Episode 4 of 1899 commences with a stark shift in focus, centering on the honorable Jerome. War is a sordid spectacle, and Jerome, unwilling to sully his name, stands firm. Curiously, he finds himself alongside Lucien, a man who has no qualms about his own questionable conduct. Lucien desires to disguise himself as a soldier and escape the grim reality.
However, Jerome's reverie is abruptly shattered by Maura's familiar call to "wake up", prompting Franz to liberate him from the confines of the brig and thrust him into the midst of the tumultuous mob. Eyk remains imprisoned, his cries for mercy and reason drowned out by the deafening cacophony. Both Jerome and Olek are compelled to discard the decomposing bodies, which accumulate like mountains on the deck, overboard into the sea.
Meanwhile, aboard the ship, mysteries abound. It transpires that the bow now faces West, a reversal from its previous eastward direction, and the vessel has inexplicably reverted to its position three days prior to the course change. Their destination lies to the West, so Franz dismisses the anomaly and resolves to press forward.
Rumors spread of a mysterious young boy who has been brought on board, as the officers, held at gunpoint by the Third Class passengers, spill the beans. They also reveal that the ship's Company had issued a directive to sink the vessel. Consequently, the mob turns its attention to this enigmatic child, seeking to rationalize why so many lives are being sacrificed.
Lucien confesses to Clemence that his days are numbered, but he refrained from informing her as their arranged marriage is a mere business transaction devoid of genuine affection. While Clemence is bewildered, Maura is equally shocked to find herself subject to a search when the mob descends upon her cabin door, desperate to uncover the boy. Upon opening it, they find... an empty room. Consequently, the mob turns its scrutiny to the rest of the ship, determined to uncover the child.
Elsewhere, Daniel continues to operate in the shadows, meddling with the breaker box once again, causing sparks to fly. Remember his bizarre green bug? It transpires that the boy is actually in possession of it, and he remains concealed within Maura's cabin. Despite the door being locked from the outside, he manages to unlock it in a similar fashion to how we witnessed Daniel accomplish it before, sliding it beneath the wooden threshold. The pair hurries down the hallway, escaping the mob's grasp.
Back on deck, Jerome eludes his captors and makes his way to Clemence's cabin, where he hides until the guards have dispersed. She allows him to remain until she is no longer being pursued, but Jerome is resolute. He intends to liberate the captain, and Clemence vows to assist him in this endeavor.
The situation unfolded as the Captain and the Priest, freed from their bonds by a stroke of genius, had slipped through the vents and escaped. Joined by Jerome and Clemence, they devised a daring plan to abandon the ship and leap onto the Prometheus, intent on broadcasting a distress call. Yet, as they prepared to descend, the boy, Maura, and an angry mob suddenly appeared, guns drawn and tensions mounting. The boy complied willingly, but trouble loomed. Jerome, stepping forward, was struck by a bullet, his sacrifice triggering flashbacks of the tumultuous past between him and Lucien.
It was revealed that Jerome's refusal to cooperate had led Lucien to knock him out, imprison him in a cage, and then disguise himself as a soldier, abandoning Jerome to his fate. Lucien's plan was to inform the nearest military outpost of Jerome's desertion, ensuring his friend's imprisonment and eventual enslavement on the Kerberos.
Awakened from his nightmare, Jerome staggered to the Third Class, determined to face death on the ship and rally its inhabitants to fight for their freedom. This rallying cry ignited a violent struggle on the deck, particularly when someone suggested throwing the boy overboard. Tragically, it was Krester's mother who grasped the child and cast him into the abyss.
The plan disarrayed, Eyk's gang descended to regroup. In the midst of this turmoil, Maura reflected on the child's fate, how he had accepted it without a fight. Her reverie was interrupted by Eyk, who grilled her about the Prometheus's passenger list, searching for hidden truths and motives.
Just then, the child reappeared, emerging from a cabinet beneath the bar, clutching a strange pyramid. Silently, he walked toward Maura and embraced her, a shocking moment that silenced all the passengers, leaving them stunned and bewildered.
