A Klingon Bird-of-Prey is on patrol in the eponymous Borderland, an area of space between the Klingon Empire and the Orion Syndicate. It discovers a transport shuttle with two human bio-signs, so they arrest the humans... who attack and kill the whole crew.
Back on Earth, Dr. Arik Soong sits in prison working on plans for his genetic engineering, when Archer visits and tells him about the Bird-of-Prey. Apparently, its attackers were both augments whose DNA matched that of some embryos that Soong stole from a medical facility twenty years ago. He raised the children in secret as his own, but left them alone when they were ten. Soong is freed from prison so he can help the Enterprise crew find the Augments, and fitted with a transponder to track him. Soong tells Archer to search the Borderland, so he heads there.
On the Bird-of-Prey, the Augments' leader, Raakin, scolds Malik for stealing the ship, causing a power struggle when Malik disagrees. Meanwhile, in sickbay on the Enterprise, Phlox and Soong discuss genetic engineering and the Eugenics Wars. Phlox says that his people use genetic engineering in medicine, but it's quite different from Soong's doing, which he disapproves of.
The Enterprise enters the Borderland, but is attacked by Orions, who kidnap nine crew members (including T'Pol) and are taken to a planet called Verex III and auctioned into slavery. Soong guides Archer to this planet, since he used to get supplies from there, while the slaves are fitted with "neurolytic restrains", which will kill them if they try to escape. On the Bird-of-Prey, Malik stages a mutiny against Raakin, believing himself to be a better leader as he thinks he's stronger and more intelligent.
The Enterprise arrives at Verex III and uses one of Soong's old codes to enter the auction. They can't beam anyone back due to the restraints, and T'Pol is being sold to a Tellarite. Archer and Soong beam down and Archer finds most of the missing crew. When Ensign Pierce is put up for sale, Archer buys him and convinces the Orions to deactivate his restraint.
On the Bird-of-Prey, Persis (an Augment woman who Malik told his plans to) tells Raakin about Malik's plan to take over. She tells Raakin that Malik believes he is weak and weakening the other Augments, and that if their "father" were present, he'd choose Malik as leader. Raakin says that he will betray their "father's" principles by killing Malik.
Ensign Pierce is returned to Enterprise and his (inactive) restraint is analysed by Trip. Meanwhile, on the Bird-of-Prey, Raakin tries to kill Malik, but everyone else fights back, leading to Malik killing Raakin. Malik becomes the new leader, with Persis as his next-in-command.
Enterprise discovers a code to deactivate all of the restraints, and Archer and Soong return to the auction. Archer deactivates all the restraints, leading to a riot, and the Enterprise crew is beamed back five at a time. Soong stuns Archer and escapes, then deactivates his transponder, but Archer finds him and activates his arm restraints. Soong climbs the wall, but then Archer deactivates the restraints, causing Soong to fall and get taken back to Enterprise.
Soong is locked in the brig, where Archer accuses him of having planned for the whole ordeal. Soong begs Archer to leave the Augments be, since they're "the future of mankind" and are stronger, faster, and live longer than most people. Archer insists that the Augments must be stopped because they're dangerous, even when Soong points out that genetic engineering could have saved Archer's father, and leaves.
In sickbay, Trip asks T'Pol how her honeymoon was, and she reveals that she spent all of her time meditating. The Enterprise resumes its search for the Bird-of-Prey, only to be attacked by Orion Interceptors again, claiming that they "stole" Orion "property". A Bird-of-Prey chases off the Interceptors, then docks with the Enterprise, revealing it to be the Augments.
Malik tells Archer that Soong contacted them and they came to the rescue. Archer shares his plan to take the Augments back to Earth, but Malik says that Earth hates Augments and that Augments are "superior". He grabs Archer's neck, threatening to kill him if anyone intervenes. He brags about the abilities of Augments, then goes to the bridge and into a turbolift with Archer as a hostage.
At the docking port, the other Augments, led by Persis, hack into the door controls and raid the dock, stunning the guards. They go to the brig and release Soong, then Malik arrives with Archer. Soong tells the Augments he is proud of them, then tells Archer to go home and learn Klingon. The Augments leave, with the Enterprise too damaged to give chase, and Soong tells the Augments that they are going to retrieve thousands of their "brothers" and "sisters".
Tropes in this episode include:
- '80s Hair: The Augments love their mullets - business in the front, party in the back.
- Alien Abduction: The Orions kidnap eight humans (plus T'Pol) and sell them into slavery.
- Attack Hello: Two Orion interceptors attack Enterprise as soon as she enters the Borderland.
- Brick Joke: Trip asks T'Pol how her honeymoon was, but does not get an answer until the end of the episode, at which point she says that Vulcans don't have honeymoons.
- Call-Back: Trip finally gets to build a new captain's chair."It comes with everything but its own protein resequencer. For that, I'll need another day."
- Calling Your Attacks: Malik announces his intention to attack Archer just before he actually does, just to prove that ordinary humans are no match for Augments. Apparently nobody told him that Archer being no match for anybody is one of his defining traits.
- Casting Gag: Alec Newman plays another product of human genetic manipulation/augmentation
- Continuity Nod:
- During their briefing the other Enterprise officers are wearing civilian clothes, having been called back from their shore leave in "Home". Trip also tries to query T'Pol about what happened after he left Vulcan.
- One of the aliens seen in the Orion slave pens is of the same species as Tarquin.
- Soong makes several snarky quips regarding the recent fame of the Enterprise crew.
- Curb-Stomp Battle: The Klingons on the Bird-of-Prey are no match for two Augments, especially one who can Dodge the Bullet.
- Custom Uniform of Sexy: Despite being officially made a Starfleet officer, T'Pol is still wearing her colorful catsuits, rather than the Starfleet-issue flight suits.
- Ensign Newbie: Jeffrey Pierce. His first tour of duty on Enterprise has him kidnapped and nearly sold into slavery. He's clearly freaked out over this.
- Escape Artist: Dr Soong programmed a Padd to open every door in the prison.
- Even Evil Has Loved Ones: Soong and his Augments clearly love each other.
- Get A Hold Of Yourself Man: T'Pol bucks up a panicking Ensign Newbie.
- Giant Mook: Played by The Big Show, no less. Becomes Huge Guy, Tiny Girl when he lifts up T'Pol while selling her.
- Green-Skinned Space Babe: The famous Orion Sex Slave makes a reappearance. Soong is clearly Eating the Eye Candy as he talks of their legendary 'appetite' and 'skills'.
- Identical Grandson: Word of God confirms that Arik Soong is an ancestor of Noonien Soong.
- Immune to Bullets: The Augments can take a stun blast to the chest and recover in a few seconds.
- Instant Sedation: Played With when Archer injects an Orion with the off-button hypospray. The Orion tenses up, goes stiff as a board, wobbles back and forth for a few will-he-or-won't-he seconds...and finally goes down.
- Just Think of the Potential!: Soong's attitude to genetic engineering.
- The Mutiny: Malik leads the Augments against Raakin and then kills him.
- Not Blood Siblings: While the Augments aren't biologically related to one another, they were all raised together and view each other as siblings. This doesn't stop Persis becoming involved with two of her "brothers".
- Punch! Punch! Punch! Uh Oh...: A Klingon guard slams his rifle into Malik's chest...and gapes when the Puny Earthling doesn't even flinch. Next moment he's been knocked halfway down the corridor.
- Room Full of Crazy: Played with; Arik Soong's prison cell is lined with his equations neatly written out on paper. He may be a Mad Scientist, but his thinking is entirely rational.
- Rousing Speech: Archer gives a nicely understated one for their launch."Here we are again. Wouldn't have it any other way."
- Shock Collar: The neuraletic inhibitors on the Orion slaves.
- Slave Market: Several members of the Enterprise crew are kidnapped and put up for sale on the Orion slave market. The legendary Orion slave girls are part of the merchandise.
- The Only One: Justified for once. Enterprise is the fastest ship available, with the most experienced crew.
- To Serve Man: Threatened by the Orion when nobody seems interested in buying Pierce."If you don't sell as a slave, I will sell you as food."
- Tuckerization: Persis is named for Persis Khambatta, who played Lt. Ilia in Star Trek: The Motion Picture.
- Ungrateful Bastard: Raakin saved Malik's life when they were children. Malik repays Raakin by betraying and killing him.
- Villainous Rescue: The Augments in their stolen Bird-of-Prey show up to save Enterprise from the Orions.
- Your Approval Fills Me with Shame: Soong tries to establish a Commonality Connection with T'Pol and Phlox. Neither look happy about it.
