Ghost Ship Page #6

A long beat as they hold there.

MURPHY:

Listen. Forget this job's just a pay

check for a minute. You know I've

been good to you. But I'm prepared

to offer you something better now.

(a beat)

If we do this right, it's worth a

lot of money. A lot of money.

They hold there looking on at him, waiting.

EPPS:

Go on.

MURPHY:

Salvage fees on a vessel like this

could come in around four million

bucks. At least. Who knows, could be

more. Could be a lot more.

(a beat)

What I'm proposing is... we split it

four ways.

A beat. Dodge looks to Epps and Greer.

MURPHY:

Think about it. A million bucks a

piece.

(a beat)

You want to spend the rest of your

days drag-assing tank barges on the

gulf coast, fine. Otherwise, let's

get to work.

EXT. ARCTIC WARRIOR - DAY

The tug is tied up alongside the Chimera, whose dark hull

stretches off for seven hundred more feet in the light of

day.

INT. ARCTIC WARRIOR - PILOTHOUSE - DAY

Murphy brings up the radio mic as Greer and the others look

on.

MURPHY:

(to radio)

United States Coastguard, United

States Coastguard, United States

Coastguard. This is tugboat Arctic

Warrior whiskey alpha sierra bravo

four zero niner two. Over.

After a moment, a distance-warped, coolly professional, female

voice comes back.

COASTGUARD DISPATCHER (V.O. RADIO)

Arctic Warrior, Arctic Warrior, Arctic

Warrior. This is United States

Coastguard Station North Island.

Over.

MURPHY:

North Island, I wish to declare myself

salvor-in-posession under section

four two charlie of the International

Maritime Convention.

COASTGUARD DISPATCHER (V.O. RADIO)

Affirmative, Arctic Warrior. What

type of vessel?

MURPHY:

A passenger liner. Over.

COASTGUARD DISPATCHER (V.O. RADIO)

Say again. Over.

Murphy looks to the others, almost smiling.

MURPHY:

A passenger liner, north island.

Over.

COASTGUARD DISPATCHER (V.O. RADIO)

What is the vessel name, registry,

and present position? Over.

MURPHY:

Passenger vessel "Chimera." I will

spell:
charlie hotel india mary echo

romeo alpha. No registry information

is available at this time. I have

determined to the best of my ability

that the vessel has been abandoned

on the high seas at position one

seven four west, five seven north

at...

(checking his watch)

Two zero one four hours zulu time.

Over.

COASTGUARD DISPATCHER (V.O. RADIO)

Affirmative, Arctic Warrior. Please

advise your salvage authority pending

registry check. Over.

MURPHY:

Roger, North Island. Arctic Warrior

over and out.

EXT. ARCTIC WARRIOR - STERN WINCH - DAY

Dodge, Epps, Murphy and Greer are standing on the stern of

the boat under the power winch.

DODGE:

Okay. We're gonna use a heavier than

usual twin cable rig this time,

consisting of a pair of number three

gauge braided wire tows.

(a beat)

We'll tie off through the anchor

alleys. And come down to the aft

port and starboard pins. Here. Thus,

we need to get two of these...

(indicating the cable)

Up there.

He indicates the bow of the Chimera.

DODGE:

Seeing as though a foot of one of

these f***ers weighs about a hundred

pounds, it ain't gonna be what you'd

call easy.

(a beat)

Any questions?

EPPS:

Supposing one of those cables breaks

under tow.

DODGE:

Then we'll all be doomed. Any other

questions?

EXT. ARCTIC WARRIOR - DAY

Murphy has backed the tug up to the bow of the Chimera. Greer

operates the deck crane, one of Dodge's mammoth cables

dangling from it down to the winch on the stern.

WITH EPPS:

Epps hangs on to the top of the crane as it comes to the

starboard anchor alley in the bow of the Chimera. Dodge pokes

his face out from the other side.

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