“Last Days” is episode six (originally shown as episode four) of season one of Sliders.
The Sliders arrive on a mostly empty street. There’s a car crashed into a fire hydrant and a police car drives by, saying to keep the street clear for emergency vehicles. They’re in this San Francisco for 72 hours. Rembrandt likes seeing a couple kissing like there’s no tomorrow.
In town, a store is selling apples for $17 and there’s what looks like looting that the police aren’t stopping. A suited man drives by on the back of a chopper and another tears up a ticket he’s just been given. They ask the second what’s going on. The biggest sale in history, he tells them, leading them into his electronics shop.
The news says that people are fleeing the West Coast looking for higher ground. Dr Lee Antonovich and the Union of Concerned Scientists are looking for last minute solutions. When asked, the store owner says the asteroid is coming. It’s the end of the world. They’ve known for months. And it’s arriving in two days, whilst the Sliders are stuck there for three.
Rembrandt starts freaking out and blaming Quinn, not without some justification. Quinn says they will figure something out. Rembrandt asks how and Wade admits that’s a good question. Professor Arturo suggests they reconvene here at 5PM Friday night. Wade wants to find their families; the professor suggests they try and help the scientists. Quinn and Wade are going to look for their families and Quinn gives the professor his address; if they aren’t there, they’ll meet back at the shop on Friday.
Arturo attends a news conference being held by Dr Antonovich. The asteroid, 2956 Yeoman, is 10.36 miles across. That’s a real killer. Larger, the doctor says, than the Yucatan asteroid believed to have wiped out the dinosaurs 65 million years ago.
Conrad Bennish then appears and asks what about nuclear weapons. An atomic bomb is their only chance; Einstein made a mistake. According to Antonovich, Einstein, Fermi and Oppenheimer said there wasn’t enough fissionable material available in nature to make an atomic weapon. According to Bennish, the detonator was misaligned. Arturo heads to find Bennish after Bennish is escorted out. He checks that Trinity was a failure and that Einstein said there wasn’t enough uranium in the world to make a bomb. He also wants to look at Bennish’s notes. Because he believes Bennish is a genius.
Rembrandt briefly pops into a church where the reverend suggests he stay, as he’s a long way from home. Rembrandt declines.
Bennish is now showing Arturo his plans. He’s also got the prototype bomb, Fat Boy. The professor corrects him; Fat Man. And says they are going to make an atomic bomb.
Rembrandt is now in the street where what looks like a cross between a riot and a party is going on. He nearly gets hit by a car and then gets invited to come to a party.
Quinn and Wade have arrived at Quinn’s house; Wade’s family doesn’t exist. Quinn’s does, but the entire house is covered in dust sheets. Quinn has an idea and heads to the basement. There are more dust sheets, covering up dinosaur material. And Sliding equipment. They may be able to slide out.
Bennish is showing the professor the bomb. He says the Second World War might have ended five years earlier if it had worked. The professor wonders if he should unleash the nuclear genie on an unsuspecting world. Bennish points out there won’t be a world if they don’t. According to Arturo, Bennish is right about the detonator and explains how to make a nuclear bomb. Bennish is excited and wants to know if they’ll share the patent. Arturo says that, if they are successful, there will be enough credit to go around. If they are not, there will not be another major lifeform on the planet for 100 million years.
Rembrandt is partying, Quinn and Wade are attempting to get Quinn’s alternate’s sliding equipment up and running and the professor is working with Bennish to make an atomic bomb to destroy the asteroid (and there’s no way what they’re doing would work in reality).