BBC WORLD NEWS SERVICE - T-ISLAND SCREENPLAY

Maties, please use our A-Z to navigate this site or return HOME me hearties.

UNESCO and Blue Shield work together to protect heritage sites from looters, under the tenets of the Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in Armed Conflict 1954.

<<< CHAPTER 7

"Good afternoon, this is the BBC world news service reporting, I'm Jill Bird live from London."

Jill Bird sat reading from prompts, with a scene of the City behind her.

"News has just come in that the intrepid explorer, John Storm, has found the long-lost remains of one of the most famous pirates ever to have sailed the Caribbean."

The scene switched to show Jamaica, and a space age ship, the Elizabeth Swann, with a number of inflatable boats with outboard engines, circling the sleek trimaran.

"Many viewers will know that Sir Henry Morgan's treasure was never found, leading to speculation as to the involvement of Blue Shield."

"We are now going live to Sam Hollis, our West Indies reporter, who is on the scene."

The scene switched to Sam Hollis, standing on the dockside, with John Storm and Dan Hawk, having come ashore to speak with locals.

"Mr Storm. Mr Storm?

Sam beckoned to the duo, inviting them to speak with him, wearing his best welcoming smile.

"I know you, don't I?" John thought for a moment. Then Dan chimed in.

"He's the reporter, chum of Charley. The chap who covered the Panamanian Running Man."

Sam repeated, "Mr Storm. John Storm. Mr Hawk. Could you spare us a moment."

"Sure. It's ?

"Sam Hollis. Live with the BBC World Service, and Jill Bird in London.

"Of course Sam, and Jill. The lady who bet on the $billion dollar whale." John and Dan had wide smiles at that blast from the past. 

"Our viewers wondered if you'd tell them a bit about your find? About the pirate Henry Morgan."

The cameras were rolling.

"Well yes. He was a privateer, working for King Charles the second, a form of legalised, or state sanctioned piracy. He became Governor of Jamaica, producing rum from his sugar plantation. And was buried in Palisadoes cemetery, and then the whole cemetery was swallowed by a tsunami in 1692, taking all of Old Port Royal. Never to be seen again."

"Well, not until earlier this week?" Said Sam, eager to hear more.

"No," said John. "There was a tremor, that worried Blue Shield. Since the underwater city is near to becoming a UNESCO world heritage site."

"Really? Even though it is underwater," Sam could not help himself.

Dan just had to say something: "That's the whole point. Look out there and you see nothing. But underneath the waves is a time capsule, waiting to be mapped."

Back in London, Jill Bird opened up: "Speaking of which. Can you hear me Mr Storm?"

John nodded into the camera. "Fire away Jill."

"Did you find any treasure or a map?"

"We used modern technology to survey the site before diving. I can tell you, and you can probably imagine, my hopes were high. Captain Morgan's casket was relatively unscathed. We think because it is made of Lignum Vitae. Ironwood. A very heavy local wood, and rather over the top perhaps; lined with lead. The Captain's skeleton is intact. Great news. No parchment or gold, though. A bit of a let down. But there are some markings that we have yet to properly consider, and may be of interest."

"That's a bit Dan Brown." Sam jumped in.

"I guess. But don't you think finding Sir Henry in good condition is staggering, after all this time? It's up to Blue Shield and the Jamaican nation, what happens to his remains. We just want to make sure the old sea dog is protected from looting."

"Is that a big deal in the Caribbean?"

"Just a little - yes Sam. Unfortunately, pleasure divers often don't report souvenir finds. So they are not logged."

John felt a little awkward inwardly, since he was keeping information to himself. But in a good cause. He would return the artifact on unofficial loan. Yes, revealing too much now would be sure to attract treasure hunters, corrupt officials, outlandish legal claims. The whole shooting match. His awkwardness evaporated. The markings had no meaning at the moment in any event.

"I'm afraid I have some quite important things to tend to. Good to speak Jill, and you too Sam. You have our contact details. Sam, if you want to come onboard later, you are most welcome. You too Jill."

Sam looked out to the Swann at anchor, thinking to himself, try and stop me. It was like asking a schoolboy if he'd like to sit in a space rocket. Jill Bird, could only dream. Stuck in a studio in London. Oh for some adventure. In her eyes John and his crew were the luckiest people in the world.

Henry Morgan as a young buccaneer, cutlass in hand.

THE PUZZLE OF THE LIGNUM VITAE CRYPT

John Storm had always been drawn to history’s whispered secrets, but nothing had prepared him for the day he discovered the ancient coffin. Crafted of resilient Lignum Vitae, renowned for its density and divine longevity, this coffin was unlike any other. It bore not just the silent weight of a life long past, but also an ingeniously concealed secret compartment. Storm’s heart beat faster as he recognized the relic for what it truly was—a repository of clues meticulously planted by Edward Teach, better known as Blackbeard.

"There's more to this," John thought to himself.

Storm’s training as an archaeologist and his passion for maritime mysteries converged in a single thought: Blackbeard’s connections ran deeper than the marauder of lore he appeared to be. It was long rumored that Blackbeard’s lineage was intertwined with prominent plantation-owning families in Jamaica, and his acquaintance with the island’s most trusted craftsmen was no secret. The very coffin before him bore the hallmarks of a master artisan—one who, it was whispered, had worked exclusively for those with means and secrets worth protecting. It soon became clear: Blackbeard had ensured that his most damning and valuable treasure—the precise coordinates of Henry Morgan’s long-lost treasure ship—would be locked away in a manner that no enemy, however ruthless, could force him to divulge under torture.

As Storm carefully examined the intricate carvings along the edge of the compartment, his mind recalled a key historical nuance: the practice of embedding vital details within everyday objects to avoid detection by adversaries. In this case, the coffin’s maker, a renowned craftsman of the era, had fashioned an inconspicuous groove in the wood—an engraving only visible in the right light and angle—that alluded to a coordinate system. Each etched line seemed to map out a portion of the secret; Blackbeard has cleverly hidden the trail in plain sight. Yet, amidst the well-planned clues, one detail was conspicuously absent: the name and exact location of the island itself.

His deductions did not end there. Storm revisited accounts of the catastrophic tsunami that had, by cruel twist of fate, swallowed the mausoleum of a notorious privateer. It was no random act of nature, he speculated, but rather a final, unforeseen measure that had sealed Blackbeard’s secret in the annals of time. The watery grave had not only erased his resting place from conventional records but had inadvertently protected the remaining, fragile hints that linked the treasure ship’s fate to the island’s hidden coordinates.

As John Storm pieced together the fragments of historical testimony, personal correspondence, and the tactile evidence of the coffin’s wood grain, a pattern emerged. Blackbeard’s family ties, the discreet confidences shared with the island’s most trusted artisans, and his deliberate method of safeguarding his legacy all pointed toward an extraordinary stratagem. Every clue reaffirmed that the engraving within this Lignum Vitae crypt was a consciously encoded message—a legacy passed down covertly through the ages. Yet, as brilliant as the design was, one small cog was missing: the final marking that should reveal the island’s precise identity.

In that crucial omission, Storm sensed a wisdom borne of necessity. Blackbeard had known that should his enemies capture him, they would pry into every scrap of his meticulously guarded secrets. By leaving the island’s name unrecorded, he nullified the possibility of a complete revelation under duress. The treasure’s ultimate location remained shrouded, not out of carelessness, but as a calculated refusal to surrender the whole truth. His name had been emblazoned on the map, not to declare all, but to suggest that destiny—and perhaps a trusted heir—might one day decipher the rest.

Now, standing before the remnants of this storied compartment, John Storm cataloged every detail. His logical mind raced through each connection: the personal ties of Blackbeard to Jamaican society; the significance of Lignum Vitae as both a literal and metaphorical fortress of secrets; and the deliberate, almost poetic, choice to leave the most vital clue to chance or further revelation. All evidence, every etched line and faded legend, led him to the inescapable conclusion: the treasure ship’s resting place was indeed near a hidden island, though its true name and whereabouts remained a single, maddening enigma.

Thus, Storm’s discovery was as exhilarating as it was incomplete—a brilliant mosaic that held back its final piece. The unfinished coordinates beckoned him onward, promising that with further research and perhaps a fortunate word from a long-forgotten local tale, the final key would eventually turn. For now, the island’s identity remained the one missing detail, a deliberate, masterful riddle left for the ages—a challenge for any who dared to complete the map of Blackbeard’s secret legacy.

The total number of islands in the world is tricky, as definitions vary, but some sources suggest there are around 900,000 islands globally. Of these, approximately 16,000 are inhabited. Other estimates focus on permanently inhabited islands, placing the number at around 11,000.

Scandinavia is particularly rich in islands—Sweden alone has 267,570, while Norway has 239,057, and Finland has 178,947. Canada also boasts a vast number, with 52,455 islands.

We know what you are thinking, trying to identify one island without precise coordinates, and just a vague idea of where it might be, would take a lifetime of searching. Just how many islands are in what used to be called the West Indies?

The Caribbean, formerly known as the West Indies, is home to over 7,000 islands, islets, reefs, and cays. However, when considering larger, inhabited islands, the number is much smaller. The region consists of 26 countries, with major islands including Cuba, Hispaniola (Haiti and the Dominican Republic), Jamaica, and Puerto Rico.

Hypothezing on where a well travelled pirate might settle to sink a ship full of gold, to be safely hidden from prospective treasure hunters and other pirates who knew their sailing plans. Probably far away from where they lived to avoid the obvious, but known to them on their travels, to be barren and relatively uncharted, or at least not frequented by tourists.

"Where might a clever captain hide his stash, Dan?"

Captain Henry Morgan certainly left his mark on the Caribbean, and several places bear his name. Apart from Morgan’s Point in Providencia, there are a few other locations linked to the infamous privateer:

Morgan’s Cave and Morgan’s Head—both found in the San Andrés and Providencia archipelago. These sites are steeped in pirate lore, with legends suggesting Morgan may have hidden treasure there.

Morgan’s Bluff—located on Andros Island in the Bahamas. This spot is said to be where Morgan lured ships onto reefs to plunder them.

Given Morgan’s reputation for cunning and secrecy, it’s entirely possible he had other hidden caches scattered across the Caribbean.

A prudent strategist like Morgan, abandoned, or rather stranded a number of his men, giving him little time to bury a large weight of Aztec and Incan gold. We think he may have scuttled a whole ship, then made his way back to a mainland or other island and pick up where he left off. It is recorded that his men felt cheated as to the spoils of their endeavours.

The Caribbean is a graveyard of shipwrecks, with hundreds of sunken vessels scattered across its waters. Many of these wrecks date back to the Golden Age of Piracy, when buccaneers like Captain Henry Morgan ruled the seas. Some ships were lost to storms, others to battle, and a few—perhaps like Morgan’s—were deliberately scuttled to hide treasure.

Globally, estimates suggest there are over 3 million shipwrecks still undiscovered. While the exact number in the Caribbean remains unknown, given its history of piracy, colonial trade, and naval warfare, it’s likely that thousands of wrecks remain hidden beneath the waves.

>>> CHAPTER 9

Damn you for Villains, who are you? And, from whence came you? The Lieutenant made him Answer, You may see by our Colours we are no Pyrates. Black-beard bid him send his Boat on Board, that he might see who he was; but Mr. Maynard reply'd thus; I cannot spare my Boat, but I will come aboard of you as soon as I can, with my Sloop. Upon this, Black-beard took a Glass of Liquor and drank to him with these Words: Damnation seize my Soul if I give you Quarters, or take any from you. In Answer to which, Mr. Maynard told him, that he expected no Quarters from him, nor should he give him any.

PROLOGUE: ROYAL AFRICAN COMPANY - King Charles II, Royal Charter James Stuart II, transport goods from Africa: Bloody Triangle.

SCENE 1. THE BATTLE OF OCRACOKE - Lt Robert Maynard, Blackbeard's curse, beheading & torturous interrogation on the Adventure 

SCENE 2. EARTHQUAKE JAMAICA - Present Day - An earthquake hits Port Royal, disturbing the sunken city & Palisadoes cemetery.

SCENE 3. BLUE SHIELD ENGLAND - Blue Shield, Newcastle UK, UNESCO requests Storm catalogue underwater city UNEP World Heritage Site.

SCENE 3.1. SWASHBUCKLING - John tries out Dan's VR sword fencing program, then duel with real pirate cutlasses, Hal keeping score.

SCENE 4. HENRY MORGAN'S DEATH - Henry Morgan has a heart attack; funeral ceremony at Palisadoes cemetery, old Port Royal.

SCENE 5. SUNKEN CITY SURVEY - Present Day, Swann's sensors scan the ocean bed, revealing mausoleum former Governor of Jamaica.

SCENE 6. JUNE 1692 TSUNAMI - Jamaica, June 7th, an earthquake hits Port Royal, then a tsunami washes the pirate haven under the sea.

SCENE 6.1. GHOSTS BLACKBEARD & MORGAN  - Spectral figures cheer on John Storm as he searches Henry's Palisadoes crypt for clues.

SCENE 7. HENRY MORGAN'S COFFIN - John Storm & ROV, comes face to face with Henry's skeletal remains. Finds interesting wooden engraving.

SCENE 8. BBC JILL BIRD - London. John Storm's finds lost Henry Morgan's pirate remains. "And for those of you wondering, there was no treasure."
SCENE 9. OPERATION HISPANIOLA - British Geographical Society, & Royal Navy fund Lord Huntington's expedition to recover relics in the Caribbean.

SCENE 10. SHIP'S COOK - William Gray helps John Long's cut-throats to crew for Huntington's Hispaniola, Long a dab hand on the galley.

SCENE 11. ARCHAEOLOGICAL SOS - Huntington (BGS bigwig) asks John Storm for help with shipwreck survey - meet in the Caribbean, Haiti.

SCENE 12. SKELETON ISLAND - Intrigued by map proffered by Lord Huntington, John agrees to switch attention to location, to coast of Panama. .

SCENE 13. SANTA CATALINA - Colombian, Mexican, Panamanian, Nicaraguan patrols re: 'Satisfaction' & hunt for Aztec gold, Spanish Conquistadors.

SCENE 14. TREASURE ISLAND - Hurricane Iota erased map clues, Isla Providencia. Longstride believes location of Blackbeard's/Morgan's treasure.

SCENE 15. KIDNAP - Black Jack & Billy Bones kidnap Dan, Cleopatra - lock in Hispaniola with Tremaine. Hal alerts John to events via BioCore.

SCENE 15.1. THE GAUNTLET - With Dan and Cleopatra hostage, John challenges Black Jack to a duel, which Billy Bones ends with a pistol shot.

SCENE 15.2. MAROONED - Left of the dockside, John is forced to play along with Longstride, to give Hal time to recover situation safely.

SCENE 16. DOUBLE CROSS - Maynard pact with Spanish Navy to blockade Caribbean to capture John & Swann. Longstride deal Aztec Golden Skull.

SCENE 17. BLACKBEARD'S CURSE - John retakes Swann, Hal immobilizes Black Jack and Billy Bones and rescues prisoners on Hispaniola.

SCENE 18. MORGAN'S TREASURE SHIP - John deciphers carving code helped Dan and Cybercore Genetica. Dives to find privateer's shipwreck.

SCENE 19. BILLION DOLLAR DEAL - John negotiates with Panama, Peru, Colombia, Ecuador & Blue Shield for % salvage based on wreck video.

SCENE 20. BLOCKADE RUNNER - Swann navigates through Spanish Armada & Royal Navy blockade in stealth mode, invisible to radar.

SCENE 21. BERMUDA TRIANGLE - Pirates head into Bermuda Triangle, Colombian Navy in pursuit: BBC Sky News. Never to be seen again.

  BBC WORLD NEWS SERVICE, JILL BIRD & SAM HOLLIS, REPORTING FROM JAMAICA, PORT ROYAL. ON FIND OF HENRY MORGAN'S COFFIN - TREASURE ISLAND - BLACKBEARD'S CURSE & PIRATES GOLD

SHIPMATES DIG OUR A-Z FOR PIRATES GOLD OR PLOT A COURSE HOME YO HO HO ME HEARTIES

This website is Copyright © 2023 Cleaner Ocean Foundation & Jameson Hunter - All rights reserved