After the USS Quito made "First Contact" with the Galardonian High Council, the USS Cerritos is sent ("Second Contact") to help with the construction of a subspace communication array. While on the planet, First Officer Ransom is bitten by an insect, that infects him with a virus. Back on the ship, in the lounge, he turns into a savage and attacks the other crew members, spitting black ink, biting and infecting them. The infection rapidly spreads, causing chaos and panic everywhere. Sickbay is filled with patients strapped to the beds and Chief Medical Officer T'Ana is frantically looking for a cure.

• "Virus Attack"

Meanwhile Ensign Brad Boimler and Ensign Beckett Mariner are on the planet with an away team. Beckett sneaks away with supplies and Brad follows her. He discovers that - against regulations - she is giving away farming equipment to the Galardonian farmers.

They are attacked by a spider creature and Beckett suggests that they take off their clothes to make dummies as a distraction. She jumps on the spider's back, but Brad is caught in its jaw and it starts to suckle on him for moisture. The Galardonians explain that the spider is a harmless herbivore and it provides them with milk.

• "Spider Suckling"

Brad and Beckett return to the camp and beam up to the USS Cerritos. Brad is covered in pink slime from the spider and when T'Ana analyzes it, she discovers that it can be used to synthesize a cure for the virus infection. Soon everything is back to normal.

See also:

• Lower Decks at warp