A young inventor and his companions investigate a sailor’s claim of an undiscovered continent beyond polar ice, mounting an expedition that employs a novel overland electric vehicle. They survive storm, shipwreck, and long treks across ice to reach a temperate, volcanically active region whose coasts, forests, and mineral signs promise wealth and mystery. Their exploration moves through fiords, ruined cities, lakes, and islands, and brings encounters with local inhabitants and puzzling geological phenomena. The party endures accidents, divided routes, and escalating peril as they press further into the abandoned country before the expedition ultimately concludes.