During a diplomatic mission, the USS Enterprise receives a communication that Lt. Commander Data has gone berserk during an observation mission on the Ba'ku homeworld. The peaceful Ba'ku, whose planet offers regenerative radiation, and therefore incredible lifespans, live in harmony with nature and reject any kind of technology. Their planet and their culture is being secretly studied by the Federation and the associated Son'a in a joint venture under the command of Admiral Matthew Dougherty in which Data was participating.