April 15, 1912 1:22 am

Slowly the ship tilted into the water, slanting the deck to the right. Helen held the rail, making her way across the sloping deck. It was evident the ship was sinking and despite the cheery music and the crews best efforts people were starting to panic.

Helen crossed to Murdoch, who was supervising a lifeboat loaded by two crewmen.

"Mr. Murdoch, the lifeboats are being lowered straight into the water. What about second and third class?" Helen pointed to the dismally half empty boats in the water.

Murdoch looked down and nodded grimly.

"Right. Let's bring up some of the women and children from 3rd and second class." Murdoch fought his way through the crowd of people gathered around the boats. "Women and children" He sighed in exasperation as a few men tried begging and bribing for a spot on the lifeboats. Murdoch shook his head and moved on through the crowds. Helen followed him to the second class deck.

"Women and children please. Bring the women and children forward." Murdoch called. Slowly the men shuffled aside and cleared a path.

"Dr. Magnus bring this group up to the boat deck. I'm going to find some more. "

Helen gathered up her group and led the way to B deck
into chaos.

On the top order had disintegrated altogether. People ran in every direction, picking up discarded suitcases and putting them back down. Slipping stumbling tripping over one another. Colliding with others. Some simply stood in one spot and stared as the ocean peaked over the bow.

Helen headed over to the nearest lifeboat and handed the small group to the man she recognized as Fred Barret.

"Women and children from second class. Murdoch is gathering more."

"Thank you Dr. Magnus" Barret nodded and began loading the passengers. Helen wasted no time but headed below decks again. She found the first set of gates locked and deserted. She moved on until she heard a call for help up head and quickened her steps.

"Here! I'm here!" she called back and gasped as she turned the last corner. A hundred or so people were pressed against the locked gate crying and calling for help.

"Dear god" Helen gasped as the cries doubled at the sight of her.

"Hold on. I'll find someone with the keys." Helen called and

"Please hurry. The water level is getting really high." A man called.

Helen nodded and headed off. She ran down the passageway until she came to a man in a titanic uniform. "Help. We need help over here... nowhere are you going?"

Helen asked as the clearly panicked sailor dragged her up the stairs. "Nothing for you here miss, let's get you to a boat. "

"There's a crowd. In the next stair well the gates are locked. They're trapped... the ship is going to sink! We need to-"

"We need to get you to a boat. If you open the gates They will panic. You'll be killed on the onslaught. "The sailor objected. "Best leave them to their fate."

"Those are human beings you're talking about!" Helen said angrily. She pulled away from the sailor, grabbing his keys and hurried back to the gate.

"Miss Magnus?" The foremost man smiled and Helen recognized him as her dance partner. Helen smiled back as best she could given the circumstances.

"What are you doing here?" He chided gently. "You should have got on a lifeboat hours ago."

"I couldn't turn tail and save my own skin knowing others could die." Helen replied, searching for the key to the gate.

"You can't save everyone" A surly man answered ominously.

"I'll save who I can." Helen inserted the key and unlocked the gate. Instantly she was lifted off the ground as a sea of people surged through the gate.

"Careful Miss Magnus frightened men are no different than any other animal." Helen recognized the man carrying her as the singer from the party in third class. He moved ahead of the crowd nimbly, carrying Helen carefully up the stairs.

"Are you a satyr?" Helen asked, noting his hooves.

"Irish cousin." He shrugged and set her down on the ground, out of harm's way. Helen looked back down the stairs. Halfway down lay the first man who asked her to dance. He was face down and not moving. Helen didn't need to take his pulse to know he was dead. The goat man looked back and sighed.

"Shame that. He was a nice fellow."

"I have to find Mr. Murdoch" Helen sighed and turned back to the stairwell. The goatman nodded.

"Go on, I'll get this lot to a lifeboat."

Helen nodded and dashed off across the sloping deck. She held the railing and still nearly lost her balance with each step. A sudden lurch sent her flying. She righted herself and scrambled to a nearby doorway.

"Sorry miss. Your message is going to have to wait." Helen looked about and realized she was in the Marconi room.

"I don't think I could sum this up in 10 words or less." Helen murmured in a daze. Helen regained her balance as Phillips tapped out an SOS as fast as he could.

"Where did you come from?" Phillips asked as Helen regained her balance. She shook out her skirts and sighed. "I couldn't even begin to explain. Do you need a hand? I know Morse code."

"Much obliged. If you could send out an SOS I'd be grateful."

Helen sat down and began tapping out a distress call as fast as she could. *woman and children in lifeboats cannot last long*

Helen held her breath hoping every minute there would be an answer. But none came. She looked up when she heard a cough. Bride, looing somewhat ragged, had returned.

"I thought you would have got yourself to a boat." Phillips sighed as Bride sat down.
"A worthy seaman never abandons his post" Bride Intoned.

"Anything from the captain?" Phillips asked, barely looking up. Bride shook his head.

"No. He's helping load the women and children into the boats. "He looked over at Helen and ushered her out."They're going fast; you'd better hurry and get on one."

Helen sighed and headed out the door, fighting her way through the terrified crowds. A man and woman were arguing but she didn't stop to intervene.

"Ida get into the boat Love." Helen recognized the old couple Maggie had pointed out at the dance.

"We have been together for many years. Where you go, I go." The woman smiled and took her husband's hand in her own.

There was so much noise and screaming, it was hard to distinguish any one voice. Helen was passing an open doorway that lead to 2nd class when a distinct call for help drifted over the onslaught of noise.

Helen followed the call down the stairs. At the bottom was Officer Murdoch, holding a glass and oak hutch. He was braced against the wall with a small group of children.

"Dr. Magnus!" He gasped as he caught sight of her. "Take the children, get to the boats. "

"What about you?" Helen asked as she ushered the children and hustled them up the stairs. Murdoch shook his head.

"I can't let this go once they're clear. They can't navigate the sloping decks alone."

Helen nodded and led the frightened children up the stairs.

A sudden lurch nearly knocked Helen back down. She braced herself with one arm and caught the smallest child from toppling over. There was a thunderous crash behind her. With a sickening feeling, Helen turned to see the hutch and the man who had been holding it were gone. Smashed by a heavy table and what was unmistakably once a piano. Nothing left but splinters of wood and glass. She didn't need a doctor degree to know-

but the time to grieve was later. Helen bustled her small heard up to the lifeboat deck as 13 was ready to be cast off.

Notes

Exactly what Murdoch's fate was is to this day unclear. However; the notion of suicide has been vehemently rejected as false. While the truth remains buried with the remains of the unsinkable ship twelve thousand six hundred feet under the Atlantic Ocean, we felt this a fitting and noble end to a man of his caliber.