Beginning of Arthur’s Odyssey
Arthur Dent awakes to the jarring sight of bulldozers poised to demolish his house to make way for a new freeway. Determined to save his home, he lies down in front of the machines, thwarting the foreman's efforts to clear him off. Despite the foreman's insistence that the project plans were public knowledge for months, Arthur reveals he only found out the day before and discovered the notice hidden away in a locked cabinet in the dimly lit basement of the planning office.

The Arrival of Ford Prefect

Arthur’s friend Ford Prefect, unbeknownst to him, is in fact an alien marooned on Earth for fifteen years. Ford, a researcher for the interstellar travel guide known as The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, persuades Arthur to leave the bulldozer standoff for a drink. Ford cleverly arranges for the foreman to lie in Arthur’s place. Once at the pub, Ford urgently tells Arthur about Earth’s impending doom, though Arthur struggles to believe such a cataclysmic claim.

The Vogon Invasion

As oblivious Earthlings continue their daily routines, Ford is the only one to notice the vast yellow spacecraft hovering overhead. These belong to the Vogons, who announce their intention to destroy Earth to make room for a hyperspatial expressway, citing plans on display for decades at Alpha Centauri. With no time for further protest, Earth is obliterated.

The Heart of Gold Hijacking

In a distant part of the galaxy, Zaphod Beeblebrox, the two-headed, eccentric President of the Galactic Government, unveils the Heart of Gold spaceship, equipped with the revolutionary Infinite Improbability Drive. Zaphod, with Trillian, whom he met at an Earth party, seizes the ship for a cosmic joyride.

An Unlikely Escape

In the nick of time, Ford secures a ride for himself and Arthur on a Vogon ship. Despite Vogons’ disdain for hitchhikers, they are given refuge by the Dentrassis, the catering staff notorious for their mischief. Ford hands Arthur The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, along with a Babel fish that translates any spoken language, broadening Arthur’s interstellar comprehension.

Vogon Poetry and Improbable Rescue

Discovered by the Vogons, Ford and Arthur endure the torture of being subjected to dreadful Vogon poetry before being ejected into space. Against all odds, they are rescued twenty-nine seconds later, defying the improbability of such an event as foretold by the Guide.

Arrival on the Heart of Gold

The pair find themselves aboard the Heart of Gold, where Zaphod and Trillian greet them. Zaphod and Ford share a familial bond as cousins, while Arthur is awkwardly reacquainted with Trillian, who he had spoken to on Earth before Zaphod whisked her away. As they settle in, the day’s strange events stir their thoughts, but they are interrupted by Zaphod’s discovery of the legendary planet Magrathea.

Journey to Magrathea

Once a thriving enterprise crafting bespoke planets for the galaxy’s wealthy elite, Magrathea has long been shrouded in mystery. Skeptical of its existence, Ford initially dismisses the quest. Nevertheless, as they approach, an automated message warns of the planet’s closure, followed by the launch of missiles aimed at their ship. In a desperate attempt, Arthur activates the improbability drive, averting disaster in a surreal transformation of the missiles into harmless objects.

Exploration and Discoveries

After landing, the group ventures outside. A crater caused by the whale’s impact beckons exploration, leaving Arthur and Marvin, the cynical robot, behind. As the others delve into the depths, Arthur encounters Slartibartfast, a Magrathean who reveals the construction of a new Earth.

The Truth about Earth’s Origin

Slartibartfast unveils Earth’s secret: it was an elaborate computer commissioned by...