In this episode, a young officer from a low-gravity planet is assigned to DS9; Dr. Julian Bashir assists her in adapting to the station's normal gravity.
Starfleet officer Melora Pazlar (Daphne Ashbrook), an Elaysian whose species' physiology is incompatible with the strength of artificial gravity used in most humanoid communities, including Deep Space Nine, arrives on the station.
Meanwhile, just as Quark (Armin Shimerman) is about to conclude a deal over some historical relics with a man named Ashrock (Don Stark), Fallit Kot (Peter Crombie) walks into his bar.
Lt. Jadzia Dax (Terry Farrell), during a survey mission with Melora to the Gamma Quadrant, compares her predicament to that of "The Little Mermaid".
Sisko lets them go, but takes Bashir and Chief Miles O'Brien (Colm Meaney) with him in the runabout Rio Grande.
Kot orders Dax to fire on the Rio Grande but as she refuses, she notices that Melora is not only still alive, but crawling toward a console controlling the ship's gravity.
Club called the episode "a mediocre slog weighed down by an irritating guest star and some cheesy, grating romance."