Carlson took a long look at the scrapbook which he had propped up on the mantlepiece. In it were mementos of the last thirty years. He had remembered where he had ended up the first time when he had failed his mission. He had been in a crumbling apartment in central London. But now, he was in the living room of the upscale house in the upscale neighborhood where he and Georgia lived.
He opened up the scrapbook and pored over its pages. Soon, he thought he heard himself speaking in his head. He recognized it as the same voice he had heard as he was teleporting to the Titanic. It spoke as he turned page after page:
"Vlad left the sinking ship without the Rubaiyat, nor did he have the real Lambeth diamonds. The Black Hand never got its funds, money intended to finance a wave of terrorism across the Balkans. One of the intended targets; the heir to the Austrian throne, Archduke Franz Ferdinand. His murder might have started a war. We were lucky. We got peace instead."
Carlson looked at a picture of him and Georgia vacationing in Verdun, France in 1916. Carlson knew that that wouldn't have been possible the first time around. For one thing, Georgia was dead. For another, a major battle of the First World War had taken place there. As he turned another page, the voice in his head continued:
"As for the painting, it left with me. The plans proved useless. In the month following the sinking, the war office scrapped the proposed deployments in a cost cutting measure. But the canvas? As the only artifact saved from the Titanic, the painting became famous along with it's creator, a rather excitable Austrian named Adolf Hitler, who makes a lucrative career to this day, peddling overpriced Alpine vistas to the carriage trade."
The page Carlson had turned to had a picture copy of the painting he had saved from the Titanic. He looked up at the painting which hung above the mantlepiece. It had been painted by the aforementioned Adolf Hitler. It was a charming painting of a river valley in the Alps. It always amazed him that now Hitler was known for his beautiful paintings rather than for destruction and death. He turned the page yet again and the voice went on:
"I left the ship with Willi's notebook. Eventually it found its way to the Russians. The Czar's secret police were grateful, and the names Stalin, Lenin, and Trotsy vanished from history. The Communist Revolution aborted."
By this time Carlson had reached the page with the newspaper clipping of the mass executions by the Okhrana. The following pages were mementos of the peaceful world which he had helped to secure. The voice continued:
"I really didn't realize it then, but that night thirty years ago was one of history's most crucial. Though the Titanic carried fifteen-hundred to their death, a peaceful world would be their epitaph. Our mission was a success."
As Carlson flipped through photos and him and Georgia together through the years, the voice went on:
"With no wars or bloody revolutions to derail us, prosperity and progress and flowed into every corner of the globe. Bringing humanity a security known only to the privileged few before the titanic sailed."
Carlson then turned to where he had placed the medal he had received for valorous actions in the Service. The voice spoke:
"Today on April 14, 1942, I am leaving the service to retire in a world of peace."
As Carlson closed the scrapbook and placed it back on the mantlepiece, the voice spoke for one last time.
"One can only imagine how different it could have been. Would have been. If we had failed."
At that moment, the double french doors to the living room opened behind him.
"How are you feeling, my darling?" Georgia asked as she strode into the room.
Carlson wheeled around. "I'm feeling wonderful, thank you for asking. Do you know what day this is?"
"Yes", Georgia replied. "It's the thirtieth anniversary of that disaster we both survived together. In about a month it will be our thirtieth wedding anniversary."
Carlson sat down in the chair by the fireplace. "I can hardly believe it myself. Besides, how did you know I was on board?"
"The passenger list of course!" Georgia replied. "Funny that I never saw you come on board. When I saw your name on the passenger list, I had a steward take the note to your room."
"So that explains the note I found in the dresser drawer" Carlson said.
"I was surprised when you actually came to see me on deck. I wasn't expecting that, since you hadn't been in contact with me for the past five years for reasons that I know now" Georgia continued. "When you promised to help me, I knew that you were the same man I left five years before."
"Yes, of course" Carlson replied, flattered.
Georgia continued: "I knew for a long time that Charles never cared about me. He only cared about his whiskey. But I never knew that he was planning on putting me away once we disembarked in New York. I have you to thank for saving me from that."
"One more thing" Carlson said. "Why did Zeitel pick you, of all people, as a bargaining chip to get the painting?"
"I believe he somehow knew that you knew me and poisoned me to get the painting. I genuinely thought I was going to die in the cabin. But when you walked in with the antidote, I knew you'd do anything for me" Georgia answered beaming. "And when we were on the Carpathia, I could tell you still loved me, and the rest is history."
"Do you know who is visiting today?" said Carlson.
"Of course I do darling" replied Georgia. "Our two sons' families are visiting to celebrate your retirement."
"What about our daughter Jane?" asked Carlson. He had expected her to show up.
"She's vacationing with Edward Hacker, remember?" teased Georgia.
"Oh, yes of course" Carlson answered. Eddie Hacker. Yet another person who owed their life to him. Eddie was now the chief operating officer of Conkling Steel. Under his tenure, Hacker had set up operations in London and Berlin, extending the company's influence. He had introduced Jane to Eddie at the opening ceremonies of the London plant, and the two had hit it off.
Suddenly, the doors to the living room opened and in walked Carlson's older son, Frank Jr. and his wife Anna, and two children, Frank III and Juliet. Frank Jr. and his family lived in Southampton.
"Hello Father!" he yelled as Carlson shook his hand. "How was your last day at work?"
"You know, son, when you're the director of the Secret Service, everyday is the same" Carlson responded. "Where's Peter?"
"He'll be here in a few minutes" replied Frank Jr.
Frank III and Juliet ran up to Carlson. "Grandpapa!" they cried.
Carlson hugged them both. He felt truly happy. He hadn't felt the same way the first time around when he was in the seedy apartment.
Soon after, Peter arrived with his wife Deborah and their infant daughter Shirley. Peter and his family lived in Essex.
"So good to see you Peter!" Carlson exclaimed as they shook hands.
"I'd like to congratulate you on your retirement" Peter said.
"There's really no need to" Carlson replied. "I've been congratulated enough today."
Later that day they all sat down to dinner together. Carlson was glad that the world was peaceful. That way, he didn't have to worry about bombs falling on London at any minute. Soon, Frank Jr. spoke up.
"Father, tell the children about how you saved the world."
"Saved the world?" Carlson replied, dumbfounded. "I've told the children many times before. Surely you would have had enough of it."
Georgia chuckled. "Just tell it again, darling. You tell it very well."
Carlson proceeded to tell his grandchildren once more about the harrowing adventure on the Titanic. He told about his near brushes with death during the sinking. He told of the plot to put Georgia away. He made sure not to leave a single detail out. He even told about how he had uncovered a plot to throw the whole world into war.
"But because of what I did that night" Carlson said, "we can live in a world of peace."
"Great story Grandpapa!" Juliet yelled.
After a few more hours of conversation and some drinks in the parlor, their sons and grandchildren had to leave for the night. As Carlson and Georgia bid them farewell, Carlson was relieved knowing that his grandchildren wouldn't have to grow up fearing war or any kind of world conflict.
Later that night, he went to his desk which was the same one he had used in the Service. It was the same one from the seedy apartment he had had the first time around. On the desk was his nameplate, identifying him as the director of the British Secret Service. He remembered Penny, who had died several years back. He picked up a photograph of Shailagh and her husband Dennis.
"Such a perfect couple" Carlson thought to himself.
The copy of Morgan Robertson's "Futility" was still in a chair by the desk, though it had less meaning now.
Carlson thought it strange that someone, he knew not who, had given him a second chance to complete the mission he had failed. It seemed strange at first, but he made the best of the opportunity and made things right. He had been given a shot at redemption, and redemption is what he got. He had not told anybody what happened to the world the first time around. He felt it unnecessary. He felt it would suffice to know that the world was at peace.
Carlson picked up the pocket watch, which had reminded him constantly of his failure before, but now it reminded him of his great triumph.
As he set the pocket watch back down on the desk, Carlson looked out on the world outside the window. The stars were shining, the crickets were chirping. Occasionally the sound of a car going by would pass. This time, there were no blimps to be seen, and no air raid sirens to be heard. It was a peaceful world indeed.
THE END
Author's Note: Thank you to everyone who reads this fanfiction, which is the first COMPLETE fanfiction of Titanic: Adventure Out Of Time. Special thanks goes to PokemonFreak90 for the numerous encouragements and suggestions along the way, especially when it came to the ending of the story. More special thanks goes to the numerous people who have made video playthroughs of the game available on YouTube. The playthroughs by GAZArts and Cade Sikora were especially helpful. Without those, the dialog and other details wouldn't be as accurate. Thanks also goes to the other people who left reviews. They were the only reason I finished this fanfiction, More thanks goes to Cyberflix, albeit being out of business, for making such a riveting and well written game. Again, thanks to everyone for reading. Stay tuned for more great (I hope) fanfics.