In the late 19th century, a group led by U.S. government agent John Strock embarks on an expedition to investigate strange aerial disturbances in the skies over Pennsylvania. The team, consisting of Strock, Prudent, a manufacturing mogul, his daughter Dorothy, and her intended fiancé Philip Evans, stumble upon a mountainous area where they suddenly experience an earth-rattling tremor. This tremor leads them to a giant airship known as the Albatross. Captured and taken aboard the ship, they are introduced to the enigmatic and visionary captain who commands the Albatross with an iron will. The captain reveals his aim to end all war by enforcing peace through intimidation, using his technologically advanced airship as a symbol of his power and resolve.

As they explore the Albatross, Strock and his companions grapple with conflicting emotions about their unique situation and the captain's radical ideology. The captain's vision of world peace achieved through fear is bold yet unrealistic and raises moral questions among his involuntary guests. While Strock analyzes their surroundings for any chance of escape or sabotage, Dorothy and her companions debate the ethics of the captain's mission and their roles within it. Uncertainties rise as Strock must weigh the consequences of defying a man who controls such potent force against the potential benefits of his peace-driven goals. The delicate balance of ideological battle, human pathos, and technological marvels teeters on the edge of discovery as they inch towards an inevitable confrontation between freedom and coercive pacifism.