This is either a book or a short story. I read it as a teenager, around twenty years ago. I might remember some of all of it incorrectly.
In the story, teleporters exist and seem to work fine. A traveler steps into a room and moments later steps out at a different location. However, there is an undiscovered side effect: a ghost-like copy of the traveler is produced.
The copy is identical to the original, except that the copy is essentially a ghost. The copy can see but cannot be seen by 'normal' people. The copy can walk through walls. The copy is trapped in the world, with worldly needs (food, water, shelter), but has little or no ability to interact with the world.
The story follows a male protagonist who emerges from the transporter as a copy. Initially he is confused and does not realize what has happened. Eventually he meets some other, more experienced copy-people. Life as a copy is difficult, dangerous, and lawless — sort of a wild west environment. The teleporter creates ghost copies of inanimate objects as well. The copy-people survive using the items they scavenge from whatever is sent through the teleporter.
I seem to remember there being a scientist among the 'real' people who suspects that the ghost copies are being created. The scientist sends useful supplies through the teleporter so that any copy-people might benefit from them.
In the story, teleporters exist and seem to work fine. A traveler steps into a room and moments later steps out at a different location. However, there is an undiscovered side effect: a ghost-like copy of the traveler is produced.
The copy is identical to the original, except that the copy is essentially a ghost. The copy can see but cannot be seen by 'normal' people. The copy can walk through walls. The copy is trapped in the world, with worldly needs (food, water, shelter), but has little or no ability to interact with the world.
The story follows a male protagonist who emerges from the transporter as a copy. Initially he is confused and does not realize what has happened. Eventually he meets some other, more experienced copy-people. Life as a copy is difficult, dangerous, and lawless — sort of a wild west environment. The teleporter creates ghost copies of inanimate objects as well. The copy-people survive using the items they scavenge from whatever is sent through the teleporter.
I seem to remember there being a scientist among the 'real' people who suspects that the ghost copies are being created. The scientist sends useful supplies through the teleporter so that any copy-people might benefit from them.
