Discovery crosses the galactic barrier as first contact is moved up, while Book and Tarka hunt for anti-matter.
Fearing retaliation from 10-C, Rillak moves first contact up. She, T'Rina and other diplomats join Discovery as it begins a hazardous crossing of the galactic barrier, and before contact is lost Vance warns that the anomaly is heading for Earth and Ni'Var.
Book and Tarka visit the abandoned prison where Tarka was once held to retrieve programmable antimatter. Tarka tells Book about Oros, a fellow prisoner who built a device to reach a peaceful parallel universe; Tarka plans to power his own version with the anomaly's energy source. Discovery emerges from the barrier and heads for 10-C's coordinates. Anne Cofell Saunders wrote the episode.