They called this era the Age of Mechs.

It was not as if the introduction of mechs replaced other weapons of war. In the galactic war against the alien races that sought to wipe out humanity, wars.h.i.+ps and weapons of ma.s.s destruction still played an essential role.

Yet a nuclear bomb was too destructive if used against humans. Alien races could easily pick up a bargain if humanity constantly weakened themselves to settle internal grudges.

These pointless wars would only end when humanity united all of its separate fiefs. Many visionaries have attempted to do so, and succeeded, up to a point.

Peace never lasted.

The human race had an inborn tendency to fall apart. The grand enterprise of unity failed time and time again.

So people separated, still loosely allied by their common ancestral heritage, but with nothing else in common. Wars continued, but a complex web of treaties limited the destruction of essential war materiel. The human race stood a better chance of resisting alien incursions once it stopped destroying their own settlements and wars.h.i.+ps.

"It's all fine and dandy to conquer your neighbor's planet. At the very least, don't bring out the big guns and please lease the expensive stuff in s.p.a.ce intact."

Not the best solution, but somehow humanity muddled through.

With the stagnation of naval battles, ground warfare took on new significance. Infantry, tanks and artillery enjoyed a resurgence of popularity as the fractious human race fought over their own territory.

Naturally, any invaders didn't have it easy. Forced to operate on enemy soil, the conflicts often devolved into wars of attrition.

Even if the invaders painstakingly triumphed over their enemies, was it worth the effort? They would find out in dismay that they lost more money from their army than what they gained in territory.

Most of the warmongers realized that waging war was a money-losing business.

"Just as planned." The pacifists thought as they patted their backs. The treaties had been extensively drafted for just such an outcome. Without the tools to threaten a planet into a quick surrender, the warmongers had to rely on old and inefficient technology in order to conquer territories.

It turned out the peace lovers celebrated too early.

Ever since the legendary Mack Liu first stepped on the battlefield with a giant humanoid machine called a 'mech', war had changed forever. It advanced into a whole new paradigm.

Able to perform ably in even the most inhospitable planets, the first mechs made a mockery of the slow-paced and static way of war of traditional armies.

"The human body is the best weapon of humans." One of the lead inventors of the modern war mech remarked after the first models blitzed half a ma.s.sive nation's territory. "Everyone knows that infantry is flexible but fragile while tanks are tough but clumsy. So one day we thought, why not make a new weapon that takes the human form and simply scale it up?"

It resulted in a revolutionary weapon that charmed humans across the galaxy for its evocative look and inspiring capabilities.

Faster than infantry, more flexible than tanks and able to carry a variety of weapons, they nonetheless required much less supplies to keep them running. Their logistical footprint was a fraction of what a conventional army gobbled up. This alone ensured that mechs dethroned all other service branches.

The Age of Mechs unfolded into splendor. Broadcasts surrounding mechs earned record views. Online and offline games brought the ma.s.ses closer the glamorized new machines. Major arms manufacturers invested in the rapidly growing mech industry. Countless startups offering their own unique takes on the mechs popped up like mushrooms.

The Age of Mechs seemed to herald humanity into a new golden age.

Unfortunately, only a small number of elites could step into the true world of mechs. The most basic mech models involved hundreds of patents and other proprietary knowledge that would cost a fortune to license.

Those interested in piloting an authentic war mech also needed the right genes. The highly arcane neural interface that allowed pilots to control their mechs as natural as moving their own bodies could only be piloted by a gifted handful. Those who ignored the warnings fried their brains.

It took a long time for researchers to establish a clear view of how many people possessed the right potential. From the latest statistics, only a mere 3.5 percent of all of humanity possessed the right genetics to successfully connect to a neural interface. These privileged elites, tested for compatibility from their tenth birthday, enjoyed admiration and wors.h.i.+p from the 96.5 percent who were doomed to never step into a c.o.c.kpit.

Not all of the 3.5% would actually go on to pilot a mech, but even the poorest potentate from the most backwater planet had to undergo training. Once they gained a basic proficiency in piloting, they were added to the reserves. Just in case.

Ves Larkinson was born with the conviction that he belonged in the c.o.c.kpit. His father was a mech pilot. His grandfather also piloted mechs. He could name at least nine direct ancestors who all served honorably in the Bright Republic's renowned Mech Corps. Most of his aunts, uncles and the rest of the extended Larkinson family had a long history of piloting mechs.

"Dad, what's it like to be a pilot?"

"It's dangerous, but it's also the only time I feel alive."

His tenth birthday changed his life. His entire world crashed down on him once the doctor from the Republic announced the results. His genetics marked him as one of the 96.5 percent. In other words, he was a plebeian, a norm. No matter which word was in vogue, Ves became a commoner doomed to never to enter a c.o.c.kpit in his life.

"There's nothing dishonorable about having different genes." The doctor rea.s.sured the young Ves. He had already crushed the dreams of countless kids. One more hardly fazed him at all. "No one is good at everything. The rest of the 96.5% get by just fine. Find some pa.s.sion in your capabilities. Not everyone is destined to follow their father's footsteps."

His father, Ryncol Larkinson, half-hearted patted the young Ves' back as he gave him an ice cream. What else could he do? His frequent tours of duty left Ves to wallow in his depression alone.

And so Ves turned from a precocious boy who dreamed about mechs into a sullen teenager drowning himself in games and partying. With a deceased mother and a father absent from frequent tours of service, no one could rein Ves in. He graduated from high school with less-than-stellar grades.

"What now?"

Ves finally pieced himself together once he considered his future. He couldn't waste away his life forever.

"I'm not a pilot. I'm never going to be a pilot. All I really know is mechs. If I am never fated to pilot a mech, then I can still do something else. I'm still a Larkinson. Mechs are in my blood."

Ves narrowed his goals. If he couldn't pilot a mech, then he'd be the one to make them.

In the Age of Mechs, a mech designer led the development of mechs. Just as crucial as mech pilots, they came up with innovative designs of mechs and shaped them into reality. Some of these designers were just as famous as the aces who achieved incredible feats with their mechs.

Some of the most prestigious designers worked for the major arms manufacturers. They were able to deftly spit out a casual new design that would be sold a million times.

These were the star designers, the superstars who had CEOs and head of states at their beck and call. Even a casual sneeze could impact the stock prices of the companies they worked at, for they were just too influential. Many of the larger human states relied on their exclusive designs to give them an edge in conflicts involving mechs.

Then came the middle cla.s.s of the mech designers, the entrepreneurs with at least a complete series of mech designs. Adept in all facets of what const.i.tuted a mech, these seasoned engineers could take a pile of random parts and come up with unique designs that filled most of the conventional roles any decent client demanded. Some designers focused on churning out loads of mechs at the most affordable cost, while others might spend their whole lives on a single model.

What was left was the bottom heap. About ninety percent of all designers fell into this category. This included the fresh graduates, the failed entrepreneurs and the washed-out old timers with outdated knowledge. They couldn't design anything other than ripoffs or blatant copies of more successful models. Most of these dregs were doomed to served as faceless cogs, working behind the scenes to repair or maintain other people's mechs.

The lucky ones still get to be involved in mech design by fulfilling a niche in customization. They took existing mechs and changed them in little ways, or licensed an old, existing design and added their own flair to it. The cutthroat compet.i.tion in the saturated market didn't allow many to stay afloat for long. Only some got by with this business model.

Ves hoped to be one of them. With his so-so grades, he could forget about attending a prestigious university. He only managed to sc.r.a.pe enough merits to attend a program offered by the Rittersberg University of Technology, an average inst.i.tution from the Bright Republic's capital.

All he got five years later was a bland degree from a bland inst.i.tution. In other words, he was worthless in the eyes of employers.

That was okay. His father Ryncol supported him all the way through. He even spent much of his time gathering the capital to kick start his son's business.

They both had a plan. They would start a one-man mech boutique with enough automation to print its own parts and allow Ves to a.s.semble a mech from scratch. Ryncol would refer him to his buddies in the service for cheap jobs and let Ves dip into the world of customization step by step. Once Ves built up his reputation, he might be able to move on to designing his own variants.

All those plans came cras.h.i.+ng down when Ves returned to an empty home back in Cloudy Curtain, their home planet. Ryncol enjoyed a good salary as a mech pilot, so he could afford a grand townhouse in the suburbs. He recently sold it in order to sc.r.a.pe enough cash to acquire a workshop just outside of town. It only offered enough s.p.a.ce for a small living area.

The workshop could use a makeover. The modular, prefabricated structure looked second hand, as if it was salvaged off a battlefield or sc.r.a.p yard. With the amount of rust and scratches its exterior sported, it was a miracle it hadn't fallen apart.

When Ves stepped inside, he sighed in relief. The essentials were still in one shape. The insides looked fairly clean. All of the valuable machines needed to run his enterprise were present, if second hand. His dad might not know his stuff, be he knew plenty of people who did.

"Where are you, dad?"

After weeks of silence, Ves had to face the fact that his dad was missing. That shouldn't be a cause for alarm. His dad had been a.s.signed to a regiment stationed at the border between the Bright Republic and the belligerent Vesia Kingdom. Any incidents that might flare up could cause his father to be recalled.

When Ves called his father's friends, he found out he never returned to duty! After contacting the police, it seemed that Ryncol had never shown his face elsewhere. All the galactic calls and electronic messages sent to his father fell off a cliff. No one could find any trace of his presence.

The Cloudy Curtain Planetary Bank quickly came knocking. It turned out the workshop components such as the spiffy 3D printer had been bought with a loan. A 3D printer was an essential machine that turned raw materials into factory quality mech parts.

His father had to borrow over 330 million bright credits in order to finance the acquisition of a.s.sets. With this much money, anyone could buy half-a-dozen advanced mechs!

Ves could spend his lifetime working for an average mech manufacturer and still not earn enough to pay back the huge debt. He instantly fell into a cycle of distress and panic when he read through the bank's polite but impersonal note.

"What kind of mess did my father drag me into?"

The bank took three pages to state that all of the debt was in his name. He would have to hand over the workshop and all of its valuable machinery in case he missed a single annual interest payment.

In short, Ves had to scrounge up about five million credits in the next three months in order to meet the next payment. He lifted up his armband-shaped communicator and activated its miniature projector. A screen came into view that displayed a menu. He hopelessly switched to the credit account linked to the device.

His account only held a measly twelve-hundred credits. That was his spending money for the month.

Ves had little means of earning the required amount of money. With his dad gone missing, it was questionable whether Ves was ent.i.tled to the life insurance and other benefits his father arranged. Ves followed up his father's insurance policy because he needed every penny he could squeeze out of the system.

Nothing came out of the meetings. The insurance company was as obstinate as a dog chewing a bone.

Ves swiped away the latest messages from the bank. "I'm broke. I can't even scrounge up the credits to buy the raw materials I need to fabricate new parts. How am I suppose to do business?"

Within a day, he called the bank, the insurance company and the government. What he got back wasn't good.

The bank had already written Ves off. They wanted to get their claws on the workshop before Ves screwed something up and depreciated its value. The only useful thing he received from the bank was a package that Ryncol stashed at the bank in case he got out of touch.

The insurance company claimed that Ryncol was merely missing in action at worst. As an active serviceman, he might return months or years later, so Ves was not ent.i.tled to a single penny until the company received solid proof that he had died. If not, the money would only be released after a period of five years.

The government was its usual bureaucratic self. Ves only heard lots of incomprehensible jargon before he plainly hung up. He'd get nothing useful there.

Ves was alone.

His dad had gone off to the deep end, leaving Ves to pick up the pieces. His father only left him with a lousy package with a casual note pasted in front.

"To my son Ves, in case I'm not home."

Opening it up, Ves was mildly surprised to pick up a secure data chip. Most data transfers today occurred entirely wirelessly. People only used data chips when they absolutely had to keep their contents secure.

Ves turned off his comm's connection to the galactic net before accessing the old data chip.

It took three seconds to load its contents, which was unusually long for a chip this size. An unknown program suddenly took over the holographic projection.

"Initializing the Mech Designer System. New user detected. Initiating deep scan in 2400 minicycles. Please prepare properly."

"Wait, what?" Ves asked the program, just before the comm released a huge shock. Ves pa.s.sed out in an instant.

And so began his journey as a mech designer.

When Ves woke up, he brushed a hand over his brown hair and wondered why he ended up on the floor.

"It was.. the data chip!"

Ves tried to find the data chip that dropped him like a log. After a quick search, he only came across a fried piece of metals and other melted bits. The chip self-destructed after following its programming. He bewilderingly turned his gaze to his wrist communicator, which was still in pristine condition.

"That's strange. Anything that could have fried this chip should have melted my comm in the process. How could the chip have melted itself without transferring all that heat to my comm unit?"

Cautiously, Ves activated his comm, expecting it to malfunction. Instead, it turned online without a problem. After browsing the menu, he found that nothing changed except for the addition of one new program.

The Mech Designer System.

The name already sounded boastful. The act of designing mechs was an intricate discipline that required years of study in the fields of mechanics, physics, material science and more. Even after graduating from college, you merely got your foot through the door.

It took more than experience and brilliance for a mech designer to achieve true success. Just the thought of having a single app whip up a simple design in a matter of minutes rankled Ves. The mere thought of such a software devalued the five years he spent on becoming a mech designer.

Still... his father left him this 'System' for a reason. Ves had no idea where Ryncol got his hands on this mysterious app. Since he couldn't get anymore answers, Ves decided to run the app.

[Welcome to the Mech Designer System. Please design your new mech.]

The message ended there, leaving nothing for Ves to follow up. "That's it?"

[Deep scan complete. Registering new user Ves Larkinson. Welcome package granted.]

"Uh, you got anything more than that?"

[Please inspect your Status. To display this page, say Status.]

"Status."

[Status]

Name: Ves Larkinson

Profession: Novice Mech Designer

Specializations: None

Design Points: 0

Attributes

Strength: 0.6

Dexterity: 0.7

Endurance: 0.6

Intelligence: 1.2

Creativity: 0.3

Concentration: 0.9

Neural Apt.i.tude: F

Skills

[a.s.sembly]: Novice

[Business]: Apprentice

[Computer Science]: Incompetent

[Mathematics]: Incompetent

[Mechanics]: Apprentice

[Metallurgy]: Apprentice

[Physics]: Novice

Evaluation: Good-for-nothing loser.

"Hey, who are you calling a loser!?"

[User Ves Larksinson is a qualified loser for having spent half of your life wasting away your life. Your frequent diversions have left you ill-prepared for the future. Your inability to pay off your debt is a direct consequence of your inept.i.tude.]

Ves had to suppress the urge to raise his middle finger. Instead, he challenged this stupid System. "I admit, I used to be a stupid kid, but I cleaned up my act. I'm a mech designer now!"

[It is your lucky day! The Mech Designer System is the ultimate tool in this galaxy to design any machine that falls under the category of mechs. Any authorized user is allowed to use this System's many tools to design any mech imaginable with no conceivable limits.]

Who would believe such shameless boasting. "So can I just whip up something that weighs a thousand tons, runs at mach 50 and can even travel faster-than-light?"

[Certainly user, but you must design its components and integrate them into a viable design by yourself. If you then wish to fabricate the design using the System, then you will be required to exchange a corresponding energy value expressed in Design Points.]

It sounded ridiculous that a piece of software can just wish a mech into existence with energy alone. "How many Design Points does it take to fabricate a mech. How easy can I earn these points anyway?"

[An average mech requires 1,445,645,313 Design Points in order to be fabricated accurately. Calculating your current combination of attributes and skills. After estimating your capabilities, you are able to earn an average of 3.89 Design Points per day.]

Ves was literally speechless. The System disparaged him again in a roundabout way.

"You seem pretty useless. How am I suppose to get some use out of you if I can only earn about four DP a day?"

[...]

"Yeah, I thought so." Ves muttered quietly. His finger already hovered over his comm, ready to shut down this useless app.

[User, please do not exit the program yet. You have yet to explore the menu, nor have you opened up your welcome package.]

"Okay, so give me a menu then."

[Mech Designer System Menu]

Status

Designer

Missions

Skill Tree

Shop

Lottery

Inventory

"User, as a Novice Mech Designer, your privileges are limited. You currently do not have access to the Missions, Shop and Lottery menu."

Ves browsed the Designer option first. The System unfolded into a vast holographic design interface that seemed to be ripped off from a popular design suite that Ves had frequently used in his student days. The System's version came with a lot of additional features, though Ves wasn't in the mood to explore them right now.

The Skill Tree unfolded even more elaborately, taking up a panoramic view. The most fundamental skills sat at the top. It started with the most basic fields such as mechanics and mathematics. Beneath them nested an unfolding expanse of sub-skills that seemingly went on forever. He could upgrade skills as diverse as artistic judgment.

This Skill Tree alone appeared way too fantastical and unreal. How could anyone improve themselves with the press of a b.u.t.ton? All it took to upgrade his skills was to spend a couple of so-called Design Points.

It was fairly uncanny that the system managed to map his current skills pretty accurately. Ves reserved his judgment for the moment. His father had to have a compelling reason to pa.s.s on this absurd piece of software to him. Ves refused to consider the System to be a work of fantasy.

He opened the inventory last. It appeared to be a typical, game-like interface except he couldn't store or take out real-universe items. The inventory mainly dealt with storing designs and other virtual content, though it offered the option of storing real items later on.

Naturally, his inventory contained no designs, but he found the vaunted welcome package in the miscellaneous tab. He curiously tapped it with his finger.

The holographic box cheerfully opened up accompanied by the faux-celebratory fanfare prevalent in cheap online games. Three silhouettes floated in front of him, tempting his antic.i.p.ation a tiny bit even as he remained skeptical of this System.

[Congratulations, you have received 10 Design Points. Please spend them well.]

"Just ten measly Design Points?" Ves exasperatingly questioned.

From browsing the previous menus, he learned that 10 Design Points was only worth peanuts to the System. With this amount, he could neither afford to increase his attributes or upgrade any skills. The paltry amount only afforded him enough to purchase a soda.

He then clicked the next silhouette which revealed three copper lottery tickets. It allowed him to draw three prizes from the system's lowest-ranked lottery draw.

When Ves activated a ticket, the Lottery page projected a prize wheel. After staring at the wheel in doubt, he spun the large object by heaving a lever with his arm.

[You have failed to draw a prize from your copper lottery ticket. Please draw again.]

[You have failed to draw a prize from your copper lottery ticket. Please draw again.]

[You have failed to draw a prize from your copper lottery ticket. Please draw again.]

"Really, even the lottery tickets from the convenience store aren't so stingy."

After using up the lottery tickets, The System's final present unfolded. The silhouette faded away, revealing a small mechanical cat.

The pet displayed on the hologram seemed no different from any of the other artificial intelligences available on the galactic net. Popular with little girls around the galaxy, these virtual pets offered companions.h.i.+p and distraction without the ha.s.sle of taking care of a real animal.

"So you got me a virtual cat. Whoop-die-doo."

[You are mistaken user. This gold-ranked auxiliary companion is an extremely rare random draw from the welcome package. Congratulations on acquiring your new gem cat.]

The creature in front of Ves s.h.i.+fted. The holographic interface dimmed as the projection of the mechanical cat brightened.

The cat thudded on the floor with an audible thump. Just as Ves thought the System was tricking him, the cat meowed and physically brushed his leg with its very real body.

"What?"

This couldn't be happening. The cat felt real. Ves bent down and put his hands around the light metallic sh.e.l.l of the cat and lifted it in front of his face. The cat questioningly purred as it beheld its new owner while Ves processed its appearance.

His communicator was just a basic model. It didn't possess the fancy micro fabrication options that came with premium models.

Even if his comm turned into premium model overnight, it was impossible to fabricate a mechanical animal larger than a mosquito. His comm simply couldn't store the required materials. Who knew how the cat came into existence. The System's workings already broke the bounds of reality.

[Do not be surprised user. As the ultimate design tool for mechs, the Mech Designer System is able to utilize [REDACTED] to instantly fabricate any design or item you have exchanged at the shop at the cost of Design Points.]

Only until now did it sink in that Ves' father had left him an impossibly amazing software. Though he understood very little so far, he was fairly certain that whoever created this System was light-years ahead of even the most advanced human scientists. He guessed that the System might be hiding some ma.s.sive secrets, some of which may even involve alien technologies.

These questions were so far above Ves' tiny head that he simply set them aside for the moment. He had more immediate concerns.

"This cat is kind of cute." Ves remarked as he scratched the mechanical creature's head. "Is it supposed to do something more than beg for scratches and hugs?"

[Concentrate on the gem cat in order to call up its Status.]

[Pet Status]

Name: None

Owner: Ves Larkinson

Rank: Gold [Exclusive]

Level: 1

Skills

[Gem Excretion I]

"What kind of a skill is Gem Excretion?"

"Concentrate on the skill to see further details."

[Gem Excretion]

The ability to convert low value materials into rare gemstones of a higher value through manual absorption, digestion and excretion. These gemstones provide random benefits helpful to any mech that incorporates them into their design. Certain raw materials have a higher emphasis on the benefits that the resulting gemstones can express.

It took half a minute for the description to sink in with Ves. From what he could understand, this cat ate minerals digested it into gems. These gems ought to be quite valuable depending on their effects. He might be able to earn some quick cash if he sold these s.h.i.+ny gems.

[Do not overestimate the gem cat. At level 1, the pet can only excrete one gem per week.]

Ves sighed in disappointment. The cat booped his nose with its soft paw.

"Well I'm better off now than before, so I've got no grounds to complain. As for you, let me call you Lucky, since I'm counting on you to be my lucky charm."

The mech cat adorably meowed in response, indicating that its artificial intelligence possessed at least some form of low sentience.

Ves searched the cabinets of his workshop and scrounged up a pile of loose ore. The random materials were likely left by the previous owner that his father didn't bother to tidy up when he bought them second-hand.

Ves took a head-sized chunk and the small cat somehow managed to gobble up the entire thing in a clear violation of the laws of physics. There was no way a normal mechanical cat could fit so much material in its cat-sized belly.

"Okay, this is clearly another freaky thing in a long list of impossibilities. No use cracking my head over these miracles. I've to take care of my money problem first."

Ves dropped the cat and left it to explore the workshop alone. he approached his desk and turned on the computer terminal in order to do some research.

He briefly went over the manuals of the machines in his workshop. He found that they were basic but reliable models, and didn't differ much from what he used during his studies.

He then checked the prices of mechs, parts and raw materials at the public markets. Cloudy Curtain was just a regular boring residential planet, famed for its colorful clouds rather than any industry, so its mech market was anemic.

If Ves wanted to sell his products to a viable market, then he needed access to the bigger trading nodes nestled in the heart of the Bright Republic. Not anyone qualified to do so. Ves lacked both reputation and a track record. Even if he did gain access, he lacked the capital to acquire the raw resources needed to fabricate a mech.

"It takes money to to make money."

That was one of the most important lesson he learned in college. Surprisingly, he did quite well in his business cla.s.ses. Ves owed this achievement due to his aspirations. It also helped that the cla.s.ses only involved simple math.

After half a day of research, Ves gained a clearer idea on the viability of his new enterprise.

He gave up on producing a physical product. The areas of mech design, mech customization or mech fabrication all required substantial capital in order to step foot in them. He needed at least several million credits upfront.

The only economically viable market where he could realistically offer his services was in the field of mech repair and maintenance. However, his workshop was limited by its scale, and without a reputation he doubted he could attract any customers.

He needed to make a start in a market with a low barrier of entry, one that didn't demand any prior investment. Ves made a resigned look at the section of games on his terminal.

IRON SPIRIT - The most exclusive galactic mech simulator in the galaxy!

Iron Spirit was not the most played online game on the market. However, its esports broadcasts attracted a very wide audience, allowing the game to foster a large and diverse creator's market.

The reason for the game's success could be attributed to its adherence to reality. Iron Spirit emulated reality so well that players had to buy or rent expensive simulation pods to pilot a mech. It turned the player base into an elitist club that served as a decent simulation to actual mech combat.

The BSBH Corporation stuck to the creed of realism so much that its virtual mechs had to be fabricated within its simulated ecosystem in a realistic manner. Only the mainstream mech models could be bought off-the-shelf.

The true high performing mechs in the game were all customized or original designs that could be sold for either gold, the virtual currency, or with real credits. Unlike piloting a virtual mech, Iron Spirit didn't demand its designers to be a potentate, so even an average norm like Ves could engage in its virtual market.

As Ves registered a mech designer's account in the game, he came across a few snags. He had to pony up a registration fee of 800 bright credits. This wiped out more than half of his remaining savings.

When the game approved his account, he encountered another barrier. Customizing any existing design required the purchase of a so-called virtual license. The licenses for the cheapest parts started at around 10,000 credits, while the licenses for the most outdated 1-star mechs were valued at 100,000 credits.

"I'm such an idiot for forgetting the licensing fees."

BSBH apparently didn't want its virtual mech market to be flooded by a tsunami of awful designs.

With no other way out, Ves turned on his wrist communicator and started up the Mech Designer System. "Hey System, I don't have the money to afford a virtual license. Can you lend me a hand?"

The System accessed his terminal through a wireless connection. It took only a dozen seconds to scan the entire game and absorb additional information from the galactic net.

[Tutorial mission received. Please enter the Missions page to browse the details.]

Ves obediently turned to the Missions page of the System.

[Mission]

Mission: Tutorial Part 1 - Your First Design

Difficulty: F-Rank

Prerequisites: Be an idiot who can't solve his own problems

Description

As a mech designer, it is shameful that you have not completed a single design that is ready for sale. Use the Mech Designer System and the provided mech model to design a customized mech that has a minimum deviance of 10% and a performance improvement of 2% of its base model.

Reward: A random 1-star virtual mech license. A random 1-star virtual component license.

"This sounds doable. Can I ask how you're able to reward me with those virtual licenses?"

[Nothing is impossible to the Mech Designer System. With enough Design Points, the user may even be able to achieve immortality. Please increase your mech designer rank for a more detailed answer.]

Yeah right. Ves guessed the System had some way of hacking into Iron Spirit's servers. In order to preserve his sanity, Ves stopped his inquiry and instead turned his attention to the Designer mode.

It wasn't until Ves saw what kind of licenses he had to work with that he practically spat out blood.

"This is impossible!"

As a reputable mech simulator, Iron Spirit only featured real mechs. The base designs sold in its virtual store could be bought in real life with almost the same performance. With its vast and extensive database, the game worked hard to group them together in a simple manner.

The BSBH Corporation eventually decided to adopt a 1-star to 5-star rating. They later added even higher ratings with the introduction of even higher performing models.

The game's database included many older designs, but its library of current designs was incomplete. Many top-notch mech designs were highly guarded secrets. These so-called next generation models represented the cutting edge of mech design.

The Age of Mechs spanned four-hundred years, so the game offered plenty of models even without the latest designs.

Iron Spirit's lowest 1-star mech models used to plow the battlefield alongside legends such as Mack Liu, the mech pioneer. Compared to contemporary models, these ancient relics fell short in many ways. They were slow, clumsy, inefficient and sometimes looked ridiculous. When Ves took a peek at these clown-like models, he wondered if their designers had a few screws loose.

System's designer mode already loaded one such design. The Fantasia 2R incorporated a radical humanoid design scheme, and was the second iteration of a flawed first edition. The Fantasia ma.s.sed very little due to its slim and narrow design, allowing it to run faster and longer than the stockier models available at the time. These gains were made at the cost of other parameters such as armor and firepower.

For whatever reason, the designers shaped the Fantasia 2R in the form of a woman. Its concave torso, sloping breastplate, thin limbs and narrow head evoked the appearance of a supermodel in dressed in skimpy armor.

The older 1R model already looked like a feminist's worst nightmare. The manufacturers doubled down by attaching hair-like sensor threads on top of the 2R's head. The sensors at least served a practical purpose, since they turned the model into a decent scouting mech.

Since the Fantasia was such a light and thin mech, Ves had very little leeway in modifying its parts without destroying its good points.

In contrast, Ves could easily tinker with heavier models, shaving ten percent of its ma.s.s without sacrificing too much of its defense. After applying modern techniques to the ancient design, he could easily raise the performance of his variant by two or three percent compared to its base model.

"This Fantasia the System provided me is really too skinny."

Since he couldn't go for the route of subtraction, he needed to find another way to add value. Ves could easily improve the design by adding additional components. Unfortunately, the System only provided the license of a single component, giving him very little options.

The virtual component license the System gifted him came with an overly lengthy name. The creators called it the Gemini twin rear ejection energy booster.

The complicated component did three things at once. First, it allowed a c.o.c.kpit to eject from the rear in case of emergencies. It provided a fairly large amount of energy storage, allowing mechs to last longer without resupply. Lastly, it provided a large amount of straight-line acceleration with its boosters, though such boosts consumed a lot of energy.

Normally, such attributes matched perfectly with the Fantasia 2R's focus on speed. There was only one major snag. The Gemini's dimensions were drastically over sized.

The Gemini had been designed to accommodate the first heavy mech in existence, the Megacrab. This mech was a behemoth that required eight legs and twin c.o.c.kpits for two pilots.

Trying to affix the Gemini system to the Fantasia 2R was like trying to put a stuffed backpack onto a clueless toddler.

"If only I had more a.s.sets. I can't do much without more licenses. I'm not good enough to modify the base design extensively."

Ves tinkered with the System's designer functionality. Surprisingly, he found it remarkably easy to implement his modifications. The design tools responded to his thoughts alone, cutting back errors resulting from unsteady hands or faulty calculations. The designer's a.s.sistance to his work was like adding wings to a tiger.

Despite his enjoyment, Ves found it hard to wrap up a finished design in a single day. He reluctantly shut down the Mech Designer System and took care of his needs. He gobbled up a cheap nutrient pack and cuddled his new pet to sleep in an unfamiliar bed.

Ves wrestled with the problem for three more days. He spent most of the time trying various ways to combine the hefty Gemini add-on to the thin and wispy Fantasia frame. From a total of seventeen attempts, he outright failed fifteen times, leaving only a couple of barely functional designs.

When he projected the design in all of its glory, he felt like finding a hole to burrow into. It looked ridiculous!

Ves had attached the Gemini to the rear of the frame. It sounded simple, but the Fantasia's various restrictions made it a tricky problem. The profile of the 2R's lower torso was so thin that the Gemini simply couldn't be attached to that location. He already tried to do so several times.

From his many attempts, Ves concluded he could only attach the Gemini onto the upper back or the lower waist. Since placing such a heavy add-on too high would severely unbalance the Fantasia to the point of tipping it over, Ves could only add the Gemini onto the Fantasia's waist.

The combination looked obscene. His cheeks turned red as he beheld the model's mock-up. Its only saving grace was that the custom design had improved on some points. Though the mech became heavier and less agile with the addition of such an uneven weight, its straight-line traveling speed rocketed upwards.

The pilot also enjoyed a ma.s.sive increase in safety with the improved c.o.c.kpit ejection system. It could eject both c.o.c.kpits at once, one real and one decoy. This provided a marginal benefit in Iron Spirit, as a successful ejection lowered the cost of repairing a defeated mech in the game.

"Alright System, does my first design make the cut?"

[Scanning design. Simulating performance. Completed. Do you wish to name the design?]

"Let's go with Fantasia 2R-E. My variant's rear end is the only thing that's improved."

[Design Evaluation: Fantasia 2R-E.]

Variant name: Fantasia 2R-E

Base model: Fantasia 2R

Original Manufacturer: Kezia Armaments

Weight Cla.s.sification: Medium-Light

Recommended Role: Sprinter/Hara.s.ser

Armor: F

Carrying Capacity: F

Aesthetics: A-

Endurance: C+

Energy Efficiency: C

Flexibility: D-

Firepower: D+

Integrity: E

Mobility: B+

Spotting: B

X-Factor: None

Deviance: 23%

Performance improvement: 4.5%

Overall evaluation: Horribly overweight for its intended purpose, the Fantasia 2R-E is nevertheless redeemed by its amplified power and forward potential. Its improvement in open terrain and long-distance missions does not outweigh its anemic flexibility and horrible performance in close-quarters combat. The model's unique appearance may appeal to a small sub-set of pilots.

[You have received 1 Design Point for completing an original design.]

[Congratulations on completing the first part of the tutorial. The rewards have been sent to your inventory. You have also received a bonus for exceeding the requirements of the mission.]

Ves sighed in relief. He had worked hard to merge two entirely different things together. While he succeeded on a fluke, he still managed to pull through.

Now that he finished this unG.o.dly mission, he could move on and forget this abomination of a mech. He wiped away the projection of the design and opened his inventory. Two gift-wrapped packages awaited his eager fingers. Ves quickly tapped both icons, letting them unbox together.

[You have received a virtual license for the following mech: Kezia Armaments Fantasia 2R.]

[You have received a virtual license for the following component: Maxodron Gemini twin rear ejection energy booster.]

"Really?! You're giving me the same stuff I've been torturing myself for three entire days?"

[You have received a new mission. Please read the details in the Missions page.]

[Mission]

Mission: Tutorial Part 2 - Your First Sale

Difficulty: F-Rank

Prerequisites: Completed Tutorial Part 1

Description

You cannot call yourself a proper mech designer if your design isn't used. Please endeavor to sell a mech based on your first design.

Reward: 1000 Design Points

"You're setting me up, System! Even if I can find someone stupid enough to buy the 2R-E, I still don't have the credits to purchase the raw materials. Iron Spirit doesn't let designers fabricate a virtual mech for free even if I possess the necessary licences."

The game taxed mech designers by charging them for the raw materials.

[You have forgotten your bonus. Please look at the currency tab in your inventory.]

A red packet awaited Ves when he switched his view. He tapped it, causing the the virtual envelope to unfold into imaginary bills. It eventually landed into a neat stack with the total amount displayed on top.

[Congratulations for receiving 100,000 bright credits.]

Ves widened his eyes. Exceeding the expectations of the system provided considerable rewards. With the sudden windfall, he had a lot more options to earn money now. While a hundred thousand credits might not let him purchase a license for another mech, he could still purchase plenty of cheap components such as armor plating, cooling systems, batteries and even weapons.

Before Ves put his newly gained credits to good use, he first made sure to complete the mission.

He uploaded the saved design of the 2R-E onto Iron Spirit's virtual workshop. He then spent about ten-thousand credits collecting the raw materials required to fabricate the design. While he could spend twice as much to let the game fabricate the design automatically, Ves wanted to save every single credit so he went for manual a.s.sembly.

Ves spent two days fumbling around the virtual workshop's 3D printer to print all the required parts. He then took three more days fumbling around the a.s.sembler trying to put all the diverse and heavy parts together. Somehow, Ves felt a little closer to his first creation as he finally clicked the final part together. He even took some time and credits to paint the cha.s.sis purple and red.

"You're not the prettiest girl, but you're my first." Ves shook his head. "That sounds wrong."

While trying to erase the unpleasant image of mech-human romance from his mind, he quickly put the finished model onto the market.

He didn't choose to sell the virtual mech for real credits, though the option was available. Practically all low tier mechs in Iron Spirit were sold in gold, the in-game currency that mech pilots earned when they won matches against their opponents. The market set a minimum price of 1600 gold, reflecting the cost of raw materials if Ves had paid for them in gold.

"I'm not stupid enough to sell it at cost. Let's add a hundred gold. My labor's has got to be worth something."

Just after he finished with the lot, he also checked his user profile. He chose to hide his real name for now. It wouldn't do for his future career in mech design to be tainted with this awful design. He casually set his nickname as Chasing Clouds, as a reference to his home planet and and his aspirations.

With that ch.o.r.e done, Ves threw the mission to the back of his mind and went to Mech section of the market.

He browsed all of the available variants of the Fantasia 2R. If he wanted to design a compet.i.tive but affordable Fantasia model, he needed to do his research on what market already offered. He could then tailor a list of requirements and scour the market for fitting components.

Ves sunk into his work. He fell into the enthusiasm starting his career in mech design. Even if designing virtual mechs for a game didn't bestow him with the qualifications of a real mech designer, he could still polish his basic skills. Once he accomplished a handful of sales, he could purchase better licenses and design better variants.

"Still, I can't play with virtual mechs forever. There's no way I can earn enough credits to meet my next interest payment."

He needed to earn enough credits to fund the operations of his real mech business. If the expensive fixed cost of purchasing licences was left out, then he could easily make the deadline. Reality wasn't so kind.

"Virtual licences only apply to in-game designs. There's no way I can afford a legitimate production licence with my current a.s.sets."

Actual production licences came with prohibitive costs and restrictions. For the privilege of using another company's intellectual property, Ves had to pay a high price. He also had to give the original owners a cut of his earnings.

Along with the cost of raw materials, profits grew thin.

"It's impossible to make it without the help of the System. I hope the 2R-E is going to sell out quickly, because I have a feeling I'm going to need all the Design Points I can get."

Lucky sauntered over and meowed at Ves.

"What's up buddy?"

The cat tugged at Ves' pants and tried to lead him outside. Curious, Ves followed the mischievous cat outside and spotted something sparkling behind the weeds. Ves came close and picked it up, revealing a green gemstone. Upon realizing its significance, he hurriedly dropped it down.

"Even if you're a machine, I'm still not touching your c.r.a.p." Ves told the cunning cat.

He scanned the gem according to the System's instructions.

[Emerald of Minor Armor]

Increases the durability of a mech's armor plates by 0.5% when installed.

For a gem of its size, its effects were heaven-defying. Despite the paltry boost, the gem cost nothing to make. If he kept feeding Lucky the same cheap ore, he could end up with a pile of emeralds. If they all had the same effect, they might accomplish something great if combined.

"System, if I have two of the same gems, do their benefits stack?"

[Of course not. A mech can only benefit from a limited amount of gems. Gemstones that provide the same effects do not provide more benefits when put into the same mech.]

Every time the System hinted at something amazing, it turned out to be limited.

"I need to feed my cat something better." Ves muttered and resolved to order something better and have it delivered to his workshop tomorrow.

Unknown to Ves, on the other side of Cloudy Curtain, a certain twelve-year old potentate sat down in a fully-enclosed simulator. He had just finished school and rented a sim pod from the local gaming center downtown.

The boy avidly played Iron Spirit ever since he recently finished his basic lessons on mech piloting. It hardly turned him into a qualified pilot, but it allowed him to pa.s.s the minimum requirements to finally play the game.

Calling himself s.h.i.+fter66 in the game, he enjoyed piloting faster mechs. There was something about running in a multi-ton machine that charmed him. Playing the heavier mechs bored him to tears. He preferred to be quick on his feet, pestering enemies and dodging shots rather than slugging it out in a head-on collision.

As a twelve-year old, he couldn't lay any claim to greatness, but he thought he possessed a solid foundation in piloting the simplest of 1-star mechs. He played a couple of hundred matches, and while he lost most of them, he still managed to put together a few thousand gold for a new purchase.

When s.h.i.+fter66 visited the game's online market, he somehow wavered his attention to a line of feminine models. A young man like him already started to pay some attention to the girls in his school. He channeled that energy to the graceful models on display. He picked a random direction to explore further, coming upon the old but still fairly popular Fantasia series.

While the boy only halfheartedly inspected the models, he made an abrupt stop once the random selection displayed a highly unusual variant. The boy held out his palm, freezing the image and allowing him to look at the model in greater detail.

[Fantasia 2R-E]

Tier: 1-star

Base Model: Fantasia 2R

Purchase price: 1700 gold

"She looks perfect!"

A more demanding mech pilot might comment that the mech looked horribly out of balance. Any sane pilot might also complain that the added weight of the variant's rear addition served to slow it down to the point of making the mech useless in any short-distance engagements.

s.h.i.+fter66 on the other hand kept his eyes glued to the rear end. "I gotta have it!"

And so Ves' first mech got sold.