Trama

A startling surprise awaits the crew of the Enterprise when a mission costs the life of a crew member, who left her son behind.

Beaming down to the ruined planet of the Quaenonians, a race extinguished by self-destruction, an Enterprise landing party loses in an explosion the life of the crew archaeologist Lt. Marla Aster, who leaves behind a teenager son, Jeremy. After Lieutenant Worf, the Klingon orphan raised by humans who commanded his mother's landing party, talked with Jeremy, while Wesley Crusher, the crew member closest in age to the boy, still needs to consider how to share the experience of being orphaned, suddenly a woman appears, who pretends to Jeremy to be his late mother, coming to take him to their new home on the planet, where some activity is observed, which even taps into the ships own energy. When Deanna Troi convinces the boy neither his mother nor a safe home on the planet can be real, she disappears, the ship is attacked, she reappears and an energy form intrudes the Enterprise. Maybe persuasion works better in his interest on Jeremy's would be-substitute mother, who explains the planet's history?.—KGF Vissers

Captain Picard and the crew of the Enterprise have to deal with the delicate matter of informing Jeremy Aster that his mother, ship's archaeologist Lt. Marla Aster has been killed while on an away team lead by Lt. Worf. The boy's grieving process is interrupted when an alien being takes Lt. Aster's physical form and wants to relocate the boy to the planet below. Lt. Worf for his part has his own feelings of guilt over Aster's death and wants to perform a ceremony to make the now orphaned Jeremy his brother. Troi counsels against it at this time, given that Jeremy has yet to grieve and fully understand his loss. The Captain asks Wesley Crusher to speak to over the loss of his own father, something Wesley finds very difficult to do.—garykmcd

Beaming down to the ruined planet of the Koinonians, a race extinguished by civil war, lasting several generations, that led to self-destruction, an Enterprise landing party loses in an explosion the life of the crew archaeologist Lt. Marla Aster (Susan Powell), who leaves behind a teenager son, Jeremy (Gabriel Damon). Worf was leading the away party and says that the explosion was sudden and that there was no warning. Aster took the full brunt of the explosion. Picard delivers the news to Jeremy who has also lost his father to an infection 5 years ago. Picard has always maintained that carrying children on star ships is very questionable policy. Working on a star ship involves dangers and risks and Jeremy was not involved in making that choice. Deanna counsels that Wesley understood and in time so will Jeremy. Picard tells Jeremy that he is not alone.

Picard sends Geordi back down to figure out how Marla died. He finds explosive devices that are triggered by a proximity alert. The proximity alerts are from the times of the Koinonian wars. But these were recently dug out from the ground and left there to be found. But there are no life forms on the planet, so it is not clear who did this and why.

Lieutenant Worf, the Klingon orphan raised by humans who commanded his mother's landing party, talks with Jeremy. He wants to perform the Klingon ritual of "Bonding" with Jeremy, becoming his Godfather in a way. Deanna advises Worf to take it slowly as Jeremy is still angry and that anger may get directed at Worf too. Jeremy could also feel guilty about betraying the memory of his parents by reciprocating Worf's feelings of affection. Wesley Crusher, the crew member closest in age to the boy, still needs to consider how to share the experience of being orphaned. Beverly encourages Wesley to share his feelings with Jeremy. The Enterprise picks up a strong energy signature on the planet's surface. Deanna picks up a presence on the Enterprise. Picard sounds a yellow alert.

Suddenly a woman appears, in the shape of Jeremy's mother Marla, coming to take him to their new home on the planet, where some high energy activity is observed by the Enterprise, and the entity which even taps into the ship's own energy. Worf finds the woman in Jeremy's room and alert's Picard. The woman takes Jeremy to the Transporter room. The woman disappears when Picard forcefully removes Jeremy away from the woman.

The woman reappears and is able to recreate Jeremy's home on Earth in his room on the Enterprise and says she can make him happy. Deanna Troi convinces Jeremy neither his mother nor a safe home on the planet can be real. This time Picard disconnects the woman's energy supply from the Enterprise and forces her to disappear. With her, the illusion vanishes, and Jeremy's room reverts to its normal form on the Enterprise. Jeremy can see that it was a fake reality.

The ship is attacked, the woman reappears, and an energy form intrudes the Enterprise. The energy form takes the shape of Marla and again tries to take Jeremy to the surface of the planet. Picard disables the Transporters. Picard confronts the woman.

The entity reveals that the planet was inhabited by 2 life forms, one matter and one energy. The matter ones were Koinonians who destroyed themselves. But the energy forms survived the wars. Since the boy's mother died on their planet, they feel responsible and want to take care of the boy. Picard denies. He tells the entity that while they can make Jeremy happy for a while, but they can't provide him a life with education, job, career, wife and so on. The entity understands and leaves. Worf does the bonding ceremony with Jeremy.