonable suspicion, the Guidance Faction has always struggled to gain traction."

Jovy snorted. "It's also a giant snake pit that puts politicians of many different stripes in a single place. Do you think they can agree on a specific goal? They come from all over the galaxy and have many different ideas on how human civilization should be run. Forget about forging a consensus from the other factions. The Guiders can't even agree on what their own agenda should look like!"

That discouraged Gloriana from considering the Guiders further. She abhorred chaos and she did not think she could get along with a bunch of squabbling politicians.

"You do not need to make an immediate choice, Mrs. Wodin-Larkinson." Master Bouderon said in a gentler tone. "Journeymen such as yourself must still prove yourself before the factions will treat you with sincerity. My recommendation to you is to wait until you have advanced to Senior before reconsidering this choice. During this time, you can develop yourself and find a clearer answer to your question."

Though Gloriana looked as if she was about to agree with this course of action, she soon changed her mind.

Although it made sense to defer this decision until later, she would also have to skip a valuable opportunity.

Earlier, Master Bouderon already promised to facilitate Ketis' contact with the Transhumanist Faction. This powerful mech designer probably had acquaintances in every other faction!

If Gloriana approached a faction of her choice by herself, she might not get taken seriously. If she came with an introduction letter from an MTA Master in her hand, then there was a good chance that she would obtain better treatment!

After considering most of the MTA factions once again, she decided to take a leap of faith and throw her lot in one of them. She wasn't used to making gambles like this, but she had seen Ves making similar decisions all the time.

"Please help me meet with the Mech Supremacists, Master Bouderon. Despite my relatively short career, I'm not an average Journeymen. I think they will definitely appreciate my potential." She spoke with a determined voice.

"I can do that if that is what you wish." The MTA Master obliged her request. "Do note that I am only willing to extend this favor to you and Miss Ketis due to your success in creating two new masterwork expert mechs. I will be compensating for this by reducing the merit award for your latest accomplishments."

That caused Ves to jerk in his seat for a moment. If he knew that Master Bouderon's help would effectively cost a heap of MTA merits, then he might not have allowed Gloriana and Ketis to go through with their choices!

Still, Master Bouderon had already agreed to their requests. Ves would have to be an idiot to ask for a reversal.

Soon, the older man wrapped up this particular topic.

"Factions aren't churches." He said. "You are not obliged to pledge your loyalty to them on a permanent basis. As I have mentioned earlier, the different factions within our Association are collectives that bring together like-minded individuals. You must always keep in mind that both people and factions can change over time. Sometimes, a more radical faction can become conservative when its goals have been met. This has happened to the Preserving Order Faction. Other times, mech designers grow and become by life experiences that cause them to look at matters in a different light."

"So it's okay to leave one faction for another?"

"In principle, yes. It does happen on a regular basis. If there is a clear and logical basis for a change, then it will not attract too much attention. Be aware that you will essentially lose all of the favors and relationships that you have built up with the members of a faction. The problem is when there are more selfish motives involved, such as jumping from a weaker faction to a stronger faction. If you are not careful, then you will damage your credibility and lose the ability to earn other people's trust."

To most people, it was better to stick to a single faction, then. Ves valued credibility and did not think people would treat him well if he exhibited ungrateful behavior… Master Willix had already helped him out a lot and it would go against his principles to break her trust.