"HOW DOES IT FEEL TO BE 100 YEARS IN THE FUTURE?" "WHAT DID IT FEEL LIKE TO DIE?" "WILL YOU MARRY ME?", all the cameras flashing in my eyes and the people all yelling questions at once, it's giving me a headache! I would answer all their questions just fine, really I don't mind talking about my ship! But the continuous flashing hurts my eyes! Jack seems to be enjoying it though, he flashes big smiles and answers all their questions happily, like he'll win a big prize if he gets them all right!
Those blood results showed that we were the real Thomas Andrews and Jack Phillips, and the entire ship is buzzing about us. We're never going to be able to do anything on this ship now! So much for getting to relax, so much for it! We've been made instant celebrities, and everyone wants to talk to us, ask us questions, get our autographs, get pictures with us! Where were these people yesterday? I'm sure we were still Jack and Thomas yesterday! What difference does it make that we're Jack and Thomas today? That we have proof?
We've been sitting here being interviewed all morning, and now Jack's getting a tad antsy in his seat. I think he wants to go look for the delinquent, but these people just won't leave us alone! The poor lad though, he wants to escape so badly! I think and come up with the greatest idea ever, and he better thank me for this next time I see him "Ladies and Gentlemen, how about I show you around the ship and tell you the similarities and differences between it and the original Titanic?". There are cheers amongst the crowd and I hop off my seat, telling Jack as I pass by that he probably has a good hour or two to slip away then come back!
I'll be honest, it's actually nice going through the ship. I flip through my notebook to help me remember a few small details, but most of it I remember right when I see it. I compliment the ship owner on how close he got it to the original, and also thank them for the modern safety and navigation systems. It's all genuine really, any worries or doubts I had about the ship sinking are gone now, I've been put at ease now seeing all the lifeboats for myself! For indeed, this is the first time I've been allowed to walk freely around Titanic II. James Cameron and I talk like little school boys about the Titanic, he seems to know as much about her as I do, however he was misinformed about some things. I've set him right though, and now I think it's alright to say I might have a new friend on this modern Titanic.
As we turn to walk down the promenade I spot Jack and the delinquent. She's trying not to drop a silver tray of dishes while Jack tickles her. She squirms, managing to toss the tray onto a nearby deck chair before squealing and writhing in Jack's grasp. "Jack! Hahahaha Jack stop! I'm working!" she tries to tell him through her laughter, but her fiance is relentless. She spins around and kisses him to get him to stop, and he wraps his arms around her waist. I can't help but roll my eyes, can't they get a room? They shouldn't be displaying their affections so publicly, especially after we just spent all morning surrounded by the press!
Cameras flash and they break up, both staring at our tour group with wide eyes. The girl blushes, picking up her tray she runs back into the ship before anyone can ask her anything or stop her. Jack just stands and smiles sheepishly "She's my uh, fiance" he admits to them. They all look interested, especially some of the historians and reporters. "She was on the original Titanic also?" they ask, Jack and I both nod "When I dropped into the future the first time, I dropped into her hotel room. She insisted on coming back in time with me. So she did. And well, she ended up surviving the Titanic disaster while Jack and I did not" I explain.
"How did you all come here then?" they ask, I shrug, trying to get off the topic so I can continue my tour. I want to see the boiler rooms! I start walking aft and they follow "You'll just have to ask her yourselves" I tell them finally. I can see an almost hungry glint in their eyes as I say this, I'm sure they will take me up on that. Maybe we should take dinner in our stateroom, that might be for the best. I never liked the press much, and I can tell Jack's starting to get a little tired of them as well, even though at first he thought it was fun.
The tour around Titanic continues, and the more questions they ask, the more aggravated I get. Now I'm really starting to get tired of the camera flashes! However I put up with their questions and cameras because I get to see every corner of my ship, and I'm very pleased with what I see. There are some things I don't quite like, but overall the ship looks either just as it did before, or better than before! The accommodations in third class especially, well done!
Now that the tour is over, it's about 4 in the afternoon. I ask politely if Jack and I might be dismissed for now, and to my pleasant surprise they all leave. A few people who were at the back of the crowd linger, most of them just ordinary passengers who'd heard of us. They ask us for autographs and pictures, and who are we to reject them? I actually enjoy it slightly, talking to less people in a less aggressive manner. When they're satisfied we return to our stateroom, where Killian has left us a present on the carpet and Thomas is sitting on the desk, pawing Ramin's cage towards the edge of the desk we'd sat him on.
"Why didn't you take the dog for a walk?" I ask him, I feel a migraine coming on. Jack scolds the dog before reminding me that the ruffian told us he wasn't allowed to take him for walks anymore. Then he forgot to call the steward to walk him, so he's been in here all day. Brilliant Jack, just brilliant! Jack calls the steward to take Killian for a walk, while a maid comes to clean up his mess. Ramin on the other hand, I take him into my bedroom and place him on my dresser before closing my bedroom door so Thomas can't get to him.
Finally we manage to flop on the couch, and just as we're settling on the couch Gabby bursts into our stateroom, beaming cheerfully "Hey Guys! Guess what" she asks. Jack glances at me, a hopeful look on his face as though he believes I'll know the answer, which I don't "What?" I finally ask. She jumps up and down in place "I just found out there's a gift shop on this ship!" she tells us.
I don't quite understand what's so exciting about that but Jack jumps up "About time!" he turns to me "How come the original Titanic didn't have a gift shop? You know how useful that woulda been?". I take a deep breath, my headache has just gotten worse "There was no room on the ship for a gift shop" I merely reply. Honestly, a gift shop never even crossed my mind when designing Titanic. She was built for luxury!
The two of them decide to go to the gift shop together. They ask me, beg me, to go with them but I have to say no. I want a little quiet time now, it's been a long day! Once they're gone I close my eyes and try to take a nap, but the steward who'd taken Killian for a walk returns before I can finally manage to drift off. The little scotty jumps up onto my lap, licking my face and neck. I run my hand over his coat and can't help but sigh, I miss my own dog, Laddie. I used to play fetch with him in the garden, but he never retrieved the sticks I threw! He always searched for an even bigger stick and brought it back to me.
About a half hour later Jack comes back into our stateroom, a rather large box under his arm "I got you something!" he tells me, a big smile on his face. I can't imagine what he could have got me at the Titanic gift shop! He plops himself next to me, holding the box behind his back "Now I know you've been feeling kinda down lately, but I thought maybe this might cheer you up!" he tells me. I have not been that down lately, well, maybe just a little bit! He pulls the box out from behind his back and I raise an eyebrow at him, what exactly is it?
He pushes it into my hands and I read the front of the box, it's a model of the Titanic, the original Titanic. He hands me a bottle of glue "It's a model Titanic, for you to build! Do you feel better now?" he asks. I look up at him "Why did you really buy it?" I ask him, he smiles brightly "That's why I really got it!" he tells me. I can tell he's lying, he wouldn't just out of the blue buy me a present. I look back down at the box and open it, examining the pieces. It's a decent sized model, although nothing compares to the original model I once had back at Harland and Wolff. Maybe I can make the most of it though, maybe I can make it look just as good as the model I once had!
Jack stands and heads towards his bedroom door "You better not start building it now though, cause we're going to dinner in about 15 minutes" he says. 15 minutes? I pull out my pocket watch and check, he's absolutely right! I jump up and run into my room, changing into my dinner clothes as quickly as I can. By the time I get back the delinquent is standing in the doorway with Jack, ready to go.
The ruffian smiles at me "Thomas, did you like your present? Jack was so excited to give it to you!" she tells me. I offer a small smile, because I genuinely do like the gift, and I want dinner to go quickly so I might start building it "I liked it a lot" I tell her. This seems to make her happy and she begins chatting with Jack as we head towards the dining saloon. The entire time my heart is set on getting to work on that model, I'm going to make it perfect! Maybe I'll add a few things to it, like bulkheads! It didn't seem to have those when I looked, I'm going to make them myself then! And then perhaps I'll weight the little ship so it might float properly! And I'll sail it in New York Harbor! Yes! That's what I'll do! I can hardly contain my eagerness to get started, I feel like a little boy but I don't care! I want to build my ship!
When we reach the reception area I let Jack and the delinquent mingle while I go into a corner. I pull my notebook and pencil out of my jacket pocket and open it, beginning to sketch my model on the page. The more I sketch, the more things I think to add to it. I'll add enough lifeboats, that's for sure! And perhaps I'll make some little benches and deck chairs! And people! I want my little Titanic to be full of happy passengers! Maybe I can make them look like the people I once knew on the ship, I'm not much of an artist but I'll certainly try! Who shall I have on the deck of my ship? Well the captain for one, and Mr. Ismay too! But I'll have him dangling off the back of the ship by his ankles. I chuckle at the thought, wouldn't I have loved to see Mr. Ismay hanging off the side of the ship in real life!
I'm snapped away from my thoughts by James Cameron "What are you drawing there Thomas?" he asks. I look up at him "Oh, Jack bought me a model Titanic at the gift shop today. I'm planning on building it, but I'm going to add a few things". He looks down at the page "Just a few?" he asks skeptically, glancing down at the page I can see I've already filled it, and the next page, with ideas for my little model. I wonder how much that little thing cost Jack and Gabby anyway?
James laughs at me "Would you mind if I watched you work on the ship?" he asks me. He's treating it as though I'm about to rebuild the actual Titanic, and I smile, I certainly wouldn't mind rebuilding her myself. And I'd sail her too! "On one condition" I tell him, he looked at me puzzled, wondering what I could possibly want from him "You have to tell me all about your dives down to my ship". He smiles, and it's not the flashy smile he was giving the press earlier, it's genuine "Of course! Anything you wanna hear I'll tell you!" he tells me. I'm not entirely sure if I want to hear about my ship on the bottom of the ocean, but curiosity has gotten the better of my judgement, I want to know how my ship is after being down there for 100 years!
We walk into the dining room together, talking of Titanic. Once we're seated at the table he asks me if the notebook I'm holding is the genuine notebook I carried around with me on the ship. I tell him that it is, and even take the liberty of showing him the front half of the book. Page after page filled with my old notes, notes that wouldn't make any sense to anyone besides James and I. As I flip through the pages, I'm filled with mixed feelings. I remember each little note, when I wrote it, who I was with when I wrote it. Many of the notes were written during dinner, while Mr. Ismay ran his mouth about the ship I wrote about her.
While James and I look through my notebook, I notice that the attention of everyone is on the delinquent. She's telling them all about her adventures on the Titanic. I feel slightly angry, the poor girl hardly has a moment to pause and take a bite of her meal. She answers all their questions with a smile though, I just hope that she has it in her to tell them enough. If this keeps up, she'll go to bed hungry, and I would be upset with myself for letting that happen. Jack looks over at me and points under the table, I reach over and grasp a piece of paper. I take it and look down at it 'Don't forget to include Bride and I on your little model ;)'. I can't help but smile and roll my eyes, I should have expected this from him!
I show the note to James and he looks up at Jack, trying not to laugh. We both quietly talk about him, and how well he has coped with being in the modern day. No homesickness, no nightmares over the ship sinking, nothing! I wish I could say the same for myself, but my thoughts are completely clouded by the past. I would give anything, I'd even die a third time just to be with Elba and Nellie again. I miss them so much, but things seem to be changing! I have a friend now, and after touring the ship and getting to know modern ships I've decided that this ship isn't as bad as I thought. My heart certainly doesn't ache as much anymore to walk through the familiar hallways.
Looking back down at my notebook, I decide maybe it would be best to put off my project until tomorrow. When I propose this to James he agrees, saying he has an interview he has to go to after dinner. The rest of the meal goes by relatively quickly, and I make my getaway the moment they pick up dessert. Jack and the ruffian have to jog behind me in order to keep up with my pace "What's the rush Thomas?" she asks me. I don't know what the rush is honestly, I just want to get back to my stateroom! When we get there I bid the delinquent goodbye before going into my room. I hear Jack and the girl part, and then I hear him turn on the television. Good, I don't want him in here!
Quietly, I open the box that contains my titanic model. I rip the instruction manual out and open it. I chuckle softly, I can't believe I'm reading the instructions on how to build my own ship. I designed it, shouldn't I be able to build it without directions? Especially after all the changes I plan on making. Oh well, I need something to read anyway, I don't have any books to help me settle down to bed with. So the instructions will do! However it's doing the opposite of helping me sleep, it's getting me more excited! I look at the box, surely just putting the hull together would be enough to satisfy me! There's a desk in the corner of my room, I take the box there and begin laying out pieces, putting them together. The more I put together though, the more eager I get! Just one more piece, that's what I tell myself, one more! I don't even notice the time, I just want to keep building! And build I shall!
Howdy everyone! I took a little trip to NYC, but now I'm back with some news. That news being your going to have to wait even LONGER for chapter 9! Why? Because I'm going back into the previous chapters and editing each one! And I refuse to post chapter 9 until I've fixed all of the other chapters! So once chapter 9 finally comes out, I recommend looking back at the other chapters. Because things WILL be quite different! Especially chapter 3, the authors note is going to be changed up for a full length chapter. And a few big things in other chapters will be changed as well. More adding than subtracting, so you'll want to go check it out!
Today in the Review shop, we have baseball caps that have the Titanic on them! They come with a complimentary mustache, so that you can feel as cool as all the guys back in 1912 that had facial hair ;P
THANK YOU for reviewing, and reading. And especially thank you for your patience! I've got a lot going on, but I'm going to try to edit as fast as I can, and then get chapter 9 up ASAP! So hang in there, I'll get it done!