Takes place in early 2265, prior to completion of Starbase 47. The USS Sagittarius is scouting Traelus II, a resource rich planet on the edge of Tholian space. Theriault says, "I've got half a mind to retire early and build a house down there" which is a code phrase used upon discovery of the Taurus Meta-Genome. The discovery shows the genome's creators had influence across the entire Taurus Reach. Reyes and Desai become intimate during their second date.