The Mech Touch (Web Novel)
chapter-2782

Every major planet featured at least one grand arena.

It was a necessity. As long as more than a billion people lived on any given planet, the demand for exciting duels and competitive matches reached a critical threshold. Either the governing bodies gave in and acquiesced to constructing a large arena, or else the citizens would make sure to elevate someone else in power who satisfied their craving for the best and most exciting action between mechs!

Larger arenas provided numerous advantages over smaller ones. They could accommodate more people, for one. They also provided more space for mechs to maneuver and use any terrain features if the competition format included this variable.

Smaller arena spaces simply didn't offer enough flexibility for certain types of mechs. Ranged mechs were especially disadvantaged by the lack of the space, which also happens to be one of the main reasons why ranged mechs were much rarer in competitive matches. They only truly showed up in group matches and competition formats that excluded melee mechs.

In any case, Prosperous Hill VI was one of the most developed and populous planets in the region. Its grand arena reflected this in its large and unique architecture.

"It.. looks like a crown of trees." Vincent remarked as he looked at the projection of the distant arena. "Look at those odd trunks that are arcing out from the side."

"Those are the places where the seats are situated." Raella said. "Every spectator has an elevated view of the action. I even hear that the Lifers are able to grow or shrink the trees as needed, though it only happened a couple of times throughout the Ruuzon Arena's existence."

Ves frowned as he gazed at the Ruuzon Arena's overall design. It sure looked impressive and wonderfully showcased the possibilities of organic architecture. Yet its overall security setup left much to be desired.

Due to the fact that it was made of interconnected trees that arced out from the side, there were plenty of gaps in the structure. He could tell that the architects deliberately designed the Ruuzon Arena to be that way in order to make the entire structure appear open and welcoming.

Yet that was exactly something that Ves did not wish to see. He preferred more traditional arena structures. At least there the amount of angles that someone could choose to attack someone else was minimal.

Unfortunately, the problem was worse than it looked. In practice, any attack that was launched through one of these gaps would likely bump into the powerful energy shields and transparent walls erected around the fighting zone.

Since the Ruuzon Arena frequently hosted matches that pitted five second-class mechs against the same number of opposing machines, its defensive safeguards were very robust.

Additional safeguards shielded the spectators from any attacks that might have slipped through the initial layers of defense. Each spectator tree featured a separate and isolated defense system that could act independently.

There were probably a lot more safeguards than that, but it never got to that point in Ruuzon Arena's history. It hosted more than 10,000 matches without ever suffering a breach of its initial defense layers. The operators of the grand arena frequently checked its defensive measures to make sure they were in good shape.

In fact, this was something that biotechnology was inherently good at. Unlike normal constructions, biostructures possessed inherent self-repair functions. Ordinary wear and tear never afflicted them unless they reached an extreme age.

Of course, biostructures faced another set of problems. Not only did they require nutrients and energy to function, they also became susceptible to heavy toxins, specific bioengineered diseases and other threats that only living organisms worried about.

They also had a finite age, though tree structures were famed for their longevity.

All in all, biostructures offered greater conveniences but also introduced other problems. Ves didn't feel comfortable with them. As a mech designer, he possessed enough technical insight to know how regular structures were put together. He understood what allowed them to remain standing, how they were able to resist strong winds and how their electrical systems worked.

He lacked the same assurances when it came to biotechnology. Anything beneath the surface of biostructures was a mystery to him. Bioengineering was a well-established field and their applications have become so refined that they were comparable in complexity to other advanced constructs such as shield generators or computer processors!

Still, no matter how uncomfortable he felt about the arena, the Lifers insisted on using it as the venue of choice. It didn't matter if Ves and Dr. Navarro originally booked a smaller and more modest mech arena. With all of the attention directed towards their influential design duel, the higher ups simply decided to shift it to Ruuzon Arena and that was that.

It was yet another sign that his design duel had gone out of his control.

Ves hoped that the actual proceedings wouldn't be tampered with. He did not want to be a part of a scripted show. He did not wish to sully his integrity as a mech designer.

The heavily-escorted transport eventually slowed down and descended just before Ruuzon Arena. A secure entrance on the ground opened up, allowing the transport as well as a couple of guard mechs to pass through.

There were a lot of spaces below Ruuzon Arena. The logistics required to move mechs around and such required an elaborate tunnel network in order to run every match as smoothly as possible.

Ordinary spectators never entered these halls, so the place was largely devoid of decorations.

Only pure functionality remained. The walls were made of the same wood-like growth that was used in other organic structures, but they seemed sturdier and more metallic than before.

Once the transport touched down on the ground, a large number of soldiers and other specialists exited first. Ves and his little group exited only after the guards cleared the landing hall.

"Patriarch Larkinson. You have arrived on time. Good." An older woman wearing a business suit approached. A gaggle of assistants followed from behind. "I am Assistant Director Gisha Dumarte. I will be responsible for managing your stay at Ruuzon Arena. We have already received your dueling mechs. They are undergoing final inspections in order to verify that they conform to the rules. Would you like to see your machines?"

Ves nodded. "Please."

The mechs had left his sight for at least half a day. Now, several unknown inspectors were crawling all over them. While it was unlikely that one of them would violate their duties and subtly sabotage his mechs, he still felt compelled to verify them with his own eyes.

The group exited the landing hall and walked through a wide underground corridor that was large enough to accommodate mechs.

It was currently very empty right now, giving Ves and the others the illusion that they were walking through an ancient underground ruin.

"I don't need to remind you that trillions of people will be tuning in to the broadcast of this design duel." The director began. "As such, we must ensure that everything must appear proper. While interest in your upcoming duel is highest among our domestic audience, an outsized proportion of foreign viewers will also be watching the show. As such, we wish to make sure that our state is presented in a good light. Whether Dr. Navarro wins or loses, we hope that you will cooperate with us to make us appear as good hosts."

Ves responded with a mild smile. "I have no problem with describing the truth in front of the recorders. As long as you and your fellow Lifers treat us well, then I have no problem with making that known."

He was making his stance very clear. He was not going to lie if his hosts acted improperly.

Now, he wanted to see whether the assistant director accepted this response. If not, then a very considerable problem might ensue.

"As I have already stated, we are under intense scrutiny. It is more important than ever to ensure that your design duel proceeds as fairly as possible. From the selection of mech pilots to the conditions of the dueling ring, we are working harder than ever to control every possible variable."

That sounded reassuring to Ves. Director Dumarte basically said that the Lifers had no intention to unfairly stack the deck against him. They wouldn't have been able to get away with it anyway. He was sure that plenty of mech designers and other knowledgeable people would be watching the spectacle. Perhaps some of the viewers might even be Master Mech Designers!

The observation ability of the latter was so frighteningly high that not even the limitations of projection technology hindered them all that much.

This meant that any tampering, any signs of unfairness and any odd incidents would never escape their sight.

What if some foreign experts spotted a sign that the Lifers were unfairly providing Dr. Navarro with an advantage?

They would definitely use it as a weapon to damage the reputation of the Life Research Association!

As a state that depended heavily on trade to generate prosperity and pursue their noble mission of spreading biotechnology, the Lifers paid a lot of attention to their image.

This was why it became more important than ever to make sure that everything ran properly. As long as the Lifers handled everything correctly, they would be able to prove that they were both hospitable and magnanimous.

Ves was quite aware of the political implications of this show, so he did not adopt an overly suspicious posture.

Right now, both sides wanted everything to go as smoothly and properly as possible.

They eventually reached the prep area where his five dueling mechs were undergoing final inspections.

"How impressive." The director genuinely expressed her admiration of his mechs. "Despite their standardized appearances, it is astounding how much presence they exude. We have never seen anything like your products."

"I hope the characteristic glows of my mechs haven't given your staff undue problems."

"While it is a bit too much for our mech technicians to remain comfortable in close proximity, the Seniors that have agreed to cooperate with us can easily handle the pressure."

A number of older-looking men and women were buzzing around his mechs. They were perusing the data generated by power scanners while at the same time flying closer to any sections that caught their interest.

Ves could see that the Seniors weren't suspicious that his mechs contained anything improper. Any powerful scanning device would be able to pick that up sooner or later.

Instead, their faces betrayed genuine fascination. Ves guessed that they must be wondering which mech component was responsible for providing glows.

One of the Seniors noticed the new arrivals and distanced himself from the Bright Warrior mech he was inspecting before lowering himself to ground level.

"Professor Tawin, what are your conclusions?"

"Our verdict is the same as before." The brown-haired mech designer responded in a respectful tone. "Mr. Larkinson's mechs are all in order. They are all well-designed and well-engineered. Their quality and performance is considerably higher than what Journeyman are typically capable of delivering. I can tell they will not fold easily against Dr. Navarro's work."

"Have you found any irregularities?"

"No, director. Not physically at least. However, I cannot speak about the less tangible properties of the dueling mechs. They are obviously abnormal."

"In what way?" The director frowned a little.

Ves quickly coughed. "The rules of the design duel do not cover this aspect. The entire point of this event is to match different and unequal design philosophies against each other to see which one is stronger. As such, deviations in this area should be expected."

Director Dumarte did not look amused, but the professor nodded without hesitation.

"Mr. Larkinson is correct. Every design philosophy is different. It is because they are unique that design duels are necessary. Determining which mech or mech designer is better cannot be done by comparing spec sheets. We need to see the mechs in action, and in order for the duels to have validity, the products must showcase the ability of the mech designer to the best of their ability. While I am not well-versed in the design philosophy that has made these machines so remarkable, I feel they are within tolerance."