The new arrivals in the mill have invented 'The Game'. It consists of a player climbing a rope hung from the roof down the inside of the mill, several storeys high. Four people hold the rope over a pulley at the top. Every 10 seconds, one person at the
top lets go, until only one remains. The climber must reach the top of the mill before the last person weakens and has to release the rope. Alan is playing The Game in an attempt to impress Melanie.Greg's methane production plant is working well - he is ready to try running an engine on the gas produced.
One of the girls in the mill, Sally, goes to Pet with a problem - she thinks she may be pregnant. It's Alan's child, and she is upset because it is
unplanned and he is happy playing the field. She is also scared of the thought of giving birth without the aid of modern medicine.
Charles is delighted at the news that there is a pregnancy in the community at last. He is less pleased to learn that Melanie has been regulating the young women so that they only have sex during a 'safe'
period of each month. Sally has just been unlucky. Melanie, who had led a very comfortable lifestyle before the death,
is determined that they do not tie themselves down to the community - she wants to believe there are still pockets of civilisation out in the world, and wants the chance to discover themfor herself.
When Alan finds out about the baby, he promises he won't desert Sally, but does not want to 'pair off' with her to become a couple - this is what Sally wants however.
Pet suggests a party to celebrate the upcoming birth. Charles tries to convince Sally about
how important a new generation is, and how it will unite the community in a common cause to work for. Sally is not convinced. Some of the older members of the community do not help the situation with the 'old world' attitudes - Hubert refers to her as a hussy and a slut, and Daniella, a staunch Catholic, is shocked that they are not going to get married.
Sally goes to Ruth to ask for an abortion - she does not recommend this on medical grounds.
Charles is shocked when he hears of Sally's request. He is even more shocked when he discovers that Ruth has been trying to develop a contraceptive at the request of many of the women in the community. He argues that the community will support mothers and help bring up their children so that they are not simply child-bearers and may be useful members of the community like Ruth herself. He finds it hard to accept that Ruth is totally fulfilled just by
her work.
The party goes ahead as planned - Charles makes a speech about how wonderful the promise of a baby is for the community. After the
party he wanders off with Melanie to talk over her attitude to the other girls.
Meanwhile, Jen confides to Ruth that she has been keeping her distance from Greg recently as she doesn't want another child. Pet propositions Greg, as she desperately wants to produce a child for Charles. Greg politely refuses, but
lets out the fact that Charles had previously fathered children, a fact he had withheld from Pet. When she confronts Charles with this, and realises it is her who cannot conceive, she gives him her blessing to produce a child with another woman - Charles however wants to remain faithful to Pet.
Meanwhile the younger ones continue the party back at the mill, using bicycle power to run a record player. By dawn they are still going strong. Sally
suggests they play The Game. She insists that she wants a turn. The others don't want this, but Melanie insists that she has the right to play - she also insists that only one man is among the 4 people at the top of the rope, and that he is the first person to let go.
Sally is very slow on the climb, and soon there is only one girl at the top desperately trying to hold her weight. Alan cannot let the situation go on, and grabs the rope himself,
allowing Sally to reach the top. She accuses him of cheating - she was actually hoping to fall. In any case the exertion of the climb causes her to lose her baby.
Charles is distraught at the lengths she has gone to to lose the baby. At the end of the episode, Greg gets a small engine running on his methane gas - Melanie & Alan are very excited, seeing this as the first step to freedom. Charles can only see it as a threat, and gallops off on his
horse as the others crowd round to see Greg's engine.
