When a laser-armed Department of Defense robot named Number 5 gets zapped by a lightning bolt, he "malfunctions" and starts spouting peace slogans and developing a human-like consciousness. Naturally, the newly pacifist machine wants out of the military and escapes. As a frantic search for the creature begins, Number 5 settles down in his new home, with a gentle young woman named Stephanie, who has every intention of holding on to her find, teaching Number 5 about popular culture and other mysteries of life. Thoroughly convinced that the robot is alive, she develops a strong bond with the creature. In order to prevent his capture by the military—who view Number 5 as an armed-and-dangerous weapon—the pair must convince his inventor, a scientist named Newton Crosby, that he is truly alive and more than just a metal machine.