HEY EVERYONE, UNCLE SAM AGAIN! I thought I would bring you guys something a little different while also telling you about a deep fascination I have. Since I saw the movie as a kid, I have always been drawn to the story of Titanic. Now, I thought I would combine fact with fiction in this new story for the 108th Anniversary of the Sinking. So, without further ado, ON WITH THE STORY!
April 14, 1912~ 11:35 P.M.
The air was chill, made even more so by the constant flow of air over the prow of the massive vessel. With no moon or wind about, the sea was a flat calm, the night eerily still. And yet, as Junior First Officer Samuel Davis observed, something seemed off. Staring ahead into the distant, the cream colored wolf, ginger markings around his eyes and through is mane, covered by his officer's cap, strained his hazel eyes into the distance, keeping an eye out for one thing and one thing in particular; icebergs. But, the sea spray was making it difficult, as he would have to constantly remove his round spectacles to clean off the water droplets that formed on them.
Upon replacing his spectacles upon his nose, Samuel turned upon hearing the sounds of approaching footsteps on the wooden deck. Samuel offered a smile to the new comer, a lithe, but fit brown furred wolf with piercing hazel-grey eyes, dressed in the same uniform and overcoat as the young junior officer. Returning the smile, the wolf stepped up into the low perch on the wing of Titanic's bridge.
"Anything out of the ordinary, Mr. Davis?" the wolf asked in a strong Scottish accent, his eyes glancing over to the young wolf beside him. Shaking his head, Samuel answered.
"Nothing as of yet, Mr. Murdoch," he said with a chuckle, his lite Irish accent adding to the levity of the current atmosphere, "but nothing gets by us ow, does it?" Offering a hearty laugh in response, the Titanic's first officer, one whom Samuel had worked with many times in the past and had since become a well respected colleague and friend, clapped his junior offer on the back before they both resumed their watch. For another few minutes, the pair watched the calm ocean with great diligence. But Mr. Murdoch, or Will as most of the officers called him, noticed something strange ahead, which also seemed to be noticed by Samuel. Straining their eyes, they saw that a patch of the stars seemed to be blocked out, as if a shadow had been cast over the bright celestial objects. But as the great ship drew closer, the shadow grew, as did both officers' eyes at the realization of what the shadow was.
"Bugger me," Samuel rasped out. But before he could react, Will already had. Running to the wheelhouse, the part of that the bridge that held the ship's wheel, Will swung the door open just as three bells rang fro the ship's crows nest.
"HARD TO STARBOARD!" He yelled to Quartermaster Hitchens, a stocky, black furred wolf who then began too quickly turn the ship's wheel, just as Sixth Officer Moody, a tall, brown furred young lad in his early twenties relayed the message from the crows nest.
"ICEBERG RIGHT AHEAD!" In that time, Samuel had already jumped into action. Running to the engine order telegraphs on the bridge, Samuel quickly rang the brass instruments to "Stop." As he began to run back to join Will on the bridge wing, Samuel could hear the Cornish accent of Hitchens from the wheelhouse.
"HARD OVER!"
"HELM IS HARD OVER, SIR!" Moody confirmed as the threatening mass of ice seemed to loom closer to the mighty ship. For a few seconds it seemed as if nothing was happening, which made Samuel even more nervous.
"IS IT HARD OVER?!" Samuel screamed in panic to Moody.
"IT IS, YES SIR, HARD OVER!" Looking ahead once again, Samuel and Will held their breath as they loomed closer to danger by the second, the familiar and welcome thrum of the e nines ceasing as they were stopped.
"Come on," Samuel heard Will whisper, "come on, come on, tuuuurn."
"Turn your big arse for us, girl," Samuel whispered as of the ship could hear him, a nervous sweat forming on his brow. Soon, the nervousness began to subside as, slowly but surely, inch by inch, the great vessel began to turn to the left. "That's it girl, that's it." And, after thirty-five seconds of waiting, just as it seemed they were about to clear the berg, everything fell apart. Within seconds, the ship began to shutter and shake as the sound of breaking ice could be heard on her starboard side. Samuel's eyes widened in terror as the iceberg began to glide past, larges pieces breaking off and falling onto the ship's forward well deck.
"HARD TO PORT!" Will ordered, although Samuel was in such a state of shock he couldn't register what was said. But, luckily, he managed to come out of the shock as something came to mind.
"I'LL CLOSE THE DOORS!" he yelled to Will, running back to the wheels. Upon entering the wheelhouse, Samuel threw the switch that would seal the Titanic's many watertight doors. After about half a minute, all lights on the indication panel lit up, showing that every door in the ship had been closed, trapping any water that may have entered the ship in the damaged compartments. By this point, the iceberg had glided past, the collision a distant memory. But, their was still procedure to follow. Mr. Murdoch, who had entered the wheelhouse a few seconds earlier, turned to Mr. Moody.
"Note the time, enter it into the log," he ordered. By this point, Fourth Officer Boxhall, a dark-brown wolf who had been making tea at the time, and a half dressed Junior Chief Officer Garth Reynolds, who had been roused from his sleep by the commotion and subsequent collision, had joined the group. A few seconds later, Captain Edward Smith, a grey furred wolf in his sixties, walked onto the bridge, a calm, but nonetheless, alert expression on his face.
"What was that, Mr. Murdoch?" He iqnuired of his most trusted First Officer.
"An iceberg, Sir," Will answered nervously. "I put her hard to starboard, Mr. Davis rang the engines all stop but she was too close. I tried to port 'round it, but she hit it." nerved by this news, Smith turned toward Samuel.
"Have you closed the watertight doors?" he inquired of the young wolf, who nodded in response.
"The doors are close sir," he confirmed. Nodding solemnly, Smith knew that they needed a full status report of the vessel before he could make a definitive answer on how to proceed with the voyage.
"Mr. Davis, find the carpenter. You two will go below decks and sound the ship," he ordered.
"Yes, sir," Samuel responded with a crisp salute before leaving the wheel house, but not before sharing a worried glance with Mr. Reynolds, who was actually one of his oldest and dearest friends, as well as the currently sleeping Junior Second Officer Humphrey Chambers, who had only joined the crew at Southampton after the original Junior Officer fell ill. Once Samuel was off, Smith addressed the rest of the crew that was present.
"Rouse the rest of the officers," he ordered, "Mr. Moody, fetch Mr. Andrews and tell him what's happened. For the time being, we will proceed with caution. Ahead slow Mr. Murdoch," Smith finished after looking to said officer, who offered a quick salute before making his way tot he telegraphs. One thing was certain, however, this was surely to be a night to remember.
THERE YOU HAVE IT FOLKS! I hope you enjoyed this chapter! The next chapter will feature the Maverick-Ramirez Party, which will introduce the Junior Officers' wives and their family! So until then, take, stay healthy, and as always, HAPPY READING!