Set on a spaceship, the Avalon, embarked on a 120-year voyage to a distant colony planet known as Homestead II, a malfunction causes one of the hibernation pods to prematurely open. Jim Preston, a mechanical engineer, wakes up 90 years before the ship's scheduled arrival, finding himself as the only awaken passenger amidst the sleep of over 5,000 colonists and crew members. Facing the prospect of living the rest of his life in isolation on a ship full of slumbering passengers, Jim struggles with loneliness, despite the limited company of Arthur, an android bartender, and the amenities of the luxurious but empty spaceship.

As the gravity of his situation wears on him, Jim becomes infatuated with Aurora Lane, a sleeping passenger and a writer whom he feels a deep connection with after reading her work and learning about her life through the ship’s digital archives. Tormented by the moral implications of his desires and the profound loneliness he endures, he grapples with the decision of whether or not to wake her up, effectively dooming her to the same fate as his. After much deliberation, he decides to intervene with her slumber, setting off a chain of events that deeply affect both of their lives as they try to come to terms with the reality of their situation aboard the Avalon.