In 2287, Witten accepted help from the Federation and Starfleet in finding a cure to a disease ravaging the low class of New Brinden. However, before the USS Enterprise-A's arrival, Witten had all the affected rounded up and put into compounds. After the Enterprise's CMO Dr. Leonard McCoy administered a cure to a man named Amzel, Witten informed Capt. Kirk and his crew that Amzel had died. Despite Dr. McCoy's assurances that a cure could be found, Witten told that he would start his contingency plan to kill the affected people.