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[Thearpox]

((I guess I was saying that you shouldn't expect tactics and intelligent behaviour from a defense mechanism. Then again, I I've never been in the mind of a ghost ship, so I'm probably wrong.))

((At some point, if it doesn't have those, it is not a good defense mechanism. Those blobs may be really stupid, but that only shows that something else smarter/stronger exists. If you leave something running on the fringes of the universe for hundreds of years, you better have a proper defense mechanism.

I think we're coming at these from different perspectives. You're trying to determine what it is that we encounter, while I'm trying to determine what I would want something to be if I was making it.))

[Knight Otu]

((As far as I'm concerned, I'm assuming that the blobs are at best the first line of defense. And if we're unlucky, the second line of defense is nuke everything in a few parsecs.))

[piecewise]

The team relocates over to the Syringe blimp as the last of Maurice's illusions vanish. The area they used to occupy is now swarmed with hundreds of the blobs. Something seems to be happening over there as well. Something the team more feels then sees. It's like there's a great pressure pushing outward from that area; a blast wave that just keeps coming.

((Yeah, I am suspicious and worried. I've been trying to think of a way to get us to disappear off the ship's radar, but I'm not sure.

GM: What happens when the blobs hit the illusions/copies created by Maurice?))

So far I've assumed that the illusions vanish before anything touches them. However, if you want to let them touch an illusion just to see what happens, thats ok too.

[Caellath]

"Shit. Taking cover inside the hard memory or taking distance from the wave seem to be our best options."

Quickly check if the blast wave is hitting us already and if it comes in pulses to create such pressure, estimate how far-reaching it is.

(The answer for the bold part will help decide how to react to this development.)

[Thearpox]

((If you're making hundreds of illusions, I don't think it's quite possible to disappear them all before the blobs touch them. One way or another it will happen. So I say go for the touching choice, however bad I feel for Maurice.))

[Caellath]

So far I've assumed that the illusions vanish before anything touches them. However, if you want to let them touch an illusion just to see what happens, thats ok too.

((Leave things as they were (disappearing before being touched). I thought they were being poked by the blobs and poofing when it happened.

Although I guess Nikitian is the one who would answer this question.))

[Nikitian]

(( If they are poofed before they are probed, not after, all the better. I'd suppose it were an integrated feauture of the illusions, but even if it is manually controlled, if I knew I could poof them before they are probed, I'd all go for it, even if that would mean fewer illusions.
For all I know, despite having alerted the defence mechanisms, we are still undiscovered, and I'd rather let it be that way for as long as possible. ))
Damnation.
What makes you think the pressure wouldn't permeate the hard memory as well? Still, with the time and forces at their disposal, I'd just guard the hard memories while encircling the invaded area and then slowly tightening the ring around us.
Another tactic, given the immense amp power of the Ghostship could be simply to hold the hard memories secure and then just wipe and cleanse the rest of the area... shit.
You are right. We have to get in. Better pressure and blobs than area bleach.

[piecewise]

"Shit. Taking cover inside the hard memory or taking distance from the wave seem to be our best options."

Quickly check if the blast wave is hitting us already and if it comes in pulses to create such pressure, estimate how far-reaching it is.

(The answer for the bold part will help decide how to react to this development.)

It's less a blast wave and more a continuous pressure pushing on you. Like being in a wind tunnel. And it's hard to say how far reaching it is, since there's no visual to go with it. There's just pressure.

[Nikitian]

Having a further thought on the topic, Maurice added:
So, are we going to counteract the pressure in any way, or simply resist and endure? Also, shall I once more spawn illusions to distract them while we get inside?
Unless given orders to do otherwise, spam illusions some more and then spearhead the assault on the syringe.

Spoiler: Quotes (click to show/hide)

"Remember, when you get in there you're looking for the hard memories. They can take any from, but they'll be some object that doesn't change even when the rest of the soft memory world around them is continuously in flux. Touch them and you'll interface with them. They play on loop so you may end up seeing the middle or the end when you first get in. There should be 10 or so in that section where we've isolated the problem.

When you find the problem, all of you must together agree and focus on removing that one hard memory and nothing else."

He turns away from the panel

"Oh and don't destroy more then...two or so. Any more and it will definitely notice you. Ok. When you're ready, get in."

The team wanders around a little, watching for things that stay solid in the otherwise ever changing mass of half glimpsed madness. It takes a while, but they find 3 things which seem to stay the same sitting near where they started. Milno finds a helmet drifting around behind a line of faceless soldiers. Chin finds a globe or tiny planet half embedded in the side of a building and Pancaek  finds a strange, twisted face that seems to be darting about, hiding.

The team makes a mental note of where the hard memories are, or at least where they were when they saw them last, and continues looking. The only thing they manage to find this time is a rather massive syringe. It's drifting around high above them like some sort of bizarre Zeppelin.

Alright they are:

a giant nerve node

What look like several dozen tiny ships all hovering near each other.

An area that just seems to be filled with cheering. Judging by the arrangement of the blobs, the actual memory itself is near the center.

(( So, here is the list, complete with the apparent original owner of the memory:
1)Big Helmet - personal - A memory of a soldier from the days of the Altered Wars.
2)Tiny Globe - Ghostship's - A memory of battling organic ships (presumably the Fleshships of the Altered).
3)Twisted face, hiding - Ghostship's - The memory of being forged into singe consciousness.
4)Syringe - ?
5)Giant Nerve Node - ?
6)Fleet of ships - Ghostship's - The Ghostship's first battle trial, scourging of a planet (presumably overrun by the Altered).
7)Area of Cheering - ?

And that's 7 found out of "10 or so".))

[Knight Otu]

((As far as I understand, there are no blobs that need to be distracted by the syringe. The blobs seem to be mostly by the minefield, for now.))

"Let's just get in the memory and hope things calm down a bit. No antagonizing the ship, please."

Enter the memory.

[Nikitian]

((Ah, thanks.))

I'd rather not as well, if it can be helped. Just being wary that reaching the hard memory - if not this, then perhaps the next one - might be nigh impossible due to overwhelming pressure, which we'll then have to deal with somehow.

[piecewise]

Anyone beyond Maurice and Chin gonna go in there?

[SeriousConcentrate]

Jim will go in as well since it seems the prevailing opinion is 'everyone enters'.

[Pancaek]

Pancaek will follow  generalissimo Jim

[Caellath]

((Sorry for not posting earlier, weekend. But yeah, if it is a continuous pressure, then I guess our best option is the memory.))

Into the memory we go.