Stardate: 42494.8 After finding the crew of the U.S.S. Lantree all dead of old age, the Enterprise heads to the ship's last location, the Darwin Genetic Research Station. They find the researchers there are suffering from the same aging diseases as on the Lantree. They tell the crew that they can't find the cause or a cure, and asks the Enterprise to evacuate two genetically engineered children from the station. The scientist state that the children have been in quarantine the whole time and could not have been infected.

Picard reluctantly agrees, but adds additional precautions by having them beamed up in stasis to a shuttle craft piloted by Dr. Pulaski. Nevertheless, shortly thereafter, Dr. Pulaski begins to show signs of having the aging disease too.

Now the crew must frantically fight to save Dr. Pulaski, before times runs out.