8 Mysteries From DS9 And Voyager That Star Trek: Picard Season 2 Should Answer
2. Are Holograms Free (As In Not Slaves)?
Star Trek: Picard's main storyline has dealt with synthetic life and their rights in the Federation in 2399. It has also introduced numerous holographic characters like Index at Starfleet's Quantum Archive in "Remembrance" and all of the Rioses aboard the La Sirena. But it hasn't tackled whether these very lifelike holograms are themselves considered synthetic life – something Star Trek: Voyager dabbled in during its seven year run.
Back in those days, as the holographic doctor aboard Voyager evolved and grew from longterm operation, numerous questions about his own sentience and rights were posed in episodes like "Flesh and Blood" and "Author, Author". The latter episode goes so far as to reveal that all the EMH Mark 1s (like the Doctor himself) have been repurposed for slave labor in Federation mining colonies, but still retain some semblance of sentience (they participate in holo novels even).
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine was also not immune to questions posed about holographic people in the Federation. In that series, a holographic 1950s crooner called Vic Fontaine was allowed to run full-time in Quark's holosuite and was self aware enough to know he was a hologram. The Mirror Universe episode "The Emperor's New Cloak" even showed Vic outside the holosuite.
Star Trek: Picard has squarely stayed away from these questions, despite indicating that the five (and counting) holograms aboard the La Sirena are "broken pieces" of Cris Rios' psyche, overlaid with some of his memories and personality.
This was clearly done to not muddy the waters for the synthetics storyline, but the question remains: Does the Federation still use holographic slave labor? Are holograms in 2399 even as close to sentient as they seemed to be in the 2370s? And is Voyager's holo-doc still active and living life as a free -gram?