Fabula
Object
Object

Pulsar (Suspected Teremi-Thoron Source)

Rapidly rotating neutron star emitting sharp, rhythmic high-energy pulses that spike on Enterprise sensors and transporter diagnostics. Its teremi-thoron fluxes shred rematerialized test objects and overload shields during close approach. False Picard orders escalation toward it despite Data's shield limitation warnings; Riker, Worf, Wesley lock eyes in alarm as the threat amplifies bridge tension.
4 appearances

Purpose

Emits pulsed radiation and teremi-thorons that disrupt transporters and strain starship shields

Significance

Mirrors False Picard's reckless instability; its dangers expose command deviations from Picard's caution, fueling crew unease and Riker's defiant request for a private word

Appearances in the Narrative

When this object appears and how it's used

4 moments
S3E2 · The Ensigns of Command
Transporter Test Devastation — Teremi‑thoron Breakthrough

The pulsar exists off‑scene as a sensor-identified high-energy source; Geordi invokes its presence to explain intermittent bursts that could generate teremi‑thorons, making the pulsar a causal clue rather than a directly manipulated object.

Before: Detected on long-range sensors as a rhythmic, high-energy point source influencing transporter diagnostics.
After: Remains a suspected environmental contributor to the transporter failures, noted in engineering logs and shaping subsequent diagnostic strategy.
View full event
S3E2 · The Ensigns of Command
Transporter Shredded — Teremi‑Thorons Identified

Referenced by Geordi as a suspected environmental source, the pulsar is invoked to explain periodic high‑energy fluxes; it functions narratively as the external astrophysical generator that could produce teremi‑thorons affecting transporter integrity.

Before: Detected on sensors as a nearby, rapidly rotating neutron star emitting rhythmic high‑energy pulses noted in ship diagnostics.
After: Remains a suspected explanatory factor; its implied influence gains urgency after the failed rematerialization and is treated as a lead for further investigation.
View full event
S3E2 · The Ensigns of Command
Swiss-Cheese Transporter: Teremi‑Thoron Revelation

The pulsar functions as a suspected causal factor invoked by Geordi to explain the residue and shredded rematerialization. It operates as an off-screen environmental antagonist that introduces uncontrollable external interference into engineering problems.

Before: Pulsar existed as a distant sensor reading on ship instruments, noted but not central to operations.
After: Pulsar is referenced as a likely source of teremi-thoron bursts and becomes a critical external constraint on transporter repairs.
View full event
S3E18 · Allegiance
The Captain’s Gambit: Riker’s First Probe of the Imposter’s Authority

The pulsar itself is a looming, almost sentient threat in this scene, its teremi-thoron fluxes and sharp, rhythmic pulses serving as a constant reminder of the danger False Picard is leading the Enterprise into. The crew’s reactions to it—Data’s logical warnings, Riker’s decisive actions, and Wesley’s nervous compliance—all revolve around the pulsar’s presence, making it a narrative device that amplifies the stakes of the imposter’s recklessness. It is both a physical threat and a metaphor for the instability of False Picard’s command.

Before: Stable at 50 million kilometers, its pulses detected but not yet posing an immediate threat to the ship.
After: Now at 20 million kilometers, its teremi-thoron fluxes and magnetic fields intensified, posing a direct and immediate danger to the Enterprise’s shields and systems.
View full event