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SKELETON
ISLAND - Was a pirate secret location, known only to a small number of
captains by that name. But as piracy became unfashionable with mass hangings, the numbers
of those in the know, dwindled. Until, all that remained was a location
carved in wood. Generally hidden somewhere safe by the pirate concerned.
This location was useless without a chart giving the exact position that
each pirate buried their stash. The maps made on parchment, were handed down
to the next generations, by way of inheritance free of taxes.
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SCENE 14
SCENE:
BETRAYAL AND TELEPATHIC WARNING
INT. BRIDGE - ELIZABETH SWANN - DAY
The bridge is a picture of calm efficiency. JOHN STORM sits at the central console, reviewing holographic schematics. DAN HAWK is at a secondary station, monitoring sensor readings.
CLEOPATRA (40s, intelligent, resourceful) examines a sample of deep-sea
coral under a holographic microscope. BLACK JACK (50s, burly, seemingly jovial) and BILLY BONES (30s, wiry, shifty-eyed) stand nearby, feigning interest in the ship's technology.
BLACK
JACK: Fine vessel ye got here, Captain Storm. Smooth as a mermaid's tail, she is.
JOHN: Commander Storm, if you please. She's state-of-the-art. Hydrogen-powered, AI-controlled. Keeps us out of trouble.
BILLY
BONES: Aye, AI, eh? Clever contraption. Does she make a good cup o' grog?
DAN: Only if you're programmed to appreciate synthetic kelp ale.
Cleopatra looks up, a slight smile playing on her lips.
CLEOPATRA: His name is Hal. And he is far more capable than a simple beverage dispenser.
Suddenly, Black Jack’s jovial demeanor vanishes. He grabs Dan in a powerful hold, a wicked-looking knife appearing in his hand. Billy Bones simultaneously produces a similar blade and moves towards Cleopatra.
BLACK JACK: Enough o' the pleasantries, landlubbers! This ship is ours now!
Dan struggles, surprised by the sudden aggression.
DAN: What the .... Holy fuel
cells?!
CLEOPATRA: Treachery!
JOHN: Jack! What are you doing?!
BLACK JACK: Followin' orders, Captain Longstride's orders! You'll hand over that map, the skull, and whatever gold you found, or your friends here get a taste o'
steel!
Billy Bones shoves Cleopatra towards the exit.
BILLY BONES: Move it, fancy pants! You're comin' with us!
INT. CORRIDOR - ELIZABETH SWANN - CONTINUOUS
Black Jack drags Dan roughly down the corridor, Billy Bones pushing Cleopatra ahead of him.
DAN: Longstride? I should have known!
CLEOPATRA: You won't get away with this!
They reach a cargo bay on the Hispaniola, where SCOTT TREMAINE (40s, anxious, another member of
Long John’s crew) is securing equipment. The pirates quickly overpower and tie him up alongside Dan and
Cleopatra.
BLACK JACK: Three nice little hostages. Captain Longstride will be pleased.
INT. BRIDGE - ELIZABETH SWANN - MOMENTS LATER
John stands, stunned, as he watches the pirates, now back at the helm, begin to manipulate the controls. Black Jack grins triumphantly.
BLACK JACK: Farewell, Commander Storm! Enjoy your walk on the plank… metaphorically speakin'. Billy, get us out o' here!
Billy Bones engages the propulsion systems. The Elizabeth Swann begins to
move, leaving John on the dockside.
JOHN (To the empty air): Hal? What’s happening?
HAL (V.O. - Calm, synthesized voice, seemingly only audible to John):
Commander Storm. Black Jack and Billy Bones have forcibly taken control of the bridge.
Mr Hawk, Doctor Cleopatra, and Crewman Tremaine have been taken as hostages aboard their vessel, designated ‘Hispaniola,’ now at anchor approximately five nautical miles to the northeast.
JOHN (Under his breath): Why didn’t you stop them, Hal? A taser burst would have sorted them out.
HAL (V.O.): Prioritizing the safety of Mr Hawk and Doctor Cleopatra. Initiating non-lethal countermeasures against the intruders at this juncture could have jeopardized their well-being. Allowing the illusion of control maintains a strategic advantage.
JOHN: Longstride… this has his stench all over it.
Suddenly, a mental voice, clear and distinct in John’s mind, cuts through his thoughts.
HAL (TELEPATHIC): Commander Storm. Longstride is communicating via ship-to-ship comms. He is addressing you directly.
John clenches his jaw, his hand instinctively reaching for a concealed weapon. A holographic display flickers to
life in Storm's mind, showing a smug-looking JOHN LONGSTRIDE (60s, ruthless, scarred) on his own ship’s bridge.
LONGSTRIDE (On screen): Well, well, Commander Storm. Seems my… associates have paid you a little visit. A temporary change of ownership for your fancy
hydrogen toy.
JOHN (Trying to remain calm): Longstride, you’re making a mistake. This will only end badly for you.
LONGSTRIDE (Laughing): Oh, I don't think so, Storm. Here’s the deal. You hand over the
Aztec map, that golden skull you pilfered, and every shiny trinket you found in that cave. Do that, and I’ll release your little crew and even return your precious Elizabeth Swann… eventually.
Longstride’s eyes flick downwards, a predatory gleam in them.
LONGSTRIDE (CONT'D): Of course, accidents happen at sea, don’t they? Especially when there’s valuable cargo involved.
HAL (TELEPATHIC): Commander Storm. Longstride’s bio-signatures indicate a high probability of deception. His stated intentions regarding the hostages and the vessel are inconsistent with his physiological responses.
John’s face hardens. He knows Longstride is lying. The pirate wants the treasure and the
Elizabeth
Swann.
JOHN: You think I’m a fool, Longstride? You’ll take the treasure and try to sell my ship for scrap.
LONGSTRIDE (Smirking): You wound me, Commander. Such distrust! But time is wasting. Make your choice. The clock is ticking for your friends.
The transmission ends. John stares at the blank screen, his mind racing.
JOHN (To Hal, aloud): He’s not getting away with this.
HAL (V.O.): Agreed, Skipper. I have been continuously monitoring the intruders’ actions and the location of the
Hispaniola. Preparations for retrieval are underway.
JOHN: Good. Let’s make sure Longstride regrets the day he set foot on my ship.
John turns, a determined glint in his eyes. He knows he has to play Longstride’s game for now, but he also knows Hal is his secret weapon. The rescue has already begun.
CUT TO BLACK
>>>
SCENE 16
ABSTRACT:
John
Longstride orders Black Jack and Billy Bones to kidnap Dan Hawk and Cleopatra
the pirates going onboard
the Elizabeth Swann as supposed friend-lies - then capture and lock Dan and
Cleopatra in the Hispaniola ship, now anchored in new location. The pirates
tied up their new captives with Scott Tremaine, to be used as hostage leverage. Then, Jack and Billy steal the Elizabeth Swann. The pirates think they have control of the Swann, but
in reality the onboard AI, Hal, allows that illusion, not wanting to Taser the illicit guests until Dan and Cleopatra are safely recovered. Hal alerts John
Storm to these events telepathically via BioCore, when Longstride tips his hand,
saying give us the map, the golden skull and cave contents and we'll release hostages
on the Hispaniola and return the Elizabeth Swann.
Of course he is lying. He plans to keep the Elizabeth Swann, and try and
sell the ship, or parts of it on the black market.
HURRICANE IOTA NOVEMBER 2020
- Providencia (boat dock) and Santa Catalina were ravaged by extreme weather
when heading into 2021.
The small Colombian island of Providencia was hit hard by the powerful Category-5 hurricane Iota,
which caused severe damage to the majority of local’s homes and the already scant public infrastructure.
At that time, Colombia’s President, Ivan Duque, said it is the first Category 5 – the most serious of hurricanes – to hit the Andean nation in its history.
Providencia island had a population of 5,000 people and is part of the Archipelago of San Andres, Providencia and Santa Catalina located in the Caribbean Sea about 775km (481 miles) northwest of mainland Colombia. Geographically, it is closer to the central American country of Nicaragua.
The hurricane was first considered a Category 2 but just before passing Providencia it developed into a Category-5 tropical cyclone which NASA said can have wind speeds of up to 253km/h (157mph) and has the ability to cause catastrophic damage.
Neighbouring larger island San Andres also faced damage to its infrastructure, albeit less intense. Northern Colombian coastal cities, like Cartagena, have flooded and are battling high winds.
According to the United States Office of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 2020 has had the highest hurricane activity in the Atlantic since official records began in 1851.
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
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.
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