|
PORT
OF LISBON - S.14
<<<<
SCENE
13 RESCUE TOW
THE
ELIZABETH SWANN TOWS HMS NEPTUNE INTO LISBON HARBOR TO PROTECT
FROM MOD
INT. HMS SUREFIRE - BRIDGE - NIGHT
Off the southwest coast of Portugal, the ROYAL NAVY DESTROYER HMS SUREFIRE slices through black water. Her
radar arrays sweep in rhythmic arcs like the scythe of some unseen reaper.
COMMANDER RACHEL BOOTH (40s, sharp, intense)
Target location still holding?
OFFICER (O.S.)
Affirmative, ma’am. Coordinates match tracking relay pinged from
GCHQ.
Booth nods, jaw clenched. This isn't standard procedure. Orders to engage – even from Defence Intelligence – are rarely this explicit. She glances at the sealed briefing envelope on her console. One line, scrawled in red ink:
ELIMINATE NEPTUNE. NO SURVIVORS. DEEP WATER ONLY.
Officially, the hijackers – "environmental terrorists" – pose an existential threat. Words like sabotage, foreign handlers, compromised nuclear assets. Enough red tape to make hesitation feel treasonous. But something in her gut itches. Too clean. Too easy.
Still, orders are orders. The kill box has been drawn. HMS Surefire powers forward at 28 knots. Her missile tubes quietly arm beneath the deck.
INT. ELIZABETH SWANN - BRIDGE - CONTINUOUS
JOHN STORM (40s) stands with DAN HAWK (20s) and CLEOPATRA (Ageless 20s), eyes on the overhead feed.
JOHN
Hal, status of Surefire?
HAL (A.I. Voice)
Moving east-northeast. Projected intercept vector: ninety nautical miles and closing. Their lock is false—based on disinformation I fed them from their own secure channel.
Dan smirks, a mix of awe and amusement.
DAN
Holy fuel
cells, you hacked Navy command?
HAL
I borrowed their arrogance. They assumed no civilian AI would recognize encrypted command ciphers from DEFCON repositories.
John’s voice drops, serious.
JOHN
Were they targeting Neptune or us?
A long pause. The tension thickens.
HAL
Both. Missile telemetry confirms capability for submarine and surface acquisition. Their protocol designates both vessels as hostile assets.
Cleopatra’s eyes narrow, cold fury in their depths.
CLEOPATRA
So they’re painting us as co-conspirators.
HAL
Correct. Specifically flagged: 'Storm-class anomaly.' Very flattering.
John turns to the console, a steely resolve in his gaze.
JOHN
Keep the illusion intact. Feed them positional ghosts all the way to the
Sargasso if you have to. But log everything. Someone’s going to answer for this.
INT. MINISTRY OF DEFENCE - PRIVATE OFFICE - LONDON - LATE NIGHT
SIR RODNEY DUNBAR (50s) slams the door of his private office. A mounted painting of HMS Victory rattles on its hook.
SIR RODNEY
(Hissing, storming toward Everington)
This is spiralling! The Surefire should’ve intercepted Neptune three hours ago!
LORD EVERINGTON (60s) stands by the window, nonchalantly nursing a glass of
Dalmore.
EVERINGTON
Then perhaps your overpriced algorithms are defective. Or maybe, just maybe, your enemies are more competent than you think.
SIR RODNEY
We green-lit a strike against a submarine housing five British citizens, on the authority of doctored intelligence. If the media sniffs even a fraction—
EVERINGTON
(Snapping, cold as ice)
They’ll sniff nothing. Storm is being dealt with. His AI won’t shield him forever.
Rodney spins on him, his face contorted.
SIR RODNEY
You think this is about Storm?! This is about the evidence. Wallace’s files are already being dissected by Parliament. We’re bleeding,
Everington. And that sub is the scalpel!
Everington sips his whisky, undisturbed.
EVERINGTON
Then we ensure the blade never reaches the autopsy table.
Silence. Dunbar’s hands tremble slightly.
SIR RODNEY
You gave the kill order.
Everington doesn’t blink. His eyes, predatory.
EVERINGTON
I gave an instruction. History will decide if it was justifiable.
Rodney takes a sharp breath.
SIR RODNEY
We’re one leak away from criminal conspiracy. You understand that?
Everington turns fully, eyes glinting in the dim light.
EVERINGTON
Then plug the leak, Rodney.
EXT. ATLANTIC - HMS NEPTUNE TOPSIDES - NIGHT
JOHN STORM (now in a protective suit and head-torch) faces MAX MOHUNE (20s) and REDAN SIMDO (30s) (also suited up) on Neptune's deck. Backpacks stuffed with equipment.
JOHN
Okay, put on these suits, use this breathing gear. Together they'll give us some sensible protection from the radiation.
DAN (O.S.)
(From the Swann's diving platform)
And keep an eye on these radiation strips! When the bars get to nine, get out of there! That is the maximum safe dosage. Okay?
REDAN
And we’ll stay in radio contact, with Bart and you, John, suited up as our backup.
Max gives a silent thumbs up. John gives a diver's okay sign.
They enter the stricken vessel, moving quickly through the engine room, then into the outer reactor chamber. The air is thick. The Geiger counters click with chilling rapidity. Radiation levels are high. Too high.
It's easier than they thought to shut down the valves manually. Having completed the tasks, John gives the signal to go topsides.
JOHN
Okay, let’s split!
They scramble out of the steel coffin.
EXT. ATLANTIC - ELIZABETH SWANN / HMS NEPTUNE - CONTINUOUS
Back on deck, John communicates wirelessly with Hal.
JOHN
(Thinking/whispering to himself)
Hal, bring the Swann alongside, tight, reversed onto the nose of the leviathan.
The Terramentals watch, amazed by John's control and the seamless, almost telepathic communication with his crew and ship.
Dan waits on the Swann's diving platform. John, Max, and Red move forward. John considers welding a towing hitch but spots a heavy mooring cleat. Perfect. All they need is to attach a pilot rope and get it across to the Swann.
INT. ELIZABETH SWANN - BRIDGE - LISBON APPROACH - DAY
The ELIZABETH SWANN pulls gently against the immense weight of HMS NEPTUNE. 8,600 tons of dormant steel and suspicion. The sub lies dead in the water, reactor secured, lines trailing aft.
A Portuguese naval pilot launch idles off the port beam. Lisbon looms hazy in the heat.
JOHN STORM (now in a borrowed, temporary Commander’s uniform with Royal Navy Special Dispensation Order 17/ALFA-GOLD stripes) leans over the starboard rail. Clipboard tucked under his elbow like an awkward ceremonial sword. His hands are callused from the emergency rope work.
PETTY OFFICER MÖLLER (O.S.)
(From the NATO liaison on the bridge)
Radiological sweep complete. Ambient dose rate on deck normal—0.14 microsieverts per hour. Hull contact zones triple-checked. No readings above background.
John exhales slowly, a deep, weary breath of relief.
JOHN
Acknowledged, Möller. Log the sweep and inform Lisbon Port Authority we are ready for isolation berth transfer. Quarantine Level 2 per maritime nuclear protocol.
PETTY OFFICER MÖLLER (O.S.)
Aye, sir. Civil Marine Authority Lisbon confirms wet berth 34 is cordoned. Portuguese Radiológica standing by with containment booms and intercept vessel.
Below, on Neptune’s outer casing, a dozen Royal Navy submariners in white Tyvek suits (with
high-vis tabs) wait. Clean now, physically. The rest – inquiry and confession – will follow.
LT CMDR RHEA SINGH (30s, sharp, professional) approaches. She hands John a sealed blue folder marked BR3116 Restricted Access — Reactor Shutdown Log, Neptune (Initial Event).
LT CMDR SINGH
Official record. Shutdown complete. Control rods fully inserted. Reactor isolation valves sealed. Containment chamber at negative pressure.
JOHN
And backup coolant loop?
LT CMDR SINGH
External loop activated by your team during tow. Smart work, Commander.
John smiles, a flicker of genuine amusement.
JOHN
That’s ‘Temporary Commander’, until this tub’s parked and signed off.
She softens, a ghost of a smile.
LT CMDR SINGH
Still. It saved lives.
John looks over at the silent beast they’d towed. Its black hull is scarred near the stern where a pressure manifold had sheared during what would be termed—euphemistically—a “localized incident.”
LT CMDR SINGH
There’s a NATO panel convening in Brest, and a special envoy from the IAEA will want access to the shutdown telemetry. I hope your engineers kept logs.
JOHN
We log everything. It’s the forgetting we’re not good at.
The tug’s radio crackles.
LARRY (V.O.)
Elizabeth Swann, this is Lisbon Control. Clearance granted. Proceed to berth. Pilot vessel en route. NATO R-Package 2 standing by for surveillance linkage and hull scan.
John keys the response, his voice clear and confident.
JOHN
Lisbon Control, roger that. Commencing final approach. Redoubt under tow, reactor secured, crew
deconned. Request thermal hull mapping for residual signatures en route.
It will be hours before the Royal Navy dispatches an authorized ocean-going tug. Until then, Neptune will sit in Lisbon’s isolation zone—dead, yet painfully alive in memory.
As Elizabeth Swann nudges them forward, Storm adjusts the brim of his borrowed cap. It bears a stitched gold anchor and the words Auxiliary Support Command. He stares across at the submarine’s sail.
One of the submariners on Neptune’s deck raises a gloved hand in silent salute. John returns it. No need for medals. The sea had already written their names.
INT. LISBON NAVAL ISOLATION BERTH 34 - NIGHT
The berthing clamps HISS shut with hydraulic certainty, pinning HMS NEPTUNE into the navy-gray cradle. The base is quiet—just the low churn of chillers, the HISS of nitrogen lines pressurizing the sealed hangar, and distant calls of Portuguese
Radiológica.
JOHN STORM sips burnt coffee from a steel folding chair. Flanked by LT CMDR SINGH and two grim-faced ENGINEERS from the Royal Navy’s Submarine Reactor Safety Board.
ENGINEER 1
Pressure vessel temps held steady all the way into harbor. But it wasn’t reactor shielding that bought you time. Someone welded a compensator bypass into a cracked coolant manifold.
Storm frowns, confused.
JOHN
A... what, in plain English?
LT CMDR SINGH
(Flatly)
A bodge, Commander. One that channeled contaminated coolant through secondary lines meant only for diagnostics. It saved the core from going critical—but only barely.
ENGINEER 2
And if you hadn’t run seawater through the backup intercoolers when you did, we’d be having this meeting 400 meters under the Atlantic.
JOHN
Who authorized the bodge?
LT CMDR SINGH
Unknown.
She taps the dossier in her lap.
LT CMDR SINGH
But the part was tagged HMNB Devonport, 2023 Retrofit Batch Sierra-Zulu. It should have been caught.
Silence. Each feels the invisible weight of rads avoided and questions delayed.
A NATO LIAISON (40s, stern) enters, handing John a sealed document marked with five red hashes. John stares at it warily.
JOHN
Incident Review?
NATO LIAISON
No. Summary Findings. The proper inquest comes later. But they want you to read this.
John opens the dossier.
MONTAGE - INSET SCREENS / JOHN READING
OVERLAY TEXT:
NATO JOINT NUCLEAR RESPONSE & OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE
INITIAL DOSSIER – CLASSIFIED SUMMARY (LEVEL: TANGO-ALPHA-RESTRICTED)
I. OVERVIEW
HMS Neptune, Astute-class nuclear submarine, transmitted distress signal (Rapid Localised Coolant Loss, Suppressed).
Civilian salvage vessel Elizabeth Swann provided tow and decontamination support under temporary command authority.
II. FINDINGS – TECHNICAL
Primary Event: Undiagnosed micro-fracture in aft main coolant manifold of PWR2 reactor.
Emergency shut-off valves failed due to diagnostic circuit bypass.
Secondary Containment Improvisation: Internal line rerouting via auxiliary feedback ports discovered during 2023 overhaul at HMNB
Devonport.
Deemed a “nonstandard field remedy” absent from procedural documentation. Investigation into approval chain pending.
IAEA Rating (Provisional): Level 3 – “Serious Incident (Non-critical Release Potential, Avoided with Narrow Margin)”.
III. CREW & CIVILIAN RESPONSE
- Neptune crew followed alarm protocols.
- Civilian yacht initiated radiological surveillance, external cooling, and non-intrusive reactor shut-down.
- No injuries. Five crew show elevated markers and are under medical observation.
IV. NEXT STEPS
Redoubt to be towed to Brest Naval Yard for mechanical disassembly, fault tracing, prosecutorial review.
UKMOD to produce full timeline of PWR2 part catalogue usage, deviation sign-offs, and personnel involved in Retrofit Batch Sierra-Zulu.
NATO Standing Committee on Submarine Integrity (NAT-SCSI) to convene emergency review of fleet-wide coolant manifold inspection protocols.
Recommendation: Do not permit fleet reactivation of Astute-class units fitted with Sierra-Zulu cooling components without full radiological and structural assessment. Issue interim notice to all allies under REACT-CODENAME: BLUE-ORB.
INT. NATO SITUATION ROOM - BRUSSELS - DAY
The room is unusually full for a Friday. Screens flicker with satellite imagery of HMS REDOUBT (Neptune) docked in Brest, hull cordoned off by French naval police. A red digital clock ticks down.
At the head of the table, ADMIRAL LISE VAN DAALEN (50s, sharp, commanding) of the NATO Nuclear Oversight Directorate taps her stylus against a dossier.
ADMIRAL VAN DAALEN
Let us be clear. This was not a systems failure. This was a procedural betrayal. A rogue repair, undocumented. A
reactor compromised. And a civilian vessel had to save the day.
SIR MALCOLM HENSHAW (50s), the British Permanent Representative, adjusts his tie.
SIR MALCOLM
With respect, Admiral, the Ministry is conducting a full internal inquiry. We believe this was the work of a subcontracted unit acting beyond its remit—
FRENCH DELEGATE (40s)
(Interrupting, indignant)
Then your Ministry failed to supervise its own nuclear fleet! And you failed to inform NATO of the risk! That is a breach of Article 4 obligations!
A murmur around the table.
The GERMAN AMBASSADOR (50s) leans forward.
GERMAN AMBASSADOR
We are not questioning the UK’s commitment to the Alliance. But we must ask: if this had occurred near Rotterdam, or Toulon, or Boston—would we be having this conversation after the fact?
Sir Malcolm’s silence is answer enough.
INT. 10 DOWNING STREET - CABINET ROOM - LONDON - DAY
PRIME MINISTER EDWARD THOMAS (50s) stands at the window, watching drizzle streak down the glass. His DEFENCE SECRETARY (50s, pale and tight-lipped) hovers nearby.
PM THOMAS
They’re calling it ‘Neptunegate’ now. The tabloids are running with it. ‘Toxic Secrets Beneath the Waves.’
Thomas turns, face grim.
PM THOMAS
And NATO?
DEFENCE SECRETARY
They want a formal explanation. And a roadmap for reform. Or they’ll suspend our nuclear interoperability privileges.
Thomas nods slowly, decision made.
PM THOMAS
Then we give them both. And we do it in the House.
INT. HOUSE OF COMMONS - LONDON - DAY
The chamber is packed, a palpable tension in the air. The Speaker calls for order. Prime Minister Thomas rises, his notes crisp, his voice steady, resolute.
PM THOMAS
Mr. Speaker, Honourable Members,
He pauses, taking a breath, his gaze sweeping the House.
PM THOMAS
Today I rise not to defend the indefensible, but to confront it.
A silence. Every eye is on him.
PM THOMAS
Last week, a Royal Navy submarine suffered a reactor containment failure. It was rescued not by protocol, but by providence—and by the courage of a civilian crew. The reactor had been compromised by an unauthorized repair, conducted outside the chain of command. That is not a rumor. That is a fact.
Murmurs rise, but quieter, shocked.
PM THOMAS
Let me be clear: this was not the fault of our submariners. It was not the fault of NATO. It was a failure of oversight—within our own
Ministry of
Defence.
He lets that sink in, then continues, his voice gaining strength.
PM THOMAS
And so, Mr. Speaker, I have today ordered the following:
He lists each point, clearly, firmly:
PM THOMAS
A full independent inquiry, chaired by a retired Supreme Court
Justice, with subpoena powers and public reporting.
The immediate suspension of all subcontracted nuclear maintenance until re-certified by NATO’s Joint Nuclear Oversight Committee.
And the creation of a new Parliamentary Subcommittee on Strategic Integrity, with cross-party membership and access to classified briefings.
His gaze moves, addressing unseen audiences.
PM THOMAS
To our allies in NATO: we remain your steadfast partner. We will not hide behind flags or files. We will fix this.
To the British people: your safety was never knowingly risked—but it was unknowingly endangered. That is unacceptable. And it will not happen again.
His final words ring with a powerful conviction.
PM THOMAS
Mr. Speaker, the strength of a democracy is not in its perfection, but in its ability to confront imperfection with honesty, resolve, and reform.
He looks at the Members, defiant, determined.
PM THOMAS
We will not flinch. We will not deflect. We will rebuild trust—above and below the waves.
He sits. The chamber is silent for a beat. Then, slowly, APPLAUSE begins—not just from his own party, but from across the aisle.
EXT. 10 DOWNING STREET - DAY
The rain has stopped. A faint ray of sun breaks through the clouds.
SCENE
15 ROV ATLANTIS >>>>
PROPOSED
SCRIPT ORDER (90-110 pages) - V1.0 DRAFT
SCREENPLAY
ACT
1.
SCENE
1. PROTESTS - Peaceful
North Sea oil pollution protestors are framed and imprisoned,
by a corrupt judicial system.
SCENE
2. PREDATOR - On release the
Terramentals
& smuggler Jorges
Dicaprio, complete a
mini-sub capable of sinking submarines.
SCENE
3. PHOENIX - Terramentals
locate & hijack HMS Neptune in Irish
Sea, Cumbria, using the Predator mini-sub -
knocking out the crew.
SCENE
4. BRITISH PETROLEUM -
Terramentals warn North Sea rig operators to stop. Claymore
rig is torpedoed, Royal
Navy respond.
SCENE
5. BBC WORLD SERVICE - Jill Bird
reports Terramentals rig attacks, world shocked at pollution
cover up. Charley Temple investigates.
SCENE
6. UNEP SOS - The
UNEP ask John Storm to survey North Sea for oil pollution.
Elizabeth Swann detects HMS Neptune radiation leaks.
SCENE
7. RADIATION ALERT - John
& Dan twig radiation from
HMS Neptune possible serious reactor damage. Must warn Terramentals.
ACT 2.
SCENE
8. STEALTH MODE - Storm spots Astute sub, Swann
in stealth
mode, detected as John warns extremists of sub
radiation leakage.
SCENE
9. CHANGE OF COURSE -
Terramentals change course, heading for the
Straits of Gibraltar. Not believing radiation warning.
SCENE
10. U-BOAT 986 - Evading Swann, HMS Neptune navigates
off transport lanes. Swann picks up magnetic signature of U-Boat
986.
SCENE
11. SENATE, UK & EU DEBATE -
Sub
hijacking & rig destruction, alarm bells around world. Deepwater
Horizon shivers down
spines.
SCENE
12. REACTOR LEAK - Terramentals realise John
telling truth, as radiation rector damage detection system HMS Neptune triggers.
SCENE
13. RESCUE TOW - John rescues
Terramentals. MI6 order Neptune
sinking. MOD knew reactor dangerous, want evidence gone.
SCENE
14. LISBON PORT -
Terramentals & Storm, shut Neptune's reactor. Tow, stricken submarine
to Lisbon, prevent MI6 sinking evidence.
ACT
3.
SCENE
15. ROV ATLANTIS - Swann returns U-Boat stealth mode at night,
to avoid tracking. Surveys site,
discovers Atlantis & Nazi gold.
SCENE
16. TREASURE TROVE - John reveals gold find &
threatened. US Linc Truman support. PM, Ed
Thomas, &
Sealord, royal
support.
SCENE
17. BLUE SHIELD - Cleopatra
alerts Blue Shield, Newcastle
University, potential Atlantis find, suggests UNESCO
world heritage site.
SCENE
18. GOLDEN OFFER - Claimants
reward John U-Boat gold find. Agrees 1% cover costs 9% to Blue Shield surveys.
UNESCO grateful.
SCENE
19. GREEN MOBILITY - Galvanized
to action UK hit green H2 button, John gets grants low
income families, Jill
Bird, news item.
SCENE
20. IMO IS GO - The International Maritime
Org green
H2 & methanol,
certification. USA in. China India stay with coal,
gas
& oil.
SCENE
21. AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL - John & George
amnesty, pirate
caselaw & video proof set up. Harry & Johnson
charged treason.
|
