Author, Author (episode)

The Doctor completes work on a holonovel that depicts the crew of Voyager in rather unflattering roles as they abuse and scorn the Emergency Medical Hologram. When the holonovel is published without his permission, the issue of The Doctor's legal rights is brought into question. Seven reconnects with her aunt.

Teaser
The Doctor is writing a holonovel about himself, Photons Be Free.

Act One
The highly anticipated Operation Watson, allowing a intergalactic com link to exist between USS Voyager and Starfleet is a success. It's up to Janeway to allocate the com time, which is 11 minutes a day. She arranges a lottery. Harry Kim, wanting to surprise his mother, isn't so lucky; his slot is 6 weeks later. He tries to trade with The Doctor for his slot which is today, but The Doctor won't budge. Harry has more success with Tom Paris who offers up his spot, which comes within 2 days.

The Doctor uses his time to communicate with his publisher about the holonovel he sent earlier. After the 3 minutes are up Seven promptly cuts off the feed, irritating The Doctor. Later The Doctor boasts to Tom he has spoken with Ardon Broht, a well known publisher of holonovels. And is willing to have Tom take a look at his work and sends him off covering the rest of his shift in the sickbay.

After getting bored listening to the introduction, Tom skips to the first chapter. He is suddenly propelled into sickbay portraying an EMH with wounded personnel pouring in. A character resembling Chakotay, with a different facial tattoo and a Bajoran earring, is supporting a character resembling Paris himself, but with a mustache. This one is called Marseilles. "Chakotay" tells the doctor to treat "Marseilles" first. The doctor refuses because another person is in more immediate danger. When the "Captain Jenkins", the analog to Captain Janeway, comes in, she eventually kills the other patient so the doctor can treat "Marseilles" leaving Paris at a loss for words.

Act Two
In the mess hall he shares his experience with Neelix, Torres and Kim. Everyone is in it, but with other names and other personalities. Everyone thinks Tom is overreacting so he challenges them to play the holonovel themselves.

In Chapter 5 Torres has to use a backpack sized mobile emitter and finds "Marseilles" using Sickbay as a means to cheat on his "wife" with the "Delaney sisters". In Chapter 6 Neelix finds "himself" convicted to a reprogramming. Then in Chapter 7 Kim escapes his escorts "Tulak" and "Kymble" on the way to engineering with the help of "Three of Eight". In Chapter 8 Janeway finds herself decompiled despite a plea by "Three of Eight". The Doctor/Narrator then makes a note, saying this is fiction in an attempt to portray the struggles holograms have to endure in world controlled by organics

The Captain summons The Doctor to her readyroom.

Act Three
Here the crewmen address their issues with The Doctor's creation. Their biggest issue is the fact that The Doctor changed the names of crew mates only slightly and used their physical parameters as a base for the characters, making only superficial changes to their appearance and names. Their personalities, however, bear no resemblance to the USS Voyager crew. The Doctor doesn't budge.

When Harry's face-to-face time comes with his parents, his connection gets severed halfway by interference of a solar flare. Harry is irritated and when Seven tells him he’ll have another chance in two months, he tells her she wouldn't understand, not having a yearning for relatives on Earth.

When The Doctor runs his holonovel to fine tune it he finds that Tom Paris has switched the file with his own holonovel. This holonovel portrays a doctor aboard the USS Voyeur who cares nothing for patients he cannot seduce and pursues his own recreational activities while forcing his duties off onto the medic, Tom's role. It starts off with the doctor telling the real Doctor that he is late, by a matter of just a few seconds. He then goes over to "Two of Three", and hastily scans her, then drugs her. The physical appearance of this doctor holocharacter is, of course, nearly identical to The Doctor.

The Doctor is appalled and confronts Paris, who throws The Doctor's own logic that the character was not based on The Doctor back at him. The Doctor does not seem swayed and Paris relents and tells him where to find the backup copy of the original holonovel.

Act Four
After Neelix provides comforting advice (he was the only viewer to enjoy the holonovel), The Doctor realizes that he needs to alter the holocharacters to not cast doubt on the reputations of his friend.

He gets his publisher to agree and tells the crewmembers.

During a face to face time with her father, Torres with Paris at her side finds that her father wants to reconnect. Torres tells her father she will write, with Seven observing in the background.

On Earth Barclay brings the rough draft of the holonovel to Admiral Paris' attention, which apparently has already been published. The admiral informs the Captain.

Outraged, The Doctor demands an explanation from the publisher, who makes the claim that since The Doctor is not a person, he has no rights as author of the novel.

Act Five
Tuvok informs the crew of the legal dilemma. While strictly speaking The Doctor has no right, Tuvok thinks the prematurely released holonovel could be suppressed by claiming classified information. Paris disagrees, because that would surely give the impression that there is truth in the story. Defamation of character is mentioned. The Captain finally decides to try something else.

This results in a Federation tribunal to determine The Doctor's rights carried out across the thirteen or so minutes of communication that can be managed each day. Captain Janeway brings in various members of the crew as witnesses to The Doctor's claim of person-hood.

While waiting for the arbitrator's decision. Seven offers her face to face time to Harry telling him she understands his yearning. He however tells her to contact a family member of her own. She mentions her father's sister, Irene Hansen, whom she contacts later much to the delight of her aunt Irene.

In the end, the arbitrator leaves the decision of whether or not The Doctor is a person as out of the scope of the case, however, he does declare that the legal definition of "artist" encompasses The Doctor, and as such The Doctor has full rights concerning the distribution of his holonovel.

Unfortunately, the novel has already been seen by thousands. The consequences of this for the crew are not clear. However, in a Federation mining colony four months later where hundreds of EMH Mark I's are engaged in mining operations, one is told to report for his recurring maintenance by another EMH, who recommends running The Doctor's holo-novel.

Log Entries

 * "Captain's log, stardate 54732.3. It's been three weeks since we received Starfleet's instructions in the last data stream. We're finally ready to begin Operation Watson. We're all holding our breath."


 * "Chief medical officer's personal log, stardate 54740.8. Although the decision has made me unpopular with the crew, I've decided not to compromise my work. I'm making some final revisions to the program before transmitting it."


 * "Captain's log, stardate 54748.6. A Federation arbitrator has been assigned to determine whether The Doctor has the right to control his artistic creation. Because of our limited com time with Earth, the arguments should take about three days."

Memorable Quotes
"This is outrageous!"

"What's outrageous is that I'm going to miss my tee time."
 * - The Doctor and Paris's fictional doctor

"Your program is about as subtle as a Ferengi mating dance!"
 * - Paris, about The Doctor's holoprogram

"I could use your help with the rewrites."

"Really?! Well, you realize, as a writer, I'm a little unsophisticated."

"No, I believe the phrase you're looking for is low-brow."
 * - The Doctor and Paris

"Sorry, it's just frustrating to hear that I have no more legal standings than a replicator."
 * - The Doctor

"I would never have believed that an EMH could become a valued member of my crew, and my friend. The Doctor is a person as real as any flesh and blood I have ever known."
 * - Janeway

"The Doctor exhibits many of the traits we associate with a person. Intelligence, creativity, ambition, even fallibility, but are these traits real or is The Doctor merely programmed to simulate them? To be honest, I don't know. Eventually we will have to decide because the issue of holographic rights isn't going to go away, but at this time, I am not prepared to rule that The Doctor is a person under the law. However, it is obvious he is no ordinary hologram and while I can't say with certainty that he is a person I am willing to extend the legal definition of artist to include The Doctor. I therefore rule that he has the right to control his work and I'm ordering all copies of his holo-novels to be recalled immediately."
 * - Arbitrator

"Ask the operator to run Program Forty-Seven Beta."

"Why? What is it?"

"It's called Photons Be Free. It's quite provocative."
 * - EMH Mark I telling another EMH Mark I in the dilithium mines about The Doctor's novel

"As far as I know captain, you haven't executed any of my patients."
 * - The Doctor, to Captain Janeway

"Chapter one: It's the doctor's world, you're just living in it."
 * - Tom Paris, narrating his version of The Doctor's novel

"This Captain Janeway sounds like such a lovely woman. Maybe I should write her!"

"MOM!"


 * - Mary Kim and Harry Kim

"Doctor, I need your help."

"Unless you're suffering acute symptoms, go away."
 * - Neelix and The Doctor

"I made myself clear. But The Doctor disobeyed my direct orders. In the process, he endangered the ship, and crew."

"Hardly commendable behavior."

"No, it wasn't. But it was Human."
 * - Janeway and Arbitrator

"It hurts when I do this."

"Well then, don't do it."


 * - Two of Three and Paris' fictional Doctor

Continuity

 * In this episode, Voyager's crew complement is given as 146 (including The Doctor).
 * This episode reveals that B'Elanna Torres did not personally name her Toby the targ stuffed animal mentioned in the previous season's . Toby is actually a popular children's holoprogram character published by Broht & Forrester.
 * As in the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode, the rights of non-organic lifeforms are at issue in this episode. While it had been determined that Data, although being a machine, was not Starfleet property and thus had the right to choose what to do with his life (and thus could most likely be considered a person), it seems the whole process had to be repeated for The Doctor and fellow holograms. The situation here is even more complex than with Data, since Data was a unique single being who was not created by Starfleet (he was found by Starfleet personnel), while holograms were programmed and designed by Starfleet and integrated into ships, space stations and other Starfleet property. In the end, it is not acknowledged in this episode that The Doctor is a person, but he is rather granted the status of an artist.
 * Tuvok's fictional counterpart, Tulak, sports a goatee, not unlike the $𝜇$ in . Tulak, however, is not a Vulcan, since he has no pointed ears.
 * The Doctor mentions that Janeway has never executed any of his patients as he knows. This ignores the events of, where Janeway in one sense executed Tuvix.
 * This is one of the few episodes of Voyager in which the Occupation of Bajor is mentioned.

Behind the Scenes

 * This is the last episode of the series to be directed by David Livingston.
 * This was the 600th live action episode of Star Trek produced. Both this episode and the 700th live action episode were written by Mike Sussman. According to Sussman, on his Memory Alpha User Talk page, this episode was "a tough episode to write but [he] thought it turned out nicely". In an interview for StarTrek.com, Sussman said of this episode, "'Author, Author' is probably my favorite Voyager script. The Doctor writes a holonovel, a roman à clef that portrays the Voyager crew in a less than flattering light. The heart of the story was The Doctor's struggle to be accepted as a legitimate writer and a regular person. Bob Picardo really made that episode and he brought the funny – you could give Bob the phone book to read and he'd be terrific."
 * Barry Gordon previously played Nava in the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode.
 * Robert Duncan McNeill, who usually wears a red uniform (and had previously worn a gold uniform in ), dons the blue sciences division uniform becoming the second of three Voyager cast members to wear all three department colors on his uniform, the other being Robert Picardo (EMH, ECH, Lewis Zimmerman). Garrett Wang, who also donned the blue uniform in this episode (and usually wears gold), became the third when he was given his red uniform in.
 * The smoking jackets worn by Picardo and McNeill in the intros of Photons Be Free were auctioned off in the It's A Wrap! sale and auction.

Video and DVD releases

 * UK VHS release (two-episode tapes, Paramount Home Entertainment): Volume 7.10,
 * As part of the VOY Season 7 DVD collection

Main cast

 * Kate Mulgrew as Kathryn Janeway/Captain Jenkins
 * Robert Beltran as Chakotay/Katanay
 * Roxann Dawson as B'Elanna Torres/Torrey
 * Robert Duncan McNeill as Tom Paris/Marseilles
 * Ethan Phillips as Neelix
 * Robert Picardo as The Doctor
 * Tim Russ as Tuvok/Tulak
 * Jeri Ryan as Seven of Nine/Three of Eight/Two of Three
 * Garrett Wang as Harry Kim/Kymble

Guest stars

 * Richard Herd as Admiral Paris
 * Barry Gordon as Ardon Broht
 * Joseph Campanella as Arbitrator
 * Lorinne Vozoff as Irene Hansen
 * Juan Garcia as John Torres
 * Robert Ito as John Kim
 * Irene Tsu as Mary Kim

Special guest star

 * Dwight Schultz as Barclay

Co-stars

 * Brock Burnett as Male N.D.
 * Jennifer Hammon as Female N.D.
 * Heather Young as Sickbay N.D.
 * Majel Barrett as Computer Voice

Uncredited co-stars

 * Richard Bishop as operations division officer
 * Carter Edwards as command division officer
 * Pablo Soriano as operations division ensign