Replicator
From Star Trek: Gamma One
Replicators are the result of several advances in the field of transporter-based molecular synthesis research. These devices permit the replication of virtually any inanimate object with great fidelity and relatively low energy cost.
All ships and stations are equipped with two main replication systems: food synthesizers and industrial replicators. The food replicators are optimized for a finer degree of resolution due to the necessity for accurate replication of the complex chemical compositions of foods and beverages. As such, modified and reprogrammed food replication terminals are often used in sickbay and various science labs for synthesizing certain pharmaceuticals and scientific supplies.
On the other hand, industrial or hardware replicators are generally tuned to a lower resolution for greater energy efficiency and lower memory matrix requirements. This is due to the sheer amounts of raw material often required by engineering crew in maintenance and repairs. Of course, engineers and other crew qualified for replicator programming can readjust the settings on individual units to required specifications when the need arises.
Replicators have served to dramatically reduce the requirement for carrying and storing foodstuffs and spare parts. While there is an increase in energy expenditure due to replicator usage, the relative cost of maintaining a large volume of perishables on board a starbase and especially a starship justifies the energy usage. However, certain types of commonly used spare parts are not economical for replication, and these must be stocked physically.
Replicator Function
Replicators are largely voice operated; they are able to adjust details to the pattern matrix when supplied parameters. For example, one may order "hot tea" or "Tea, Earl Grey, hot" with equal ease of use. Most replicators are equipped with panels for manual input, but these are not often used in day-to-day functions.
Replicator system headends are generally located in the Engineering section of a starbase or starship. They operate by using a phase-transition coil chamber in which a measured quantity of raw material is dematerialized in a manner similar to that of a standard transporter. Instead of using a molecular imaging scanner to determine the patterns of the raw stock, however, a quantum geometry transformational matrix field is used to modify the matter stream to conform to a digitally stored molecular pattern matrix. The matter stream is then routed through a network of waveguide conduits that direct the signal to a replicator terminal at which the desired article is materialized within another phase transition chamber.
In order to minimize replicator power requirements, raw stock for food replicators is stored in the form of a sterilized organic particulate suspension that has been formulated to statistically require the least quantum manipulation to replicate most finished foodstuffs. Indeed, waste products aboard starships may be sterilized and converted into suitable raw materials for replication purposes.
Replicator Limitations
The chief limitation of all transporter-based replicators is the resolution at which the molecular matrix patterns are stored. While transporters (which operate in real time) recreate objects at quantum-level resolution suitable for lifeforms, replicators store and recreate objects at a much simpler molecular-level resolution unsuitable for living beings.
The reason for this is the massive amount of computer memory required to store even the simplest object. This gargantuan memory requirement makes it impossible to record each molecule individually: extensive data compression and averaging techniques are used instead. Such techniques reduce the memory storage required for molecular patterns by factors approaching 2.7 x 109. The resulting single-bit inaccuracies do not significantly impact the quality of most reproduced objects, but preclude the use of replicator technology to re-create living objects. Single-bit molecular errors could have severely detrimental effects on living DNA molecules and neural activity. Cumulative effects have been shown to closely resemble radiation-induced damage.
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