While exploring a distant region of space, the Enterprise came under attack by an unknown enemy. With massive damage to all areas of the ship, the food storage areas were contaminated and unusable. It is estimated that repairs to the warp engines would take eight days. With a M class planet in range Kirk beams down with Spock, Doctor McCoy and the ship’s xenoethnologist Hernanda Dimas, to search for a protein source to replenish the supplies.