Archer seeks to destroy the superweapon the Xindi are constructing by creating an elaborate ruse to fool its designer, Degra, into revealing its hiding place. Archer and Degra are in a shuttle. With Degra suffering from memory loss, Archer tells him they escaped together from a prison and that the Insectoids took power after destroying Earth.

Archer places Dr. Phlox in control of the Enterprise when the crew requires sedation to survive a trans-dimensional disturbance. This mind-altering section of the Expanse is lethal to humanoids. But Phlox's Denobulan physiology doesn't entirely shield him from its effects, causing hallucinations.