Tomorrow Never Dies Page #11

TWO ARABIAN GENTLEMEN (in full burnoose) sit down on either side of

him. They smile. And on NUMBER THREE'S BLOOD-CURDLING SCREAM, we

CUT TO:

THE H.M.S. INDOMITABLE -

Moving through FOG in the STRAIT OF MALACCA, night.

INT. BRIDGE - NIGHT

The room is bathed in blue light as the crew monitors the Indomita-

ble's command and control systems.

At the VERTICAL GLASS MAP, the ship's course has been charted from

Hong Kong, south, down around Singapore, then north, where the YELLOW

BLINKING dot indicates it's currently in the Strait of Malacca.

Standing in front of the map, however, THE NAVIGATION OFFICER seems

perplexed. He's comparing what's on the screen to a piece of paper

in his hand. Something is wrong.

NAVIGATION OFFICER

... This doesn't make sense. What's

our heading now?

THE HELMSMAN looks down at his compass/auto-pilot.

INSERT COMPASS/AUTO-PILOT - moving from West to North - then holding

on a North position.

HELMSMAN:

Zero one three. Due north.

The two officers share a look. Something is odd, but -

HELMSMAN:

We're on course again.

Just then, the FIRST OFFICER ENTERS from the exterior bridge.

FIRST OFFICER:

Can't see a damn thing in this fog.

(calling out)

Rating:
What have we got?

He joins the RATING and COMMUNICATION'S OFFICERS at their scopes.

RATING:

A passenger ferry and two freighters

broadcasting on low-band -

COMMUNICATIONS:

And two small fishing boats about 30k

north. No radar, but we've

identified their engine signatures.

As the First Officer takes this in:

HELMSMAN (O.S.)

Damn. It's doing it again.

FIRST OFFICER:

(joining him)

What's wrong?

HELMSMAN:

About every ninety seconds, the auto-

pilot jogs us to the west.

He points down to the compass/auto-pilot, SWINGING WEST...

HELMSMAN:

Then re-sets us to the north.

The compass reaches dead west - then starts to swing back NORTH.

HELMSMAN (cont'd)

The Captain wants us on the East side

of the channel. ...Cross current?

FIRST OFFICER:

Not in the Strait.

(to the Navigator)

How's our position?

NAVIGATING OFFICER

According to the satellite, we're

exactly on course.

FIRST OFFICER:

Did you check the auto-pilot?

HELMSMAN:

The back-up does the same thing.

FIRST OFFICER:

Check it again. What about the global

positioning satellite? Could there be

something wrong with the signal?

GPS OFFICER:

Two words:
Im-possible.

EXT. SPACE -

As the earth turns below, a TINY SILVER DOT appears in the distance:

A COMMUNICATIONS SATELLITE, spinning slowly on its axis.

It comes closer and closer to camera, until it FILLS THE SCREEN, and

the LOGO on its body ROTATES INTO VIEW:

HNN. THE HARMSWAY NEWS NETWORK.

RETURN ON BRIDGE - INT. H.M.S. INDOMITABLE - NIGHT

THE HELMSMAN finishes fiddling with the auto-pilot.

FIRST OFFICER:

How is it now?

HELMSMAN:

Seems to be back to normal, sir.

The First Officer nods... Then HEARS a SHRILL WARNING BEEP.

SONAR OPERATOR:

I have something off the port bow!

The First Officer rushes to join him at the screen.

SONAR OPERATOR (cont'd)

100 meters out, just below the surface.

(adjusts the controls)

A meter in diameter; ten - twelve

meters long. ...Floating vertically?

FIRST OFFICER:

A dead head.

(off the others' quizzical looks)

Water logged timber. Floats straight

up. You sometimes see them on the east

side of the channel - from the logging

camps on Sumatra - but they don't

usually float this far west.

(calling out)

Muncy! Engines to half!

HELMSMAN:

Aye-aye sir. Engines to half.

FIRST OFFICER:

(explaining)

Chew up a log like that in the

propeller, you end up with enough paperwork

to go from here to London. Twice.

EXT. UNDERWATER - NIGHT

The ship is moving towards a DARK VERTICAL SHAPE - Harmsway's SEA-BED

CORE BORING DRILL (shorthand "THE WORM',) attached to a long flexible

dredging pipe.

CLOSER - THE HEAD OF THE WORM -

Motionless, hanging in the water. Then the monster awakes: A metal

sphere retracts, revealing a wide angle CAMERA LENS.

INT. BRIDGE - NIGHT

The Communications Officer reacts to his monitor with ALARM:

COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER

I'm getting an electrical emission,

sir! Extremely close. Bearing 240 -

The First Officer is surprised. All hell is about to break loose:-

FIRST OFFICER:

Punch up the radar -

RADAR OPERATOR:

I've got it, sir. A large craft -

XX,OOO tons. Range -

(disbelief)

200 yards? It's anchored in a cove!

FIRST OFFICER:

That's impossible! We're in the

middle of the channel!

A Junior officer bursts in from the exterior bridge:

JUNIOR OFFICER:

Breakers off the port bow! We're

heading for shore!

SONAR OFFICER:

Sir -

FIRST OFFICER:

(reacting to the Jr. Officer)

Full stop!!! Call the captain!

SONAR OFFICER:

Sir!

FIRST OFFICER:

(annoyed)

What?!?!

SONAR OPERATOR:

The log is moving!

EXT. UNDERWATER - NIGHT

Propelled by water-jets in its head, THE WORM STREAKS TOWARD THE

INDOMITABLE, emitting a HIGH PITCHED whine as its drill bit revs up

to speed. The drill's BLACK TEETH glisten in the water.

THE WORM'S POV - (UNDERWATER, NIGHT)

Closing in on the hull like a torpedo. It gets closer, picking up

speed, until - on IMPACT -

INT. ENGINE ROOM -

A TORRENT OF WATER engulfs the Engineer and Crewmen when The Worm

bursts/drills through the hull. As they scream, drowning -

A CREWMAN ON THE GANTRY scrambles up, one step ahead of the water,

through a bulkhead, into -

GENERATOR ROOM - (CONTINUOUS)

Where the CREWMAN and TWO OPERATORS struggle to CLOSE THE DOOR

AGAINST THE WATER.

SENIOR OPERATOR:

(on the intercom)

We've been hit! We're taking water!

THE BRIDGE -

Alarms sound! Red lights flash!

DAMAGE CONTROL:

Flooding in the engine room!

FIRST OFFICER:

Get me damage reports! Start the pumps!

SECOND OFFICER:

(holding out a ship's phone)

It's the Captain -

PASSAGEWAY #1 -

On a phone, outside the ship's GYM, deep in the hull:

THE CAPTAIN:

What the hell is going on?!?

FIRST OFFICER:

(intercut if necessary)

I think we've been holed, sir!

THE CAPTAIN:

On my way!

He speeds along the passageway, going through a water-tight door,

slamming it behind him. Meanwhile, on -

THE BRIDGE -

HELMSMAN:

The engines are gone!

DAMAGE CONTROL:

Flooding on D deck!

FIRST OFFICER:

Sound the general alarm! Seal all

compartments!

As the Second Officer grabs the intercom -

SECOND OFFICER (into intercom)

Attention all hands -

CREW'S MESS -

The crew members look up from their meals -

SECOND OFFICER (continuing)

Proceed to emergency stations -

GENERATOR ROOM -

The men have closed the door, but... HEAR A HIGH-PITCHED WHINING,

GRINDING SOUND from the other side. They exchange a quizzical look;

they don't know what to make of it, when:

BANG! The door explodes inward - and a high-pressured stream of

water blasts in, blowing them back against the walls.

BRIDGE -

The lights go out! Everyone is scrambling:

SYSTEMS OFFICER:

We've lost power!

FIRST OFFICER:

Go to back up generators!

SECOND OFFICER (into intercom)

Repeat:
Seal all compartments, and -

CREW'S MESS -

In the dim lighting -

SECOND OFFICER (on intercom)

Proceed to emergency stations at once!

The men start to move, but halt at A HUMMING SOUND. They look

around:
Where is it coming from?

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