Without money, how could he afford the money to purchase a production license? How could he fund the construction of a mech workshop? How could he market his obscure mech designs?
"How did Ves do it? He wasn't much better off than me at the start!"
Though Carlos knew it wasn't healthy, he couldn't help but compare himself to his former friend all the time.
While Ves and his rich and powerful girlfriend recently earned acclaim for becoming the youngest masterwork mech designers of the Yeina Star Cluster, Carlos had been forced to reenlist in the Mech Corps and become one of its many unremarkable careerist mech designers!
Though the Mech Corps treated him well, Carlos hardly gained any opportunities to excel in his job. His junior status meant that the military would never entrust him with any actual responsibility.
Why should his superiors put him in charge when there were thousands of eager Journeymen and numerous willing Seniors to develop the best mechs of the Bright Republic?
As hard as it was for him to admit it, Carlos threw away his opportunities when he impulsively resigned from the LMC.
The most infuriating aspect about his departure was that he did it for one of the most banal reasons of all! He left because he was jealous of Ves' success!
"I was stupid back then." Carlos plainly admitted.
He wasn't in the best state of mind back then. His recent war experiences still haunted him in many ways.
Yet that was no excuse for his selfish decision to leave his friend. He assumed that he could equal Ves' accomplishments if he had a chance to start his own mech business!
How naive he was back then. If he could travel back in time, he would beat his younger self up before he could make such a stupid decision!
He shook his head in regret. "Time travel is just a fantasy."
There was no way for him to turn back the clock. Even though Ves and the Larkinson Family seemed to have attracted a lot of trouble, Carlos still believed that they were in a better spot than him! He had full confidence that his former employer would be able to overcome this crisis.
"Ves wouldn't be the man he is today if he can't succeed."
After inspecting his appearance, he left his room to start his shift. The mech technicians needed a lot of direction to service the more sophisticated mechs of the Mech Corps!
Elsewhere in the Bentheim System, Vincent Ricklin leaned against the bulkhead of his carrier as his Adonis Colossus underwent its daily cleaning cycle.
Various bots and mech technicians meticulously dusted off every bit of space dust from its surface.
Any cracks, pits and marks of imperfection had to be fixed as soon as possible! His mech had to look as impeccable as possible in order to maintain his public image!
Yet.. lately Vincent started to question his purpose.
What was the point of boosting his fame and dancing to the tune of the government when the Bright Republic was in decline?
Regardless of the outcome of the upcoming battle, Vincent didn't think his home state possessed a promising future.
As a former rebel of the Bentheim Liberation Movement, Vincent was privy to some of the darker secrets of the Bright Republic.
He also knew the state was weaker than it tried to portray in public. When he chatted with his former rebel contacts, he learned he wasn't the only one who held this sentiment.
"There is no future in the Bright Republic." Vincent frowned.
A part of him missed Raella Larkinson. Though they only shared a casual relationship, Realla was a lot spicier than any other babe he dated!
Hardly any babe left in the Bright Republic could bring that excitement.
A part of him wanted to chase after her. From what he heard, Raella joined up with other Larkinsons on their way to the Sentinel Kingdom.
Vincent never left the Bright Republic. Yet for the first time in his life, he started to set his sights away from his home state.
What would it be like to travel to the Sentinel Kingdom? How would Raella respond if he managed to meet her again?
Would she be pleased or annoyed?
"Probably both." He smirked.