STO - The Path to 2409: 2389

The next year leading to the period in which Star Trek Online takes place is 2389. It's filled with information about the decline of the Romulan empire, the Klingons and Federation who are entering Romulan space, Cardassian elections (won by DS9's Garak), the bad relationships between Vulcan and the Federation where Picard plays a role and Voyager's doctor has a court session.

In the courts, the case of the photonic lifeform known as The Doctor makes a small advancement after years of being stalled in hearings and appeals. On Stardate 66954.79, a Federation judge rules that the lawsuit may be expanded into a class-action suit encompassing all sentient artificial lifeforms in the Federation. "This is about more than one being and a mobile emitter," says Alyssa Cogley-Shaw, a lawyer for the Soong Foundation. "This is about basic rights."

Cogley-Shaw says that while the expansion of the lawsuit may mean that it will remain tangled in the courts for years to come, its ultimate resolution may mean an end to the forced servitude of more than 600 EMH Mark I holograms. And, as Starfleet re-equips more of its starships with holoprojectors to expand the usefulness of photonic "tools" such as the Emergency Command and Emergency Medical Holograms, someday those lifeforms may be considered Starfleet officers with all of the rights and privileges of their rank.