Titanic (Asmodeus X Fizzarolli)

Chapter Twelve: The Damage

Everyone in Third Class was heading above deck, away from the water practically following the rats out. Mr. Ismay was making his way to the captain's quarters too to find out what was going on while Sarah looked for a Crewmember. When Sarah found one, the Crewmember tried to tell her that nothing was wrong since everyone was asking about what happened with the shudders. Sarah told the crewmember that something was wrong, claiming to have been robbed.

Striker told the crewmember to fetch the Master-at-Arms. Up on deck, everyone was playing football with the ice that had landed on deck. As Fizzarolli and Asmodeus left the deck they were on, they overheard an officer telling the Captain what the reported damage was. Boiler room six was flooded above capacity and the mail hold was a lot worse. The Captain asked if they were able to make it to shore and the officer said that they could if the water pumps held up.

Mr. Andrews asked him if he had seen the damage in the mail hold but no one could get in there as it was already underwater. Hearing this, Fizzarolli and Asmodeus knew this wasn't going to end well. But Asmodeus gave worse news saying that they had to tell his mother and Sarah about this. In the room, officers were searching the place for any evidence or any sign of Sarah's missing property. Asmodeus and Fizzarolli made their way to the cabin where Striker was waiting for them. As all three now walked into the cabin, Striker slipped something into Fizzarolli's pocket. The three walked in to see everyone waiting for the two.

"Something serious has happened," Asmodeus told them

"Yes, it has," Sarah said looking at Striker who gave her a nod, "Indeed. Two things dear to me have disappeared this evening. Now that one is back I have a pretty good idea where to find the other. Search him."

"Take your coat off, sir," The master-at-arms told Fizzarolli

"Now what?" Fizzarolli asked, annoyed at the treatment at this point

"Sarah, what are you doing?" Asmodeus asked her, "We're in the middle of an emergency. What's going on?"

"Is this it?" an officer asked, pulling the Diamond from Fizzarolli's pocket

"That's it," Sarah confirmed, taking it back

Fizzarolli looked at it in absolute shock. He remembered putting it in Sarah's safe, not his pocket.

"This is horseshit!" Fizzarolli said, "Don't you believe it, Ozzie. Don't!"

"He couldn't have," Asmodeus said not believing it

"Of course, he could," Sarah told him, "It's easy enough for a professional."

"But I was with him the whole time. This is absurd."

"Perhaps he did it while you were putting your clothes back on, dear," Sarah whispered to him but Fizzarolli heard him

"Real slick, Sarah. Ozzie, they put it in my pocket," Fizzarolli told Asmodeus

"Shut up!" Sarah told Fizzarolli

"It isn't even your pocket, is it, son?" Striker asked Fizzarolli, "Property of A. L. Ryerson."

"That was reported stolen today," The master-at-arms confirmed

"I just borrowed it. I was going to return it," Fizzarolli said truthfully.

"An honest thief? We have an honest thief here, do we?" Sarah asked the other gentlemen in the room

Fizzarolli turned to Asmodeus, begging him not to believe them as he knew he wasn't like that. But, with all the evidence in front of him, it was almost hard to believe that Fizzarolli didn't steal all of this. As Fizzarolli was dragged away, he continued to beg Asmodeus not to believe the lies. But let's assess what will happen to the ship. In the Captain's cabin, Mr. Andrews quickly rolled out schematics of the ship to explain what their situation was with Mr. Ismay present.

"Water... 14 feet above the keel in ten minutes. In the forepeak, in all three holds, and in the boiler room six."

"That's right, sir," An officer confirmed everything Mr. Andrews had said

"When can we get underway, damn it?" Mr. Ismay asked, irritated that they were making such a fuss over seemingly nothing on an unsinkable ship

"That's five compartments!" Mr. Andrews argued, "She can stay afloat with the first four compartments breached but not five. Not five. As she goes down by the head the water will spill over the tops of bulkheads at E deck from one to the next. Back and back. There's no stopping it."

"The pumps," the captain pointed at where they were located, "If we opened the doors-"

"The pumps buy you time," Mr. Andrews interrupted, "but minutes only. From this moment, no matter what we do, Titanic will founder."

"But this ship can't sink," Mr. Ismay said thinking this wasn't a massive problem

"She's made of iron, sir. I assure you, she can... and she will. It is a mathematical certainty."

Everyone in the room was quiet. There was no saving this ship. So the Captain started to assess the situation.

"How much time?" The Captain asked

"An hour," Mr. Andrews said, "Two at most."

"And how many aboard, Mr. Murdoch?"

"2,200 souls on board, sir," Murdoch said feeling responsible for what happened that night

The Captain turned to Mr. Ismay, "Well, I believe you may get your headlines, Mr. Ismay."

Back in First Class, Asmodeus and Sarah had been left alone in the cabin. Sarah was irritated at the fact that Asmodeus preferred a poor imp over her. She walked over to Asmodeus and stood in front of him doing nothing at first before slapping him, calling him a slut, assuming the two had slept together after that picture was drawn. A steward then walked in, just as Sarah was about to give him a strong word about all this. Sarah tried to make the steward leave but he told them both to put on their lifebelts and to dress warmly as it was cold out.

Sarah once again tried asking him to leave but he insisted as it was Captain's orders. Sarah left Asmodeus who was recovering from the surprised slap. The steward tried to assure Asmodeus saying that this was all a precaution. But they were quick to tell everyone in the Third and Second classes to put their lifebelts on, not giving them time to properly wake up to take in the news. While everyone in the crew was as calm as possible, the passengers were confused as to what was going on. But they would soon find out.