Episode 1 of 1899 commences with a frantic woman, imprisoned within the confines of a mental asylum, desperately grasping for her identity and yearning for news of her brother's whereabouts. "Wake up," a voice whispers, and Maura Franklin, our intrepid protagonist, stirs from her slumber.
Maura awakens on board the Kerberos, a mammoth vessel bound for the shores of New York. However, whispers of the Prometheus, a ship missing for an ominous four months, circulate among the passengers. Coincidentally, her cabin number mirrors the one she occupied in the asylum, a strange coincidence indeed. Upon her counter lies a letter from her brother, beckoning her to New York, clarifying her purpose on this ship. Additionally, Maura is a physician, her expertise lies in the intricate workings of the human brain.
A motley crew populates this vessel, individuals from various backgrounds and nationalities. Mrs. Wilson, a snobbish woman with a lofty opinion of herself, stands out. A French couple, Lucien and Clemence, newlyweds yet clearly lacking affection for each other, are also present. Even Cantonese immigrants, Ling-Yi and her mother, find their place among the passengers. Each individual appears to be fleeing from some unseen horror, yet strangely, they all raise their cups to their lips in unison.
Suddenly, a man rushes in, his face marred by scars. Desperately seeking a doctor, he is initially ignored, until Maura pursues him and offers her assistance. Among the passengers is a heavily pregnant woman, writhing in agony as her unborn child twists within her womb. Swiftly, Maura intervenes, saving both mother and child from impending peril.
Ascending to the deck, Maura confronts Captain Eyk Larsen, who admonishes her for venturing into the Third Class. As a First Class passenger, she is not privy to such regions. Their discussion is cut short by a transmission, one of the officers resembling the likeness of Adam Driver revealing that they have been receiving mysterious messages for the past twenty minutes.
A distress signal, it seems to originate from the Prometheus. The sole transmission consists of coordinates, yet they diverge from the ship's expected location, having drifted northward rather than southward. Larsen, intrigued, decides to investigate, altering the Kerberos' course in hopes of discovering the Prometheus' fate.
Maura, determined to uncover the mystery surrounding the Prometheus, makes her way to Eyk's chambers. She inquiries about the strange coordinates, and he reveals that they are indeed in possession of them but are uncertain if they truly belong to the Prometheus. Given the passage of four months, it seems improbable that the crew could have survived, yet Larsen posits that they may have rationed their food, extending their chances of survival.
It was undeniably apparent that Maura held a secret connection with someone aboard the ship, yet she remained silent, allowing the Captain ample opportunity to announce his intention of revealing the vessel's current predicament to the crew. Recalling the letter in Maura's possession, Larsen also possessed a hastily scribbled message on its reverse, reading, "What was lost will be found." The passengers' dissatisfaction was palpable as they realized the ship had deviated from its intended course, challenging the captain's decision, emphasizing that they had paid handsomely for a direct seven-day journey to New York, without any detours. Yet, Eyk remained silent, turning his back and walking away.
Meanwhile, Jerome and Olek descended into the ship's depths, laboring to shovel coal into the fires, steering the vessel towards what they assumed was the Prometheus. On the decks above, Maura declined dinner and found herself engrossed in conversation with Larsen, who was captivated by her medical background. Maura retorted sharply, highlighting that he himself harbored numerous secrets.
Their conversation was abruptly interrupted by the sight of a ship looming on the horizon. As they drew closer, a red flare was discharged, signaling that the vessel appeared abandoned. The officers, including the first mate, advocated notifying the Company first, but the Captain had other plans. He insisted on lowering a lifeboat and investigating the situation himself, leaving those behind to inform headquarters.
In the first-class cabins, a passenger resembling Jamie Bell proposed bringing a priest like Father Ramiro to accompany them on the Prometheus. Eyk concurred, allowing the priest to join them despite his inability to speak English. Larsen believed he would be a great solace for the crew.
The tiny lifeboat appeared dwarfed by the Prometheus's gargantuan size. As they drew alongside the vessel, they ascended to the main deck, one by one. Someone must have sent the signal, but the ship seemed eerily devoid of life. Indeed, once inside, the signal ceased broadcasting.
Larsen stumbled upon a ribbon on the floor, arranged in an unusual pattern. But the strange occurrences did not end there. The telegraph machine was in ruins... yet somehow, a signal was still emitted. The answer perhaps lay in the figure soaked and emerging from the water, seemingly stalking the others on the Kerberos.
Back on the Prometheus, our group entered the dining room, encountering a mysterious cupboard barred shut with a pipe. Ominous banging resonated from the other side, but when Maura unlocked it, they discovered a small boy seated within. He silently emerged and stood alongside them, clutching a black pyramid-shaped device, which he handed to Maura.
Meanwhile, this stranger—a reflection of the child on the Prometheus in older years—arrived dripping wet, utilizing a strange green bug to slip beneath the door of Room 1013, situated two doors down from Maura's cabin, and unlock it. As the man entered the room, the episode drew to a close, leaving us with a myriad of questions, unanswered.
