A distress call come from a freighter as the Enterprise begins to explore an interesting star.. On board, seeking help, are a couple of people who are in a state of reverie. Picard wants to help, but these people can't seem to help themselves. They don't seem to be able to do the most rudimentary things to control a starship. Soon the ship reaches a critical point and is about to explode. When asked to beam on board, instead of people, a pack of strange containers appears. It takes a second effort but only four of the six persons on board are able to be rescued. When the four arrive, they are arguing and sparring over the cargo and seem to have no concern for their dead comrades. What we find out is that the four represent two planets, on that profits from selling "medicine" to the other. The ones receiving the medicine are grateful for being able to pay for this stuff. What follows is a kind of negotiation between two forces that together manage to maintain a kind of balance. What happens is a moral dilemma where the prime directive does not allow PIcard to interfere, even though one force aggressively subverts the other. What ultimately happens makes for some interesting discussion.