The Mech Touch

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They slowly returned to the office.
As they walked through the corridors of the ship, Ves noticed she walked with a bit more confidence and purpose than before.
While Ves doubted she would ever shed her absent-minded thoughts, she had definitely gained more direction now.

Compared to her old self, the difference was both subtle and profound.
Finding her design philosophy laid the foundation for greatness.
While she still had a way to go, at least she got off to a good start, which had been the entire reason why Mayra sent her protege to Ves.

He finally fulfilled his debt to Mayra!

Ves felt as if a weight lifted off his mind.
Each debt and obligation weighed him down, and accruing more and more of them without being able to diminish them ate at him like a rotting disease.

Once they reached the office, Ves sat on his reinforced chair and leaned back as best his seat allowed.
His student ’s accomplishments made him happy as well.
Even if he hadn ’t completely defined a narrow vision, overall he considered his first attempt at designing a mech designer to be a success!

”How does it feel? ” He asked as she started staring off into nothing.
His voice pulled her back into the present.
”Don ’t get distracted now.
You ’ve had your eureka moment.
Now you need to reflect on it properly so you know what you are getting into.
I know that articulation isn ’t your best suit, but it ’s necessary for you to translate the feelings your design philosophy gives you into words. ”

”What? ” She gave him a puzzled look.

Ves sighed.
Did she deliberately act so simple or was she truly so dense? ”Just talk about whatever is on your mind when you think about your design philosophy. ”

”Hmm.. ” She trailed off a bit as she thought hard on her new feelings.
”I feel like I want to take my greatsword, multiply its size by at least thirty times, and give it to a swordsman mech that moves just like me! I want to design a mech just like that! ”

”That sounds like a good project to pursue, but perhaps not as your very first project. ” He carefully advised her.
”Don ’t limit your imagination to your own physique and sword style.
I bet that some of your sisters in the Swordmaiden favor different styles, is that right? ”

”Yeah.
Not every sister wants to wield a greatsword, though most of us do.
Maybe I can copy their body structure and their sword style and adapt them to my other designs. ”

”You only have so many Swordmaidens to copy.
Gaining some inspiration from the fighting styles of your fellow is a good way to get into the spirit of designing a mech, but this method may become a crutch if you depend on it too much.
I suggest you do this a couple of times but try to divorce yourself from a specific style or body structure and expand your imagination. ”

”How can I do that, teacher? ”

”Two ways.
First, study battle mechatronics and become an expert in the way the internal frame and the artificial musculature affects the movement of a mech! Second, use your imagination! Design a sketch in your mind before you draw the actual lines! ”

Ketis frowned a bit.
”I get the first part.
I ’ve heard of battle mechatronics before.
Mayra has some books about it stashed in her library.
As for the other thing..
You always tell me to use my imagination, but I don ’t understand!! ”

”Imagination is the canvas of our creativity. ” Ves explained succinctly.
”It ’s an imaginary plane in your mind where you can conjure up any symbol, any shape and even entire designs in your mind.
Just think about the following.
How come good mech designers are able to design fantastic designs of rifleman mechs while being abysmal marksmen in their real lives? ”

”Uhhh.. ”

”Just look at me.
Up to this moment, I designed two original designs, both of which are commercial successes in their market segments.
My first original design is a landbound medium knight optimized for offense while my second original design is a premium landbound rifleman mech that can do interesting things with lasers.
Now, I never underwent close to the grueling training that you went through.
So how come my mechs are so desirable? ”

”Uhhhh… I guess it has to do with expertise? ”

”Expertise combined with imagination! ” Ves corrected her.
”Imagination is the starting point to every design project.
We construct a vision of our desired end product in our minds.
While this is just the first step in any proper project, it is in fact the most crucial phase of all, because a good start can facilitate the other phases of the design process while a bad start can plunge the entire project into a dead end! ”

”What does that have to do with designing a mech when you have no clue how to fight like that mech? ”

”Imagination liberates you from the constraints of the human physique.
Remember that while a humanoid mech is often based around the performances of peak human bodies, a mech is a machine, not a body of flesh and blood! Can a mech turn around its head by a full turn without snapping its neck? Many sure do! The same goes for rotating the torso.
Most frontline mechs feature this freely rotatable torso in order to facilitate firing on the move. ”

Ketis started to get it.
”So your point is that a mech can be so much more than a copy of the human body if I exercise my imagination? ” 

”Yes! Remember you are not limited to a faithful human form.
A mech frame allows for so much more, and it is your imagination that provides the room for your creativity to come up with a new and radical vision.
Plenty of mech designers who have never wielded a sword have been able to design successful swordsman mechs before.
Then there are the mech designers who design bestial mechs.
It ’s not like they ever transformed themselves into a tiger or a centaur, right? It ’s all in their minds! ”

”I understand now.
If I ever want to go far with designing my mechs, I ’ve got to transcend the human form and stop regarding my mechs as giant humans.
They ’re machines that I can shape in every way I want. ”

Ves clapped his gauntlets.
”That ’s the spirit of a true mech designer! Even if we aren ’t personally adept in fighting, we can still create the most impressive fighting machines in the galaxy, and it ’s all thanks to our imagination.
Never forget this lesson. ”

He had given his final lesson to Ketis.
While he had many more words of wisdom to share if he really wanted to, he deemed her to be ready enough to set out on her own.