The Mech Touch novel Chapter 3107

Chapter 3107: Inadequacies

Not even Gloriana argued against the need to take a break. The entire Design Department enjoyed a few days worth of vacation as the four Journeymen needed plenty of rest after completing a marathon fabrication run. _{freeweɓnovēl.coɱ}

Though it was impossible for Ves, Gloriana, Juliet and Ketis to stop thinking about the Dark Zephyr. They frequently accessed the data and drew their own conclusions.

There was no hurry, though. The Golden Skull Alliance had already halted its journey long enough in order to give the Larkinson Clan enough time to fabricate and test the expert mech. The expeditionary fleet still had to reach its next stop in time in order to conduct the business transactions that it had already agreed upon.

Once the fleet transitioned back into FTL travel, it was impossible for the Dark Zephyr to take a stroll outside of the protective envelope that shielded the starships from the dangerous and unpredictable environment of the higher dimensions.

This was a huge bummer for Venerable Tusa who had already become addicted to piloting his impressive new machine.

The only thing he could do was to keep the Dark Zephyr company while it was parked in the hangar bay. Even if he didn't interface with the expert mech, just spending a sufficient amount of time with it already increased his affinity and familiarity with his chosen war machine.

Later on, the Design Department would gather a sufficient amount of real data to create an accurate simulation of the expert mech. While it was not possible to simulate true resonance or any other form of resonance in a virtual setting, it was very helpful for Tusa to master the basic traits of the Dark Zephyr.

As a couple of days went by, the expeditionary fleet made rapid progress as they jumped from a distant star system straight to a commercially busy port system.

If everything went well, the Larkinson Clan would not only pick up a batch of new recruits, but also take possession of four second-hand capital ships.

Though Shederin Purnasse had yet to close the deal on this huge transaction, Ves figured it was only a matter of time before the Larkinsons gained the new vessels.

However, the addition of four large starships presented the Larkinson Clan with new challenges.

In order to discuss this issue and other matters, Ves met with a couple of Purnessers.

As Ves sat in his office, he idly played with Lucky. He threw a little floating ball across the room and gave his cat an expectant look.

"Well?"

"Meow?"

"Aren't you going to fetch the ball?"

Lucky continued to lounge on the desk and showed no indication of jumping off. "Meow."

Ves furrowed his brows. He tried something different this time. He retrieved a toy mouse and threw it on the other side of his private office.

His cat continued to stay put. Lucky even adopted a look of disdain as he lazily swished his metallic tail. "Meow."

"Fine! What about this, then?!"

Ves pulled out a precious mineral out of his pocket and threw it out. This time, he managed to elicit a reaction from his cat.

"Meow!"

Lucky somersaulted from his perch and flew straight towards the spot where the chunk of silvery substance had landed. The cat blissfully took a bite out of the ore and savored the taste while squinting his eyes.

"Meow~"

The gem cat did not show any intention of bringing the mineral back to Ves!

"Cats." Ves exasperatingly said as he rubbed his face.

Fortunately, the entry of a pair of Purnessers distracted him from his failure. Shederin and his son Novilon both approached the front of the desk before taking their seats.

The older man was a familiar presence to Ves by now. Ever since the former ambassador headed the Foreign Relations Department of the Larkinson Clan, he enabled and accelerated a lot of new initiatives due to his strong ability to befriend new people and forge new agreements.

The only blemish on his record so far was his failure to secure the new capital ships, but Ves didn't blame Shederin at all for that. Anyone would find it difficult to secure a deal around extremely precious assets that continue to rise in value in these turbulent times.

The meeting today was partially about this issue but also revolved around another important initiative.

Shederin saw fit to bring his son with him today. When Ves glanced at the middle-aged man that was supposed to succeed his father.

The younger Purnesse actually looked quite decent to Ves. Novilon Purnesse was one of the many able-bodied survivors that had been put through an indoctrination program. Though many within the clan complained that the program had been crude and hastily put together, the results were quite satisfactory in his eyes.

His blunt and direct words showed that he was being sincere. He neither massaged the truth or exaggerated the problem. He simply described the situation from his own standpoint.

Of course, even if Shederin adopted a more negative tone, Ves still wouldn't mind. The old man may not have been a Larkinson for long, but the two already developed a good bond.

How could a former ambassador of a large, second-rate state ever be bad at befriending his new boss? Ves just found it natural to pull Shederin Purnesse in his inner circle.

Anyone who had become one of his closest advisors had the right to criticize him. Only by addressing the problem directly would Ves become aware of problems that needed addressing.

From what it sounded like, Shederin definitely wanted to share his opinion.

Ves waved his hand. "This is a known problem. I think none of us ever got around to addressing it because we don't want to make too many drastic changes and because the issue is not that acute."

"Muddling through may work for now, but it is a short-sighted approach. Instead of crashing into a mountain that you can already see far ahead, it is better to slow down or make a detour well in advance."

"What is the course correction that you are proposing then?" Ves raised his eyebrow.

Mr. Shederin smiled in response. "I have been working on a set of reforms that should address not just this problem but many other governance problems that I have ascertained. For ease of understanding, I've packaged my proposals in a single cohesive proposal that I call the Larkinson State Plan."

"The what?!"

"I am not alluding to a traditional state." Shederin quickly said. "What I mean to convey with this name is that our clan has already grown large enough to be governed as a state. However, up until now, the bureaucracy and hierarchy has only reluctantly moved in this direction. What I propose is to drag our clan completely into the structure of a proper state."

"What does all of this entail?"

"For one, it means fleshing out the executive branch of the clan administration. It currently has the most deficiencies, especially when it comes to your own official office. You don't even have a dedicated staff that is able to manage clan affairs on your behalf. The closest that comes to mind is your personal secretary, but even he cannot do much without sufficient authority."

"What is your solution to that, then?"

Mr. Shederin gestured towards Novilon Purnesse. "This is why I have brought my son. One of the key components of my plan is to invest in someone who can take charge of clan affairs on your behalf. I believe my son possesses the qualifications to run an increasingly more complex space-faring clan."

"…"