[1-200] THE MECH TOUCH

Chapter 162: Ship's Crew

"Good afternoon." Ves greeted the cameras as he stepped up to the podium. "Thank you for attending this press conference. My name is Ves Larkinson. I am an Apprentice Mech Designer under the tutelage of Master Carmen Olsen of the Vermeer Group. I recently founded the Living Mech Corporation here in my home planet of Cloudy Curtain."

All of the reporters already knew his background, but many of his viewers might not be aware. He deliberately mentioned his master's name in order to borrow some of her prestige. It forced those who normally dismissed low-tier mech designers to regard him seriously.

"Can you tell us what happened this morning?"

"Certainly."

Ves gave a brief and factual account of the sequence of the events. Various recordings had already leaked onto the galactic net, so no one learned anything new. He also left his shield generator and antigrav clothes out of his story. No need to give his enemies any ideas.

"Who is responsible for this terrible attack?"

Ves tried to maintain a composed expression. "I don't know, but I can think of several possibilities. Various people would like to see me gone. For instance, the ruling coalition has worked hard to ram a new tax bill through the Planetary Assembly that will drive me out of business."

Technically, he didn't lie. He let the reporters and the viewers who watched the broadcast connect the dots themselves. Even if it was on spurious grounds, everyone loved a conspiracy theory.

The Greens and the White Doves could issue as many denials as they wanted. It didn't change the fact that they regarded him with hostility. Could they have been responsible for the attack? Ves didn't think so, but he was willing to drag them through the mud anyway. Let the public decide the final verdict.

He continued to spin a misleading narrative that Gavin had carefully constructed. Ves had already received some coaching on what to say and what to leave out. Everything he said rang true, and thus should pass scrutiny should someone employ a sophisticated lie detector program.

Once he reached the end of the conference, he left behind a final statement. "I survived today not because of luck, but because this is my home. Don't believe in the naysayers and pessimists that we're only good for feeding Bentheim. The Living Mech Corporation's presence here represents my belief that we can be strong."

His words took everyone by surprise. Ves left the reporters behind as they digested his eloquent response. He nodded to Gavin who smirked like a cat who got the canary.

"You did an excellent job, boss. You didn't stumble on your words at all. The only fault I can find is that you've been acting a little too lively for someone who survived an assassination attempt."

"I can't help it." Ves chuckled a bit. "I keep thinking about how many mouthfuls of wine those loathsome politicians will spurt once they see my performance."

It thoroughly burned any bridge he had between him and the ruling coalition, but Ves didn't care. He bought himself some time. According to Gavin and Calsie, his performance should thoroughly pull the wind out of the sails of the tax reform bill.

One day later, a heavily armed convoy escorted by two aerial mechs landed inside a cordoned-off section of the spaceport. Several security officers accompanied by many bots kept their eyes peeled for trouble.

One of the central shuttles opened its hatch, allowing Ves, Melkor and Lucky to step outside. He turned to an escort and nodded his head. "Thanks for the ride."

Ves turned to the other side of the field and walked towards the parked corvette. The Barracuda regained her former glory after undergoing repairs. Her rear thrusters looked as pristine as the first day she came into his possession.