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IMO
IS GO - CH.20
Atlantis has been the subject of countless
films, as has Nazi gold and oil polluting our oceans,
but never have all these elements come together under one roof
as a submarine
movie.
Aiming
for a screenplay 90-110 pages max.
<<<<
SCENE
19 - GREEN MOBILITY
THE
IMO CERTIFIES GREEN HYDROGEN AND METHANOL BUNKERING FOR PORTS
THE
GREEN CRUCIBLE
The agonizing crawl of policy change, a glacial movement often stalled by electoral tides and the bewildered inertia of new administrations, was a frustration John Storm understood intimately. Yet, his recent, high-speed escapades across the North Sea, the Elizabeth Swann a blur of innovation, had not gone unnoticed. Her performance was a stark, undeniable echo of the Turbinia’s revolutionary dash at Queen Victoria's Spithead Naval Review – impossible to ignore. Such undeniable prowess, he knew, could accelerate the dialogue far more effectively than any dry legislative debate.
IMO CHARTS A NEW COURSE
Under the astute guidance of Kitack Lim, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) had, to its credit, laid out a phased transition towards 100% zero-emission shipping. The target, a distant beacon in the year 2100, felt more aspirational than actionable to many. Most stakeholders, from the historically reserved and risk-averse fleet operators to the cautious port authorities, were content to sit on the fence, eyeing the nascent technologies with trepidation. Many had already been financially burned by the ill-fated, costly transition to Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG), a lesson in caution that resonated deeply across the industry. And frankly, who could blame them for their circumspection?
Yet, the tide was turning. Emboldened by new data and the sheer audacity of certain individuals, the IMO finally took the plunge. Green hydrogen and green methanol were officially certified for use in ships and ports, albeit initially with temporary certificates. The USA, with a notable shift in its energy policy, joined the burgeoning H2 scrum. Across the globe, an economic reality was beginning to bite: China and India, clinging to their coal, gas, and oil dependency, found their exports increasingly uncompetitive. The world, it seemed, no longer wanted "dirty goods."
A HIGH-STAKES INTERROGATION
Deep in the sleek, silent control room of the Elizabeth Swann, a disembodied voice cut through the air.
“Antonio
Guterres, calling Elizabeth Swann. Come in, Elizabeth Swann.”
Hal, the ship’s AI, had been assigned the singular task of managing all communications – a digital gatekeeper of immense efficiency.
“Elizabeth Swann over. Hello to you, Mr. Guterres. Hal here, onboard AI. Would you like to speak with Captain Storm or leave a message?” Hal's voice was crisp, utterly devoid of human intonation, yet surprisingly clear.
Off-air, a whisper from Hal to John: “Looks like the UN’s big brass, John.”
“Thanks, Hal,” John murmured, adjusting his posture.
“Please, Hal. I’m on the line with Kitack
Lim, of the IMO. If we could have a word with Captain Storm.”
“John
Storm speaking, Secretaries. What can I do for our esteemed members of the UN?” John’s voice, though calm, held an undercurrent of impatience. He had little time for pleasantries.
“Thank you, Captain.”
“John, please,” Storm corrected smoothly, a subtle reminder of his civilian status.
“Thank you, John,” Guterres reiterated, adapting quickly. “John, firstly, we’d like to thank you for your generous contributions to
Blue Shield and marine
archaeology. But we’d really like to ask about the
Elizabeth
Swann’s propulsion system. If that’s okay with you.”
“Ask away,” John invited, a knowing glint in his eye. He had anticipated this.
“The performance of your ship has been noted with considerable interest by ourselves and, increasingly, by port operators across the globe. We just wanted to ask: how did you arrive at
methanol
as your fuel of choice?”
“Well, that’s not strictly accurate,” John mused, choosing his words carefully. “We, erm, my uncle, Professor Storm, didn’t strictly plumb for green methanol. He hedged his bets – as far as I can make out from his notes, that is.”
“Uh, huh. But you are using methanol, are you not?” Lim pressed, a hint of skepticism in his tone.
“Yes, green methanol. But the Swann is also equipped to switch between
ammonia
and compressed gas. She’s also solar assisted.” John’s answers were precise, technical, yet delivered with an air of casual confidence.
“And the Swann is electrically propelled?” Guterres queried, sounding genuinely intrigued.
“Spot on,” John confirmed, a flicker of pride in his voice. “We can run directly from our
solar arrays – three of them – to conserve hydrogen, making good headway in the region of ten knots. And, we can use any of the two forms of hydrogen compounds, and compressed gas, to make
electricity
via fuels
cells for extra performance – well over thirty knots on foils.”
“Incredible!” Lim exclaimed, the formal veneer cracking.
“That’s how I’d describe it, but it’s not my baby, not truly,” John admitted. “Dan, myself,
Patricia, and Hal, we’ve just put the concept to the test. It’s the life’s work of
Professor Douglas
Storm.”
“So you said,” Guterres acknowledged. “And might it be possible to speak with the Professor at some stage?”
John’s voice softened, a genuine pang of loss. “Not really, I’m afraid. Not unless you know a good spiritualist. He’s missing, presumed dead. A tragedy. I’d so love to pick my uncle’s brains. Even if via a séance ritual.” He tried to lighten the mood with a joke, though the underlying grief was clear.
“We’re truly sorry to hear that,” Lim responded, genuine sympathy in his voice. “Then, does that not make you the expert?”
“I’m joking as to ritual, of course. But I would dearly like closure,” John clarified, a wistful note entering his voice. “I
treasure those interchanges with him.”
“Understandable. Ah-hem.” Guterres cleared his throat, steering the conversation back. “And the technology?”
“I might know more than most. Hands-on, that is,” John stated simply, letting the implication land.
“Exactly,” Kitack Lim chimed in, seizing the opportunity. “That is what we hoped.”
Guterres continued, his voice more confident now. “We wonder if the system is scalable. What do you think,
Commander?”
“I think what Uncle Douglas thought. Or at least, what I think he thought,” John replied, a wry twist to his lips. “It is entirely fleet-friendly. What is not so fleet-welcoming, perhaps even a stumbling block, is the lack of infrastructure.”
“Precisely!” Lim enjoined again, and Antonio Guterres allowed himself a rare, wry grin.
“We need to be bold with certification. No offense, Mr. Lim,” John stated directly.
“Not at all, Commander,” Lim responded, appreciating the candor. “Your reputation precedes you.”
“Oh, you know about that,” John remarked, a hint of surprise in his voice.
“This is a privileged communication, Commander, as private as it gets,” Guterres assured him.
Hal’s voice cut in, clear and crisp: “The communication is encoded, Skip.”
“The handle is temporary,” John added, hinting at the potential for wider impact.
“A lever, Commander Storm?” Guterres probed, reading between the lines.
“Quite so,” John affirmed. “Diplomacy, in my experience, is often best supported by direct action.”
Guterres’s voice softened, a hint of admiration. “We enjoyed your
Shard
abseil, almost as much as when you and Ms
Hall saved Kulo-Luna, and then Mr. Razor won the lottery.”
John laughed, a hearty sound. “Ladbet. Now that was an adventure!” He remembered the bizarre spectacle of the
whaler
betting on the whale.
Lim
Kitack interjected, “That whale sank two ships. How might the IMO respond to that?”
“A mother, and then some,” John replied, a deep fondness in his voice. “But gentle and amusing when not threatened. You should meet her.”
“Perhaps she didn’t like diesel?” Guterres offered, a flicker of humor. “Who can blame her?”
Coming down to earth with a bump, John allowed himself a moment of reflection. “So, gentlemen, the immediate problem is logistics and the production capacity of green hydrogen. By all means, use the Swann as an example. She’s ready.”
Both Secretary-Generals seemed to practically leap in, their voices overlapping.
“Is there any chance of a demonstration?” Lim urged.
“Something conclusive?” Guterres pressed.
“Yes, yes!”
“To equal, or exceed, diesel performance?” Lim’s voice was filled with a desperate hope.
“Yes. Yes!” Guterres echoed.
“Will I have your backing?” John asked, his voice suddenly taut, the convivial atmosphere giving way to the sharp edge of negotiation.
A collective intake of breath.
“Ah. Erm. Ahhhh. Well, not exactly,” Lim hedged, the political reality crashing back.
“We are apolitical,” Antonio Guterres confirmed, his voice now flat, official.
“But then, at some stage, politicians will have to nail their colours to the mast, won’t they?” John challenged, his voice unyielding.
“Difficult, if we still want our jobs, Commander,” Lim admitted, a rueful honesty. “And if we lose those, pioneers like yourself could meet stiffer resistance from our replacements.”
“I see the problem, Mr. Secretaries,” John acknowledged, the understanding dawning. The UN advocates shook their heads, a silent admission of their constraints.
“How about a race?” John’s voice suddenly lifted, an upbeat change that immediately snagged their attention.
“Go on,” Kitack
Lim urged, leaning forward, sensing an intriguing proposition.
“There is a hydrogen race. Not a pack of boats competing all at once, like most yacht races.”
“Really?” Guterres breathed, genuinely surprised.
“It’s called the Jules
Verne Trophy. The JVH2. I was actually in a solar boat race when
Kulo-Luna
got into trouble.”
SCENE
21 - AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL >>>>
The International Maritime Organization follow suite, taking the plunge with green hydrogen and methanol, certifying these fuels for use in ships and ports, with temporary certificates. The USA joins in the H2 scrum. China and India become economically uncompetitive staying with coal, gas and oil. Their exports fall, where nobody wants dirty goods.
PROPOSED
STORY MAP BY CHAPTER (90-110 pages) - ORDER CAN BE CHANGED: DRAFT
SCREENPLAY
ACT
1.
CHAPTER
1. PROTESTS - Peaceful
North Sea oil pollution protestors are framed and imprisoned,
by a corrupt judicial system.
CHAPTER
2. PREDATOR - On release the
Terramentals
& smuggler Jorges
Dicaprio, complete a
mini-sub capable of sinking submarines.
CHAPTER
3. PHOENIX - Terramentals
locate & hijack HMS Neptune in Irish
Sea, Cumbria, using the Predator mini-sub -
knocking out the crew.
CHAPTER
4. BRITISH PETROLEUM -
Terramentals warn North Sea rig operators to stop. Claymore
rig is torpedoed, Royal
Navy respond.
CHAPTER
5. BBC WORLD SERVICE - Jill Bird
reports Terramentals rig attacks, world shocked at pollution
cover up. Charley Temple investigates.
CHAPTER
6. UNEP SOS - The
UNEP ask John Storm to survey North Sea for oil pollution.
Elizabeth Swann detects HMS Neptune radiation leaks.
CHAPTER
7. RADIATION ALERT - John
& Dan twig radiation from
HMS Neptune possible serious reactor damage. Must warn Terramentals.
ACT 2.
CHAPTER
8. STEALTH MODE - Storm spots Astute sub, Swann
in stealth
mode, detected as John warns extremists of sub
radiation leakage.
CHAPTER
9. CHANGE OF COURSE -
Terramentals change course, heading for the
Straits of Gibraltar. Not believing radiation warning.
CHAPTER
10. U-BOAT 986 - Evading Swann, HMS Neptune navigates
off transport lanes. Swann picks up magnetic signature of U-Boat
986.
CHAPTER
11. SENATE, UK & EU DEBATE -
Sub
hijacking & rig destruction, alarm bells around world. Deepwater
Horizon shivers down
spines.
CHAPTER
12. REACTOR LEAK - Terramentals realise John
telling truth, as radiation rector damage detection system HMS Neptune triggers.
CHAPTER
13. RESCUE TOW - John rescues
Terramentals. MI6 order Neptune
sinking. MOD knew reactor dangerous, want evidence gone.
CHAPTER
14. LISBON PORT -
Terramentals & Storm, shut Neptune's reactor. Tow, stricken submarine
to Lisbon, prevent MI6 sinking evidence.
ACT
3.
CHAPTER
15. ROV ATLANTIS - Swann returns U-Boat stealth mode at night,
to avoid tracking. Surveys site,
discovers Atlantis & Nazi gold.
CHAPTER
16. TREASURE TROVE - John reveals gold find &
threatened. US Linc Truman support. PM, Ed
Thomas, &
Sealord, royal
support.
CHAPTER
17. BLUE SHIELD - Cleopatra
alerts Blue Shield, Newcastle
University, potential Atlantis find, suggests UNESCO
world heritage site.
CHAPTER
18. GOLDEN OFFER - Claimants
reward John U-Boat gold find. Agrees 1% cover costs 9% to Blue Shield surveys.
UNESCO grateful.
CHAPTER
19. GREEN MOBILITY - Galvanized
to action UK hit green H2 button, John gets grants low
income families, Jill
Bird, news item.
CHAPTER
20. IMO IS GO - The International Maritime
Org green
H2 & methanol,
certification. USA in. China India stay with coal,
gas
& oil.
CHAPTER
21. AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL - John & George
amnesty, pirate
caselaw & video proof set up. Harry & Johnson
charged treason.
Disillusioned
eco activists are imprisoned by the British, for peacefully
protesting in London about unrealistically low fines for oil
spills in the North
Sea, demonstrating strictly in accordance with
their Article 9 and 10 Human Rights. They are targeted by fossil
fuel industry fraudsters, who bribe police officials and
court judges to secure a conviction, with the backing of
corrupt ministers of state who have undeclared personal
investments in
oil
drilling companies: Amoco, BP, Shell, Total. That sets in
motion a train of events, where, having been framed, the ever
more determined environmentalists build a mini-sub, fast
enough and especially equipped, to sink or capture Astute,
Aukus and US Seawolf class submarines. Having captured HMS Neptune, the Terramentals
torpedo a BP owned rig, also destroying two others (Shell),
with the looming threat to target all 150 plus, operating in
the North Sea. The oil producers are temporarily forced to
shut down production, as a result of the significant media
coverage and public outrage on realization of the pollution.
The UN asks John Storm to provide a geodata survey on the
environmental damage.
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