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The Mobile Emitter Paradox

jctechwizard

Ensign
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In 2373 USS Voyager acquired the mobile holoemitter, a piece of 29th century technology, from Henry Starling, a 20th-century human who had salvaged it from the wreckage of Captain Braxton’s timeship. Voyager’s EMH continued to use the mobile emitter, eventually bringing it back to earth when Voyager returned home in 2378. Like all the other new technology aboard Voyager Starfleet would study it in detail and ultimately attempt to duplicate it. In Star Trek Picard season 3 ep 5 Imposters we see that the Federation/Starfleet has developed a mobile emitter, as evidenced by Worf and Raffi’s holo-duplicates using mobile emitters in their first meeting with Krimm. Krimm even recognizes the mobile emitters as such (meaning that by the early 25th century the technology has not only been developed but is in common use).

Krimm: (after shooting holo-Raffi) “Were you under the impression I would not recognize a mobile emitter?”

These mobile emitters would no doubt be much more primitive and less sophisticated versions of the Doctor’s mobile emitter from 400 years hence. Starfleet/the Federation would logically continue to develop and refine and improve the technology, until some 400 years later, a generation of mobile emitters would be constructed one of which would end up on the UTS Aeon, Captain Braxton’s timeship. The same exact mobile emitter that would be found by Henry Starling in the 20th century after Braxton and the Aeon crashed there, the same mobile emitter that USS Voyager would acquire and their EMH would use and bring back to the Alpha quadrant where it would be studied and duplicated.

An ontological paradox. Also predestination.

Ontological Paradox:

If the mobile emitter’s travel back in time ultimately resulted in its own creation, the question becomes when was it first created? In this scenario, since it caused its own creation it wasn’t created-it always existed, which is of course impossible.

Predestination Paradox:

Had the mobile emitter from the 29th century not traveled to the 20th century and then been taken to the 24th century by the crew of Voyager, it would not have been reverse engineered by Starfleet/Federation Science and duplicated in a more primitive form, one that ultimately evolved into the technology that created it.

This would also explain why the “time police” from the 29th century made no attempt to retrieve the device. In a predestination paradox, the mobile emitter was supposed to travel back in time, be acquired by Voyager, then make its way back to the alpha quadrant and be duplicated.





Thoughts?
 
Perhaps it didn't so much cause its existence as a thing, but rather encouraged interest in its development by existing as an example of the principle in practice. Doubtless many people wished holograms could be portable, even worked to that end, much as we once did with phones, but nobody could make it practical and functional until the mobile emitter was brought back. The hurdle of making one was cleared, now analyzing and reverse-engineering it could begin, with the hope of mass-production.
 
The mobile admitter the EMH used was never reverse engineered, due to the Temporal PD. The version developed by the Federation was through existing technologies.
 
Oh, I'm sure the attempts were made. Not everyone plays by the rules. Granted, they'd have to keep an eye over their shoulders for time cops.

2020-05-27-1516time.png
 
The mobile admitter the EMH used was never reverse engineered, due to the Temporal PD. The version developed by the Federation was through existing technologies.
Even if that were the case, the 24th/25th century version would not have been developed without the 29th century emitter (the EMH's emitter) being acquired by Voyager and brought back to Starfleet. The 24th/25th century version was more than likely the "original version" that the 29th century version evolved from.

The mobile admitter the EMH used was never reverse engineered, due to the Temporal PD. The version developed by the Federation was through existing technologies.
Even if that were the case, the 24th/25th century version would not have been developed without the 29th century emitter (the EMH's emitter) being aquired by Voyager and brought back to starfleet. The 24th/25th century version was more than likely the "original version" that the 29th century version evolved from.
Oh, I'm sure the attempts were made. Not everyone plays by the rules. Granted, they'd have to keep an eye over their shoulders for time cops.

2020-05-27-1516time.png
The time cops would know about the predestination paradox. As I said in the original post "This would also explain why the “time police” from the 29th century made no attempt to retrieve the device. In a predestination paradox, the mobile emitter was supposed to travel back in time, be acquired by Voyager, then make its way back to the alpha quadrant and be duplicated."
 
I’m with Captain Janeway on this one …

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