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STEALTH
MODE - S.8
<<<<
SCENE
7 - RADIATION ALERT
HIGH
SPEED NORTH ATLANTIC CHASE TO WARN EXTREMISTS OF DANGER
INT. ELIZABETH SWANN - BRIDGE - NIGHT
The ELIZABETH SWANN screams across the North Atlantic, her foils knifing through the chop. Wind SHRIEKS past the hull, carbon-foils SINGING with strain.
HAL (A.I.) pushes every system past redline.
HAL
Skipper, we exceeded safe hull velocity five kilometers ago. I feel obliged to suggest... restraint.
JOHN STORM (40s) grips the railing, his knuckles white as another wave slams beneath them.
JOHN
Thanks, Hal. But restraint gets people killed. We’re not chasing a
submarine—we’re chasing a meltdown.
DAN HAWK (20s), hands twitching on the speed governor, glances at CLEOPATRA
(Ageless).
DAN
We’re risking the Swann. One wrong angle at these speeds and we’re flying like confetti.
Cleopatra’s eyes remain locked on the radar sweep, grim.
CLEOPATRA
And if we don’t warn them, they’ll be ghosts before sunrise.
The Swann bucks over a crest, holding just over 45 knots. Hydrogen converters SCREAM.
Methanol tanks drain under the load. Below, the ocean is a blur.
HAL
Sub still submerged. Twenty-seven knots. Rising to thirty as they leave the
Bay
of Biscay.
DAN
Not bad for a steel tube full of secrets.
JOHN
She’s a hunter-killer, Dan. But at this speed—so are we.
They all feel it—like flying a thunderbolt.
Suddenly, Hal's tone shifts, cutting through the strained hum of the bridge.
HAL
Captain. Incoming transmission. Caller ID: Wallace. Credentials suggest Ministry of Defence clearance. Embedded at BAE Systems.
John arches a brow, a flicker of surprise.
JOHN
Wallace? Never heard of him.
DAN
(Already pulling up a feed)
On screen?
JOHN
No. Audio only. Let’s hear his voice first.
John taps the comm.
JOHN
Storm here. I’m mid-crisis, Mr. Wallace. Make this count.
A nervous voice filters through, crackling with static.
WALLACE (O.S.)
Mr. Storm—Commander, is it?
JOHN
Not anymore.
WALLACE (O.S.)
Right. May I speak confidentially?
JOHN
You can speak honestly. That’ll do just fine.
Dan motions silently to Hal. A beat later, Hal’s voice whispers over the cabin speakers.
HAL
Confirmed. Wallace. Quality Control, Submarine Division. Verified clearance. Whistleblower marker. He’s legit. Keep him talking.
JOHN
(Into comm)
Okay, Mr. Wallace. Go on.
WALLACE (O.S.)
I believe you’re tracking HMS
Neptune. Picked up the plume, didn’t you? Radiation?
John doesn’t answer, his face a mask. Wallace continues, urgency in his voice.
WALLACE (O.S.)
I’m telling you this because you need to hear it from someone inside. The Neptune's reactor isn’t just damaged. It was flawed from the moment it left dry dock.
Welds skipped. Bolts glued to meet inspection deadlines. Procurement fraud, John. Not just carelessness—cover-up.
John’s fists curl, white-knuckled, around the console lip.
JOHN
We suspected. But you’re the first to name it.
WALLACE (O.S.)
I have files. Recordings. Memos. The MOD has been lying for years—suppressing incident data from reactor trials. And now you’re chasing a leak they’re praying nobody sees.
JOHN
Are you protected? As a whistleblower?
WALLACE (O.S.)
I filed under the Defence Integrity Act. I’ve got a shield—for now. But I’m calling with a favor, John.
Dan raises his eyebrows, surprised. Hal’s voice, a dry aside.
HAL
A favor... now there’s a novelty.
JOHN
(Into comm)
Speak.
WALLACE (O.S.)
Don’t destroy Neptune. Don’t let anyone else do it, either. It’s evidence. A floating crime scene.
JOHN
I don’t intend to harm anyone, Wallace. Never did.
WALLACE (O.S.)
But the MOD—if they catch it first, they’ll sink it. Erase the paper trail. I need you to make sure that doesn’t happen. The truth’s on that ship.
HAL
(Muttering)
Truth in a tin can.
Suddenly, an ALARM CHIRPS – sharp, insistent.
HAL
Captain. Neptune is surfacing—position grid fifteen degrees west, closing distance.
Dan spins to the radar, eyes wide.
DAN
We’ve got a breach—visual confirmed!
JOHN
(Flipping off the comm)
Copy that. Wallace, we’ve got eyes. We’ll talk again—if we live through this.
WALLACE (O.S.)
Godspeed, Storm. And… thank you.
John ends the call. He turns to Hal.
JOHN
Hal—precautionary stealth mode. Prep acoustic channel. We need to hail them before someone makes a fatal decision.
HAL
Compliance.
EXT. NORTH ATLANTIC - CONTINUOUS
The sea BOILS as the black dorsal fin of HMS NEPTUNE breaks through the swell.
INT. ELIZABETH SWANN - BRIDGE - CONTINUOUS
HAL
This is the Elizabeth Swann on a peace mission, calling HMS Neptune. Come in, Neptune.
Dan looks at John.
DAN
Why bother with stealth, Skipper? They know where we are from our radio.
John ignores him, his focus entirely on the looming confrontation. He takes the mic.
JOHN
This is the Elizabeth
Swann, calling HMS Neptune! We have detected a radiation leak aboard your
Submarine! Come in, Neptune!
INT. HMS NEPTUNE - COMMAND DECK - CONTINUOUS
REDAN SIMDO (30s) and BO DALLAS (20s) hear the transmission. Their faces are grim, wary.
REDAN
Max, Bo, what do you think?
BO DALLAS
There’s a ship behind us, invisible to radar, but it's there on the sonar. Could be a trap, Red.
REDAN
Agreed. Let's not take any chances. What is this ship, the Elizabeth
Swann, anyway?
ZERA MASKEN (20s)
(Interjecting, a spark of recognition)
Actually, I’ve heard of John Storm. He's the one who bungee jumped the
Shard in London to unveil a banner. I think it read "CLEANER OCEANS FOR A GREENER PLANET," or something like that.
MAX MOHUNE (20s)
Really, Zera? What a nutter!
ZINZI
We're
the nutters!
They all laugh, a brief, tense release.
REDAN
(His voice hardening again, the laughter gone)
We’ll not take any chances.
The location chase has ended. But the real confrontation—and the countdown to truth—has just begun.
SCENE
9 - CHANGE OF COURSE >>>>
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.
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