The Orville is transporting the contents of a time capsule from 2015 to a museum and LaMarr helps access the information on a cel phone which was included in the capsule. Malloy is smitten by the woman, Laura Huggins, who used to own the phone and uses the data to create a simulator program where he can get to know her. She's a sales manager who dreams of being a musician one day. He falls in love with her despite the warnings of his crewmates. Unfortunately, she gets back together with her ex-boyfriend, Greg. Malloy tries to delete Greg from the simulation but this changes Laura's personality as Greg was the reason she started taking music seriously. Eventually, Malloy comes to terms with the fact that the woman he's in love with needs Greg in her life to be the woman he's in love with. He returns to the program one last time to sing with her and say goodbye.
Bortus discovers a pack of cigarettes in the time capsule and replicates one in his quarters so that he and Klyden can try smoking. It turns out Moclans are extremely susceptible to nicotine addiction and they begin chain-smoking immediately.
Mercer orders them to see Dr. Finn and she begins formulating an injection to cure them of the addiction. In the meanwhile, they are not to smoke cigarettes at all. Klyden starts smoking in secret while Bortus hides cigarettes all over their quarters. The withdrawal becomes so severe that they begin to physically fight. Luckily, Dr. Finn comes in with the injection before they can seriously hurt each other.