 An urgent distress signal, leads the U.S.S. Enterprise to save a lost colony about to be destroyed by stellar flares. The Bringloidi colony - which consists of over 200 humans and their animals. - had rejected modern science and was living a pre-industrial Irish life. The entire population is transported to the Enterprise. Piccard learns that the original, colony ship was shared with a science-oriented group. The other lost colony is located near by. The enterprise crew learns that the entire Mariposan society is composed of clones made from the five crew members who survived their ship s crash landing. Unfortunately, due to Replicative Fading, they will soon be unable to clone themselves and their society will die. The U.S.S. Enterprise officers are asked to donate their DNA so they can clone new citizens - which is refused. The Mariposans then render Riker and Dr Pulaski unconscious and take the DNA. Upon returning to the U.S.S. Enterprise, Dr. Pulaski discovers that both she and Riker are missing cells so they beam down and destroy their developing clones. Picard suggests that the two colony merge and breed naturally. Initially reluctant, both sides agree.