Against a background of an idyllic and peaceful world of eternal youth, a damaged Data goes wild, shutting down the isolation devices which conceal a Federation observation post from the native Baku. Picard is informed by the Admiral Dougherty that Data has taken the observation team and a party of Son'a delegates hostage. Now Picard enters a race against time to shut Data down and rescue the hostages. But the hostages, who are growing younger, have no desire to leave and Picard finds himself facing a terrible conflict between his principles and his orders from Starfleet.