A man is awoken by a bird alarm clock and proceeds to follow a precise morning routine until he sits at a desk with a case emblazoned with the Starfleet logo.

Book is being chased through a space debris field when a wormhole opens up and Burnham comes hurtling through, taking his ship down with her as she crashes to the planet's surface.

On the planet, the suit deactivates and Burnham tries to hail Discovery to no avail. She has the suit analyze her surroundings and it identifies the year as 3188 and it detects multiple life signs, indicating that the plan to foil Control has worked.

Before the wormhole closes, Burnham sends the last signal through as she had promised Spock and sets the suit to fly through and self destruct.

Forcing herself to work through her shock and injuries, she sets out to find someone to help her contact the Discovery.

She makes her way to Book's ship where he attacks her and they fight. She repeatedly tries to introduce herself but he rebuffs any niceties. Instead, he peppers her with questions but doesn't let her answer.

She asks if the planet is Terralysium and he reveals that it's Heme. He tries to leave her behind and she pursues, apologizing for crashing into his ship. She asks for his help.

He takes her onboard his ship where she meets his cat, Grudge. He explains that because she crashed into his ship, he needs more dilithium which he can only trade for at the Mercantile. Burnham wants to know if the Mercantile has a subspace array there that she can use to contact her ship.

She offers to trade her tricorder which is considered an antique.

As they prepare to leave, Book sets the conditions for his cargo and Burnham notes that it is temperature sensitive.

As they travel, Book reveals that the Federation is a thing of the past. Burnham asks how that can be and he says that it collapsed after The Burn. Burnham asks what that is and he is incredulous that she doesn't know. The Burn was the day most of the galaxy's dilithium exploded, destroying ships and settlements. It happened about 120 years previously.

Book warns her to hide her badge before they get to Requiem.

At the Mercantile, Burnham observes that the Andorians and Orions run it together. The Andorian guards try to bar Burnham from entering but Book talks a good game and the Mercantile's bosses order them to let her in via a security drone.

Book explains the Mercantile system and Burnham is delighted to see some people using a portable transporter. He takes her to the subspace array and she hands him the tricorder as per their deal. However, he's actually directed her into a vault and she is immediately held in stasis. He takes the rest of her equipment to trade, leaving her to be questioned by security.

When Burnham refuses to answer their questions, security has a drone spray her with a drug gas that acts like a truth serum.

Book tries to make a deal with an Orion woman but she walks away. The courier he stole the cargo off of grabs him.

Burnham continues to babble and finally reveals that Book is a courier who stole cargo.

Book is being beaten up by the other courier who threatens to kill Grudge. Security breaks up the beating to have Burnham identify Book. She punches him. The other courier really wants to shoot someone. Burnham realizes the danger and teams with Book to fight their way out.

Burnham spots a table full of dilithium and starts filling her bag with it. Book tries to bargain for it but she demands access to a coms array. Book transports them out of the Mercantile to get away from the security team.

At the other end of the transport, Burnham hit him again. The Mercantile security keeps sending teams after them. Book transports them to a water destination to lose them. Burnham hits him again.

While they rest up, Book calls up a marine plant with healing properties to treat Burnham wound. He gives her his com controller to try to call Discovery. No response.

They return to Book's ship but a security team appears and ambushes them. Book gives up the access code and they open the cargo hold, revealing a transworm which they startle out of slumber. It attacks them. Once the security team is eaten or fled, it returns to Book but then swallows Burnham. Book convinces it to spit her out.

Book has been saving transworms from being served as a delicacy and delivering them to a sanctuary.

Burnham wonders how she can begin looking for Discovery and Book has an idea.

He takes her to a courier waypoint that used to be a Federation relay station. They find the attendant, the man with the bird alarm clock. He welcomes her and is stunned that she identifies herself as Starfleet. They are unable to find Discovery's warp signature and he doesn't have access to all the sectors. In discussing the possibilities, they realize that Discovery may not have arrived through the wormhole yet.

He explains that he's never actually been sworn into Starfleet and asks Burnham if she, as a commissioned officer, will raise the Federation flag in his office. She offers him a commission as acting Communications Chief which he accepts. Together, they vow to look for more Federation die-hards and for the Discovery whenever it arrives.