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When Earth's "Pathfinder Project"
transmits its first block of data to Voyager, the Doctor
receives disturbing news — Lewis Zimmerman, the creator of
modern holography and the Doctor's program, is dying.
Hoping to save this "father" he
never met, whose likeness he shares, the Doctor's program is
transmitted back to the Alpha Quadrant.
Instead of being pleased with the Doctor's attempts to help, Doc
Zimmerman is completely standoffish. Zimmerman tells the Doctor
that he is simply a Mark One hologram. He has been examined by
the Mark Two, Mark Three and Mark Four, in addition to the
finest "real" doctors in Starfleet, and none of them have been
able to help him. Barclay points out that the Doctor has been
running almost continuously for six years and that he has seen
things that most doctors couldn't even imagine. Zimmerman
eventually becomes frustrated with all of the Doctor's
questioning and he abruptly instructs the computer to transmit
the Doctor to the living quarters.
Meanwhile, Barclay pleads with Counselor Troi to return from the
U.S.S. Enterprise in order to counsel Doc Zimmerman. However,
when she does show up, things seem to be worse between the two
doctors. Troi tries to convince Zimmerman that the Doctor has
developed a promising treatment.
While the arguing continues between the Doctor and Zimmerman,
Barclay discovers a problem with the Doctor's program. His
program is unraveling and there is nothing that Barclay can do
because the damage is too severe. Zimmerman is the only one who
can save the Doctor, but of course he refuses to help a
"replaceable" computer program.
In an attempt to convince him to help the Doctor, Zimmerman's
right-hand hologram Haley tells him that she will ask to be
installed elsewhere unless he does something to save the Doctor.
Zimmerman successfully identifies an error within the Doctor's
pattern buffer. Thankfully, the Doctor is able to stop him from
changing his personality subroutine as well. In the process, the
two seem to make peace with each other and Doc Zimmerman finally
agrees to treatment. |
