This episode’s opening flashback is Soji’s recurring dream about sneaking into her father’s workshop. Her father’s scolding voice wakes her and asks about her dream. She asks for Narek’s true name, and he recoils a bit and leaves in a huff. Meanwhile, on the La Sirena, Jurati lies to Picard about how Bruce Maddox died, covering up her own culpability. Before Maddix died, he told Picard where to find Soji, which is where they’re headed now. Picard doesn’t relish the idea of returning to a Borg cube after his transformation into Locutus. He’s still holding onto a lot of anger. Jurati suggests these abandoned Borg on the Artifact could have changed, but Picard doesn’t see it that way. Jurati tries to bury her grief over Maddox for a few hours by sleeping with Rios. It creates an awkward tension between them later on.
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The La Sirena will need some sort of permission from Starfleet if they’re to go to the Artifact without starting a war. Raffi — on a bender after her ill-fated reunion with her son — manages to get the job done, though it means burning one of the last bridges she has left with her friends in Starfleet.
On the Artifact, Narek tells Soji that she falls asleep every night exactly 70 seconds after calling her mother. This creates suspicion in Soji’s mind, enough that she begins to question her own belongings. She uses a scanner to determine that everything she owns is barely more than 3 years old, even things she thought she had since childhood. This drives her back into Narek’s arms. He uses a form of Romulan meditation to help her confront her dreams. Soji sees herself as a doll on her father’s worktable. She also remembers that her home was on a stormy planet with two red moons. That’s enough information for Narek and his sister to determine the planet where Maddox built. Narek traps Soji in the meditation chamber and sets off a radioactive gas box.
When the La Sirena arrives at the Artifact, Picard has to board the cube alone. He’s overcome by memories and fear until he’s greeted by Hugh, who shows him the work they’ve done to reclaim assimilated Borg. Picard asks after Soji and Hugh helps him search.
Around this time, Soji activates and is able to use her android strength to escape the meditation chamber. Picard and Hugh find her and Hugh leads them to a secret transportation portal in a hidden Borg queen chamber. Elnor transports to the Borg artifact against Picard’s orders. Picard and Soji escape through the gateway while Elnor and Hugh remain to cover their escape and keep the Queen’s chamber hidden.