Chapter 24 GRAND BANKS NEWFOUNDLAND APRIL 15 1912 12:40 AM "OLYMPIC"
I was growing increasingly frustrated that nobody would listen to my pleas to steam full ahead to Titanic.
I tried to reasoning with the helmsmen but he wouldn't listen. "You worry too much Olympic. Titanic's fine, she's steaming towards us as we speak.
We'll cross wakes in the morning." How could he know? No one had emerged from the Marconi room yet.
At last, the helmsmen grew tired of my wining and talked to the captain. "What is it now, Olympic." He sighed. I allowed him to hear what I'd been hearing all night. He paled visibly. "How long has this been going on?" He asked. "For an hour or more." I answered. "The collision happened at 11:40."
"Turn this ship around, East Southeast." Captain Haddock called to the Quartermaster.
In a few minutes we were steaming at 25 knots to Titanic's last known position. "Hold on little sister." I thought frantically.
This time, my sister contacted me. "Olympic!" She called. "I'm here." I replied. It took all my willpower to keep my voice calm. "The engineers managed to put the fire out so Ismay had EJ steer me into some ice instead."
"I thought you had that pompous brat put in his place." I said surprised.
"I thought so too. But apparently he ignored Tom's advice to leave well enough alone and marched right up onto the bridge to see EJ himself." She snapped.
"And you didn't do anything?" I asked surprised. "I tried to shut him up." She groaned. "I tried using EJ as a medium to yell at Bruce and when he tried to call me on my 'bluffs' I rocked and rolled him off the bridge but the damage was done. Ismay gave EJ a direct order under the condition that he was his unquestioned superior, his boss, his employer. Captain of a liner or not, EJ had no choice, not with all the other officers standing there and reluctantly gave in to steer me towards the ice fields. Ismay wanted full speed, about 26 knots, but EJ settled for 21 knots. This was fast enough to satisfy the creep. I think EJ was planning to resume course later tonight when Ismay had gone to bed." She groaned.
"Look, I don't want to talk about it now. I'm sinking by the head, Olympic and there are 1500 souls on board that don't have lifeboats to get into." She wailed.
"What about that rescue ship?" I asked. "Californian has her wireless shut down. She's close enough to see us but we're firing white rockets, not red rockets like we were supposed to. She has no idea it's us. She disappeared over the horizon a few minutes ago. She's not coming, Olympic."
I closed my eyes for a second or two, trying to figure things out. "Are there any other ships nearby?" I asked hopefully. "Carpathia's the closest." Titanic replied. "She turned around 5 minutes after hearing our 1st distress call but she's still over 50 miles away and won't arrive for another 2 hours. I don't have that long. Tom says I have 30 minutes at most." It was now 1:50 am.
"Olympic, there are 2230 people aboard. Only 706 got off in lifeboats. Over 1500 are going to die tonight." My sister's tone was resigned. Through the connection I could feel her guilt. It was so strong it swept through me like a tidal wave.
"It wasn't your fault." I said a little too quickly.
My sister scoffed. "1500 innocent people are going down with me because I struck an iceberg because I couldn't turn in time."
I sighed. There was no reasoning with Titanic. "Tell me about New York." Titanic asked eagerly, changing the subject.
"Well." I began. "There's a large channel that shimmers the stars on a clear night. It's like floating on the sky itself. Then you round a corner and the city comes into view…" I broke off.
"Go on." Titanic prompted me. "Oh, Titanic!" I cried. "Your berth is part of the Chelsea Piers. During the day it's bustling with people and at night, the city turns into a glowing golden island. Beautiful colors of red and gold line the streets and the glowing building tips look like floating fireworks that never fall."
Titanic sighed wistfully. "I'd like to see that." She murmured. "Maybe someday you will." I said.
"Don't try and play games with me, sis. I'm much too smart for that." My sister whispered.
"Don't you dare give up, Titanic." I growled.
To try and ease her pain and comfort her I sang an ancient folk song that every ship knew by memory. There was always a new verse added to it. With each new era of ships, new words were added to the Song of the Sea.
"On an ocean untamed and new,
Sailed a wooden craft so bold and true
The first of man's greatest gifts,
The valiant she's the boldest ships."
Titanic joined in, her voice a perfect harmony to mine.
"Across the rivers, man shall sail,
Through the driving rain and unceasing gale,
The crossing of an ocean was their reward,
And their new position as Planet Earth's steward."
Titanic rose higher out of the water but she did not falter.
"Their ships grew in power and in strength,
Known for their size in width and in length,
6 lands, man now inhabits
And it's thanks to the ships that this has happened."
Titanic's and mine's voices rang out clear and loud across the North Atlantic.
"On an ocean untamed and new,
Sailed a wooden craft so bold and true."
I finished my song, tears rolling down my cheeks. Then I heard the shrieking crack and Titanic's fearful, pain-filled cry that was cut off as she split in two and sank below the surface. Never to be seen or heard from again. I tried in vain to reach her; my wailing voice could be heard for miles in every direction.
I couldn't except that Titanic was gone. But it was simple, pure fact, there was no denying it. My beloved, brave little sister was gone!
10 minutes later, I was still desperately trying to call out to my younger sister, even though I knew she was gone.
I switched tactics, calling to EJ, our medium instead. "EJ, EJ!" I cried. For a few seconds there was silence and I was afraid I had lost him as well. Then I heard a weak reply. "Even 500 miles away, you're louder than ever, Olympic." He laughed.
"Where are you?" I asked. "I'm in the water among others." He replied. "And my sister?" I begged. "She sank 20 minutes ago Olympic. I'm sorry." He replied.
I bowed my head. "Goodbye my twin, Olympic and Goodbye my little Gigantic' were her last words." I sighed, resting low in the water.
"How did you get off?" I asked. "I didn't." EJ replied. "I was washed overboard when water broke into the wheelhouse." I nodded.
I could sense our connection weakening. "EJ," I called. "Are you in the water or on the water?"
"I'm in the water." He murmured. His words were becoming slurry. I realized he was becoming hypothermic if he wasn't already.
"Don't you dare give up!" I snarled with more force behind my words than I used at Titanic. I had already lost my sister tonight and probably Tom too;
I wasn't going to lose my best friend as well.
"What's the point, all those around me are either dead or dying. This was my fault, if only I had said no to Ismay…" He groaned. I cut him off. "Titanic would've sunk by fire." I growled.
I could sense his surprise. "You, you knew?" He asked. I nodded. "Yes I knew about the scam from the beginning." My tone was extremely bitter and harsh. EJ bowed his head. "But," I added. "I also know how you sought my sister out and did everything you could to keep her safe and foil Ismay's plan. And you did! The fire was put out earlier and Ismay knew it. Which is why he argued that you steer southward away from the 'ice pack'. Putting you on a collision course with the iceberg and something he knew but you didn't know. It was not your fault EJ and I forbid you to think that." I snapped. "What about Tom?" I added.
EJ sighed. "He- He went down with your sister. He said he couldn't leave her alone. He told me to tell you he was sorry, so sorry he'd never see you or Gigantic again."
He groaned and our connection grew fuzzy. "Don't you die on me EJ. Don't you even think about it for a second. DON'T YOU DARE GIVE UP!" My rising voice caught the attention of Baltic, Adriatic, Majestic, and Oceanic. All the ships that Captain EJ Smith had captained for White Star joined in the call.
They formed a chorus of voices all shouting, "Don't give up EJ. Don't give up!" Olympic heard other voices as well. Ships that had had the same captains as the other ships' current ones also joined in. Carpathia used Lusitania's captain to talk to Baltic and Baltic in turn acted as a medium for Lusitania's captain and Lusitania and Carpathia themselves.
"You hold on, Captain Smith!" Olympic heard Captain Rostron say through Carpathia and Lusitania. "We're nearly there. Say about… 30 minutes."
The sun was coming up by now. "I see you Rostron!" EJ gasped. "Can you see us?" Rostron was silent for a moment then replied. "Yes, I can see lifeboats."
"Thank God!" EJ whispered. Then he focused on me alone. "Olympic?" He called. "I'm here." I replied, my voice shaking a little. I knew what was coming and I could not stop it.
"Tell Ellie, my last thoughts were of her and Helen." At once a flood of images flowed into my mind, memories of family. I could see Helen as a baby, sitting on EJ's lap. Then as a toddler, running around the beach a mile ahead of her parents, I could see his and Ellie's joyful reunions at dockside when he came home safe every time, until now.
"I will tell her, EJ." I whispered. "I promise." EJ sighed and slipped beneath the waves as he succumbed to the freezing water. The connection went fuzzy for a few seconds then broke off for good as EJ died.
In one night I had lost my sister, Tom and my dearest friend, EJ. But that was only part of it. Haddock had told me that although White Star had considered scuttling me, they never actually went through with it.
To me, that meant only one thing, Titanic had struck the iceberg and died for nothing.