MESSAGE IN A BOTTLE
Episode 82

 

SUMMARY: The Voyager crew use alien technology to send the Doctor to the Alpha Quadrant to report to Starfleet. But when he arrives aboard a Federation starship, he discovers it to be occupied by hostile Romulans. After increasing the range of the astrometric sensors Seven of Nine locates an alien relay station, establishes a link, and detects a Starfleet vessel in the Alpha Quadrant. Janeway uses the relay network to send a message to the ship, but the transmission degrades before it gets through. With time running out before the link can no longer be used, their only other option is to send a holographic datastream, namely the Doctor. He is swiftly recruited, and despatched, and materialises in the Sickbay of the Federation starshp USS Prometheus. But he there are no Starfleet personnel alive, except for one who tells him with his dying breath that Romulans have captured the ship! the Doctor arrives on the Prometheus a dying Starfleet officer warns him that Romulans have taken over the ship The reason for the Romulans' interest in the Prometheus is a strategic one, as becomes apparent when the Doctor interrogates the ship's computer. The Prometheus is a prototype starship with advanced tactical abilities: regenerative shielding, ablative hull armor, and multivector assault mode. Meanwhile, the Prometheus is being pursued by Starfleet, so the Romulans test the ship's multivector assault mode. The vessel divides into three separate modules, with two of the parts being controlled by the Bridge module. As the multivector assault mode activates, the Doctor, alarmed by the violent shaking of the ship, tries to find out from the computer what was happening, but he does not have high enough access clearance. When Rekar, the Romulan commander, is asked by the computer to specify an attack target, he specifies the pursuing Starfleet vessel. Accordingly, the three modules maneuver into attack formation and take out the Starfleet vessel, then re-integrate and head for the Neutral Zone. During the battle, an explosion at a console injures a Romulan Bridge officer. Rekar, the commander of the 27 Romulans on the Prometheus the Prometheus separates into three armed mobile modules The Doctor, unable to elicit further useful information from the ship's computer is considering what to do when Nevala, the Romulan second-in-command, enters Sickbay, bringing the wounded officer. He realises that he cannot hide, so he shows himself and pretends he was activated automatically when she entered Sickbay. She orders him to report on the officer's condition after he has performed treatment, and she leaves. The Doctor realises that the Prometheus probably has an Emergency Medical Hologram, and activates it. It turns out to be the Mark 2 version, who feels himself to be superior to the Doctor, who is a Mark 1, while the Doctor feels superior to the Mark 2 in view of his experience, adventures and acquired knowledge. The EMH 2 at first refuses to co-operate with the Doctor, as regulations state that in these circumstances he must shut down and await rescue. He is also pessimistic about the chances of rescue since the Prometheus was designed to be faster than anything in the fleet. They are currently heading for Romulan space at warp factor 9.9. However, the Doctor overcomes the EMH 2's objections and they start to work together to stop the Romulans. They plan to use the ventilation system to distribute an anaesthetic gas. The EMH 2 goes into the Jefferies tube network with the gas canisters, while the Doctor must first access the environmental controls on the Bridge. The Doctor concocts a story about a virus to gain access to the controls, but Rekar is suspicious and when he finds the Doctor accessing controls and has not taken any scans, the Doctor is detained. Meanwhile, back on Voyager, everyone is quietly, if rather secretively, hopeful that the Doctor will be successful in reaching the Alpha Quadrant and reporting to Starfleet. Janeway started writing letters home a year ago, updates them just in case, and does another update, while Chakotay writes a letter to a cousin in Ohio. In the Astrometrics Lab, Torres, who has been often irritated by Seven's behaviour, such as locking the lab's doors as if she owned the place. She remonstrates with Seven, telling her that people are wary around her not because she was once Borg but because her manner is too abrupt. Idrin, a Hirogen, orders Janeway to cease using the link Voyager's link to the relay station is severed by the Hirogen, the species claiming ownership of the communications network. When the Hirogen officer fails to be persuaded by Janeway's diplomacy, Seven sends a mild shock to the Hirogen, giving them more time. It is a rare moment when Torres is impressed by Seven's approach a problem, and she starts to thaw towards her. In the Doctor's absence, Paris is in charge of Voyager's Sickbay and, being a pilot first and foremost, he is thoroughly bored. He persuades Kim to work on programming a substitute Emergency Medical Hologram, despite Kim's protest that it took the brightest minds in Starfleets years just to produce one. Kim produces a hologram that looks exactly like the Doctor and then starts to download data into its program. Paris wants to change its hairline and improve its bedside manner, but Kim defers these comparative non-priorities, and activates the replacement EMH. Unfortunately, the new EMH has factual knowledge only, starts reciting Gray's 'Anatomy', and soon overloads. Kim downloads the medical library masterfile containing the medical databases....for Paris. Left: Paris taps the replacement EMH on the head. Right: The replacement EMH starts reciting a medical textbook. On USS Prometheus, Rekar interrogates the Doctor who refuses to co-operate. Nevala arrives, with the news that makes the Romulans believe Starfleet has managed to get a holographic covert agent onto the ship. They prepare to carry out a detailed algorithm extraction on the Doctor, which would decompile him. interrogation As the Doctor contemplates imminent non-existence, suddenly gas suddenly pours from the ventilation system, sedating and incapacitating the enemy throughout the Prometheus. The EMH 2 transfers himself to see the Doctor, and explains to the that he simulated a bio-hazard, and the computer opened the ventilation system automatically. gas knocks out Rekar and Nevala, and all the Romulans on the Prometheus Now the two EMHs are faced with the challenge of flying the ship, which is heading into Romulan space, and they transfer to the Bridge where they are bewildered by the array of controls. The Doctor manages to recall something Paris once did, and stalls the starship. But he fails to bluff waiting Romulan warbirds, which open fire on the Prometheus. Then several Starfleet ships appear and attack the Romulans, but they also attack the Prometheus, thinking Romulans are still in command. As the EMH 2 contemplates the shortness of his life, he places a hand on the computer interface and accidentally initiates the multivector assault mode. The Doctor recognises the decoupling sequence. The Prometheus separates into the three separate modules. When the computer asks them to specify a target, they tell it the Romulans, whereupon the three Prometheus sections score a direct hit against one Romulan ship, causing the other warbirds to retreat. Starfleet personnel beam aboard, to find the ship has already been secured. The two EMHs are now firm friends and cannot praise each other highly enough. Left: Starfleet phasers strike the Prometheus' shields. Right: the Prometheus, in multivector assault mode, makes a powerful direct hit on a Romulan warbird. the two EMHs commend each other for a job well done A little later, the Doctor is transmitted back to Voyager where he conveys a message. Starfleet Headquarters is now aware of their predicament and is informing their families, and will do everything it can to bring Voyager safely home. Janeway is heartened - the distance from home, currently 60,000 light years, does not seem so much now. the Doctor, back on Voyager and with a message of hope from Starfleet      EMH 2: Four years? No wonder you're delusional. Your program's degrading after being active for so long. Doctor: I assure you I am in perfect health. I was saving Voyager from annihilation when you were only a gleam in your programmer's eye!    DOCTOR ON RETURNING TO VOYAGER: I spoke directly with headquarters. Apparently, Voyager was declared officially lost 14 months ago. I set the record straight. I told them everything that's happened to this crew. They said they would contact your families to tell them the news, and promised that they won't stop until they've found a way to get Voyager back home. And they asked me to relay a message: - they wanted you to know you're no longer alone. JANEWAY: Sixty thousand light years seems a little closer today.