En route to China for a much needed vacation, Doug and Chris Scott arrive in Hong Kong. But their vacation soon becomes a bizarre nightmare as they are kidnapped, escape, are chased through the underbelly of Hong Kong, and finally are befriended by an ancient Chinese man who leaves an indelible impression on Doug. They slowly come to realize that they are trapped in a sinister virtual reality program. As they are chased across China, through New Orleans and San Francisco, and finally through time and their own childhoods, to Japan, Doug becomes convinced that their only chance of escape is inextricably linked to the old man in Hong Kong. The journey stretches their sanity and their love to the limit and ultimately leads them to an unimaginable fate.