Stardate 5818.4: The planet Ardana is home to the wealthy and friendly city of Stratos that is floating above the clouds, but also to the underdeveloped and aggressive miners known as Troglytes. As the Enterprise arrives at the planet to pick up an urgently needed shipment of the rare mineral zenite, the Troglyte "Disrupters", who demand equal rights for everyone, hold it back. Kirk accepts High Adviser Plasus's invitation to Stratos, where he is attacked by Vanna, one of the Disrupters. He later helps her escape because he disapproves of Plasus's methods to make her talk. And he offers her a mask that would filter out the gas in the mines that is holding back the mental development of the Troglytes. But instead of leading him to the zenite, Vanna and her people take Kirk as a hostage. When Kirk gains the upper hand again, he orders Plasus to be beamed down to witness the effects of the gas himself. The Troglytes eventually hand out the zenite, and Kirk urges Plasus to implement social reforms, if necessary under the auspices of the Federation.

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