The Enterprise brings eminent scientist Dr. Paul Stubbs to the site of a binary star system, expecting a massive stellar explosion to occur in a few hours. He has waited many years for this event and has devoted his entire life to its study. The Enterprise, however, begins to suffer a series of malfunctions, some minor but others far more serious. 

Captain Picard and the crew visit a isolate planet that is the home to two people who lived through a devastating attack. Picard then begins to suspect that all is not as it seems when the Enterprise is repeatedly attacked by a unknown ship.