Classical chs and biochs may share the sa purpose, but their circ.u.mstances were different.
Normal ch designers did not have to study complicated biological subjects, let alone figure out how to combine that with principles of ch design.
Normal ch designers almost never worried about their chs coming to life and going out of control.
Normal ch designers rarely bothered with the issue of trying to gain acceptance for their products from the greater ch market.
During his discussion with the bearded bioch designer, Ves gained a lot of sympathy towards the position of hardworking people like him. Because biochs went against the dominant trend of human technological developnt, they had to work several tis harder just to keep their heads above the water.
That said, Ves was still an adherent of chs made out of tal, composites, exotics and other inorganic materials.
In his opinion, it was not desirable to overcomplicate chs. The forceful insertion of biotechnology resulted in a higher barrier of entry, harsher requirents to progress, a smaller ch industry and a greater distance between ch designers and their custors.
There were many downsides to adopting biochs. This wouldn’t be so bad if Dr. Navarro was able to enunciate a compelling advantage, but so far Ves hadn’t heard anything convincing enough.
The various points that biochs were traditionally known for such as their self-regeneration capabilities and lack of maintenance requirents were useful, but did not really stand out either.
Ordinary outfits were able to service and repair their damaged chs just fine by hiring an adequate crew of ch technicians.
Sure, it may be annoying to hire so many people, but ch technicians were so of the cheapest people to employ.
Then there was the issue of life.
"Our different backgrounds and life experiences caused us to develop diverging thoughts about life." Ves calmly explained as he sat next to the table overlooking Veoline. "I have never seriously played with all of this biotechnology stuff, so I have never really thought about biochs when I ford my principles of life. My design philosophy doesn’t really care about the form of the ch at all. Whether it is a classical ch, a bioch or a ch made out of energy or other substance, they are all conceptually the sa machine that each share the sa purpose. The only distinction that I make to consider whether they are alive is whether they have the ntal qualities of life."
Ves was quite happy to have entered into this debate. Being confronted by a colleague who adhered to a different perspective of life generated a sharp and obvious contrast to his own. It was through these direct collisions that he beca more cognizant of his special qualities.
His design philosophy centered around life as it manifested in a spiritual sense. Biotechnology had nothing to do with it, so Ves did not need to ss with any flesh-and-blood ch in order to realize his design philosophy.
Dr. Navarro looked more troubled as the debate went on, but he was not soone who lacked a spine. As a Journeyman, he possessed an unwavering degree of confidence in his own design philosophy.
"I can accept your proposition that we are separated by our different views of what constitutes life, but I do not ascribe to your ranking." The older Journeyman retorted. "A bioch may carry so inherent variations, but they are all under control. A ch that changes and mutates out of its own will is not desirable. Neither the MTA nor the public wishes to see chs that they constantly need to be on guard against. If your living chs are truly alive in a ntal sense, then they should be capable of forming their own opinions on their users and owners. It may be nice if the chs are content with their situations, but what if they aren’t? What if your chs turn against your custors? Can you handle the consequences of such a devastating event?"
That was a good counterattack, but Ves was ready for it. He had already thought about it a long ti ago.
"My chs are explicitly designed to be part of a greater system. A ch is rely a single piece of the puzzle. The ch pilot is the other crucial piece. Only when they are rged together will they be able to perform greater than the sum of their parts. That is what my work is really all about. The MTA officially recognizes my design philosophy as taphysical Man-Machine Symbiosis, which ans that my chs are specifically designed to rule out the possibility of going out of control."
That was not necessarily true, but Ves didn’t need to point that out. As far as his public works were concerned, they were all incapable of acting independently or able to inflict real harm on their ch pilots.
Navarro responded with a sharp question. "The possibility still exists, right?"
Ves smiled back in response. "I could say the sa for your works, otherwise you bioch designers wouldn’t implent so many precautions."
After exchanging a few more minor points, the debate slowly drew to an end.
They both held their final statents where they reiterated their true thoughts.
Dr. Navarro took a deep breath as he gazed up at the top of his giant tree complex.
"Your views on life are truly compelling, but they are incompatible with the bioch industry." He spoke. "The chs that you design are a latent threat to the ch market in my opinion. You may think that your self-thinking and self-feeling machines will serve humanity as you intended to, but the leeway that you have given to them will ultimately co to bite you back. The more chs you produce, the greater the odds that a catastrophic developnt might occur where a ch may turn into a man-hating monster. This risk does not exist in biochs because none of them ever allow for the possibility of developing independent thought. Only the ch pilot is required to provide this aspect. Nothing else."
The living chs in the doctor’s views were biological products that were just as dull as ordinary chs. Dr. Navarro sounded as if this was good instead of bad. The bioch industry’s taboo on sentient or uncontrolled war machines was so strong that he could not bring himself to accept the views of his guests. The consequences were too undesirable.
While Ves was aware of this restriction, it did not change his own views in the slightest. He long divested his approach to chs from the taboos espoused by the MTA. He only paid attention to the stances of the reigning authorities when the chances of getting caught were too great.
Of course, Ves didn’t consider himself to be an extremist in the ch industry. His ch designs mostly fit in the boundaries that the MTA considered safe. His goal wasn’t to tear down the existing ch paradigms. Instead, he wanted to supplent them so that the chs in the galaxy beca even better once they gained the qualifications to be treated as partners rather than tools.
He sighed.
"I don’t think you are all wrong or misguided. Not really." Ves said his own piece. "I just think it is rather boastful to claim that you are the true designers of living chs when your products are simply unthinking machines in another form. The way I see it, your biochs only possess one aspect of life, but it isn’t one I value. My chs, despite being made of tal and other processed materials, each possess their own thoughts and emotions. I’m not the only one who prefers chs that are alive in this fashion. I have tens of millions of satisfied custors throughout the star cl.u.s.ter who swear by my products due to the benefits that my unique design philosophy can bring. Are you able to do the sa?"
Biochs failed to achieve acceptance in the mainstream ch markets. While there were certain regions such as the Life Research Association where the local conditions allowed them to beco dominant, that was the exception rather than the rule.
Even if the great advantages of classical chs were taken into account, it was undeniable that the LMC continued to expand its business operations at an explosive rate. Ves was considerably younger than Frederico Navarro but the Living ch Corporation was already a hundred tis greater than Adaptive Solutions!
"Perhaps the export volu of the LRA’s entire bioch industry is greater than the sales volu of my own chs, but I am only a single ch designer." Ves added. "On an individual basis, I seriously doubt that any of you except for your Masters are able to equal in this regard. Even if I am wrong, the comparison is unfair to begin with. I am just a Journeyman whose design philosophy hasn’t reached its full potential, yet a rapidly-growing group of custors swear by my products. The market has spoken, Navarro. My vision of living chs has the potential to beco the new standard, while your version of living chs simply doesn’t bring enough value!"
Dr. Navarro looked as if Ves had punched him in the face. This was a brutal argunt, and one that was grounded in reality!
Biochs already existed for centuries, but they hardly made any progress in breaking through the mainstream ch market.
In contrast, LMC chs only existed for a decade or so and only truly beca more ubiquitous in the last couple of years. Yet the teoric growth in sales and popularity far exceeded that of any single bioch designer from the LRA such as Dr. Navarro and other Journeyn of his generation.
This was a n.a.k.e.d crush! Ves ultimately gained the upper hand of this debate not by proving that his definition of life was superior, but by appointing the ch market as the ultimate decider!
As ch designers, people like Ves and Dr. Navarro was taught to serve their custors. No matter what bright ideas they had, if the market didn’t accept them, then they held little practical value. This was sothing that was very hard to argue against!
"The ch market is flawed." Dr. Navarro retorted, though his spine had grown a lot slacker. "Layn don’t understand the technical aspects of our ch designs. Biochs are much more brilliant than they can ever understand. Trying to translate the different benefits of biochs to the public has always been one of our shortcomings. I’ve also ntioned earlier that it doesn’t help that the dominant infrastructure is not set up to facilitate the use of biochs. These factors result in significantly lower sales in areas outside of our ho market. I believe that if we truly compete fairly against each other, our biochs will gain greater appreciation from our target audience."
Ves smirked. "Are you willing to put that to the test?"
The other Journeyman frowned.
"What do you propose?"
"In the end, talk is talk. If we truly want to prove who is right, we should proceed with a design duel. I just think we should adopt a different format in order to see whether your claim that your biochs will earn more appreciation than my LMC chs."
Dr. Navarro looked uncomfortable with where this was going. He had lost the initiative despite being the host of this eting. That was a serious failure on his part.
Ves did not allow the other ch designer to block his suggestion.
"Let’s do it like this. Instead of holding a traditional design duel, we should adapt our existing works. My Design Departnt is already in the final stages of completing so ch designs. Let’s agree to convene in a month and pit our chs against each other."
"What is the point of this, Mr. Larkinson?"
"The tally of wins or losses aren’t important. What we should look at instead is the opinions of the ch pilots selected to use our products in the dueling arena. We’ll give them the opportunity to pilot both our products. After they are done with their duels, we should ask them which one they prefer the most. Does this sound fair to you, doctor?"
"This.."
Ves grinned wider. "I’ll even give you a handicap. As long as you can ensure that the ch pilots chosen to take part in this design duel will give their honest opinions, they can be Lifers. These are your fellow citizens! They hold no bias against biochs. In fact, it’s probably the opposite. Therefore, there is no way you can argue that you are suffering from an unfair advantage in this ch duel. Are you still hesitant to accept my challenge?"
Though Doctor Navarro looked quite upset at being railroaded into this lopsided design duel, his pride and confidence in his own philosophy did not allow him to refuse!
"I... accept, though I wish to make so suggestions of my own. I do not wish to take undue advantage of the situation."
User Comments
0 comments from readers