Red Dwarf is completely lost. The crew enters a region of space populated by unreality pockets, a security measure around a top-secret Space Corps test ship. Kryten places the crew in Deep Sleep and conducts his own looting mission and Starbug escapes with a time-drive. They are subsequently contacted by another Starbug, populated by their future selves, who explain that their own time-drive is malfunctioning and request to be allowed to copy parts from the present-day time-drive. Lister refuses after seeing what the future crew has become, and they launch an attack on Starbug: they would rather die than be denied their self-indulgent lifestyle. Rimmer shows uncharacteristic bravery by suggesting they fight, stating "Better dead than smeg." The episode ends with Lister, Cat, and Kryten all dying from explosions in the cockpit and Rimmer blowing up the time-drive. The final scene is of Starbug exploding and the promise "to be continued."
Production notes- The episode was reportedly filmed with Autocue prompts installed throughout the Starbug set, since Doug Naylor did not actually finish the script. He had to type lines for the actors to read, and simultaneously make it look like a well-rehearsed episode to the audience. The cast recall the experience fondly in the DVD commentaries.
- The working title for this episode was "Present from the Future", while Craig Charles script title was "R.I.P. Dave Lister".
Alternate versions- An alternate ending was filmed (and is on both the 1994 outtake video Red Dwarf: Smeg Ups and the the Series VI DVD) where Rimmer destroys the time-drive and sets things back the way they were by killing their future selves as a result. The Dwarfers then celebrate with margaritas — which they discover to their disgust is brewed from urine recyc.
