AN: I am SOOOO SORRY about not updating sooner but I promise you I would NEVER give up on this or any other story I come up with (I have been attacked by plot bunnies). So enjoy!
HP/EC/HP/EC/HP/EC
In steerage, Fabrizio comes out into the hall to see what's going on. He sees dozens of rats running toward him in the corridor, fleeing the flooding bow. Fabrizio jumps aside as the rats run by him.
"Ma- che cazzo!" he cried in shock as water continues to flood the corridor.
In his stateroom Tommy gets out of his top bunk in the dark and drops down to the floor.
SPLASH!
"Cor! What in hell-?"
He turns on the light to investigate. To his shock the floor is covered with 3 inches of freezing water, and more coming in. He pulls the door open, and steps out into the corridor, which is flooded. Fabrizio is running toward him, yelling something in Italian. Tommy and Fabrizio start pounding on doors, getting everybody up and out. The alarm spreads in several languages.
HP/EC/HP/EC/HP/EC
A couple of people have come out into the corridor in robes and slippers questioning the stewards as they pass.
"Why have the engines stopped? I felt a shudder?" A first class woman asked a passing steward.
"I shouldn't worry, ma'am. We've likely thrown a propeller blade, that's the shudder you felt. May I bring you anything?" the steward says trying to reassure her.
Thomas Andrews brushes past them, walking fast and carrying an armload of rolled up ship's plans. The fear in his eyes apparent to any who were paying attention.
HP/EC/HP/EC/HP/EC
Edward and Harrison lean over the starboard rail, looking at the hull of the ship and the passing iceberg.
"Looks okay." He says turning to Harrison. "I don't see anything."
"Could it have damaged the ship?"
"It didn't seem like much of a bump. I'm sure we're okay."
Behind them a couple of steerage guys are kicking the ice around the deck, laughing.
HP/EC/HP/EC/HP/EC
Fabrizio and Tommy are in a crowd of steerage men clogging the corridors, heading aft away from the flooding. Many of them have grabbed suitcases and duffel bags, some of which are soaked.
"If this is the direction the rats were runnin', it's good enough for me." Tommy says to Fabrizio pointing to the rodents running in the corridor.
HP/EC/HP/EC/HP/EC
Bruce Ismay, dressed in pajamas under the topcoat, hurries down the corridor, headed for the bridge. An officious steward named Barnes comes along the other direction, trying to get the few concerned passengers back into their rooms.
"There's no cause for alarm. Please, go back to your rooms." He is stopped in his tracks by Ginny and Lovejoy.
"Please, Miss. There's no emergency-"
"Yes there is, I have been robbed. Now get the Master at Arms. Now you moron!" Ginny angrily demands.
HP/EC/HP/EC/HP/EC
Captain Smith studies the commutator intently. After making sure of what he was looking at he turns to Andrews, who is standing behind him.
"A five degree list in less than ten minutes."
The ship's carpenter John Hutchinson enters behind him, out of breath and clearly unnerved.
"She's making water fast... in the forepeak tank and the forward holds, in boiler room six."
Ismay enters his movements quick with anger and frustration. Smith glances at him with annoyance.
"Why have we stopped?"
"We've struck ice." Smith says annoyance clear in his voice.
"Well, do you think the ship is seriously damaged?"
He glares at Ismay. "Excuse me." Smith pushes past him, with Andrews and Hutchinson in tow.
HP/EC/HP/EC/HP/EC
Stokers and firemen are struggling to draw the fires. They are working in waist deep water churning around as it flows into the boiler room, ice cold and swirling with grease from the machinery. Chief Engineer Bell comes partway down the ladder and shouts.
"That's it, lads. Get the hell up!" They scramble up the escape ladders.
HP/EC/HP/EC/HP/EC
The gentlemen, now joined by another man, leans on the forward rail watching the steerage men playing soccer with chunks of ice.
"I guess it's nothing too serious. I'm going back to my cabin to read." A 20ish YALE MAN pops through the door wearing a topcoat over pajamas passing the gentleman heading to his cabin.
"Say, did I miss the fun?"
Harrison and Edward come up the steps from the well deck, which are right next to the three men. They stare as the couple climbs over the locked gate. A moment later Captain Smith rounds the corner, followed by Andrews and Carpenter Hutchinson. They have come down from the bridge by the outside stairs. The three men, their faces grim, push right past Edward and Harrison.
"Can you shore up?"
"Not unless the pumps get ahead."
"The inspection party goes down the stairs to the well deck."
Edward turns to Harrison. "It's bad."
"We have to tell Father and Ginny."
"Now it's worse."
"Come with me, Edward. I jump, you jump... Right?"
Edward smiles softly at him, love clearly shining in his eyes. "Right."
HP/EC/HP/EC/HP/EC
Edward and Harrison cross the foyer, entering the corridor. Lovejoy is waiting for them in the hall as they approach the room.
"We've been looking for you sir."
Lovejoy follows and, unseen, moves close behind Edward and smoothly slips the diamond necklace into the pocket of his overcoat.
Ginny and James wait in the sitting room, along with the Master at Arms and two stewards. Silence falls upon the room as Harrison and Edward enter. James glares at Edward when he sees the two holding hands.
"Father something serious has happened."
"That's right." Ginny interrupts angrily. "Two things dear to me have disappeared this evening. Now that one is back..." she looks from Harrison to Edward. "... I have a pretty good idea where to fine the other." She turns to the Master at Arms.
"Search him." She demands pointing to Edward. The Master at Arms steps up to Edward.
"Coat off, mate."
Lovejoy pulls at Edward's coat and Edward shakes his head in dismay, shrugging out of it. The Master at Arms pats him down.
"This is horseshit."
Harrison turns disbelieving to Ginny. "Ginny, you can't be serious! We're in the middle of an emergency and you-" but he was cut off as the steward pulls the Heart of the Ocean out of the pocket of Edward's coat.
"Is this it?" Harrison is stunned. Needless to say, so is Edward.
"That's it" Ginny says smugly.
"Right then. Now don't make a fuss." The Master at Arms starts to handcuff Edward.
"Don't you believe it, Harrison. Don't!"
Harrison looks at Edward uncertain. "He couldn't have."
"Of course he could. Easy enough for a professional. He memorized the combination when you opened the safe."
But then he remembers Harrison at the safe, looking in the mirror and meeting Edward's eyes as he stands behind him, watching. "But I was with him the whole time."
Ginny walks up to him her voice low and cold. "Maybe he did it while you were putting your clothes back on."
"They put it in my pocket!"
"It's not even your pocket, son." Lovejoy holds up the coat. "Property of A. L. Ryerson". Lovejoy shows the coat to the Master at Arms. There is a label inside the collar with the owner's name.
"That was reported stolen today." The Master at arms says taking the coat
"I was going to return it! Harrison-" Edward struggles against the man holding him; determined to reach him.
Harrison feels utterly betrayed, hurt and confused. He shrinks away from him. Edward starts shouting to him as Lovejoy and the Master at Arms drag him out into the hall. He can't look him in the eye.
"Harrison, don't listen to them... I didn't do this! You know I didn't! You know it!"
Harrison is devastated. His Father lays a comforting hand on his shoulder as tears well up.
HP/EC/HP/EC/HP/EC
Smith and Andrews come down the steps to the Mail Sorting Room and finds the clerks scrambling to pull mail from the racks. They are furiously hauling wet sacks of mail up from the hold below. Andrews climbs partway down the stairs to the hold, which is almost full. Sacks of mail float everywhere. The lights are still on below the surface, casting an eerie glow. The Renault is visible under the water, the brass glinting cheerfully. Andrews looks down as the water covers his shoe, and scrambles back up the stairs to the Chartroom.
HP/EC/HP/EC/HP/EC
Andrews unrolls a big drawing of the ship across the chartroom table. It is a side elevation, showing all the watertight bulkheads. His hands are shaking. Murdoch and Ismay hover behind Andrews and the Captain.
ISMAY
"When can we get underway, do you think?" Ismay demands annoyed that the ship has stopped.
Smith glares at him and turns his attention to Andrews' drawing. The builder points to it for emphasis as he talks.
"Water 14 feet above the keel in ten minutes... in the forepeak... in all three holds... and in boiler room six."
"That's right." Smith confirms.
"Five compartments. She can stay afloat with the first four compartments breached. But not five. Not five. As she goes down by the head the water will spill over the tops of the bulkheads... at E Deck... from one to the next... back and back. There's no stopping it."
"The pumps-"
"The pumps buy you time... but minutes only. From this moment, no matter what we do, Titanic will founder."
"But this ship can't sink!" exclaimed Ismay.
"She is made of iron, sir. I assure you, she can. And she will. It is a mathematical certainty.
Smith looks like he has been punched. "How much time?"
"An hour, two at most." Andrews whispers
Ismay reels as his dream turns into his worst nightmare.
"And how many aboard, Mr. Murdoch?"
"Two thousand two hundred souls aboard, sir." Murdoch answers fear coloring his voice. Smith turns to his employer.
"I believe you may get your headlines, Mr. Ismay."
HP/EC/HP/EC/HP/EC
Andrews is striding along the boat deck, as seamen and officers scurry to uncover the boats. Steam is venting from pipes on the funnels overhead, and the din is horrendous. Speech is difficult adding to the crew's level of disorganization. Andrews sees some men fumbling with the mechanism of one of the Welling davits and yells to them over the roar of steam.
"Turn to the right! Pull the falls taut before you unlock. Have you never had a boat drill?"
"No sir! Not with these new davits, sir".
He looks around, disgusted as the crew fumbles with the davits and the tackle for the "falls"... the ropes which are used to lower the boats. A few passengers are coming out on deck, hesitantly in the noise and bitter cold.
HP/EC/HP/EC/HP/EC
From inside the sitting room they can hear knocking and voices in the corridor.
"I had better go dress." James looks at his son before exiting.
As soon as the door closes behind him Ginny crosses to Harrison. She regards him coldly for a moment, and then SLAPS him across the face.
"It is a little slutty, isn't it?"
To Harrison the blow is inconsequential compared to the blow his heart has been given. Ginny grabs his face roughly, her nails digging into the skin painfully.
"Look at me, you little-"
There is a loud knock on the door and an urgent voice. The door opens and their steward puts his head in.
"Sorry to disturb you, I've been told to ask you to please put on your lifebelt, and come up to the boat deck."
"Get out. We're busy." She snarled but the steward persists, coming in to get the lifebelts down from the top of a dresser.
"I'm sorry about the inconvenience Miss, but it's Captain's orders. Please dress warmly, it's quite cold tonight." He hands a lifebelt to Harrison.
"Not to worry, sir, I'm sure it's just a precaution."
In the corridor outside the stewards are being so polite and obsequious they are conveying no sense of danger whatsoever.
HP/EC/HP/EC/HP/EC
Doors are thrown open and the lights snapped on by stewards. The Cartmell family rouses from a sound sleep.
"Everybody up. Let's go. Put your lifebelts on."
In the corridor outside, another steward is going from door to door along the hall, banging through doors and yelling.
"Lifebelts on. Lifebelts on. Everybody up, come on. Lifebelts on..."
People come out of the doors behind the steward, perplexed. In the foreground a Syrian Woman asks her husband what was said. He shrugs.
HP/EC/HP/EC/HP/EC
WIRELESS ROOM
"CQD, sir?" Phillips asks the Captain looking shocked
"That's right. The distress call. CQD. Tell whoever responds that we are going down by the head and need immediate assistance." Smith hurries out.
"Blimey." He looks toward fellow crew member Bride.
"Maybe you ought to try that new distress call... S.O.S." Bride grins at him. "It may be our only chance to use it."
Phillips laughs in spite of himself and starts sending history's first S.O.S. dit dit dit... over and over.
HP/EC/HP/EC/HP/EC
Thomas Andrews looks around in amazement. The deck is empty except for the crew fumbling with the davits. He yells over the roar of the steam to First Officer Murdoch.
"Where are all the passengers?"
"They've all gone back inside. Too damn cold and noisy for them."
Andrews feels like he is in a bad dream. He looks at his pocket watch and heads for the foyer entrance. A large number of First Class passengers have gathered near the staircase. They are getting indignant about the confusion. Molly Brown snags a passing young steward.
"What's doing, sonny? You've got us all trussed up and now we're cooling our heels."
The young steward backs away, actually stumbling on the stairs. "Sorry, mam. Let me go and find out."
The jumpy piano rhythm of "Alexander's Ragtime Band" comes out of the first class lounge a few yards away. Band leader Wallace Hartley has assembled some of his men on Captain's orders, to allay panic.
Ginny's entourage comes up to the A-deck foyer. Cal is carrying the lifebelts, almost as an afterthought. Harrison is like a sleepwalker.
"It's just the God damned English doing everything by the book." She says waving a hand at the stewards
"There's no need for language, Ginvera." said James disapprovingly. He turns toward Trudy.
"Go back and turn the heater on in my room, so it won't be too cold when we get back."
Thomas Andrews enters, looking around the magnificent room, which he knows is doomed. Ginny, standing nearby, sees his heartbroken expression. He walks over to Andrews with Ginny right behind him.
"I saw the iceberg, Mr. Andrews. And I see it in your eyes. Please tell me the truth."
Looking at his Harrison determined face He knew he had no choice. He takes him gently by the hand and leads away not wanting to be overheard.
"The ship will sink."
"You're certain?" He asks in disbelief.
"Yes" Andrews choked out. "In an hour or so... all this... will be at the bottom of the Atlantic."
"My God, The Titanic? Sinking?" Ginny gasps from behind them.
"Please tell only who you must, I don't want to be responsible for a panic. And get to a boat quickly. Don't wait. You remember what I told you about the boats?"
"Yes, I understand" He nods to show he got his message. "Thank you."
Andrews goes off, moving among the passengers and urging them to put on their lifebelts and get to the boats.
HP/EC/HP/EC/HP/EC
Lovejoy and the Master at Arms are handcuffing Edward to a 4" WATER PIPE as a Crew man rushes in anxiously.
"You're wanted by the Purser, sir. Urgently."
"Go on. I'll keep an eye on him."
Lovejoy pulls a pearl handled Colt .45 automatic from under his coat. The Master at Arms nods and tosses the handcuff key to Lovejoy, then exits with the crewman. Lovejoy flips the key in the air and catches it.
BRIDGE
Junior Wireless Operator Bride rushes to Captain Smith to relay a message from The Cunard Liner Carpathia.
"Carpathia says they're making 17 knots, full steam for them, sir."
"And she's the only one who's responding?" Smith says looking over the telegram.
"The only one close, sir. She says they can be here in four hours."
"Four hours!" He exclaims. "Thank you, Bride"
He turns as Bride exits, and looks out onto the blackness. The enormity of it hits Smith like a sledgehammer blow.
"My God."
HP/EC/HP/EC/HP/EC
Lightoller has his boats swung out. He is standing amidst a crowd of uncertain passengers in all states of dress and undress. One first class woman is barefoot. Others are in stockings. The maitre of the restaurant is in top hat and overcoat. Others are still in evening dress, while some are in bathrobes and kimonos. Women are wearing lifebelts over velvet gowns. Some brought jewels, others books, even small dogs.
Lightoller sees Smith walking stiffly toward him and quickly goes to him. He yells into the Captain's ear, through cupped hands, over the roar of the steam.
"Hadn't we better get the women and children into the boats, sir?
Smith just nods, a bit abstractly. The fire has gone out of him. Lightoller sees the awesome truth in Smith's face.
"Right! Start the loading. Women and children!"
The appalling din of escaping steam abruptly cuts off, leaving a sudden unearthly silence in which Lightoller's voice echoes.
Wallace Hartley raising his violin to play along with the rest of the band members.
"Number 26, nice and lively so there is no panic. Ready and-"
The band has reassembled just outside the First Class Entrance, port side, near where Lightoller is calling for the boats to be loaded. They strike up a waltz, lively and elegant. The music wafts all over the ship.
"Ladies, please. Step into the boat."
Finally one woman steps across the gap, into the boat, terrified of the drop to the water far below.
"You watch. They'll put us off in these silly little boats to freeze, and we'll all be back on board by breakfast." She says to the frighten women behind her.
It is chaos, with stewards pushing their way through narrow corridors clogged with people carrying suitcases, duffel bags, children. Some have lifebelts on, others don't.
"I told the stupid sods no luggage. Aw, bloody hell!"
The steward throws up his hand at the sight of a family, loaded down with cases and bags, completely blocking the corridor.
HP/EC/HP/EC/HP/EC
Fabrizio and Tommy push past the stewards, going the other way. They reach ahuge crowd gathered at the bottom of the Main 3RD Class Stairwell. Fabriziospots Helga with the rest of the Dahl family, standing patiently withsuitcases in hand. He reaches her and she grins, hugging him.Tommy pushes to where he can see what's holding up the group. There is a steel gate across the top of the stairs, with several stewards and seamen on the other side.
"Stay calm, please. It's not time to go up to the boats yet."
Near Tommy, an Irishwoman stands stoically with two small children and their battered luggage.
"What are we doing, mummy?" The small little boy asks tugging on his mother skirt.
"We're just waiting, dear. When they finish putting First Class people in the boats, they'll be startin' with us, and we'll want to be all ready, won't we?"
HP/EC/HP/EC/HP/EC
STARBOARD SIDE
Boat 7 is less than half full, with 28 aboard a boat made for 65.
"Lower away! By the left and right together, steady lads!" Murdoch yells over the noise.
The boat lurches as the falls start to pay out through the pulley blocks. The women gasp. The boat descends, swaying and jerking, toward the water 60 feet below. The passengers are terrified.
