Flashback to three weeks ago and Commodore Oh's arrival at the Daystrom Institute to see Dr. Jurati. She reveals that she knows everything Jurati and Picard spoke about when he came to see her. Oh informs Jurati that Starfleet needs her to help them prevent the reemergence of synthetic life forms. She mind-melds with Jurati to convince her to help them.

In the present-day, La Sirena is trapped by a Romulan tractor beam from The Artifact. Dr. Jurati says they should just ask to be let go since Picard and Soji aren't on board.

On The Artifact, Narissa is interrogating Hugh in a room full of XBs. Whenever he refuses to give up Picard and Soji, she kills an XB. When he refuses to answer at all, she orders her subordinates to kill all of the XBs. She tells Hugh that they all died because of him and his refusal to comply. 

Elsewhere, Narek boards a small craft and launches in order to track La Sirena once it is released from the tractor beam.

As Rios prepares to leave, he contacts Elnor who has joined Hugh, mourning the deaths of the XBs. Elnor tells him to leave him on The Artifact because he has found a new cause to fight for.

Picard and Soji arrive on Nepenthe, a planet with "bunnycorns" which are bunnies with unicorn horns, and are greeted by a girl aiming at them with her bow and arrow.

The girl is the daughter of Will Riker and Deanna Troi. She and Soji talk on the way back to the homestead. When Kestra asks Picard who Soji's father was, he mentions Data and Kestra immediately calls Soji an android which startles her.

Picard has to tell Soji that Dahj is dead. Soji retreats into disbelief, accusing Picard of playing mind games. 

They find Deanna Troi first who welcomes Picard happily but becomes concerned quickly, probably sensing his health issues as well as anxiety related to Soji's plight.

Will Riker is in the kitchen preparing the meal. When Picard steps in to greet him, Will is also ecstatic but then realizes that he's on the run. He raises the shields on the homestead, adding anti-cloaking security when Picard tells him Romulans are involved. Riker mentions they've had trouble with the Xindi.

Troi joins them inside and tells Will about Soji who appears fully human but from whom Troi can sense nothing. Picard expresses concern that he has no idea what to do next.

Troi encourages him to lie down for a nap in their son's room and then join them for dinner. Riker encourages him to stay as long as he needs. They have his back.

Kestra pesters Soji with questions related to what she knows about Data. Soji processes some of her new revelations in conversation with Kestra, including the idea she is synthetic.

Troi leads Picard to Thad's room. Thad died but they've kept his room as it was. Troi reiterates what Riker said about Picard staying as long as he needs but admits that, having lost one child, the idea of anything happening to Kestra terrifies her.

On La Sirena, Rios discovers that they are being followed and tries to shake the ship with some fancy flying. Dr. Jurati has a bit of a breakdown and Raffi takes her off the bridge to calm down and have some cake.

Picard and Riker talk out by the pizza oven but Picard refuses to divulge what's going on. Riker manages to guess after Soji comes by with Kestra, speaking the made-up language of Viveen, having learned it almost instantaneously.

In the garden, Troi introduces Soji to naturally-grown food and tells her about Thad. Soji shares her experiences with Narek and the betrayal. She expresses how little she trusts anything and anyone on Nepenthe. Picard overhears and throws in his sarcastic two cents. Soji storms away, pushing Picard into Riker as she leaves, and Troi admonishes him for making light of Soji's concerns. 

On The Artifact, Hugh and Elnor make plans to take control of the Cube from the Romulans. Narissa overhears and prepares to kill them both for inciting insurrection and treaty violation. Elnor challenges her but is forced to retreat when she pulls a disruptor weapon. Elnor kills her soldiers and she holsters her weapon and challenges him to hand-to-hand combat. While he's focussed on her, she flings a small blade at Hugh and kills him then transports elsewhere when Elnor returns the blade. Hugh tells Elnor that he'll need an XB to activate the Queen's Cell before he dies.

Raffi and Dr. Jurati are talking over cake and chocolate cake when Rios comes to tell them the tail is back. Dr. Jurati vomits.

Everyone at the Nepenthe homestead sits down to eat while Picard tries to contact Rios. At dinner, Soji shares what she saw during the Zhal Makh and Kestra is able to find out where the planet is.

In the sick bay, Rios confides in Dr. Jurati that he thinks Raffi is being tracked. When Rios gets called back to the bridge because Narek is tailing them again, Dr. Jurati orders up a hypospray that puts her into a coma, effectively negating the tracker in her.

On The Artifact, Elnor is eluding capture, hiding in a space between the alcoves when he finds a Fenris Ranger alert tag and activates it.

Kestra sketches Soji while she sleeps. Soji wakes up and Kestra gives her some advice on how to heal.

Rios arrives and Picard and Soji bid the Troi-Riker family good-bye.