In a future society where humans live in isolation and interact through surrogate robots, a murder disrupts the artificial peace. FBI agents Tom Greer and Jennifer Peters are assigned to investigate the rare homicide of a college student connected to the creator of the surrogates. The murder is notable because the death of the surrogate resulted in the death of its user, breaking the perceived safety barrier between humans and their avatars. As they delve deeper, they uncover a conspiracy that threatens the very foundation of the surrogate-dependent society.

Greer, forced to abandon his own surrogate, ventures into the real world, experiencing life without robotic mediation for the first time in years. This new vulnerability forces him to confront the reality of human existence and the profound effects of technology on human relationships. As he struggles to solve the case, he discovers a revolutionary organization led by a mysterious figure known as The Prophet, who opposes the widespread use of surrogates. The investigation leads Greer to question not only the murder but the moral fabric of their society, ultimately threatening to upend the world’s reliance on surrogate robotics.