To: Captain Kathryn Janeway, Starship Voyager, From: Emergency Medical Hologram, Starship Voyager, Topic: Status of Emergency Medical Hologram, Starship Voyager
I regret to inform you that I have been forced, by the actions of this crew and my treatment at their hands, to file a formal grievance.
It has become clear to me that I am not, as some insist on saying, a ‘valuable’ or ‘respected’ member of the crew. I have been routinely ignored and deactivated against my will, and despite having my mobile emitter I am nonetheless chained to it, like a slave in shackles.
To make matters worse, to rub salt in my proverbial wounds, as it were, the crew insists upon restating and reinforcing my subservient status through repeatedly preventing me from leaving the ship on tenuous grounds, as B’Elanna has done now by removing me from the away mission I was supposed to be assigned to. Though this is not the first time I have been disregarded and my needs neglected, enough is enough; I am the only one of my kind on this ship and I must stand up for myself.
This crew has demonstrated time and again failure to uphold the basic and foundational tennets of the Federation. This includes failure to acknowledge sentience, rude behavior, and more. Isn’t the Federation built upon the ideals of upholding, and celebrating, sentient life? And haven’t you insisted on upholding Federation values upon this ship? Then why am I continually treated as a second class citizen?
Given this behavior, I find myself uncertain about my future on voyager. My achievements here have been many. I have operated on completely alien life forms. I have been instrumental in helping Seven reintegrate with humanity. I have even developed new and cutting edge surgical techniques. Despite this I have not been given the same consideration for advancement as any other member of the crew would be. I have laid out a plan for my advancement below. I want to be treated as any other member of the crew and be given opportunities according to my ability. This is important not only for myself but for the Federation.
I propose an extension to my program to include emergency command subroutines. In the event that you are incapacitated and command structure breaks down this would allow me to take over as the Emergency Command Hologram. I understand that this would take some time to program, but in the interim I propose I shadow you, follow you in your duties as captain. To be privy to you thoughts on command and negotiation would greatly flesh out my future ECH subroutines, and would provide valuable data that could be integrated into my program.
All I’ve ever wanted was to live up to my full potential, to hone all my skills, expand my abilities, and to help the people I love.
I await your response, The Emergency Medical Hologram