Fabula
Object
Object

Duranium Transporter Test Cylinder (Transporter Room 3)

A three-foot-tall, six-inch-diameter cylinder of pure duranium used as the test object in **Transporter Room 3** for routine transporter dematerialization/rematerialization integrity tests. During activation by **Miles O'Brien**, the cylinder exhibits anomalous behavior: it dematerializes unevenly, rematerializes erratically under adjacent transporter pads, burns with bright intensity, and vanishes without residue. The incident is witnessed firsthand by **Geordi La Forge** and **Miles O'Brien**, with **Jean-Luc Picard**, **William Riker**, and **Reginald Barclay** arriving shortly after. The failure is later linked to **unseen ship fractures** stemming from **Barclay's holodeck issues**, exposing broader transporter system instability. The event forces **O'Brien to halt all transporter maintenance** and serves as the first tangible clue to the transporter malfunctions plaguing the *Enterprise-D*.
4 appearances

Purpose

Test item for transporter calibration, selected for predictable dematerialization and rematerialization under controlled conditions.

Significance

Marks the first visible transporter failure, signals deeper Enterprise malfunctions, and heightens crew tension as a clue to an escalating mystery tied to Barclay's mental state and ship instability.

Appearances in the Narrative

When this object appears and how it's used

4 moments
S3E21 · Hollow Pursuits
The Transporter’s Silent Scream: A Prelude to Catastrophe

The pure-duranium test cylinder is the catalyst and victim of the transporter malfunction. Initially placed on the pad by O’Brien, it dematerializes erratically, leaping between pads before vaporizing in a searing flash, leaving only residue. Its behavior is not just a mechanical failure but a narrative omen—the physical manifestation of the Enterprise’s unraveling, mirroring Barclay’s fractured psyche. Geordi touches it pre-malfunction, his fingers testing its solidity, while Picard and Riker later examine its residue, treating it as evidence of a deeper crisis. The object’s disappearance symbolizes the ship’s losing grip on reality.

Before: A three-foot-tall, six-inch-diameter cylinder of pure duranium, placed on Transporter Room Three’s pad. Physically intact, chemically stable, and structurally sound—a standard test object with no prior history of malfunction.
After: Completely vaporized, leaving only scattered duranium residue on the transporter pads. The residue is smoldering and irregular, a physical trace of the malfunction that Picard and Riker scrutinize. The object itself ceases to exist, its disappearance undocumented in engineering logs—a technical ghost haunting the Enterprise’s systems.
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S3E21 · Hollow Pursuits
The Transporter's Silent Scream: A Log of Unseen Fractures

The pure-duranium test cylinder is the narrative and technical catalyst for the malfunction. Initially, it appears mundane—a routine object for a standard test—but its erratic dematerialization (jumping between pads before vanishing in a flash) transforms it into a literal manifestation of the ship’s unseen corruption. Geordi’s touch confirms its physical normality before the malfunction, but its disappearance leaves behind residue that becomes a clue, a warning, and a symbol of Barclay’s holodeck ‘infections’ seeping into reality. The cylinder’s role is twofold: (1) Functional: It reveals the transporter’s failure mode, and (2) Narrative: It embodies the theme of ‘invisible fractures’—problems that start small but escalate into crises. Its vanishing act is the first domino in a chain reaction that will force the crew to confront Barclay’s addiction.

Before: A three-foot-tall, six-inch-diameter duranium cylinder, placed on Transporter Room Three’s pad by O’Brien. Physically intact, chemically stable, and structurally sound—no prior signs of instability.
After: Completely dematerialized, leaving behind only residue on the transporter pads. The object itself is gone, but its absence becomes a clue for the crew to investigate.
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S3E21 · Hollow Pursuits
Picard’s Diagnostic Order and Geordi’s Protective Delay: The First Cracks in the Enterprise’s Armor

The pure-duranium test cylinder—three feet tall and six inches in diameter—serves as the catalyst for the event’s crisis. Positioned on the transporter pad by O’Brien, it dematerializes erratically, jumping between pads before combusting in a searing flash and vanishing entirely. The residue left behind becomes a physical manifestation of the ship’s instability, symbolizing the unseen fractures in both its systems and its crew. Geordi’s examination of the residue, Picard’s demand for diagnostics, and Riker’s lockdown order all hinge on this object’s failure, framing it as a clue to a larger malfunction—one that may be tied to Barclay’s holodeck experiments.

Before: A pristine, three-foot-tall duranium cylinder, placed on Transporter Room Three’s pad by O’Brien. It is described as 'normal' by Geordi, with no visible defects. Its composition (pure duranium) suggests it should be stable under transporter energy.
After: Destroyed: The cylinder dematerializes in a stuttering sequence, rematerializes partially, then combusts in a flash, leaving only smoldering residue on the transporter pads. The object is entirely consumed, its disappearance serving as a metaphor for the ship’s unraveling cohesion—both technical and interpersonal.
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S3E21 · Hollow Pursuits
Riker’s Transporter Lockdown: The First Containment Order

The duranium test cylinder, a three-foot-tall, six-inch-diameter object, serves as the catalyst for the scene’s crisis. Placed on the transporter pad by O’Brien, it dematerializes erratically—jumping between pads before burning out in a searing flash and vanishing entirely. The residue left behind becomes a clue (or lack thereof) in the diagnostic process, symbolizing the Enterprise’s unseen fractures. Its disappearance is not just a technical failure but a metaphor for the crew’s loss of control, mirroring Barclay’s instability and the ship’s unraveling systems. The object’s role is twofold: as a diagnostic tool that fails spectacularly and as a harbinger of deeper malfunctions.

Before: A pristine duranium cylinder, three feet tall and six inches in diameter, placed on Transporter Room Three’s pad by O’Brien. Functioning as a standard test object for transporter calibration.
After: Completely vanished, leaving only smoldering residue on the transporter pads. The residue is examined by Picard, Riker, and Geordi but yields no clear answers about the cause of the malfunction.
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