I do not own star trek voyager or its characters.
This story takes place during "Message in a Bottle," between the time the Doctor and the EMH mark 2 retake the Prometheus and when the Doctor returns to Voyager.
I hope you like it and enjoy!
Chapter 1: Getting Through to the Hope
Ensign James Markins materialized on the bridge USS Prometheus, not sure what to expect. According to sensors, no one was in that area, which made him fear some sort of sensor problem. He had expected to see a Romulan that had switched sides or something, but not this.
Standing by the captain's chair were two Starfleet officers in medical blue and one of which was wearing an outdated uniform. He and his comrade--Lieutenant Conroy--lowered their weapons, not prepared to shoot two Starfleet officer. He examined them and one of them seemed familiar, but he wasn't sure how that was.
All that he did know was that they seemed pleased with themselves. They must have taken the ship back from Romulan control, but how? Why would the Romulans leave two starfleet officers alive? And why was one in an outdated uniform?
"Identify yourself," Lieutenant Conroy said. Markins watched as the two smiled at each other. They seemed to be fighting over how would go first with a chorus of "you first" s. Markins knew something had to be wrong with these officers. Finally, the one in the current uniform spoke.
"I am an EMH mark two. The first of my kind," he said. Then he turned toward his comrade. "It was thanks to his genius we were able to retake the ship from Romulan control.
"Yes, well I can thank my years of experience for that. I am an EMH mark one, from the USS Voyager." Markins looked at the EMH mark one and laughed.
"Voyager, huh? This just proves how much we need the mark two."
"I'll have you know that I am the Chief Medical Officer aboard Voyager and that if weren't from my medical expertise, Voyager and her crew would not be in its current state of perfect health." Markins continued laughing.
"Have you had a diagnostic lately? Voyager has been declared officially missing. And if you're not malfunctioning, stop spreading lies!" Markins did not like talking about Voyager. It was his least favorite topic. He also didn't like how this outdated EMH was studying him.
"What is your name?" That caught Markins off guard. So he told the mark one and watched as his face flashed with recognition. "If I am not mistaken, Ensign Wildman has a younger sister who married a man at the Academy, a man named James Markins." That was all the proof he needed to know this was a spy. A poorly chosen one at that.
Lieutenant Conroy could tell Markins was ready to explode. His sister-in-law had been on Voyager when it was lost and this "know-it-all" EMH was taunting him.
"Look, we'll have our chief engineer run a diagnostic. Until then, we need to call our captain," Conroy said. He hit his combadge and opened a channel to the bridge of the USS Hope. "Captain, we have the situation here under control. The reason we were detecting no life signs on the bridge was because the ship had be taken over by a couple of EMHs."
EMHs? Captain Starth thought. Although he didn't know how, he wanted to see this for himself. "I'm beaming over. In what state are the Romulans?" He expected to here from Conroy but instead he heard the voice of and EMH mark one. Their voice was unmistakable.
"We administered a drug in gaseous form the sedate them. They should be out for a while."
"Alright. I'll be over there in a few minutes." And with that, Captain Starth left his first officer in command and headed toward the transporter room. He wanted to see what was going on.
He materialized on the bridge of the Prometheus and saw two EMHs. The mark one was obviously the one in the outdated uniform, which he noted as odd. All the mark ones had been reprogramed with the current uniform, like the EMH standing next to him. Looking at the other EMH, he noted it must be the new mark two. He walked over to them, questions in mind.
"How did you get here?" He knew the mark two had been programed into the ship but the mark one was not.
"It's a long story but I was sent here from a ship in the delta quadrant using alien technology."
"Delta Quadrant?" Starth asked. "There are no ships in the delta quadrant."
"That," the mark one said, "is where you are wrong. Four years ago, the USS Voyager went on a mission to the Badlands and was abducted by an alien known as the Caretaker. This Caretaker had been searching for a mate from all over the galaxy, stealing ships and then abandoning them in the delta quadrant."
"Wait," Starth said. "Are you telling me Voyager and her crew are alive?"
"For the most part. There were some casualties and now Voyager's crew consists of Starfleet, ex-Maquis, a Talaxian, a former Borg drone, and is home to one child. Captain Janeway is determined not to rest until Voyager returns home."
Starth couldn't believe it. Captain Janeway. He looked at the EMH and knew he wanted his chief engineer to run a diagnostic. If this EMH weren't malfunctioning, then it gave the rest of them hope.
"Alright, mark one, I'll have my chief medical officer examine your program. If she finds you're telling the truth, I'll call Starfleet command."
"Thank you," the mark one said. Starth hit his combadge and gave the necessary orders. He was still amazed at what the mark one had said. He had never heard an EMH say thank you, ever. It wasn't in their programing or so he believed.
--
Commander Jane Paris examined the EMH mark one with amazement. She had never seen an EMH like this before--and the USS Hope had seen--and overworked--its fair share of mark ones. She didn't care that Captain Starth was looking over her shoulder the entire time. It was just too fascinating.
When she was done, she left the EMH in the Prometheus's Sickbay and walked outside with her captain.
"Report," he said. he had heard her murmuring while examining and hoped she would have something constructive to say.
"It's amazing sir. I have never seen an EMH like it. If it's made by an enemy, they went well out of their way to be accurate. It has been active for four years and has all the memory files to back it up. It can turn itself off--something not in the mark one's original programing--and it has subroutines that no standard EMH would ever need."
"Such as?"
"Singing, dancing, painting, and other hobbies. Just by glancing at the memory files, it's obviously not a hoax. That EMH is the CMO of the USS Voyager. He's done extraordinary things, from making additions to his own programing to going on away missions, to de-borgifing a borg drone."
"OK, OK, I get the picture. So I guess we call Starfleet now?"
"We should have called hours ago. This is a genuine miracle." She smiled at him, then entered Sickbay again. She faced the mark one and smiled at him. "Can I call you Doctor?"
"It's better than 'mark one,'" he said. "I would like to know when I can contact Starfleet Command. I really would like to go back to Voyager and my Sickbay before Mr. Paris wrecks it."
Jane Paris looked at him. She had seen the name "Tom" multiple times but she had not realized who Tom was.
"Are you talking about Thomas Eugene Paris?" she asked hopefully.
"As a matter of fact, I am. Do you know him?"
"He's my little brother. I can't believe you managed to make him a medical officer and not put him at the helm," she said.
"It was difficult but since he had the most advanced medical training after our medical staff was lost, I had to train him to become Chief Medic. However, I am glad he executes his duties as Chief helmsman better than as a medic or Voyager would be in trouble." Jane laughed at that, knowing this mark one could not be talking about anyone besides her brother.
Captain Starth decided now was as good as time as any to interrupt. "if any of you would like to join me, I am going to the bridge to contact Starfleet Command."
That got their attention. The mark one and his chief engineer were walking out of Sickbay in a heartbeat.
To Be Continued . . .
what do you think? please comment! i'll try to be as quick as i can for the next chapter. fingers crossed for no internet problems!