En route to a diplomatic mission, the Enterprisereceives a distress call from the USSMcRaven. As the Enterpriseapproaches the area where the McRavenappears to be, the crew encounters an anomoly unlike anything they've ever experienced. Space itself seems inconsistent-warping, changing appearance. But during the brief periods of calm, they locate the McRaven-along with other ships of various origins, all tightly surrounding and being held in place by an enormous unidentified vessel...