The Mech Touch novel Chapter 7620

Chapter 7620: Dirty Politics

Ves figured out what Jovy wanted.

The Survivalists wanted to implement new rules that limited the development and use of superdimensional mechs.

Though Ves only received a one-sided explanation for now, he managed to deduce that the final shape of this upcoming policy was still very much in flux.

Even if it was inevitable for the Red Association to give in to its urges and impose new regulations on an emerging source of instability, the various sides and factions still disagreed on the details.

In this kind of political dispute, respected leaders and visionaries possessed a disproportionate amount of power.

Many people looked up these heroes and role models. This alone could sway the opinions of millions of people, especially if they had not chosen a stance in the first place!

Although Ves was far from the only ’influencer’ that could shift the balance of power in this ongoing dispute, his prominence in recent years ensured that his voice possessed much greater weight than almost any other leading figure!

Hence why the Survivalist Faction wanted to co-opt him first. It made a lot of sense for Jovy to approach Ves in private and attempt to ’purchase’ his influencing power.

"You guys are pretty blatant about bribery." Ves sneered at his mecher friend. "Your approach is devoid of honor. What is worse is that you assume the same of me. Ketis would never react well to this offer."

Jovy maintained an impassive expression. He did not show any displeasure at the accusation. He was not speaking on behalf of himself at this time. He was speaking on behalf of his superiors.

"You are not Ketis."

"You have a point, I suppose."

"You are correct that there is a reason why we have decided to contact you alone. We are not asking you to violate your principles and speak out against your own beliefs. We merely wish to persuade you of the inevitable and earn your compliance in exchange for... our appreciation. I assure you that the opposition will not be able to match our generosity. While we can make do without your explicit support, your potential opposition will complicate our effort and allow our detractors to secure important concessions. We do not want that to happen. With your explicit support, we can end this debate considerably faster and more decisively. We can draft a stricter and more harmonious policy that will largely be devoid of potential flaws and loopholes. The Terrans and the Rubarthans will also be more inclined to align their own laws with ours."

Jovy weakened his bargaining position by explaining how Ves’ support may affect the subsequent developments.

However, the mecher also made it clear how Ves could speed up the resolution of this troublesome dispute and save everyone a lot of time and effort.

"You have been pretty vague about the so-called details." Ves said. "What kind of rules are you arguing about that are so important?"

"There are too many to count. They include the internal and external prices for tokens, how much any single individual or group may accrue tokens, what conditions must be met to raise this token limit, what sort of violations may give us cause to rescind a token, what specifications a superdimensional mech must meet in order to earn a legal status, how much superdimensional matter in absolute or relative terms any single mech may possess at most, how to handle the use of superdimensional matter as consumables, how to regulate the loss of a superdimensional mech and so much more."

Each of these rules would have a profound influence on the use of superdimensional mechs in the future.

The Survivalists were exactly the kind of worrywarts who obsessed over a million different what-ifs. Their compulsive need to account for every possible disaster in advance urged them to hammer out as many rules as possible!

Ves couldn’t help but smile in amusement. "Only you guys would be so bored as to invest so much of your time into regulations. I can’t blame you. I also do not fault you for your behavior. Someone obviously has to do something about it. I may hold a lot of trust in my own restraint when it comes to the use of superdimensional mechs, but I cannot necessarily say the same for others. I still don’t like it, though. I personally prefer a light touch."

"Giving people too much leeway largely defeats the purpose of this upcoming policy." Jovy said while shaking his head. "Trust me, Ves. Far too many outlaws among red humanity will test or outright break the boundaries if they believe they can do so without paying a heavy price. We are not ignorant of the fact that many mech pilots and mech designers have cursed us for being heavy-handed with our laws. However, we would rather be seen as unforgiving and preserve everyone’s trust in mechs than any of the alternatives. Our ultimate purpose is to safeguard the institution of mechs. As a mech designer yourself, you should realize how much you have benefited from our sacrifice."

Though Jovy may be right about that, he may be exaggerating a bit when he used the term ’sacrifice’.

The MTA exploited much of human civilization for over 4 centuries!

Its existence was one of the main reasons why mechs represented an entire age!

Even if the RA was a much smaller and diminished version of its parent, it still possessed many of the same goals and flaws!

Ves crossed his arms. "Don’t waste my time with your noble purpose. It all comes down to power as far as I see it. Superdimensional mechs are bound to become one of the most powerful symbols of this new age that you are determined to place them under your wing. By setting yourselves up to become their supervisors, you indirectly earn a share of their glory whenever they perform a heroic feat. The proposed program will also place the RA above every superdimensional mech in everyone’s minds. This is nothing but a desperate attempt to maintain the relevance of your Association."

The RA Senior did not bother to argue with that cynical description. "We only wish to do our jobs. Some of us may harbor ulterior motives, but you cannot fault us for this. Greed is an intrinsic part of human nature. The most successful and enduring groups never try to fight against this phenomenon, but try to harness it in a productive manner."