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Short filmTranscript
00:00Imagine you're the sole heir of the most powerful family in the mech world,
00:04but you are born with a genetic defect that makes you the black sheep of the family and effectively an outcast.
00:11This is the story of Vess Larkinson, the only member of the Larkinson bloodline who couldn't pilot a mech.
00:17On his 10th birthday, Vess Larkinson's life changed for the worse.
00:21The doctor dropped terrible news.
00:23He can't be blamed for his DNA.
00:25He was born with a genetic birth defect.
00:28It's more common than you might think.
00:30He is a Larkinson.
00:32Your father, his grandfather, and his father before that were all potentates.
00:38They went on to be decorated mech pilots.
00:41From today, I am no longer your mother.
00:43My mother abandoned me and never returned.
00:46On that day, I lost both my mother and my dream of becoming a mech pilot like my father.
00:50Vess was utterly shattered, as the Academy was the only thing he had dreamt of since he was a child.
00:57Being genetically defective made him a social outcast outside his home as well.
01:03While all the cool kids in his private school were taking beginner mech classes, Vess was ignored and treated like dirt.
01:10Some of the stronger kids made a game out of beating Vess up in the hallway for fun.
01:14Tony Buck says you can't get the Larkinson in your locker.
01:17You're on!
01:18Vess's biggest bully, Chet, said as he grabbed Vess by the neck.
01:23Even his biggest crush, Emily, saw him as a pathetic loser.
01:27Get your ugly, defective face away from me, Vess.
01:31I'd rather jump off a bridge than be seen with you.
01:34Stop asking me out.
01:36Vess would cry after school every day, waiting in anticipation for the humiliation to get over.
01:41On the day of his high school graduation, Vess's father, Rincol, the celebrated war hero of Bright Republic,
01:48promised him something that would change his life forever.
01:53You know that's no shooting star.
01:55Dad, you came.
01:58I wouldn't miss it for the world.
02:01I know that's not a shooting star.
02:03It's a Pegasus 369.
02:04It's the vessel that's going to be carrying finest pilots to fight the war against the pirates.
02:10Their numbers have been increasing on the front lines, but I'm sure that victory will be ours.
02:16I personally selected some of those pilots.
02:20I am so proud of you, son.
02:23Congratulations.
02:25I wish I felt the same way.
02:27Hey, remember, just because you weren't meant to be in the cockpit,
02:32doesn't mean you weren't destined for greater things in life.
02:35You'll find your purpose.
02:38Here, I have something for you.
02:42What's this?
02:43Consider it a place to start.
02:46Open this when you get to the location that is specified in the card.
02:50You can be someone who even the mech pilots look up to.
02:53Mech designer.
02:54If mech pilots are gods, the mech designers are the god of gods.
02:58Become a renowned mech designer, and you will be the greatest Larkinson who ever lived.
03:02Aren't you coming with me?
03:03I'll be joining you shortly, but I just have to take care of something first.
03:10We can build the greatest mech the Republic has ever seen.
03:13That mech will be your ticket to get into the mech designer guild.
03:17It's unusual for dad to be late.
03:19It was already over 10 hours, and when Vess called Rinkle's buddies at the army base,
03:24they told him the awful news.
03:26Kid, we were waiting for confirmation before we called,
03:29but your dad's been missing for the last 24 hours.
03:33We haven't heard from him since he went on an expedition.
03:37Is anyone looking for him?
03:38That's the strange thing.
03:39He shut off his comms before he disappeared.
03:42Either he did it himself, or someone got inside the mech while he was still inside it
03:47and forcibly shut it off, or maybe he got trapped.
03:50If his father going missing wasn't horrible enough.
03:54Right then, Vess received a call from Cloud Curtain Planetary Bank,
03:58informing him that he owed 300 million credits on the loan his father signed in Vess's name,
04:04unbeknownst to him.
04:06Vess thought his dream was over before it even began, and that he was destined to be a loser.
04:11He started exploring the shop his dad had set up.
04:14In a corner, machines with the capability of manufacturing a thousand ton mech gears were installed,
04:19along with a massive 3D printer.
04:22The next morning, he was in for a greater surprise.
04:25Vess received a strange package in the mail from an unknown sender.
04:29When he opened the box, he found a small computer chip with a note telling him to install it.
04:38MDS?
04:41No, this can't be.
04:43MDS. Mech design system was the primary application used by the army and leading arms companies like KRH
04:49to design and enhance advanced combat mechs for warfare and security.
04:54Key to the warehouse, the loan, now MDS?
04:58What does it all mean?
05:00Is this a joke?
05:02Zero balance.
05:04Zero balance, and on top of that, you've left me with a debt that I can't even pay!
05:09Wait a minute, what's this?
05:11Iron Spirit integrated into MDS.
05:15That all makes sense. If I can't create a new one from scratch, I can just design and modify the old ones.
05:22And maybe, just maybe, I can sell them online.
05:38Not enough credit.
05:40Shocker. At least I tried.
05:43Not enough credit.
05:45Oh, come on.
05:50Okay, you got this.
05:52Just customize this mech, boost its capabilities, turn this doll into a kill machine.
05:59Easy peasy.
06:10Oh, lavender would look great on you.
06:14Alright, now let's just get you some ammo.
06:25You are Fantasia.
06:29Perfect blend of grace and grit.
06:33Now, how much should I charge for you?
06:37Let's see, the most common one...
06:412,000 credits!
06:44Okay, I'll make you 1,800.
06:52Vez put Fantasia in demo matches online where she blasted the mechs seamlessly.
06:57Shifter66 was an esports legend, and he witnessed Fantasia's agility and style.
07:02I just watched your creation destroy a competitor triple its size.
07:06Was it luck, or did you design her to be light on purpose?
07:09It is a huge honor, Shifter66.
07:12Fantasia was designed to be quick, light, and distracting to her opponents in ways you wouldn't expect.
07:20Well, in that case, I'm willing to take a chance on her.
07:23Shifter66 put Fantasia in the regional championship.
07:27There, it blasted the tanky mechs in the very first round.
07:30Fantasia was not just cool, it had speed and the moves.
07:34Vez was finding his true place now after years.
07:38Now, Shifter66 wanted to compete in the Iron Spirit Nationals.
07:42It was a galactic-wide competition where the winner gets the gold.
07:46I couldn't believe that a base model could outperform a level 10 mech.
07:50It just shows how much thought you put into modifying your mech.
07:53Well, that is high praise coming from you.
07:55A few tweaks, perhaps some tactical enhancements.
07:58A special melee?
08:00Something of that sort, and we should be golden.
08:03Uh, someone's at the door. Sorry, I have to get that.
08:06I can't wait to see what you come up with for Nationals.
08:08This is Melinda, my cousin, and the only true friend in my life.
08:11I'm sure he's okay.
08:13Something's up about the timing of all this.
08:16I just don't know exactly what, yet.
08:18I just want to win Nationals, get me and my dad out of this situation.
08:21And you will.
08:23Look, I know it's not the same as piloting your own mech,
08:26but what you're doing now could be a real path forward for you.
08:29I don't know what you're talking about.
08:31I mean, I don't know what you're talking about.
08:35Maybe this was his plan all along.
08:37So from now on, Vess was not a mech pilot,
08:40which he still naively hoped for deep down in his heart,
08:43but a mech designer who wanted to win enormous amounts of money
08:47by creating the best mech ever.
08:49What could I possibly tweak?
08:52It's a light mech.
08:54I don't want to change that.
08:57No.
08:59Dude.
09:01No.
09:03Dude, this is crazy.
09:05You're a genius, my friend.
09:07Are we still calling her Fantasia?
09:10No.
09:12She's called Serapham.
09:14What a cool name. I love her.
09:16Here, focus on the block for the invite.
09:23I'm going to make you proud, Dad.
09:32Oh, I'm Vess Larkinson, by the way, in real life.
09:36You can call me Vess.
09:38You're a Larkinson.
09:40No wonder you've got the works, dude.
09:42Yeah, well, those of us who don't pilot just design the mechs.
09:45Oh, didn't know you weren't a potentate.
09:48Yeah, not exactly something I advertise.
09:50Here, this is for the talent.
09:53Potentate or not, you've got the best seat in the house.
09:56Come with me. Gotta check this out.
09:59You see those people behind us? The suit and ties?
10:02Yeah, what about them?
10:04Recruiters from KRH Heavy Industries.
10:06Word on the street is, if you win, they'll hire you on the spot.
10:10Could you imagine building real mechs?
10:13At any rate, I gotta get going, dude.
10:16The match began, and the moment Serapham spread her angel wings,
10:20the crowd went nuts.
10:22And it quickly became apparent that the other mechs
10:25had one serious design problem.
10:27Their weapon systems could only angle upwards at a 45-degree angle,
10:31making it impossible to even scratch Serapham as she hovered,
10:34then dive-bombed from above.
10:36I did it!
10:39We did it.
10:42Just won 330 million credits.
10:45I was on cloud nine, but little did I know,
10:48I had just dug my own grave with my own hands.
10:51Mr. Larkinson, do you have a minute?
10:54Mr. Larkinson, do you have a minute?
10:57I'm with KRH Heavy Industries.
11:00We'd like to discuss a possible opportunity for you.
11:03Would you be interested?
11:05Yeah, yes, absolutely.
11:09What's this?
11:11Tomorrow, 9 a.m., KRH headquarters.
11:14Bring that to the front desk, take you directly to the CEO.
11:17The next day, Vess and Miranda arrived at the KRH headquarters
11:21and were greeted at the front door by the CEO of the company, Ms. Shimura.
11:33No way!
11:36How did you...
11:38Did you send them your design?
11:40No, I did not.
11:42We loved your model so much,
11:44we had to create a replica
11:46to study and understand why it worked so well
11:49and why you are a genius.
11:52But...
11:55Well, aren't you curious?
11:59Go, take your first bit.
12:05So, you don't need me to make...
12:08We don't need you to make anything, Mr. Larkinson.
12:15I can't get out!
12:18It's a trap! Patrols don't work!
12:22I wanted to see my competition face to face.
12:25Competition?
12:27Would you prefer enemy?
12:30Max, destroy Seraphim!
12:33And its creator, Mr. Larkinson.
12:41No!
12:42No, no, no, tell him to stop!
12:47What a poor choice to accompany Mr. Larkinson today.
12:51Kill her, too!
12:53No, no, she's an army officer!
12:55I am the army, kid.
13:05Suddenly, a concussive wave blasted the air
13:07knocking down the samurai mechs and disabling them.
13:10Beyond a wall of smoke,
13:12the silhouette of a giant mech emerged.
13:14Vess was shocked to his core.
13:16This was the most alpha mech he had ever laid his eyes on.
13:19Tell me who you are!
13:22I will transfer 10 billion credits to your account right now,
13:25no questions asked!
13:27Just spare me!
13:29Vess heard the mech's door open.
13:31The pilot slid down the side of the mech
13:33and pulled the helmet off.
13:35When Vess saw who it was, he couldn't believe his eyes.
13:38You think it's money I want?
13:40Who was the pilot of the mysterious mech?
13:42Was it Vess's father or someone else?
13:45Is the system going to help Vess
13:47become the best mech designer in the world?
13:50Or does it have a deeper, more sinister purpose?
13:53To find out more, listen to the hit new series The Mech Touch
13:56only on the Pocket FM app.
13:58Click the download link below
14:00to continue the story for free right now.