Because Im bored and dont want people saying I cant do this later in when its more or less always worked this way, just mostly unexplained. I only have three techs completely applicable for this topic off the top of my head but if anyone happens to be doing a archive binge of my technology(for...Whatever reason) and sees one they want a better explanation of it than is in my tech request topic for it, just ask here and assuming I actually have a explanation of it thought up I'll explain it(chances are I'll explain it anyways because people questioning my stuff helps me think of stuff for them).
Iiiiiiiimma start with...Phase Generators. Yes, Phase Generators, a Mechera Technology. The basic effect they have is that a Phase Generatir creates a Fused Zone, and can then shifts things into Phase Space. But, I haven't QUITE entirely explained what Phase Space is, only what it does(which, for the sake of this topic, the gist is things in Phase Space cant interact with things in real space except on a visual level, as they appear as see-through apparitions and move through things in Real Space as though they aren't there).
To put it bluntly, anything in Phase Space is a step removed from Reality. Literally, they only barely exist the way we would think of it. Its stable, you wont just pop out of existence randomly, but thats what it is. Technically speaking, Phase 'Space' does not exist, simply because there isn't some dimension overlaid onto reality or specific subsection of space devoted to holding what the Generators do. There are only Phased Out things. Because they only partially exist, they aren't normally affected by things in Real Space. Physical, Psionic, Magical, Technological, it honestly doesn't matter. It all just passes through. Even sounds are unheard, and communication systems do nothing to a ship in Phase space(unless relayed through a Phase Generator or in a Fused Zone, but more on that later). By the same token, nothing in Phase Space can affect anything in Real Space in any manner, although anything else thats Phased Out is fair game. As for why Phased Out things are still visible, eh, honestly the biggest reason is Rule of Cool. If pressed I suppose I could say that something about Phased Out things partial existence messes with photons and reflects some of them or something but Im not sure on that and dont want to commit that for the reason.
I suppose I mentioned Phase Generators and Fused Zones in there as well, didn't I? A Phase Generator can only work by being Real and Phased Out at the same time. For the sake of explanation, the simplest way I can think of to put it is that they simultaneously exist in both Real 'Space'and and Phase 'Space'(yes I know I've said thats not a thing but its a easy way to describe it so hush
). The means of making something exist in both spaces is decidedly easier but outside of a Fused Zone(which can also only be made by something that is Real and Phased Out) this existence is VERY unstable(and also vulnerable to both 'spaces'). A Phase Generator cannot have any systems not devoted to Fused Zones or Phasing Out anything(nor be attached to anything that does), or else it will be shifted entirely Phased Out or to Reality and therefore become nonfunctional until its set into its precarious position once more. The reasons for this are largely balancing issues, since A:We're dealing with science fiction with a very loose definition of 'science' to begin with so a actual reason that isn't just me pulling stuff out of my ass is implausible at best, and B: so that I can just mount Phase Generators onto ships and troll the universe. Nope, I(and anyone else who gets a Phase Generator) can only troll you at places we own or that we set up Phase Generators in that topic specifically for. So the IC reason is 'it just doesn't work' and the OOC reason is 'No sending invulnerable fleets of ghost ships that can take over planets because they can hurt people while the enemy cant hurt them'. As for Fused Zones, that is basically space in which both Real Things and Phased Out Things can interact as if both existed on the same state of reality. As a matter of fact, barring Phase Generator's initial hop into both states this is actually the only way for something to be Phased Out; a Fused Zone is created around them and they're shifted into being Phased out by the Phase Generator, or shifted from Phased Out to Reality. Do note that Fused Zones dont HAVE to encompass the entire battlefield; a Phased Out missile could strike a ship in Reality if a Fused Zone is created around that ship, so destroying nearby Phase Generators should proooooobably be a priority in battles where you know what they are(because with Phase Generators nearby, everything in Phase Space is effectively no longer a problem).
One last note since I know it'll come up if I dont say it, but Phased Out things are NOT Ingrounded, Ungrounded, Subgrounded, Tautologies, or whatever else. They decidedly DO exist, just that its barely. There is no way to do any of those with Phase Technology, because thats just nkt how it works. Also the Mechera do have a hypothesis that it'd be possible to Phase something Out entirely, literally causing it to cease to exist, however this is untested, unproved, mathematically and scientifically shakey IC, and quite possibly just false. It'd take heavy modifications to Phase technology which the Mechera more or less just dont have at the moment. Im only adding it here because I want to say, for the record, that it
might be possible later on. Maybe. Still never any -grounded or Tautology anything, but it might be possible to chuck them into no longer being(also if this DOES end up possible, no, they dont end up in Deleterious, they just no longer are, cease to be, ect).
