Ves couldn't resist the upgrades.
As a mech designer, he wanted nothing more than to work with superior equipment.
He still hesitated for several more minutes as he tried to convince himself that he was spending his MTA merits in a responsible manner.
"We can upgrade our design and workshop facilities with money instead of MTA merits." Ves remarked. "Our MTA merits are scarcer and more valuable. Once we spend what we have, it is not so easy to replenish what we have lost. We also forgo the opportunity to exchange for items that are not available on the open market. What if we need access to life prolonging treatment?"
Gloriana shook her head in disapproval. "None of us need any of that. It will take at least a century before we have to resort to this solution. We have plenty of time to earn more MTA merits in the meantime. It is much more logical to spend our MTA merits on more immediate improvements to our design environment."