In 2169, people are genetically engineered to stop aging at 25, with a timer on their arm showing one year left. Time is now society's currency, making the rich effectively immortal. The country is divided into "time zones" like New Greenwich for the wealthy. Will lives with his struggling mother, Rachel, in a poor area. Despite Rachel's warnings, Will helps a girl named Maya by giving her some of his time. Will and his friend Borel work at a factory where people die when their time runs out. One night, Will meets a rich man named Henry, who ignores warnings about the Minutemen gang. Fortis, the gang leader, challenges Henry to a time-fight.