29 hours until the DMA starts impacting Earth and Ni'Var. Discovery is in orbit around a dead planet they believe Species 10-C used to live on.

Saru, Detmers, and Culber join her on the away mission to the dead planet.

Book and Tarka continue to scan the hyperfield that surrounds Species 10-C. They decide to hitch a ride on Discovery. Tarka's plan involves a patch that needs to be installed manually.

Rillak questions why Saru is on the away mission.

Ndoye wants to focus on the hyperfield rather than the dead planet.

As the shuttle approaches the planet, they are able to take scans of the ruins on the surface and speculate what happened to the 10-C a thousand years ago.

On the planet, Saru's scanners cannot detect life signs, not even those of the team members.

Saru begins hallucinating. Once calmed down, he directs their attention to a large structure Culber identifies as a bone.

Book and Tarka prepare to infiltrate Discovery.

The away team realize they landed in a mass grave. Saru admits to Burnham that he's not well. He is afraid.

Rillak seeks out Dr. Hirai and reprimands him for his bluntness and tactlessness.

Book and Tarka peek into the mess hall and find Ndoye and T'Rina sat together. When Ndoye leaves, they move through the Jeffries tube towards Engineering.

The away team investigates the undamaged structure. Burnham sends Culber to check on Saru.

As Culber tries to help Saru, he suddenly experiences the same hallucinations.

Book proposes they ask General Ndoye to work with them.

Detmers and Burnham are talking when Burnham sees the explosions that Saru and Culber experienced.

On his own, Tarka peeks into Engineering where Reno and Adira are talking.

The away team makes a connection between the blue dust and the hallucinations. Detmers creates a new filter and solves the problem. Now that she can think clearly, Burnham finds something that might help them make first contact with 10-C.

Tarka lures the Engineering team away with false reports of malfunctioning replicators then enters Engineering.

Ndoye meets Book, thinking she's meeting with T'Rina. He talks her into giving him two minutes. He convinces her to feed them information. She negotiates that the DMA power down is only a backup plan to be used if diplomacy doesn't work.

The away team learns that the structure they are in is a nursery. Burnham disables the filter on her suit to allow the hydrocarbon dust from the infant 10-C bones in. It has a markedly different effect on her. Instead of fear, it feels like love.

Tarka installs the patch but Reno and Linus return, blocking his escape. Reno finds him.

Working with the hypothesis that the hydrocarbon dust is a communicative form of pheromone, Burnham suggests they can use it as a Rosetta Stone, to communicate with 10-C.

Shuttle heads back to Discovery. The team discusses the possibilities first contact with 10-C may present.

Stamets reports that they sent Dots down to scan for the hydrocarbons. They recovered sixteen unique compounds, each corresponding with a different emotional state.

Hirai gives kudos. T'Rina invites Saru for a walk on the holodeck.

Burnham and Stamets share their hopes. Stamets leaves and Burnham sighs, not realizing Book is on the other side of the wall, listening and watching.

Adira seeks out Detmers and they sit down and talk.

Culber visits Burnham. She asks him about his reaction to the dust in the nursery. He admits that he's not okay.

Book meets Tarka back on his ship and discovers he's taken Reno hostage.