As Kirk and the crew investigate the disappearance of the USS Pasteur, a trail of debris leads the USS Enterprise to an automated facility on a lifeless, desert planet in the Gobi system. A landing party finds robotic nannies caring for a computer-controlled nursery of alien babies—which Dr. McCoy's analysis proves to be the final survivors of the planet's dead civilization. But when an ensign disappears, and clues of the Pasteur's fate uncover the facility's startling secret, the computer reveals it maternal instincts—using its awesome power to defend its children—endangering the Enterprise, and forcing Kirk and the landing party to fight for their lives. Written by David Tischman (Star Trek: The Next Generation: The Space Between) with art by Steve Conley, and an incentive cover by Joe Corroney (Dr. Who Classic, Klingons).