Moriarty

[Captain Picard's Hair]

'Elementary, Dear Data' was a fantastic episode, but as I just watched it one thing struck me. The focus at the conclusion was stated to be taking Moriarty's "holodeck matter" off the holodeck, but in actually Moriarty was a sentient program. So, why couldn't they just build an android body for him? It wouldn't require a positronic brain like Data's as it is evident that "standard" computer hardware of TNG era Trek is perfectly capable of running the Moriarty 'program.' They could have designed it to have human-normal strength if they were too worried about that kind of thing. It's really a matter of misdirected focus - what they needed wasn't to make holographic matter real but to find some way to bring Moriarty's sentient mind into real form.

[Mark]

Seems like kind of a lot of trouble for something that we don't really "KNOW" is sentient. But with the advent of ship wide emitters, they COULD have released him from that paperweight on Picards desk. Unless it too was destryed in Generations.

[Captain Picard's Hair]

Seems like kind of a lot of trouble for something that we don't really "KNOW" is sentient. But with the advent of ship wide emitters, they COULD have released him from that paperweight on Picards desk. Unless it too was destryed in Generations.

<Seafort>If we accept what was stated as canon, then the fact that he was stated to be sentient (or conscious) indicates that he was</Seafort> At least the crew up to and including Captain Picard treated him as sentient, and he did display abilities no ordinary holodeck character should have; it was stated that he would have to be conscious in order to be able to "defeat data." From an observational standpoint, he displayed a clear understanding of his existence.

However, all of this aside, conscious or not, he was a threat (this was discussed before he released his control of the ship). The point was, while he was still a clear and present danger, they were discussing something completely tangential to the topic of getting his intelligence off the holodeck, and showed no indication that it was a ruse. Indeed, when the plotline was taken up again later in TNG, they still tried in vain to move him off the holodeck when he potentially could have destroyed the ship (when they should have known better). In the latter case, lying to him would have done little good; they seemed to be genuinely clueless.

[Captain Seafort]

<Seafort>If we accept what was stated as canon, then the fact that he was stated to be sentient (or conscious) indicates that he was</Seafort> At least the crew up to and including Captain Picard treated him as sentient, and he did display abilities no ordinary holodeck character should have; it was stated that he would have to be conscious in order to be able to "defeat data." From an observational standpoint, he displayed a clear understanding of his existence.

The bolded bit is key. Moriarty was clearly aware of his surroundings, such as the arch, in a way other characters weren't. That, plus the way he was able to analyse and react to changes in his surroundings in a manner that clearly wasn't preprogrammed, shows that he was indeed sentient.

Seems like kind of a lot of trouble for something that we don't really "KNOW" is sentient. But with the advent of ship wide emitters, they COULD have released him from that paperweight on Picards desk. Unless it too was destryed in Generations.

I doubt Moriarty would have accepted merely having the free run of the ship - he'd simply have been cooped up in a slightly bigger box. If the Federation were able to duplicate the mobile emitter's technology, then I expect he'd be happy with it (although he'd be somewhat miffed at the way Picard, Data and Barclay tricked him).

[Mark]

Seafort wrote:
(although he'd be somewhat miffed at the way Picard, Data and Barclay tricked him).

The understatement of the decade. He's likely retaliate by kidnapping the Federation president.

[Nickswitz]

Seafort wrote:
(although he'd be somewhat miffed at the way Picard, Data and Barclay tricked him).

The understatement of the decade. He's likely retaliate by kidnapping the Federation president.

Nah, He'll somehow get onto a starbase and take that over, from the holodeck, he would pull it off, IDK how, but he would figure it out.

[Mark]

Or pull a Barkley, and from the Holodeck, drag the ship across the universe, so he can be with his holographic brothers.