Ghost Ship Page #8

GREER:

Hypothetically speaking, what if we

get this boat to Sitka and find out

somebody wants it back?

DODGE:

They shoulda thought of that when

they let her float away.

GREER:

I don't care what, ain't nobody just

gonna let us walk away with a ship

that size.

MURPHY:

The law's on our side. If they want

to challenge it, let them try.

EPPS:

They must've scuttled it. Nobody

just lets a ship float away.

DODGE:

Nobody just scuttles a passenger

liner either.

EPPS:

Ever heard of insurance, big boy?

MURPHY:

Either way, we found it. It's ours

now -- .

An EXPLOSIVE THUD shudders the boat. They look to each other.

DODGE:

(moving for the door)

What the...

EXT. ARCTIC WARRIOR - MOMENTS LATER - DAY

Dodge jumps down from the pilothouse as another LOUD THUMP

BLOWS OUT OF THE TURBINE VENTS, SHOWERING OIL OVER THE DECK.

DODGE:

(shouting up to the

pilothouse)

ALL STOP! ALL STOP!

INT. ARCTIC WARRIOR - PILOTHOUSE - CONTINUOUS - DAY

Greer shoves the throttle back.

EXT. ARCTIC WARRIOR - CONTINUOUS - DAY

The boat goes dead in the water, thick black smoke billowing

from the turbine vents.

EXT. CHIMERA - CONTINUOUS - DAY

as the bow slows in the water, the tow cables coming slack.

INT. ARCTIC WARRIOR - ENGINE ROOM - CONTINUOUS - DAY

Dodge pulls open the door. The place is thick with smoke as

he makes his way to the turbine gauges, Epps and Murphy

behind. Dodge opens the number one turbine cover, looks

inside.

DODGE:

Mother f***er!

MURPHY:

What is it?

DODGE:

Threw a turbine blade.

Dodge looks over the smoking turbine, pulls back an aluminum

intake blade, hot to the touch.

DODGE:

Son of a b*tch!

EXT. ARCTIC WARRIOR - DECK - DAY

Greer, Dodge, Epps, and Murphy confer on the deck.

DODGE:

The number one turbine's pretty well

trashed. Number two runs, but it's

way underpowered.

MURPHY:

How long to fix?

DODGE:

Hard to say. I gotta get in there

and have a look. At least a couple

days. Depending.

GREER:

You think the extra strain caused

it?

DODGE:

Nah. Everything was cool. It's just

one of those things.

EXT. CHIMERA - DAY

The Arctic Warrior floats tied to the side of the Chimera.

INT. ARCTIC WARRIOR - ENGINE ROOM - DAY

Dodge has both turbines opened up as he works.

INT. CHIMERA - MEZZANINE DECK - DAY

Lights shine on what was once an elegant interior promenade.

Murphy and Greer stand looking on at it.

MURPHY:

Some classy tub in it's day, huh?

GREER:

Yeah.

EPPS (O.S.)

Check this out.

AT THE PURSERS DESK

Epps looks through a file cabinet behind a heavy wood counter

as Greer and Murphy approach.

EPPS:

Everything's still here. Ticket

records, receipts, books of account.

Greer picks one up.

GREER:

One first class passage. Elizabeth

James. Dubayy to Halifax. January

29th 1953.

Murphy takes it, looking it over.

MURPHY:

Chimera. Flag ship of the Dobbins

Kirk Line. Nova Scotia.

INT. CHIMERA - "B" DECK - DAY

Murphy, Epps, and Greer top a staircase out onto a long,

darkened corridor. They move down. Some of the doors are

open, faint light from port holes showing small cabins with

beds, desks, a few chairs.

INT. CHIMERA - TOP DECK - FORWARD PASSAGE - DAY

Murphy, Epps, and Greer come to a hatchway marked "BRIDGE."

INT. CHIMERA - BRIDGE - MOMENTS LATER - DAY

The forward windows show the expanse of the ocean before

them and the rusting foredeck about 150 feet below. Light

from the windows illuminates the bridge as Murphy, Greer and

Epps look around. Despite a little corrosion and a layer of

dirt, everything seems in its place.

MURPHY:

(looking through

scattered charts and

papers)

I'd sure like to get my hands on the

general log.

Epps steps up to the wall, where several framed photos hang.

GREER:

That must be the old man right there.

The uniformed man in the photo is a gaunt, stern-looking man

from another century, with dark, hollow eyes.

EPPS:

Looks like one hell of a stick up

his ass.

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