Chapter 6400 The Revolution Has Begun!
The product reveal of the Yellow Jacket was supposed to be a straightforward introduction of an innovative new mech model.
Compared to other mechs, the Yellow Jacket came with a range of new technological solutions.
A good mech design did not necessarily have to introduce completely new tech, but it at least had to introduce a new configuration of features that brought more value to the mech market.
The Yellow Jacket did that and more.
The live demonstration of the first Yellow Jacket continued. The machine, which had been built without the inclusion of a neural interface at all, began to perform a range of basic actions that tested the pilot's ability to control the wasp mech.
So far, Jacob Abbott managed to get his machine to follow a flight trajectory through crude and unskilled means.
It took a bit of time for him to figure out how to raise or lower the altitude of his Yellow Jacket, but he couldn't do so while moving forward or backwards at the same time.
Activating the modular weapon systems on the Yellow Jacket also turned into a struggle. The simplest loadout would be to mount it with nothing or just one single modular
weapon.
Ves had descended to eschew that and slot a different system into all 6 hardpoints.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
This decision vastly increased the burden and complexity of controlling the Yellow Jacket. If Jacob Abbott was not an Apprentice Mech Designer who already possessed at least a few ideas on how mech pilots controlled their machines with their minds, he may have remained stuck in the absence of further instruction!
Even so, it still took around 4 minutes of fumbling and accidental discharges for him to tentatively figure out how to command a specific weapon module to open fire.
One of the distinctively designed modular gauss guns fired a special projectile that created a burst of shrapnel that should be good at eliminating small and fast targets. Another gauss gun fired a solid slug that exploded upon impact.
A third hardpoint mounted with a laser gun fired a modestly powered laser beam that possessed a high firing rate.
Another hardpoint was not mounted with a weapon system at all, but instead held an additional scanning array that was able to conduct powerful short-range directional
scans.
All of this versatility seemed fairly notable on a third-class budget mech, but the problem was that the aiming of these systems was far off the mark!
None of the guns hit their targets!
Despite presenting a completely stationary target dummy right in front of the Yellow Jacket, the mech exhibited such poor control and stability that it never managed to hit its target once!
Even the gauss gun loaded with shrapnel rounds failed to achieve a single hit despite the generous usage conditions of this ammunition type!
If this was a normal product reveal where Ves merely attempted to introduce a normal frontline mech designed to raise the standards of cannon fodder, then he and his work would have attracted a lot of ridicule!
Either his Yellow Jacket was so badly designed that a pilot could not exert proper control over it, or the test pilot he selected to hold this demonstration was so incompetent that it was a miracle that he managed to graduate from a mech academy!
No one was laughing.
Not a single person among the audience had expressed any contempt or ridicule at a display that should never happen beyond the first month of classes at a mech academy. This was because they all knew that the Yellow Jacket was not a dysfunctional mech, and that Jacob Abbott bore no fault for lacking any real piloting skills.
This disgraceful display was no laughing matter at all. Instead, it represented a miracle that far too many people had prayed for, yet never managed to witness since the start of the Age of Mechs.
For the first time since mechs became a human obsession, the masses finally witnessed with their very own eyes that it was truly possible for a norm to pilot a mech with their minds!
That caused a lot of norms to grow a little disappointed. Did Ves imply that the genetic aptitude tyranny still managed to retain its existence?
"Are norms not entirely suitable to pilot. Carmine mechs?" Jacob asked. "Norms are not advised to pilot Carmine mechs under challenging conditions without a long period of practice and conditioning. Long piloting sessions, complex configurations, and continuous high-intensity actions will massively increase the load on your brain and may induce permanent damage as a result. For safety reasons, every Carmine mech will monitor the load on the brain and give out plenty of warning signals if you approach the danger threshold. The owner of the Carmine mech can even activate a setting that will forcibly shut the machine down if serious brain damage is imminent."
This made a lot of sense. Conventional mech pilots also had to worry about how much
load their brains could endure. Pilots with inferior genetic aptitudes could not pilot second-class or third-class mechs at all without getting overwhelmed by the excessive amount of data throughput!
Still, many people did not mind this problem too much. The most important part was that they managed to get their foot in their door. Now that they finally unlocked the ability to pilot a mech, it did not matter that they had to start with the most simple and weakest forms of mechs!
As long as they trained their skills and conditioned their brains to handle the data throughput, they were hopeful that they would one day be able to pilot Carmine mechs that resembled the prime combat machines that often showed up on the frontlines!
After Ves clarified a few more issues, he decided to move on to the proper product introduction phase.
He clapped the lucky volunteer on the back. "Thank you for your cooperation, Mr. Abbott. This third-class Yellow Jacket is completely yours. My assistant has already transferred its ownership to your name. You can upgrade it yourself or let others do the job. You can also keep it in its current condition, though I can imagine that your new partner will not like that decision. Remember that you are not dealing with a lifeless object. You are partnered yourself with a living mech that can think and feel. You should at least treat it as a loving pet. So take care of it and reciprocate its trust. This Yellow
Jacket can become far more than a trophy in your life. Do you understand your new responsibility?"
The Apprentice Mech Designer seriously nodded.
"I will never mistreat the partner that has allowed me to fulfill my dream of piloting a mech. I will cherish it and make sure it remains happy under my care."
"You do not have to coddle it and lock it away in your deepest vault. Mechs are made for
the purpose of waging war, and this Yellow Jacket is no different. If it is necessary, your
living machine is willing to die for your cause."
"Then let us hope that never happens."
After Jacob and his new Yellow Jacket got moved from the podium, Ves attracted
everyone's attention.
Three new Yellow Jackets emerged from the floor behind him. One of them was identical
to the previous machine, but the other two models were clearly a lot more powerful and
sophisticated! "Everyone." Ves addressed the audience. "Now that you have obtained unquestionable proof that the Carmine System works exactly as described, I hope that you can finally accept that we have entered into a new epoch of mechs. Each of you are blessed to live through this transition. People in the feature will speak of mechs in a time before and after the introduction of the Carmine System. The genetic aptitude tyranny that has cast a spector over every human's heart has been toppled by my invention! You are free now!
Each of you have gained the ability to pilot a mech! Let us celebrate this liberation and
welcome the arrival of a new revolution! A Carmine Revolution!"
The Carmine Revolution!
This phrase instantly captured the imagination of the masses! Already, trillions of people whispered or shouted this compelling combination of words throughout every corner of human-occupied space!
The Carmine Revolution had overtaken the mech community and human civilization as a
whole!
The entire dwarf galaxy seemed to turn a little more red due to the outbreak of this bloodless revolution!