While in his quarters, Picard is taken from the ship by an alien energy beam and held in a room with three other hostages: Tholl, a peace-loving Mizarian; Haro, an Algolian and Starfleet Academy cadet; and Esoqq, a beast-like member of the Chalnoth race. The situation in the cell becomes increasingly tense when the prisoners discover that their food supply is poisonous to Esoqq, who eyes his fellow captives hungrily. Picard, Esoqq and Haro attempt to rewire the circuitry in a wall panel to open the door to the room, but they're struck by a bolt of energy. The frustrated quartet begins to suspect each other, believing that one of the others may actually be their captor.
