Transporters, null signal

From Home of Shye

A "null signal" in the context of transporter technology is an energy construct put together by the transporter to simulate the mass and energy signature of the subject to be transported, using the transport pattern as a template. The null signal acts like a crash test dummy: if anything bad happens to it in the process of transferring it through hyperspace, the transport of the actual subject is automatically aborted. The process occurs in a very short period of time -- on the order of a thousandth of a second -- so the delay is generally not noticeable. In the case of particularly difficult transports (e.g., over long distances or through distortions in the Vedihno Boundary), up to hundreds of null signals may be sent first to ensure the safety of the subject being transported. A null signal dissipates instantly and harmlessly when it returns to normal space, as it has no true physical form.