Time moves slowly at the worst moments, and unnervingly fast at others, over the last two hours that Hazel is aboard the Titanic. As the ship approaches the iceberg, the crew tries to steer away, but a loud scraping sound announces that the side of the ship is colliding with the iceberg. Time freezes as ice chunks fall onto the lower decks, and Sylvia and Hazel stand in shock at what they’re witnessing. Hazel knows that if the side of the ship is damaged, it’s sure to sink.

The captain orders the bulkheads closed, which they already have been, and passengers are told to put on their lifebelts. Hazel thinks about all the people trapped below and likely never to escape. The crew seems to understand the danger, but most passengers seem relaxed and laugh at the ice. When the ship’s owner, Mr. Ismay, hears about the damage, his expression reveals that he knows his ship has been defeated. An “SOS” message is sent out for help from nearby ships, and Sylvia and Hazel head down to the lower decks to try to find Miss Gruber and Charlie. Third-class passengers, many of whom don’t know English, scramble around, unsure of where to go.