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File:ECHinEngineering.jpg

The ECH in engineering

The Emergency Command Hologram (ECH) is an extension of the USS Voyager's Emergency Medical Hologram, first imagined in one of the Doctor's fantasies. The program was eventually implemented by Captain Kathryn Janeway on Voyager.

The extension was first envisioned by the Doctor after he had added daydreaming subroutines to his program in 2376. His initial request to Captain Janeway for the subroutine to be added to his program was denied, but after the Doctor demonstrated his abilities in practice, Janeway reconsidered and ordered research into the Doctor's command abilities. (VOY: "Tinker, Tenor, Doctor, Spy")

Janeway added the command subroutines to the Doctor in 2377 when tetryon radiation forced everyone to abandon ship. After the ship was abandoned, but before the Doctor could begin repairs, Voyager was attacked. He and the computer disabled one ship and evaded the others by hiding in a nebula. He managed to begin repairs, but life support was not yet online when Chakotay, Harry Kim and Neelix returned from an away mission. (VOY: "Workforce, Part I")

After Chakotay and Neelix went to find the rest of the crew, Harry and the Doctor disagreed about who was superior to the other. In one battle with the Quarren, the Doctor called up information about a Romulan battle from his tactical database, leading him to use a photonic shockwave against the ships, before retreating. But in the final battle against the Quarren it was Harry's plan to sabotage three escape pods and detonate them once in the enemies' tractor beams that saved Voyager. This provided a lesson to the Doctor about experience. He realized that he was needed on Voyager as a medic more than as a commander, and made peace with Harry before handing back command to a rescued Captain Janeway. (VOY: "Workforce, Part II").

During a trial on the rights of The Doctor prompted when his holonovel was published without his permission in 2377, Kathryn Janeway cited the ECH extension in the Doctor's favor. (VOY: "Author, Author")

In 2378, the Doctor, disguised as Chakotay, used Chakotay's codes to transform himself into the ECH. As the ECH, the Doctor had authorization to eject the warp core, which he did. He then escaped from the ship aboard the Delta Flyer II with the warp core to exchange it with the Hierarchy for Captain Janeway's freedom. (VOY: "Renaissance Man")

The future of the ECH concept following the Voyager's return to the Alpha Quadrant is unclear. There is an obvious potential in this technology for Starfleet, but it is unlikely that many Captains would relish the concept.
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