From: ahk@chinet.com   
      
   The True Melissa  wrote:   
   >did weberm@polaris.net deliver unto us this message:   
      
   >>No, it wouldn't. They also should not be able to walk around outside a   
   >>holodeck, either.   
      
   >Wasn't the Doctor originally unable to leave the sick bay?   
      
   >I guess this is far in the future from that era, but still.   
      
   The Doctor began using a mobile emitter in a season 3 episode of Voyager   
   so the writers could use him in other scenes. It was a literal plot device.   
      
   Quite frankly, while EVERYTHING about holodecks and holographic   
   characters is literally a plot device, this was a massive retcon. The   
   point was that the ship had a skelaton crew and the military surgeon had   
   been killed. How would the crew exist without a doctor especially if he   
   couldn't be used on away missions? It was supposed to be part of the   
   adventure. Space is dangerous, especially without the rest of the fleet.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)