The Last Voyage of the Olympic

    By Kevin1230san Stewart

    The Last Voyage of the Olympic cover image

    23 Aug, 2023

    The RMS Olympic, the forgotten sister of the ill-fated Titanic, was a majestic sight in her heyday. Her gleaming white hull reflected the sunlight, matching her sister's grandeur.

    On the bridge stood Captain Arthur Rostron, a man of experience and poise. His eyes were on the endless horizon, alert, always seeking the unseen.

    As Rostron walked along the ship's deck, he admired the steel beauty beneath his feet. He knew the ship's life was coming to an end, but refused to accept it.

    Despite her looming fate, the Olympic carried on strongly, her engines rumbling as if humming a defiant tune against the inevitable.

    Rostron remembered the first time he set foot on the Olympic. The ship was regarded as a pinnacle of technology and design.

    The captain ventured into the ship's grand dining hall, now silent and devoid of life. He reminisced about the laughter and music that once filled the air.

    Rostron found himself standing before the ship's helm, its polished wood gleaming under the soft light. He carefully ran his hand over it, feeling a hint of nostalgia.

    Night fell and the Olympic sailed on, her silhouette barely visible against the dark canvas of the sea and sky, becoming a ghost of her glorious past.

    Still on duty, Captain Rostron watched as the ship forged ahead. He admired her spirit, silently promising to remember her legacy.

    As the first rays of sun painted the sky, the once vibrant Olympic looked painfully quiet. Rostron mourned the inevitable fate of his beloved ship.

    Despite the sorrow, Rostron never let his emotions show. He maintained his composure, keeping the ship steady on her course.

    Days turned into nights, and the Olympic sailed on. Each sunset brought her closer to the end, but the ship showed no signs of giving up.

    Rostron spent his days on the bridge, his nights walking the desolate corridors. The Olympic had become a part of him, a silent confidant in his solitude.

    They arrived at the Harland & Wolff shipyard, the birthplace of the Olympic. It was here that her fate would be sealed.

    As the Olympic's engines silenced for the last time, Rostron felt a part of him die. Yet, he maintained an unyielding expression, a fitting tribute to the ship's unbroken spirit.

    The Olympic's once vibrant halls echoed with eerie silence. Rostron walked them one last time, readying for a goodbye that was too painful to bear.

    The once bustling ship was now an empty shell. Its decks, once full of life, now stood silent and desolate, awaiting its impending doom.

    Rostron took one last look at the bridge. His heart ached at the sight, knowing it would be the last time he'd stand on this historical deck.

    With a heavy heart, the captain disembarked. He turned back to glance at the Olympic, her once radiant spirit now nothing more than a distant memory.

    As the scrapping process began, Rostron could only watch. Each cut into the Olympic's steel felt like a cut into his own heart.

    The process was quick, merciless even. The ship's once towering funnels were brought down, its grand halls stripped bare.

    Rostron stood by, watching as the once magnificent liner was reduced to a pitiful skeleton. He tried to remember her in her prime but it was getting harder.

    The following days were excruciating. With each passing day, less and less of the Olympic remained. Rostron could only watch in quiet despair.

    Finally, the last piece of the Olympic was taken away. Only an empty space in the shipyard remained, a heartbreaking reminder of the ship that once stood there.

    Time moved on, but the memory of the Olympic stayed with Rostron. Even as he took to sea on other ships, a part of him always yearned for the Olympic.

    Legend spoke of the Olympic's grandeur, her elegant design, her unyielding spirit. To Rostron, however, she wasn't just a legend. She was his home, his confidant, his friend.

    The Olympic may have been reduced to scrap, but in Rostron's heart, she still sailed, her spirit cutting through the vast ocean, unfettered by time or fate.

    The Olympic was more than a ship for Rostron. She was an embodiment of mankind's never-ending quest for growth, our ability to create and destroy, and our indomitable spirit.

    Her story, like that of her sister ships, is a stark reminder of our drive for greatness and our hubris. It is a tribute to those who dared to dream and those who paid the price.

    The Olympic may have physically left this world, but her memory lives on. In Rostron's heart, in the tales passed down through generations, the Olympic will forever sail.

    And so, Captain Arthur Rostron vowed to keep the Olympic's memory alive, sharing her story with the world, ensuring the grand old lady of the sea would never be forgotten.

    It was in that promise, to remember those who were lost and the lessons learned, that the true spirit of the Olympic lived on - in the heart of a sailor who loved her dearly.

    For as long as he lived, Rostron ensured the world remembered the Olympic, not as a relic of the past, but as a symbol of human resilience, ambition and a testament to our history.

    And while his heart ached knowing he couldn't preserve her physically as a museum, Captain Rostron did his best to preserve the Olympic in the annals of history - where she rightfully belonged.

    And so, the RMS Olympic, adorned in the memories of those who knew her, continues to sail on, not on the waves of the sea, but in the heart of her beloved captain, and the pages of maritime lore.

    The Last Voyage of the Olympic