Background:

Pattern enhancers are one of the main tools developed to safely increase the range and effectiveness of transporter systems. The devices are used to boost the molecular patters of an object or life form so that the pattern lock for transportation is stronger and more defined. These instruments are normally only needed to overcome interference caused by electromagnetic shielding or naturally-occurring phenomena.

Pattern enhancers are portable cylinders about a meter tall, and are normally used in groups of three. They are chrome-colored, with a clear narrow dome on top that lights up when activated. A switch in the midsection releases three legs from the base, allowing the unit to stand alone and remain balanced on uneven ground.

The apparatus is activated by twisting the dome and the black casing just below it counterclockwise. When arrayed - typically seven meters apart in a triangle - the clear top acts as an emitter and conductor for a thin blue energy beam that connects all three units. For portability, a hinged tri-fold case wraps around the midsection of a set of three cylinders. The squarish case includes a carry handle and a recessed, molded interior to cushion and protect the enhancers from buffeting.

Pattern enhancers are primarily safety equipment, ensuring a safe transporter signal in otherwise hazardous conditions. Before their invention, beaming up from certain planetary conditions could be dangerous and potentially fatal. Under normal conditions, the shipboard transporter does not require a receiver or transmitter at the other end. Sometimes, however, enhancers have to be taken to the required destination on a small shuttlecraft where space is at a premium, so the equipment is made light and easy to carry.

Once the last unit has been activated, a beam of blue energy joins all the units together and defines the space which the matter to be transported must be placed within. This specialized apparatus is often used to compensate for interference caused by electromagnetic storms or other atmospheric disturbances, and make transporting safer by amplifying the transporter signal lock. They are often carried by rescue teams send into hazardous environments. Once the devices have been used, they are often left behind in the hostile environment rather than being retrieved.