It is said that after their withdrawal from normal service, the EMH-1s went to waste-barges. And since the mobile holo-emitter is not yet known in the 24th century, one can logically assume that: a) hundreds (thousands?) of waste-barges were fitted with ship-wide holo-emitters, wich costs a lot of resources (not to mention the power-usage) or b) waste barges of a certain type were already built with holo-emitters, and some sort of the Emergency Waste Barge Worker served on them. But in this case, why transfer programs that were designed for medical use to waste-barges, if they could've just adapted the older program?
So, this could mean that in times of war, Starfleet spend a lot of work on transferring EMH-1s to waste barges, and refitting these barges. Any theories on this? (Timo? )
I'd imagine that it could be a standing joke of the time, in that carrer field, that the EMH-1s were so well liked that they should have been used as such, plus Doc Z. was kind of a prick, so it was also an insult to him personally. The expense, in time, material, and labor, wouldn't have been made at anytime, let alone during a war like that. Bearly holding on and all. Some may have been fitted before the war for extreme hazzardous waste, with the holomitters already there, giving a basis for the joke/insult.
------------------ "One's ethics are determined by what we do when no one is looking"
Posted by Mark Nguyen (Member # 469) on :
If there's one thing that Starfleet has done while Voyager's been away, that Voyager HASN'T been able to do, is the quick installation of holoemitters in places they shouldn't be. We've seen them installed on DS9 in "Dr. Bashir, I Presume?" and "Statistical Probabilities" within the context of the episode, and without any changes to the sets (in "Statistical Probabilities", they even install emitters in a cargo bay!).
Looks like Starfleet got over the problems of holo emitters shortly after Voyager left home, and equipping a bunch of otherwise unmanned waste scows isn't terribly tough. I'd think that if the Doctor loses his mobile emitter by the end of the show, at worst he'll lose the ability to go do location shooting.
Mark
------------------ "Why build one, when you can build two at twice the price?"
- Carl Sagan, "Contact"
Posted by TSN (Member # 31) on :
I forget... Was it stated what the EMH's were doing on the waste barges? Perhaps they were still working as EMH's, in which case only the sickbays of the barges would need to be equipped w/ holoemitters.
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Posted by Sol System (Member # 30) on :
A job was mentioned, and it essentially involved sweeping floors, but I can't remember what it was exactly.
They were scrubbing warp coolant systems or something similar...
------------------ "This is cooling, faster than I can..." Tori Amos "Cooling"
Posted by Timo (Member # 245) on :
Well, it seems obvious to me: we have already seen a standard Federation waste barge up close. And yes, it comes equipped with holographic systems.
What else would that holoship in "Insurrection" have been? The holosystems are there obviously because in the 24th century, garbage isn't allowed to look like garbage. To be environmentally acceptable, it has to be holo-camouflaged to something else entirely - ergo, dedicated barges with huge holo-equipped holds.
Timo Saloniemi
Posted by Nim (Member # 205) on :
I thought the holoship was a prototype.
Are the wastebarge-holo's allowed to have pets? Perhaps even blowfish?
------------------ Here lies a toppled god, His fall was not a small one. We did but build his pedestal, A narrow and a tall one.
-Tleilaxu Epigram
Posted by AndrewR (Member # 44) on :
Maybe the barges are lined with a large holographic garbage bag that just disappears when they dump the stuff... no nasty plastics you see
------------------ "This is cooling, faster than I can..." Tori Amos "Cooling"
Posted by Dukhat (Member # 341) on :
One wonders why there would be a need for waste extraction barges anyway. Couldn't you just vaporize trash with a phaser?
Timo, I also had the idea that the holoship could have been a waste barge. Since they have the CGI model, TPTB could use it as one if there was ever a Voyager ep made about the EMH's fate (although there probably won't be).
------------------ "Although I do not know how World War III will be fought, I do know how World War IV will be fought - with rocks and clubs." -Albert Einstein
Posted by Teelie (Member # 280) on :
There are some materials phasering would likely cause to explode, or catch fire. Then there's the radioactive and dangerous materials associated with warp cores.
The most reasonable thing would be to have someone/thing that is immune to the hazards of what a waste barges likely do carry but transferring the EMH Mark One doesn't make sense unless the original holograms went on strike or wanted wages.
Posted by Nim (Member # 205) on :
Maybe some waste-products in that era is more useful being recycled and utilized for other purposes. We all know there are SOME things that can't be replicated.
------------------ Here lies a toppled god, His fall was not a small one. We did but build his pedestal, A narrow and a tall one.
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