In the 2470's
when the Borg try once again to invade the Federation,
Captain Jean Luc Picard can sense it in his nightmares.
Memories of his assimilation as Locutus haunt him.
The new Starship Enterprise is ordered to patrol
the Romulan neutral zone because Starfleet feels that
Picard's experience with The Borg could
endanger their chances of overcoming the Borg.
When the fleet is endanger of being destroyed by the Borg,
Captain Picard disobeys orders and takes the Enterprise to
Sector 001, Earth, and takes command of the fleet.
Although Picard and the fleet sucesfully destroy the Borg cube,
a small borg sphere not only escapes,
but manages to go back into earth's history by creating a temporal vortex.
They manage to assimilate all of earth and it's population into 9 billion Borg.
Fortunately, the Enterprise follows the Borg cube into the past
in order to prevent this from happening.

In the year 2063, the earth is recovering from a devestating third world war.
Somewhere in central Montana at an old nuclear missle complex,
a drunken Zephram Cochrane prepares for his attempt at
breaking the warp speed barrier for the first time in human history.
When the Borg arrive, they attack the missle complex, badly damaging the
the warp ship Phoenix. The Enterprise destroys the Borg Sphere but,
doesn't realize that the Borg have secretly transported aboard.

The Enterprise crew begin repairs on the ship while trying to explain to
Zephram Cochrane that he must complete his warp flight for a very special reason.
A peaceful race of extra terrestrials called "Vulcans" will be making a pass by
the earth and when they detect that primitive humans have the technology
to travel faster than light, they decide to visit the earth, right there in Montana.
However, this will never happen unless the warp flight is made.
Zephram Cochrane realizes that the crew of the Enterprise are,
"...astronauts, on some kind of star trek."

While not ignoring other details of the film like Data's assimilation by the Borg,
Picard's relationship with Lily, Cochrane's reluctance to be a "statue",
and the eventual defeat of the Borg queen, I must move ahead to the point of the film.
Repairs are made to the warp ship Phoenix and
it makes it maiden flight, attracting the attention of the Vulcans.
The Vulcans land in Montana and for the first time in human history,
we make contact with an intelligent species from another world.
A Vulcan approaches Cochrane and offers the traditional "Vulcan salute" and says.
"Live long and prosper."
Cochrane attempts the salute but finds that he cannot duplicate it
and instead, offers his handshake and in a very human like way says,
"Thanks.".

Thus, the film ends, history is repaired, and Picard envies the world which is
about to be built, as Cochrane introduces the Vulcans to the ancient
sound of good old Rock and Roll.