In the late 23rd century, the USS Enterprise-B, on its maiden voyage, encounters a mysterious energy ribbon. When the phenomenon threatens two refugee ships, Captain James T. Kirk is believed to be killed while saving the Enterprise from destruction. Nearly eighty years later, the USS Enterprise-D, captained by Jean-Luc Picard, responds to a distress call from a space observatory. Picard learns that a scientist named Dr. Tolian Soran is desperately trying to return to the energy ribbon, known as the Nexus, which has the ability to take whoever enters it to a place of eternal joy and timelessness.

Dr. Soran's attempts to re-enter the Nexus involve collapsing a star to alter the ribbon's path, which would result in the destruction of nearby inhabited systems. The Enterprise crew member Data, grappling with newly activated emotions, inadvertently aids Soran before realizing the potential consequences of his work. Soran's obsession with the Nexus clashes with Picard's duty to protect innocent life, setting them on a collision course with high stakes. With the lives of millions at risk, Picard must find a way to stop Soran before his plan reaches fruition.