In 1937, Meinert and Gnüss work as engineers aboard the Hindenburg. They are lovers, but keep this a secret to avoid being imprisoned, or worse. Although the men are deeply in love, Gnüss’s jealousy stirs when he sees Meinert flirt with a tomboy female traveler, Tereska. One night, he loses sight of Meinert for hours, which causes him to think the worst. However, Meinert returns from his work to reassure Gnüss that he is the central love of his life. Ecstatic, Gnüss is sent to inspect the rearmost gas cell of the airship. Because he’s distracted by Meinert’s grandfather’s watch, he over-tightens one of the ship’s wires. The wire snaps and the airship explodes. Gnüss is killed instantly. Meinert watches the explosion, accepting of the fact that their time has come. From below, Gerhard Fichte, an American airship worker, sees the Hindenburg explode and descend. During Gnüss and Meinert’s final moments, Fichte contemplates the pathlessness of human innovation.