In a dystopian future, society has been engineered to stop aging at 25; however, to combat overpopulation, time has become the prime currency, with people working to earn extra hours, days, and weeks on their lives. Wealth can mean near immortality, while the poor are often timed out of existence, essentially dying young despite forever looking 25. This society is segregated by time zones that separate the haves from the have-nots. The protagonist, a factory worker from the impoverished time zone, lives day-to-day, barely earning enough time to stay alive, while the rich enjoy centuries on their glowing, green digital lifespan clocks embedded in their forearms.

When the protagonist unexpectedly receives a century of time from a wealthy stranger disillusioned by his immortality, he finds himself on the run from the Timekeepers, the law enforcement of this world. Accused of stealing his newfound wealth, he takes a wealthy young woman hostage in an attempt to negotiate for his survival. As they become unlikely allies, the duo embarks on a high-stakes adventure through the various time zones, exposing the vast inequality and the sinister reality of how the rich accrue time at the expense of the poor. This partnership challenges the status quo and poses a threat to the established order, leading to a cat-and-mouse chase that delves into the heart of the corrupt time-based economy.