Chapter 1120. Pressing Aura (1/2)
The Grand Skyward Exhibition Hall lit up in splendor yet again, signifying the impending announcement of a new mech design. Mech designers announced their new designs on Bentheim all the time, and it was something of a fun attraction to both locals and visitors attend these shows.
Who didn't love to witness a new mech? Especially one announced at the renowned Grand Skyward, a premier venue to showcase amazing new spaceborn mechs.
The LMC and NORA Consolidated both extended numerous invitations. Friends, acquaintances, business partners, customers, the press and numerous other figures arrived first. Each of them enjoyed the frontmost seats.
The Grand Skyward opened up its doors to the public as well. Many people on Bentheim considered themselves to be mech afficiados, so plenty of people paid the modest fee to enter the venue.
It helped a lot that the mech to be announced involved NORA Consolidated, one of the largest and prominent mech companies in the Bright Republic!
In comparison, the involvement of the young and upcoming Living Mech Corporation attracted much less attention. Perhaps in the eyes of most people, the upcoming design had been designed by Professor Corus Ventag with Ves contributing some small and important elements.
Ves would abuse the audience of that notion very soon.
Tens of thousands of seats quickly started to fill up. The journalists already set up their live recording bots and began to speculate on the nature of the soon-to-be-announced mech design. A lot of mech insiders in the Bright Republic avidly followed the exploits of their favored Seniors. They rooted for them much in the same way fans supported their favored mech athletes!
In a backstage prep room, Ves studied the text of his speech for one last time. He already knew what to say, but it helped to review the points he needed to raise. In the meantime, various bots neatly groomed his appearance and his clothes.
”The opening speech isn't important.” Gavin said. ”The real challenge is when Professor Heckler stands up and forces you to enter into a debate with him. You need to be quick on your feet while maintaining your composure. Are you sure you are up to the task?”
”I don't fear Professor Pendleton. Even if he's a renowned Senior from Ansel, he will have to stick to the facts if he wants to tear down the Aurora Titan.”
”Even Seniors aren't above resorting to misdirection and distortion to win an argument.” Professor Ventag warned. ”The competition between mech designers can get very ugly sometimes. The only saving grace is that Professor Pendleton should still maintain some reserve when he heckles our mech. It is unseemly for a Senior to go all-out to put down an Apprentice's mech design.”
”He'll probably approach it with a patronizing mindset, like an elder correcting a wayward child.”
That would make Professor Pendleton appear as the wise man and Ves as a stupid and misguided kid. If all the mech publications portrayed the upcoming debate in such a light, then the Aurora Titan would inevitably be branded as a whimsical mech design!
Gavin emphasized the most important priority. ”Regardless of whether you win or lose, you need to look good in front of the live recordings and archival footage. If you break down for some reason, you'll completely destroy your credibility as well as the credibility of your new mech. As long as you look confident and composed, our marketing campaigns can still use the footage to paint the Aurora Titan in a good light.”
In other words, even if Ves failed to sound convincing in his attempts to refute Professor Pendleton's arguments, the Aurora Titan's prospects could still be salvaged. Many mech designs that had been torched by rival mech designers had always managed to climb back from their purgatory.
However, their damaged reputation meant that their designers were forced to discount them and cut their prices.
Since the Aurora Titan's viability as a product depended heavily on its high product margin, it could not afford to be discounted! If Ves had to cut its price by 20 million credits, then he would inevitably have to cut it by another 20 million credits after the new mech generation arrived.
This would essentially wipe out any profits that could be made from selling the Aurora Titan!
Professor Pendleton doubtlessly aimed to achieve this result and more. Anything that gave the mech designers associated with the DCTI some difficulties was a win in Ansel's book!
”It's almost time.” Gavin reminded Ves. ”Even Professor Heckler arrived. He's sitting in the center in the front row.”
Senior Mech Designers deserved the best seats. That was basic courtesy, but even if that custom didn't exist, Ves still wanted Professor Pendleton to be as close as possible to Ves who would be standing on the stage in a couple of minutes.
”Are the show models in place?” Ves asked.
”Yup. All of them have been checked and we found nothing amiss. They're ready to be shown off at any time.”
The mech pilots of the show models had already geared up and entered the cockpits of the mechs. Janni Larkinson and the four mech pilots sent by NORA Consolidated had all trained with the Aurora Titan in the simulators and with their actual mechs for a considerable amount of time.
All five of them became very familiar with the more advanced functions of the Aurora Titan. As a mech with a high learning curve, it was essential for the mech pilots to demonstrate the best uses of the mechs.
”It's time now.”
Ves took a deep breath. ”Wish me luck.”