The Mech Touch

The Mech Trade Association certainly attracted its fair share of weirdos.

From radicals that sought to disband the Big Two to reactionaries that wanted to freeze the status quo forever, the MTA was filled with ideologies of almost every stripe!

After a bit of thought, Ves did not find this strange gathering to be incomprehensible. The absence of a traditional governing institution did not result in the removal of politics.

It simply adapted to the latest structure and continued to ply its trade!

Whenever there was a situation where resources were scarce, different groups and people had to compete against each other to determine how to allocate them. The reality of politics was that a win for one faction often came at the expense of another faction.

Ves wondered where the Transhumanist Faction ranked.

Given their interest and involvement in promoting high-ranking mech pilots and mech designers, he did not believe the Transhumanists were marginalized.

On the other hand, people like Master Termaneo Dervidian made no secret of how they equated mechs to human bodies and vice versa. This was a rather extreme stance that deviated from the core premise that mechs existed to work for humanity.

Instead, the Transhumanists wanted mechs to become humanity!

This was a whole different belief that generated a lot of difficult and uncomfortable questions.

Ves couldn't help but change the way he regarded the Transhumanist Faction. Before this meeting, he still thought that the Transhumanists were rather reasonable. After all, they were the main interest group behind the development of god pilots and Star Designers.

Now, he learned that this was not their only preoccupation. Their core focus was nothing less than promoting the wholesale evolution of the human race!

Whether the Transhumanists wanted to turn everyone into sentient mechs or human-sized monsters, it was clear that they did not value humanity in its original form in the slightest!

Master Dervidian was sharp enough to recognize the discomfort and rejection in Ves' demeanor. This was not an unusual reaction from people who learned how far the Transhumanists were willing to go to shed their weak human forms.

"What do you think transhumanism means, Mr. Larkinson?"

Ves furrowed his brows. "Transhumanism stands for transcending human limitations. The goal is to become more than what we originally were. I can understand why people would want to get better to the point of breaking past our baseline parameters, but why take it this far?"

"Why not? Why settle for a smaller improvement when a larger improvement is within reach? Turning humans into life forms that more closely match mechs conveys many more advantages than a simple gene optimization treatment. If you can choose between becoming two times smarter or ten times smarter, why not settle for the latter?"

"Because the more you move away from your original form, the more you lose your humanity."

"Hahaha! That time is already past, Mr. Larkinson!" Master Dervidian laughed. "Look at us! I am a Master Mech Designer while you are a Journeyman Mech Designer. Do you truly think that we could have reached our ranks and made so many accomplishments if we were normal human beings? Could we truly master so much knowledge and apply them in ways that most humans cannot even begin to understand with all of the advanced genetic treatments, organ replacements and cybernetic implantations that we have received?!"

Ves was taken aback! While he instinctively wanted to refute the Master's words, he knew in his heart that he would only be lying if he spoke out in this fashion.

"You… may have a point, Master. That doesn't mean we should recklessly change the nature of our existence without any restraint or caution. The Age of Conquest has taught us many awful lessons about the dangers of going too far with human augmentation. We turned many humans into monsters that had become so detached from humanity that they turned into beasts that only maintained the facade of humans. What your faction is working towards can turn out just as bad if not worse!"

Master Dervidian sighed. Critics always brought up the Age of Conquest as a cautionary tale. It was one of the greatest arguments that hindered the interests of the Transhumanist Faction.

"There is no denying that too many scientists who were eager to shed their weaknesses have moved too quickly and failed to account for the repercussions of their rushed innovations. The climate is much different nowadays. Several hundreds of years have passed since those abuses came to an end. Our faction is actually one of the greatest proponents of regulating the market for human augmentation. We believe in sustainable development and would never wish to subject humans to changes that turn them into monsters. By and large, we have succeeded. The market for genetic treatments and implants is thriving more than ever and the proportion of augmented humans in our society is growing with each passing generation."

Although the Master sounded reasonable, Ves could not shake off his inherent suspicion and disgust towards excessive augmentation.

Dervidian gestured towards Ves. "Your attitude towards this issue is a relic of your humble upbringing. Research shows that citizens who grow up in less prosperous regions are often more negatively predisposed towards augmentation. Your third-class rimlander background is limiting your perspective. You still retain much of the ignorant opinions of those who reject augmentation not because they are disgusted by it, but because they envy individuals who can more readily afford them. Since augmentations are rare in remote third-rate states, it is natural for the general public to hold a negative sentiment towards this issue. I would have thought your experiences and your exposure to other facets of human society has led you to correct your outdated cultural norms."

Was the Master calling Ves a hillbilly?

"Look, I am not opposed to every kind of augmentation. I just think we should maintain reasonable limits to how extensively we should mess with our race." Ves replied.

The Master was not willing to settle for this lame answer. "Do you not see how much your stance contradicts your circumstances? Have you not noticed that as you move up in human society, it becomes more and more common for people to accept the necessity to upgrade their human parameters in order to keep up with the best? We live in a competitive environment, Mr. Larkinson. We cannot afford to slow down and settle for being second-best. Not only do we have to compete against our fellow human rivals, we also have to compete against formidable alien opponents that are always trying to exploit our weaknesses."

"Humanity did fine against the aliens in the past. I don't see why we should urgently push ourselves to improve at the cost of losing what has originally made us great."

"This is a flawed argument." Master Dervidian replied while shaking his head. "Hasn't the Survivalist Faction warned you against becoming complacent? Everyone is eager to achieve progress. The mistakes of the Age of Conquest have not suppressed people's desire to upgrade their capabilities at all. Look at yourself for example."

"Me?" Ves blinked.

"Yes, you. You are a brilliant Journeyman that has made far more major accomplishments than almost all of your peers. While they are not the sole factors to your success, your extensive augmentations have definitely enabled your rise. Whether it is your extreme physiological makeover, the genetic optimization treatments you received from the CFA by chance, your untraceable but effective all-round cognitive improvements or your updated CFA implant, they have all made you more than your original self. Do you deny that they have made you a better mech designer?"

"I did not willingly undergo all of those changes." Ves replied with an irritated expression.

"Yet you have benefited from them, have you not? Your body has become stronger and more resilient. You are able to survive attacks that would have killed an ordinary human in an instant. No matter what, you have become more powerful than before."

"That is true, but…"

"You chose to accept all of the other augmentations that I have mentioned." Master Dervidian continued. "You chose to implant yourself with a cranial implant because you sought to improve your ability to design mechs, correct? Do you regret this decision? Do you truly think you could have risen up to this point without the convenience and amplification provided by your implant?"

"No." Ves reluctantly answered. "I owe much to my implant. I don't regret undergoing the operation either, though in hindsight I should have vetted my people more thoroughly."

"What if I tell you that you have already moved a lot farther down the path of transhumanism than you think? You have already stepped away from your original humanity and moved closer to becoming an existence akin to a mech!"

What?!

Ves understood the MTA Master's words, but he could not place himself in this image!

"Is this observation so difficult for you to accept?" Master Dervidian smirked. "You and I are the same. We have both made similar choices. While I am ahead of you, that does not change the fact that you are already a transhumanist at heart. Think about it, young man. The alterations to your organs and physiology has moved you closer to a biomech. The addition of a cranial implant to your brain has enabled you to perform calculations and process data akin to an actual mech. Whether it is 'body' or 'mind', both of these parameters of yours have undoubtedly moved you closer to the machines that you have dedicated your life towards! Is this not a beautiful sight? Soon enough, you will be capable of designing your own future form, thereby truly allowing you to take control of your own evolution!"

This line of argumentation was so shocking and subversive that Ves wanted to reject it. Yet the logic behind these words were so strong that he could not do so. His own choices and behavior affirmed his own implicit rejection of his weak humanity.

In other words, Ves wasn't so different from Master Dervidian and his buddies. He just wasn't as radical and willing to go through extremes as most members of the Transhumanist Faction.

This did not change the fact that Ves agreed with at least 50 percent or even 80 percent of their principles.

He grew more uncomfortable and confused about himself the more he acknowledged this fit.

"I really can't accept this characterization, Master." He sighed. "Your words are just too extreme for me. It is never my intention to turn myself into a mech. My love and attachment to the identity of a human is too strong for me. I am aware that this sounds hypocritical and illogical of me since I have undergone extensive modifications and augmentations, but that is just the way I am. I am a human. I am a mech designer. No matter what I do or how far I go, I will never abandon those core identities. I would no longer be Ves Larkinson if I no longer identify myself in these ways."

His earnest answer might not earn Master Dervidian's approval, but it had earned the older man's respect.

A hand patted Ves' shoulder.

"It is okay." Master Dervidian said in an understanding tone. "You are still young, and you are not accustomed to thinking at this level. You should mull over what I have said. I suggest you also read on this subject matter in your own time."

Ves wasn't feeling enthusiastic about spending any further thought on this thorny and uncomfortable topic. He just wanted to go back to designing mechs!

The MTA Master seemed to believe that Ves wasn't done with improving himself, though.

"I anticipate that you will become more frustrated by your existing limitations as you grow older. Once you stop making as many achievements as before and once your rapid progress begins to stall, you will feel the despair of many ambitious mech designers who are being held back by the lingering weaknesses of their humanity. I hope that you too will make the correct choice at this point and lose your inhibition towards further augmentation. You can always approach our faction for assistance if you wish to take your evolution to the next step. We have many different solutions for you to embrace."