As the Discovery approaches the Verubin nebula, scans of the Khi'eth, the Kelpien ship that crashed there 125 years ago, show one lifesign aboard. Saru concludes that this has to be Dr. Issa's child, as he recognized her pregnancy in her holographic message. After the Discovery's shields have almost failed, Book takes his ship inside the nebula. However, he barely survives the trip, and only the auto-pilot saves him and Grudge. Based on the data gathered by Book, Saru plans to jump with the ship close to the planet, drop an away team consisting of himself, Burnham and Culber, and then jump out again. As the away team has beamed down, they notice that they are in a holographic environment and they have been altered: Culber is Bajoran, Burnham is Trill and Saru is human. They find a Kelpien, obviously Dr. Issa's son, who is afraid of some "monster". Saru and Culber run into a group of Federation officials, who celebrate the admission of Kaminar to the Federation and who reveal the purpose of the program, to educate and entertain the boy while waiting for a rescue team. They learn from a Kelpien elder that the boy's name is Su'Kal. Burnham confronts the "monster" and tries to convince Su'Kal, who does not seem to be aware of the existence of the outside world, to allow to be rescued. In the meantime, Osyraa's ship arrives at the edge of the nebula, upon which Tilly orders to cloak the Discovery. Then a disturbance erupts from the planet, upon which the cloak fails. When Book takes his ship into the nebula again to save the away team, Adira sneaks aboard with a medication and beams down to the crash site. Booker beams back Burnham, whereas Saru and Culber choose to stay behind because Su'Kal somehow is the cause of the Burn, and it may happen all over again. Outside the nebula, Osyraa's people have boarded the Discovery. Using some kind of mind-control device, Osyraa coerces Stamets to activate the spore drive. Just as Book and Burnham return from the nebula, the Discovery and Osyraa's ship jump away, with the Federation Headquarters as their destination...

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