MAIDEN VOYAGE

The Story of Titanic II

Tom RICHTER

Createspace Independent Publishing Platform - 2006

The brainchild of Emory Smythe, British cruise line owner, a near perfect replica of Titanic has been built in hopes of reviving the age of the great liners. Titanic II is as close to the original as possible with the exceptions of modern safety and navigational equipment and her systems are controlled by a super computer. In April, 2012, she sets sail on her Maiden Voyage from Southampton to New York under the command of Matt Ferguson. Among the over 2000 passengers are the Line's managing director, Arthur Brighton, the ship's builder, Edward Jacobs and a host of wealthy and prominent including the King of England and his security Chief Peter Bishop. Also on board are Andrew Westler, screenwriter and renowned film actress Rebecca Archer, her family and fiance' Duncan Moore. On the open sea, passengers settle in for the voyage, get acquainted and lose themselves in nostalgia but as Titanic II approaches the position of her namesake, conditions are much the same as on the fateful night 100 years earlier. What no one knows is that a faulty computer program and a virus inserted by an assassin have worked to wreck Titanic's computer. She strikes ice which rips away half her lifeboats and leaves the ship sinking with the watertight doors stuck open. With a hurricane approaching, Ferguson must find a way to save his ship and the lives aboard.