In which our heroes travel to Krikkit in order to prevent the worst, Zaphod Beeblebrox comes to the rescue, and Marvin makes everyone depressed.

The Guide tells the story on the ultra-aggressive Silastic Armorfiends, the first race ever to shock a computer. The reason for this shock was because they asked a computer called Hactar to design an 'Ultimate Weapon'. The 'Supernova Bomb' was designed to destroy every sun in the universe. However, it was a dud because Hactar thought that making it a dud would be better than it actually being used and destroying the universe. Being angry about this, the Silastic Armorfiends destroyed both Hactar and themselves.

Meanwhile, Slartibartfast and the others see they are too late and can only watch as the Krikkit robots break through the Wikkit Gate. However, as they unlock the Gate, Zaphod arrives. The robots knock him out and destroy the Gate. Zaphod comes around again and explains that the robots did not kill him, but just took him.

Arthur manages to recover the Gold Bail so that the Heart of Gold can work again, and also collects The Ashes which have burned again. Slartibartfast says that the only way to now stop the Krikkit causing chaos is to go onto the surface of the planet. Arthur, Ford, Trillian and Slartibartfast make their way there, and some of the people of Krikkit tell Trillian about their worries about destroying the universe. After mentioning they have a special bomb, Trillian asks for the people to take her to their leader.

Meanwhile, Zaphod is in a floating building trying to solve the Krikkit problem himself. He discovers that the reason why the robots did not kill them was because that they were depressed... they've been talking to Marvin.