Gavin Hartmann, a well-rounded 17-year-old, dies in a tragic accident and reawakens as a plastinated cadaver on display in a museum exhibit. Fellow plastinates welcome him to their fantastical world and disclose that, as cadavers, they are entrusted guardians of undiscovered biomedical intelligence. As a permanent plastinate, he is assigned a new name, Galen, which complements his new persona as a compassionate physician. Upon probing the boundaries of his new persona, Galen acquires the critical foreknowledge to save his high school crush, Morgan, who has a life-threatening genetic heart disease. Galen has only a few short days to intercede on Morgan's behalf before the exhibit departs for a new location and his new persona fully solidifies, erasing all memories of his past life. Moreover, Galen must comply with the cadavers' Code of Silence to avoid dying indefinitely and must navigate the unthinkable by mingling with the living. With the aid of his newfound plastinated comrades, Galen sets out to save his first love, even though he risks perishing forever.