The Mech Touch

re you can manage to come up with something.
What Flashlight needs is evidence that the KNG is substantially involved with the BLM. ”

The way Leland phrased those words took on an oddly ominous tone.
Ves narrowed his eyes in suspicion.

”What if I don ’t find any after two weeks? ”

”Regardless of your findings, I expect you to submit a report that isn ’t empty. ”

”Even if all I ’ve managed to ascertain is that the KNG is squeaky clean? ”

”No company is completely spotless, Ves.
I thought you of all people knew that.
The KNG should have plenty of skeletons in their closet.
As long as we have probable cause, we can move into action and thereby warn Spotlight and their political masters that they really ought to be doing a better job safeguarding the Republic.
We can also kick the Ansel University of Mech Design down a notch while we ’re at it.
Maybe they ’ll finally temper some of the arrogance they instill in their graduates. ”

It took longer than he ought to, but Ves understood now what Leland tried to imply to him.
The conclusion shocked him! ”You want me to lie in my report even if I haven ’t found anything wrong at the KNG! Investigating the KNG has never truly been about rooting any possible BLM involvement to Flashlight.
Instead, you want to surprise the current establishment by crucifying one of their pet companies! ”

”Well done, Ves! You ’ve figured it out. ” Leland grinned at him while leaning closer.
”Consider it a backup plan in case your investigation is going nowhere.
It ’s best if we can make an example out of the KNG based on the truth, but we can still manage if you can only come up with fabricated evidence at the end of your investigation. ”

A creeping sense of horror swept through Ves ’ body as he realized how Flashlight already condemned the KNG even before they obtained any evidence of wrongdoing.
This sort of action went way beyond Flashlight ’s mandate!

The worst case was that Leland expected Ves to be complicit in this radical scheme! After some thought, he finally understood why Flashlight wanted Ves to undertake the investigation instead of any other mech designer.

”I see now. ” He said in a hollow voice.
”The true reason why Flashlight wants me on this mission is because I ’m much more credible than any of the spooks that work for your organization.
As a Larkinson and as a war hero who earned three distinguished awards, it ’s a lot harder for our political masters to dismiss the ’evidence ’ that I bring up.
Do you really expect me to fabricate evidence that the KNG is involved with the BLM? ”

”We do.
We need this in order to further our aims. ” Leland stated simply but with force.
He softened up a bit after a few seconds.
”Just know that you ’ll be doing a huge service to Flashlight.
We know it ’s a heavy burden to drag down your fellow mech designers on fabricated charges, but if you do this Flashlight will seriously owe you.
We ’ll fulfill anything we ’ve promised to you when you agreed to perform this mission. ”

After that, Leland left shortly after, giving Ves even more food for thought.

In fact, Ves hadn ’t shook off his utter shock at Flashlight ’s audacious intentions as of yet.
It wasn ’t enough to look for any evidence of impropriety at the KNG! If Ves really found nothing substantial, would he really be forced to cook up false evidence that Flashlight could use as an excuse to crack down on the KNG?

”This is way too perverse.
How can I condemn an innocent company to this kind of heavy treatment? ”

Even if Flashlight couldn ’t shut down the company outright or deal with them openly, the damage to the KNG and their owners would still be incalculable!

”So this is the true face of Flashlight. ” Ves muttered with a short, unhinged laugh.

Major Verle warned him several times that Flashlight played hardball.
Yet up to now, Ves hardly noticed anything extreme.
Only now did Leland expose some of the military intelligence agency ’s murky depths.

By all rights, Flashlight planned to pull off an outright conspiracy if they didn ’t get the evidence that they wanted!

The shady intentions of Flashlight along with Ves ’ possible involvement in their scheme made him feel profoundly conflicted.

Right now, the KNG happened to fall in the crosshairs.
Who could say that his LMC would be targeted next? Who could stop anyone from coming up with trumped-up charges to bring down his company?

The search of BLM collusion was a sideshow at best to Flashlight.
What really mattered to them was their political rivalry against against the government who they perceived to be too corrupt to police their own misbehaving magnates and companies!

Ves somewhat regretted accepting the mission, but he had already cast his lot with Flashlight.
Succeeding in the mission, whether through finding or ’fabricating ’ evidence of separatist involvement, served his own interests.

”I ’m not part of the exclusive club of politicians and officials that run the Bright Republic.
Their policies don ’t benefit me and most of the government institutions won ’t favor me.
I can ’t even make use of the connections of the Larkinson Family to help me out because we simply aren ’t that influential compared to the bigger and more prosperous families. ”

Since Ves had no hope of aligning himself to the ranks of the established elite, his best bet was still to cast his lot with Flashlight.
Unlike Spotlight, Flashlight still held plenty of teeth because they were vital to the Republic ’s war effort against the Vesians.

Therefore, becoming one of their allies or external collaborators as they called it allowed his company and himself to enjoy solid backing from the state.
The murkier portion of the state, to be sure, but one that comfortably stood on its own.

Even so, Ves decided to push aside his decision on the matter.
There was still time left for him to uncover real evidence during his cover role as a liaison mech designer.
He just needed to intensify his efforts in the coming days.

”I should be getting some dirt on the company from Raella soon enough. ”