Sydney Bloom is a beautiful lines-woman working for a local telephone company. Despite this, Sydney lives an almost solitary lives with no one around her but her childhood best friend, Duncan, and a few of her personal computers that she occasionally use to access virtual reality worlds. After accidentally placing her telephone on top of her modem, Sydney finds out that she is capable of accessing VR.5: Virtual Sensory Reality, a virtual reality stage where her subconscious can communicate with other people's subconscious. She then realises that she can change the behaviour of the other person on the other line. Seeking explanations and guidances to her newfound capability, Sydney befriends Dr. Frank Morgan, a professor in Virtual Reality. After failing to convince her of the danger of VR, Dr. Frank Morgan introduced her to a mysterious organisation called the Committee who gives her an offer of employment she can't refuse. It's not too long before both Sydney and Morgan start to realise that they have landed themselves in very hot water by joining this mysterious organisation.

Sydney Bloom:
I want to know how virtual reality works.


Dr. Frank Morgan:
Are we communicating right now?


Sydney Bloom:
I guess.


Dr. Frank Morgan:
But you can't see me and I can't see you, is that right?


Sydney Bloom:
Yeah.


Dr. Frank Morgan:
We're both having an experience that requires each of our minds to fill in the blank. Isn't that correct?


Sydney Bloom:
Yeah.


Dr. Frank Morgan:
Well, that's it. You just had a virtual experience.