Stardate 46830.1: The Ferengi scientist Dr. Reyga has developed a metaphasic shield that can protect a starship inside the corona of a star. Beverly arranges a meeting of Reyga with skeptical Vulcan and Klingon colleagues and a Takaran scientist named Jo'Bril, who volunteers to test the device which is installed in a shuttle. Jo'Bril does not survive his stay in the corona, and after some time Reyga is found dead after what appears to be a suicide. Against Ferengi customs, Beverly performs an autopsy on Reyga, upon which she is relieved of duty. In an effort to solve the case, Beverly takes the shuttle herself to test the shield, but Jo'Bril is already waiting for her. He is not dead because his race is capable of a death-like stasis. While his original goal was to discredit Reyga's work to carry on with it himself, he is now going to steal the prototype. Beverly gets the upper hand in the following fight, and Jo'Bril is killed, while Reyga's and Beverly's reputations are restored.

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