Date not given: A pre-warp vessel with an ill crew is found adrift in space. The Valakians have left their planet in the hope of contacting an advanced civilization that could find a cure against the illness that is spreading on their homeworld. The Enterprise crew is surprised to learn that there is a second humanoid species on the same planet, the Menk, who are not affected by the illness that is actually a genetic defect of the Valakians. Dr. Phlox is about to develop a cure, but he expresses his doubts about interfering with the evolution on this planet that would doom the Valakians to extinction and give the Menk the opportunity to evolve further. Archer finally agrees with him and refuses to cure the Valakians or give them warp technology.

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