After discovering a unresponsive federation starship, Dr. Pulaski contracts a disease and starts to age.

Commander Maddox, a scientist who opposed Data's entrance to Stafleet, now wants to dismantle Data in order to study him and create more androids. Data is forced to resign from Starfleet  to avoid a dangerous test.  Captain Picard ends up in a court battle to decide if Data is a lifeform or owned property.