On an expedition, the Delta Flyer shuttle is unable to avoid a violent ion storm, and crashes into a planetoid. Paris, Tuvok and Ensign Wildman are trapped when the Delta Flyer's landing buries it several kilometers beneath the surface. As the shuttle's crew prepares for the worst, Neelix is left with a dilemma of his own. Ensign Wildman's young daughter Naomi has been left in his care, and even though Naomi is aware that her mother has been out of contact for a longer than usual period of time, Neelix insists on diverting her from the truth. When Naomi grows impatience with Neelix and goes to the bridge for herself, she discovers a grim rescue effort is in progress to find her mother's shuttle. Now, despair could be the greatest enemy for both mother and daughter.
