Life Line (Star Trek: Voyager)
| "Life Line" | |
|---|---|
| Star Trek: Voyager episode | |
| Episode no. | Season 6 Episode 24 |
| Directed by | Terry Windell |
| Story by |
John Bruno Robert Picardo |
| Teleplay by | Robert Doherty Raf Green Brannon Braga |
| Featured music | Dennis McCarthy |
| Production code | 243 |
| Original air date | May 10, 2000 |
| Guest appearance(s) | |
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"Life Line" is the 24th episode from the sixth season of Star Trek: Voyager, the 144th episode overall. It is one of few episodes in the Star Trek universe in which characters from different Star Trek storylines overlap. Reginald Barclay and Deanna Troi from Star Trek: The Next Generation make appearances, and in addition Jean-Luc Picard is twice mentioned by Troi but not seen. This is also one of the few episodes where a character actually arrives in the Alpha Quadrant, and the only Voyager episode which has a cast member receiving a writing credit.
Voyager receives a message from Starfleet Command via the improved subspace radio amplifier, stating they believe they have found a way to bring Voyager back to the Alpha Quadrant within five to six years instead of the decades they had before them. Elated, the crew send back data regarding their journey to date. In Starfleet's reply, they learn that Lewis Zimmerman, the creator of the Doctor's Emergency Medical Hologram program, is dying and no Starfleet medical personal can determine the reason. The Doctor expresses that because of his experiences in the Delta Quadrant, he may have more insight to Zimmerman's condition, and asks to have his program transferred via subspace to help.
After eliminating several of his extraneous subroutines to reduce the program size, the Doctor is sent to a space station orbiting near Jupiter. The station has been Zimmerman's home for the last four years, where he spent much time researching hologram technology, and the entire facility is enabled to allow the Doctor and Zimmerman's holographic female servant, Haley, full reign. The Doctor meets with Reginald Barclay who has been assigned to help Zimmerman before meeting his creator in person. Zimmerman quickly proves to be old and cankerous, looking down on the Doctor as one of his earlier, outdated Mark I programs that are now all resigned to perform menial jobs. The Doctor attempts to prove his value to allow examination, but Zimmerman ignores him, and even one point manipulating the Doctor's program to make him his pet for a few hours. The Doctor grows frustrated in trying to help, and the two stop speaking to each other.
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