At the opening of the Companion Music Conservatory, Boone recognizes his first love, Elyse Chapel, a beautiful player of a Taelon instrument called the "Tubes." His CVI brings back memories of a passionate love affair with her when he was younger, before he met his wife. Da'an and Sandoval see clearly that Boone is smitten with Elyse.
Boone and Elyse go to the Flat Planet to reminisce, where it's clear that Boone has never forgotten his love for Elyse. Meanwhile, a nuclear power plant is attacked and a supply of plutonium is stolen. Boone and Lili are assigned to the case, but Boone is distracted by Elyse, and Lili is disturbed by his apparent obsession. When she confronts him, he becomes hostile.
Boone sneaks off to meet Elyse later, but the terrorists attack, and she is put in danger. Boone kills one of the gunmen with his skrill, overworked by his feelings for Elyse.
Lili goes to Augur, who is clearly attracted to her. The two of them discover that Elyse is an FBI agent with the intentions of testing Boone's allegiances to the Taelons. Their affair is fictional, a lie planted in Boone's CVI.
Boone and Elyse go to her apartment and sleep together, and the next morning, she claims that she is a Resistance member, really hating the Taelons. Boone does not arrest her, as would be proper for an implant, and stalls to discover who is after him.
Boone later discovers, after finding the terrorists, that Da'an and Sandoval created the whole crisis as a part of the test. Elyse has begun to feel genuinely for Boone, but he brings her to the Taelon Embassy anyhow.
