Please state the nature of the medical emergency.
Hello?
Computer, who activated the EMH program?
Auto-initiation occurred when a ship-wide Red Alert was initiated.
Emergency?
Sickbay to bridge.
Captain Janeway, please respond.
- Captain Janeway is not on board. - Who is in command?
Internal scans indicate no crew members are on board.
You mean... the ship's empty?
Affirmative.
- What is the crew's location? - Unknown.
Are they on shore leave? Dead?
That information is not available.
Can you give me a status report?
Warp core is off-line.
The ship is restricted to emergency power and auxiliary systems.
Structural integrity breach on deck 86, deck 7 and deck 12.
Deflector shields inoperative. Weapons array off-line.
Communications off-line. Sewage and waste reclamation...
All right, I get the idea. What caused this damage?
- That information is not available. - Of course.
Computer, transfer all bridge logs to this station.
- Accessing bridge logs. - Replay last log entry.
Heavy casualties. The warp core is critical.
The injection system is off-line.
All personnel to abandon ship. Lieutenant Torres and I...
Computer, have any escape pods been ejected?
All escape pods were launched at 2100 hours.
Scan the ship for any humanoid life-forms.
There are no humanoid life-forms aboard this vessel.
Well. I'm glad everyone bothered to say goodbye.
Chief medical officer's log, stardate 48892.1.
It appears that Voyager has suffered a disaster.
What kind I don't know, but one thing is clear - the crew abandoned ship.
It would therefore seem that my usefulness has come to an end.
I'm terminating my program.
If anyone finds this log, I can be reactivated by...
Hello?
Doctor! What are you doing?
Sorry. I wasn't expecting a member of the crew.
The computer said everyone had left.
The internal sensors were damaged during the attack.
- Attack? - The Kazon.
Two of their Predator-class warships hit us with a volley of plasma torpedoes.
We had to abandon ship.
The Captain and I stayed behind and stopped the core breach.
Why didn't the crew return?
They couldn't. The Kazon tractored all the life pods onto their ships.
They went into warp before we could stop them.
- What's wrong? - This isn't registering your lifesigns.
This isn't working either.
You've got to help the captain. She was hit by a falling beam.
- I didn't want to risk moving her. - Can't we beam her here?
The transporters are down.
I crawled through 31 Jefferies tubes to get here.
Go back up there with a medical kit. I'll...
You don't understand. I'm not going. You are.
- I'm sending you to the bridge. - That's impossible.
- My projection system is limited. - Not any more.
We've been setting up holographic emitters on critical decks.
We were hoping to give you access to other parts of the ship.
- Why wasn't I told? - We hadn't tested the system.
The captain didn't want to get your hopes up.
That's heart-warming, but I'd rather be kept informed.
- Where are these projectors? - Decks 1 through 5,
and in engineering, the mess hall and the cargo bay.
The projectors are in place
but we'll have to interface with the sickbay imaging system.
That's going to take a lot of power and memory.
I don't know if we have enough power.
Could we divert power from life-support systems?
Good idea. We can drop life-support down to minimum levels.
That should give us enough power.
I'll need another 20 minutes to get the projectors on-line.
All right. The remote projectors are charged and ready to go.
Imaging interface stable. Are you ready to try this?
I assume there's still a medical kit behind the tactical console?
That's right. There are a couple of things you should know.
I had to recalibrate your containment field.
Your holo-matrix will be sensitive to disruption.
Stay away from energy discharges like phaser fire and force fields.
I'll try.
If your containment field collapses you'll take hours to reinitialise.
Understood.
I'll try to get some of the systems working.
You'll hear from me when the com system's on-line.
Unless this doesn't work, in which case I'll see you in five seconds.
Good luck, Doctor.
Thank you. I have a feeling I'll need it.
Well... it's bigger than I thought.
Captain?
Hello, Captain. You're going to be fine.
Doctor. I see the new holo-projectors are working.
Lieutenant Torres got them on-line.
Are you feeling any pain? Dizziness? Nausea?
I'm disoriented and I have one hell of a headache.
The tricorders aren't working.
But I can tell you have a concussion. I'd like to get you to sickbay.
I remember launching the escape pods.
Torres and I were trying to stop the core breach and then I blacked out.
- You prevented the breach. - And the crew?
They were taken prisoner by the Kazon.
- Torres to bridge. Can you hear me? - Yes, we hear you. Go ahead.
- Are you all right? - I'm fine.
I'm glad the Doctor made a house call. What's our status?
Communications are back on-line and I think I can reactivate the warp core.
It will mean recrystallising the dilithium matrix.
Keep on it. I'll try and restore the bridge controls and scan for the Kazon ships.
Aye, Captain. Torres out.
Do you know how to bypass a power relay?
- Is it like a coronary bypass? - Actually, it is.
Give me a hand.
This conduit is a power relay. Its circuits are burnt out. We need to...
Neelix to bridge. Is anyone there? Emergency!
- Neelix, what's wrong? - Help! I'm in the mess hall...
Neelix, are you there? Neelix?
It will take me a half hour to get there.
Doctor, it's up to you. I'll use the projectors to send you to the mess hall.
Stand by for transfer.
I hope that crushed your skull, Kazon pus hog.
Kazon?
What's it like to stare death in the face, Kazon?
Missed me.
I suggest you surrender now, Kazon. The captain's on her way.
You needle shake!
My best saute pan! Good work, Doctor.
You're injured.
- Is it serious? - Don't panic. It looks superficial.
- Am I going to die? - Not unless you're allergic to tomatoes.
That isn't blood. It's some kind of sauce.
Nondoran tomato paste. That'll leave a nasty stain.
- What are you doing here? - I could ask you the same thing.
Kes and I were on our way to the escape pod
when this Kazon fungus crawled out an access hatch.
I kept him occupied but he didn't give up so easily.
He chased me and I led him here.
No one gets the best of me in my kitchen.
I'm fine now. The question is, are you?
- Me? - You're bleeding.
Bleeding? That's impossible.
Don't panic, Doctor. It looks superficial.
- I'm not programmed to bleed. - You should check your programme.
Emergency Medical Hologram to Captain Janeway.
We've captured a Kazon. He's unconscious and Neelix is fine.
But my program is malfunctioning. Please return me to sickbay.
Acknowledged. Mr Neelix, keep an eye on the Kazon until I get there.
No problem, Captain.
Pain! I'm not programmed to feel pain.
Heart rate. Blood pressure. Brain patterns.
Computer, analyse Emergency Medical Holographic program.
Has it been altered to include lifesigns?
Unable to comply. Requested program is not on file.
Not on file? The program's running right now.
Display schematics for all sickbay holographic systems.
No holographic systems exist in sickbay.
EMH program AK1. Diagnostic and surgical subroutine Omega 323.
- Check the database and you'll find it. - Specified program does not exist.
Who is the chief medical officer on board this ship?
The chief medical officer of U.S.S. Voyager is Dr Lewis Zimmerman.
Lewis Zimmerman? Yes. He was the engineer who created my program.
He resembles me, but he's not on Voyager.
He's at the Jupiter Station holoprograming centre.
Computer, how long has Dr Zimmerman served on Voyager?
Dr Zimmerman commenced duty on stardate 48308.2.
48308.
That's the date I was activated.
Computer, display all Starfleet records on Dr Lewis Zimmerman.
He looks a lot like me. In fact, he looks exactly like me.
- Computer, is this me? - Affirmative. Dr Lewis Zimmerman.
The warp core's back on-line. We need to know where the crew was taken.
Perform an ARA scan on the Kazon while we question him.
- Is something wrong? - Something's very wrong.
These tricorders aren't picking up any of your lifesigns.
At first I thought they were malfunctioning.
But now I find they show me to be a living, breathing, bleeding human being.
- What? - And that's not all.
The computer says I'm not a hologram. I'm a real person named Zimmerman.
The computer says my program doesn't exist.
It could be the remote projectors.
Multiple signals may be confusing the computer.
I'm going to deactivate you, then reinitialise your program.
Computer, discontinue Emergency Medical Holographic system.
See what I mean?
You're right. Your program's not anywhere on file.
Computer, shut down all holographic systems.
Computer, what happened to Captain Janeway,
Lieutenant Torres, Neelix and the Kazon?
All holographic simulations were discontinued.
Simulations? Computer, I'm talking about real people.
Locate Captain Janeway.
Captain Janeway is stored in memory block 47-Alpha.
List all other programs stored in that memory block.
This is the entire Voyager crew.
Are you saying that the crew are holographic programs?
- Affirmative. - This is ridiculous.
There must be something wrong.
Doctor, am I glad to see you. Can you see me?
Of course I can. Who are you?
Sir, it's me. It's Lieutenant Barclay. Reg. Your assistant.
My assistant is Kes. Who are you?
What?
Oh, no. This is bad. This is very bad.
Don't panic.
- Let's think our way through this. - I'm not familiar with you.
Are you a member of the Voyager crew?
Oh, boy. The Voyager. Oh, boy.
This is going to sound crazy from your perspective.
But you've got to trust me.
None of this is happening.
This is all a holographic simulation that you've been running.
- What? - You're at the Jupiter Station.
Your name is Dr Lewis Zimmerman. You're a holo-engineer.
You've been running a malfunctioning program
and we've been trying to reach you.
What are you saying? That I'm a real person?
I always used to think of you that way, and I know your wife tends...
My wife?
- We'd better take this a step at a time. - Please do.
Well, you see this starship? It's not really a starship.
It was a program that you wrote
to study the psychological impact of long-term isolation
on a crew made up of Starfleet and Maquis crew members.
A program I wrote? Preposterous. I'm the program.
Voyager is a real ship, manned by real people.
I'm afraid not.
This must have something to do with the radiation surge.
What?
We can't shut the program down
because of a kinoplastic radiation surge on the station.
It's affected all the computer systems, including the holodecks.
The radiation must be affecting the memory centres of your brain.
- How did you get in here? - I'm not here.
I mean, clearly I'm here, because we're talking.
What I mean is, I'm in a control booth outside of the holodeck.
What you see is a projection of my body so that we can communicate.
We've been trying to get in here for nearly six hours.
So the six months I've spent on this ship have been a simulation?
You haven't been here six months. You've been here six hours.
Impossible. I have clear memories of my appearance on Voyager.
And meeting Captain Janeway. I've had experiences.
That's part of the simulation.
You might be an alien impersonating a Starfleet officer.
Look, Doctor, it's very important that you believe me.
You're losing your identity.
You're starting to think that you're part of the program. That's not good.
It's called HTDS - Holo Transference Dementia Syndrome.
- So I'm having a psychotic episode? - No! Yes.
I mean, maybe the radiation... I'm sorry, I have to do this.
- How dare you! - It hurt, right?
If you were a program, it wouldn't hurt.
- I could be programmed to think it hurt. - Doctor...
I'll be back.
I've got to discuss this with the others. Don't go anywhere.
Pain.
Pain. Why would I have pain?
I think I'm hungry.
I'm not sure what for, but I'm hungry. This is impossible.
The problem is worse than we thought.
The radiation is disrupting the command protocols.
We can't shut the program down and we can't access the holodeck grid.
- Why don't you beam me out? - We tried.
The radiation is interfering and we can't get a lock on you.
I've consulted with our neurologist, Dr Kaplan.
He said if we can't get you out within the hour,
the radiation will completely oxidise your neurocellular structures.
So what do you suggest?
The only way left to terminate the program is to play it out. Conclude it.
Once the simulation ends, it will release the locks on the holodeck
and we can get you out of here.
How does it conclude?
You programmed two possible outcomes.
Either Voyager gets back to Federation space or it's destroyed.
But the simulation was designed to run for weeks before either happens.
But I know of a way that you can bring it to an end right now.
- Destroy the ship. - Destroy the ship?
- Destroy Voyager? - This is just a simulation, Lewis.
None of this is real.
And unless you destroy this ship that you think you're on, you're going to die.
No. No. Absolutely not.
- Doctor, it's the only way. - I don't know how to destroy the ship.
I wouldn't do it even if I could, and how do I know you're not an alien
trying to trick me into killing everyone?
Those are good questions. First, I can tell you how to destroy Voyager.
Second, if you don't, you'll die.
And third, well, I'm just not an alien. I don't know how to convince you of that.
If this is true, why don't you destroy the ship? Why should I?
You're running the simulation.
It's coded to respond to your input, not mine.
I'm sorry, Mr Barclay, if that's your name, but you're not very convincing.
Here. Use this tricorder. Scan the room out to a distance of 15 metres.
This shows a wall 15 metres away. It has a holodeck grid configuration.
- But you could be manipulating this. - Scan me.
I'm a holographic projection originating from beyond that wall.
Yes. All right. But it could still be an elaborate deception.
- I can't risk that. - There must be a way to convince you.
Oh, I know. I'll be right back.
- Are you the EMH? - Yes, of course I am.
We've got wounded here.
I've seen this patient before. He has multiple injuries. Tricorder.
Medical tricorder.
- I've been in this moment before. - What? Help this man.
Have we just been catapulted across the galaxy?
- Yes. - And you are developing tumours.
- What? - So that hasn't happened yet.
- Is this stardate 483087 - Are you going to help this man?
No. Mr Barclay.
Let me see if I can reset the holographic projector.
- Mr Barclay? - Now do you believe me?
This is the beginning of the simulation. We've restarted the program.
This is my first memory of being activated on Voyager.
- Who the hell are you? - Did I program him to be so annoying?
Actually, I did. I modelled him after my cousin Frank.
Computer, delete Paris.
What are you...?
- What did you do to him? - Computer, delete Kim.
Are you convinced yet?
Your credibility level is rising, but I'm still not prepared to destroy Voyager.
So what are you going to do now?
I need to confirm my true nature -
whether or not I am in fact a real person.
Let's just say that this is a real ship and I'm a hologram.
If I destroyed the holographic memory core, I'd disappear.
Yes. But if you destroy it and you're still here...
- Then I'm not a hologram. - And you'll know I'm not lying.
The holo-memory core is in engineering. Let's go.
- What's wrong? - The remote projectors are off-line.
I shouldn't exist outside sickbay.
- That's because you're a... - A real person. Yes.
I'm getting the idea.
Magnetic constrictors are on-line.
Let's get started on those plasma relays.
- Who are you? - I'm the Emergency Medical Hologram.
You can be projected into engineering?
No. But it's a long story.
Fine. We have three wounded crew members.
I have a more pressing matter to attend to.
What do you mean? And who are you? I don't recognise you.
I'm just assisting the Doctor.
I order you to take care of these crew members.
Computer, delete Janeway.
The program's not responding. We don't have much time.
Jarvis, Parsons, put these men under arrest.
Those phasers are just holograms.
I wouldn't be so sure. I was injured earlier.
That means the safeties are off.
Let's not do anything hasty.
Who are you? Are you two responsible for bringing us here?
Actually, no.
The Array you discovered is controlled by the Caretaker. Banjo man.
He's an alien who was caring for a species known as the Ocampa.
Enough. I don't know what this is all about, but clearly you're involved.
Take them to the brig.
- No, I don't think so. - You're in no position to argue.
In several seconds the crew of Voyager will be transported to the Array,
where you will be tortured and probed for information.
Bridge to Janeway. We're being scanned by the Array.
What kind of scan? Bridge? Janeway to bridge. Respond.
What are you...?
Time is running out. The oxidation levels in your neural tissues are rising.
You've got to destroy this ship.
First thing's first. I have to make absolutely sure what I am.
This is the central memory nexus for all holographic systems.
If I destroy it, there won't be a hologram left on Voyager.
Except for me. I'm being projected from outside the simulation.
Go ahead. Give it a try.
Convinced?
Computer, what is the status of the holograph imaging system on Voyager?
The system has been destroyed.
Are there any holographic programs running?
- Negative. - Then why is the ship still here?
Please restate the question.
You said hole-systems were destroyed. Why is the ship simulation still running?
All holo-simulations have been terminated.
Doctor, I know this is a little confusing
but you just destroyed the holographic imaging system on a holographic ship.
If you want to bring this to an end you have to destroy the entire simulation.
The ship itself.
Then it's true. I am a real person.
And you're a person in great danger.
Destroy the ship. Now. Before it's too late.
- But if I'm wrong... - You've got to believe me.
How can I prove it to you?
I know, but it's just so...
There. You see what's happening? Holograms don't feel pain.
Your brain is being flooded with kinoplastic radiation.
- You're dying. - I guess you're right.
- What should I do? - The warp core.
It's going to take a sustained phaser burst to punch through the shielding.
Set your phaser to maximum. Aim for the magnetic constrictors.
- Ready? - Ready.
Stop!
Doctor, don't listen to him. He's lying.
Step away from the warp core. Don't do anything he tells you.
- None of this is real. - So I've been told.
- It's all a holographic simulation. - That's right.
But it's not what you think it is.
Everything around you is being created by your program.
- My program? - You're on Voyager's holodeck.
The captain suggested you try a holonovel.
But while you were running it,
there was a radiation surge in the imaging system.
It created a feedback loop between the holodeck and your program.
All of this, including Mr Barclay, is a holographic simulation,
generated by your codes, subroutines and memory circuits.
Don't be distracted by these holograms. Stay focused on what you need to do.
Destroy the warp core.
Wait a minute. The entire crew of Voyager was just taken by the Array.
They won't be back for days. So why is he here?
The program is malfunctioning.
Are you the real Commander Chakotay, or a holographic projection?
I'm a projection. I'm at the holographic control station in engineering.
You're trapped on the holodeck. We've been trying to reach you for hours.
Sounds familiar. He told me the same thing.
Do you remember coming into the holodeck and running a holonovel?
No. No, I don't.
Because your memory circuits are being eradicated.
We have to get you off the holodeck, transfer you back to sickbay.
You don't have memory circuits, you have a mind. And it's damaged.
Destroy Voyager, the program will end and we can get you off the holodeck.
That's not true. If you destroy the simulation, you will be destroyed too.
Me?
If you shut down this simulation, your program will be wiped out.
There will be no way to retrieve the lost data.
Only real people experience pain. You've got to believe me.
It's the feedback loop eradicating your memory circuits.
What... What is it you want me to do?
Don't do anything. We're close to a solution.
Do nothing and you'll die.
Doctor, trust me.
Trust me, Lewis.
- Kes. - Yes. You know me.
- You remember me. - Yes. You're my assistant.
I told you. His brain is being damaged. He's losing his memory.
This is Kes Zimmerman. Your wife.
This is a holographic delusion, drawn from your own memory circuits.
Lewis, please. Listen to Reg. He's trying to help you.
- Destroy this program. - You'll end up destroying yourself.
Believe in yourself. You're not a program.
You're a real flesh-and-blood human being. And you're my husband.
I don't want to lose you.
Lewis, how would you rather think of yourself?
As a real person, with a real life, with a family that loves you,
or as some hologram that exists in a sickbay
on a starship lost in deep space.
This isn't about what you want. This is about what you are.
Just because you're made of light and energy doesn't mean you're not real.
It doesn't matter what you're made of.
What matters is who you are.
You're our friend, and we want you back.
Lewis, please. Pick up the phaser. Destroy the warp core.
It's your only hope.
Doctor, we're close to getting you out of here. Try to hold on.
Whatever happens, I just want you to know I love you.
I always wanted to tell you, Kes...
...that you're beautiful.
Thank you.
What's going on?
We shut down the holodeck simulation that you were generating.
Chakotay transferred you back to sickbay.
You seem to have suffered no damage.
- What happened? - Voyager encountered an anomaly.
It created a radiation surge throughout our computers.
It happened while you were using the holodeck.
We've been working for six hours to get you out of there.
- So there was no Kazon attack. - That's right.
- And the crew didn't abandon ship. - No.
No. In fact, it has been an uneventful day.
And who is this Lieutenant Barclay I imagined?
He was part of the team that designed your program.
He tested your interpersonal skills.
This should make an interesting paper.
Sickbay, is the Doctor all right?
Yes. His program is functioning normally.
Good work. I want all senior officers to report to the bridge.
Acknowledged.
It's good to have you back, Doctor.
I suppose I should begin cataloguing the samples I was working on earlier.
So you really think I'm beautiful?
I was under a great deal of stress.
I said things that are not necessarily my true feelings.
Then you don't think I'm beautiful.
I didn't say that exactly. I consider you very attractive.
In a platonic sense.
I see.
- Then you don't really love me. - I'm afraid not.
- Then I guess our marriage is over. - Our marriage?
- Are you making a joke? - It isn't a joke to me, Lewis.
I know we have problems but I think we can solve them.
This can't be right. Something's wrong here.
It's not too late. You can still save yourself by destroying the warp core.
I don't believe you. None of this is real.
- Somebody help me! - Lam!
- Listen to him! - No!
Doctor, are you listening? That man needs help!
Try to calm down. Everything's going to be fine.
Doctor, do you know who I am?
Do you know where you are?
I appear to be on the holodeck grid.
That's right. And do you know what you are?
Yes. I'm the Emergency Medical Holographic Program.
- Right? - Right.
I assume everything that's happened took place here.
Yes. We encountered a subspace anomaly.
There was a radiation surge.
And Kes is my assistant, not my wife?
- Your wife? - Never mind.
Captain, I'd like to return to sickbay now.
Of course. It's good to have you back, Doctor.
It's good to be back.
Computer, transfer EMH program to sickbay.
We were married?
It was a delusion, of course.
I understand. But I'd still prefer it if you didn't tell Neelix.
He tends to get a little jealous. It'll be our secret.
- I am curious about one thing. - What's that?
The radiation surge caused my program to malfunction
and my circuits began to degrade.
And yet, instead of detecting that threat to my program,
I experienced an elaborate delusion concerning my existence.
Human or hologram. Person or projection.
Why would my program focus on such an esoteric dilemma?
I sometimes ask those kind of questions.
Who am I? What am I doing here?
What's my purpose in life? Doesn't everybody?
Not me. I know exactly who I am and what my purpose is.
I am the EMH aboard the starship Voyager.
Are you sure about that?