[1-200] THE MECH TOUCH

Chapter 57: Ominous Warnings

He also realized he was out of touch with the core Larkinson family. He'd bet Melinda and the other serving pilots in the family already knew about this. Perhaps Melinda assumed he knew as well.

The people of Sanyal-Ablin packed up their gear when they finished beefing up the security. Ves eagerly said goodbye to Robyn and her people as they boarded their much emptier shuttles and flew back to Freslin. Though the people hadn't found anything egregiously wrong, it might happen anytime in the future once he built up a name.

"Speaking of which, when will Marcella deliver the next order?"

In the weeks since he sold his first Marc Antony, he came to enjoy spending money. He wished the ex-pilot turned saleswoman would work a little faster in managing his sales. He didn't agree to give her a 20% commission for nothing.

"Does she even want the money?"

He declined to pick up his comm and call her personally. It indicated a lack of trust and an abundance of insecurity on his part. He'd wait another week.

"What should I do now?"

His disappointing result from his last design put him in a bad mood. As Ves realized the importance of maintaining a positive outlook when designing a mech, he needed to spend some time doing something else in order to regain his cheer.

"A mech designer is much like an artist in that aspect." He figured as he looked over Lucky as the cat still slept like a log. "If we're not in the mood, we'll always be creating a work that misses the mark."

Everyone considered mech design to be an intricate craft. Though the big transgalactic corporations turned the industry into a mass market, small independent designers still had a chance to compete with the help of the Mech Trade Association.

"Speaking of the MTA, I never really looked into them when I started my business. Perhaps they have some advice for me and my situation."

As Ves had an abundance of free time, he skipped the terminal and instead hailed a aircab to Orinoco, the capital of Cloudy Curtain. The trip lasted a couple of hours due to the time it took to travel from one side of the planet to the other side. If Ves was in a hurry, he could pay for a trip on an entry-reentry shuttle, but the expense wasn't worth it if it only shaved off an hour of travel time.

Having visited the MTA before during his first certification, a receptionist greeted him without fanfare.

"Mr Larkinson, how may I help you?"

"I've been in the business a few months but I'm not entirely familiar with the norms and regulations surrounding mech design and production. Could you have someone guide me with the information that would be most useful to a beginner like me?"

The receptionist pursed her lips. "That is a highly unusual request for our branch. The advisers in Bentheim are much more equipped to address your needs. Hang on for a moment, I'll check with my manager."

After a short wait, the receptionist came back. "The administrative director would like to meet you in his office. He expressed some interest in Cloudy Curtain's first mech producer."

Ves agreed to the request. He figured talking with someone who could call himself a director knew a thing or two about the traditions of the mech industry.

"Am I meeting with Ryan Baldwin again?"

"Ah, no. Mr Baldwin is the officer in charge of combat operations. He's the military leader of our branch."

"Got it."

Led by the receptionist, he entered the lift and rode it to the top of the office building. He exited to a clean and elegant-looking hall. The enormous room took up the entire top floor, and was replete with windows and artwork. Every single nuance of design spoke of privilege and superiority.