recruits Commander Data (Brent Spiner) as pilot, who as an android is be immune to infection. When she removes the protective material, the boy awakens and telepathically communicates with her. She is suddenly struck by joint pain and recognizes that she has become affected with the same condition as the Lantree and station crew and orders Data to pilot the shuttle to the research station. Dr. Pulaski continues to research the cause of the syndrome at the station. She learns that the children have been genetically engineered with highly aggressive immune systems that fight pathogens by genetically altering them – not just in the children's bodies but in their environment as well. Recalling the Lantree officer with Thelusian flu, Dr. Pulaski postulates that the children's immune systems' reaction to the virus has created airborne antibodies that are attacking everything else, altering the DNA of normal humanoids to cause them to age rapidly and die. With this information, the crew of the Enterprise determine that the transporters can remove the antibodies and re-code an infected individual's DNA to normal but only with a previous bio-pattern of that individual and they do not have one for Dr. Pulaski due to her avoidance of transporter technology. The crew finds samples of Pulaski's hair in her quarters and using it as a template is able to restore her to full health. The Enterprise uses the same procedure to restore the station's staff, noting that the children will never be able to live with other humans and then returns to the contaminated Lantree to destroy the ill-fated vessel. Production Special Effects works was done by Image G. The USS Lantree shown in this episode was a redress of the USS Reliant model that was used for the 1982 feature film Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. Hair styling was done by Richard Sabre. Reception Zack Handlen of The A.V. Club gave it a grade B+. Keith R.A. DeCandido of Tor.com rated the episode 3 out of 10. Den of Geek's James Hunt wrote: "There are bits of this which are interesting – the mystery of what caused the disease, the exploration of the character work between Picard and Pulaski" but was critical of the ending and recommended viewers skip the episode. See also "Space Seed" – first season episode of the original series "The Omega Glory (A Starship is infected with a deadly Virus)