Here we go with the final chapter. I do apologize for the Pen Name change. I hope that did not cause too much confusion. I have greatly appreciated all the reviews and positive comments with each progressive chapter.
Chapter 10: The Lonely Sea
The phone began ringing in the wheelhouse. Sixth Office James Moody picked up the phone and inquired "What do you see?"
"ICEBERG STRAIGHT AHEAD", a frustrated Frederick Fleet yelled into the receiver.
A shaken Moody placed the receiver back in its holder yelling "ICEBERG STRAIGHT AHEAD".
First Officer Murdoch, who had already spotted the mammoth piece, raced into the wheelhouse. While frantically pushing Moody out of the way, he shouted to Quartermaster Hitchens, "HARD A STARBOARD". To slow down on speed, Murdoch then called the engine room and instructed them to "REVERSE ALL ENGINES".
"Is it hard a starboard?" Murdoch demanded. Quartermaster Hitchens, by now seeing the imminent danger, nodded.
Ross and Rachel were standing on the boat deck watching the mammoth piece of ice, as it grew closer. Just as the ship came upon the berg, it slowly began a slight turn, but it was not enough. The starboard side scraped the side of the berg popping rivets and opening plates causing water to gush into 5 bulkheads. Large pieces of ice fell onto the front deck. A few minutes later, the ship came to a sudden stop.
"What do you think?" Rachel somewhat in shock inquired.
"I don't know. Maybe we need to go back inside", Ross informed her as they left the deck.
On the way back inside the ship, they passed Thomas Andrews, the designer of the ship. They overheard him inform Captain Smith that with 5 of the bulkheads flooded, the ship was doomed to sink within the next two hours.
"Oh my God, the ship is going to sink", a shaken up Rachel told Ross as she grabbed his arm for comfort.
"We need to go back to our cabins and await instructions", Ross informed her. She reluctantly nodded in agreement.
At 12:05 am Captain Smith ordered 16 lifeboats to be uncovered and the passengers mustered. He then left the boat deck for the wireless shack. He woke up the operators and informed them to stand by if he needed them to send wires of assistance. A few moments later he reappeared and told them to send the regulation call "CQD" followed by "MGY" (Titanic's call letters) and the position 41.46 N. 50.14 W.
At 12:25 am, wire operators, Harold Bride and Jack Phillips got their first good news. The Cunard liner Carpathia's operator had contacted them inquiring about the traffic for Cape Race. They replied, COME QUICKLY. A few minutes later the news came back that the Carpathia was 58 miles away and coming hard.
"Mr. Geller; Captain's orders, you need to immediately put on your lifejacket and go up on deck for further instructions", his stateroom attendant informed him. Ross complied and then headed for Rachel's stateroom.
Rachel closed her stateroom door. She was also wearing a lifejacket. "Ross, what is going to happen to us?" Rachel was by now becoming very frightened.
"We need to get up on deck as quickly as possible", Ross softly answered as he took her in his arms for comfort. As they began descending the stairs, Ross could tell the ship was already beginning to list. The moment of reckoning had come; the ship really was doomed. He took a deep breath as they both proceeded down the steps. With the exception of a few passengers, most still did not know the ship was in danger.
Ross guided Rachel into the gym and told her to a wait there for his return. While on deck, he quickly saw that the officer's would need some extra assistance helping load passengers into the lifeboats.
First Office Murdoch cut the rope releasing the first lifeboat. He next loaded the boat onto the Welin Davit (the davits were designed to carry 32 boats but instead only carried 16).
Deck Stewards were having problems convincing passengers of the apparent danger. Shortly, Thomas Andrews began walking up and down the decks attempting to convince the passengers they needed to get into a lifeboat. After the distress rockets were released, passengers began to realize that the ship was indeed doomed and began loading.
Ross, along with Colonel Gracie, assisted loading several women into lifeboats. He could see that passengers were beginning to panic. He knew the time had come. Rachel needed to get on a lifeboat.
Ross entered the gym. "Rachel, you need to get on a lifeboat", Ross ordered.
"Are you coming also?" a very upset Rachel inquired, knowing what his answer would be.
Murdoch is loading men on the other side. If you get into a lifeboat I will check my chances over there", Ross informed her knowing that his chances were slim. For some reason she believed him and therefore complied.
"I love you, please get on a lifeboat before it is too late", Rachel tearfully replied as she gave him one last hug before she entered the lifeboat. As the boat lowered, she could not take her eyes off of him. When the boat reached the water, he waved at her one last time. He then turned and continued to assist in the loading of passengers.
At 2:05 am the bow of the ship was under water. All lifeboats were in the water, with the exception of the four collapsible ones turned upside down on the roof of the officer's quarters. Ross, along with Colonel Gracie, climbed onto the roof and released Collapsible B. The ship had begun to list, thus causing the boat to slide off the roof into the ocean. As they looked on in horror, the seawater began to come up the boat deck. Ross dived into the water. As he surfaced he was level with the crow's nest. Passengers were frantically heading aft to hang on to a few more minutes of life.
Ross began to swim clear of the ship, but she was not ready to let him go yet. Tons of seawater pouring down the ventilator shafts in front of the forward funnel created an irresistible suction, which pulled him back and pinned him against a grating just below the surface of the water. For a short second he felt he was trapped and would go down with the ship. He began to idly think how he would drown. He never found out. From somewhere deep within the ship a burst of hot air surged up from the ventilator shaft, forcing him to surface. Sputtering, he barely had time to take a deep breath before he was sucked under again, held against another grating and spit back up. Gasping, Ross struck out away from the ship toward the overturned Collapsible B. Another dozen men had also scrambled onto the overturned boat. The collapsible bobbed around on top of the ocean as the big ship began to sink farther into the ocean.
As the tilt of the sinking giant grew steeper, the strain became unbearable for the remaining eight stays supporting the forward funnel. The stays parted causing the funnel to fall across the starboard deck, producing sparks. When the funnel hit the ocean it kicked up a wave pushing Collapsible B 30 yards farther from the ship. Others were less fortunate. As the funnel fell it landed on a knot of swimmers, killing them. Colonel Gracie, nearing exhaustion, jumped and broke free from the ship. He was pulled under like Ross but gave a mighty kick and broke free, surfacing twenty some yards from the ship. They pulled him aboard Collapsible B.
The Titanic's lights were beginning to turn red. The stern began to rise higher, still carrying a mass of humans onboard. The ship shrieked with agony and then sank, taking 1500 souls with it. Suddenly every distinction between class and country, passenger and crew, vanished in those last terrible moments.
As the cries from those left behind in the water slowly faded away, an odd quiet settled over the survivors.
April 15, 1912, 4:15 A.M.
With daylight on the horizon, the Carpathia soon came into full view. The shock over what had just happened began to wear off as reality began setting in. Lifeboats, one by one, unloaded their despondent passengers onto Carpathia's deck. Rachel stood on deck desperately watching as each lifeboat unloaded. Ross was not amongst them. Rachel closed her eyes in total frustration; he couldn't be gone. She had so much more she needed to tell and share with him. Ross had opened up every aspect of her womanhood and most important of all, he had taught her how important it is to give. As the time slowly passed her thoughts became very bleak. After all visible boats had been unloaded she began to give up any hope Ross was amongst the living. Rachel turned to go below when a passenger on the deck began shouting, "Look, in the distance, Oh Thank God, another lifeboat." A positive hopeful feeling began to overcome her. She turned around. The lifeboat barely visible through the dense fog, had it's mast raised which was a signal it was pulling yet another boat. As the boats drew closer she discovered the lifeboat was towing a collapsible. As the collapsible drew closer she spotted Ross standing towards the front. She closed her eyes and clasped her hands so tightly together they turned white. She thought over and over, HE IS ALIVE, HE IS ALIVE. The tragedy, along with the thought of losing Ross, had touched every part of her inner soul. She dropped to her knees and thanked God for sparing her and Ross from this disaster.
A very exhausted Ross began climbing the rope ladder. He looked up and soon spotted Rachel awaiting him on deck. Seeing her invigorated him and he began to climb faster. He reached the deck and they ran into each other's arms. For a few minutes, they stood silent, thankful just to be together again.
"I am never letting you go, Mister", Rachel tearfully replied while continuing to hold onto him tightly.
"Rachel, if we survived this we can survive anything", Ross replied while taking her back into his arms.
Shortly, the reunited couple walked arm in arm down the deck. Both had experienced love and tragedy. In a few days they would be in New York City. With some time, memories of the tragedy would begin to fade.
The End
Note: Within a few days of the tragedy a ship named the Mackey-Bennett reached the sight and recovered 300 bodies from the sea. 121 of those bodies are buried in the Halifax Cemetery, located in Nova Scotia. A special trust fund, set up by The White Star Line and still active, provides maintenance of the graves.
I hope you enjoyed reading all ten chapters as much as I enjoyed writing them.
I would like to express thanks to my fellow Encyclopedia Titanica Message Board members for their expertise on the Titanic. Again, I express great thanks to the readers who took the time to read the story and a very special thanks to all that left the wonderful reviews (close to 30 before this author's mistake).
A small confession…I had originally planned the ending coming as a dream from Rachel. As the chapter's progressed, I began to warm up to the characters, thus changing my mind on how the story would conclude.