Tomorrow Never Dies Page #13

EXT. THE BANK OF LONDON - NIGHT

Passing a NEWSPAPER DELIVERY TRUCK with an ad for "TOMORROW" ("The

Paper that Never Lies,") Bond's DB-5 roars past the guard.

INT. CONFERENCE ROOM - BANK OF LONDON - NIGHT

ADMIRAL ROEBUCK glares as MINISTER JOHNSTONE enters to address M,

TANNER, A TREASURY OFFICIAL, and various UNIFORMS and SUITS.

MINISTER JOHNSTONE

Good evening. I've just spoken with

the Prime Minister at the economic

summit in Tokyo; he's expecting a

full update within the hour.

(beat)

For those of you still unaware, some

forty minutes ago -

ADMIRAL ROEBUCK:

(interrupting)

Excuse me, but -

(all turn to him:)

I must formally protest this meeting.

Given the nature of what's occurred -

and the need for secrecy - I see no

reason to involve the air force, the

army, or MI-6.

(beat, as M and Tanner exchange a look)

This is an internal affair that should

be handled strictly by the officers of

her Majesty's Royal Navy.

MINISTER JOHNSTONE

(furious)

Admiral, are you suggesting -

He's distracted by the CLICK OF A DOOR OPENING. All turn to SEE BOND

entering, wearing a FULL NAVAL UNIFORM. M stifles a smile.

BOND:

Sorry I'm late -

M:

Actually, you're just in time.

(she turns to)

Admiral Roebuck:
You know Commander

Bond, don't you?

ADMIRAL ROEBUCK:

(deflated)

Yes. Of course.

BOND:

I've looked forward to meeting you.

Bond sits. M glances at Johnstone as if to say "proceed."

MINISTER JOHNSTONE

As I was saying:
Approximately forty-

five minutes ago, we received an abandon

ship signal from the H.M.S. Indomitable.

(flicks on a map display)

Looking at these infrared satellite

images - provided by Mr. Tanner of

MI-6 -the ship is presumed lost here,

just south of Kuala Lumpur, where she

broadcast her last position.

CUT TO:

EXT. STRAIT OF MALACCA - FOG - NIGHT

Foreground, empty diving boat. Background, Sea Dolphin II, with the

"flexible hose" hanging over the rail, down into the water.

INT. BRIDGE - SEA DOLPHIN II - NIGHT

Stamper works "worm" master control with a video joystick.

STAMPER:

Divers approaching the hull.

Harmsway and Yung look over his shoulder at:

INSERT - VIDEO SCREEN -

Through the worm's UNDERWATER camera, FOUR DIVERS with TORCHES and

WELDING TOOLS are about to enter the HOLE in the Indomitable's hull.

(The video screen also contains lots of digital information about the

divers and the worm's functions.)

NEUTRAL POV - UNDERWATER - EXT. INDOMITABLE

The worm follows the Divers into the hull.

WORM POV - INT. ENGINE ROOM -

It trails the Divers past debris and bodies of crewman.

SAME SHOT - VIDEO SCREEN - WORM POV -

HARMSWAY (O.S.)

(into microphone)

To the right, towards the stern.

The Divers react, and the worm follows them into...

PASSAGEWAY - UNDERWATER - NEUTRAL POV - INT. INDOMITABLE -

The Divers and worm travel to a HATCH COVERED WITH METAL BARS.

Lighting the welding torches, they try to cut through the metal

bars... Unsuccessfully.

VIDEO SCREEN - WORM POV -

One of the Divers turns to the worm's camera. He SPEAKS into his

diving helmet's microphone:

DIVER:

(through speaker)

It's titanium. we can't cut through.

INT. SEA DOLPHIN BRIDGE -

Stamper turns to Harmsway:

STAMPER:

I'll do it.

HARMSWAY (into microphone)

Divers, stand aside.

NEUTRAL POV - UNDERWATER - PASSAGEWAY -

The worm moves into position to grind through the hatch. A protective

cover slides over the lens, and the grinder whorls into life.

CLOSER ON THE WORM - The grinder stalls for an instant as it

encounters the titanium bars.

STILL CLOSER - One of the URANIUM GRINDING TEETH SNAPS OFF as it hits

the titanium, and starts to grind through.

NEW ANGLE:

Once past the bars, the grinder cuts easily through the steel door.

Trapped air bursts out from inside the compartment. The Divers push

the worm to one side; two of them enter the hold with lights. The

worm follows. The two other divers remain behind to feed the worm's

flexible tubing through the door.

INT. BILGE HOLD - UNDERWATER -

The Divers' lights illuminate the hold: STACKS OF GOLD BARS, as far

as the eye can see.

INT. BRIDGE - SEA DOLPHIN II -

Harmsway looks at the video screen.

HARMSWAY:

Gentlemen:
I do believe we've struck

gold... Four minutes ahead of schedule.

INT. BILGE HOLD - UNDERWATER -

The worm closes its "eye", revs up its grinders, and attacks the

first pile of gold Bars. It runs through them like butter.

INT. CONFERENCE ROOM - BANK OF ENGLAND - NIGHT

The bloodletting and recriminations have begun. This plays fast:

MINISTER JOHNSTONE

(incredulous)

One-third of the British gold reserves?!?

(beat)

What kind of idiot loses -

(looks to the treasury officer)

What is it? The equivalent of ten

billion US dollars???

TREASURY OFFICIAL

(sheepishly)

Give or take. Depending on today's

currency rates -

MINISTER JOHNSTONE

(ignoring him)

What the hell was the gold doing on

that boat?

ADMIRAL ROEBUCK:

We were bringing it back from Hong

Kong. Under orders from the Treasury.

TREASURY OFFICIAL

During the cold war, we stored a

third in America, and another third

in Hong Kong - in case of a nuclear

attack. And with the turn-over of

Hong Kong to the Chinese -

MINISTER JOHNSTONE

Why wasn't the ship protected?!?!

Why was it sailing without radar?

ADMIRAL ROEBUCK:

I resent your tone, sir. I have men

who are missing -

MINISTER JOHNSTONE

And I have the entire British economy

to worry about.

BOND:

(breaking in)

Minister -

(all turn to him)

Obviously, MI-6 was not involved in

this operation. But I have to defend

the Admiral.

Roebuck looks at Bond with great surprise. Bond continues:

BOND (cont'd)

Electronic silence was the safest way

to move that gold. Otherwise, any

country - or individual - with the

crudest missile could just lock onto

our signals, and take out the boat.

(beat)

That's what happened to the Sheffield

in the Falklands.

(beat)

Since then, it's standard operating

procedure for any sensitive shipment.

MINISTER JOHNSTONE

(frowns)

At least we know where the gold is.

When are the recovery ships due?

ADMIRAL ROEBUCK:

36 hours. They've already sailed

from the Persian gulf.

MINISTER JOHNSTONE

I expect to have that gold recovered

in 36 hours. Until then, I'm

imposing my own electronic silence:

For the sake of the economy, not a

word to NATO, the press, the CIA.

(beat, looking at:)

...And so long as Commander Bond here

seems to be such an expert on these

matters, I want him to go along as an

observer. Are we agreed?

ROEBUCK:

Yes.

BOND:

Yes.

M:

As you wish.

EXT. SEA DOLPHIN II - NIGHT

Harmsway walks along the side of the ship, observing the operation:

The WORM'S DREDGING PUMP sucks up the ground-up GOLD AND WATER SLUR-

RY, (through the TUBE hanging over the side,) and dumps it into a

SERIES OF SLUICES. At each stage the gold nuggets fall to the bottom

of the sluice, and excess water flows off the side of the ship.

AT THE STERN HOLD -

where all the water has been drained off, leaving a cascade of gold

nuggets pouring into the ship's hold -

HARMSWAY reaches into the shimmering cascade, and takes a hand-full

of gold. He sees Stamper approaching.

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