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- A man, Robert Lawson, arrives at the manor for shelter and the group agree he can stay. During the night he looks around and soon finds the tanker of petrol. After a heavy downpour, the others find that the crops have been washed out and the store of food in the cellar has been flooded and destroyed. They decide that the petrol is very valuable and decide to trade it to a nearby community for food and seed. Meanwhile, Lawson has met up with two friends and tells them of the tanker. They return to the manor to get it, but Greg has already left with it. They follow, but after a failure of the brakes, Greg has parked it in a barn. The three men find him, steal the tanker, and drive away, speeding down a hill. The truck's brakes fail to work and two of the men are killed. The third opens the fuel tank, allowing the petrol to spill onto the ground and states his intention to spill all of it, and Greg shoots him dead. Members of Greg's group drive up, and they retrieve their petrol. (en)
- One of the community members, Lewis, reveals himself to be a parson, and he is interested in starting Sunday services. Many other community members, including Jenny, express opposition to this, with the view that religion is a waste of time now. However, despite their workload, the group gradually comes round to the idea and attends the first service. (en)
- Abby accidentally gets involved in a local war when she picks up a wounded man being chased by a group of armed men. They shoot one of Abby's tyres as she escapes. The man, Jimmy Garland, takes Abby to the cave where he has been staying: there is instant chemistry between the pair. He is the rightful owner of the Waterhouse manor but has been evicted by a larger group, led by Knox. While Jimmy is finding another vehicle for Abby she is captured by Knox, who convinces her his intentions for Garland's estate are reasonable and honourable, and she agrees to find Jimmy and play mediator between them. Jimmy, however, has kidnapped one of Knox's women as collateral for Abby. Abby brings Jimmy to Knox, but his men attack and restrain him. Abby leaves, and finds Greg, Jenny and the children looking for her. Back at the manor, Knox is torturing Jimmy to reveal the whereabouts of the girl. As the men go to the hut to retrieve the girl, they are surprised as Greg bursts through the door with a shotgun, demanding that Knox's men let Jimmy go. They make the exchange and escape, though Jimmy insists he must stay to continue fighting his "war". (en)
- One of the women in the community, Mina, is receiving much unwanted attention from Hubert, who has taken a liking to her. She shuts herself away with her baby, and Hubert begins to spread a rumour that she is a witch. A number of community members begin to believe this, and Mina decides to leave. Greg and Charles go looking for her and bring her back, assuring her that everyone regrets their suspicions. Hubert is tasked with grinding wheat. (en)
- Abby, Jenny and Greg drive to the nearest large supermarket to stock up on food. While there, they come up against some armed men who are working on Wormley's behalf. The men threaten to shoot them if they take the food and insist they sign up at the community. Abby refuses, and her group manages to overcome the men and escape. Arriving back at the church they find a tramp, Tom Price, has taken shelter at their house. He agrees to join them and help. He tells them of a young boy he encountered who Abby hopes may be her son. Abby, Greg, and Jenny go to find him but discover he is dead, but is not Abby's son. While away, Wormley's men have discovered their base and wait for their return. Tom agrees to join their settlement, and they begin trashing Abby's group's possessions. Abby, Jenny, and Greg return, but one of Wormley's men warns them not to enter the church, so the trio waits in the dark until the gang leaves. Fearing for their safety they leave the area the next day, with Abby vowing to continue searching for her son. (en)
- Tensions among the group are rising as the workload increases. A seemingly gentle man, Alistair, arrives and joins the group. Hubert, meanwhile, is feeling hard-done by and insists on better living accommodations until he discovers that Alistair is a convicted child killer named Andrew. The others question "Alistair", who admits his crime and says that he has been rehabilitated. Hubert, however, spreads panic among the others, and Alistair volunteers to leave. (en)
- Greg and Paul arrive at a temporary settlement packed with provisions. It is led by Huxley, who travels around different communities offering food and other items in exchange for gold. Meanwhile, a man and woman, named Norman and Laura, have arrived at the manor seeking shelter. Laura is pregnant, and the group is on the run from Huxley, who has taken Laura as his woman but insists on her getting rid of the baby. Abby and the others agree to hide them at the settlement. Huxley tracks down Laura and Norman, and wages war on the manor. Laura has the baby and agrees to return to the settlement along with Norman, but entrusts her baby girl to the community where she will be safe, but not before Tom and Huxley are both killed in a final showdown. (en)
- It's May Day, and Abby decides that the community should celebrate with a party, including alcohol. During the party, Tom gets very drunk and later attempts to sexually assault Wendy, chasing her up the stairs and into her room. During a struggle, he stabs and kills her. Shocked at the discovery of Wendy's body the next morning, the others notice that Barney is acting strangely, and put Barney on trial. The nine other adults in the community hold a vote on whether Barney is guilty or not guilty of killing Wendy. They come to the conclusion by six votes to three that Barney is guilty . After the guilty verdict, they then hold another vote on whether Barney should be banished from the community or executed. They vote by 5 votes to 4 that Barney be executed . Greg pulls the short straw, and Greg takes Barney outside and shoots him dead. Wracked with guilt, Tom confesses to Abby and Greg that it was he who killed Wendy. Furious, but logical, Greg reasons that Tom's crime should not be revealed to others, and Tom should be kept within the community, as his poaching skills are essential. Greg also warns Abby that he will challenge her leadership if she tells the others the truth. Despite Abby's disgust, she agrees with Greg. (en)
- With a community now numbering nine people, Abby, Jenny and Greg begin working the land in an attempt to begin growing crops, while the others take on various chores around the manor. A man, Paul Pitman, arrives and tells them he knows about farming and tells them their methods are futile, but he can help. They need seeds and tractor parts. Greg remembers that Vic Thatcher, whom he had helped earlier, had a working tractor. Greg, Tom, Barney and Paul go to Vic's quarry to see what they can get there. On arriving they are repeatedly shot at but manage to get through to find that Vic is still alive, although his legs are completely crushed. Vic tries to kill Greg for abandoning him and taking away his woman, until Greg explains what really happened. Vic agrees to let them take the equipment and food he has stored, and he accompanies them back to the manor. Meanwhile, two more people, Arthur and Charmian, have joined the community. (en)
- Travelling to a hydro-electric power station in Scotland, Charles, Jenny, and Hubert meet a local laird, who tells them that in the Highlands more than 150,000 people have survived the plague, making it the most densely populated part of Britain. Charles informs him that they are there to switch the electricity back on, which Alec and Sam are now working on. At the power station, Alec is making preparations, but Sam is sabotaging Alec's work. The others arrive there to find Alec unconscious, while Sam has disappeared, intent on wrecking the whole system. During a struggle, Sam is killed. Before the supply is restored, the Laird argues with Charles that the power belongs to Scotland, but Alec insists that he is the only one able to switch it back on. After they reach an agreement that Alec will control the supply, Alec switches it on. (en)
- After Vic attempts suicide, the others discuss how depressed he has become and set about finding useful tasks to give him a sense of purpose, such as teaching the children. Additionally, Greg and Paul go to a nearby town and find Vic a proper wheelchair. Two people turn up at the manor driving a tanker full of petrol. One is a young man, Donny, the other is Anne – the woman who had left Vic to die. Vic tells the others what she did, and Abby decides that Donny can stay but Anne must leave in the morning. That night, Anne attempts to kill Vic, who in turn also tries to kill her in anger. After both break down in tears, they talk. The following morning, a seemingly more positive Anne leaves the house, watched by Vic. (en)
- Greg and Charles call a meeting with representatives from local communities with a view to the groups' helping each other out and providing protection from attack if needed. A sniper is going round other areas and shooting women. Greg realises they are the next target and calls on a nearby community for help. While waiting in ambush, Jenny is placed as bait for the sniper. Greg tries to strangle the sniper, who is shot in the struggle. The sniper is revealed to be a woman. (en)
- The travellers arrive at a large community, which has its own brewery and mine. They stay the night due to Frank's now weakened condition. Charles is unsure of Alec's willingness to work with them, and during a night of heavy drinking tries to persuade Jenny to sleep with Alec. She is furious, but Alec has decided to stay anyway and helps the men work on their generator. Another man, Sam, opposes turning the electricity back on and is determined to stop them. With Frank now dead, the others move on, accompanied by Sam. (en)
- Mina becomes fond of John, a man she meets on a river barge, and agrees to meet him later, to serve him lunch in exchange for Wellington boots for the community. However, when the boat returns, two other men have taken residence, and John is nowhere to be found, though one of the men is wearing John's hat. The pair are brought to Whitecross but appear quite aggressive. Pet recognises one of them as a convicted criminal, and when Mina finds John's murdered corpse and confronts the pair, they take the children hostage. In an attempt to reason with them, Lewis goes to talk to them but is shot dead. Greg and Charles meet the men's demands and let them go, and the pair escape on the boat. However, they begin to suffer the effects of the wood alcohol they've been drinking and die. (en)
- Jenny has had a baby boy, whom she is naming David. However, she falls ill. Ruth examines her and makes a list of needed medical supplies. Paul agrees to go to the nearest big-city hospital to collect it. He returns with the items but is feeling feverish. Ruth isolates him and realises he has contracted the bubonic plague. To prevent the disease from spreading through the community she gives him a lethal injection and burns down the barn he was held in. Jenny, whose health has improved, decides to rename her baby Paul. (en)
- One of the new girls, Sally, is pregnant. Charles is delighted and re-ignites his interest in more of the community having children. There is much opposition to this from the women, including Sally, who forces herself to miscarry. (en)
- Ruth has been duped into going to London, where a community of 500 is living. They need her because of her medical training, as many people are falling ill, owing to rats and a mysterious, deadly "London sickness". The group is led by a duplicitous, manipulative operations manager named Manny, and a physician who informs Ruth that only a group numbering 500 or more can survive; a smaller community would become extinct within several generations. This argument and the clear need for another doctor tempt Ruth to stay, and she enjoys the settlement's electricity and running water. Greg and Charles learn that Ruth has been taken to London and go to rescue her. On arrival they are attacked by a pack of rats. (en)
- While Abby goes to her son's school, Jenny and Greg run across two small children, John and Lizzie, who have been living in the home of John's dead grandmother. When they all go up to the school to meet Abby, the children tell them about a bus full of school children who have gone up to Derbyshire, "where the angels are". They all take off to the area and find a house to stay in, but Greg is accidentally shot by a man who took shelter there, Lincoln, who's given Greg a minor flesh wound. The man tells the group that armed men calling themselves "The British Government" recently came, taking many of his supplies. Abby leaves on her own and finds the "angels", three religious men who have isolated themselves in the hills. Later, when Jenny, Greg, and the children set out to follow Abby, Lincoln takes Lizzie hostage, but she is saved by her dog. The group leaves Lincoln behind and rejoins Abby at the "angels'" cabin. However, the men quickly become ill, and they realise Abby has brought the plague with her and infected them. The five travellers leave after the three men have died. (en)
- Charles returns to the farm, which has been re-settled by Brod's former captives. He meets up with Jenny, Agnes, and Hubert there. Hubert is helping out with the cows, which he believes have brucellosis. Charles and Jenny go in search of a nearby homeopathic specialist. On meeting him, Charles learns that there are a number of people dotted around the nearby areas, and he is keen to have them all meet once a week to trade their various wares. He arranges a meeting at the train station, at which various people reveal they are producing beef, chicken, pork, cheese, and honey, which they agree to trade with each other. (en)
- On their return trip from harvesting salt, Charles and Pet meet a sick couple whom they bring to the nearest community for help. There they find a military-like operation run by Max and Joy. The sick woman dies, and the sick man is shot. Charles complains of their domineering approach, though he proposes they conduct trade and form a federation. Joy invites Charles to present his proposal to the group, but then advises Max to order them to leave. Falsely tipped off by Joy that Max plans to have them shot during the night, the couple stays, and Charles gets to address the community, during which time Joy uses Max's supposed murder threat to depose him. (en)
- The group are becoming irritable with each other after trading their petrol for some seed which turns out to be bad, and a fox has killed their chickens. Abby, tired of her role as the leader, retreats and talks it over with Jenny, who reveals she is pregnant with Greg's child. A wandering group arrives and requests shelter for a sick woman they are carrying. The group says they were driven from their land by a large band of thieves roaming the area. Greg and the others in his group agree to contact other settlements so they can band together and form an alliance against similar attacks. Abby meanwhile, needing some peace, leaves the settlement to seek out Jimmy Garland, and stays with him in his house. Back at the settlement, the sick girl, Ruth, recovers and tells them she was a medical student; she mentions that she was staying on a barge with some other people, one of whom was a boy named Peter Grant. Abby returns the next day with Jimmy. Jenny rushes out to tell her the news that her son is still alive. (en)
- Ruth brings to Whitecross a small group of young people, who've escaped the effects of an aggressive strain of flu that has devastated their own community. Their leader, Mark, has an agricultural degree and much experience in farming, and offers them advice. The flu bug soon breaks out at Whitecross, killing Arthur, and infecting Mina and Peggy. It soon becomes apparent that Mark is an overbearing leader and aims to take over the farming aspect of the community completely. The others vote against him, and he leaves. (en)
- Upon arriving at the house of one of Hubert's friends, Hubert, Jenny, and Charles discover the man has broken his leg. The man directs them to take him to the house of a nearby veterinarian, named Janet. Charles talks to her and her partner about their lives there, which are very comfortable, and decides that his community could move here, where there are more facilities and people nearby. To Jenny's surprise, she discovers that John, the boy she has been looking after, is Janet's son. The mother and son are reunited for the first time in two years. (en)
- Wendy, a young woman living with an older woman, Emma, leaves their house in search of food. She comes across Tom Price, who offers her food in return for favours. Uneasy about him, she steals his fish and runs away. Meanwhile, Abby rescues Emma from a pack of roaming, savage dogs. Tom turns up at the house looking for Wendy. After he threatens Abby, she locks him in the back of his van. The others have found a large manor house with plenty of land for grazing nearby sheep and growing vegetables. They settle there and meet Barney, a simple-minded and scared young man. Abby brings Emma and Wendy in Tom's van to the manor, and there they release Tom, who agrees, once again, to help them. (en)
- Greg and Charles are rescued and taken to the community. They find Ruth, who explains that the 500 are planning to move to the Isle of Wight to set up a new life in a clean environment. They soon discover, however, that Manny has no intention of moving them and wants to stay in London as the ruler. He tells Greg and Charles to go, but Ruth must stay. Ruth decides to return to the country with Greg and Charles, and they try to make an escape with Manny in close pursuit. Manny is shot by one of his enemies, and Greg, Charles, and Ruth leave London. (en)
- Abby, Jenny and Greg are driving towards Abby's home town of Brimpsfield, looking for her son. At a petrol station they find posters for a nearby settlement. They run across settlement members, Charles and Loraine, who themselves have just found a young boy, Mick. Greg, Abby, and Jenny decide to accompany them to Maredell before deciding whether to join forces. On arrival, they discover that many in the settlement have become mortally ill from poisoned fish. They soon learn that Charles is obsessed with repopulating the earth and is trying to impregnate as many women as possible to achieve this goal. His intentions now turn to Abby, who is horrified. The trio leaves the following day. (en)
- In his travels, Greg meets a group of men who gain his confidence as he talks about his trip to Norway. They seize his map, notes, boots, clothes, and horse, however, and leave him for dead. On realising the notes and map notations are written in Norwegian, the men go to the community to capture Agnes, to translate for them. Greg makes it to a nearby settlement, where he meets a doctor who is dying of smallpox. Greg contracts the disease but summons the strength to rescue the community from the bandits by appearing to join the brigands. He says goodbye and informs Agnes in Norwegian that he is dying, before moving off with the brigands – intentionally infecting them all. (en)
- Charles gets an urgent message to meet Greg. Arriving at an old army camp, Charles discovers that credit notes bearing Greg's name are being issued in return for petrol. Agnes tells Charles that they have a million gallons stored there. Jenny arrives and inquires about Greg's whereabouts. Agnes reveals that he is dead, and that they don't have the petrol they claim. The intention, however, is to set up a government enforcing proper law and order. Initially reluctant, Charles comes round to the idea after the camp is infiltrated by two bandits, and the group locks up the bandits rather than shooting them. (en)
- A hot air balloon crash-lands at the community. The flier is killed, while his daughter wanders about in a nearby forest. Greg and the others go to investigate. The girl, Agnes, is found and explains that they have come from Norway. There, they have a working factory, manufacturing tools, and equipment, but little food. Much to Jenny's distress, Greg is keen to investigate and trade with them. After getting the balloon back in working order he accompanies Agnes on her return to Norway. (en)
- Charles and Hubert catch up with Jenny, who has been travelling for days. They trio meets up with Agnes, and they take shelter at a community run by a man named Brod. They discover that many community members are there against their will due to Brod's bullying tactics. Brod also forces Charles and the others to stay, promising protection against the wild dogs, which now outnumber people. Brod threatens Charles' life, and to ensure Charles and his group are able to leave safely, Hubert kills Brod, which also allows the other people to return to their farm. (en)
- Survivor Greg Preston, who has just returned from mainland Europe and knows the virus has wiped out the population there, arrives home to find that his wife, Jeanie, has died from the plague. Greg is driving through the countryside when he meets Anne, who begs him to come and help the man she is staying with, Vic, who has been injured. Greg goes with her to the quarry where she has been staying and finds that Vic's legs have been crushed under a fallen tractor. Greg helps the best he can. Meanwhile, Abby arrives at a settlement run by a former trade union president, Arthur Wormley, and learns that he has some inside knowledge of the catastrophe from his contacts in the government. He has set up a small community where he has appointed himself the man in charge of the entire area. At first interested at their intentions, Abby is later appalled when a man branded as a threat to Wormley's group is taken out and shot. Abby flees the house. Greg has driven to the nearest town to get medicine. While there he meets Jenny and takes her into his car after she collapses. En route back to the quarry, they encounter Anne, who tells Greg that Vic is dead, and after initially travelling with them, she leaves. Greg and Jenny see smoke and aim for it. It leads them to Abby, who has now set herself up in an abandoned church with the aim of starting a self-sufficient community. (en)
- Charles meets a man named Richard Fenton, who saves him from a pack of wild dogs. Charles spends the night at Richard's halfway house, but soon realises the man has rabies. After Fenton attacks Charles and the two neighbours from whom Charles has sought help, the neighbours shoot Fenton dead. The men believe Charles also has rabies and try to kill him, too. However, Charles escapes on foot. After being helped by a woman whose house he passes, and then escaping nearly being gunned down again by the men chasing him, Charles eventually escapes by hiding in an old steam train. The train is operational, and a group of people are running it on coal with an eye to setting up a nationwide train service. (en)
- Charles, Jenny, and Hubert arrive at a religious settlement, where no violence or guns are allowed. They stay there for the night and discover the settlement has a fully functional windmill, which they allow local people to use in trade. One of the settlement's leaders, Frank, asks to go with Charles, Jenny, and Hubert, as he is fitted with a pacemaker, which is nearing the end of its life. They leave in search of a power station engineer, who is reportedly nearby. (en)
- In search of the power station specialist, Alec, the group arrives at his settlement. He is extremely hostile, however, and claims to have no more interest in his former career. However, the group discovers that Alec is haunted by the memory of his dead wife. They encourage him to face his fears, which brings him to a breaking point. He attempts suicide but is saved by Charles. Coming to his senses, Alec agrees to help and goes with them. (en)
- Travelling with Agnes, Greg arrives at a community run by children. He discovers the children are being attacked by a disease, which is killing a number of them. He soon discovers that it is caused by the rye bread they are eating, which is infected by a fungus. The children's leader tells Greg they got the rye from two travelling traders. Greg fetches the traders, and the children force the traders to work for them as penance. Nearby, Jenny is searching for Greg, but misses him. (en)
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