GURPS: TREK - THE UNAUTHORIZED SOURCEBOOK SECOND EDITION - SECOND PRINTING --------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------- SECTION TWO B - "TREK TECH" - PART TWO - TRANSPORTERS --------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------- This section contains information on Trek Transporters. I. Mark Carlson has done a lot of the reworking of this section, and deserves most of the credit for it. This section was also influenced by material presented in two older articles by Eric Phillips: "Trek for GURPS", and "GURPS: Star Trek". Eric Phillips can be reached at: z600282a@bcfreenet.seflin.lib.fl.us. I would like to thank Eric here for his contributions to the "second edition". Any comments about this section should be sent to: tmp_harkins@dirac.physics.jmu.edu "Mr. B." GURPS: Trek - Section Two B - "Trek Tech" - Part Two - Transporters - is Copyright (c) May 1996. See GURPS: Trek - Section One B - General - Part Two - Overview for more info. --------------------------------------------------------------- Table of Contents - Part Two ---------------------------- Transporters Transporter Abilities =============================================================== TRANSPORTERS ------------ Transporters are matter-energy conversion devices that take an object or being and transform it into a pattern of phased energy that can be transmitted as a complex trans-barrier signal through the first level of subspace (or hyperspace) domain to a set of desired coordinates. At the desired coordinates, it is reintegrated into its original structure. Transporter operation is fairly straightforward. The object being transported is first "locked onto" by the scanners. This lock may be maintained, in principle, indefinitely. When teleportation actually begins, the subject is encased in a force-field, called the Annular Confinement Beam (ACB). Then everything within the ACB is scanned by the Virtual Focus Molecular Imaging Scanners (VFMIS). Because these scanners are designed to register individual subatomic particles and quanta within the area of the ACB, Transporters are able to affect things that otherwise might be invisible to sensor systems. Heisenberg compensators are used to overcome the uncertainty of positioning. Information gained during this process is fed into the autosequencers and forms the basis for the "ID Trace". Because of the immense amount of stored data needed to perform a quantum positioning scan, ID Traces are rarely stored longer than needed. They are simply overwritten by the next process. Cargo Transporters and Replicators are not usually programmed to operate at this level of detail, but generally at least at the molecular level. Cargo Transporters and Replicators can be reprogrammed for more detail if desired. After the data is stored, the Ionizers and Phase Transition Coils work together to perform the quantum matrix manipulation required to transform the subject into phased matter. This is called the dematerialization process. This produces the familiar gold sparkles of older Federation Transporters, and the red and blue effects of newer Federation systems, as different methods of dematerialization and phase transition were developed. A method used by some technologies utilizes what is known as a "Hyglanian Shift" to dematerialize objects, which produces variations on the familiar effect. These processes result in other patterns: a reddish, blotchy shimmering (older Klingon); a red solid swipe with some gold sparkles (newer Klingon); a fast green dissolve (Romulan); a blue-grey spiral pattern (older Ferengi); amber sparkles (newer Ferengi and Cardassian); a translucent light green with a glowing double helix effect (Borg); and a white swirling effect (Pakled). All dematerialization processes leave distinctive residual ionization traces that can be detected later. These small traces rarely last more than a few hours. Note that during the dematerialization or rematerialization processes, the subject being transported can be capable of speech and limited movement until the appropriate body part is fully dematerialized or rematerialized, though this is not recommended. At all times, a living object being transported remains conscious and relatively aware of what is happening. At this point, the object is now "phased matter", existing along the first level of the subspace barrier, and is fed into what is known as the matter stream, which is held in the pattern buffer. An active-feed pattern buffer will maintain a single, analog, control over the matter stream; while a multiplex, or multi-feed pattern buffer maintains a much more complex, continuous control over the matter stream. With older, active-feed pattern buffers, there exists some possibilities for side effects that might be experienced by beings who undergo repeated transportations. "Transporter Psychosis" was originally diagnosed in 2209, and referred to conditions caused by breakdowns of neurochemical molecules during transport. This was caused by the quantum status of atoms within the reintegrated organism being randomly changed. This condition affects the body's motor functions, autonomic systems and higher brain functions. Effects are cumulative over a period of time. Victims can suffer from: paranoia and paranoid delusions, multi-facet dementia, tactile and visual hallucinations, psychogenic hysteria, and absent-mindedness. Peripheral symptoms can include: sleeplessness, accelerated heart rate, myopia, muscular spasms, and dehydration. With improved technology, and after development of the multi-feed pattern buffer in 2319, there have been no cases reported in the Federation, although some races still use older units. While held in the pattern buffer, a number of things can be done to the matter stream, such as the manipulation of its energy, enabling the Transporter operator to drain energy packs or negate a beam of fired energy. While the matter stream is in the pattern buffer, biofilters seek out patterns of known biological agents, such as contamination and diseases, and remove them. Biofilters can only seek out forms that they have been programmed to look for. This currently includes over 95% of all known viruses and bacteriological agents. In older models, the decontamination procedure was done on a materialized object, essentially scanning the object, and transporting the agents away without dematerializing the object or damaging the host. It is also possible, though not recommended, at this point, to alter the pattern trace in order to adjust the genetic material of the transported object. Finally, while the pattern is in the matter stream, the ship's sensors scan the targeted landing site, and the pattern is adjusted to match the landing site's relative velocity and spatial position. At this point, the Transporter emitter array sends out a subspace carrier wave signal along the first level subspace barrier. The ACB is then "beamed" along this carrier wave to its destination. At the destination, the ACB returns fully to normal space and the long-range phase transition rematerialization process begins. This essentially reverses the process above. It is entirely possible for the operator to intentionally disrupt the ACB and disperse phased matter into normal space. This process, however, will release tremendous amounts of energy, as the object attempts to "re-phase" back into normal space, and unleashes much of its molecular bonding energies as its original configurations are destroyed. Also, any energy that the object held, such as a battery, will also be released. This released energy often creates an explosion. This process is much the same for bringing an object "to" the Transporter unit, with the exception that the ACB is initially formed, the dematerialization occurs, etc., at a distance. The ACB is then drawn back into the emitter array and rematerialization takes place. Each operation takes 5 seconds from the moment the ACB is engaged until it is disengaged. Systems reset and cool down takes 85 seconds. Each Transporter station can perform only one transport operation every 90 seconds. To transport a mass of 250 kg requires an expenditure of 37 MW of energy. Normal operating range for standard Federation Transporters depends on the maximum range of the Imaging Scanners, the Ionizers, and the Phase Transition equipment. Normal range is 40,000 km. The range for emergency or shuttle-based Transporters is 15,000 km. If a Transporter can link into a system that contains its own equipment, that range can be extended greatly. In cases of low power, or interferences from subspace, electromagnetic fields, or radiation, this figure can be reduced at the GM's discretion. Severe interference can result in the Transporter being unable to operate. Transporters cannot normally be used through deflector screens, dense masses of matter, intense energy fields, gravimetric fields, or things which otherwise may affect the structure of the subspace barrier. Interference can also be caused by certain radioactive materials, minerals, or ores, ionic radiation, and so forth. Interference can be partially decreased by utilizing either tandem Transporter units, and essentially 'beaming' from one unit to the other, or by using Pattern Enhancers to improve the information flow between the Transporter and the distant site. Transporting from a Transporter station that is within a Warp bubble is possible, but only if subspace conditions at the destination are very similar. The less similar the condition, the greater the likelihood of failure. This means, if Transporting objects from ships under Warp, it is best if both vessels are travelling at the same speed. Transporting while the target and destination are at wildly different velocities can create a minor distortion in the materialization pattern, giving the sensation known as "Walking Through Walls". This is often referred to as "Near Warp Transport", since it is usually performed by a ship dropping out of Warp only long enough to complete the cycle. To successfully transport matter to or from a Transporter array, a successful (modified) Electronics Operations: Transporter skill roll must be made. If it succeeds, then the transport occurred correctly. If it fails, the amount it was failed by is subtracted from a second Electronics Operations: Transporter skill roll (which is also modified by all of the original modifiers). If this roll also fails, then the amount that this roll was failed by will govern results. If the second roll fails by 1 to 15 points (1 to 10 in older models), the object will begin to suffer from some form of physical imbalance, most likely Transporter Psychosis. If it fails by 16 to 19 points (11 to 19 in older models), then the object is destroyed in a particularly grisly fashion. If the roll fails by 20 points or more, something "weird" happens. If the second roll succeeds, then transport is still successful. The operator is considered to have noticed the mistake themselves and corrected the problem. Any failure can also indicate that the computer has cancelled the operation due to safety parameters being exceeded. If this occurs, transport cannot be successfully performed until 85 seconds pass, while the Transporter resets itself. A critical failure doubles reset time as the computer compensates for the unforeseen trouble. Final decisions are up to the GM. "Weird", in the case above, can indicate that the object was somehow duplicated, was thrown "out of phase" with the normal universe, swaps bodies with a nearby parallel universe, etc. This decision is also left up to the GM. --------------------------------------------------------------- The following modifiers apply to the effective skill levels when attempting a Transport operation. Transporting TO a location: +10 (Base of 40,000 km) -1 per extra 1,000 km. * * This bonus applies only to the initial attempt. Any failed rolls will be made as if this were zero. Transporting FROM a location: +0 (Base of 40,000 km) -1 per extra 1,000 km. Light Interference: -4 Moderate Interference: -8 Heavy Interference: -12 Transporter lock aided by communicator: +4 Transporter lock aided by pattern enhancers: +5 Subject beaming to or from another Transporter: +7 Transport through a Warp field: -1 per 0.1 Warp Factor difference, -10 per WF difference. Transport through dense materials: (such as: rock, cement, etc.), -1 per 100 meters. Transport through ultra-dense materials: (such as: reinforced concrete, etc,), -1 per meter. Transport through shielded materials: (such as: forcescreens, etc.), -1 per millimeter. Transport through a Warp field: (-10/WF difference; -1 per 0.1 WF difference) --------------------------------------------------------------- Other Transporter abilities include: Hold in Pattern Buffer: ----------------------- The Pattern Buffer is a device that delays transmission of the matter stream while the Doppler compensators correct for relative motion between the Transporter emitter and the target coordinates. However, the Pattern Buffer is also capable of holding matter that is to be sent or has been received for up to seven minutes. This is mainly used to detain a transported object while giving time for security officers to arrive at that Transport site. After the seven minute delay, the computer will automatically complete reintegration of the matter so that no image degradation will occur. Dispersals: ----------- This is the process of purposely reintegrating matter after disengaging the ACB. It allows matter to reform without a pattern. To do this, safety interlocks must be overridden. This requires a Electronics Operations: Transporter roll and takes two seconds. This is used to accomplish the harmless dispersal of highly dangerous transport subjects, such as explosive devices. The transported object will form randomly, usually taking the form of gases and microscopic particulates, frequently creating an explosion. Biofilter Scan: ---------------- When matter is beamed in, the molecular pattern is scanned by the computer using a level 12 diagnosis program. The program specifically looks for patterns corresponding to various bacteriological and viral forms. If their patterns are detected, the incoming pattern is manipulated to render the offending form(s) inert. This program can only recognize patterns it has been previously programmed for. It is not fool-proof, but will eliminate over 95% of all known viral, pathological, and bacteriological dangers. ===============================================================