When Johnny is released from prison following a forgery charge, he quickly lands a job as a short-order cook at a New York diner. Following a brief fling with waitress Cora, Frankie develops an attraction for Cora’s friend and fellow waitress Frankie. While Frankie resists Johnny’s charms initially, she eventually relents when her best friend, Tim, persuades her to give Johnny a chance.

An idyllic sci-fi future has one major drawback:, all citizens get a chance of being ‘renewed’ in a Civic Ceremony, at their 30th birthday, unless you run and escape before your time.