After a century of silence, the Enterprise-D receives a message from the Sheliak system informing the Federation that they have discovered a Human colony on a world in their sector. As they will be colonizing the planet themselves in four days time, the Sheliak want the Enterprise to evacuate all Humans from their territory. The planet in question is in a high radiation zone and no one can understand how any Human could be living there. As Data is immune to the radiation he is sent to the planet to arrange for the inhabitants' departure. Once there however, he finds there is a population of 15,000 and is informed they have no intention of leaving. While Picard must find a way to get more time from the Sheliak, Data enlists the help of one of the locals in his attempt to convince them to le