A flaming meteorite hit causes Starbug 1, with only Lister and Rimmer aboard, to career wildly into an arctic wilderness planet. The duo are alone, marooned in the stricken vessel, and with limited fuel and food supplies they face certain death if not discovered.

Holly orders Rimmer and Lister aboard Starbug 1, and Cat and Kryten aboard the Blue Midget as Red Dwarf approaches a collection of 5 black holes. After 3 million years of nothingness, there's every chance that just one of the former stars could crush the great lumbering ship to the size of a pea.

Fleeing as instructed, and with orders to rendezvous in a few days' time on a nearby planet, the two groups set off. Unfortunately for Rimmer and Lister, not long into their journey a giant flaming meteorite smashes into Starbug 1, causing them to lose control of the ship and for it to crash into an arctic wilderness planet.

With fierce snow storms and hurricane-force winds blowing outside, and only limited food and fuel inside, it's a grave matter for the duo - or for Lister at least. If not discovered and saved from the stricken ship before supplies are exhausted he may very well die. There's just a little bit of time for Dave-Arnold bonding before they face the inevitable.