THE SWARM
Episode 46
Part C

 

Voyager in flight.

Not long afterwards Janeway and Torres are in Sickbay to examine the Doctor's problem. The EMH database seems to be experiencing a cascading overload of some kind. Doc's memory circuits are deteriorating. Janeway: "We knew the Doctor was never designed to be up and running as much as he has been. But I thought you programmed safety buffers so his circuits wouldn't degrade." Torres: "I did, and I installed them, but they're breaking down." Doctor : "My self-diagnostic routines have always indicated that in the event of cascade failure I should be completely re-initialised." Torres: "Well, that would stop the cascade and allow us to reset your database and personality subroutines, but-" Janeway: "But what?" Torres: "It would restore the original program, reset him to the person he was when we first activated him." Janeway: "In other words, he'd forget everything that's happened to him over the past two years." Torres: "Right." Janeway: "Doctor, how do you feel about that?" Doctor: "I can't say I'd like to lose the last two years, but my primary responsibility is the health and welfare of this crew. Doctor : "In my current state I am useless to them. I believe Lieutenant Torres should start the re-initialisation process immediately." Kes: "No, wait. Wait, please. We just can't treat the Doctor like he's a computer any more. He's come too far for that. Doctor, please, think about this. You'd be losing so much - all the relationships you've developed, our friendship, your sense of being a true member of this crew, all that would be gone." Doctor : "I can't put personal concerns over those of the crew." Kes to the Doctor: "Look at the experience you've had since you were activated. You've made friends, learned how to sing opera, you've even fallen in love. If you lose those memories, you won't be the same person." To Torres: "You said you don't know what's causing his memory circuits to fail." Torres: "Unfortunately no." Kes: "So if you re-initialise without finding out what's wrong the problem could occur again." Torres: "Well, it's a possibility." Kes to Janeway: "Isn't it a better plan to look for the cause of the problem? If B'Elanna can find it there may be a less radical solution." When Janeway looks over at Paris, who is sleeping and convalescing, she says: "Tom Paris is stable. He'll be back on duty today. There's no medical crisis at the moment. I can certainly handle all the routine cases in Sickbay. Please, let's not just erase him without trying to help him first." Janeway to the Doctor: "If a crewmember came down with a debilitating illness, you'd do everything in your power to make them well again. I think we owe you nothing less." The decision made, Torres heads for the door with Janeway: "I'll get started." After they have gone, Kes kisses the Doctor affectionately. "Don't be discouraged. I know B'Elanna can find a way." He smiles, heartened, and appreciating her friendship.

Janeway returns to the Bridge, to find Chakotay at Ops with Kim looking at a wall monitor. Chakotay: "Captain, I think we've found it: a way to get across the border without being detected." Janeway: "Let's hear it." Kim: "Their sensor net uses a series of interlinked tachyon beams. If we adjust the shields to refract those beams around the ship, we can slip across without appearing to have disrupted the net." Janeway is impressed. "Not bad." Tuvok listens and watches from his post at security/tactical.

Chakotay indicates on the screen: "And we've found that this area shows no indication of vessels. We can slide through, go to high warp, and be through this narrow section of their territory in four days."

Janeway: "Good work." She calls out: "Helm, set a course for the border." Female helmsman: "Aye, Captain."

In Sickbay, Torres is working on the Doctor's program, watched by the Doctor. Doctor: "What are you doing now?" Torres: "I want to see if the data correction is affecting your optical sensors. What did that do?"

Doctor: "I can't see! I'm blind!!" In panic he moves a hand across his eyes, but he cannot see it!

Torres: "Alright." She adjusts a control." The Doctor sighs with relief. "That is extremely disconcerting," he snaps. "Please don't do it again. Now what are you doing?"

Torres: "Attenuating your forcefield projectors." Curious, the Doctor comes and leans over her shoulder to watch. "Doctor, forgive me, but this is very delicate work. Please sit over there for a few minutes." Doctor: "How extremely rude." He moves away though he does not sit down.

Doctor: "May I remind you that I am in a way your patient who is suffering from an unknown and obviously debilitating condition? You would think you'd be a little more sensitive to my needs." Torres: "You are questioning MY bedside manner?! The good news is that your projection system doesn't seem to be affected. However, I don't know why your circuits are degrading." Doctor: "Then what do we do now?"

Torres: "What we do now is get a second opinion. I'll transfer you to the Holodeck in a few minutes. Wait here." She hurries out. standard doors

Torres arrives at the corridor immediately outside Holodeck 2. She presses some controls on the wall-mounted control interface. "Computer, initiate Jupiter Station Diagnostic Program Alpha-One-One." Computer: "Program is activated."

She presses a control and then enters the Holodeck. holodeck doors She enters the holographic representation of a Starfleet facility. standard doors

Torres goes to a computer console and starts to acquaint herself with the controls. Meanwhile: "Computer, transfer the program for the Emergency Medical Hologram to Holodeck 2."

The Doctor materialises. He looks around. "I seem to remember this place." Torres: "You should. This is Jupiter Station where you were created and where your database was written." Doctor, uncertainly: "It seems so long ago." Torres: "This program contains a sophisticated diagnostic matrix, specifically created for the Emergency Medical system." Doctor: "That's right. I should've remembered that!" Worried: "How could I have forgotten?"

Torres: "I'm going to have to play with the systems for a few minutes. I'm not exactly sure how to access all the subroutines." As she does so, a chair is pushed out containing someone watching her who is the spitting image of the Doctor! "Don't touch that!" he says crossly. The Doctor's spitting image is rumpled, wearing a lab coat over a gold-colour Starfleet uniform.

Torres and the Doctor are surprised by the newcomer's arrival. The Doctor is puzzled by the stranger's visual similarity to himself.

The newcome sighs with annoyance at being bothered when he Torres and the Doctor turns and he recognises an EMH.

Torres: "Who are you?" "I'm a holographic recreation of Dr Lewis Zimmerman, the creator of the Emergency Medical Hologram." Torres surmises: "You're the diagnostic matrix." Holo-Zimmerman: "You might say that. Something wrong with your EMH?" He ignores the Doctor and speaks only to Torres. Torres: "Yes." Doctor: "I certainly hope you're going to be able to do something about this annoying problem-" Holo-Zimmerman, to Torres, speaking as if the Doctor had not done so: "What's wrong with him?"

Torres: "He's experiencing a cascade failure. His memory circuits are degrading. I was trying to bring the subroutines online-" Holo-Zimmerman pushes her out of the way, stopping her from sitting at a particular console. "If you don't mind, I can do it faster." He sits down and starts pressing buttons. Torres lets out a sigh of irritation. To the Doctor: "I can see where you get your charming personality." Doctor: "Not to mention my hairline."

Holo-Zimmerman: "Here we are: a schematic of the EMH and its component subroutines." Doctor: "Can you determine the source of the problem?" Ignoring the Doctor, holo-Zimmerman reports to Torres after looking at the read-outs: "This isn't good. The EMH has a level-4 memory fragmentation. How long has the program been active?"

The Doctor is frustrated at being ignored. He puts his hand on holo-Zimmerman's shoulder and swivels his chair so that the other has to look at him. "I have been active for...." But he forgets. "For..."

Torres supplies the answer: "Almost two years." Holo-Zimmerman: "Two years! Well, there's your problem. This program was developed as a short-term supplement to your medical staff. Fifteen hundred hours tops." Torres: "I know. I added data compression buffers to compensate for the additional time, but they're breaking down. Holo-Zimmerman rebukes her crossly. "The EMH is a highly sophisticated program. You shouldn't go meddling in its matrix when you don't know what you're doing." Torres: "Should we shut down his program then 'til we figure out how to fix him?" Holo-Zimmerman: "At this point it doesn't matter. With a level 4 memory fragmentation it'll simply continue to degrade. There's only one course of action: a systemwide re-initialisation, start over from scratch." Torres: "We are aware of that option. Would it be possible to expand his memory circuits instead?" Holo-Zimmerman: "Of course. Schedule it for your next maintenance layover at McKinley Station." Torres: "I'm afraid that isn't possible. We're thousands of light-years from Federation space." Holo-Zimmerman: "Well, there's nothing more I can do. Either re-initialise it or live with the knowledge that eventually this EMH will end up with the intellectual capacity of a parsnip." Doctor: "What are you saying?!" The comm. alert sounds. Janeway, via comms: "Bridge to Torres." Torres, via comms: "I'm here, Captain." Janeway, via comms: "We're approaching the border. We need your help in Engineering." Torres, via comms: "I'm on my way." Contact ends. "Doctor Zimmerman, you haven't told us anything that we don't already know. What I need is to find out exactly why the Doctor's memory circuits are degrading so that we can come up with a solution. Activate a level 4 diagnostic or whatever you need to do to get us some answers. I'll be back as soon as I can." The Doctor pleads with Torres, sounding uncharacteristically weak, vulnerable and upset. "I wish you didn't have to go." Torres sighs. She speaks less briskly, more gently, telling him: "I'll hurry. I promise."