The Titanic has hit an iceberg and is taking on water. The XO knows about it, but he doesn’t want to tell the captain, who’s presiding at a black tie affair with the passengers in first class. The bilge pumps are swamped so, in order to keep the ship afloat, the XO has ordered that the main engines be rigged to pump out water. The problem is that without the main engines, the ship can’t move forward, and there isn’t a tug on the ocean with the horsepower to take the Titanic in tow.
Below decks, some of the passengers are getting seasick because of the heave and sway of the damaged vessel. Others are confused, because they can hear the throb of the engines, but the ship doesn’t seem to be going anywhere.
The XO has instructed his lieutenants to spread the word that the ship is engaged in maintenance operations and will be underway again shortly. He knows this isn’t true, but he feels it's his duty to provide a credible explanation in order to avoid a panic. As long as people think everything's okay, it's okay, isn't it? The ship's engineer says there's plenty of fuel to keep the engines running ....
Up in first class, they're drinking champagne, talking about what they're going to do when the ship docks in New York -- shows to see, restaurants to try, functions to attend. Elections are due in the fall, of course, and there are rumors of higher taxes and new regulations, maybe even some affecting ocean-going vessels.
Well, perhaps. But there will be time enough to worry about it when they get to New York. For now, they’ve decided to relax and enjoy the party!
