While in quarantine high above the patriarchal planet Khurtanan, the crew shares a meal of Quatal molluscs and immediately suffers a violent physical reaction. Each crew member becomes bodily linked to one of the others, Crichton to Sikozu, Aeryn to Rygel, and D'Argo to Noranti.

Doctor Tumii, brought on board to certify the crew free of 'space madness', reveals that he deliberately poisoned the crew, and demands a huge sum of money to cure them, or else they will die. Chiana and Scorpius remain on board to look after a Khurtanan mechanic who is fitting a filter into Moya, while the others visit the planet.

Once there, they hand over the money, seeing little other option. Tumii only has enough of the Quatal molluscs to heal D'Argo and Noranti, who return to Moya, but assures them that more will be delivered soon. Unfortunately, a woman turns up and shoots the Doctor instead.

Only mildly injured, the Doctor nonetheless says he will not now be able to cure the others. The woman was from Khurtanan's violent female liberation movement, who are planning a coup, and who are also the only source of the molluscs on the planet. Their headquarters are at a gentlemen's "entertainment" club.

As the only women present, Aeryn and Sikozu volunteer to go to the club and attempt to buy the molluscs. They are instead held captive so that they will die of the mollusc poisoning, as will those they are linked to.

Realising something is wrong, John and Rygel infiltrate the club dressed as women. Rygel obtains the molluscs, but John cannot find Aeryn and Sikozu, who are also needed for the cure. As the poisoning enters its last stages, help comes from Scorpius, who eats the leftover molluscs and thus links to the others, using his strength to buoy them up.

Throwing off his disguise, John blasts the club with pulse fire, and the four make their escape. On board Moya, the cure is a success. Chiana says goodbye to the mechanic - revealed as a woman in disguise, and Scorpius saves himself by vomiting up the mollusc remnants.