Z.P.G.

The planet is choked by smog and scarce resources. People wear breathing masks outdoors as animals disappear and food consists of tasteless paste from plastic containers. Governments maintain a harsh order to control the population.

The world’s government decrees that no children may be born for 30 years, using the death penalty as a deterrent for violators. Parents and newborns harmed by the rule face execution under a plastic dome. The societal aim is to reduce population rapidly and enforce compliance.

To suppress the desire for children, brainwashing and robotic substitutes are deployed. An abortion machine installed in bathrooms makes pregnancy termination a routine option for violators. Citizens live under the pressure of these coercive tools.

Couples visit Babyland to obtain life-size animatronic children, satisfying their longing without breaking the law. The process provides a hollow substitute for real offspring. The fake babies become a symbol of the regime’s control over family life.

Russ and Carol McNeil spend their days recreating life in the 20th century inside a museum. Their job places them among relics of a past era while the world around them becomes increasingly toxic. The couple’s sense of normalcy contrasts with the drab, oppressive surroundings.

Carol conceives a child and chooses to defy the abortion machine, deciding to have the baby despite the ban. She hides her pregnancy from neighbors and authorities as the date of birth approaches. This personal rebellion becomes a dangerous test of loyalty to the state.

After the child is born, the McNeils must shield the baby from discovery by authorities and curious neighbors. They improvise to keep the infant hidden in a world that demands total obedience to the birth ban. The tension among the neighbors grows as the secret endangers everyone involved.

George and Edna Borden stumble upon the baby and offer aid to conceal it, initially presenting themselves as supportive neighbors. Jealousy and suspicion soon undermine their goodwill. The situation escalates as protective instincts and fear pull families into conflict.

The Bordens want to treat the baby as if it were theirs, sparking fights with the McNeils and a struggle over custody. The competition for the child exposes cracks in a community that is supposed to enforce conformity. The family’s secrecy becomes fragile under pressure.

Authorities seize the McNeils and place them under one of the state’s execution domes, threatening the life of their infant. The regime’s brutality is made explicit as public punishment is used to deter others. The couple’s hope hinges on any chance to escape.

They break free by digging underground and moving through dark tunnels aboard a small raft. The escape tests their ingenuity and will to survive in a world designed to crush all dissent. The journey strips them of comfort as they slip away from the surveillance state.

The trio reaches a remote island with no visible pollution, offering a tentative sanctuary. It represents a radical break from the contaminated mainland and a chance for a new life. Yet its safety is uncertain given the planet’s ruined environment.

The island's background includes being used to bury old nuclear missiles in 1978, implying persistent radioactivity and danger. This historical footnote adds a haunting layer to their supposed refuge. The future remains fragile as fallout could threaten the family at any moment.