Eugene ("Gene") Wheeler always wanted to be an engineer, but after failing math, he drops out of college and takes a job in his hometown paper mill. He hopes the dead-end job will allow him to be a robot--go through the motions--as he considers his options for the future. From his first day on the job, however, he finds himself caught between two groups of men, each devoted to the job in their own way and determined to include him in their ranks. Gene discovers the job is not the smooth ride he envisioned and soon realizes there are no time outs in life.
