‘The Colony,’ Tim Fehlbaum’s ambient sci-fi epic (originally named ‘Tides,’ reverses the trope of the trek to distant planets to provide a fascinating and cerebral tale of human survival. The dystopian tale transports us to a future Earth. Disasters wreak havoc on the Earth, but it may still provide optimal conditions for birth. Elites have settled on the distant planet Kepler 209, but they are now obligated to return in order to further their race.

Blake is forced to align with the hostile planet after a disaster in the atmosphere. She realizes that the world may not be as desolate as she thought. The finale’s open-ended nature leaves a lot to the imagination. If you want to follow the movie’s ending in greater detail, let us go back in time. WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD.

Synopsis of the Colony Plot

The context for the story is provided by the title cards. When pandemics, climate change, and conflict made Earth uninhabitable, the ruling elites chose Kepler 209. Human reproduction is reduced by Kepler’s radiation, and humanity on the alien world threatens extinction. After living on the planet for two generations, the settlers embark on Project Ulysses, a mission to return to Earth.

The initial mission, headed by Blake’s father, has failed, and the film begins with Ulysses 2’s descent on Earth. The spaceship runs into problems in the stratosphere and crashes on the planet. By the time they arrive, Holden has gone to the other side, and Tucker is injured. Blake decides to conduct the first recon mission on her own.

Blake discovers a “Chelicerata,” a type of crab, after collecting a water sample. Tucker orders Blake to do a fertility test after the astronauts have been free of Kepler’s radiation for 563 days. The outcome is unfavorable, yet there is still hope. Blake also discovers an Aurelia Aurita, a type of jellyfish, and is stung while collecting a sample. Tucker burns a flare as the cyclical fog settles.

But before Blake can return to the pod, a savage tribe discovers the ship and kidnaps Blake and Tucker. The astronauts are imprisoned in a sewer-like environment by the locals. The “Muds,” as Kepler refers to them, also take the pod, the bio-meter, and other equipment. Blake must now discover the bio-meter and reunite with her presumed-dead father, even if it means murdering another Kepler.

What Is The Bio-Meter and Why Is The Colony Ending? What is its location?

Blake attends to the man that Tucker hurt earlier in the tribal camp. The bio-meter, along with the other equipment, has been captured by the hostile tribe. She encounters Maila, a pleasant girl, and asks her to retrieve the bio-meter, communicating with her using drawings. The flood strikes at night, and the tribe is able to keep afloat in their improvised boats. In the ensuing day, a militant group attacks the tribe, assailing several and kidnapping a few, including Maila. The militants lead the party to an abandoned ship that serves as their colony.

Although hot-headed guard Paling is first antagonistic, when he looks at Blake’s pendant, he realizes she has Keplar ancestors. He takes her to Gibson, a fellow passenger on Ulysses 1 with Blake’s father. The first expedition isn’t completely a failure because there are still survivors. Blake encourages Gibson to locate the Bio-Meter because it is their only hope of life. You may be wondering what the bio-meter is. The device in question is a device used to measure a Kepler’s ability to reproduce. Blake must locate the device in order to determine whether the Earth’s environment can reverse the effects of Kepler’s radiation and ready the human body for reproduction.

When Blake’s menstrual cycle begins on Gibson’s spacecraft, we can tell that the radiation has withered her body. But Blake has to find the device so that she can reproduce. When connected to the Henderson Hub, a temperature station near the colony, the bio-meter can also function as a beaconing device. However, we have no idea where the bio-meter went after leaving the Mud colony. Meanwhile, Gibson wishes to prepare Maila for her role as a Kepler. Later, Maila’s mother, Narvik, breaks into the ship in order to reclaim her daughter.

Paling, Gibson’s sidekick, keeps Narvik hostage, while Maila hides in Blake’s room’s cupboard. Gibson appears to recognize Narvik because she was a former guard on the ship who turned against the Keplers. Gibson becomes ecstatic when Blake suggests transmitting using the bio-meter. However, once Blake deduces that the device is in the Mud colony, Gibson orders Paling and Blake to search for it. However, long after they leave, Neil discovers a device placed behind Maila’s doll. The bio-meter has been there all along, and Gibson is now considering taking Neil to the Henderson Hub and becoming a Kepler legend.

Who Is Neil’s Father? Is Gibson still alive or dead?

The terrifying ending takes place in the midst of the raging floodwaters. Blake gives Gibson the benefit of the doubt despite the fact that he is holding Blake’s father prisoner. She gradually realizes Gibson’s forceful approaches are flawed. Gibson intends to execute Narvik the following morning after taking her captive. Blake will not allow this to happen. Meanwhile, Maila flees her room and hides in Blake’s cupboard. Paling enters Blake’s room with the intention of searching it and imposes himself on her.

Blake assassinates Palling with the help of her Kepler pendant and departs with Maila. She frees the Mud captives and returns to her father’s cabin to see how he is. He assures her that the Earth regenerates fertility, and that Neil is live proof of this. Neil is Blake’s father’s son, who regained his fertility when he returned to Earth. Blake’s father may have fallen in love with Munay, the mother of the child. When Gibson imprisoned Blake’s father for allegedly preparing an uprising, he took in Munay and Neil. Meanwhile, Blake glances out the window to see Gibson driving Neil and Munay to the Henderson Hub.

Blake understands Gibson has the bio-meter and rushes to get it. However, when she arrives at the Hub, she discovers Gibson in a crazy state. He is frantic to convey the signal to Kepler, as well as proof that Earth restores fertility. He tells Blake to put down her weapon and then shoots Munay dead. Blake throws down her gun and dives into the sea with Gibson. She tries to choke him, and as the picture returns to the Mud boat, we still don’t know what happened to Gibson. However, it appears that Gibson is killed in the conclusion of events and does not survive the underwater ruckus.

Does the Earth Really Restore Fertility? Will Trees Grow on the Future Earth?

Blake’s father shows her a tree specimen in a flashback sequence. Because trees do not grow on Kepler 209, the concept of a tree does not exist in a Kepler’s head. Blake’s father informs her that trees were plentiful on Earth before humans depleted them. As Blake and Tucker descend into the future Earth, we learn that the planet has been livable for some time. Instead of Kepler’s arid environment, Earth’s climate is moist and chaotic. The possibility of existence is jeopardized by the constant ebb and flow of fog and flood.

While crabs, jellyfish, and other saltwater organisms manage to survive, the human body is not designed to live in a hostile environment. However, despite the barrenness of the Earth, humanity continue to survive and procreate, despite the fact that Kepler 209 radiation has rendered humans incapable of reproducing. In effect, it has eliminated the potential of the alien planet being repopulated, which is why they return in the first place. For the same reason, Gibson selects exclusively underage Mud girls for detention in order to return them to Kepler.

The Earth’s environment, on the other hand, appears to be excellent for reproduction. Blake’s menstrual cycle begins shortly after her arrival on Earth. Blake’s father suffered the same tragedy, giving birth to Neil. But what about the trees? Can the Earth of the future support tropical jungles? Finally, Neil inquires of Blake whether there will be trees on Earth in the future. While Blake reassures Neil, we can’t be so optimistic in light of the unpredictability of the weather. While Keplar sees optimism for humanity’s future, Earth is unlikely to revert to its original state.