Projections (episode)

From Memory Alpha, the free Star Trek reference.

"Projections"
VOY, Episode 2x03 Production number: 117 First aired: 11 September 1995
←	16th of 168 produced in VOY	→
←	18th of 168 released in VOY	→
	{{{nNthReleasedInSeries_Remastered}}}th of 168 released in VOY Remastered
←	374th of 726 released in all	→
Written By Brannon Braga Directed By Jonathan Frakes
48892.1 (2371)
	Arc: {{{wsArc0Desc}}} ({{{nArc0PartNumber}}} of {{{nArc0PartCount}}})
	Arc: {{{wsArc1Desc}}} ({{{nArc1PartNumber}}} of {{{nArc1PartCount}}})
	Arc: {{{wsArc2Desc}}} ({{{nArc2PartNumber}}} of {{{nArc2PartCount}}})
	Arc: {{{wsArc3Desc}}} ({{{nArc3PartNumber}}} of {{{nArc3PartCount}}})
	Arc: {{{wsArc4Desc}}} ({{{nArc4PartNumber}}} of {{{nArc4PartCount}}})

The Doctor is informed that he is actually Lewis Zimmerman, the creator of the EMH, he is trapped on a holographic Voyager on Jupiter Station, and his whole Voyager experience was on a holodeck.

Contents 1 Summary 2 Log Entries 3 Memorable Quotes 4 Background Information 4.1 Video and DVD releases 5 Links and References 5.1 Main Cast 5.2 Special Guest Star 5.3 Co-Stars 5.4 Uncredited Co-Stars 5.5 References 5.5.1 Other references

[edit] Summary

The Doctor materializes in an empty sickbay, but he finds no one present. Unable to contact anyone, he asks the computer who is in command and learns that no one is aboard. Suddenly, though, Torres enters sickbay, explaining that the ship had been attacked by a Kazon starship. After she readies holo-projectors in other rooms, The Doctor is able to enter the bridge, and revive Captain Janeway. The Doctor then responds to a call for help from Neelix. After helping Neelix subdue a Kazon, The Doctor finds that his scans show no vital signs in any of the seemingly alive crew members. To his surprise, The Doctor also realizes that he has been injured and is bleeding.

Back in sickbay, The Doctor finds that there is no EMH program aboard, and his scans show him to be a living being. Reginald Barclay appears and informs The Doctor he is actually Lewis Zimmerman, currently working on Jupiter Station, and trapped in a malfunctioning holoprogram. The Doctor is told that Zimmerman created a USS Voyager program to study the long term effects of deep-space isolation. He programmed only two possible endings to the program: success or destruction. Barclay tries to convince The Doctor that he is Zimmerman and being in the holodeck is killing him. He needs to end the program so he can survive. The Doctor, faced with the decision of destroying Voyager, endeavors to get proof of Barclay's claim.

The Doctor finds himself back at the moment when Voyager finds itself in the Delta Quadrant; Barclay explains that they cannot stop the program, only reset it. The Doctor deletes the Paris and Kim holograms. After The Doctor questions Barclay, the man responds that indeed, he had programmed Paris to be annoying, like Barclay's cousin, Frank. The Doctor concludes that he must destroy the main holographic matrix. That will stop all holographic programs and prove once and for all that The Doctor is not a hologram, and is indeed Zimmerman.

The Doctor arrives in main engineering to find Captain Janeway. She promptly asks how he is in engineering and who Barclay is. The Doctor tries to delete Janeway but it doesn't work. Barclay explains that the protocols are freezing up and no longer working, including the safety protocols. Faced with an angry Janeway and armed security officers, The Doctor attempts to explain himself then tells Janeway they are about to be transported to the Caretaker's Array. The crew begins to get transported to the Array and Janeway looks at The Doctor wide eyed.

With the crew gone, The Doctor destroys the holomatrix and is surprised to see he is still there. He promptly asks the computer if any holographic programs are running and the computer replies that none are. Barclay tells The Doctor that ending the holographic programs on a ship that is itself a holographic program is futile; he has to destroy the warp core (necessary for the destruction of the ship, and therefore the program ending) and hands him a phaser.

As The Doctor is preparing to fire at the warp core, Chakotay appears and tells The Doctor to stop. The commander explains that The Doctor is on the holodeck on Voyager and had taken a day off at the suggestion of Captain Janeway. They passed through a radiation field and it disrupted the holodeck, trapping him there. The pain he is feeling is his memory circuits being destroyed. Chakotay urges The Doctor to wait because they almost have the problem fixed.

The Doctor falls to the ground in pain and a Human Kes appears, telling him that she is being projected from the Jupiter Station and saying how much she loves him and doesn't want her "husband" to die. Chakotay states that every person is a result of memories colliding.

The Doctor wakes up in sickbay and says, mumbling as he wakes, how beautiful Kes is. He is embarrassed to learn that Kes is standing over him and heard everything he said. Kim and Tuvok explain that they had retrieved him from the holodeck, then exit the room. The Doctor goes to continue the catalog he started that morning. Kes starts questioning him on what he said and asks him if he meant it. With The Doctor making polite excuses, Kes presumes that he doesn't love her anymore and their "marriage" is over. Thoroughly confused, The Doctor's consciousness wavers. He feels a hand on his shoulder and turns, only to see Paris, appearing as he did on the first day The Doctor was activated and also earlier that day with Barclay. Another hand on his shoulder, and his vision changes. He turns in circles, seeing experiences from his time on Voyager until he finds an image of himself or Zimmerman on a bed.

The Doctor suddenly finds himself in the holodeck grid. Captain Janeway is there and asks him if he knows who he is, and where he is. Though he was unsure of his true identity during the holodeck problem, he answers both decisively, and is transferred back to sickbay.

This time The Doctor is truly back, and tells Kes of his adventures, keeping in mind that Kes is his assistant, not wife. Kes laughs and warns The Doctor not to tell Neelix, as he might get jealous. "It will be our secret!" she cautions.

[edit] Log Entries

• (log entry made by Captain Kathryn Janeway)

• ...heavy casualties. The warp core is going critical and the ejection system is off-line. I’ve ordered all personnel to abandon ship. Lieutenant Torres and I are…

• 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 was forced to abandon ship. It would therefore seem that my usefulness has come to an end. I am terminating my program. If anyone finds this log, I can be reactivated by...

[edit] Memorable Quotes

"Computer, delete Paris."

- The Doctor

"He looks a lot like me. In fact, he looks exactly like me. Computer, is this me?"

"Affirmative"

- The Doctor and the Computer, upon seeing the personnel file for Lewis Zimmerman

"It doesn't matter what you're made of, what matters is who you are. You are our friend, and we want you back."

- Commander Chakotay

"The array you discovered is controlled by an entity you will come to know as the Caretaker... or, Banjo-Man."

- The Doctor

[edit] Background Information

• The TNG episode "Remember Me" features a similar plot device, with Beverly Crusher finding herself alone aboard the Enterprise and having to figure out her situation through conversation with the computer.
• This is the first appearance of Reginald Barclay on the series, although not the real Barclay, and his future appearances on the show make no reference to this episode at all.
• Like "The 37's", this episode was produced for the first season, but held back.
• This was the first (in production order) of three episodes of Star Trek: Voyager to be directed by Jonathan Frakes, who would also appear briefly as Riker in "Death Wish".
• As Tom Paris did in "Parallax", Barclay refers to Voyager using the definitive article 'the' several times.
• The crew's data in the Doctor's fantasy/illusion is stored in memory block 47 alpha.
• This episode is a bottle show.

[edit] Video and DVD releases

• UK VHS release (two-episode tapes, CIC Video): Volume 1.9, catalogue number VHR 4009, 4 December 1995.

CIC Video released the four season 1 "hold-over" episodes in their production order, as part of the first season release. This is the first episode in Volume 1.9, which continues with "Elogium". Volume 2.1 begins with "Initiations".

• As part of the VOY Season 2 DVD collection.

[edit] Links and References

[edit] Main Cast

• Kate Mulgrew as Captain Kathryn Janeway
• Robert Beltran as Commander Chakotay
• Roxann Biggs-Dawson as Lieutenant B'Elanna Torres
• Jennifer Lien as Kes/"Kes Zimmerman"
• Robert Duncan McNeill as Lieutenant Tom Paris
• Ethan Phillips as Neelix
• Robert Picardo as The Doctor/Lewis Zimmerman
• Tim Russ as Lieutenant Tuvok
• Garrett Wang as Ensign Harry Kim

[edit] Special Guest Star

• Dwight Schultz as Barclay

[edit] Co-Stars

• Majel Barrett as the Computer Voice

[edit] Uncredited Co-Stars

• Kerry Hoyt as Fitzpatrick

[edit] References

autonomic response analysis; "Banjo Man"; Caretaker; coronary bypass; crew manifest; dilithium matrix; Emergency Medical Hologram; Frank; frying pan; Holo-Doc; holo-engineer; holomatrix; holographic emitter; Holo Transference Dementia Syndrome (HTDS); Jupiter Station; Jupiter Station Holoprogramming Center; Jarvis; Kaplan (Doctor); Kazon; kinoplasmic radiation; life pod; magnetic constrictor; medkit; memory circuit; neotrinate; Nondoran tomato paste; Ocampa; Parsons, Michael; plasma relay; plasma torpedo; power relay; Predator-class; pus hog; snake; subspace anomaly

[edit] Other references

Cabot, Zayra; Canamar, Valerie; Charnock, Ed; Chattaway, Jay; Chess, Joe; Chichester, John; Christenberry, Ian; Chronister, Richard; Codron, Art; Curry, Dan; D'Angelo, Dick; DeMeritt, Michael; Djanrelian, Jon; Dorton, Louise; Livingston, David; Lowry Johnson, Junie; Madalone, Dennis; Magdaleno, Jim; Mayer, Michael; McCarthy, Dennis; McKay, Shawn; McKnight, Scott; Mees, Jim; Patricia Miller; Moore, Ronald B.; Moore, Tom; Mossler, Helen; Nelson, Greg; Nemecek, Janet; Speckman, Gary; Sternbach, Rick; Stimson, Mark; Stipes, David; Stotler, Simon; Stradling, Michael; Surma, Ron; Taylor, Jeri; Thomas, Jamie; Thoms, Wil; Torres, B'Elanna

Previous episode: "Initiations"

Star Trek: Voyager Season 2

Next episode: "Elogium"