Jake is a cyborg residing in a facility operated by a government agent known as DAIS. Cyborgs were used as soldiers in a war, but now that the war has been ended, the peace treaty stipulates that they could only be released into the world if they could successfully pass as human beings.

During lunch one day, Jake sits down next to Tyler, a human, who immediately knows that Jake is a cyborg. It's easy for humans to tell what Jake is: his heightened intelligence and extremely muscular body give him away. Regardless, Tyler invites Jake to sit and they trade food. As they converse, Tyler suggests that Jake accompany him to a meeting of his Go (the Chinese board game) club. Jake agrees, but he worries about how he will exit the facility: cyborgs are not allowed to leave. Tyler tells him not to worry; he'll find a way out for both of them. Jake feels an ambiguous but electric attraction for Tyler. He wonders if it is just his imagination, or if Tyler feels the same way about him.

Tyler does feel the same way, to Jake's surprise. Tyler has the authority to defy the government's decrees, but he refuses to reveal any information on how he has access to this authority. Jake stares at the fence surrounding the facility, wondering how he and his fellow cyborgs will execute their long-standing plan to escape the facility before they are disabled by DAIS.

They go to the Go club, where Jake allows a human player to win and comes under her suspicion. Tyler pulls him away from the club before everyone else turns on Jake, and they sit at a bar, where they interrogate one another about the other's intentions. No one budges.

Upon his return to the facility, Jake's unstable cyborg friend, Gray, encourages Jake to be careful and learn more about Tyler's intentions. He suggests that Tyler might be attracted to Jake.

Jake and Tyler continue to meet, challenging one another in intellectual and physical ways. One day, they meet at the gym, where Tyler shows Jake a top-secret gravity-dismantling technology developed by the facility. Jake asks Tyler why he would reveal all of these secrets to him. As usual, Tyler evades answering Jake's questions.

Jake tells Gray about the technology. Gray agrees to using it, but encourages Jake to consummate his relationship with Tyler during the time they have left. Jake refuses, and they proceed forward with the plan. With the other cyborgs, they hijack the systems and enable the technology, pinning down the human guards to the floor so that they can exit the facility. On his way out, Jake sees Tyler, who's able to turn the gravity in the facility back on, but instead, allows Jake and the other cyborgs to escape.

A few weeks later, Jake, a free man, visits Tyler's apartment. Tyler is surprised to see him but is nevertheless pleased that they meet again. They enter the bedroom, where Tyler's Go board is, and they begin to play.