Having stopped at Deep Space 17 to enact new Frontier Day transporter protocols, the Arimathea crew are surprised when a Cardassian scientist, Toran Zhek, boards the ship alongside Fleet Captain Romaes. With an air of urgency, Zhek and Romaes request an audience with the ship’s commanding officer, where a proposal thrusts the Arimathea into the heart of an uncharted nebula, previously hidden beyond Federation space.

Captain Kauhn, intrigued by the possibilities of discovery and diplomacy, accepts his first real mission as commander of the ship. Upon entering the nebula, the ship’s sensors begin to dance with anomalous readings. Vibrant clouds swirled around the ship, casting an eerie glow that illuminates the bridge in otherworldly hues. To their chagrin, two science officers competing for the Captain’s good graces and a permanent seat at the top table, must work together when excitement gives way to alarm. An unprecedented spatial anomaly emerges, one that seemingly defies all known scientific principles. It pulsates and twists, distorting the fabric of space in ways that challenge even the brightest minds aboard the Arimathea. As the crew grapple with this strange phenomenon, the anomaly’s unpredictable behaviour begins to pose a direct threat to the ship’s integrity.

Lieutenant Commander Onsas D’orr (newly assigned favourite of Starfleet Command) and Lieutenant Commander Akaria Okan (the Captain’s favourite) find themselves at a crossroads. The anomaly’s power surges are causing systems to falter and injuries to befall the crew. Do they neutralise the anomaly to safeguard the ship or harness their technology to study it, even at the risk of further harm to the crew?