Amanda contacts Burnham about what happened with her mother. Spock interrupts their conversation to inform Burnham that another signal has appeared of the Klingon planet of Boreth.

Burnham wants to pursue Leland and Control but Pike chooses to follow the signal. Tyler arranges passage with L'Rell as the son of Voq is hidden with the monks of Kalesh on Boreth.

When L'Rell arrives, she discloses that the monastery also guards a cache of time crystals. Pike decides that he will make contact with the monks. The monks do not believe he is strong enough to handle a time crystal.

Burnham approaches Saru about pursuing a Section 31 ship that missed its check-in. He grants her permission to do so but sends Spock along to safeguard her.

The head monk is Tenavik, son of L'Rell and Voq, grown to adulthood in months due to the effect of the time crystals.

Burnham and Spock arrive at the site of the Section 31 ship and find the crew has been ejected into space. They find one life sign and transport him aboard the shuttle. It turns out to be Kamran Gant, one of Burnham's crewmates from the Shenzhou.

Pike endures the time crystal's ordeal, seeing his own disfigured self in the future. Despite Tenavik's offer to walk away and avoid the ending he saw, he insists on completing his mission. 

Reno plays cupid for Stamets and Culber.

Burnham, Spock, and Gant beam onto the Section 31 ship. They formulate a plan to trap Control but when Spock is in a separate location, Burnham realizes Gant is Control-controlled. He attacks her, intending on turning her into a Control host so it can access the data. Spock intervenes and Burnham is able to fight off Gant and the nanobots long enough for Spock to incapacitate them.

Pike relays a message to L'Rell and Tyler from their son.

Burnham and Spock return to convey the information they've learned about Control. Suddenly the entire Section 31 fleet arrives, surrounding Discovery. Burnham assesses the situation and asserts that the only way to safeguard the Sphere data is to destroy Discovery. Pike prepares to evacuate and set the self-destruct.