- Dr. Crusher puts her career on the line to prove a scientist's theoretical new shielding technology which may have cost him his life.
- Dr. Crusher is suspended and faces dismissal after taking the side of Ferengi scientist Dr. Reyga to persuade an inter-race research panel to allow a colleague to test his invention, the "metaphasic shield", during a shuttle flight into a star's extremely dangerous corona. After Dr. Crusher declares him dead, although quite unfamiliar with his race's physiology, Reyga dies too, in an on-board test of his invention. After consulting Data on the technology involved, Crusher suspects Reyga was killed by sabotage; realizing several fellow panel members had both motive and opportunity, she tries to find out if the shuttle accident was also sabotage, and if so who committed it...—KGF Vissers
- Dr. Crusher attends a conference and reads a paper presented by Ferengi scientist Dr Reyga (Peter Marx). She decides to support Dr Reyga's work and decides to persuade an inter-race research panel to allow a colleague to test his invention, the "Metaphasic shield", during a shuttle flight into a star's extremely dangerous corona.
Beverly had read Rayga's work and was impressed with his techniques. So, she invited the panel to the Enterprise to hear out Reyga and testify to his theories. She invites all the notable scientists in the area of sub-space technology, but only 4 turn up on the Enterprise. The panel included Klingon Kurak (Tricia O'Neil), T'Pan (Joan Stuart Morris) is a Vulcan & the director of Academy of Science and her husband Dr Christopher (John S. Ragin) (subspace theoretician). Jo'Bril (James Horan) was a Takaran. Reyga claims to be able to protect a shuttle within a star's corona. His claims are not supported even by his own government. The shield will open up endless opportunities in the field of exploration and research. Kurak doubts Reyga's data. T'Pan herself has worked on subspace technology for several years and is not happy that Reyga had beat her to the punch.
To prove his technology, Reyga wants to take a shuttle outfitted with his Metaphasic shield into the corona of a star Vaytan. Vaytan has a dense Corona with deadly radiation. Kurak wants someone neutral to fly the shuttle and Jo'Bril volunteers for the task. All seems to be going well, but then a baryon levels inside the shuttle rise and that slowly kills Jo'Bril with suffocation. He manages to turn his shuttle around before dying and is transported back to the ship.
The accident means that Reyga's credibility is shot, and his work is rejected by his science peers. After Dr. Crusher declares him dead, although quite unfamiliar with his race's physiology. He has no internal organs, which should make him very resistant to injury and death can only occur if his body was impacted at a cellular level. Something caused a massive system wife failure, but she is not sure what. An inspection of the shuttle's hull reveals that the Baryonic radiations did penetrate Reyga's shields. Beverly refuses to authorize any further testing, and her decision is supported by T'Pan and Kurak. Reyga is crestfallen as he knows that his technology works. Reyga dies too, in an apparent suicide, but Beverly is suspicious. She is barred from conducting an autopsy by Reyga's family.
After consulting Data on the technology involved, Crusher suspects Reyga was killed by sabotage; realizing several fellow panel members had both motive and opportunity, she tries to find out if the shuttle accident was also sabotage. Dr Christopher says he had seen Kurak and Reyga arguing. Kurak is furious at Beverly but admits that Reyga accused her of sabotaging the shuttle. Beverly performs the autopsy but doesn't find anything. Picard is furious and fires Beverly, pending an inquiry
Guinan encourages Beverly to continue her investigation. Beverly speaks to Data and finds that the Metaphasic field could be disrupted by an ionic pulse from the Enterprise, which would show up as a Tetryon field in the shuttle. She also finds Tetryon traces on Jo'Bril's body. She takes Reyga shuttle back into the corona of the star and this time it works. But Jo'Bril emerges from hiding from inside the shuttle and admits that he sabotaged Reyga's work as he wanted to develop it into a weapon. He faked his own death and lived in cryogenic chamber in Beverly's lab as Takaran's can control their rate of cellular decay. He was alive the whole time.
But Beverly shoots him with a phaser and kills him. Beverly is re-instated as Chief Medical Officer.
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