Lt. Paris and Ensign Kim are arrested and convicted of being part of a terrorist bombing. They are sent to an unusual prison located at the bottom of a long chute. To make matters worse, the prisoners are forced to wear a neck collar that affects their nervous systems.

Janeway, knowing Paris and Kim are innocent, set out to find the real bombers and free the two. Janeway is shocked to find, that when they capture the true bombers, this will not help her imprisoned crewmen. She then decides to take matters into her own hands.