Ice Warnings and Number of boats
April 13, 1912
These two days were so much fun for the I Team. It's like taking a summer vacation from their crime fighting and friendship teaching. Today, the I Team decided to go around the ship together to study more about the Titanic to make a rescue plan before the collision, if possible.
Then, they were encountered by the shipbuilder himself, Thomas Andrews, "Hello there."
"Hi, Mr. Andrews, watcha doin'?" Baby Lola greeted.
"I saw all the way from my char, and I wondered what you have been doing," Andrews replied.
"Nothing, we're were just wandering around the ship. You know, studying it," Kira, Kitka's guardian, answered.
"Would you like me to take on a tour?" the shipbuilder suggested.
"Oh, no thanks. We already explore the ship, even in the boiler rooms and engine room," Sundai, Sunday's guardian, and Jet and Saltor's younger daughter, said.
"Please, I'll explain something more about this ship since I built. You'll have a lot to learn about this," Andrews insisted.
The I Team glanced I each other to share each other's opinion. Jim, one of the Blues, elbowed Aggie that she should decide since she's the leader.
Aggie thought for a few second, then looked up to Andrews, "Alright, Mr. Andrews, tell us what you know."
"Excellent!" the shipbuilder clapped his hands before starting to lead the I Team on a tour, "Right this way, ladies and gentlemen."
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An Edwardian nautilus room. There are machines we recognize, and some don't. A woman pedaled a stationary bicycle in a long dress. Thomas Andrews led the I Team here. Hefty worked the oars of a stationary rowing machine with a
well trained stroke.
"Reminds me of my own gym back at home," he said.
"Or even my gym when I'm in a mood for excercising," Tom added.
Thomas McCawley, the gym instructor, is a bouncy little man in white flannels, eager to show off his modern equipment, like his present-day counterpart on an "Abflex" infomercial. He hit a switch and a machine with a saddle on it started to undulate.
"The electric horse is very popular. We even have an electric camel," McCawley explained, then spoke to any member of the I Team, "Care to try your hand at the rowing?"
"Ooh, let me try," Baby Tweety volunteered.
"Me too," Baby Twaty did the same.
"Careful, you two," Baby Lela warned.
When the baby birds and his guardian tried on the machine, it carried them away instead of they control the machine. The two babies couldn't let go of the machine as they kept rowing, until they were launched in the air.
Luckily, McCawley caught them with both of his hands, "This machine is too big for little ones like you," he put the two down, which they frowned.
"Oh, me," Baby Tweety sighed.
"Okay. The next stop on our tour will be bridge. This way, please," Andrews led the I Team out of the gym.
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Later, the I Team and Mr. Andrews are now at the bridge, which they were talking to Captain Smith.
"And why do you have two steering wheels? Wouldn't be that too less to control the whole ship?" inquired Avery.
"We really only use this near shore," Andrews explained, "And two steering wheels are strong enough to turn this ship?"
Just then, Harold Bride, the 21 year old Junior Wireless Operator, hustled in, and skirted around Andrews' tour group to hand a Marconigram to Captain Smith, "Excuse me, sir. Another ice warning. This one's from the 'Noordam',"
"Thank you, Sparks," captain Smith said as Bride walked away. Smith glanced at the message then nonchalantly put it in his pocket. Then, he saw worried faces from the I Team, and nodded reassuringly to them with a calm voice, "Oh, not to worry. Quite normal for this time of year. In fact, we're speeding up. I've just ordered the last boilers lit."
"We don't think that's a good idea!" Jim yelled in pace, which made Smith, Andrews, and the quartermasters stared at the little hatchling curiously.
To help the little blue, Pon, Pooh's guardian, volunteered to speak to the captain, "Um... what Jim means to say is don't you think speeding up is a bit much for this ship?"
"Especially when there are ice warnings? You should take action for that," Buttercup added.
"Don't worry. If we saw any icebergs, we'll try to avoid them as possible," the captain answered.
"But..." Aggie tried to protest, but she was cut off.
"We'll take care of this, Ms. Galido. I'm sure we will."
Without anything to say to the captain, just to avoid telling everyone about the future collision, Aggie just kept quiet, and stopped protesting. After that, the I Team and Andrews exited just as Second Officer Charles Herbert Lightoller came out of the chartroom, stopping next to First Officer Murdoch.
"Did we ever find those binoculars for the lookouts?" asked Lightoller.
"Haven't seen them since Southampton," Murdoch said.
The I team overheard their conversation.
"What? No binoculars?" Cubry, Cubby's guardian, gasped.
Captain Jake then took out his telescope, and showed it to Lightoller and Murdoch, "Here! You can take my telescope!"
Kowalski then elbowed Rico to do the same, "Rico, give them a telescope that you brought, too."
Rico nodded as he regurgitated a telescope from his beak, and showed it to the two officers."
"No, it's okay.. I think we can manage this without binoculars or telescope," Lightoller hesitated.
"No, really, you need this," Jape insisted.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Rico nodded quickly.
"The lookouts have sharp eyes. We can take it from here, so thank you for your help," Murdoch said.
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Moments later, the group walked at B-deck as Andrews explained about the lifeboats.
"Mr. Andrews, forgive me... I'm like a math genius in my family. I did the sum in my head and with the number of lifeboats times the capacity you mentioned. Forgive me, but it seems that there are not enough for everyone aboard," Tyler computed.
"Especially with the staff like you, since you guys have to leave last to make sure all of the passengers left the ship when there's a disaster," Sunday added.
Andrews explained, "About half, actually. Ladies, gentlemen, you miss nothing, do you? ln fact, I put in these new type davits which can take an extra row of boats inside this one but it was thought by some that the deck would look too cluttered so I was overruled."
"With all due respect, Mr. Andrews, Tyler and Sunday have a point here. There are 2,200 people, and there are only 20 lifeboats. I don't think everyone would survive such a disaster if anything happen to the Titanic," Skulio pointed.
"I'm sure that we'll make sure that nothing bad will happen to the Titanic," the shipbuilder said, "We already had sea trials of this ship last week, and it ran smoothly and safe. Everything will be fine, especially with these lifeboats."
"Waste of deck space as it is on an unsinkable ship, huh?" Grouchy poked one of the lifeboats with his fist.
"Sleep soundly, everyone. I have built you a good ship, strong and true. She's all the lifeboat you need. Just keep heading aft," Andrews said calmly, "The next stop will be the engine room. Come on."
While following Andrews, the I Team now started to worry. With everyone here never listen to the their protests and warnings, they knew that this ship will collide to an iceberg and sink. The team then realized that Titanic is more than a ship, it's like home to whoever ride on it, especially to Andrews himself since he built it, and they worried that if his creation destroyed and sank, he will be ruined, or worse, suicide. they also thought the lives of the staff of Titanic as they knew they are willing to sacrifice to save innocent people aboard. The I team need to make a plan to save Titanic and the people before the collision once and for all.
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