Ves could not make a decision like this alone.
For better or worse, Master Benedict Cortez played a key role in empowering the Ghost Project.
He was not only responsible for converting it into a functioning expert ch by integrating resonating exotics into the design, but also mitigated its heavy energy demands by lending his expertise.
Now that Ves wanted to exploit the Ghost Project's circumstances to an even greater degree, he needed to consult with the Master ch Designer in order to figure out how he could realize his new vision.
He activated his comm and called Master Benedict.
When the older man accepted the communication request, his projection looked closely at Ves.
"I know that look of yours. You ca up with another crazy idea again, right?"
"How did you know?"
"I have the sa look when I am in this sort of mood. When you are so eager and excited about a new design solution, you beco restless and impatient. Any hindrance to your work will make you more irritable. Your new idea has made you so driven that your passion is obvious to everyone."
Ves indeed recognized those traits in himself. He supposed that he hadn't done anything to limit his outward expression of passion.
"I didn't call you to talk about how I look." Ves said as he tried to get to business. "I wanted to talk to you about a new proposal centered around the Ghost Project. Let explain my new ideas."
Once he outlined his new ideas and intentions, his good friend and frequent collaborator looked troubled.
"I won't comnt about the dubious legality of your new plan. Our original one was already shaky enough as it is. The Ghost Project is your ch design so it is your responsibility to gain approval from the MTA. Personally speaking, I am not... opposed to exploiting Object 335 to this end. In fact, I am extrely intrigued in what you can make of it. No matter whether you succeed or fail, we will both be able to learn many lessons from your attempt."
It sounded as if Master Benedict had little confidence that Ves would be able to succeed in his ambitious plan. This was fair as it sounded far-fetched to begin with and the science behind it was extrely sketchy to say the least.
Yet despite how fantastical it sounded, Ves possessed the confidence he could cobble sothing together. The end result might not match his original specifications, but as long as it enabled the Ghost Project to ss with enemies in the dark, it was enough!
Once they got all of these necessary issues out of the way, Ves and Master Benedict finally engaged in a more productive discussion.
"I am unable to provide much help in the more esoteric elents of your so-called Geist System, but what I do know is that it will have to et several requirents."
Ves casually nad his hypothetical new non-physical attack solution the Geist System.
He initially wanted to call it the Ghost System, but it would probably lead to a lot of confusion if he used the word 'ghost' to refer to multiple different subjects.
"The first requirent is that it needs a vessel, vector or delivery thod that can extend the power of the Ghost Project to a distant location." Master Benedict continued. "The greater the range, the more useful the Geist System becos. It would be ideal if the Ghost Project doesn't have to move too close to an unassuming enemy fleet to sabotage it from within, but that is probably not a realistic demand."
"You're probably right." Ves reluctantly conceded. "It should already be good enough for the Geist System to have a maximum range of a couple of hundred ters. It will be a lot harder for it to affect the interior of a starship at a range that is lower than 50 ters."
"Do you have any solutions in mind?"
"Not really. I still know too little about this. I need to conduct a number of experints and try out a few new possible implentations. One of the biggest factors in whether I can get the Geist System to work is if its ghosts are physical or non-physical in nature. It would be best if it is the latter, but if that is not possible, then I have to figure out a way to rge the power of Venerable Zimro Belson with the Geist System to develop small, semi-autonomous physical drones or spurs that can be snuck into an enemy starship and wreak havoc inside. I can make good use of the knowledge traded to by the Lehrer Foundation to develop effective spurs in a short amount of ti."
Spurs was the most commonly used terminology for small and sotis autonomous drones that were attached chs. It was a term originally coined by a Rubarthan ch designer to popularize their use.
Master Benedict did not favor them in this project, though. He shook his head in a clear sign of disapproval.
"That is an undesirable result in my opinion. The stated goal of the Geist System is to develop a secretive, deniable attack thod. It will be much harder to prove that your clan has nothing to do with an attempted attack when the Ghost Project has left physical traces behind."
"I will make sure that the remains of the ghosts will self-destruct if they are captured or neutralized." Ves promised as he already ca up with a couple of potential solutions. "For example, I can make them out of nanomachines or biotissue that will destroy themselves if there are problems."
"That is still not good enough. Any physical traces can provide a wealth of clues as long as the investigators have the right technology at hand. A technologically advanced opponent might even possess the technology to capture and freeze the spurs intact, and that would be a disaster to you and your clan."
The forr Skull Architect unfortunately made a good point. Basing the Geist System around physical spurs almost defeated the purpose. He might as well leave it up to the Black Cats to develop their own small autonomous stealth drones. There was no great need to involve an expert ch.
The only way to justify the existence of the Geist System and the effort put into realizing it was to make its attack vectors completely incorporeal!
"I will investigate the possibilities as quickly as possible." Ves told Master Benedict. "I think it is within my capabilities to make this work, but it is too early to say for certain."
"I hope you will be able to present concrete proof next ti. That said, if you happen to make it work, then I believe that energy and power will be the greatest limitations aside from range. There is little point to investing in the Geist System if all it can do is to allow you to spy what is taking place inside a space station or a secret base. DIVA can already perform those jobs without an expert ch."
"Hm, you're right on that as well. It's actually easier to make the Geist System powerful by basing it on physical spurs. We can rely on existing technology to equip them with compact but powerful weapons and energy cells."
The problem with an intangible spur was that it could not easily interfere with the material realm!
Although Ves had witnessed and developed many different ways for spiritual phenona to create a real difference in the material realm, he needed to develop a host of new solutions to create the Geist System.
As he tried to imagine what he needed to invent in order to create all of the essential building blocks, he thought back on the essential ingredients to make most of them work.
"The Geist System won't work without the power of expert pilots." He said. "Object 335 is needed to give the intangible ghosts substance. Venerable Zimro Belson might also have to employ his true resonance to enhance their effectiveness and keep them under control. No matter what, I will find a way to leverage the reality-defying nature of the two expert pilots."
"Good luck with that. I may be able to provide assistance with regards to unlocking and channeling so of the latent power of Object 335, but I cannot handle much of the weirdness that is related to your specialty. You are on your own in that regard."
That was not a problem to Ves. "I can do the rest. It is already extrely helpful if you can turn Object 335 into a stable, reliable and fairly powerful energy source. Energy is the root of power and having more of it will certainly give a more powerful kick to my Geist System."
They talked a bit more about the other challenges concerning the Geist System. Ves gained a lot of new insights and ideas on how to turn this highly improbable attack system into a reality.
He still had to do a lot of puzzling, but it was already enough for him to gain more solid directions.
"What do you think about the Ghost Project when it has obtained a working implentation of the Geist System?"
Master Benedict's expression turned serious. "It can be a dangerous weapon. I will be glad that it is on our side, but I am fearful for what it will an to us all. Once its existence and capabilities beco known to everyone, it will be a lot harder to catch your targets off-guard. It will also be harder for strangers to trust us considering that we may have interfered with their developnt without their notice."
"Everyone that is powerful enough engages in at least so form of skullduggery. It's not as if states such as the Friday Coalition suddenly beco a pariah just because it has multiple active intelligence agencies." Ves dismissively shrugged.
"Intelligence agencies are known quantities. They can be created by any state, organization or individual that is powerful enough. What they cannot necessarily reproduce is an expert stealth ch that is equipped with completely new and unprecedented technology that can potentially allow it to infiltrate the tightest barriers, spy on secret operations, steal the data of the most secure databases, hijack the minds of critical officers or leaders or assassinate them outright!"
"...Well, I admit that sounds a little more concerning when you put it that way. That still won't stop from doing my best to realize this version of the Ghost Project. It is simply too useful for to forgo the attempt. I at least have to find out for myself whether I have the ability to create the Geist System as I have envisioned. If it turns out that I have overestimated my capabilities, I can always set it aside and wait until I have beco a better ch designer before trying again."
He would ideally make this work in the short term as he needed the capabilities of the Geist System the most at this junction.
While he didn't mind too much if it took longer to invent the Geist System, it wouldn't be as useful as Calabast would be much closer to creating her own effective infiltration units.
The urgency drove him to get to work right away. Once he completed his fruitful discussion with Master Benedict, he returned to his design lab and began to devote his ti on the Ghost Project.
He conducted a few preliminary experints and fleshed out his frawork for the Geist System.
Aside from that, he also investigated Object 335 in order to determine whether he could actively exploit the power of a hostile expert pilot to give substance to ghosts.
None of this was easy and Ves could already foresee that he needed to invest a lot of ti to complete the necessary research, and he had already taken his boosted productivity into account!
"This is going to take a lot of effort and ingenuity."
Just as Ves was about to comnce his next experint, he interrupted his work when he received an important notification.
The expeditionary fleet was about to enter the Ramage Repulsor System.
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