Author's Note: The story may contain SPOLIERS from the movie. Also, most plots were from the movie and belonged of course to Fun Academy Motion Pictures, except original character(s). If you have not seen the movie, watch the movie first before reading. Otherwise enjoy!

Chapter 1

From a series of dreams, I was escaping from one infamous sinking ship before going three years later and escaping from another. In the second, it got the Americans angered from the loss of 128 passengers, along with other passengers and crew that perished in the RMS Lusitania, which was sunk by a German U-Boat on May 1915. However until two years later, the Germans telegraphed diplomatic communications with Mexico for alliance that could be an possible invasion of the United States. Of course it didn't take long enough for code-breakers that could crack it and eventually leaked that cause spark of outrage that led to the our involvement in The Great War.

I than woke up from the sleep that it was in the mid of 1917. Back at home for the last time, before my basic training. I looked outside and see the stars were still out and the moon is sinking. Living with my parents for the last twenty-two years, we had gone through hardships in our lives that included loss of our inner family members. We lost our father back in 1912, as we're heading home from Great Britian for a family trip and seeing extended family. I could remember being with my father, as we watched my mother and three of my younger siblings being lowered away into a lifeboat and rowing away for safety. My father and I decided to stay on the ship, as long as possible, until we had to make our jump into the cold Atlantic waters. When I resurfaced, I looked around and noticed my father was gone. I called for him for minutes until I realized he's not with me, as he possible drowned into the deep.

Three years later, my older brother and I decided to make a trip together on the RMS Lusitania to make our crossing to Great Britain to see relatives, as my brother was assigned into a mission in London. However, until in May 7th, the ship was struck by a torpedo. My brother and I were trying to help people to get towards the lifeboats, until the ship began to tilt that we started sliding. We held onto the railing for dear life, as we're next to each other. We saw a lifeboat that was still hanging that we decided to make a jump for it and remain on the boat until it reached on water, however from a few people jumping on it started to rock back and forth, before tossing them overboard. Luckily, I caught my brother's hand and I promised that I wouldn't let go. It was for long until my hand lost it's grip and my brother fall onto the ocean's water.

As of years later, my mother had looked after my younger siblings, as I searched for work and eventually let go, as they thought I had a bit of German heritage that wouldn't allow them to work. Although, I didn't have the German accent, but it was more from my father's side, as our origins were mostly German and his mother was part Czech. The only solution left was to join the Army, as we got involved of The Great War. In the earlier summer, I headed over to a recruiting post and wanted to draft myself to be part of the military, as our family has military background of serving our country.

I couldn't be able to fall back asleep, without thinking what would lie ahead for four-week basic training and eventually being shipped out to France. I decided to get all my military outfits I was given and a few important equipment during my service. And of course, I brought along my Crucifix necklace with me for my faith in Jesus Christ and having the good book with me. As soon I was done packing, the sun began to rise for a new day and change in my life. As I got downstairs, my younger siblings were awake, along with my mother, by the door to say our goodbyes. My sisters wished me for the best luck with kisses and hugs. My mother was the last person to say goodbye with a mother's kiss, hug, and a prayer for safe traveling and strength.

I left home and started to head my way towards an area, where other young men, who were signed up and drafted, joining me for basic training and deployment. Along the way, I saw a mixed American-Bull terrier dog roaming in the alleys to look for food. Since I didn't have anything for him, I kept going as everyone would for a stray dog to be looked down upon. We normally see stray dogs here in New Haven, as it was common.

When I got to the grouping area, everyone was getting acquainted with each other, like a first of school meeting new friends. However, there were a few people that I knew from going to school with back in college days and probably wanted join the army for adventure or as a way of ends meet. I couldn't be able to mingle with everyone because I still slightly feared for my German heritage. Until one of the men, who had similar blue eye color eyes, but he had glasses came to me and we had a friendly greeting.

"Hello, you seemed to be your first day?" he asked me with a German accent.

I shook my head. "Yes, I guess so."

"I'm Hans. Hans Schroeder."

"I'm John. John Richardson." I introduced myself with both us with a handshake.

"You're part German?" he asked.

"Part German, from my father's side and little of part of Czech from his mother." I answered.

"It's hard to be an American with German in you, I bet." he said.

"Not really. Only for being looked down upon, but I think showing your traits and personalities make them think otherwise." I said, as it was my way of handling myself during the last two years.

"I have some friends that I could greet you, come along." he invited me to meet two other of his friends.

We walked over to see two other men. One of them was by the name of Elmer Olsen. He was slightly chupped, but has brown eyes, with curly red hair, and has some cynical personality as he was from a first class rich home. Second was Robert Conroy, tall, light green eyes, and had similar personalities like I have. However, all of three of them were friendly a sort of way. Suddenly, we heard bugle sounding out, as it appears to be a sergeant had us in rows and I was behind of Conroy. After, roll call, we headed out for the streets, as we hear parade music sounding off not far.


As we marched in the streets and seeing the people of New Haven cheering and shouting for good luck. I saw my mother among the crowd with my sisters, as they blow kisses and waved. I couldn't be able to say anything, but march and looked back at them, as if it was last time I was going to see them. I slightly looked around and saw the same dog from this morning watching the parade, while searching for food.

"That's the same dog, I saw this morning." I whispered at Conroy.

He looked at the dog and tossed him a cookie, as he smiled at the dog, before we looked back straight ahead.

We marched for minutes, until we arrived at Yale University. Nearly everyone, including myself had experienced being in the campus as students, but now, we're only going to be at certain boundaries of the university for training. While marching, I looked behind to see the dog was following us. I don't the reason why, but it would only come to because Conroy tossed a cookie for the dog. It didn't follow us long, until he was blocked by two servicemen guarding the boot-camp. We marched and marched, until we are instructed to halt.

The Sergeant introduced himself as Sgt. Ray Casburn. He gave us a speech about the days that will lie ahead of our infantry. As we listened to sergeant, the dog came out of no where and bumped into Conroy that he fell onto the ground. The dog jumped on top of him and starting to give him licks. We try to shoo the dog away, but he couldn't as he was relying on Conroy.

"Seems to me that you have a new best friend." I whispered.

"Yeah, but he's not supposed to be here." he whispered back.

The dog looked at me and we froze, at eye contact. Conroy looked at us, as we didn't looked away.

"You know this dog?" he asked.

I shook my head back to reality. "I not sure, but I seen dogs around here though."

We went back on being silent, as we looked at the dog panting with it's tongue out. We tried to shoo the dog, but it didn't work until we decided to ignore the dog. The Sergeant continues to speak to the group about our four weeks of basic training, until he clapped his hands. The dog barked and sat down, as if he was trained for command. I was astonished, as did too for the sergeant when he spotted the dog.

"Well, at least he's ready." Sgt. Casburn spoke. He approached to the dog, as it was still wagging his tail and panting. "Now, whose dog does it belong to?"

Conroy and I made quick glances at the dog, as we're trying not to detect ourselves. However, for I always know about them sergeants, they could catch you when they found suspicion in someone.

"I know you Conroy and Richardson eye glancing at him." Sgt. Casburn caught us, as he approached to us.

"Sir, I did not bring and he's not our dog, sir." Conroy spoke.

"Sir, yes, sir. He's speaking the truth, sir." I added.

The sergeant was passive and he decided to have us keep the dog that we could need him, as a infantry's mascot and he dismissed us. Everyone went on their way, as Conroy and I looked at the dog.

"At least you didn't get us into much trouble already, boy." I said to the dog.

He barked, as he was happy that he gets to stay.

"Come on, we better get ourselves fed." Conroy said.

"I bet it'll be some pot roast or meaty soup that is." I bet what the chief has for us for our meals.


We got inside the mess hall tent, the chief was serving us new recruits food, like I guessed it... meaty soup. When Conroy was about to get his serving, he grabbed another bowl for the dog. The chief poured the meal into Conroy's bowl.

"Sir, can you also pour one for my dog?" he asked.

The chief looked down, as the dog slightly hid behind us, as I thought the dog was caught from trying to take some food.

"For your dog?" the chief asked.

The dog lightly whimpered as he still hid behind us.

"Sergeant's orders. To be sure he gets fed." Conroy told him.

"The dog was in my kitchen and he doesn't need any." the chief stated.

"Please sir. It's a complicated story, but if the sergeant welcomed the dog, than he's part of our infantry." I told him.

"Also, you should try to be more nice to people, as your serving us meals." Olsen came to our aid and joked that the rest of the men in line laugh.

The chief mumbled, in Italian I suppose, as he fills the bowl for the dog and the four of us headed to a table.

"You still find ways to get around with people, Olsen." Conroy said to him.

"Next thing you end up that you're getting yourself punched by someone." I warned Olsen.

"Well someone has to stand up to chief at one point." Olsen said.

"I'm very surprised that the sergeant allowed you two to keep him." Schroeder was surprised. "How did you two find him?"

We watched the dog joyfully eating his bowl and before we know it, he finished his meal.

"Actually, he found the both of us." Conroy said.

"I do recall seeing the dog, as I left home and again during the parade." I recalled.

"I suppose you two found a new buddy Conroy and Richardson." Olsen said.

"Just call me Rick, Richard, or..." Before I could say anything else, Olsen started to chuckle from what I knew I was going to say. "Just call me Richard or Richardson."

"I know what you mean." Olsen lightened me up from his interpretation of another nickname.

"Besides, the sergeant wanted a new mascot. Giving the unit a different look." Conroy went on.

"Never a bad idea." I said, as Schroeder agreed also.

"Just wait until the colonel finds him, he'll be gone. Also giving a smell too." Olsen said.

The dog sniffed towards Olsen and tries to get into his bowl. Olsen tries to shield his bowl from the dog, as I chuckled as the dog was hungry for more and that he enjoys food.

"Maybe someone you could try to get along with." I joked, as Conroy and Schroeder joined with me a good laugh.

"I hate dogs." Olsen mumbled.

The dog stops and continues to wag his tail and pant, as he tries to make a good friend with Olsen. The dog looked at me and I thought I have seen him before now. A flashback came when I used to work as a cashier for a meating goods store that I see a dog placed his paws at the window and whimpered for a juicy sausage or steak.

"So Richard, where you from?" Conroy asked. The whole table looked at me, as they waited for a answer out of me.

"Before I lived here, my family came from California." I said.

"Where gold came from?!" Olsen shockingly asked.

I chuckled. "Yes, but before we found ourselves gold in our home, we were just farmers surviving in the remains of the West."

"I can't imagine living all the way out there." Schroeder wondered.

"Yeah, it's crazy, hot weather, but it's home, until we found gold and moved here to Connecticut." I said. "Even having military history also."

"Your family served?" Conroy asked.

"Yes, my stepfather and my older brother both served. My stepfather is currently protecting the coasts and borders, and my brother has served in a Calvary unit." I answered.


As soon we finished eating, we started our first drills around boot-camp, marching and exercising to keep us in shape. The sun started to sank as the night came that we're all sent to our tents for bed. Olsen and Schroeder were exhausted that as soon they got into their beds, they fell out completely and started to snore. As I was in my bed and searching through my bag, I managed to found photos of my family, one photo with my mother and stepfather with me and my sisters from a recent trip before my recruitment to the Army, another was a photo of my older brother, and finally my father. I kept them underneath my pillow, so that I think about them.

I got comfy in bed, as I watched the dog sniffs on Conroy's bed, as he was wanting to sleep on it. Conroy kindly instructed the dog to stay off his bed, before he turned his candlelight and said goodnight. The dog spin around to lie down on the floor. Before I closed my eyes, the dog and I looked at each other.

Why do I know you somewhere other than today. I thought to myself. The dog started to close his eyes and went to sleep. I followed soon afterwards and I was fast asleep.

I woke up to find myself in another room and noticed it was a first class room where me and my sisters were sleeping. I looked out the window to see we were passing by an iceberg. I went over to my sisters and told them to wake up, but they were fast asleep that they didn't wake up. My past self was spotted that I was asleep. I decided to leave the suite and next thing I know, it started to flood rapidly and the ship started to tilt. I hurried over to grand stair case and it was flooding rapidly.

"Mom! Dad!" I screamed.

The water came started to fill the staircase quickly that other people are trying to reach the top of the stairs to leave the area, until water blasting through the windows pulling passengers from outside of the ship back to the staircase. The water sounds were going off as we're about to go under water that the dome was shattered from the ocean's water started to fill the grand staircase faster than before. Passengers screamed for dear life, as we're about to be drowned. I couldn't be able to swim, as I didn't have my lifebelt on and I was in my night clothes. My mouth reached towards the ceiling of the dry wall, before I was fully submerged and I started to lose air, as I couldn't be able to swim around, as I was being pulled down to the depth.

I woke up and I gasped loudly that I nearly screamed in fear that I was still re-living in the past. I looked around to Conroy, Olsen, and Schroeder were fast asleep that I didn't even wake them up. Normally, from having these kinds of dreams, my parents would normally comfort me until I fall back sleep. It is different now that I'm on my own that I had to comfort myself to sleep that I'm never always good. I looked at my left side to see the dog whimpered and nudged my hand with concern.

"Sorry, boy. I just have a nightmare." I said.

He quietly barked without waking the whole tent up. I started to pet him on the head. "Would you be alright to sleep with me? Just until I sleep."

The dog wagged his tail, as his mouth was relaxed. He jumped onto my bed and nuzzled me.

"Easy boy." I tried to calm the dog down. "Normally my parents would just comfort me, before I go back to sleep when I have those nightmares. Long story though."

We than lie back down and the two of us yawned and before we know it, we fall asleep lying next to each other, as I wrapped around him like a stuff animal. I would need a good sleep for my four weeks to come for all of us.