This is Part I of a series that has been inspired by my view of the socio-political space in Singapore in the setting of the epic Titanic. Let me state upfront that while the series is based loosely on real events and real people, it is to be read as a fictional story. Additionally, I would categorically state here that I am neither of the characters, nor do I personally know of any person who resembles any of the characters described in the series.
“All aboard!” booms the Captain. His voice carries a dignified authority that commands obedience and respect. The sea breeze hastens the spread of the message, so much so that not only his men, but also the fare-paying passengers pause in the midst of their bustle to heed his call. Ten thousand people make their way to the hulking metallic mass that probably should be more appropriately termed an aircraft carrier rather than a mere cruise ship. It is the largest of its kind, the Titanic. “Take your places everyone, there is more than enough room, so make yourselves comfortable,” exudes the usher with more than the average amount of charm.
“Sarah, do you know where we’re headed?” Sam, a strapping fine lad of twenty-five, asks his lady companion. “Oh, I don’t know exactly, but it’s somewhere near the North Pole. Not to worry darling, Daddy’s the Captain, he knows, and he’ll take us there for sure! Look at the beautiful view, quick, get your digital camera!” And so the Titanic launches from the port, negotiating her way successfully past the rather narrow straits. It gathers speed as it approaches open waters. Sam looks out into the great unknown, and feels an inexplicable sense of dread, even foreboding.
“Are you alright darling?” asks Sarah in a sing-song tone, as she places her arms round his waist. Sam nods, not wanting to upset his young fiancée. He can’t seem to put his finger on what is bothering him; after all, here he is in the prime of his life, enjoying the company of the beauty that he had fought off so many suitors for. Soon however, Sam shrugs the feeling off as nerves, forces a smile, and begins to relax, little by little.
Throughout the journey, the public address system reminds passengers of the many features this new contraption has that are unique in the shipbuilding industry. The Titanic is made of a particular grade of stainless steel, that is “built to last, never will rust” or so the jingle goes. Additionally, the cruise ship is fitted with state-of-the-art defense mechanisms “to meet with every eventuality conceivable to mankind, so that you the passenger can enjoy a stress-free ride to paradise” chirps the lady-in-the-jingle. These innovations were painstakingly conceptualised and finally, after over 40 years of tireless scientific research, with more than considerable input from the Captain himself, finally cumulate in this massive carrier of a cruise liner.
Sam struggles to keep up with Sarah, who, being understandably very excited (and excitable as well), flits about from one section of the ship to another, asking fellow passengers to take pictures of her with her beau, while reminding them of the superb infrastructure that her father had designed, the safety cameras in place to ensure that none of the passengers fall overboard, and even the holographic job ads projecting skywards that “attract nothing but the best talent from Singapore and beyond”, so that visitors can arrive via the Universal Landing Pad even after the ship had sailed. Evidently, one might say that Sarah is rather proud of her father’s work.
Basking in the glow that is Sarah’s smile, Sam takes in the sights, smells and sounds of this new environment. You see, Sam, unlike most of the other passengers, was not born in Singapore. He is on his way to becoming a citizen though, having found the love of his life in the bright-eyed Sarah, who is two years Sam’s junior. Sam arrived on shore back in the mid-1980s, and the Captain had sent a personally signed welcome plaque through one of his most-trusted men, which Sam much appreciated. Sam worked hard and played just as hard. Some three years ago, Sam became a bit of a minor celebrity through his own effort, before he met Sarah.
In fact, you may say that Sam could not help but notice Sarah. When the Titanic was in the advanced stages of completion, the Captain had decided to organise a competition: whoever would be the first to successfully climb the main mast of the Titanic would win a date with the Captain’s only daughter Sarah, along with a Sailor’s Scholarship, no bonds attached. Sam recognised that opportunities were not easy to come by; the Captain saw it fit to provide only one such scholarship each year. Not only that, Sam had through his formative years bore the brunt of his neighbours’ jokes, who ridiculed Sam’s parents for moving to Singapore by saying that the only thing good that came from the island was the Captain’s daughter. Here was an opportunity to pay back his parents for looking after him, to actually get to know the daughter of a much respected international figure (the world was paying some attention to the Captain’s lofty ambitions, and would occasionally chip in to fund ‘the shipping project’, as it was known then), and to scale the tallest mast ever built by mankind. Without hesitation, Sam filled out the application form online, and prepared himself for the coming challenge.
End of is Part I. Like what you’re reading so far, or simply hate it? Here’s your chance to contribute to a story about Singapore — Comments welcome, the end is yet open 
Stay tuned for Part II, scheduled for release August 2nd, 2007…
