Towers returns to Melbourne, where a woman in whom he's become interested, Moira Davidson (Rachel Ward), Holmes's sister-in-law and Osborne's ex-wife, is waiting for him. As the people of Melbourne realize that the inevitable nuclear cloud will soon reach their location, their impending doom begins to unravel the social fabric; anarchy and chaos erupt. Some choose to live their final weeks recklessly in a deadly car race while others seek a more peaceful means to face the end of their lives. Holmes and his wife Mary (Jacqueline McKenzie) find solace in their love for each other as Towers and Moira become closer.