After giving orders to his officers, the captain found himself in the marconi room giving out orders for the distress call to radio operators Jack Phillips and Harold Bride.
"CQD?" questioned Phillips. "Sir?" he questioned again when he didn't get an answer.
"That's right, CQD, the distress call." Captain confirmed. "That's our position." he handed him a paper. "Tell whoever responds that we're going down by the head and need immediate assistance." and with that he left.
"Blimey!" breathed Phillips and got on work immediately.
Out on the boat deck officers and seamen were up and about preparing lifeboats.
"Keep lowering!" someone shouted.
"Steady! Make it taut! And winch out!" Joseph Boxhall, the fourth officer, shouted out instructions while also assisting to prepare a lifeboat.
Mr. Andrews came down the stairs.
"Uncover this boat! Uncover all the boats aft!" more orders had been shouted.
Thomas Andrews looked around to check the situation.
"Release those ties!"
"Roll back that cover! Smartly now!" Wilde ordered.
"Wilde!" Mr. Andrews shouted and approached him. "Mr. Wilde, where are the passengers?"
"They've all gone back inside. Too damn cold and noisy for them." Wilde shouted his response to overpower the noise from the funnels. "You there!" he blew his whistle at someone. "Get down here and help with these lines!"
Mr. Andrews turned around and checked his pocket watch. The time is running out.
Back in marconi room, Phillips was having hard luck. Seeing that, his mate Harold Bride approached him.
"Maybe we should try that new distress call, SOS." he proposed.
Phillips looked at him in confusion at first, but smiled shortly after.
"It may be your last chance to send it." Bride added, smiling as well.
Phillips got back on work again.
Mr. Andrews walked distraught through a la carte restaurant looking at unaffected crowd. They were sitting and dinning like nothing was happening. And on top of that, the band was still casually playing.
"Care for a drink, sir?" a waiter approached him, carrying a tray of beverages.
He couldn't believe how nonchalantly everyone behaved.
"Please, put your lifebelts on." he turned around and spotted a steward helping out unassisted passengers.
"Hey, sonny, what's doing?" a woman stopped that same steward. "You got us all trussed up here and now we're cooling our heels."
"Sorry, ma'am. Let me go find out." he was rather clumsy for he slipped as he climbed up the stairs.
"I don't think anybody knows what the hell's going on around here." the woman commented.
Elaine knew that woman. It was Margaret Brown, better known as Molly Brown. They have dined once together at the same table and never again because Elizabeth wasn't so fond of her. She didn't find her stories amusing. On the other hand, Elaine respected the woman very much. She was what they called new money.
They were all positioned by the grand staircase and waited for further instructions. Elaine could tell that both of her parents were growing impatient.
"Go back and turn the heaters on in our rooms. I'd like a cup of tea when I return." Elizabeth said to her maid, Lily.
"Yes, ma'am." the poor girl replied and went to see to it.
That's when Estella made her grand entrance. Now everyone was looking at her the way they were looking at Elaine half an hour ago.
"Well, well, well. Look who decided to show up." Elizabeth said, adjusting her gloves. Kenneth had an unreadable face expression.
"Mother. Father."
"Where have you been, young lady?"
"I-"
"Estella! Over here!"
Estella immediately looked at Elaine in the corner who was calling out for her. But Elizabeth still awaited her answer.
"I'm sorry." was all Estella mustered before heading towards her brother and sister.
Elizabeth wanted to go after her, but Kenneth stopped her for the better. They shouldn't make a scene in front of everybody.
"Are you alright?" Elaine asked.
"What do you think?" Estella spat.
Back there are we, Elaine thought. She didn't pursue further conversation. It was when she noticed Mr. Andrews.
"Mr. Andrews!" she called and went after him. "I saw the iceberg. And I see it in your eyes. Please, tell me the truth."
"The ship will sink." Mr. Andrews simply said.
Elaine's mouth hung open. "You're certain?"
"Yes. In an hour or so, all this will be at the bottom of Atlantic."
"What?" it was Philip's voice.
"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 know there are boats for about half the passengers?"
"Yes." Elaine nodded her head, trying to stay calm. "I understand."
"Yes, madam, please, put it on immediately." Elaine spaced out learning the news, but still heard muffled voices in the background.
She turned around and was met with her family all gathered up around them. They all had the same distraught face expression. Philip stood closest to her and hugged her tight.
"Oh, Elaine, it's gonna be alright. It's all gonna be alright." he kissed her temple.
Somehow Elaine didn't believe him. She broke away from his embrace and looked at all of them.
"We should go outside. Get a boat. Quickly." she started organizing them. "C'mon."
After hearing what Thomas Andrews had to say they didn't protest much and headed towards the exit. Only Estella hung behind.
"Estella, are you coming?"
She remained silent.
"Estella, please, we are sisters. Do you want me to beg you—"
"I'm coming, I'm coming. Just shut up." she cut her and walked past her.
Elaine let out a deep breath.
"Sir!" it was Harold Bride running after the captain. "Carpathia said they're making 17 knots. Full steam for them, sir."
"She's the only one who's responding?" captain asked.
"The only one close, sir." Bride responded. "Says they can be here in four hours."
"Four hours?!" captain snapped, but quickly composed himself. He nodded his head and dismissed him. "Thank you, Bride."
When he was completely alone, he let his concerns get to him. "My God."
He was soon wandering around the boat deck seeing how the preparations were going. That's when Charles Lightoller spotted and approached him.
"We are swung out and ready, sir." he informed him. Captain Smith just dubiously looked at him and then around. "Hadn't we better get the women and children into the boats first, sir?" Lightoller shouted in his ear.
Smith was lightly nodding his head. "Yes." he said, but it was unheard due to loud funnels.
"Sir?!" Lightoller asked again.
"Women and children first, yes." Captain repeated, this time louder.
"Yes, sir!" he looked at Wilde who was beside him and they went to see to it.
"Ladies and gentlemen, your attention, please!" Lightoller roared against the noise. "Step this way, please! That's right! Come towards me!" he was calling to the crowd. "Thank you. Good. For the time being I shall require only women and children."
While he was giving further instructions, the band from the dining room moved out on the boat deck not so far away.
"Gentlemen, please."
"Right here." they positioned themselves.
"All right, boys. Like the captain said, nice and cheery, so there's no panic." one of them said. "Wedding dance." and then they started playing.
"Lower it away, left and right together! Steady!" on the starboard side William Murdoch was lowering the first lifeboat with the help of Harold Lowe. "Both sides together! Steady! Steady! Steady!"
"Stop, stop, stop!" the passengers screamed when the boat started to get lowered unevenly.
"Stop! Hold the left side!" William ordered. "Right side only, right side only!" he repeated. "Hold the left, right side down! Now, lower away together! Steady, lads!"
The first lifeboat was launched successfully alongside with one of many distress flares.
Badours were outside on the boat deck, waiting for their turn to board a lifeboat.
"Come on, sister, you heard the man. Into the boat." Margaret Brown was also with them and assisting a woman beside her.
Elaine watched women crying and parting with their husbands. Some of them had to be tear apart from their lovers embrace.
"Oh God, there's no way I'm boarding the same boat as this woman." Elizabeth rolled her eyes and turned towards her kids and husband. "She's vulgar like a commoner."
"Oh, mother, shut up." Elaine has had it. "Don't you understand?!" she grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her. "The water is freezing and there aren't enough boats! Not enough by half. Half the people on this ship are going to die. And you want to choose your companions? You should be ashamed, mother."
"Come on, Elizabeth, get in the boat." it was Molly Brown calling to her. "First class seats are right up here." and with her assistance she boarded the boat.
"Come on, Estella, darling. There's plenty of room for you." Molly called again. "Come on, Estella. You're next, darling."
"Come into the boat, Estella." Elizabeth said more sternly, but reached to help her board.
Estella just stared at them.
"Come on, Stel." Philip encouraged her, pushing her forward.
"Estella." Elizabeth warned. "Get into the boat!"
She instead started backing away.
"Estella?"
"Goodbye, mother. Father. Philip." she looked at each of them. "Elaine." she finally said before she started running away.
"Estella!" their mother called. "Estella, come back here! Elaine, do something! Philip!"
They started preparing for lowering away the boat.
"No, wait! Kenneth!"
"And lower away!" the order was given out.
"Estella! Please, stop! My children!" Elizabeth was still calling.
"Lower together! Hold the left side!"
Philip and Elaine went after their sister right away.
"Estella! Come back here! No, where are you going?!" Elaine caught up with her first.
"I can't-I can't leave without him, I'm sorry." she said sobbing.
"Don't worry, sis, we'll find him and I will get into a boat with him. Don't worry." Philip said to try and reassure her.
Elaine's eyes were all over the place holding her sister close and her mind was racing. "She's not talking about Edward." she whispered. "She's not talking about Edward, Philip." she repeated, louder this time.
"Wha-What? Then who?!" he was confused.
Elaine had no time for explaining.
"Come on, we need to catch another boat."