S K E L E T O N  I S L A N D - T-ISLAND SCREENPLAY

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SKELETON ISLAND - Was a pirate secret location, known only to a small number of captains. 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.

Lord Huntington finally admits to having a map referencing Henry Morgan, derived from a parchment taken by Robert Maynard from Blackbeard's ship, in 1718. He almost does not have to ask John Storm if he might be persuaded to take a look, in exchange for any information he might have, or forward cooperation.

Huntington produced the transposed tracing, on which Morgan's Head and Blackbeard's Cove were clearly marked.

"Amazing," exclaimed John. "The island is real."

In the background and undetectable, Hal was checking out the location. "John, that is Santa Catalina and Providence Island."

"Thanks Hal. Where is that?" This is where direct AI to brain communications came into its own, thanks to the CyberCore Genetica and BioCore implant, thanks to Dan and Cleopatra. Lord Huntington had no idea that John was communicating with his ship.

"It's two hundred kilometers east of Nicaragua, four hundred and fifty kilometers north of Panama."

"Cheers Hal."

"And those coordinates are accurate. Have you checked them?"

Huntington responded, "no reason to think otherwise."

"Well, let me think, that is roughly 1200 kilometers, around six hundred and fifty nautical miles, south-east. Is that about right?"

"I suppose so, a rough estimate." Huntington was impressed that John could calculate that so quickly. He would have needed a chart and calculator.

"What do you expect to find there. Is it Blackbeard's wayward haul, or Captain Morgan's missing Spanish, gold? ....  Actually Aztec gold of course. Stolen by Conquistador Hernan Cortes, wasn't it. I'm a little confused."

"Perhaps a bit of both - and it's anyone's guess. Though, I'd plumb for Blackbeard. The island is apparently cursed by a golden skull. And didn't Blackbeard curse his captors. Presumably, applying to all those looking to recover his treasure." Both men laughed.

"I'm not into fairy tales Lord Huntington. Just historical facts."

"Me neither John, but all the same, there are probably booby traps and the like for the unwary. Or, why have a map."

"You mean Indiana Jones style traps, only set by pirates?"

"Quite so." They laughed again. But Huntington was quite serious. Robert Maynard had nothing but bad luck all the while in possession of the parchment he coveted. Lord Huntington was worried that in chasing this up, his good fortune thus far, might begin to wane.

For some reason, both men had failed to make the connection between Lieutenant Robert Maynard and Commander James Maynard. Even with the Royal Navy coincidence; plain for all to see.

Unknown to Storm and Huntington, Commander James Maynard had bugged the helm of the Hispaniola. Back in Blighty, the Commander now knew the location of the island that his limb of the family tree, had been deprived of.

Intrigued as to the map now proffered by Lord Huntington, John agrees to switch attention to the new location, even though not that far off the cost of Panama. The map, though not the original parchment recovered from Blackbeard's Adventure, is sufficiently alluring after checking historical accuracy, as to be believable. John keeps the information recovered from Morgan's casket to himself, though both men probe each other for more clues continuously.

.....

PROLOGUE: ROYAL AFRICAN COMPANY - King Charles II, grants a Royal Charter to his brother James Stuart II, giving him and other partners, the exclusive right to transport goods from Africa, updated in 1663 to include the exclusive right to trade in slaves from the Gold Coast, in supply to British colonies, as cheap labour for plantations in the Caribbean, Virginia and Carolina - the so-called Bloody Triangle.

PART I

SCENE 1. THE BATTLE OF OCRACOKE - North Carolina Historic flashback - 1718, 22nd November, a British naval taskforce led by Lieutenant Robert Maynard lay in wait for Edward Teach (Blackbeard), beheading the troublesome pirate after a long and bloody swordfight, including severval gunshots wounds by way of a torturous interrogation. As Blackbeard expires on the deck of the Adventure, he curses the English sailors and their kin, taking the secret of his treasure with him to the Devil.

SCENE 2. EARTHQUAKE JAMAICA - Present Day - An earthquake hits Port Royal, disturbing the sunken city. Underwater scenes of chaotic movement ripples, what is left of buildings rocking. A Palisadoes cemetery opening an entrance to Henry Morgan's mausoleum.

SCENE 3. BLUE SHIELD ENGLAND - England - Blue Shield, Newcastle University. John Storm is called to Jamaica urgently, requested by UNESCO, to catalogue the archaeological remains of the underwater city, using the Elizabeth Swann's ultra modern array of subsea survey sensors, worried that another quake threatens to wipe out all records. They plan to make the submerged city a UNEP World Heritage Site.

SCENE 4. HENRY MORGAN'S DEATH - Historic flashback - Henry Morgan musing taking of a prize ship as a pirate off coast of Venezuela and Panama, while he is working his sugar cane plantation in drunken condition, he has a heart attack. Cut to his funeral ceremony at Palisadoes cemetery, old Port Royal.

SCENE 5. SUNKEN CITY SURVEY - Caribbean Sea Present Day - The Swann's sensors scan the ocean bed, revealing what turns out to be the mausoleum and tomb containing remains of the former Governor of Jamaica. It is under threat of imminent and dangerous collapse.

SCENE 6. JUNE 1692 TSUNAMI - Jamaica Historic flashback - June 7th, an earthquake hits Port Royal, then a tsunami washes the pirate haven under the sea, covering Henry Morgan's mausoleum. Washing clean the sins of the wicked city.

SCENE 7. HENRY MORGAN'S COFFIN - Jamaica Present Day - John Storm investigates target underwater areas using an ROV, then dives the site, coming face to face with Sir Henry's macabre skeletal remains. Then discovering secret compartment in his coffin, and interesting wooden engraving.

PART II

SCENE 8. BBC JILL BIRD - London. "The intrepid conservationist, Mr John Storm .." News of the archaeological find and condition of lost Henry Morgan, pirate's remains - saved. "And for those of you wondering, there was no treasure."

SCENE 9. OPERATION HISPANIOLA - Lord Huntington acquires funding from the British Geographical Society, with Royal Navy interest in the background, for an expedition to recover relics in the Caribbean, a shipwreck rich in archaeologically important artifacts. Though his secret agenda is to piggy back John's operation in the search for Blackbeard's mythical hoard and the supposedly cursed Golden Skull. Huntington purchases an old Antarctic survey ship, renaming it 'Hispaniola'.

SCENE 10. SHIP'S COOK - William Gray helps John Long and his band of cut-throats to crew for Huntington's Hispaniola, on the basis of purloined data from a UNESCO report on a description of Henry Morgan's wooden engraving. John Long poses as a cartographer, but proves to be a dab hand on the galley. He is elected ship's cook.

SCENE 11. ARCHAEOLOGICAL SOS - Huntington contacts John Storm, asking for help with the supposed shipwreck survey - meet in the Caribbean. Asking for ES assistance as portable lab, appealing to Storm's general interest in such matters. At this stage John has no idea about the parchment Huntington has been keeping a secret, thinking he is cosher, as a BGS bigwig.

SCENE 12. SKELETON ISLAND - Intrigued as to the map now proffered by Lord Huntington, John agrees to switch attention to the new location, even though not that far off the cost of Panama. The map, though not the original parchment recovered from Blackbeard's Adventure, is sufficiently alluring after checking historical accuracy, as to be believable. John keeps the information recovered from Morgan's casket to himself, genuinely unsure if it relates to the mysterious map - and just in case there are an heritage assets to safeguard, though both men probe each other for more clues continuously. Commander Maynard has bugged the Hispaniola, so knows the location.

SCENE 13. SANTA CATALINA - The Columbian Archipelago including San Andreas, Santa Catalina and Providence Islands, is swarming with naval ships. Columbian, Mexican, Panamanian and Nicaraguan navies routinely patrolling close by, triggered by the discovery of Henry Morgan's ship 'Satisfaction' at Lajas Reef between 2008-10, the military of these countries have been alive to the possibility of a claim on the Aztec gold, looted by the Spanish Conquistadors. Then re-acquired by the Welsh privateer momentarily in 1671, to be lost again.

SCENE 14. ...

PART III

SCENE 15. ...

SCENE 21. ...

  TREASURE ISLAND - BLACKBEARD'S CURSE & PIRATES GOLD

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