In memoriam of the famous rescue ship, the R.M.S. Carpathia, and her crew, who responded and saved over 700 lives that fateful night, after receiving the distress call.

Chapter 14

April 15, 1912

Down below decks multiple stewards goes throughout the hallways, knocking on passengers' doors, telling people to get out of bed and put on their lifebelts, without so much to help the passengers how to put them on, especially those who couldn't understand English.

"Everybody Up! Get Dressed!"

"Get your lifebelts on!"

"Everybody get dressed at once!"

"Everybody get your lifebelts on at once!"

Later, that steward comes to Karl and Eric's room, throws open the door, then makes his way to the tiny closet, where he dumps the lifebelts onto the floor of their cabin.

"Get up! Get your lifebelts on!" he yelled into the room, as Karl and Eric looked at each other from atop their bunks.

A steward even wanders into the room full of sleeping stewards who were done with their shifts.

"Come on, get up, we're sinking!" His partners mumble and ramble, as they try to get some shut eye in their bunks. He is appalled by their lack of concern, so he yells, "Everybody up!" Someone from a distant bunk throws an object, nearly catching the steward on his head. He yells again, "Captain's orders!"

A tired steward angrily tells the man, "Why don't you put the light out?"

He finally had enough of their ignorance, as he says, before leaving, "Hooligans!" A person closest to the door throws the door shut, as the man left.

Back in the stateroom Rose slowly opens her eyes, horrified she might see Jesse's dead and lifeless beautiful face, his brown, intense eyes still open. Instead, she finds him and Cal wrestling on the floor. Cal no longer had his gun, and was trying to punch Jesse, but Jesse quickly moves out of Cal's punches, making him hit the floor, then yelping in pain. Rose tries to look for the weapon, and she finds it. Cal sees what Rose is doing, twists out of Jesse's grip, then lunges for it, but Rose quickly kicked it away. Jesse pounces like a cat behind Cal, and knocks him to the floor. With Jesse on top of Cal now, he twists his body to face Jesse, before trying to press Jesse's face in. Jesse grabs Cal's neck and begins strangling him.

"This is what you get for doing the most idiotic thing." Jesse says, still choking Cal. Rose eventually finds the strength to break up the two men. Jesse slowly stands up and backs into the wall, while not letting his sight off of Cal, who was coughing now. Jesse bends over, panting now, then looks once more at Cal. He turns over as he's trying to get air. Rose only looks at him, offering no assistance whatsoever, as she slowly walks in Jesse's direction. Cal grabs onto a nearby table, and slowly pulls himself up.

Just then there was a knock on their first-class stateroom cabin door. Rose sees Cal, who's rubbing his neck, answer the door. Jesse, still doubled over, and panting, looks up.

"I'm terribly sorry sir but…" Cal butts in, still rubbing his neck.

"Can't you see were busy?" he retorted.

"I'm sorry to bother you sir, but it is the captain's orders that you get yourself a lifebelt and go up to the boat deck. Now please, dress warmly, it's quite cold out tonight." the stewards says, then continues, "May I suggest top coats and hats."

"This is ridiculous" Cal says, thinking the man had lost his marbles.

"Everything will be alright sir, but the ship is in a state of emergency." Then he turns his attention to Rose. "Not to worry Miss, I-I am sure it is just a precaution."

Cal, Rose and the steward then turn to where Jesse was standing prior, only to find he had disappeared once more.

…

Meanwhile, the Cunard Line steamer, the R.M.S. Carpathia, supposedly on her way to Austria-Hungary after leaving New York with passengers on board, was only about 58 miles from Titanic's approximate location, responds to Titanic's distress call, just as the operator was about to turn in for the night. He turns the volume, then puts on the headphones, before getting a distress signal. He writes down the distress, before turning on his equipment. He quickly fires off a response, before going to the captain.

"Mr. Dean! Sir! There's a distress call just come through!"

Mr. Dean: "Who from?"

Cottam: "The Titanic! It struck a berg…They want us to come at once! They're sinking!"

"The Titanic? Don't be a fool." Mr. Dean says skeptically.

"It's true! I'm going to the captain!" Cottam then runs down into the captain's room, without knocking.

"Sir! Sir!" Cottam bursts in.

"What the devil's going…! Haven't you learned to knock before you come in here?!" Rostron yells at Cottam, who tells him, "It's a distress call sir! From the Titanic. She's sinking!" Captain Rostron angrily yanks the paper from Cottam. Mr. Dean soon apologizes for Cottam's actions, before the captain's mood suddenly changes after reading the paper.

"Mr. Dean, turn this ship 'round. Head northwest. I'll work the course out for you in a minute." Rostron tells Dean, as he was getting out of bed.

"Aye, aye, sir." Dean says, while Rostron barked, "Now!" He then turns his attention to the radio operator. "Cottam, you're sure this is the Titanic?"

"Yes sir." Cottam reassures.

"Certain?"

"Absolutely."

"Alright, check back. Find out everything you can; tell them we're coming as fast as possible."

"Yes sir!" With that, Rostron prepares to turn his ship, to aid in Titanic's rescue.

…

Captain Smith looks out of the bridge windows, just as Bride enters the room, with news of a rescue ship approaching, after receiving a distress from the Titanic.

"We've contacted the Carpathia, eastbound from New York. She's on her way to us." Bride says.

"How far away is she?" Captain Smith asks.

"58 miles, sir. She's making all possible speeds. Should reach us in…four hours."

"…four hours…" Smith says, as realization hits him, as there are only enough lifeboats for half of the passengers on his ship. He then pointed out to the horizon, as there was a faint twinkling of lights in the distance. "What about that ship over there? About ten miles away…You can see a light. Isn't she replying?"

"No sir. She'll blast our ears on us if she did…Well, maybe she can't keep a 24-hour watch…Maybe she hasn't got wireless at all."

"Thank you, Bride." Smith says, then asks for Moody, while he's still looking out at the flickering light in the distance. "Tell Mr. Boxhall to fire the distress rockets. One every five minutes from the port side."

"Aye aye, sir." Moody says. On the boat deck, officers were finishing swinging out the last of the lifeboats when they heard a loud whoosh, followed by a thunderous bang. They realized they were in much bigger danger than they anticipated, as the first rocket is fired, to try to get the attention of the distant ship.

Lively music filled the chamber, when Mr. Andrews walks among the people in the crowded, confusing mess. A butler comes to Andrews. "Care for a drink, sir?" he asks. Mr. Andrews looks around, and a pang of sadness began to overcome him, as he looks at his passengers, thinking that some will not make it. Meanwhile, at the foot of the Grand Staircase, Margaret Brown asks a person as he was passing by. "Hey sonny, what's doing? You got us all dressed up here and now we're cooling our heels."

"Sorry, ma'am." he goes, before running up the stairs.

"I don't think anybody knows what the hell's going on around here." Margaret says, as just then Cal appears, along with Rose and Ruth.

"G—damn English doing everything by the book." Ruth tells him, "There's no need for the language, Mr. Hockley." She then tells Trudy, "Go back and turn the heaters back on in our rooms. I'd like a cup of tea when I return."

"Yes, ma'am." Trudy obeys.

Mr. Andrews appears, and Rose sees him. She goes up to him, turns him around and says, "I saw the iceberg, and I see it in your eyes. Please tell me the truth." Mr. Andrews has a grim expression before he tells her. "The ship is sinking." Rose tries to hold back her shock, then she asks, "You certain?"

"Yes, in an hour or so," he says grimly, looks around, then continues. "All of this…will be at the bottom of the Atlantic."

"What?" Cal doesn't believe what he is hearing. All that time he has been hearing the Titanic is 'unsinkable'. "This can't be happening!" he thought.

Mr. Andrews continues, "Please, tell only who you must. I don't want to be responsible for a panic." Rose puts a hand to her mouth, while Andrews continues again, "And get to a boat, quickly, don't wait! Y-you remember what I told you about the boats?" Rose casts her mind back when they were on that tour earlier, before Jack pulled her in the gym. "Yes…I understand." she nods, slowly. Mr. Andrews looks at her for some time, before walking away. Another passenger by the name of Robbie Lucas, after overhearing Andrews and Rose, soon catches up to him.

"Oh Mr. Andrews."

"Yes." he turned around, and sighs again.

"I'd like you to tell me something. I...I have a wife and three children on board. Just how serious is it?" he asked, as Andrews sighs tiredly again, then looks grimly at Mr. Lucas. "I am not the panicking kind."

"The ship has about an hour to live. A little more, if some of the upper bulkheads hold, but not much more. Get your wife and children into the boats."

"Thank you." Mr Lucas says, then Andrews turns to walk away again, before being summoned once more.

"Oh Mr. Andrews." he turned around once more, as Mr. Lucas continues. "I take it you and I might both be in the same boat later?"

Mr. Andrews gave a sad smile. "Yes...we may..." and finally turns away.

Down in steerage, Jesse runs down a staircase, only to find passengers beginning to put on their lifebelts in the chaotic corridors. He tried to look for Fabrizio, Tommy, but couldn't find anyone he recognized. A man, who appeared no older than himself, shyly walked up to Jesse, with a lifebelt in hand, and thinking he was a young girl, as he constantly had his hair hanging over one eye, and had feminine features. He had a slight crush on Jesse, since he first laid eyes on him, at the dinner in the third-class saloon earlier that afternoon.

"Here you go, miss." The young man says, tipping his hat, and with shaking hands he offered the lifebelt, as he was clearly very nervous. Jesse looked at the man, then at the lifebelt, before he politely declined and gave the man a small smile. The man blushed at Jesse's smile, before he turned his head and disappeared among the crowds.

Jesse made his way through the confusion of the corridor, passing by a mother nursing her baby as they sat on a bench. Soon, another man followed behind Jesse, then holding onto his coat, as they both made their way down another stairway, before the man breaks away from Jesse. He passed a small group of people, as he made his way through another galley, and disappeared to another corridor, while passengers looked at him, with awe.

"Ah, there you are." A third-class passenger says, to the man who had followed Jesse earlier.

"Me sleepin' soundly since the first time we left Queenstown." An Irish woman says, putting on her thick coat.

"Never mind, never mind now," the man says, while another passenger helps a young woman put on her coat.

"Be cold outside." he tells her. The same man asks, "Where's Pat?"

"Here, hold my bag, will you?" The Irish woman asks, while across the galley, the man helps his Polish girlfriend tie her lifebelt for her.

Jesse runs through the maze of corridors, while people shout and run past him, some carrying their possessions, through the corridors. A father ran past, with two teenaged girls hauling a chest, as Jesse quickly ducks, misses his grip, then falls back into an open cabin. A man stood over him, as Jesse quickly got back to his feet. He looked around, as more yelling and confusion soon took over the entire corridor. Another man yelled at him, in Slovak, as Jesse tried to get around him, without rousing a fight, before finally making his way to the front of the ship.

Jesse finally arrives to his corridor when he sees the water slowly creeping in from behind the door that led to the spiral staircase area. Even here there was a mass confusion of people running around in different directions, wanting to know where they need to go. Most of the people here were already in lifebelts. People began to panic when they come across a gate that separated them from the second class above. There was loud clamoring amongst each other, some were even fighting who should be the first to leave the ship. Jesse couldn't believe these were the same people who were dancing and having a good time just the night prior, now they are in a fight for survival.

He turns his head, horrified the water has now reached his cabin. He looked inside, but was relieved when no one was in there. He wondered where his friends had gone to, until he heard his name being called. He turns to see Karl running to him, arms outstretched and embraces Jesse. He cried right then and there, knowing Jesse was there, and he knew he was reliable. When he was done, Karl told Jesse they had to wake up and put on their lifebelts, and wait by the gates. He takes ahold of Jesse's arm as he led them through the confusing scene of people trying to go where they need to, until they met up with Eric. They both embrace, glad his friend was back.

"Hey, where's Jack? Fabrizio and Tommy are looking for him, too." Eric asks. Jesse has a puzzled look.

Now that was a good question. He thought, as just a couple of hours earlier, he had last seen Jack running away with Rose from Lovejoy. Just then Fabrizio and Tommy appeared, with Tommy shaking hands, while Fabrizio embraced Jesse, although a little harder now. He asked, "Dov'è Jack?"

A deck above, Jack looks out the porthole, watching the water level rise as the ship slowly sinks. His heart pounds just seeing the water level now almost level to the porthole. He had been handcuffed to a pipe, something he least expected. He began worrying about his friends; Jesse, Fabrizio, Tommy but most importantly, Rose. A crewman suddenly runs in, that the master at arms was needed by the purser.

"Go ahead. I'll watch him," Lovejoy says, pulling out the gun his master had given him, then shows Jack the gun, as if telling him not to do anything stupid. The two officers leave in a hurry, after giving Lovejoy the keys to Jack's handcuffs. He places the keys on the desk, then makes himself comfortable in a nearby chair, watching Jack, like he has been waiting for this moment the entire time.

Back below, the water is now coming in at an exponential rate. Peoples' patients are wearing thin as the stewards tell them they need to go to a main stairwell, or to just wait for instructions; instructions that were never told to them, as most of the passengers don't understand English, or otherwise ignorant of the stewards. Jesse turns around, the situation becoming more and more desperate as people began pushing one another, shoving and even fighting, now more than ever, as the scene around them deteriorates to chaos.

"We need to get out of here." Jesse says, looking around, and licking his lips, as he tries to keep his cool among the mob now.

"But how?" Karl says, eyes wide with horror. Jesse thinks, then comes up with a plan. "Follow me." He says, then the trio fought their way through the mob, while Fabrizio and Tommy decided to stay down a while.

Eric was the first to arrive to a stairway, but it was already crowded with people. He and Jesse slowly fought their way up the stairs. A steward had closed the gate and blocked the way, as passengers yelled there were women and children down as well.

"You can't come this way! This is not for third-class!" the steward yelled back. "Go back the way you came, and there will be instructions."

"SH-! There's women and children down here!" Eric yelled, as he furiously rattled the gate, then he fought his way back down. "They've been saying that over and over!"

Jesse thought some more, then finally lit up. "I got a better place. Let's move!"

Up on boat deck, Rose and her entourage are escorted with their lifebelts at hand, as officers swung out the last of Titanic's lifeboats over the side, and were ready to receive passengers.

"Women and children first please. In orderly fashion." An officer ordered. Margaret climbs into a boat without a second thought, as she is being helped in by an officer.

"Come on, sister, you're next. There's plenty of room right here for you." she says, patting the seat for Ruth to sit in.

"I do hope the boats are divided by class. I don't want to be crowded." Ruth says, more to herself than at anybody. That's when Rose has had enough of them right then and there.

"Oh, Mother. Shut up!" she hissed, pulling her mother close, enough they were eye to eye. "Don't you understand? The water is freezing and there aren't enough lifeboats. Not enough by half. Half the people on this ship are going to die."

"Not the better half." Cal says, almost sneering. "Too bad I didn't save that drawing of you. It'll be worth a lot more by morning." Rose has this sudden surge of power and confidence, like her internal spark has ignited an inferno.

"You unimaginable bastard." she hisses.

Margaret calls from the boat. "Come on Ruth, get in the boat. The first class seats are up here." Rose watches her mother climb into the boat with assistance from the officer and Margaret. Ruth turns around. "Rose. Get in the boat." she says, trying to control her emotions. Rose swallows as she takes a few steps back, away from the boat.

"Get in the boat, Rose. Now!" Ruth calls. That's when Rose begins to stomp her way out of there, after saying, "Goodbye, Mother."

"Lower away!" the officer calls. As the boat lowers, Ruth tries in vain to call her daughter back. "Rose. Rose! NO! Wait! Rose!" Before Rose could run Cal grabbed her. "No! No!" he says as he tries to take control her. "Where do you think you're going? No! What?! To him?! To be a whore to that…gutter rat?!"

Rose fires back. "I'd rather be his whore than be your wife." She tries to struggle again.

"No!" gasps Cal, as he was still trying to clutch Rose, but was slowly losing his grip. Rose hawks up phlegm, then chucks it at Cal, the way Jack has taught her when they were strolling the promenade. She finally bolts away and disappears into the crowd.

A/N Translations will be provided for languages i.e.

* Italian: Dov'è = Where is