What's Junk? (The Mech Touch)

[Negation]

The sand was just a sort of ammo for the weapon. It was expendable. The manipulators was just for fun and to make it more efficient, and possible make the Blood Field actually dangerous. If someone was covered in the sand the time they'd be operational would be measured in seconds rather than minutes.

Click to shrink...

Won't it be better to link this with the Greed system to extend its range?

 

[Golgotha]

But the Nosferatu are the ugly vampires!

 

[Emptiness]

No, you don't need a villain pilot! You need a mech that turns a promising underdog into a tragic fallen antagonist! Then, when the mech is inevitably defeated and the pilot switches to an angel mech, you can have a reoccurring plotline of the reused parts of Nosferatu corrupting other mechs!

 

[Simonbob]

Bolt is having heaps of fun, with the arena mechs.

And the manager is wondering how he ever managed without him!

 

[lost star]

Stepping back from the drama slightly. Mars Silver was a heavily developed planet. It existed on the borders of the Friday Coalition, rather far from Hexxer territory. It had not been touched by war, and wouldn't be touched due to various strategic reasons. It therefore had a rather large population unused to real combat. The arenas were the closet things they had to true violence, and they'd lucked into these arenas becoming one of the more popular things in the Coalition. A lot of money therefore ran through the arenas, and there were a lot of considerations built into the local government to encourage things.

The arena that Bolt and Lilly had chosen was close to the middle of the road in almost all respects. They had a decent roster, a decent following, and a fair amount of resources. They did not have a dedicated designer on call. Most arenas didn't. If they needed a custom mech they just hired someone for a one off design. It wasn't a popular job despite the money involved. As Bolt had observed, it was essentially building a custom mech for an actor. Building a custom weapon for an expert was a respectable and eagerly sought after job. Building something specifically for a fake battle was decidedly less prestigious. Designers advanced through sales and through experimentation. Arenas mechs didn't lend themselves to either, thus the jobs were typically taken by designers who just needed money, and they usually did the minimum required.

Bolt and Lilly's offer to work with the arena for VIP treatment was therefore a bit unusual. The arena managers had only taken it at first because Lilly was an expert. Her advice alone was worth the cost of putting two people in the VIP areas. The managers had thrown their newest talent the couple's way because any mistakes or problems could be compensated for quite easily. If Bolt had given Harry a boring or faulty mech it wouldn't have mattered. Harry's career was new enough that they could adjust as needed.

Everyday had ultimately been a surprise to everyone. Its performance in the arena had retroactively made Bolt's episode one of the most popular ones in the series. Everyone wanted to know how the man had done it. Yet despite Bolt blatantly telling them to the face what he did, no one could really tell exactly what he did. It became a tantalizing mystery that sent the local MTA officials into a minor scramble. Bolt had done absolutely nothing wrong. He'd just made every educator's life harder because all the kids wanted to do something like that now.

Then his creation of his newest mech was broadcast. It was a bit of an accident on Bolt's part. The man had not actually intended to construct a mech in front of a camera. He'd just gone to the nearest bay with tools and forgotten completely that they'd studded it with recording equipment due to his previous scene.

Nosferatu was built in a flurry of activity more fitting for the wide screen than a controlled mech construction company. Bolt, in his mania, had constructed the mech with the barest of safety measures, and with the full use off all the technology in the bay. It had been acrobatic, enthralling, and resulted in a mech that loomed so ominously that it could be felt through the TV screen. The mech became famous overnight, and its debut became one of the hottest topics on the planet.

It was actually a tiny bit of a problem for the arena. There was too much anticipation. They had to rewrite the entire script and get a better pilot for the new mech because disappointment could kill an arena faster than even failure. Fortunately their recent success let them recruit someone who could pilot the mech properly. Nosferatu turned out to have a very high performance ceiling after testing, and while anyone could pilot the thing, better pilots could coax a lot more out of the mech. (Bolt considered that very close to a real failure truthfully.)

Thus the plotline had shifted around a lot, and they'd gone with the unleashed monster mech that piloted itself mostly. No one complained that much really. The new mech had enough of a presence that the direction worked pretty well.

"Behold my new weapon!" Sinestra Six proclaimed as she gestured to the massive chained coffin next to her mech. "Forged from the nightmares of humanity, this monster will defeat you all, one, by, one!"

"Not a chance Sinestra!" Allday stepped forward. "I'll stop you, and your weapon!"

That was the cue for the custom made container to shake. The chains fell off one by one, and then the side cracked open. The arena lights flickered, and then flickered red without any input from the special effects team at all. The mech inside the coffin reached out almost casually and pushed the lid off. It fell to the ground with a slam and an elegant figure stepped out.

Everyone held their breath. By now people were familiar with Everyday's appearance and presence. It was a light and valiant breath of vitality. It wasn't obvious, nor was it demanding, but it was there. Like a little light.

Nosferatu's aura was horror and despair, yet the fun type. It was a monster putting on a show. It dragged you down for a scare and laughed in your face. It pulled you in with dread and made you hold your breath. This was a monster it cried, and it demanded you appreciate it while it was on stage.

The mech spread out her wings while everyone watched and then the world went red. The people in the arena could almost taste blood. An iron scent bled through everything for a brief moment before fading away. Nosferatu was having her debut and had taken control of the show.

"What, what is this?!" Sinestra breathed out in real shock before she recovered like the professional actor she was. "Beast, obey me!"

Nosferatu tilted her head. The horns made the gesture dramatic and more exaggerated than it would have been. She made a gesture with two fingers and red flowed up and covered Sinestra's mech.

"Nooooo!" The woman cried out as her mech staggered and dropped with almost exaggerated distress.

Another gesture had the red pull off and back around Nosferatu. The mech flicked a finger almost disdainfully at the puddle of crimson and it splattered around her. Thanks to the tint and the size difference the sand looked remarkably like blood. As Nosferatu spread her wings again half the audience took pictures and made screenshots. This was a mech that screamed vampire. The black and red creation dominated the scene so thoroughly that the special effects managers barely needed to do anything. (They did start the ominous Latin music naturally.)

"I don't know what sort of monster Sinestra has unleashed, but I will be sure to put it down!" Allday shouted out, and Everyday shined in response to his declaration.

The heroic mech charged forward. No special effects were invoked, but the field changed as he did so. For one brief moment the red was pushed back in shining gold. It went beyond mechanics and into story. The clash became a whirl of enthralling gold and red.

Red 'blood' spattered the arena as the battle continued. Nosferatu's style was almost artful. She moved like a dancer and spread red wherever she stepped. She threw it onto Everyday and pulled it off in a shower of almost gore. She carefully cut him with her wings and then shot him with points of her fingers. (The managers were giving the pilot a raise after this, because there was good piloting and then there was art.)

In contrast Everyday just moved forward, yet that fit. His heroic stand demanded nothing less. He strode through it all and shined ever brighter every second.

Yet victory was not going to be his. This was Nosferatu's debut, and the arena people wanted to milk every second of it. This meant that first round went to the monster. They didn't even have to fake it. Allday had chosen the exactly wrong method of fighting Nosferatu by accident. Falling into her rhythm meant that the mech could draw out the fight at her leisure.

The ending was somehow beautifully tragic. Everyday was surrounded in red sand towards the end and Nosferatu clenched a hand cinematically. All the sand flowed up around the mech and covered the entire thing. It dropped down, and it was like the light went out. Some of the audience even cried out.

Then the lights really went out as the scene ended and people got ready for the cleanup. Both of Bolt's mechs seemed incredibly happy with the results, somehow. (They weren't spirits yet, but Bolt was fairly sure that something about the situation was accelerating the process.)

 

[Golgotha]

Getting a planet emotionally invested feels like the kind of thing that helps mechs grow fast.

 

[Tavarokk]

As an aside, since Morningstar is effectively 2nd rate except for reactor and Dowry can upgrade itself with eaten materials except for reactor, can Bolt use the opportunity (ie stay on a 2nd rate planet rich in mech-related businesses, already with access to construction facilities) to refit both to full 2nd rate?

 

[Simonbob]

As an aside, since Morningstar is effectively 2nd rate except for reactor and Dowry can upgrade itself with eaten materials except for reactor, can Bolt use the opportunity (ie stay on a 2nd rate planet rich in mech-related businesses, already with access to construction facilities) to refit both to full 2nd rate?

Click to shrink...

Possible, but....

It's both expensive, and very hard to maintain, without a lot of stuff that their world doesn't have, and couldn't protect if it did. Bad idea.

 

[foo-jin]

Possible, but....

It's both expensive, and very hard to maintain, without a lot of stuff that their world doesn't have, and couldn't protect if it did. Bad idea.

Click to shrink...

3rd rate Star Mech Designer Bolt here we come!

 

[lost star]

AN: Silly bit here. It's supposed to be an article. The (Link) Is deliberate because I'm not doing actual links.
---

What is Allday, what is Everday, and why should I care about all these days? That's the largest question on everyone's lips nowadays, and you'll have to pardon my frequent usage of days here. We can't avoid using the names of our newest hot topics after all my dear readers.

So what is Allday? Allday is one of the many pilots that take up names and masks in the name of entertainment. Yes most of what he does is acting. Don't say it though. Part of the fun is that when he's in the mask, he's that person. It's called Kayfabe, and it's complicated, but for those who don't know it, if you see a mask it's very very very serious, with a serious face.

Everyday is Allday's mech. Yes that's deliberate. Actors have names that are supposed to stick in your head. We have the official specs and blueprints linked to the article. (Link) You'll note that they aren't that impressive on paper.

Here's what the paper doesn't tell you, and why could it? It's paper! Jests aside the mech's paper specifications are flat out lies.

Everyday is a beautiful little showman. The mech blooms in the arena. If you get in in front of a crowd, all those little numbers go out the window. It fights with flair. It's finishing move can one-hit KO a mech. Even the way it is destroyed is beautiful. We have clips (Link), that show him falling so magnificently you'd think it's been recorded in a movie and not in an arena.

That's another thing about our wonderful people here. Our masked men might be acting, but inside the arena it's very real. They do a few minor things to spice up the look of the damage, but all of the fights have minimal to no scripting. You even have events where people can fight against the actors, some will even make it into the main shows and storylines. Yes you can be on TV, yes you can say hi to mom too. In fact they encourage it sometimes. Be sure to say hi to dad too. He's feeling neglected.

Back to the spotlight! Everyday's variable performance is all real. If the crowd's hyped, the mech is better. If it's not, then well, it's a normal medium of the road brawler.

Now all of this alone isn't really stand out, you know? We get the occasional unusual mech. Some designers can do some strange things. We all remember the ghost mech last year.

Here's why you should care. One word. The name of another mech. Nosferatu.

Nosferatu does a thing similar to Everyday, but the gorgeous vampire wants terror. She wants your thrills, and your boos. She stands in front of you and makes you feel things. Yes dear readers, I'm being a bit silly, but she's beautiful.

Now you have a hero and a villain mech, and they make my heart race. When they're together and fight it's a classic good an evil that goes beyond mech fights and into something that inspires. They shine too when they're alone, but they work best when the crowd is hyped. Everyone wants to fight them, because sometimes they even make their opponent look better!

To make things more entertaining, here's the designer. (Link)

Yes that's the designer. No, I'm not joking. He's a hunky beefcake with smoldering eyes and a hint of madness. Not kidding on the last part. We have clips of him building the two mechs, and the man's a cross between a monkey, a mad scientist, and a living power tool. That man can lift a girl up with one hand.

He's also married, and I'd be disappointed, but they're adorable together. (Link) Yes that's her being lifted up with one hand. Yes we get memes from it. She's an expert too by the way. Yes she pilots his mechs. They're a regular power couple, and there's shows about it that are close to true. She's also got a baby on the way, so send her well wishes if you can!

Really it's all right out of a storybook. We have a couple with a building legend waltz in, upend the entire scene, and then probably waltz out into the sunset while we pick up the glorious pieces. It's just a bit hilarious, and something that we'll all be glad to watch. Everyday and Nosferatu are going to stick around and be used heavily. I have a pretty good feeling that the arena knows they have a gold goose on their hands, and they know how to care for geese like that.

Hmm? Did you look at the systems and shows and see something about Hearts? Oh my dear readers, I'm glad you're paying attention.

Bolt, that's the designer, has an unusual philosophy with that. You can see his own words in the clips. (Link) It's not an act, we think. That's him just explaining things in his own way. The Heart System is officially MTA approved, and currently restricted to his designs. Don't be fooled by it being Third Rate, according to the grape vines I hear it has potential.

At the moment we don't know more. A lot of the documentation is a bit, well unproven. We have results like this, but people can't really figure it all out. The MTA is evaluating a possible provisional licensing for all arena mechs. It's quite a bit strange, and not everyone is going to get one installed, but if it allows for performance like Everyday and Nosferatu, then it will get really popular. My completely uneducated guess is that we'll see a lot of mechs start to develop like our two new stars, but nothing will compare to the originals.

And that's why you should care!

-Small news article on Mars Silver

"I almost peed my pants!"

"Really?"

"Yes, Nosferatu came out and everything turned red. I'll be honest, I wasn't really paying attention beforehand. I'd just gotten the munchies and was getting some of the good popcorn, and then everything turns red and it's like someone was looming over me. Scared me like you wouldn't believe! I can't say I hated it though."

"That was a fairly common sentiment."

"You still feel it when the mech really cuts loose, but I have to say it got me really invested now. Though I do wonder about the cosplayers."

"Cosplayers?"

"A few girls have decided the black corsets, specific hair styles, and red lipstick are very appropriate for the arena after that match."

"Oh dear."

"I mean done right it looks gorgeous, but I really hope it doesn't start a trend."

-Excerpt from a daytime interview

Sales tickets continue to rise as Everyday and Nosferatu's plotlines continue. The clash between the two and formal challengers have continued. Hostile takeover attempts and attempts to purchase or steal the mechs have resulted in the courts and government moving to take a hard line. For those unaware of the minute, a provision comes into place when events similar to this happen. It typically comes in when a smaller arena stumbles on success. The courts take a very dim view of larger arenas throwing their weight around, and might begin to force investigations and criminal actions if it continues.

-Financial excerpt

"How many spy organizations are here now?!"

"We can't be certain sir. The only confirmed ones are from the Coalition. There's at least four now. Thanks to compartmentalization and cell structures some might even be ours."

"Of course, this is turning into a clusterfuck. Do we have eyes in the ship?"

"Some, but Bolt and Lilly are both finding most of the devices and we don't know how."

"Naturally. Tell me that the hostile takeover attempts aren't us at least."

"I don't think so? Some may be happening because of previous plans, but it's hard to tell."

"Of course is there any good news then?"

"We got tickets to the next show?"

"That that is actually decent news makes me want to shoot something. And don't think I don't see you edging towards the door. I don't have the gun on me now. Whatever, go to your show, take your girlfriend, and I better hear some sort of news later!"

-Conversation between several spies.

While the constant movement does make it difficult to properly monitor the subject, it's not a serious issue. We are receiving continuous medical updates and have their location. The subject should return to have the treasure extracted, at which point we can acquire it through normal methods. It will of course require some cleanup afterwards, but we can probably arrange for the mess to be attributed to other involved pests.

If the subject doesn't return in a timely manner this is perfectly acceptable as well. There are several assets that can intercept if needed, and it might even be easier in that way. Regardless, the treasure is only moderately valuable, so the resources being committed are relatively limited. We do have to account for the present as well as the future after all.

I would humbly request that someone does a review of our assets in this area. It's become apparent that other groups associated with us are involved, and we might have some conflicting goals. Coordination is never perfect, but it feels particularly bad here. I do not suspect enemy action so much as severe neglect.

-Message on a secured line to Five Scroll Compact Managers

 

[Emptiness]

Is the "treasure" the baby? Dang thats cold.

 

[Wolfjob]

Is the "treasure" the baby? Dang thats cold.

Click to shrink...

Might be those simpletons thinking he has a scroll fragment. It's probably the baby though.

 

[Simonbob]

A complete custer fuck for all the hidden factions, to the point that getting tickets to see the show is a legit step up?

I really did laugh out loud!