Ernie is a Functionary working in the Information Retrieval Department (IRD) on the 50th floor of the 100 story Functionary Headquarters (FHQ) office tower situated at the intersection of the East / West and North / South roads in the world of Internia. When the story begins, Ernie is commuting into work from his apartment on the 25th floor of FHQ where he lives with his wife (Susan), his teenaged son (Reggie) and his toddler daughter (Sandy). This day is Ernie’s 49th birthday and although he normally finds his job tedious, he is in a good mood, both because it is his birthday and because he is awaiting word of his application for promotion to the Manager level. His job consists of receiving requests for information at his desk in his cubicle and then retrieving the information from the Memory Bank, which is large, warehouse of a room with row upon row of filing cabinets extending from the floor to the ceiling.
Ernie receives an assignment to retrieve a piece of information and heads to the Memory Bank. He finds the information he is looking for (the location of a handwritten address) but while in the Memory Bank Ernie feels a draft of fresh air (an uncommon experience in FHQ). Ernie follows the draft to its source and sees an open window and an open filing cabinet next to the window. Before he realizes what is happening a piece of information is pulled out of the drawer by the breeze and carried out the window. Ernie runs to the window to stop this from happening, but he is too late. He watches the paper carried on the wind to the north.
Ernie closes the window and returns to his desk putting the information he has retrieved into the system. He then informs his supervisor, Manager Parsh, what has happened. Parsh is perturbed and seems to believe Ernie is somehow at fault for what has happened. Before Ernie leaves Parsh’s office he asks when he will hear about the promotion. Parsh is dismissive but tells him he will likely have an answer the next day. Parsh hands Ernie a hammer and nails and tells him to make sure the window in the Memory Bank is properly closed.
Ernie goes to lunch with his friend Keith who works in the Recall Department on the 51st floor of FHQ. Keith and Ernie are childhood friends, and both have applied for a promotion to Manager. Lunch is in the canteen on the 49th floor. While eating lunch Ernie and Keith talk about the movie which plays constantly on the 100th floor in the theater called “The Big Picture.” Ernie is interested in watching the movie while Keith and most everyone else living and working in FHQ are not. In times past, most people watched the movie but over time they lost interest. This bothers Ernie.
After Lunch, Ernie returns to the IRD. When it is time to leave for the day Ernie is tempted to go to the movie for a short period. He knows his wife and family are expecting him for his birthday dinner but he thinks he can squeeze in a few minutes without anyone knowing. The movie is a projection of Silas’ visual perspective on the screen. Ernie sees him find the note on which he wrote the address of Dr. Flowers a psychologist. Ernie is secretly excited to see the work he performed on the screen. Silas goes home to a 49th birthday party.
After the movie Ernie goes to his apartment where his wife is preparing his birthday dinner. His son and daughter are there as well as his widower father who lives on the 24th floor in the apartment Ernie grew up. During dinner Ernie drinks a bit too much. His father talks to his son about his experience in the Floral war and how he did something he regrets and wishes he could make it right. It comes up that Ernie stopped to see the movie before coming home and Susan expresses disapproval. After dinner Ernie goes to bed.
The next day Ernie learns that he did not get the promotion and feels humiliated. Later Ernie goes to the movie and watches Silas go to his appointment with Dr. Flowers where he discusses his dissatisfaction with life. Ernie leaves the theater and takes an access stairway to the roof where he contemplates jumping to his death but ultimately does not go through with it. Later Ernie returns home and tells his family that he did not get the promotion. After dinner Ernie takes his father home where they discuss going to Tulipia (to the south of FHQ) so that his father could set things right. His father is reluctant.
The next day Ernie goes to the movie during his lunch hour and watches Silas at work where his supervisor tells him he’s doing a poor job and fires him. At the end of the day, instead of returning home he goes to his father’s apartment convinces him to leave FHQ and go to Tulipia with him. Ernie and Reginald sneak out of FHQ and begin walking down the South Road at night. Eventually it starts to rain and they take refuge in an abandoned movie theater for the night. There they watch the movie and see Silas at home with his wife (a strained relationship) discussing his session with Dr. Flowers.
Ernie and Reginald continue their journey down the South Road and reach Tulipiopolous, the city of the Flowers. There they meet another Functionary named David who takes them to an inn where they have dinner and spend the night. During dinner Reginald suggest they visit him at the embassy. Reginald says he has something to take care of the next day but Ernie agrees. The next day Ernie awakes to see Reginald has already left. Ernie watches the movie at a nearby theater where he sees Silas and Dr. Flowers discuss how Silas is interested in writing a book. Ernie then goes to the embassy to meet David where he discovers that David is the Functionary ambassador to Tulipia. David takes him to see Lord Felix (a Tulip and First Minster to King Tulipious IV). Lord Felix knows about the information that went out the window at FHQ and tells Ernie it is his job to retrieve it. He also tells Ernie that the Flowers are preparing to retake FHQ and that retrieving the information will prevent them from doing so. Also, the information is key to the story Silas is writing.
Ernie leaves Tulipiopolous to travel north past FHQ towards the mountains of Arrowia to find the missing piece of information. He arrives in Arrowia where he encounters “the arrow” superimposed on his field of vision directing him to continue along the road. Ernie follows the Arrow and meets Kalben (an Arrowian) and his brothers Obox and Notherscobinx. Obox tells Ernie he knew Ernie’s parents and tells him the story of how their daughter (Margorie) died tragically and how they never really recovered from that. Ernie feels the need to continue on his journey but the Arrow directs him to stay. Eventually Ernie decides he can stay no longer and leaves Arrowia. Kalben tries to stop him, telling him that the Flowers are looking for him but Ernie insists. Notherscobinx (against the will of the Arrow) comes with him for protection.
Ernie and Notherscobinx continue north past the mountains and encounter a settlement called Freetown populated by Functionaries, Flowers and Arrowians who have decided to no longer play their roles in Internia. The place feels off to them and they leave the next day. Eventually they arrive at the forest of Elephantania where they meet the mystical Elephants. The leader of the Elephants gives Ernie the information he is looking for.
Ernie rushes home to find FHQ besieged by the Flowers. He secretly enters FHQ to insert the information into the system but at the last second decides not to. The Flowers retake FHQ, Ernie returns to his family and awaits the fallout from these events.