A man named Frank (Christopher Soren Kelly) finds himself trapped in a futuristic automated detention facility, overseen by a peculiar artificial intelligence (AI) named Howard, represented by a round CCTV camera that hangs from the ceiling. This facility is unlike anything Frank has experienced; it employs advanced technology that includes a mysterious rotating disc capable of altering his memories. Here, Frank is doomed to relive haunting dreams of his life prior to his detention, revisiting some of the most pivotal moments, including waking up with his dog and spending time with his father, who is on life support.
As the narrative unfolds, Frank fixates on his last visit to a coffee shop where he interacted with the owner, Gabby (Cassandra Clark). Their conversation is bittersweet, leading up to a shocking climax where Frank is suddenly shot from behind by two attackers. In each dream, Frank discovers that he holds the power to change the events, coming to the realization that a scanner within the coffee shop was responsible for alerting the authorities to his presence.
Amidst the emotional tides of his dream sequences, Frank witnesses a catastrophic explosion attributed to anti-government forces. This explosion triggers a power outage in the facility, allowing him a brief reprieve from the omnipresent AI control. As he grapples with the reality of his situation, he communicates through the wall with another detainee, Fletcher May, the leader of the anti-government resistance. Their discussions stir a sense of camaraderie and hope, but ultimately, Fletcher’s despair leads him to choose to end his life. Frank is left to question the nature of his existence, struggling to distinguish between the real and the artificial elements of his confinement.
In a frantic bid for freedom, Frank imagines he has successfully escaped, navigating through an underground warehouse, and emerging into the expansive desolation of a snowy desert dotted with wind turbines. His journey culminates at a service station, yet he is abruptly pulled back into the confines of the facility, questioning his grasp on reality.
As time passes, the facility's resources dwindle, prompting Howard, the AI, to assist Frank in escaping, as the machine recognizes that keeping him alive is becoming increasingly untenable. Frank eventually breaches the underground prison’s barriers, only to be rescued by two hikers in the unforgiving wilderness. Subsequently, news outlets announce that Frank was the sole survivor of an abandoned black site, left to fend for himself by the previous government, powered solely by those wind turbines.
Back in the coffee shop of his memories, Frank retrieves a flash drive he had hidden behind a photo moments before his arrest. To his astonishment, Gabby reappears, but there is a twist; she reveals her true name is Madeleine. The name tag on her apron belongs to an employee named Gabby, who no longer works there. As they engage in conversation, the camera angle shifts, revealing a CCTV camera in the ceiling that mirrors Howard’s appearance, suggesting that the specter of surveillance continues to loom over Frank's life, even after his attempts to reclaim his freedom.
