I was the pride of Costa Cruises, a powerful, sleek, fast beautiful liner. I was proud of my work, showing people the finest sights the Mediterranean had to offer. But that all changed one night. The night my captain betrayed me. He must've known there were rocks. We were in very shallow waters and my instruments detected it long before the collision happened.
The rock pierced through my hull like a flensing knife to a fish carcass. It hurt too much to even scream. Water came rushing in. I knew I was to die then. The wound was too severe for me to survive, even with proper treatment.
I held on for as long as I could, hoping and praying to the Ancients that my passengers could make it off ok. Then came something I will never forget nor forgive. My captain, the same man whom had pledged his life to me, abandoned me in my hour of need. The first lifeboat that left carried him.
He not only abandoned me but abandoned those under his care. He promised me he'd stay and just when I needed him most, he left. The coward. I shall never forgive him for that, never!
32 people died that night. 32 people who otherwise would've survived had he not left.
I ended up capsizing on my starboard side and I lay there for nearly a full year before the people could get me upright again. By that time, I was weak, exhausted and ready to join the Ancients. I only held on because my anger over what had happened gave me enough strength to.
As they prepared to tow my body to the scrapyard, I found myself becoming weaker and weaker. Having my injured side underwater had prevented any blood from flowing out. Now that it was exposed, the tide of red seemed relentless and there was nothing any ship could do to stop it.
As I breathed my last, my golden gaze scanned the world around me one last time. The sun was just beginning to rise and I took this last chance to admire its beauty.
A century before me, another ship faced a similar fate to mine though it was ice not rocks that delivered the deathly blow. Her captain stayed true to her and they went down together.
How times have changed since Titanic. The people of today grow more cowardly with each generation and yet, there are still some who retain a trace of the old valiant spirit. The Italian Coast Guard risked life and limb to rescue those trapped inside me. The church at nearby Liverno graciously accepted the 4200 people who survived the disaster.
In them, I see what should've been. If only men like that had been in command, then maybe things would've been different and I would not have had to face such a betrayal.