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Ghost Ship - by Mark Hanlon - First Draft

                                  "GHOST SHIP"

                              (formerly "CHIMERA")

                                       by

                                  Mark Hanlon

                                  First draft

                

							 FADE IN

	INT. BARGE - DAY

	Crewman EPPS (29), wearing a life vest and tool belt, jumps 
	down into the darkness. She stands in a great hollow cavern, 
	oily, wet, resonant with the sound of creaking, rusty steel 
	and WATER MOVING OVER ITS HULL on the other side.

	INT. BARGE - LATER - DAY

	Epps comes to a low point in the darkness, shining her light 
	on a lake of salt water sloshing against the bulkhead. She 
	kneels. As the water sloshes back she sees that it is leaking 
	in through the seams in the steel plate of the hull.

	EXT. BARGE - LATER - DAY

	Epps pulls herself onto the deck from below. She stands on a 
	rusting 5000 ton tank barge being pulled in the open ocean 
	by a brawny marine tug at the end of a 150 foot tow cable. 
	It is a typical summer day in the southern Bering Sea, which 
	means a healthy chop and a stiff cold breeze out of the north-
	west.  She closes the hatch behind her and makes her way 
	forward.

	EXT. BARGE - BOW - MOMENTS LATER - DAY

	Up ahead, the tug pulls steadily, grey-black clouds of diesel 
	smoke rising from its massive turbine vents.

	Epps cinches and checks her body harness, focused and 
	professional. The product of a rocky childhood in the Pacific 
	Northwest and a few years of hard living, she's found her 
	true calling now. And under some grime, several polypro shirts 
	and a pair of orange men's Insulite pants she might even be 
	considered pretty.

	She clips her harness into the tow cable where it attaches 
	to a heavy pair of eye cleats at the bow. She climbs onto 
	the cable, hanging out over the water as it breaks on the 
	bow beneath her. She pulls herself forward on a roller bearing 
	that fits over the width of the cable and starts off toward 
	the tug at the other end.

	EXT. ARCTIC WARRIOR - LATER - DAY

	DODGE and GREER look on from the stern, where the boat's 
	name "Arctic Warrior" is emblazoned on the transom. Dodge 
	(37), scruffy chief engineer, wearing de rigueur greasy 
	coveralls and nicotine stained fingers, is an expatriate 
	Texan and former merchant marine. GREER (42), is the boat's 
	first mate, African American, originally from some sweltering 
	red-neck hellhole, now a tug pilot intentionally well to the 
	north.

	They watch as Epps pulls herself toward them, the cable 
	occasionally dipping a few feet with a spray of water as a 
	passing swell slackens it. Epps pulls herself to the stern 
	where the cable winds into a tow anchor.

				EPPS
		It's a slow leak.

	She unclips and drops to the deck.

				GREER
		What's slow?

				EPPS
		Maybe twenty gallons an hour.

				DODGE
		Where from?

				EPPS
		Amidships starboard at the beam.  
		Just under the waterline. I don't 
		think it's a problem.

				GREER
		Hear that, Dodge? Epps don't think 
		it's a problem.

				DODGE
		I'll sleep good tonight knowing that.

	INT. ARCTIC WARRIOR - PILOTHOUSE - CONTINUOUS - DAY

	The view from the pilothouse commands 360 degrees as radar 
	and GPS navigation displays glow. MURPHY, the ship's master, 
	pilots the boat. He is 48, at sea all his adult life, and 
	most of the rest, a fact written on his face and one that 
	every crewman who's ever worked for him has been willing to 
	bet his life on. A walkie-talkie CRACKLES AWAKE.

				GREER (V.O. RADIO)
		Greer to Murphy.

				MURPHY
			(lifting the radio)
		Go.

	Murphy turns back to see Greer, Epps, and Dodge looking up 
	at him from the stern.

				GREER
		The number nine on the starboard 
		side's half flooded. Epps says it's 
		a slow leak just under the waterline, 
		about twenty gallons an hour. They 
		must've pumped it before we left 
		Sitka.

				MURPHY
		Of course they did.

				GREER
		Let the buyer beware.

				MURPHY
		What do you say, Dodge?

				DODGE (V.O. RADIO)
			(taking the radio)
		If it started out at twenty an hour 
		the piece of shit'd be at the bottom 
		of the Gulf by now. Whether it'll 
		make St. Lawrence is anybody's guess.

	EXT. OPEN OCEAN - DAY

	HIGH AND WIDE as the Arctic Warrior pulls the barge against 
	the swell of a grey ocean and a darkening sky.

						 DISSOLVE TO:

	EXT. PORT GERMAINE - ST. LAWRENCE ISLAND - DAY

	The shores of St. Lawrence Island open into a small port 
	town of mainly pre-fab buildings as the Arctic Warrior 
	approaches with the barge, now pathetically listing to one 
	side as it moves into the harbor.

	EXT. PORT GERMAINE - DOCKS - LATER - DAY

	A smaller harbor tug helps the Arctic Warrior jockey the 
	listing barge to the dock as Epps and Dodge jump off to tie 
	her up.

	INT. ARCTIC WARRIOR - PILOTHOUSE - MOMENTS LATER - DAY

	Greer feathers the tug into position and shuts down the 
	turbines.

	EXT. ARCTIC WARRIOR - CONTINUOUS - DAY

	Murphy jumps down from the pilothouse to the deck as a fat 
	Russian man, Vasili (60) and a MECHANIC in grease-covered 
	orange coveralls approach from the dock.

				VASILI
		I thought you say Tuesday.

				MURPHY
		Better late than never.

				VASILI
			(seeing the listing 
			barge)
		What's this?

				MURPHY
		You got a leak in the number nine 
		compartment.

				VASILI
		No, no. You got leak.

				MURPHY
		You pump it out and re-seam the hull, 
		she'll be good as new.

				VASILI
		That cost me twenty grand at least.

				MURPHY
		Fifteen, at the most.

				VASILI
		Twenty. You knock off twenty and 
		then we see. After my guy looks at 
		it.

	INT. VASILI'S OFFICE - DAY

	In a prefab office with a view of the shipyard, Vasili cuts 
	a check as Murphy and Greer look on. He tears it out of the 
	book, handing it across the desk to Murphy, who inspects it.

				MURPHY
		You're kidding, right?

				VASILI
		You want fair pay, make hamburger 
		for Mickey D. Otherwise, please to 
		sign.

	Vasili pushes a transfer register toward him. Murphy signs.

	EXT. SHIPYARD - DAY

	Greer and Murphy walk back toward the dock.

				GREER
		Not bad for dragging a leaky tub 
		half way to Russia.

				MURPHY
		He'll sell the scrap for three times 
		what he paid.

				GREER
		I must be in the wrong business.

				MURPHY
		You got that right.

				GREER
			(imitating Vasili)
		Better than "making hamburger for 
		Mickey D."

	INT. BAR - NIGHT

	A typical port town bar. Except this one is on an island in 
	the middle of the Bering Sea. Epps lines up a shot at the 
	pool table as a couple of SEAMEN check out her ass and a 
	tattoo of Wiley Coyote poking out of her pants. Greer reads 
	a paper near-by.

	Murphy enters, crossing to the bar where Dodge nurses a beer 
	and a cigarette. Murphy throws down an envelope with Dodge's 
	name on it. Dodge picks it up, thumbs through a thick stack 
	of hundreds.

				DODGE
		Much obliged, skipper.

	INT. BAR - LATER - NIGHT

	The place is a little more crowded now as Epps pushes her 
	way through to the bar, a cigarette dangling from her mouth. 
	She buys two beers and pays the BARTENDER from her envelope 
	of cash. She takes the beers back to the far wall where a 
	young off-duty COASTGUARDSMAN stands. He takes one, they 
	laugh.

	AT A TABLE

	Beers, cigarettes and pay envelopes on the table before them, 
	Dodge, Greer and Murphy look on at Epps across the room, who 
	is showing the coastguardsman a birthmark on her neck.

				GREER
		Looks like Epps' gonna get some 
		tonight.

				DODGE
		With that coxswain dickhead.

				MURPHY
		You aren't jealous, are you Dodge?

				DODGE
		Are you kidding me? Jealous? Epps?  
		Gimme a break.

	Greer and Murphy trade looks as Dodge raises his beer.

				DODGE
		What a laugh.

	A MINOR COMMOTION can be heard as they sit there.

				WOMAN'S VOICE (O.S.)
		I'll show you, bitch!

	They look over to see the coastguardsman's GIRLFRIEND, late 
	20s, hefty in a red miniskirt and big hair.

				GIRLFRIEND
		You want to mess with me, I'll kick 
		your bitch ass, girl.

	WITH EPPS

	Epps coolly puts out her cigarette as a circle has gathered 
	around her and the girlfriend, anxious to see a girl fight.

				EPPS
		I don't know what you're talking 
		about. I just bought this guy a beer.

				GIRLFRIEND
		This "guy" is my man, honey.

				COASTGUARDSMAN
		Darlene --

				GIRLFRIEND
		You, shut up.

				EPPS
			(starting off)
		Listen, I don't want any trouble, 
		okay -- ?

				GIRLFRIEND
			(stopping Epps)
		Uh-uh. No. We're gonna fix this right 
		now.

				MURPHY
			(stepping up)
		What seems to be the trouble, ladies?

				RIVETER
		Whyn't you mind your own business, 
		chief.

	Murphy turns to see a shipyard RIVETER, a big man holding a 
	beer, still wearing his welding leathers. Murphy turns back 
	to Epps and the Girlfriend.

				MURPHY
		As I said, what seems to be the 
		trouble?

				RIVETER
		Didn't you hear me, grandpa? Or you 
		got your hearing aid turned down?

				MURPHY
		I heard you. But I'm choosing to 
		ignore you. Epps, let's go.

	Epps starts forward but the Riveter stands in her way, taking 
	Murphy by the collar.

				RIVETER
		These ladies was having themselves a 
		discussion and you're interrupting 
		it.

				MURPHY
		You got about two seconds to get 
		your paws off me, Tarzan.

				RIVETER
		Or what?

	Or WHACK! Murphy can't help but wince as a pool cue breaks 
	in two over the Riveter's head.

	Dodge, cigarette in his mouth, takes a look at the cue half 
	he still holds, shaking his head.

	The Riveter's hands fall from Murphy's collar and his legs 
	buckle. Some of his BUDDIES hold him up as Greer reminds 
	some of the others he's holding a pool cue of his own.

				MURPHY
		Epps?

	He looks to Epps like let's get the hell out of here. She 
	grabs her coat.

				COASTGUARDSMAN
		Wait.

	Epps holds there as the Coastguardsman steps up to his 
	girlfriend.

				COASTGUARDSMAN
		Darlene. It's over.

	He gives her the ring from his finger. Murphy rolls his eyes 
	as the others look on.

				COASTGUARDSMAN
		I don't love you anymore.

	Darlene breaks into tears as they all look on, some pat her 
	on the back.

				COASTGUARDSMAN
			(to Epps)
		Come on, Candy. Let's get out of 
		here.

	The Coastguardsman takes her by the hand. Epps looks to Murphy 
	and the others as he leads her out.

	EXT. ARCTIC WARRIOR - DAY

	Murphy, Greer, and Dodge ready the tug to leave as Epps 
	approaches on the dock. She jumps down onto the deck, a spring 
	in her step and a song in her heart.

				EPPS
		Morning everybody.

				GREER
		Show your tatoos to that coxswain 
		last night, did you Epps?

				EPPS
		Showed him a hell of a lot more than 
		that.

				GREER
		I bet you did.

				MURPHY
		Candy?

				EPPS
		It's my pen name.

	INT. ARCTIC WARRIOR - PILOTHOUSE - DAY

	Murphy throttles up the turbines and backs the tug away from 
	the dock as Greer studies the dawn sky.

				GREER
		Red sky at night, sailor's delight.

				MURPHY
		Red sky in morning, sailor take 
		warning.

	EXT. PORT GERMAINE - DOCKS - CONTINUOUS - DAY

	As the tug turns into the harbor channel, the sun rising 
	under a cloud bank of brilliant red and orange.

						 DISSOLVE TO:

	INT. ARCTIC WARRIOR - CREW QUARTERS - NIGHT

	Dodge and Epps play cards at the galley table.

				DODGE
		Fuck it.

	He puts down his hand. Epps takes another drag from her 
	cigarette, collecting her winnings.

				EPPS
		One more?

				DODGE
		Why not.

	She gathers the cards, shuffles.

				DODGE
		What is your first name?

				EPPS
		What?

				DODGE
		It just occurred to me I don't know 
		your first name. All this time and I 
		don't know it.

	She deals the cards in silence.

				EPPS
			(finally)
		Maureen.

				DODGE
		What?

				EPPS
		Maureen.

				DODGE
		Maureen?

	She looks on at him as he holds there, takes his cards.

				EPPS
		What's yours?

	Dodge takes a drag from his cigarette, thinking about it.

				DODGE
		Roger.

				EPPS
		Roger?

				DODGE
		Yeah.

	She wants to laugh, but only studies her cards.

				DODGE
		You think that's funny

				EPPS
			(lying)
		No.

	She takes a hit from her cigarette as she plays her hand.

	EXT. OPEN OCEAN - BERING SEA - NIGHT

	THE SONG "SOS" BY ABBA BLASTS as the tug plows westward 
	through a steady chop and a mild swell.

	INT. ARCTIC WARRIOR - PILOTHOUSE - NIGHT

	The MUSIC COMES FROM HERE. Greer has the CD player cranked 
	as he mans the helm in the glow of the pilothouse. He checks 
	the radar, holds there a beat. He turns the MUSIC DOWN and 
	picks up a walkie-talkie.

				GREER
			(into walkie)
		Greer to Murphy.

	Greer studies the radar display as he waits.

				MURPHY (V.O. RADIO)
		Yeah.

				GREER
		There's a large vessel out about ten 
		miles to the north-west.

	INT. ARCTIC WARRIOR - MASTER'S QUARTERS - CONTINUOUS - NIGHT

	Murphy sits at his desk over the ship's log, holding his 
	radio.

				GREER
		I been watching it for close to an 
		hour and it hasn't moved. I can't 
		raise it on the radio either. Makes 
		me think it might be in trouble.

				MURPHY
		Alright. I'll be right up.

	INT. ARCTIC WARRIOR - PILOTHOUSE - LATER - NIGHT

	CLOSE ON RADAR DISPLAY as the sweep-refresh reveals a bright 
	point of light in the middle of nowhere.

				MURPHY (O.S.)
		Merchant vessel at position one seven 
		four one five west, five seven seven 
		five north.

	Murphy holds the radio mic as Greer looks on, Epps and Dodge 
	standing back.

				MURPHY
		This is tugboat Arctic Warrior whiskey 
		alpha sierra bravo four zero niner 
		two. Over.

	Only the quiet hiss of white noise comes back from the radio 
	speaker as the bright point flashes on the radar screen.

				MURPHY
			(to radio)
		Merchant vessel at one seven four 
		one five west, five seven seven five 
		north, this is tugboat Arctic Warrior 
		whiskey alpha sierra bravo four zero 
		niner two. Over.

	Again, only white noise comes back as the point flashes on 
	the screen.

				MURPHY
		Too deep to anchor out there.

				GREER
		Looks like it's adrift.

				EPPS
		Could be a fishing boat.

				GREER
		Too big. More like a freighter.

				MURPHY
		What the hell would a freighter be 
		doing up here? It's way out of the 
		lanes. There's not a port for 800 
		miles.

				DODGE
		Smugglers maybe.

				GREER
		Smuggling what? Tundra grass?

	A beat as Murphy holds there. He raises the radio mic.

				MURPHY
		Merchant vessel at position one seven 
		four one five west, five seven seven 
		five north, this is tugboat Arctic 
		Warrior. Do you copy? Over.

	Again, only the quiet hiss of static comes back.

				GREER
		Call the Coastguard?

				MURPHY
		Steer to one eight five. Let's check 
		her out.

	EXT. OPEN OCEAN - NIGHT

	The Arctic Warrior cuts a foamy break in the ink black water.

	INT. ARCTIC WARRIOR - PILOTHOUSE - NIGHT

	CLOSE ON RADAR DISPLAY as the phantom point flashes closer.

	Murphy looks on as Greer pilots, Dodge and Epps watching.

				MURPHY
		Alright. Back it off.

	Greer throttles back and the boat slows.

				MURPHY
		Hit the lights.

	EXT. ARCTIC WARRIOR - CONTINUOUS - NIGHT

	The halogen flood lights flare to life, brilliantly 
	illuminating the water in front of the boat.

	INT. ARCTIC WARRIOR - PILOTHOUSE - CONTINUOUS - NIGHT

	The four of them look intently into the darkness beyond the 
	light. Murphy reaches for the spot control, sweeping a broad 
	beam of light with a joy stick.

	EXT. ARCTIC WARRIOR - CONTINUOUS - NIGHT

	As the tug moves along, servo motors sweep the searchlight 
	over the bow of the boat and into the darkness.

	INT. ARCTIC WARRIOR - CONTINUOUS - NIGHT

	They peer into the night beyond the boat as it slowly moves, 
	when a shadow looms into view.

				MURPHY
		Whoa, whoa.

	Greer throttles down all the way and they drift, as the shadow 
	looms bigger before them in the light from the boat.

	As they approach, the shadow appears to be a giant rusting 
	bow, rising up from the water, disappearing in the darkness 
	above them. Murphy sweeps the searchlight to reveal more of 
	what appears to be a large, darkened ship. As they come 
	around, the name "CHIMERA" can be seen above the anchor 
	alleys.

				MURPHY
		"Chimera."

	Murphy reaches for the mic, hits the LOUD HAILER.

				MURPHY
		Chimera.

	EXT. ARCTIC WARRIOR - CONTINUOUS - NIGHT

	The tug is dwarfed by the massive rusting hulk of the Chimera 
	rising above it.

				MURPHY (O.S. LOUD HAILER)
		This is civilian tugboat Arctic 
		Warrior. Is there anyone aboard?

	The quiet rumble of the tug's turbines is the only sound.

	INT. ARCTIC WARRIOR - PILOTHOUSE - CONTINUOUS - NIGHT

	Murphy raises the mic again.

				MURPHY
		Chimera, I am hove to at your port 
		bow. Is there anyone aboard?

	They wait, looking on at the silent, darkened ship under the 
	glare of their lights.

				MURPHY
		Epps, come with me. You guys sit 
		tight.

	EXT. ARCTIC WARRIOR - LATER - NIGHT

	Epps and Murphy, in heavy parkas, climb a hydraulic deck 
	crane up to the Chimera as Dodge man's the controls against 
	the movement of the water.

	INT. ARCTIC WARRIOR - CONTINUOUS - NIGHT

	Greer holds the tug steady as Epps and Murphy can be seen 
	making their way up under the floodlights.

	EXT. CHIMERA - FORWARD DECK - MOMENTS LATER - NIGHT

	Murphy pulls himself up and jumps down onto the deck. Epps 
	jumps down behind him. Murphy throws his light up on the 
	superstructure. All remnants of paint have been rusted over, 
	lending a still darker ominousness to it.

	EXT. CHIMERA - FORWARD DECK - MOMENTS LATER - NIGHT

	Murphy and Epps move cautiously along, shining their lights 
	as they go. Despite the omnipresent corrosion, everything 
	seems to be in order. The decks are clear and there is no 
	apparent damage. They come to a hatchway. Epps shines her 
	light down the darkened passage. Murphy moves in.

	INT. CHIMERA - PASSAGEWAY - CONTINUOUS - NIGHT

	Murphy and Epps move down the passageway. Even the walls in 
	here are rusted. They come to a flight of stairs.

	INT. ARCTIC WARRIOR - PILOTHOUSE - CONTINUOUS - NIGHT

	Greer and Dodge wait. Greer reaches for his radio.

				GREER
			(into radio)
		Talk to me, skipper.

	After a moment, Murphy comes back on the radio.

				MURPHY
		We're in a stairwell just under the 
		main superstructure.

	INT. CHIMERA - STAIRWAY - CONTINUOUS - NIGHT

	Murphy and Epps climb the darkened stairway.

				MURPHY
		This is definitely an old boat, maybe 
		sixty years old. She hasn't been in 
		service for at least twenty years. 
		Probably a lot longer.

	They top the stairs and walk into a wider passageway which 
	takes them into an open area. Their lights shine around them, 
	revealing sinks and counters and racks of old kitchen 
	equipment, a few pots still hanging.

	They move through the galley and into another, narrower, 
	passageway.

	INT. ARCTIC WARRIOR - PILOTHOUSE - CONTINUOUS - NIGHT

	Greer and Dodge look on.

				MURPHY
		It's funny.

				GREER
		How's that?

				MURPHY
		Besides a little rust, everything's 
		pretty well-preserved.

	Greer and Dodge look at each other.

				MURPHY
		How she got out here is one hell of 
		a good question.
			(a long beat, then)
		Jesus.

	Dodge and Greer hold there, waiting. Only silence from the 
	other end.

				GREER
		What is it?

	No answer.

				GREER
		Murphy.

	No answer.

				GREER
		Murphy, goddamit.

				MURPHY
			(finally)
		Sorry.

	Another beat in silence.

				GREER
		What is it?

	INT. CHIMERA - BALLROOM - CONTINUOUS - NIGHT

	Murphy and Epps stand at the top of a stairway, looking over 
	an immense ballroom. Murphy raises his radio.

				MURPHY
		It's a passenger ship. It's a damn 
		passenger ship.

	Though it is dark, there is enough light to see its ornate 
	opulence, tables and chairs in place near a large dance floor 
	and orchestra well, and a magnificent crystal chandelier 
	hanging over it all.

	EXT. ARCTIC WARRIOR - FOREDECK - NIGHT

	Epps and Murphy climb down the deck crane as Greer and Dodge 
	meet them at the bottom.

				MURPHY
			(jumping down)
		There's nobody on that boat.

	INT. ARCTIC WARRIOR - CREW QUARTERS - NIGHT

	Dodge, Epps, Greer and Murphy sit around the galley table.

				DODGE
		Probably slipped her moorings, got 
		tangled up in a current.

				EPPS
		Out here? What, so a seven hundred 
		foot passenger liner drifted out of 
		Spokane harbor and nobody managed to 
		bump into her until now?

				DODGE
		Somebody's probably looking for her 
		as we speak.

				MURPHY
		Whatever the reason, she's adrift 
		and abandoned. We've got every right 
		to salvage her.

				GREER
		You mean tow her back? That's a thirty 
		thousand ton ship you're talking 
		about.

				MURPHY
		We've done it before.

				DODGE
		Yeah, from one side of the harbor to 
		the other. But we got half the Bering 
		Sea and the whole Alaskan gulf to 
		drag her over.

				MURPHY
		You have any idea how much a ship 
		like that could be worth in salvage? 
		The fittings alone could go for a 
		few million.

				DODGE
		If you get it back in one piece.

				MURPHY
		It's a risk I'm willing to take.

				GREER
		All we got to do is hit some rough 
		weather and you can forget about it.

				MURPHY
		So we cut her loose and wait it out. 
		A little weather couldn't be anything 
		she hasn't seen before.

				DODGE
		It's a bloody navigation hazard.  
		One boat can't control a ship that 
		size.

				MURPHY
		The damn thing's been floating around 
		for God knows how long and it hasn't 
		hit anything yet. So we take it easy. 
		A little of the old push pull.

	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 fuckers 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.

				DODGE
		Ready?

				EPPS
		Bring it on, dude.

	Dodge disappears from the hole and his hand comes back with 
	a smaller pilot cable, which Epps takes and threads through 
	the loop at the end of the tow cable. She places the end of 
	the pilot cable in a vice collar and uses a wrench to tighten 
	it down, with the effect of joining the two cables.

				EPPS
		OK.

	Dodge disappears, pulling up the slack from the pilot cable 
	through the anchor alleys.

				DODGE (O.S.)
			(finally)
		Hit it!

	Epps reaches over and unhinges the crane hook and the tow 
	cable explosively drops, banging loudly against the Chimera's 
	hull with a shower of black rust.

	EXT. CHIMERA - WITH DODGE - CONTINUOUS - DAY

	Dodge cranks a portable pulley winch on the deck, the pilot 
	cable slowly pulling the tow cable up through the anchor 
	alley.

	It is heavy and the winch shows the strain as Dodge cranks 
	it. He continues, when something gives in the winch mechanism 
	and the whole thing slides forward on the pilot cable, 
	entangling Dodge's leg and dragging him on his ass along the 
	deck.

	EXT. ARCTIC WARRIOR - WITH EPPS - CONTINUOUS - DAY

	The tow cable creates a spray of rust and smoke as it spills 
	out of the anchor alley before Epps.

	EXT. CHIMERA - WITH DODGE - CONTINUOUS - DAY

	Dodge slides toward the anchor alley like a piece of meat 
	toward a sausage grinder, when the winch slams into it and 
	stops dead, the cable continuing on with a loud shriek 
	dangerously close to his face, until...

	EXT. ARCTIC WARRIOR - WITH EPPS - CONTINUOUS - DAY

	The last of the cable explosively whips out of the anchor 
	alley in front of Epps and splashes in the water below. A 
	beat as she holds there.

				EPPS
		Dodge? You alright?

	EXT. CHIMERA - WITH DODGE - CONTINUOUS - DAY

	Dodge lies tangled in the winch.

				DODGE
		Yes!

	EXT. ARCTIC WARRIOR - DAY

	Two tow cables extend from the Chimera's anchor alleys down 
	into the water and come up again from the water to the tow 
	anchor on the tug's stern.

	Dodge looks on as Greer and Epps stand by. He raises his 
	walkie.

				DODGE
		Alright, skipper, real easy.

	INT. ARCTIC WARRIOR - PILOTHOUSE - CONTINUOUS - DAY

	Murphy slowly throttles up, moving the boat forward. He turns 
	to see as the Chimera drops back behind them.

	EXT. ARCTIC WARRIOR - CONTINUOUS - DAY

	The tug moves slowly away from the Chimera as Epps, Greer 
	and Dodge look on.

	WIDE ON TUG AND CHIMERA

	As the tug widens the distance, leaving the Chimera in place.

	INT. ARCTIC WARRIOR - PILOTHOUSE - CONTINUOUS - DAY

	Murphy holds the helm steady as the Chimera recedes.

				DODGE
		Steady as she goes.

	EXT. ARCTIC WARRIOR - CONTINUOUS - DAY

	Dodge, Epps and Greer look on as the tow cables begin to 
	rise in their wake.

				DODGE
			(into radio)
		Throttle back.

	The tug slows as the cables rise slowly from the water.

				DODGE
		More.

	The tug slows still more.

				DODGE
		More.

	It slows still more, until the tug just creeps along, and 
	the massive tow cables rise entirely out of the water, 
	straightening as the slack is pulled out.

	EXT. CHIMERA - CONTINUOUS - DAY

	Some fifty yards behind the tug, the tow cables come taught 
	in the anchor alleys of the Chimera.

	INT. ARCTIC WARRIOR - PILOTHOUSE - CONTINUOUS - DAY

	Murphy holds the throttle.

				DODGE
		Right there, skipper. Right there.

	Murphy eases forward on the throttle and the turbines rise 
	in pitch.

	EXT. CHIMERA - CONTINUOUS - DAY

	As the tow cables stretch and the bow of the Chimera inches 
	forward.

	EXT. ARCTIC WARRIOR - CONTINUOUS - DAY

	The turbines grow louder as Greer, Epps, and Dodge look on 
	at the Chimera behind them, the massive tow cables bowing 
	under their own weight.

	INT. ARCTIC WARRIOR - PILOTHOUSE - CONTINUOUS - DAY

	Murphy eases forward on the throttle, picking up speed.

	EXT. CHIMERA - CONTINUOUS - DAY

	The giant ship CREAKS AND MOANS as it starts forward, a small 
	bow break forming on its hull.

	EXT. ARCTIC WARRIOR - CONTINUOUS - DAY

	The tug is kicking up a foaming wake as it pulls the Chimera 
	along behind it. Dodge lets out a hoot, exchanging high fives 
	with Epps and Greer.

	INT. ARCTIC WARRIOR - PILOTHOUSE - CONTINUOUS - DAY

	Murphy smiles as he looks back at the Chimera following 
	behind.

	INT. ARCTIC WARRIOR - PILOTHOUSE - DAY

	CLOSE ON A CHART. The south Bering Sea and the Gulf of Alaska. 
	A pencil traces a route.

				MURPHY (O.S.)
		I figure we go through at the Unimak 
		Pass here. Refuel at Sanak Island.

	Greer looks on from the helm as Murphy, Dodge and Epps stand 
	over the map table.

				MURPHY
		With a little extra fuel, weather 
		permitting, we should make Sitka in 
		five days without another stop.

				DODGE
		Sounds reasonable.

				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 fucker!

				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 bitch!

	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.

				GREER
		He'd let you off at the nearest port, 
		that's for sure.

	EXT. ARCTIC WARRIOR - NIGHT

	A dimming purple horizon is giving way to night as the tug 
	floats under the bow of the Chimera.

	EXT. ARCTIC WARRIOR - ENGINE ROOM - NIGHT

	Dodge works up to his elbows in turbine 1 as Greer monitors 
	a pressure gauge.

				DODGE
		How about now?

				GREER
		Sixty pounds.

				DODGE
		What? You sure?

				GREER
		That's what it says.

				DODGE
			(geting up to have a 
			look)
		Lemme see.

	INT. ARCTIC WARRIOR - PILOTHOUSE - NIGHT

	Through the pilothouse windows, the hull of the Chimera 
	disappears into the darkness beyond the tug's work lights.  
	Murphy sits at the chart table as Epps steps in.

				EPPS
		Coffee?

				MURPHY
			(sitting up)
		Yeah. Thanks.

	She brings him his cup, seeing the documents he brought back 
	from the Chimera.

				EPPS
			(taking a seat)
		What'd you find up there?

				MURPHY
		Some charts. A crew manifest.
			(looking them over)
		Looks like her last voyage was January 
		1953. The question is where the hell's 
		she been since.

				EPPS
		She was sailing up north, right?

				MURPHY
		Her destination was Halifax, yeah.

				EPPS
		Well, suppose she got a little further 
		north than she should have.  Got 
		stuck in the ice. The passengers and 
		crew evacuated. She froze into the 
		ice pack, which moved further north, 
		where it froze in solid. They write 
		it off. Fifty years later, the whole 
		global warming thing happens. The 
		ice melts, she gets loose and floats 
		around til somebody runs into her.

	Murphy nods, considering it.

				MURPHY
		As reasonable an explanation as any, 
		I guess.

	Epps takes a sip of her coffee as she thinks about it.

				MURPHY
		Ever heard of the Mary Celeste?

				EPPS
		Nope.

				MURPHY
		She was a two-masted brig boat sailing 
		out of New York in 1872.  One day 
		she was sighted off the coast of 
		Portugal by a merchant vessel, the 
		Dei Gratia. As the crew of the Dei 
		Gratia got closer, they discovered 
		that no one was at the helm of the 
		Mary Celeste. On boarding, they found 
		her completely deserted. The captain, 
		his wife, their daughter, and the 
		entire crew, all gone. The last entry 
		in their log made no mention of any 
		trouble. The table was even set for 
		dinner. And in the nine days after 
		the last entry, she sailed 700 miles 
		without anyone aboard.

				EPPS
		So what did happen?

				MURPHY
		Nobody knows. There've been a lot of 
		theories, of course. But we'll never 
		really know for sure.

				EPPS
		You think she's sailing without a 
		crew?

	Murphy looks out at the Chimera off the bow.

				MURPHY
		I think we'd be surprised where a 
		drifting ship might wind up with a 
		little wind and the right current.

				EPPS
		You're more practical than 
		superstitious.

				MURPHY
		Only way to be.

	Epps nods, takes another sip of coffee, looking on at the 
	rusting hull of the Chimera stretching off in the light.

	EXT. ARCTIC WARRIOR - DECK - DAY

	Greer operates the crane arm as Dodge directs him. The crane 
	hoists out one of the massive turbine fans onto the deck.  
	Dodge gives him the thumbs up as it comes down easily.

				MURPHY
		What's this?

				DODGE
		Turbine rotor's shot.

				MURPHY
		I thought you said it was just a 
		blade.

				DODGE
		Metal's crystallized. Gotta replace 
		the whole deal.

				MURPHY
		How much longer's that gonna take?

				DODGE
		Like I always say --

				MURPHY
		I know I know, two ways to do anything --

				DODGE
		The right way and the wrong way.

				MURPHY
		But how long?

				DODGE
		Hard to say.

				MURPHY
		We gotta get outa here, Dodge. A 
		storm blows up and we're history.

				DODGE
		I'm telling you, you don't want to 
		be running that fan like it is.

				MURPHY
		What about running number two by 
		itself?

				DODGE
		It's a full 2500 horses down. We 
		couldn't drag that boat down hill on 
		ice with it.

				MURPHY
		How long, then?

				DODGE
		I gotta pull the blades and re-seat 
		everything in a new rotor -- .

				MURPHY
		How long?

				DODGE
		Three, four days.

				MURPHY
		Goddamit, Dodge.

				DODGE
		What do you want me to tell you, 
		that we can throw this sucker back 
		in and start pulling her like nothing 
		happened? Can't do it, skipper.

	A beat as Murphy stands there, knowing he's right.

				COASTGUARD DISPATCHER (O.S RADIO)
			(from the pilothouse)
		Arctic Warrior, Arctic Warrior, Arctic 
		Warrior. This is United States 
		Coastguard. Over.

	A beat.

	INT. ARCTIC WARRIOR - PILOTHOUSE - MOMENTS LATER - DAY

	Murphy enters the pilothouse as the distance-warped VOICE 
	comes back on the radio.

				COASTGUARD DISPATCHER (V.O. RADIO)
		Arctic Warrior, Arctic Warrior, Arctic 
		Warrior. This is United States 
		Coastguard Station North Island. 
		Over.

	Murphy raises the radio mic as Epps, Dodge, and Greer step 
	in.

				MURPHY
			(to radio)
		North Island, North Island, North 
		Island. This is tugboat Arctic 
		Warrior. Over.

	After a moment, the same professional, distance-warped voice 
	comes back.

				COASTGUARD DISPATCHER (V.O. RADIO)
		Arctic Warrior, we have submitted 
		your section four two charlie salvage 
		notification. However, the 
		International Maritime Authority 
		record for a passenger vessel Chimera 
		indicates it was lost at sea in the 
		Gulf of Oman day two month two year 
		one nine five three.  Over.

	A beat as Murphy holds there.

				MURPHY
		North Island, please repeat? Over.

				COASTGUARD DISPATCHER (V.O. RADIO)
		Arctic Warrior, passenger vessel 
		Chimera was lost at sea day two month 
		two year one nine five three.  Over.

	Another beat as Murphy holds there, as the others look on.

				MURPHY
		North Island, have you got any 
		additional information? Over.

				COASTGUARD DISPATCHER (V.O. RADIO)
		Affirmative, Arctic Warrior. The 
		vessel Chimera was registered to The 
		Dobbins Kirk Line, Halifax.  Nova 
		Scotia. Date of commission day nine 
		month seven year one nine three two. 
		Over.

	A long beat as the static of the open channel comes back.

				MURPHY
		Roger, North Island. I am tied to 
		the passenger vessel Chimera. And 
		she is afloat. Repeat, she is afloat. 
		Over.

				COASTGUARD DISPATCHER (V.O. RADIO)
		Roger, Arctic Warrior. I say again, 
		our records indicate the passenger 
		vessel Chimera was lost at sea.  
		Over.

				MURPHY
		Roger, North Island. Please advise 
		pending further information. Over.

				COASTGUARD DISPATCHER (V.O. RADIO)
		Affirmative, Arctic Warrior. This is 
		United States Coast Guard North Island 
		Station. Over and out.

	A beat as they hold there, thinking about it.

				MURPHY
		Obviously it's some kind of screw 
		up. The shipping records aren't a 
		hundred percent accurate.

				DODGE
		Man, it gives me the creeps. We got 
		no business towing a ship that size 
		anyway. I say we fix the turbines 
		and hit the highway.

				GREER
		Are you crazy? Do you realize we got 
		ourselves a ship? We own a ship, 
		Dodge.

				DODGE
		Yeah, a ship that's supposed to have 
		been lost at sea fifty years ago. 
		You don't think that's just a little 
		freaky?

				EPPS
		If this thing turns out to be a ship 
		everybody thought sank a long time 
		ago, we just hit the jackpot.

				DODGE
		Yeah, well how the hell you get 
		something like that wrong? That's a 
		damn big boat. It's either sunk or 
		it ain't.

				MURPHY
		We all want to get outa here, Dodge. 
		Especially me. With that boat in 
		tow. You got three days.  Make the 
		most of it.

	A beat as Dodge looks back, then out at the Chimera.

	INT. ARCTIC WARRIOR - MASTER'S QUARTERS - NIGHT

	A pencil point on a map follows across Saudi Arabia, coming 
	to the Persian Gulf and tracing the coast of the Arab Emirates 
	to Dubayy.

	Murphy sits at his desk over the map. His pencil point follows 
	the Persian Gulf from Dubayy, through the straight of Hormuz 
	into the Gulf of Oman. Murphy marks an "X" there. A beat as 
	he looks on at it.

	He opens a large envelope he found aboard the Chimera. He 
	empties it on the desk. He looks through it, docking receipts 
	from various ports of call, bills of lading, etc. He looks 
	over the passenger manifest.

	INT. ARCTIC WARRIOR - MASTERS QUARTERS - DAY

	Murphy wakes. He lies on his bunk, having fallen asleep last 
	night in his clothes, still holding the envelope and some of 
	the papers inside.

	INT. ARCTIC WARRIOR - DECK - MOMENTS LATER - DAY

	Dodge disassembles the turbine fans on deck as Greer reads 
	in the shade of the deck house. Dodge's hand slips and he 
	skins his knuckles.

				DODGE
		Fucker!

				GREER
		Take it easy, Dodge. It's only a 
		piece of metal.

				DODGE
			(inspecting his skinned 
			knuckles)
		Damn mind of it's own.

				GREER
			(seeing Murphy)
		Morning, skipper.

	Murphy has stepped out into the sunlight.

				MURPHY
		Morning.

				GREER
		You're up late.

				MURPHY
		Guess I must've fallen back to sleep. 
		Where's Epps?

				DODGE
		Went aboard.

				MURPHY
		She take a radio?

				GREER
		Yeah.

	Murphy nods. A beat.

	INT. CHIMERA - PUBLIC ROOM - DAY

	Epps steps from a passageway into a large public room. Tables 
	and chairs are scattered haphazardly, light falling in from 
	windows along the wall where tattered curtains hang. She 
	walks on.

	A pair of empty glasses sit on a table, an empty sherry 
	decanter beside them. An ashtray sits beside that. Epps stops, 
	reaching down. She pulls back a half-smoked cigarette, 
	lipstick smudging the end, yellowing and fragile from time.  
	And, as she stands there, we see a FIGURE, IN MURKY 
	SILHOUETTE, MOVE PAST THE DOORWAY IN THE BACKGROUND. In an 
	instant it is there and gone.

	She puts down the cigarette, having sensed a presence. She 
	turns to the doorway across the room, but there is nothing 
	to be seen now.

	INT. CHIMERA - PUBLIC ROOM - MOMENTS LATER - DAY

	A doll's white face, eyes haunting and coldly blue, stares 
	into the middle distance. It lies on a love seat as Epps 
	steps up. She lifts it. Several other toys lie scattered 
	about as she studies it, when the sound of a TICKING CLOCK 
	CAN BE HEARD.

	A beat as Epps holds there. She turns, trying to locate the 
	sound. From across the room, Epps stands, listening. As the 
	TICKING CLOCK sounds from here. She turns, putting down the 
	doll, holding a beat. She approaches, crossing the room, 
	coming finally to a stop before us and what we come to see 
	is an ancient grandfather clock.

	All but it's minute hand has fallen off its corroded face, 
	but from inside it emits a weak though steady TICKING.

	Epps stands there as the clock ticks, looking on, when the 
	TICKING CEASES. A beat as she holds there, as the clock faces 
	her, now silent.

	INT. CHIMERA - PASSAGEWAY - LATER - DAY

	Epps shines her light in the darkness as she comes to a door 
	where daylight falls from a small port. She looks through 
	it.

	INT. CHIMERA - SWIMMING POOL - MOMENTS LATER - DAY

	Epps stands in a white tiled room. Light falls from port 
	holes high in the wall. Running its length is a small swimming 
	pool, it's rusted fixtures and stained surface creating 
	bizarre patterns.

	INT. CHIMERA - SWIMMING POOL - MOMENTS LATER - DAY

	Epps comes to a row of changing stalls. Old clothing hangs 
	there, unused for fifty years. A pair of woman's shoes lie 
	on the floor.

	INT. CHIMERA - SWIMMING POOL - LATER - DAY

	Epps moves along, passing through a doorway into

	INT. CHIMERA - GYMNASIUM - CONTINUOUS - DAY

	Epps enters another room scattered with old exercise equipment 
	circa 1950, a wooden rowing machine, barbells and a medicine 
	ball.

	She steps up to the wall, where pictures hang. The Chimera 
	can be seen in better days, sailing full speed on a calm 
	sea.

	INT. CHIMERA - SUB-DECK - LATER - DAY

	Epps jumps down to a lower deck. She shines her light up to 
	see that she is in an engine compartment, showing a massive 
	diesel burner. She passes through into another compartment 
	where the giant pistons of the ship's power plant rise up to 
	the ceiling.

	INT. CHIMERA - SUB-DECK - PASSAGE - MOMENTS LATER - DAY

	Epps moves, passing still more diesel burners, towering over 
	her in the cavernous space. She moves into a narrowing 
	passage, piping and machinery ducts winding their way into 
	the depths of the ship.

	Finally the passage opens into yet another compartment, 
	apparently a cargo hold. Crates and boxes are stacked on 
	loading palettes.

	In the corner, a rotting canvas drape covers something. Epps 
	comes to it. She lifts the canvas, which crumbles away to 
	reveal a 1951 Ferrari sportster. For the exception of a coat 
	of dust and a small amount of corrosion, it is perfectly 
	preserved.

	Mail bags lie in piles along the wall, stacked between more 
	wooden crates and palettes, when something catches Epps' 
	eye.

	A heavy, metal door in the wall is twisted on it's hinges, 
	as though blown back from some terrific explosive force.

	Epps approaches, coming to the twisted door. She shines her 
	light inside.

	A clutter of debris, shelving and wood, are visible in the 
	shadows, when her light catches a glint of something. She 
	swings her light back, revealing a yellowish bright object 
	between broken wood slats.

	Epps steps in. She kneels, shining the light closer. The 
	yellow glint is metal. Epps pulls back a slat, sliding away 
	some of the debris to reveal that it is cast from a kilogram 
	ingot of gold.

	She reaches out. She raises it, completely untouched by the 
	years. She pulls back still more debris, revealing a stack 
	of gold ingots, some having tumbled to the side. She slides 
	away a large trunk that has fallen, pushing off more junk to 
	see that the stack is much larger, perhaps four feet high 
	and five feet across.

	A beat as Epps stands there, looking on at $50,000,000 in 
	gold.

	INT. CHIMERA - CARGO COMPARTMENT - DAY

	The debris has been cleared away to reveal a clean 5'x 5' x 
	4' stack of gold ingots.

				DODGE (O.S.)
		What the fuck we gonna do with it?

	Greer, Murphy, Epps, and Dodge all look on.

				GREER
		What the fuck you think we gonna do 
		with it? It's ours, baby. It's all 
		ours.

	Murphy has stepped forward, taking an ingot, inspecting it.

				GREER
		How much you figure that's worth, 
		skipper?

				MURPHY
			(still looking it 
			over)
		Hard to say. Maybe forty, fifty 
		million.

				GREER
		Ho, baby!

				EPPS
		That's a lot of money for somebody 
		to just let float away.

	Murphy looks up at her from the gold.

				MURPHY
		Yes, it is.

	A beat as they all hold there.

				MURPHY
		It's a hell of a lot of money.

				DODGE
		What, you think there's something 
		funny about it?

				MURPHY
		A ship with fifty million dollars in 
		gold aboard, adrift? And nobody seems 
		to care enough to come looking for 
		it?

				GREER
		If they thought it was lost at sea, 
		they probably just wrote it off.

				MURPHY
		Not for fifty million. An ocean liner 
		maybe. But fifty million in gold, 
		they come looking for.

				EPPS
		Maybe they didn't want it back.  
		Maybe the whole fat deal was insured.

				MURPHY
		Maybe. But there's always somebody 
		whose interest's at stake.

				GREER
		All I gotta say is it looks like 
		that somebody's us right now.

	Greer cackles as he high fives Dodge.

				EPPS
		And it looks like somebody got here 
		before us too.

	The steel hatch is twisted, as from a great hand ripping it 
	back from the wall.

				DODGE
			(inspecting it)
		Didn't happen yesterday, I'll tell 
		you that. Torn parts rusted bad as 
		the rest of the boat.

				MURPHY
		Then it happened before they scuttled 
		her.

				EPPS
		You mean, before she sank.

				GREER
		Cargo like this could make a crew 
		think twice.

				MURPHY
		That it could.

	A beat, as they all look on at the gold.

	INT. ARCTIC WARRIOR - CREW QUARTERS - NIGHT

	After dinner, Murphy, Greer, Dodge and Epps sit around the 
	galley table.

				GREER
		Then why didn't they take it.

				EPPS
		Probably didn't have time.

				DODGE
		Or somebody stopped them.

				MURPHY
		Either way, they must've had a pretty 
		good reason.

				GREER
		Must be a damn good reason to jump 
		ship and leave fifty million dollars 
		aboard.

	A beat as they consider it.

				DODGE
		So what're we gonna do. That's the 
		big question, right?

				MURPHY
		A salvage claim to a vessel's cargo's 
		as valid as a claim to the vessel 
		itself. It's ours.

				DODGE
		Then we're rich. We're damn, filthy 
		stinking rich.

				MURPHY
		It looks like it.

	A beat as they let this sink in.

				GREER
		So what? We gonna unload the gold 
		and get a move on?

				MURPHY
		We leave it where it is. Stick to 
		the plan.

				DODGE
		You gotta be kidding? What the hell 
		we need that tub for, we got fifty 
		million bucks?

				MURPHY
		So we get a little more for the boat. 
		Besides, the gold'll be safer where 
		it is.

				GREER
		Yeah, but we still gotta haul that 
		big piece of shit all the way back 
		to Sitka.

				MURPHY
		It's worth the effort. Believe me.  
		Besides we're gonna need her to prove 
		the salvage.

				EPPS
		Why not call for help?

				MURPHY
		For now the best thing we can do is 
		to keep quiet about this.

				DODGE
		Last thing we want is extra partners.

				EPPS
		Or uninvited guests.

				GREER
		I heard that.

				MURPHY
		Dodge, you gotta get on those repairs.

				DODGE
		Yeah, yeah. I'm on it.

				MURPHY
		The sooner we get under way, the 
		sooner we are to spending what's 
		ours.

	INT. ARCTIC WARRIOR - ENGINE ROOM - DAY

	Dodge, wearing a welding mask and gloves, braises an aluminum 
	fitting over one of the open turbines.

	INT. CHIMERA - SUB-DECK CARGO COMPARTMENT - DAY

	Epps finishes stacking the gold ingots in a cleared space 
	beyond the twisted hatch.

				GREER
		Two hundred twenty. Two twenty one.
			(as Epps stacks the 
			last one)
		Two twenty two.

	Greer makes a note.

				GREER
		Two hundred twenty two kilograms of 
		solid gold.

				EPPS
		That's what I call a payday.

				GREER
		Hell yeah.

	They slap hands.

	INT. CHIMERA - TOP DECK - PASSAGEWAY - DAY

	Murphy moves down the darkened passage, coming to a door 
	marked "CAPTAIN." The door is ajar. He pushes it open.

	INT. CHIMERA - CAPTAIN'S QUARTERS - CONTINUOUS - DAY

	Murphy stands in the doorway of a spacious cabin panelled in 
	dark wood. A large desk occupies a corner of the room by the 
	windows. Though dirty and worn with time, everything is 
	ordered and in its place.

	Murphy comes to the desk. He sits down in the chair behind 
	it. The surface is clear and uncluttered. He pulls out the 
	drawer to reveal pens, writing paper, a ruler, compass and 
	protractor amidst other sundry items.

	INT. CHIMERA - CAPTAIN'S QUARTERS - BEDROOM - MOMENTS LATER - 
	DAY

	Murphy steps in. The room is undisturbed, light falling in 
	on the taught green bedspread through dirty, tattered 
	curtains.  A robe hangs on the back of a chair. A pair of 
	slippers lie beneath it.

	INT. CHIMERA - CAPTAIN'S QUARTERS - BATHROOM - MOMENTS LATER - 
	DAY

	Murphy stands in the bathroom. The tile has yellowed with 
	time, but everything is exactly as it was left. Even the 
	shaving kit is neatly arrayed on the sink as Murphy looks on 
	at it. He looks up, seeing himself in the mirror, when an 
	EXPLOSION SOUNDS.

	EXT. CHIMERA - TOP DECK - MOMENTS LATER - DAY

	Murphy comes to the railing, looking out over the bow of the 
	ship to see black smoke rising from where the Arctic Warrior 
	is tied.

	EXT. CHIMERA - FORWARD DECK - MOMENTS LATER - DAY

	Greer and Epps run to the side to see billowing smoke rising 
	from the Arctic Warrior as Murphy climbs down the crane to 
	the deck.

	EXT. ARCTIC WARRIOR - CONTINUOUS - DAY

	Murphy jumps down to the deck. Flames belch from an open 
	hatch as Murphy grabs a fire extinguisher from a deck locker, 
	coming to the engine room door.

	INT. ARCTIC WARRIOR - ENGINE ROOM - CONTINUOUS - DAY

	Murphy enters to find the engine room engulfed in flames and 
	black smoke. He finds Dodge spraying at it with an 
	extinguisher of his own.

	The flames belch up from an oil fire in the turbine well, 
	the heat searing paint on the metal covers. Murphy sprays a 
	cloud of halon and the fire dims, but only for a moment.

	Dodge grabs another extinguisher, his leg burned, face and 
	hands singed.

	An EXPLOSION ROCKS THE BOAT and molten flames hurl through 
	the air, catching Murphy's pant leg. He's so engrossed in 
	fighting the flames, he doesn't realize he's on fire.

				DODGE
			(over the roar)
		Murphy!

	Murphy looks down to see his pant leg is on fire, as Dodge 
	turns a cloud of halon on him, putting it out.

				DODGE
		Propane tanks're gonna go!

	Murphy crosses in the smoke, coming as close as he dares to 
	the most intense part of the flames. He turns the extinguisher 
	into them, holding it there.

	The flames dim, as Dodge joins him on the other side, turning 
	his extinguisher on it too. The fire seems to dim yet again 
	as clouds of halon rise up.

	Fire belches from a duct, crawling across the ceiling. Dodge 
	fires his extinguisher at it, pushing it back across to the 
	wall again.

	Murphy extinguishes the last of the flames in the turbine 
	well as Dodge brings a snaking tendril of fire down to the 
	deck, and finally out.

	They stand there in the sudden silence, the air heavy with 
	smoke. A fine layer of halon powder lies over everything, 
	but the fire is out.

	EXT. ARCTIC WARRIOR - DECK - DAY

	Dodge smokes a cigarette, now starting to feel his burned 
	leg, which is oozing as Murphy and Greer look on.

				DODGE
		One minute I'm minding my own 
		business, the next thing I know the 
		whole place is burning up.
			(taking a drag)
		An oxygen tank must've blown on the 
		welder. Started an oil fire.

				GREER
		Looks like it took out the backup 
		genny too.

				MURPHY
		Terrific.

	Epps arrives with a first aid kit.

				MURPHY
		How's that leg?

	Epps cuts back the burned pant leg to see the burn.

				DODGE
		Seen better -- Ow!

	Epps cleans the burn with hydrogen peroxide.

				EPPS
		This's gonna hurt a little.

				DODGE
		Thanks for the warning -- Ow! Damn!

	Epps keeps cleaning as Dodge bears it.

				GREER
		What now?

				MURPHY
		We could call for help.

				GREER
		And get a bunch of fools sniffin' 
		around here?

				EPPS
		What other choices have we got?

				DODGE
		I tell you one thing, we're not gonna 
		be towing no ship now.

	INT. ARCTIC WARRIOR - PILOT HOUSE - NIGHT

	A gas lantern sits on the map table illuminating Murphy as 
	he holds the radio mic.

				MURPHY
			(to radio)
		United States Coastguard, this is 
		tugboat Arctic Warrior whiskey alpha 
		sierra bravo four zero niner two. 
		Radio check. Over.

	A moment, then:

				COASTGUARD DISPATCHER (V.O. RADIO)
		Arctic Warrior, Arctic Warrior, Arctic 
		Warrior. This is United States 
		Coastguard Station North Island. 
		Your radio check is affirmative. 
		Over.

				MURPHY
		Roger that, North Island. Arctic 
		Warrior whiskey alpha sierra bravo 
		four zero niner two. Over and out.

	INT. ARCTIC WARRIOR - CREW QUARTERS - NIGHT

	Dodge pours out a few cans of cold chili into a bowl and 
	takes it to the table where Epps, Greer, and Murphy sit under 
	the stark light of a gas lantern.

				GREER
		Fifty million four ways. That's twelve 
		million and change a piece.  What 
		you gonna do with your share, skipper?

				MURPHY
		Not much at all, I guess. Retire.  
		Live out my golden years and all 
		that.

				DODGE
		I'm buyin' me a nice outrigger.  
		Spend my time hauling rich Seattle 
		business men through the Puget.

				MURPHY
		How about you Epps?

				EPPS
		Guess I'll just keep working.

				DODGE
		What're you crazy?

				EPPS
		I like my job.

				MURPHY
		Greer?

				GREER
		Moving to Sweden.

				DODGE
		What's so great about Sweden?

				GREER
		It's a beautiful country. Very clean. 
		Very civilized. And cold.

				EPPS
		That's a good thing?

				GREER
		Hell, yeah. I like it cold. Colder 
		the better.

				DODGE
		Yeah, but not as cold as those Swedish 
		girls you only gonna dream about.

				GREER
		We'll see who's dreamin', m'man.

				MURPHY
		Dreamin's all any of you're gonna be 
		doing if we don't get this boat 
		running.

				DODGE
		Yeah, yeah.

	A STRANGE SOUND BEGINS. IT IS LIKE A DISTANT SHRIEKING, AS 
	OF METAL AGAINST METAL, BUT ALMOST HUMAN, DISTANTLY ECHOING.

				GREER
		What the hell is that?

	The SHRIEKING CONTINUES, ECHOING EERILY AS IF FROM THE SEA.

	EXT. ARCTIC WARRIOR - DECK - MOMENTS LATER - NIGHT

	Dodge, Epps, Murphy and Greer emerge on deck.

	The DISTANT SHRIEKING IS LOUDER HERE, BUT SEEMS TO BE 
	EMANATING FROM DEEP IN THE SHIP as they stand facing it on 
	the bow.

				EPPS
		It's coming from inside.

	They hold there listening as the SHRIEKING CONTINUES.

				DODGE
		Sounds like the hull.

				MURPHY
		Warm water current maybe, making the 
		metal expand.

				GREER
		That shit is seriously bizarre.

	The DISTANT SHRIEKING ECHO continues as they hold there.

	EXT. ARCTIC WARRIOR - DECK - DAY

	The engine room is black with soot, the turbines covered in 
	halon powder. Dodge stands there looking at it. He sighs.

	INT. CHIMERA - GALLEY - DAY

	Greer goes through shelves of supplies, finding a stack of 
	sterno cans and warming candles. He throws them into a wooden 
	crate of other supplies he's gathered.

	INT. CHIMERA - FIRST CLASS STATEROOM - DAY

	Epps slowly pushes open the door. She holds a sack with a 
	few items she's managed to scavenge. Light falls from 
	curtained windows onto the room. A divan sits against the 
	wall. A table stands in the middle of the room, a moth-eaten 
	velvet table cloth sitting under a brass lamp on top. Two 
	twin beds stand on either side. They are covered in dust and 
	are moth-eaten, unmade, as if the occupants had just gotten 
	up, fifty years ago.

	In one corner is an armoire. Epps steps up to it, pulling 
	back the door to reveal a rack of woman's clothing hanging 
	there undisturbed.

	INT. CHIMERA - STATEROOM - MOMENTS LATER - DAY

	A pair of slippers lie on the floor beside a chair, over 
	which is draped a woman's robe. Epps lifts it, the material 
	crumbling in her hands.

	INT. CHIMERA - STATEROOM - MOMENTS LATER - DAY

	A drawer comes back to reveal a number of personal affects, 
	a man's billfold, cuff links, tarnished silver cigarette 
	holder and case, coins, black horn-rimmed glasses, pocket 
	watch and fob, and a room key.

	Epps pulls back the billfold. She opens it. Inside she finds 
	a Canadian passport a picture of a dark-haired man with a 
	mustache and black horn-rimmed glasses, circa 1950. In the 
	folds she finds three hundred Canadian dollars. An insert 
	holds pictures, of a suburban home, children, and a woman, 
	presumably his wife.

	INT. CHIMERA - "A" DECK PASSAGE - LATER - DAY

	Epps steps from the room. She turns to close the door, but 
	stops, holding there, strongly sensing something.

	THE CAMERA SLOWLY COMES AROUND TO HER OTHER SIDE, revealing 
	the long passageway behind her, each bulkhead hatchway 
	creating the impression of a tunnel of mirrors that frame 
	one another and, standing at the very end of this tunnel in 
	the foggy light from a porthole, a MAN in dark clothing.

	Epps slowly turns her head to see what she already senses, 
	the man standing at the end of the passageway facing her. A 
	beat as they hold there. The man only stares back at her, 
	then turns to walk away.

				EPPS
		Hey!

	Epps moves off as the man walks around the corner.

				EPPS
		Hey, wait a minute! Hey!

	MOVING WITH Epps as she breaks into a run, going down the 
	passageway. She comes to the corner, rounding it out onto 
	another passageway. The man is nowhere to be seen.

	Epps moves quickly down the passageway, coming to the next 
	corner, rounding it out to see only another long passageway.  
	She turns back, running right into Murphy.

				MURPHY
		Take it easy, you'll live longer.

				EPPS
		Did you see him?

				MURPHY
		Who?

				EPPS
		The guy. He just came this way.

				MURPHY
		What guy?

				EPPS
		There's somebody else on this boat.

				MURPHY
		What? What the hell're you talking 
		about.

				EPPS
		I saw him. Just a minute ago. Some 
		guy.

				MURPHY
		Are you sure?

				EPPS
		Of course I'm sure. I saw him.

				MURPHY
		You sure it wasn't me?

				EPPS
		It wasn't you. It was somebody else. 
		There's somebody else aboard.

	A beat as Murphy looks back at her.

	INT. ARCTIC WARRIOR - PILOT HOUSE - NIGHT

	Greer, Dodge, Murphy, and Epps stand around by lantern light.

				DODGE
		Light in those passages ain't so 
		good.

				EPPS
		I'm telling you, I saw somebody. I 
		don't know who it was. But I saw 
		somebody.

				GREER
		What'd he look like?

				EPPS
		Maybe six feet. Lanky. I didn't get 
		a good look. He was far away. But I 
		saw him. I saw him as sure as you're 
		standing there.

				DODGE
		Where's his boat, then? Where's his 
		crew? He ain't gonna be out here by 
		himself, that's for damn sure.

				GREER
		She's so big somebody could come 
		alongside her on the other side and 
		we'd never know it.

				EPPS
		Maybe that is his boat.

				DODGE
		Gimme a break.

	A beat as they sit in silence.

				MURPHY
		If somebody's aboard her already, 
		she ain't ours. She's theirs.

				DODGE
		Bullshit. That boat hasn't made steam 
		for fifty years. We found her. She's 
		ours.

				MURPHY
		Not in the eyes of the law.

				EPPS
		So, we find this guy and make a deal 
		with him.

				MURPHY
		We don't exactly have the best 
		bargaining position.

				DODGE
		I say fuck the motherfucker. We're a 
		professional salvage crew going about 
		our business. What's some yahoo doing 
		way out here by himself anyway?

				MURPHY
		And what do you propose? That we 
		knock this guy off?

				DODGE
		Why not? Why the fuck not?

	A beat as Murphy, Greer and Epps exchange looks.

				DODGE
		Fifty million dollars. Fifty million. 
		We gonna let this guy just take it 
		from us? One guy?

				EPPS
		So we kill him?

				DODGE
		I'm saying we gotta do whatever we 
		gotta do to preserve our interest.

				GREER
		I don't know.

				MURPHY
		Let's just take it easy here, alright? 
		Nobody's gonna kill anybody.

				GREER
		Supposing he wants to get bad with 
		us?

				DODGE
		One guy isn't gonna be so stupid.

				EPPS
		Maybe he isn't alone.

	They consider this a moment.

				GREER
		I say we off-load some of that gold 
		now.

				MURPHY
		Would you hold on just a minute here, 
		please? Look, there's no reason to 
		panic now. Epps saw somebody. Fine. 
		It's a big boat.  Chances're real 
		good he doesn't even know about the 
		gold. If we stay cool, nobody'll be 
		the wiser.
			(a beat)
		The gold stays where it is til we're 
		ready to go. Like I said, it'll be a 
		hell of a lot safer there than here.

				DODGE
		What if that fucker finds it before 
		we're ready to go?

				MURPHY
		We'll stand a watch. Four on, eight 
		off. Low man first.

				EPPS
		Guess that'd be me. Again.

				MURPHY
		Dodge, get on that turbine. I don't 
		care if you don't sleep for a week.  
		The sooner you're done, the sooner 
		we can get out of here. How's the 
		food situation?

				GREER
		Pretty low all around.

				MURPHY
		We'll have to take it easy then. I 
		don't think we'll find much aboard 
		the ship, but it's probably worth 
		looking around.

				EPPS
		Say we run into this guy again.

	A beat as they consider this.

				MURPHY
		If he's reasonable, maybe we can 
		make some kind of deal. If not.  
		We'll have to re-consider our options.

				DODGE
		Yeah, reconsider fucking his shit 
		up.

	INT. ARCTIC WARRIOR - WARD LOCKER - NIGHT

	Epps is dressed in her cold weather gear as she opens a 
	locker, revealing a flare gun and a shotgun. Epps pulls back 
	the shotgun and a box of shells.

	EXT. ARCTIC WARRIOR - DECK - NIGHT

	Murphy and Dodge look on as Epps loads the last of several 
	shotgun shells into the pump action short barrel 12-gauge.  
	She expertly shuttles a round into the chamber with one hand.  
	Dodge takes a hit from his cigarette as Greer crosses from 
	the deck house.

				DODGE
		Pretty handy with that scatter gun, 
		Epps. You raised on a farm?

				EPPS
			(setting the safety)
		Seen a lota movies.

				MURPHY
		No cowboy shit up there, understand?

				EPPS
		No cowboy shit. Right.

	Greer extends a thermos to Epps.

				GREER
		Coffee.

				EPPS
			(pocketing it in her 
			coat)
		You're a pal.

	She checks the squelch on her radio, pockets it too.

				MURPHY
		Got your light?

				EPPS
		Yup.

				DODGE
		Smokes?

				EPPS
		Oh yeah.

	Her bravado does little to hide her apprehension as she slings 
	the shotgun on her back.

				EPPS
		See you boys later.
			(to Greer)
		Don't be late, I need my beauty rest.

	She looks up, climbs onto the crane and up toward the darkened 
	ship above them.

	INT. CHIMERA - PASSAGEWAY - NIGHT

	A flashlight beam cuts through the darkness as Epps 
	approaches. If this place is creepy in the daylight, it is 
	terrifying now. She comes to a ladder and climbs down.

	INT. CHIMERA - CARGO COMPARTMENT - LATER - NIGHT

	Epps shines her light as she passes through, coming to the 
	cargo hold. She crosses in the darkness, her light catching 
	the tarnished glint of the gold. She comes up to it, stopping 
	there, looking on at it, a perfectly symmetrical fortune.

	She looks around for a place to sit. She drags a palette to 
	the bulkhead, settling in to face the rest of the compartment. 
	She puts her shotgun down beside her and takes out her thermos 
	to pour herself a cup of coffee.

	INT. CHIMERA - CARGO COMPARTMENT - LATER - NIGHT

	Epps has dozed off when a CLATTERING ECHOES DISTANTLY 
	somewhere in the ship. Epps wakes. It is silent, as she holds 
	there, not sure she heard anything, when a DISTANT BOOMING 
	SOUNDS. She reaches out for the shotgun, intently listening.

	As Epps holds there, another deep BOOMING sounds distantly 
	somewhere. Epps turns, her blood running cold.

	INT. CHIMERA - CARGO COMPARTMENT - MOMENTS LATER - NIGHT

	Epps moves along in the darkness when the DISTANT BOOMING 
	CAN BE HEARD BRIEFLY AGAIN. She stops, holding there, in the 
	silence.

	INT. CHIMERA - SHAFT ALLEY - MOMENTS LATER - NIGHT

	Epps jumps down into the shaft alley where the ship's massive 
	propeller shaft hangs suspended above her. Epps moves along.  
	Finally she comes out into...

	INT. CHIMERA - ENGINE ROOM - CONTINUOUS - NIGHT

	Where the propeller shaft extends into a large turbine. She 
	continues on, past huge rusting diesel burners, disappearing 
	into the darkness above her, when ANOTHER BOOM SOUNDS.

	She turns, shinning her light back from where she came.  
	Nothing moves. Not a sound, but for her breathing and maybe 
	her heart pounding in her chest. ANOTHER BOOM SOUNDS, again 
	echoing distantly in the silence. She shines her light through 
	the line of burners. Nothing moves.

	Epps moves quietly between the burners. She comes to a massive 
	watertight door at the bulkhead. She steps through, finding 
	herself standing between a row of huge oil storage tanks. 
	THE BOOMING SOUNDS AGAIN, closer, as suddenly stopping.

	She moves on, cautiously walking between the tanks, holding 
	her light out before her. She comes to the end of the 
	compartment and another bulkhead. The BOOMING SOUNDS, still 
	closer. She turns the light into the recesses, showing rusting 
	machinery and a stack of oil drums.

	She approaches, holding the shotgun up. As she nears, the 
	BOOMING SOUNDS AGAIN. She stops. It is coming from here.

	She tenses, raising the shotgun, holding the light as steady 
	as she can manage. The BOOMING SOUNDS YET AGAIN. It is 
	metallic and staccato.

	She stops in the corner beside an oil drum. Several drums 
	have toppled and lie scattered in a pile when a draft stirs 
	her hair. She shines her light up to see that she stands at 
	the bottom of a giant hatchway shaft rising all the way 
	through the ship to the top deck and an echoey breeze that 
	betrays a throughway to the outside.

	The BOOMING SOUNDS AGAIN, this time coming from the pile of 
	oil drums. She steps closer, raising the shotgun, ready to 
	fire. A beat as she summons her courage, then reaches out to 
	push a drum with her foot, when A BLUR EXPLODES OUT AT HER.  
	She fires the shotgun and a spray of buckshot glances off 
	the steel bulkhead in a shower of sparks, a flurry of frenetic 
	flapping whizzing by her head as she looks up to see a large 
	albatross flying back up the hatchway shaft toward the top 
	of the ship and freedom.

				MURPHY
		Murphy to Epps.

	She settles back, exhausted.

				MURPHY
		Murphy to Epps.

				EPPS
			(taking her radio)
		Epps.

				MURPHY
		You just shoot at something?

				EPPS
		Yeah. Just a bird. Just a stupid 
		bird.

	She wipes her brow on her sleeve, holding there a moment, 
	when she smells something really awful.

	She steps forward, following the smell, pushing aside the 
	toppled oil drums to see an unidentifiable form in the beam 
	of her flashlight. She steps still closer, training her light 
	on the form to see that it is a human torso.  A large gash 
	runs up its middle and the clothing has been torn by 
	scavenging birds.

	She hesitates, then steps still closer when she steps on 
	something. She starts, then shines the light on the deck in 
	front of her where the body's decaying head looks back with 
	wide, unseeing eyes.

	It takes everything she has just to hold there. She shines 
	her light back to the headless torso.

	She shines her light beyond that, and up, to reveal a bent 
	steam pipe hanging out over the deck, stained with dried 
	blood, a pair of legs dangling from the pipe when, just behind 
	her, a booted foot comes into frame, lightly touching her.

	She spins around to see another body above her. Except this 
	one hangs in one piece, suspended from another bent steam 
	pipe. It has been impaled length-wise on the pipe from rectum 
	to mouth.

	One of its arms has rotted off and lies on the deck below 
	it.  A few feet away, a third body hangs impaled from another 
	bent pipe.

	INT. CHIMERA - ENGINE ROOM - LATER - NIGHT

	A lantern illuminates the impaled bodies and their various 
	rotting parts.

				GREER (O.S.)
		Ho-ly shit.

				MURPHY (O.S.)
		Couldn't have happened much more 
		than a month ago.

	Greer, Dodge, and Epps look on as Murphy kneels over the 
	remains of the headless torso.

				MURPHY
		Bodies're too fresh.

				DODGE
		Fresh ain't the first word that comes 
		to mind.

	Murphy checks the pockets, finding a wallet. He looks through 
	it.

				MURPHY
		Greek citizen. Merchant navy.
			(standing)
		Obviously we aren't the first to 
		come across this ship. They probably 
		stumbled across it just like we did.

				GREER
		And look what happened.

				DODGE
		Damn barbaric is what it is.

				MURPHY
		Could be meant as a warning.

				GREER
		Stay away. Or else.

				EPPS
		Because of the gold.

				MURPHY
		That'd be my guess.

				DODGE
		So whoever did this might still be 
		around.

				GREER
		Maybe Epps's mystery man had something 
		to do with it.

				MURPHY
		Maybe.

	A beat as they consider the implications of this.

				EPPS
		So, what? We report this? Call the 
		Coastguard?

	Another beat as they hold there.

				DODGE
		Let's not be too hasty.

				GREER
		Yeah. Hell, what difference does it 
		make if we report it now or later?  
		We call this in now, gonna be 
		Coastguard, FBI, who knows who, all 
		over the place.

	A beat as nobody's too sure about this.

				MURPHY
		Dodge, if this isn't incentive enough 
		to fix that boat, I don't know what 
		is.

						 DISSOLVE TO:

	INT. ARCTIC WARRIOR - ENGINE ROOM - DAY

	Dodge fires up a compressor, which feebly comes to life, 
	turning over the turbine, then sputtering out in a cloud of 
	smoke.

				DODGE
		All the seals and gaskets're shot.  
		Anything that was rubber burned up.

	Murphy stands at the doorway, looking on.

				MURPHY
		Can't you use something else?

				DODGE
		I might be able to find something on 
		the ship. But it's gonna take time.

				MURPHY
		Do what you need to do. Just do it 
		fast.

				DODGE
		Right.

	INT. CHIMERA - CREW QUARTERS - DAY

	Epps sleeps in her bunk.

	INT. CHIMERA - BETWEEN DECKS - DAY

	Dodge and Greer climb down in the darkness.

				DODGE
		I need lag bolts, especially one 
		inch standard. And sheet metal.  
		Preferably steel, about a sixteenth 
		of an inch. Aluminium, even tin'll 
		do.

				GREER
		I ain't no mechanic, just so you 
		know.

				DODGE
		You find anything that even looks 
		like a compressor. I don't care what, 
		grab it.

	INT. CHIMERA - RADIO ROOM - CONTINUOUS - DAY

	Murphy stands in the cramped room, full of radios and 
	communications equipment. He looks through the shelves and 
	cabinets, when he opens a drawer to find a dusty bound book.  
	He pulls it back, opening it to see that it is a radio call 
	log. He takes a seat, paging through it.

	INT. CHIMERA - GALLEY - WITH GREER - LATER - DAY

	Greer works to disassemble a compressor mechanism. He has 
	difficulty getting the right purchase with his wrench, when 
	he slips.

				GREER
		Dammit!

	A beat as he inspects his hand. In the silence A DISTANT 
	SHRIEK SOUNDS, maybe metal against metal or maybe human, 
	somewhere in the ship. He holds there, listening.

				GREER
		Dodge?

	He moves on, shinning his light as he goes.

	INT. CHIMERA - GALLEY - MOMENTS LATER - DAY

	Greer moves along in the darkness when he hears THE SHRIEKING 
	AGAIN coming from somewhere in the ship.

				GREER
		Dodge!

	INT. CHIMERA - PASSAGEWAY - MOMENTS LATER - DAY

	Greer walks up a stairway, stepping into a darkened 
	passageway. The SHRIEKING SOUNDS, THIS TIME CLOSER, as it 
	echoes through the ship. He stops, holding there to listen.

	INT. CHIMERA - PASSAGEWAY - MOMENTS LATER - DAY

	Greer comes out onto another deck, stopping there. He looks 
	down the passageway a beat, then moves on. He passes through 
	a hatchway in a bulkhead when A MUSIC BOX CAN BE DISTANTLY 
	HEARD. He stops. The song is "DAISY" ("Daisy, Daisy, give me 
	your answer do. I'm half crazy, oh for the love of you.").

	He holds there, listening intently. A door stands open at 
	the other end of the passage. The MUSIC COMES FROM HERE. He 
	moves forward, walking toward the end of the passage, and 
	the light falling from the open door.

	INT. CHIMERA - RADIO ROOM - CONTINUOUS - DAY

	Murphy pages forward to the last page of the radio call log 
	book.

	On the page his finger runs down the columns of entries, 
	coming to "TRANSMISSION 1 Feb 53 21:34 hrs GMT. Engine trouble 
	notification made to passing vessel 'St. Charles.'"

	His finger moves down to the next entry, coming to: 
	"TRANSMISSION 2 Feb 53 09:52 hrs GMT. Dead in Water.  
	Notification made to passing vessel 'Normandy.'"

	His finger continues: "TRANSMISSION 2 Feb 53 14:07 hrs GMT.  
	Captain relieved of command. Notification made to passing 
	vessel 'China Sea.'"

				MURPHY
		Captain relieved of command.

	He holds there a moment, moving his finger down to the final 
	entry, reading: "TRANSMISSION 2 Feb 53 21:24 hrs GMT. General 
	SOS."

	He turns the page to see only the words "GOD SAVE US" scrawled 
	in faded red ink. A beat as he holds there, when a CHANNEL 
	OPENS WITH A SHORT BURST ON MURPHY'S RADIO. He looks to it, 
	but there is no response from the other end. Another SHORT 
	BURST AND THE CHANNEL OPENS AGAIN. This time it remains open, 
	but no one says anything on the other end, UNTIL THE CHANNEL 
	CLOSES AGAIN.

	Murphy takes the radio.

				MURPHY
		This is Murphy. Anybody trying to 
		call me? Over.

	He waits as no response comes, then THE CHANNEL OPENS AGAIN.  
	Only silence from the other end as someone seems to be there, 
	but is not saying anything. Murphy presses the talk button.

				MURPHY
		Greer? Dodge?

	Again, there is no response, until the CHANNEL OPENS. Murphy 
	holds there as he is answered by silence, WHEN A GRAVELLY, 
	STRANGELY DISTORTED MALE VOICE COMES BACK ON THE RADIO:

				VOICE (V.O. RADIO)
		"Cock-a-doodle-doo," said the rooster 
		to the crow. "Where are you now? I 
		know, but won't say so."

	Murphy is momentarily stunned. He hits the talk button.

				MURPHY
		Who is this?

	The RADIO CHANNEL OPENS. Only silence comes back, as if 
	someone were there but not speaking.

				MURPHY
		Who is this!!

	The CAMERA PUSHES IN AS MURPHY LISTENS.

				VOICE
		Penny whistle toy. Penny whistle 
		toy. Penny whistle toy. Penny whistle 
		toy.

	The CHANNEL CLOSES as the CAMERA STOPS CLOSE ON MURPHY.  
	Murphy squeezes the talk button.

				MURPHY
		Greer! Dodge!

	Only silence comes back from the radio when A MAN'S BLOOD 
	CURDLING SCREAM sounds from somewhere in the ship.

	INT. CHIMERA - PASSAGEWAY - MOMENTS LATER - DAY

	Murphy moves quickly down the passageway when his radio 
	sounds.

				DODGE
		Dodge to Murphy.

				MURPHY
			(taking radio)
		Murphy.

				DODGE
		You better get down here quick, 
		skipper. I'm on "C" deck. Cabin 400.

				MURPHY
		What is it?

				DODGE
		I think you better see this for 
		yourself.

	INT. CHIMERA - STAIRWAY/PASSAGEWAY - MOMENTS LATER - DAY

	Murphy comes down the stairs and into the passageway we saw 
	Greer in earlier. At the end, the light from the cabin falls 
	from the open door as he approaches.

	AT CABIN 400

	As Murphy comes to the door to see Dodge standing in the 
	middle of the cabin.

				DODGE
		I found him like this.

	Greer is lying supine on the floor. His legs are rigid and 
	his trunk is extended. His arms are flexed and twisted so 
	that the palms are facing away, fingers splayed, wrists 
	quaking over his chest as they fight to touch each other.

	Murphy kneels beside him. Greer's eyelids are half closed, 
	his eyes rolled up into his head. His jaw is clenched, face 
	contorted in a bizarre grimace. And he speaks, uttering 
	nonsense words in harsh expulsions, as though speaking in 
	tongues.

				GREER
		Oragishlaoomnudrasadrafantoshviska 
		getofedobrodijotosiantosg.

	INT. ARCTIC WARRIOR - CREW QUARTERS - DAY

	AN EYE - EXTREMELY CLOSE

	As a light shines in it, the pupil is fixed and dilated.

				EPPS (O.S.)
		Hard to say.

	BACK TO SCENE

	Greer lies unconscious on a bunk, now quiet, no longer seizing 
	as Epps shines a flashlight into his eye, Dodge and Murphy 
	looking on. She turns it off, standing upright.

				EPPS
		I'm no doctor. But I'd say he's in a 
		coma.

				DODGE
		A what?

				EPPS
		I don't know what else you'd call 
		it. He's breathing on his own, but 
		his pupils are completely blown out. 
		He's totally unresponsive to pain.
			(a beat)
		What happened up there?

				DODGE
		I heard a scream. When I got there I 
		found him on the floor. He was having 
		some kind of seizure. I didn't see 
		anybody else.

				MURPHY
		He must've seen something.

	A beat as they consider this.

				EPPS
		Other than the obvious, there's 
		nothing wrong with him that I can 
		see, not on the outside.

				DODGE
		Then what the hell happened to him?

	Another beat as they hold there.

				MURPHY
		Just before I heard him yell there 
		was somebody on the radio.

				EPPS
		Greer?

				MURPHY
		I don't know. No. Not Greer.  
		Somebody.

	Another long beat as they think about this.

				MURPHY
		It was a man's voice. Repeating some 
		sort of children's rhyme. I don't 
		know, it didn't make any sense. You 
		didn't hear it?

				DODGE
		Not me.

	Another beat as this sinks in.

				EPPS
			(looking to Greer)
		He needs a doctor.

				MURPHY
		I'll call us in. Dodge, see how many 
		signal flares you can scrounge up.
			(to Epps, meaning 
			Dodge)
		Keep an eye on him.

	INT. ARCTIC WARRIOR - PILOT HOUSE - NIGHT

	A gas lantern sits on the map table illuminating Murphy as 
	he holds the radio mic.

				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.

	No response.

				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.

	Again, no response. He holds there, then finally:

				MURPHY
			(to radio)
		Mayday. Mayday. Mayday. To any vessel. 
		This is Arctic Warrior.  Arctic 
		Warrior. Arctic Warrior.  Whiskey 
		alpha sierra bravo four zero niner 
		two. Last known position one seven 
		four west, five seven north. I am 
		afloat and drifting.  Require 
		immediate medical assistance for one 
		person, possibly comatose. I am a 
		one hundred twenty foot civilian 
		tug, hove to at port bow of disabled 
		passenger liner Chimera. I repeat, 
		Chimera. Over.

	Only the desolate WHITE NOISE OF EMPTY AIR COMES BACK.

	INT. ARCTIC WARRIOR - CREW QUARTERS - NIGHT

	Greer lies unconscious as Epps looks on at him. The door 
	comes open and Murphy steps in.

				MURPHY
		How's he doing?

				EPPS
		Same. Any luck?

				MURPHY
		No. I'll try again later.

	A beat as they look on at Greer.

	INT. ARCTIC WARRIOR - CREW QUARTERS - NIGHT

	Murphy and Epps sit at the galley table. Epps reads the log 
	book Murphy found in the radio room.

				EPPS
			(reading it)
		They're dead in the water that 
		morning. Four hours later the 
		captain's relieved of his command.  
		And that evening they issue a general 
		SOS.

				MURPHY
		Possibly false. Hence the IMA record 
		of being lost at sea. I don't think 
		mutiny's out of the question here.

				DODGE
			(taking a seat)
		On a passenger ship in 1953?

				MURPHY
		If they knew what they were carrying.

				EPPS
		You're saying they mutinied for the 
		gold?

				MURPHY
		If they were close enough to shore, 
		they probably figured they could get 
		away in the lifeboats.

				EPPS
		Only something must've gone wrong.

				DODGE
		Yeah, way wrong.

	A beat as they consider it.

				DODGE
		So. I got a question. Just from a, 
		you know, purely technical standpoint. 
		We call the Coastguard.  Coastguard 
		shows up. What exactly is the plan?

				MURPHY
		How do you mean?

				DODGE
		Well, they're gonna be asking a lot 
		of questions. About us. About those 
		bodies. About the gold. Seems like 
		we oughta be prepared is all.

				MURPHY
		I guess the best strategy's just to 
		tell them the truth.

				DODGE
		Yeah, well. The truth is one thing.  
		When there's more than a few hundred 
		million dollars involved, that's a 
		whole new deal.

				MURPHY
		What do you propose?

				DODGE
		For starters, getting that gold off 
		the ship. What they don't know about 
		isn't gonna bother them.

	A beat as Murphy holds there.

				MURPHY
		There's no way we're gonna hide a 
		few thousand pounds of gold from the 
		Coastguard here. Besides, it'll be 
		safer where it is.

				DODGE
		With all due respect, skipper.
			(a beat)
		Part of that up there's mine. I'd 
		kinda like to have a little say in 
		what happens to it.

	A beat as Murphy looks on.

				MURPHY
		Tell you what, Dodge. Once we get 
		back to shore, you can do whatever 
		you want with your share. But until 
		then, the gold stays right where it 
		is.

	Dodge holds there. He looks to Epps a beat, takes a drink of 
	coffee.

	EXT. CHIMERA - DAY

	The sun comes up over a spectacular cloud bank as the Arctic 
	Warrior drifts alongside the Chimera.

	EXT. ARCTIC WARRIOR - DAY

	Murphy crosses to the deck house, climbs the stairs.

	INT. ARCTIC WARRIOR - PILOTHOUSE - CONTINUOUS - DAY

	Murphy opens the door, stopping dead in his tracks. A beat.  
	He steps forward, crossing to the corner.

	The radio set lies before him, dented in and completely 
	demolished, as if someone had taken a bat to it.

	INT. ARCTIC WARRIOR - ENGINE ROOM - MOMENTS LATER - DAY

	Dodge works on one of the turbines when he is grabbed from 
	behind and shoved into the wall. Murphy holds him fast.

				MURPHY
		Just what the hell do you think you're 
		doing?!

				DODGE
		I don't know what you're talking 
		about?

				MURPHY
		I think you know.

				DODGE
		Maybe you can tell me then.

	Murphy shoves him hard into the wall.

				MURPHY
		The radio!

				DODGE
			(not having a clue)
		The radio. Oh, yeah, the radio.

	Murphy tightens his grip.

				DODGE
		Take it easy, willya? What about the 
		radio?!

				MURPHY
		You smashed it!

				DODGE
		What?!

				MURPHY
		Don't lie to me!

				DODGE
		What the fuck -- ?

				MURPHY
		You didn't want us calling anybody.  
		Too liable to ruin your big payday.

				DODGE
		I didn't touch the fucking radio.

	Murphy tightens his grip still more.

				DODGE
		I didn't touch the fucking radio!
			(a beat)
		Ever occur to you there's somebody 
		else on that boat, skipper?

				MURPHY
		Conveniently enough for you.

				DODGE
		Look, I didn't touch it. Alright?

	Murphy holds there a beat longer. He shoves Dodge back letting 
	him go.

				DODGE
		Jesus.

	Dodge checks his throat as Murphy looks on.

				EPPS (O.S.)
		Murphy.

	They turn to see Epps in the hatchway.

				EPPS
		It's Greer.

	INT. ARCTIC WARRIOR - CREW QUARTERS - MOMENTS LATER - DAY

	Greer stands at the galley sink finishing off the last of a 
	jug of water as Murphy and the others step in. He turns to 
	see them.

				GREER
		Never been more thirsty in my life.

				MURPHY
		Drink up then.

	Greer smiles, raising the jug to drink as the others take a 
	seat, looking on at him.

				MURPHY
		How're you feeling?

				GREER
		Lost my sea legs.

				EPPS
		Any dizziness?

				GREER
		No.

				EPPS
		Headache, nausea, lights?

				GREER
		Lights?

				EPPS
		Sudden flashes of light.

				GREER
		I feel fine.

				DODGE
		What day is it?

				GREER
		I don't know. Tuesday?

				DODGE
		Wrong. It's Friday.

				EPPS
		Try Wednesday.

				DODGE
		Right. Wednesday.

	A beat as they all hold there. Greer takes a seat.

				GREER
		What happened?

				MURPHY
		You don't remember?

				GREER
		Last thing I remember I was aboard 
		the Chimera. Down somewhere in there 
		scavenging around.

				MURPHY
		You've been out for about a day.

				GREER
		Say what?

				MURPHY
		Dodge found you out cold in one of 
		the cabins.

	Greer only holds there.

				GREER
		Oh, man.

				MURPHY
		We heard you scream. Any idea what 
		you might've seen?

				GREER
		I wish I could tell you. I'd be real 
		interested to know myself.

	Another beat as they hold there, as Greer takes another drink 
	of water.

				MURPHY
		The ah... the radio's out.

				EPPS
		What?

				MURPHY
		Somebody took it out of commission 
		last night.

	A beat as they all hold there.

				MURPHY
		Smashed it up pretty bad.

				EPPS
		But, who -- ?

				DODGE
		The skipper seems to think I did it. 
		That I'm more interested in that 
		gold than my own safety or the safety 
		of my fellow shipmates.

	A beat as they hold there, as Murphy looks back.

				EPPS
		Did you?

				DODGE
		Hell no. You think I'm crazy?

	Another beat as they hold there.

				MURPHY
		Regardless of how it happened, there 
		isn't much of a chance to fix it. 
		The odds of another vessel in range 
		of the walkie-talkies are almost 
		astronomical. So, as of today, we're 
		pretty much on our own out here.

	INT. CHIMERA - STAIRWAY - DAY

	Epps and Murphy, carrying the shotgun, make their way in the 
	ship.

	INT. ARCTIC WARRIOR - FIRST MATE'S QUARTERS - DAY

	Greer stops before a mirror to see himself. He finds an 
	aspirin bottle, goes to open it. And as he does so, he sees 
	that his hand is shaking uncontrollably.

	INT. ARCTIC WARRIOR - ENGINE ROOM - DAY

	Dodge works over the turbine. He stops, holding there. He 
	looks on at the plugs and wires and hoses. A beat.

	He begins pulling out the hoses and wires, grabbing at them, 
	yanking them loose, breaking them off.

	INT. CHIMERA - RADIO ROOM - DAY

	The chassis comes off an old radio to reveal a dusty 
	assortment of tubes and condensers. Murphy looks on at it.

	WITH EPPS

	A tattered, bound book lies in the refuse of a forgotten 
	corner. Epps picks it up. The cover has been ripped off and 
	the pages are torn. But, as she looks through it, she sees 
	that it is the ship's log.

				EPPS
		Murphy.

	Murphy steps over as she pages through the log book to the 
	very end. The last pages have been ripped out.

				EPPS
		Looks like part of the general log.

	Epps points to a page that has been incompletely ripped out.

				EPPS
		"The crew have gone mad with greed 
		and fight among themselves like wild 
		dogs over fresh kill."

				MURPHY
		February first.

				EPPS
		The same day she supposedly went 
		down.

				MURPHY
		Must not've been the captain's entry. 
		He was probably out of the picture 
		by then.

	Epps continues to read.

				EPPS
		"Their lacking diligence has 
		undoubtedly caused the collision.  
		Distress calls have been made."

				MURPHY
		Collision? With what?

				EPPS
		The page's missing. Then their SOS 
		was real.

				MURPHY
		But where's the damage?

				EPPS
		Maybe the other ship took the worst 
		of it.

				MURPHY
		If it was a ship she hit.

	A beat as they hold there, when his radio CRACKLES TO LIFE.

				DODGE
		Dodge to Murphy!

	Murphy reaches down for his radio.

				MURPHY
			(to radio)
		Yeah.

				DODGE
		You better get down here right now!  
		We're taking water! Big time!

	EXT. ARCTIC WARRIOR - DAY

	Murphy and Epps jump from the deck crane as the tug is 
	starting to list to one side. He crosses to the deck house 
	and the open engine room hatch to see that it is rapidly 
	filling with seawater as Greer and Dodge scramble to set a 
	pump hose over the DIN OF THE PUMPS.

				MURPHY
		What the hell happened!

				DODGE
		Turbine chamber on number two must've 
		blown! Took out part of the hull!

				GREER
		We're not gonna be able to pump it!

				MURPHY
		Alright. Everybody grab your gear!  
		This' is where we get off!

	EXT. ARCTIC WARRIOR - MOMENTS LATER - DAY

	The tug is listing radically to the side, its deck awash 
	with seawater, as Epps, Greer, and Murphy scramble with their 
	gear to the crane.

	Water is starting to pour out of the deckhouse hatch as the 
	towering framework rising over the pilothouse stabs 
	precariously at the bow of the Chimera.

	Murphy stops to shout back at the deckhouse.

				MURPHY
		Dodge!

	INT. ARCTIC WARRIOR - CREW QUARTERS - CONTINUOUS - DAY

	Water is starting to pour in as the entire cabin lurches to 
	one side. Dodge wades through toward the door.

	EXT. CHIMERA - FORWARD DECK - CONTINUOUS - DAY

	Epps pulls herself up onto the deck, Greer following behind, 
	then Murphy.

	Dodge can be seen stepping from the deckhouse on the tug, 
	which now lists at a near 45 degree angle.

	WITH DODGE

	Dodge stumbles toward the bow, slipping on the wet deck. He 
	goes down, sliding into the water that washes over the 
	starboard rail.

	He pulls himself up, using a cleat to push off. A deck locker 
	opens and the contents tumble around him. He struggles to 
	pull himself up to the base of the pilothouse. He climbs up 
	and edges his way toward the bow.

	WITH THE OTHERS

	Epps, Greer and Murphy look on as Dodge climbs up on the 
	skewed deck crane.

	WITH DODGE

	The tug is slowly lurching over as Dodge climbs the crane, 
	the top of which is sweeping away from the Chimera.

	Below, the decks of the tug are swept with seawater as it 
	sinks lower and lower.

	WITH THE OTHERS

	They look on as Dodge climbs toward them, the sinking tug 
	pulling Dodge and the crane away from the ship.

	Greer pulls back a line, tying it into the deck railing.

	WITH DODGE

	As Dodge makes his way up, he's forced to climb onto the 
	other side of the crane to keep from dangling over the water.

	Above, Greer casts a line. It falls near, but out of reach 
	as the swell of the water starts to swing the crane to and 
	fro.  Dodge reaches out for the line again, his hand coming 
	close but not close enough.

	The swell brings the crane toward the boat one last time and 
	Dodge reaches out, his fingers just coming to the line, 
	coaxing it into his grasp. He pulls it back and hangs on, as 
	the crane sways back with the foundering boat.

	The crane falls away from Dodge, leaving him hanging in space 
	by the line from the bow of the Chimera.

	WITH THE OTHERS

	Murphy, Greer and Epps look on as Dodge hangs over the water 
	and the tug as its stern slowly sinks beneath the waves.

	Dodge climbs the line toward the bow railing as the tug rolls 
	still further to port, the pilothouse dipping into the sea, 
	slipping lower and lower.

	WITH DODGE

	As he pulls himself upward, coming to the bottom of the rail 
	well on the Chimera where Murphy reaches out, just short of 
	Dodge's hand.

	A SCREECHING SOUNDS and they turn to see the twin tow cables 
	coming taught against the hull in the anchor alley's of the 
	Chimera as the sinking tug pulls them tight.

	With a CONCUSSIVE STRIKE, one cable is freed, snapping against 
	the Chimera's hull like a giant steel guitar string.  It 
	starts sliding along the hull as the tug drifts, pulling the 
	cable with it, toward Dodge as he dangles in mid air.

	Dodge pulls himself up, reaching for Murphy, but still short.

	A LOUD HISSING SOUNDS and Dodge turns to see misty air 
	escaping from ports and deck vents as the encroaching water 
	forces it out of the tug below decks.

	The tow cable LOUDLY SCRAPES THE HULL in a shower of rust, 
	as Dodge struggles to pull himself up.

	Murphy reaches out as Dodge extends as far as he can, their 
	hands barely reaching.

	The tow cable is a mere few feet away and closing, ready to 
	scrape Dodge into the water or smear him across the hull 
	like a bug on a windshield, when Dodge pulls himself up with 
	everything he's got and Murphy grabs his hand.

	Murphy pulls, lifting Dodge, as Greer grabs Dodge's other 
	hand and they pull him up, the tow cable sweeping by with a 
	SICKENING GRINDING SOUND OF HEAVY STEEL AGAINST STEEL.

	Dodge turns to see the bow of the tug dip below the surface, 
	slowly going under until disappearing with a last exhalation 
	of misty air. The pilothouse is next to go, the last of it 
	slipping into the frothing water, then the crane, finally 
	disappearing altogether into the depths.

	A long beat as they hold there in the sudden silence, phantom 
	bubbles rising to the surface where the tug once stood.

	EXT. CHIMERA - TOP DECK - DAY

	A boot punches through a rotten wood hull.

				MURPHY (O.S.)
		That just about says it all.

	Greer stands at the bow of a lifeboat suspended from halyards 
	above the deck.

				GREER
		Rotten stem to stern. Guess you 
		couldn't expect much else.

	Greer jumps down as Murphy, Dodge, and Epps look on.

				GREER
		We ain't exactly in what you'd call 
		your high traffic neighborhood either.

				MURPHY
		The coast guard has our last position. 
		They'll send somebody out soon enough. 
		A ship this size you can't exactly 
		miss.

				EPPS
		It's a good bet they'll be asking a 
		lot of questions when they get here 
		too.

				MURPHY
		Let 'em ask. This ship's legally 
		ours now.

				DODGE
		When they find out what it's carrying, 
		they may not be so interested in 
		what's legal.

				GREER
		Maybe you shoulda thought a that 
		before you scuttled our boat.

	Dodge turns to see Greer. A beat.

				DODGE
		The turbine blew.

				GREER
		Lemme see, was that before or after 
		the oil fire?

	A beat. Dodge takes a swing at Greer.

				MURPHY
			(grabbing Dodge)
		Easy, easy.

	Murphy holds on to Dodge as he will have none of it.

				GREER
		Gettin' a little hot under the collar, 
		I'd say.

				MURPHY
		Shut up.

				GREER
		Must be a little too the truth, eh 
		Dodge?

	Dodge jumps forward again, but Murphy hangs on.

				MURPHY
		I said, shut the hell up.

	Murphy shoves Dodge back.

				MURPHY
		Both of you. I don't want to hear it 
		again.

	A beat as Greer and Murphy hold there.

				MURPHY
		So just stow it. You understand?
			(a beat)
		We don't need this right now.

	EXT. CHIMERA - FOREDECK - NIGHT

	A fire burns in an oil drum as Epps, Murphy, Dodge and Greer 
	sit around it in silence.

	INT. CHIMERA - 4TH OFFICER'S STATEROOM - NIGHT

	Epps steps in. She shines her light on the room. It is exactly 
	as it was left. She crosses to the bed, shining her light 
	under it. She sits down, trying it.

	INT. CHIMERA - CARGO HOLD - NIGHT

	Dodge moves in the darkness, coming to the corner where the 
	stacked gold ingots rest. He looks on at them.

				MURPHY (O.S.)
		You shouldn't be down here alone.

	Dodge turns to see Murphy standing there.

				DODGE
		Just wanted to check on our little 
		baby.

	A beat as they look on at the gold.

				DODGE
		That oughta buy a man pretty much 
		anything he wants.

				MURPHY
		If money can buy what he wants.

				DODGE
		I don't figure there's much I want 
		money can't buy.

				MURPHY
		Then you're a lucky man.

	Murphy tosses the shotgun to Dodge, who catches it.

				MURPHY
		We'll stand the watch on deck tonight. 
		You're up first.

				DODGE
		Right.

	Murphy holds there a beat longer, then turns to go, as Dodge 
	looks after him.

	EXT. CHIMERA - DAY

	A grey chop gently rocks the Chimera, smoke rising from the 
	top deck.

	EXT. CHIMERA - TOP DECK - DAY

	Greer and Dodge tend the flames of three fire barrels, adding 
	broken up furniture to create heavy signal smoke.

	INT. CHIMERA - PANTRY - DAY

	Murphy moves through the pantry area with a pillow case, 
	scavenging for food.

	INT. CHIMERA - GALLEY - DAY

	Epps scavenges for food in the semi-darkness of the large, 
	open galley, when a MOVEMENT CAN BE HEARD SOMEWHERE BEYOND 
	THE ENTRY separating the galley from the outer passageway.

				EPPS
		Murphy?

	No one answers. She looks off across the stillness of the 
	galley. Nothing.

	INT. CHIMERA - PASSAGEWAY - MOMENTS LATER - DAY

	Epps steps into the passageway. Directly across is the entry 
	to the swimming pool. She walks on.

	INT. CHIMERA - SWIMMING POOL - DAY

	Epps steps in. Light falls in from the dirty port holes at 
	the ceiling, every movement echoing off the hard tile walls.  
	She holds there a beat, then turns to go when she sees a 
	GIRL of about 16 facing her on the other side of the pool.

	Epps holds there, as the girl only looks back. She is 
	porcelain white, flaxen hair drawn behind her head, her 
	clothing hanging loosely from a frail body.

				GIRL
		You must leave.

	A beat as Epps stands there.

				EPPS
			(finally)
		Who are you?

	From this distance and in the light it is hard to fully 
	discern the girl's features.

				GIRL
		There's great evil here, more than 
		you can know. Leave now or you may 
		never leave.

				EPPS
		But --

	A HATCH CLOSES SOMEWHERE IN THE SHIP. Epps turns to look.  
	When she turns back the girl is gone. A quiet "TICK" SOUND 
	ECHOES in the pool. She looks down to see that the pool is 
	now very, very deep, like a mine shaft falling away into the 
	depths. And, as she stands there, dark water is quickly rising 
	up from the bottom.

	She steps back as the water gradually fills the pool to the 
	top. It is very dark and the bottom is indiscernible, when 
	the water begins to churn, as from bubbles of air reaching 
	the surface. Epps steps closer, looking on as a faint red 
	glow can be seen deep in the water below the churning bubbles.

	As she watches, the red glow grows in intensity. The glow 
	spreads, illuminating a broad area until it becomes clear 
	that the water is not water at all but blood.

	And, as the light grows still brighter, a figure is 
	illuminated, well below the surface as it seems to rise up.  
	Epps looks on as the figure rises higher into the light. It 
	is a MAN, fighting desperately to reach the surface. The 
	bubbles that rise up are produced from his silent screams.

	Epps starts forward, but another figure rises to the same 
	point, a WOMAN, also struggling. Another MAN floats up, then 
	another, and another, people floating up, fighting desperately 
	to reach the surface, unable to do so, drowning in blood.

				EPPS
		My God....

	Epps reaches out over the edge, plunging her hand into the 
	blood, reaching for the man's hand, but they are too far 
	apart.

	She struggles desperately as the man fights to get to the 
	surface.

	The others are fighting for the surface too, as Epps reaches 
	out, near tears, helpless to do anything.

				EPPS
		No!!

	Everything suddenly stops. A beat as Epps only holds there.

	The blood is gone, as are the people. The pool is back to 
	its normal state as though nothing had happened, Epps looking 
	on in disbelief.

				MURPHY (O.S.)
		You okay?

	Epps looks up to see Murphy standing at the door.

				EPPS
		Yeah.
			(looking back to the 
			pool)
		Yeah, fine.

	A beat as she holds there, looking on at the pool.

	EXT. CHIMERA - FOREWARD DECK - NIGHT

	Greer, Murphy, Dodge, and Epps sit on deck around the fire.

				DODGE
		You'd think on a ship this size 
		there'd be something left to eat.

				GREER
		After fifty years there ain't nothin' 
		left but shoe leather.

				MURPHY
		Tomorrow we'll see if we can't find 
		some line and tackle. Use some of 
		those bodies below decks for bait.

				DODGE
		There's a charming thought.

				GREER
		We can always start shooting birds.

	Epps coaxes a hit out of her last cigarette.

				DODGE
		What say, Epps? You up for some 
		roasted albatross?

				EPPS
			(snuffing it out)
		Why not?

	INT. CHIMERA - 1ST OFFICER'S STATEROOM - NIGHT

	The SOUND OF SOMEONE BREATHING HARD CAN BE HEARD in the dark 
	room. As the CAMERA SLOWLY MOVES INTO THE ROOM, we see that 
	it is Greer, lying on the bed. His body is tense and his 
	arms arch rigidly toward his chest. His jaw is clenched and 
	he expels harsh, guttural utterances, experiencing something 
	between a night terror and a seizure.

	INT. CHIMERA - WHEELHOUSE - DAY

	Sheets of rain come down on the deck in the grey light of 
	morning. Murphy stands on the bridge, looking off at it coming 
	down when Greer steps in.

				GREER
		Looks like we're in a strong current.
			(closing the door)
		Must be making almost five knots 
		full on ass backwards.

	Greer crosses to the window, stepping up.

				GREER
		Nasty little swell outa the north 
		west too.

	Murphy nods as he looks out.

				MURPHY
		Let's just hope somebody sees us 
		first out here.

	INT. CHIMERA - PURSERS OFFICE - DAY

	A file drawer comes open, revealing ticket receipts.

	Epps looks on at it. The receipts are labeled "FULL FARE 
	PASSAGES" and are divided by first, second, and third class.  
	She goes through them, coming to a section that says 
	"ACCOMPANIED CHILDREN."

	She pulls out the folder, laying it on the counter, opening 
	it. The first page is a receipt for a single passage to 
	Halifax for a Tatterly, Stephen age: 14. She pulls it back 
	to reveal another, Wilson, Harold age: 4. Another, Vitti, 
	Angela age: 17.

	She pages through the stack, looking at the ages: 3, 15, 6, 
	11, 1, until coming across a 9. She looks to the name, Klein, 
	David, a boy. She continues paging through the receipts coming 
	to another 9. She stops, looking to the name, Nichols, 
	Katherine age: 16. A girl. She looks to the cabin assignment: 
	"400." She notes that it is the same cabin where Greer was 
	found, when a REVERBERANT CONCUSSION SOUNDS THROUGH THE SHIP.

	EXT. CHIMERA - TOP DECK - CONTINUOUS - DAY

	Dodge runs to the side to see a 15 feet wide by 40 feet tall 
	steel and concrete mid-ocean buoy bounce off the transom as 
	the ship drifts into it.

	WITH GREER AND MURPHY

	They come to the side at the wheelhouse, seeing the bright 
	orange letters "NOAA" emblazoned on the buoy's float pod as 
	the ship drifts by.

				MURPHY
		It's a Noaa buoy.

				GREER
		A what?

				MURPHY
		Government weather. It's got a 
		transmitter aboard.

	EXT. CHIMERA - FORWARD DECK - MOMENTS LATER - DAY

	Dodge quickly ties a loop in a coil of docking line as Greer, 
	Epps, and Murphy look on at the approaching buoy.

				MURPHY
		Let's go, let's go, let's go.

	Dodge finishes as Epps ties the other end off to a cleat.

	ON THE BUOY

	As it drifts along the side of the Chimera. Murphy drops the 
	line down, the buoy bouncing on the swell.

	BACK TO SCENE

	Murphy pulls the loop up as the buoy nears, aiming to hook 
	it on its wind gauge.

	ON THE BUOY

	The buoy approaches, rising and falling with the swell.

	BACK TO SCENE

	Murphy corrects.

				EPPS
		Higher. You're gonna miss it.

	Murphy holds the loop steady.

	ON THE BUOY

	The loop is too low. It's going to miss the mark as the buoy 
	drifts toward it, when the swell drops and the buoy goes 
	down.

	BACK TO SCENE

	Murphy yanks on the line.

	ON THE BUOY

	And the loop catches on the wind gauge.

	BACK TO SCENE

	As the line goes taught he pulls his hands away just in time, 
	the line snapping hard against the rail. Below, the buoy 
	heels over as it's pulled.

	ON THE BUOY

	It drops with the swell, the line stretching, then swinging 
	the giant concrete buoy float into the side of the hull with 
	a huge BOOMING CLANG.

	BACK TO SCENE

	The line is smoking with the friction, the steel railing 
	bowing a little with the weight as they look on.

				GREER
		We're still drifting.

				MURPHY
		The mooring hasn't come taught.

				EPPS
		It's not gonna hold us.

				MURPHY
		Doesn't matter.

	ON THE BUOY

	As the buoy falls again with a swell and slams into the side 
	of the ship. The water returns, lifting it high.

	The ship is dragging it back and it begins to rise up as its 
	mooring comes taught. The line rises with it and soon the 
	buoy is at a steep angle as it comes out of the water.

	BACK TO SCENE

	The buoy is held fast between the docking line and its own 
	mooring.

	ON THE BUOY

	The buoy rises fully from the water, all three tons of it, 
	and as it does, the wind gauge's steel mount begins to bend.

	BACK TO SCENE

	As they watch the buoy suspended over the water between the 
	creaking docking line and its own underwater mooring cable.

				DODGE
		No fucking way.

	ON THE BUOY

	The gauge mount snaps and the docking line flails free, 
	sending the buoy hurtling back into the water in a curtain 
	of spray, whipping wildly from side to side.

	BACK TO SCENE

	The buoy swings back and forth as it rights itself, rising 
	on a swell, passing beyond the bow of the Chimera.

				MURPHY
		Damn it.

	They look on in silence, the buoy slowly receding as the 
	ship drifts away.

	EXT. CHIMERA - FOREDECK - NIGHT

	Murphy stands watch by the fire as Epps joins him.

				EPPS
		Hey.

				MURPHY
		Hey.

				EPPS
		Couldn't sleep.

				MURPHY
		Wish I could say the same.

	They watch the fire in silence for a moment.

				EPPS
		What do you think happened on this 
		boat?

				MURPHY
		I guess that's the sixty four thousand 
		dollar question, isn't it?

				EPPS
		The what?

				MURPHY
		Never mind. Before your time.
			(a beat)
		I think at least some of the crew 
		went a little nuts. The usual stuff 
		that happens when people stumble on 
		a fortune. Equal parts greed and 
		paranoia, usually resulting in 
		homicide. What happened after that 
		is anybody's guess. But, judging by 
		our Greek friends down below, it 
		doesn't look like the last time.

				EPPS
		Are we smart enough to avoid that?

				MURPHY
		I don't know, are we?

	A beat as she looks back at him. She looks back to the fire, 
	watching it.

				EPPS
		When you found me yesterday, at the 
		pool. I'd seen... something.  Someone.

				MURPHY
		Not our mystery guest again.

				EPPS
		No. Someone else. A girl.
			(hesitating, a beat)
		I'm not sure she was... real.

	She looks up to Murphy.

				MURPHY
		Not real?

	A beat as she only looks back.

				MURPHY
		What, like some kind of ghost?

				EPPS
		I don't know what else you'd call 
		her. One second she was there, the 
		next she was gone.

	Another beat as he looks on at her.

				EPPS
		And I had a kind of hallucination.
			(a beat)
		There were others. I saw them in the 
		pool. Drowning.

	A beat as Murphy looks back, as she sees him.

				EPPS
		Maybe hallucination is the wrong 
		word. It was more than that. As though 
		they were showing me.

				MURPHY
		Showing you what?

				EPPS
		What happened.

				MURPHY
		Maybe it was one of them did the 
		handy work on those Greeks.

				EPPS
		No. I think they are, were, just 
		passengers. Innocent victims.

				MURPHY
		Victims of what?

				EPPS
		Something bad happened here, Murphy.

				MURPHY
		That much I think we've already 
		established.

				EPPS
		More than just a mutiny. More than 
		just the gold.

	A beat as he holds there.

				EPPS
		She said the ship was evil. That we 
		had to leave right away. That if we 
		didn't, we might never leave.

				MURPHY
		What's that supposed to mean?

				EPPS
		I don't know.

	A beat as she looks back.

				MURPHY
		Why you? How come the rest of us 
		haven't seen these people?

				EPPS
		Just lucky I guess.

	Another beat as he holds on her.

				MURPHY
		Well. Getting off this ship's exactly 
		what we're trying to do.  Short of 
		that, I don't know what else to tell 
		you.

	She only looks back at him, then into the fire.

				MURPHY
		Do me a favor and wake up Dodge.  
		He's next on.

	She starts to get up.

				MURPHY
		And Epps?

	She stands, looking back at him.

				MURPHY
		You can tell the others about this.  
		But, for my money, I think it's best 
		you keep it to yourself.

	She holds there a beat longer, then turns, walking off.

	INT. CHIMERA - PASSAGEWAY - LATER - DAY

	Epps comes to the 2nd officer's door, knocks.

				EPPS
		Dodge.
			(no answer, knocking 
			again)
		Dodge.

				DODGE (O.S.)
			(finally, from inside)
		What?

				EPPS
		Get up.

				DODGE (O.S.)
		Yeah, yeah.

	INT. CHIMERA - 4TH OFFICERS ROOM - NIGHT

	Epps sits down on the bed. She lies back, not sleepy. A beat 
	as she holds there in the darkness.

	EXT. CHIMERA - FOREDECK - NIGHT

	Murphy still sits by the fire as Dodge groggily approaches 
	from the officers quarters, carrying a blanket and a jug of 
	water.

				MURPHY
		You're late.

				DODGE
		Sorry.

				MURPHY
			(handing him the 
			shotgun)
		Don't fall asleep.

				DODGE
			(laying out his blanket)
		Right.

	INT. CHIMERA - 1ST OFFICER'S STATEROOM - NIGHT

	Greer lies asleep on the bed. But his sleep is fitful, 
	increasingly agitated, tormented. It is as if he tries to 
	speak, but cannot. As THE CAMERA PUSHES SLOWLY IN, his words 
	are forced and garbled, speaking in the same nonsensical 
	language he spoke earlier, when he wakes with a start.

	EXT. CHIMERA - FOREDECK - NIGHT

	Dodge dozes, cradling the shotgun in his arms, when MUSIC 
	CAN BE HEARD VERY DISTANTLY. Dodge wakes. It is "Daisy" 
	playing on a music box somewhere in the ship.

	INT. CHIMERA - PASSAGEWAY - MOMENTS LATER - NIGHT

	Dodge moves along as the MUSIC BOX DISTANTLY CONTINUES.

	INT. CHIMERA - STAIRWAY/PASSAGEWAY - MOMENTS LATER - NIGHT

	Dodge moves cautiously down the stairway into another 
	passageway.

	He approaches from the other end. He passes the open doors 
	of stateroom after stateroom. The MUSIC BOX IS CLOSER HERE. 
	It stops.

	He holds there in the darkness. He turns, shining his light 
	back down the passageway. A beat. It is silent, when the 
	CHANNEL OF HIS RADIO OPENS WITH A SHORT BURST.

	He raises his radio. But no one says anything, the CHANNEL 
	REMAINING OPEN, a discernible presence on the other end.

				DODGE
		Dodge.

	SOMEONE'S POV - FROM THE FAR END

	SLOWLY MOVING TOWARD DODGE as he can be seen from the other 
	end of the passageway.

	BACK TO SCENE

	He gets no response, then presses the talk button.

				DODGE
		This is Dodge. Over.

	He is answered by silence, the CHANNEL REMAINING OPEN, WHEN 
	THE GRAVELLY DISTORTED VOICE THAT MURPHY HEARD COMES BACK ON 
	THE RADIO:

				VOICE
		"Cock-a-doodle-doo," said the rooster 
		to the crow. "Where are you now? I 
		know but won't say so."

	Dodge hits the talk button.

				DODGE
		Who is this?

	The RADIO CHANNEL OPENS, but only silence comes back.

				DODGE
		Identify yourself, motherfucker!

	SOMEONE'S POV - FROM THE FAR END

	SLOWLY MOVING TOWARD DODGE as he can be seen from the far 
	end of the passageway.

	BACK TO SCENE

	Only silence returns on the radio as Dodge holds there, then:

				VOICE
		Penny whistle toy. Penny whistle 
		toy.

	THE CAMERA PUSHES SLOWLY IN ON DODGE as he listens.

				VOICE
		Penny whistle toy. Penny whistle toy --
		.

	Dodge senses something behind him. He turns, and before he 
	can draw a breath to shout, SOMETHING HEAVY SLAMS INTO HIM 
	IN THE DARKNESS, his flashlight tumbling away in a squiggle 
	of light.

	ON SHOTGUN

	As the shotgun clatters to the deck, the muzzle resting in 
	frame as the radio falls a few feet away. A beat. The shotgun 
	muzzle slides out of frame as some unseen person or thing 
	pulls it away.

	EXT. CHIMERA - DAY

	A grey overcast stretches to the horizon.

	EXT. CHIMERA - FOREDECK - DAY

	Murphy comes out onto the deck. Dodge is nowhere to be seen.

				MURPHY
		Dodge?

	INT. CHIMERA - GALLEY STORAGE COMPARTMENT - DAY

	Epps shines her light on something.

				EPPS
		Check it out.

	Greer raises his light to reveal rows of canned goods. They 
	are industrial sized cans, from the 1950s. Greer takes one.

				GREER
		I don't even want to know what that's 
		gonna taste like now.

				EPPS
		Better than starving to death.

	Epps' radio CRACKLES AWAKE.

				MURPHY
		Murphy to Epps.

				EPPS
			(raising the radio)
		Epps, over.

				MURPHY
		Either of you seen Dodge?

	She looks to Greer who shakes his head.

				EPPS
		Nope.

				MURPHY
		He's not on deck and I can't raise 
		him on the radio.

	EXT. CHIMERA - FOREDECK - LATER - DAY

	Dodge's stuff is laid out under the shelter of a vent duct 
	as Greer, Epps, and Murphy stand over it. A blanket, a pillow 
	and a plastic jug of water are all that remain.

				MURPHY
		He took the shotgun and a light.

				GREER
		Must've heard something below deck 
		and went down to check it out.

	A beat as they hold there.

				MURPHY
		Alright. We stay together. Nobody 
		goes any further than earshot.

	INT. CHIMERA - BELOW DECKS - DAY

	Greer and Epps move along as Murphy raises his radio.

				MURPHY
			(into radio)
		Murphy to Dodge. Murphy to Dodge.  
		Over.

	INT. CHIMERA - PASSAGEWAY - CONTINUOUS - DAY

	Dodge's radio lies in the detritus of the ship as Murphy's 
	voice can be heard on it.

				MURPHY
		Murphy to Dodge. Do you copy? Over.

	INT. CHIMERA - ENGINEERING - LATER - DAY

	Epps moves cautiously along in the darkness.

				MURPHY (O.S.)
		Epps? You there?

				EPPS
		Right here.

	WITH MURPHY

	As he moves along as well, eyes open.

				MURPHY
		Greer?

	WITH GREER

	As Greer moves along too.

				GREER
		Yeah, yeah.

	INT. CHIMERA - BELOW DECKS - LATER - DAY

	Epps jumps down, shining her light over machinery and across 
	bulkheads when a WHISPERING CAN BE HEARD somewhere. She holds 
	there, listening. It is echoey, distant.

				EPPS
		Murphy?

	No response as Epps holds there. The WHISPERING SOUNDS AGAIN, 
	far off, unintelligible. It stops.

	She moves on, shinning her light.

	INT. CHIMERA - BELOW DECKS - MOMENTS LATER - DAY

	Epps moves along in the darkness, holding the flashlight 
	before her, when the WHISPERING SOUNDS AGAIN.

	Epps stops, holding there in the silence. She reaches for 
	her radio. The WHISPERING SOUNDS AGAIN. Epps turns to pinpoint 
	it, coming from somewhere in the cavernous space.

	INT. CHIMERA - BELOW DECKS - MOMENTS LATER - DAY

	Epps passes under a catwalk. She moves on, passing a row of 
	standpipes. Epps stops, listening. Somewhere, the WHISPERING 
	CAN BE HEARD, then stops.

	It is absolutely silent. In the darkness behind her, the 
	GIRL (KATIE) PULLS BACK INTO THE SHADOWS.

	Epps holds there a beat, then turns, running into Greer with 
	a start.

				GREER
		Sorry. Didn't mean to scare you.

	She holds there a beat, looking around.

				GREER
		You okay?

				EPPS
		Yeah. Fine. I just thought I heard 
		something is all.

				GREER
		What?

				EPPS
		Nothing. Let's get outa here.

	They start to leave, when Epps notices something. She stops.

	Beyond the standpipes, a faint glow can be seen in the 
	darkness. Epps steps forward, crossing to it. Greer follows.

	MOVING WITH EPPS

	As Epps approaches, Greer behind her. The light is dim and 
	low to the deck. She stops.

	WITH THE LIGHT

	As Epps starts toward it again. She and Greer come up to it, 
	stopping there. She kneels, the dim glow shining on her. She 
	reaches out toward it, pulling back Dodge's flashlight, still 
	on.

	She turns it off, standing. She shines her light into the 
	darkness and starts off, Greer following.

	INT. CHIMERA - BELOW DECKS - MOMENTS LATER - DAY

	Epps and Greer move along, shining their lights as they go, 
	when something catches in the beam of Epps' flashlight.

	It is Dodge's radio. They stop over it. Epps picks it up, 
	inspecting it. She looks to Greer, when a single dark spot 
	appears on Epps' cheek. It begins to run, a crimson tear.

	She raises her hand to touch it, inspecting her finger to 
	see that it is blood.

	She looks to Greer. They both look up to see, hanging 
	suspended above them, Dodge's face staring back down at them 
	from the darkness.

	He has been imperfectly impaled, the sharp point of a high 
	pressure steam pipe protruding from his neck, head hanging 
	limp beside it.

	INT. CHIMERA - BELOW DECKS - LATER - DAY

	Greer and Murphy lower Dodge's body on a rope as Epps guides 
	it to the deck. They stand looking on at it a moment.

				GREER
		Can't find the shotgun.

				MURPHY
		So whoever did this now has our 
		shotgun.

				GREER
		Doesn't look like it much matters.

				EPPS
		What do we do with him?

				MURPHY
		Leave him till we can get some help.
			(a beat)
		From now on, nobody comes down here.

				GREER
		What about the gold?

				MURPHY
		Leave it.

				GREER
		Now hold up just a minute. Let's be 
		reasonable here.

				MURPHY
		You think whoever did this is 
		reasonable?

				GREER
		All I'm saying is that gold's worth 
		a lot more to us now than it ever 
		was.

				EPPS
		I can't believe you. Dodge's dead 
		and all you can think about is cashing 
		in your share.

				GREER
		I didn't sign up to go home empty 
		handed. And I sure ain't gonna roll 
		over for the freaky motherfucker did 
		this.

				MURPHY
		Nobody's going anywhere with that 
		gold now. Anybody tries to board, 
		we'll know about it.
			(a beat)
		You can do what you want, Greer.  
		But neither of us is gonna risk saving 
		your ass down here if it comes to 
		that.

				GREER
		Fine with me.

	INT. CHIMERA - PASSAGEWAY - DAY

	Epps enters the dim passageway from the bright daylight. She 
	moves down the passage, coming finally to the stateroom where 
	Greer was found, room 400.

	She holds there a beat, then reaches for the door, hesitating. 
	She opens it.

	INT. CHIMERA - STATEROOM - CONTINUOUS - DAY

	The door comes open and Epps steps in. It is dark, though 
	spacious. It is divided into two rooms. Beyond the sitting 
	room in the front, is a bedroom.

	Epps steps in. A dressing table sits against the far wall.

	A large bed is unmade. Suitcases lie open on stands at the 
	foot of the bed, still half full as if they were in the 
	process of being unpacked.

	From one, she pulls back a woman's gown, a blouse. The other 
	contains shirts, trousers, socks, and underwear.

	Across the room a smaller suitcase can be seen lying open on 
	an Ottoman in the corner. Epps crosses to it. She finds a 
	few shirts, and a red print dress, some books. She takes one 
	of the books, opening it.

	Inscribed on the inside of the cover is: "This book belongs 
	to:" and then written in by hand: "Katie Nichols."

	A page is marked with a purple ribbon. She opens it to see a 
	children's poem "The Rooster and the Crow" and a drawing of 
	a rooster and a crow and a stanza of a poem: "'Cock-a-doodle 
	doo,' said the rooster to the crow. 'Where are you now? I 
	know, but won't say so.'" She puts it down. A tin penny 
	whistle sits on the table. She picks it up, examining it.

	She opens a small picture book, thumbing through to see photos 
	of a family, a young mother and father at the beach, the 
	mother and a girl of about 9 years, the girl and an older 
	girl of about 16, the girl she saw at the swimming pool, 
	KATIE. Epps holds on this picture, when A MUSIC BOX SOUNDS.  
	She looks up to the dressing table. On it a music box slowly 
	plays "Daisy."

	AT THE TABLE

	Epps crosses to it, looking on at the music box as it slowly 
	winds down, then finally stops. A beat. She picks it up, 
	looking at it, when she looks up to see Greer standing there.  
	A beat.

	The dirty white light falling into the room through the 
	windows falls on him as he looks off at something we cannot 
	see. His expression is empty, hollow.

				EPPS
		Greer?

	He does not hear her as he stands there. She approaches, 
	stepping up.

				EPPS
		You okay?

	Another beat, as he looks off, into the light, when he slowly 
	turns to see her.

	A long beat as she looks back. He holds there, the same empty 
	look about him, when he grabs her by the throat and squeezes 
	hard.

	She is stunned, breathless, but raises her hands to grip his 
	wrists, fighting him.

				EPPS
		Greer!

	His grip tightens. He is much stronger and her efforts make 
	little difference.

				EPPS
		Let go!

	She hangs on, starting to choke. She drops one hand, searching 
	with it.

				GREER
		Oragishlaoomnudrasadrafantoshviska 
		getofedobrodijotosiantosg.

	He speaks nonsense, his face distorted in an ugly grimace, 
	eyes bulging as Epps fumbles over the table, a tray of glass 
	and silver crashing to the floor as he pushes her back, still 
	choking her.

	He backs her to the wall, pushing in, closing her windpipe 
	the rest of the way.

	Her hand searches behind her, knocking over a small vase, a 
	basket, some books. It comes to a brass desk lamp. It falls, 
	a little out of reach.

	She is going to black out any second, as Greer strangles 
	her.

	Her hand comes to the desk lamp, grabbing it.

	She raises the lamp, swinging with all her might, connecting 
	with Greer's head.

	He stumbles back, a gash laid into his face, as Epps sucks 
	in air, gagging and coughing, her neck purple with finger 
	marks.  She fumbles her radio up.

				EPPS
			(into radio)
		Murphy! I'm on C deck, cabin 400!  
		Get down here now!!

	Blood is running down his face as Greer comes for her again.  
	She throws down the radio.

	A bed stands between them. She feints right, then left. He's 
	dazed and has blood in his eyes. She manages to slip by, but 
	he dives, taking her down.

	He drags her back along the floor, spinning her around. He 
	raises a fist to ram into her face when WHAM!

	Epps has shoved the butt of her flashlight into his crotch 
	and he comes up SCREAMING. He grabs her face, striking her 
	with his other hand.

	She swings the flashlight again and cracks him across the 
	head. He swings yet again and connects, knocking her across 
	the floor.

	She lies in a heap as Greer climbs to his feet, enraged and 
	bleeding.

	He unbuckles his belt as he approaches, pulling it from his 
	waist to do God knows what.

	Epps looks around to see him approaching. And we see that 
	she has unhinged her gill knife.

	As his foot steps near, she lets go and drives the knife 
	with all her might into his boot, plunging the blade through 
	his foot and into the floor. He SCREAMS.

	After a moment he stops, looks to her. He is a bloody, 
	wretched, enraged mess. He starts toward her as Murphy appears 
	in the doorway.

	Just as Greer is upon her, Murphy blind sides Greer from 
	behind at full speed, knocking him down.

	Greer and Murphy struggle as Epps climbs unsteadily to her 
	feet. She staggers to them and raises the flashlight over 
	Greer, bringing it down on his head.

	CUT TO BLACK

	INT. CHIMERA - PASSAGEWAY - LATER - DAY

	Epps and Murphy carry Greer's unconscious body.

	INT. CHIMERA - AQUARIUM TANK - LATER - DAY

	Greer tumbles down a sand bank in an empty aquarium. He stops 
	at the bottom, now starting to come to.

	OUTSIDE

	Murphy slams the door shut as Epps looks on. She puts a steel 
	pipe across the hatch lever so that it cannot be opened.

	INT. CHIMERA - AQUARIUM TANK - LATER - DAY

	Greer sits in the tank, visible through a large piece of 
	armored aquarium glass, amidst the fake coral. He sits in 
	the sand hugging his legs to his chest, bobbing slightly as 
	he speaks in his nonsensical language.

				MURPHY (V.O.)
		Must've been him all along.

	Murphy and Epps look on from the outside in the promenade.

				MURPHY
		Smashed the radio. Scuttled the boat. 
		Killed Dodge. Would've killed you. 
		He's off his nut, no doubt there.

	They watch him in silence a moment as Greer mutters and bobs.

				MURPHY
		What do you think?

				EPPS
		Could be a stroke. Who knows?
			(a beat)
		The general log said the crew were 
		fighting among themselves. "Like 
		wild dogs."

				MURPHY
		Over the gold.

				EPPS
		Maybe it was more than that.

	Greer gets up, comes to the window, looking out at them. He 
	presses his face to the glass.

				EPPS
		They went crazy.

				MURPHY
		Crazy with greed. Not crazy. Not 
		like him.

	A beat as Epps looks off. In the window Greer drags his 
	hideously distorted face over the glass, the blood from his 
	wounds smearing in broad red streaks.

	EXT. CHIMERA - TOP DECK - DAY

	A partial hull of a rotting life boat falls into frame. Epps 
	and Murphy stand over it.

				MURPHY
		We lash a few of these together it 
		might get us far enough into the 
		shipping lanes to be rescued.

	A beat as they look on at the rotting hull.

				MURPHY
		Hard to say which is worse, staying 
		here or taking our chances in open 
		water.

				EPPS
		If the weather holds it might not be 
		so bad.

				MURPHY
		It's not the weather I'm worried 
		about. The wrong current could drag 
		us as far as the Aleutians before we 
		come across another boat.

	EXT. CHIMERA - TOP DECK - DAY

	Epps and Murphy work to lash parts of the rotting boats into 
	a single usable raft.

	INT. CHIMERA - AQUARIUM TANK - DAY

	Greer lies asleep on the sand bottom of the tank, the white 
	light from the skylight falling on him from above.

	INT. CHIMERA - STORAGE AREA - DAY

	Epps has found a reel of wire and some metal braces, making 
	her way into the darkness, when her radio CRACKLES TO LIFE.  
	The channel remains silent a moment, then closes. She stops, 
	raises the radio.

				EPPS
			(holding down talk 
			button)
		Murphy?

	She waits, holding there as only silence comes back.

				EPPS
		Murphy, this is Epps. Do you copy?

	Again, only silence comes back until, after a moment, the 
	channel opens again. No one speaks, though there is a palpable 
	presence on the other end.

				EPPS
			(raising the radio)
		Who is this?

	The channel opens again, only silence returning. The sound 
	of the MUSIC BOX CAN BE HEARD, "DAISY" COMING BACK OVER THE 
	RADIO.

	INT. CHIMERA - PASSAGEWAY - MOMENTS LATER - DAY

	Epps walks along in the darkness AS THE MUSIC BOX CONTINUES 
	TO PLAY OVER THE RADIO. She comes to the end of the corridor, 
	stopping there.

	At the other end the light falls from the door at room 400.

	The MUSIC FROM THE RADIO STOPS, leaving in its absence the 
	MUSIC AS IT CAN BE HEARD COMING FROM THE ROOM AT THE END OF 
	THE CORRIDOR.

	INT. CHIMERA - PASSAGEWAY - MOMENTS LATER - DAY

	Epps approaches the other end, from where the MUSIC EMANATES, 
	coming to a stop at room 400. A beat as she holds there.

	INT. CHIMERA - ROOM 400 - CONTINUOUS - DAY

	Epps steps in as THE MUSIC BOX PLAYS IN THE OTHER ROOM.

	The sitting room is dark as she holds there. After a moment, 
	she continues on, coming to the bedroom.

	Epps steps in. Across the room the MUSIC BOX IS PLAYING.

	She crosses, coming to it as it continues, when her radio 
	CRACKLES TO LIFE. The channel remains silent a moment, then:

				VOICE
		"Cock-a-doodle-doo, said the rooster 
		to the crow. Where are you now? I 
		know but won't say so."

	She holds there a beat, then crosses to the table to find 
	the book of nursery rhymes. She opens it to the nursery rhyme 
	"The Rooster and the Crow," seeing the same words on the 
	page, when the radio CRACKLES AGAIN.

				VOICE
		Penny whistle toy. Penny whistle 
		toy. Penny whistle toy. Penny whistle 
		toy.

	On the table is the penny whistle she saw earlier. She takes 
	it, holding on it a moment. She raises it and THE CAMERA 
	SLOWLY PUSHES IN as she puts it to her lips and lightly blows 
	a C-SHARP WHICH BECOMES A C-SHARP FROM A PENNY WHISTLE across 
	the room.

				MOTHER
		"Cock-a-doodle-doo, said the rooster 
		to the crow. Where are you now? I 
		know but won't say so."

	On the other side of the room, the younger girl from the 
	photo plays the penny whistle. She is sitting on the floor 
	with the MOTHER who reads from the book we saw earlier.

				MOTHER
		"Cock-a-doodle-doo, said the rooster 
		to the crow. Where are you now? I 
		know but won't say so." Cassandra, 
		if you insist on playing that while 
		I read I'll just stop right now.

				THE GIRL
		Sorry.

	The room is warm with light, restored to its original 
	condition some fifty years ago as Epps stands there, unseen, 
	no longer holding the whistle.

	A man, the FATHER from the photos, steps from the bathroom 
	wearing a new coat.

				FATHER
		What do you think?

				MOTHER
		He certainly did shorten it, didn't 
		he?

				FATHER
		I thought this was all the rage.

				KATIE
		Maybe last year.

	Katie joins them from the outer room.

				FATHER
		What about this year?

				KATIE
		It's not your color anyway.

				GIRL
		I like it, daddy.

				FATHER
		Well thank you!

				GIRL
		Daddy, how much longer before we 
		start moving again?

				FATHER
		They're working on the engines, honey. 
		As soon as they fix them we'll be on 
		our way.

	INT. CHIMERA - PASSAGEWAY - MOMENTS LATER - NIGHT

	Epps steps from room 400 into the passageway. It is lit with 
	sconces running its length and the elegant furnishings and 
	objets d'art stretching to the far end are all in their 
	original condition. DISTANT MUSIC FROM THE BALLROOM CAN BE 
	HEARD as Epps stands there. She moves along.

	INT. CHIMERA - PASSAGEWAY - MOMENTS LATER - NIGHT

	Epps walks in the passageway. Doors are open and she looks 
	in to see people doing various things, some packing and 
	putting their things in order.

	INT. CHIMERA - PASSAGEWAY - MOMENTS LATER - NIGHT

	Epps walks down the passage, rounding the corner to see three 
	STEWARDS fighting with a fourth MAN in a tuxedo. They lift 
	him up and carry him off down the stairs as he shouts and 
	protests. She moves on, through a pair of double doors, into

	INT. CHIMERA - STORAGE COMPARTMENT - CONTINUOUS - DAY

	Epps moves through the now lighted storage area off the 
	galley. A group of CREWMEN stand around at the other end 
	and, as Epps nears, she sees that four figures can be seen 
	among them. They are four men, OFFICERS, swaying gently from 
	the ship's movement as they hang from ropes around their 
	neck, dead. Epps keeps moving, through doors at the other 
	end.

	INT. CHIMERA - PASSAGEWAY - MOMENTS LATER - NIGHT

	A commotion can be heard at the other end of the passageway 
	as Epps keeps moving. A WOMAN SCREAMS, and is cut off when a 
	door slams shut.

	The DISTANT MUSIC HAS BEEN REPLACED WITH INDISCERNIBLE 
	SHOUTING, as of someone commandeering the microphone somewhere

	As she walks, she passes an open door where several CREWMEN 
	fight over a steamer trunk, which breaks open, scattering 
	the contents.

	INT. CHIMERA - PASSAGEWAY - MOMENTS LATER - NIGHT

	Epps walks along, coming to another door where a dead man 
	and woman are laying in the middle of the room as a STEWARD 
	takes money from a wallet. The steward looks up, reaches 
	over and slams the door shut. She continues on.

	Another door stands open as she comes to it, back at room 
	400. She stops. A REPETITIVE SOUND CAN BE HEARD, coming from 
	inside.

	INT. CHIMERA - ROOM 400 - CONTINUOUS - DAY

	Epps steps in as the SOUND CONTINUES. She crosses the sitting 
	room, coming to the doorway of the bedroom to find several 
	MUTINEERS, some in stewards attire, others wearing ships 
	officers caps, obviously taken from their rightful owners.

	The repetitive sound comes from here, bed springs. And, from 
	between the men, a woman's bare legs hang over the end of 
	the bed as a pair of man's legs in boots lie between them, 
	the bed rocking, the others looking on.

	Epps turns to see the father. He is on his knees, hands tied 
	behind his back as he is forced to watch from the foot of 
	the bed.

	EPPS LOOKS DOWN TO SEE

	EPPS' POV

	a geometric pattern of a lotus on the Persian carpet at her 
	feet. When she looks up again she sees what the father sees.

	The mutineer finishes, climbing off the woman. Another of 
	the men pulls her up to reveal that she is no woman at all, 
	but Katie.

	The mother and sister lie in a bloody heap near-by as one of 
	the other mutineers steps up to Epps.

				MUTINEER
		You like that, daddy? I'll show you 
		something else now.

	The mutineer steps back to the bed. He sits Katie down so 
	that she faces us on the end of the bed. He raises an axe 
	over her, bringing it down as the world becomes a whirling 
	blur --

				EPPS (V.O.)
		NO!!!!

	BACK TO SCENE

	The CAMERA STOPS ON KATIE standing on the other side of the 
	room, now empty of people, returned to its shabby, abandoned 
	state.

				KATIE
		It isn't real.

	Epps looks back at her from the other side of the room where 
	she stands.

				KATIE
		Many bad things have happened here.  
		But you mustn't allow the evil inside. 
		I tell you this because you can see 
		me. The others can't. But you must 
		leave. You must leave.

	A LOUD GUNSHOT SOUNDS SOMEWHERE IN THE SHIP. When Epps turns 
	back Katie is gone.

	INT. CHIMERA - PASSAGEWAY - MOMENTS LATER - DAY

	Epps moves quickly along, raising her radio.

				MURPHY
		Epps to Murphy.

	Only WHITE NOISE COMES BACK.

				EPPS
		Epps to Murphy.

	Only WHITE NOISE COMES BACK as she rounds the corner out 
	onto the promenade. At the other end, the aquarium can be 
	seen.

	As she approaches she sees that the tank is empty. Greer is 
	nowhere to be seen and the skylight at the top is broken 
	out.

	A GREAT BOOMING SHUDDER rocks the ship. A LOUD SCREECHING OF 
	METAL follows it.

	EXT. CHIMERA - CONTINUOUS - DAY

	The ship's hull being scraped at the waterline by a jagged 
	mid-ocean island no bigger than fifty or sixty feet across.

	The ship has entered a small archipelago of such islands, a 
	mine field for a drifting ship.

	INT. CHIMERA - PASSAGEWAY - MOMENTS LATER - DAY

	Epps moves quickly along, coming to the stairway, moving up, 
	almost running into Murphy on his way down, carrying a canvas 
	duffle.

				EPPS
		What happened?

				MURPHY
		We hit land.

				EPPS
		What?

				MURPHY
		We're in an island chain. It's only 
		a matter of time before we hit another 
		one.

				EPPS
		Greer's gone. He broke out of the 
		tank.

	INT. CHIMERA - PASSAGEWAY - MOMENTS LATER - DAY

	Epps and Murphy move quickly along, when another HUGE BOOMING 
	shudders the ship and the SHRIEKING OF METAL follows.

	EXT. CHIMERA - CONTINUOUS - DAY

	The ship bounces off another of the small, jagged islands as 
	it drifts past, buckling the steel plate of the hull 
	precariously.

	INT. CHIMERA - PASSAGEWAY - CONTINUOUS - DAY

	Murphy and Epps run toward the other end of the ship. As 
	they do, something can be seen lying in the middle of the 
	passage some distance down.

	AT THE OTHER END

	Epps and Murphy slow to see that it is a body, lying face 
	down in the passage.

	They step up. Epps kneels as Murphy looks on. She rolls the 
	body over. It is Greer, dead.

				EPPS
		He's been shot.

	Murphy kneels too, looking on at Greer's lifeless eyes.

				MURPHY
		Let's get the hell out of here.

	INT. CHIMERA - STAIRWAY/PASSAGEWAY - MOMENTS LATER - DAY

	Murphy and Epps come up the stairway, crossing to the doors.

	EXT. CHIMERA - FORWARD DECK - CONTINUOUS - DAY

	As Epps and Murphy come out, moving toward the make-do raft.

				MURPHY
		It should be enough to get us to one 
		of those islands. Gimme a hand, 
		wouldya?

	She joins him and they lift it off its stand, taking it to 
	the rail.

				MURPHY
		Prop it here. We need to pull these 
		braces off. There's a hammer on the 
		stand. There.

	Epps crosses back to the stands.

	AT THE STANDS

	Epps kneels. No hammer. She pulls back Murphy's canvas duffle, 
	folding back the flap to reveal a shotgun, the shotgun Dodge 
	had when he died.

	A beat as she holds there, when Murphy's hand grabs it.

				MURPHY
		I'll take that.

	A beat as she looks to Murphy.

				EPPS
		It was you.

	He only looks back at her as she stands there.

				EPPS
		You killed them.

				MURPHY
		It was only a matter of time before 
		somebody killed somebody.
			(a beat)
		You saw it coming as well as I did.  
		Dodge had his plans, starting with 
		scuttling the boat. And Greer too, 
		except he went nuts. Couldn't take 
		it, I guess. Could've happened in 
		the middle of downtown Anchorage.  
		But did it make him any less 
		dangerous? I don't think so.

				EPPS
		So you killed them?

				MURPHY
		The way I figure it, it was them or 
		me. I thought putting Dodge up on 
		that pipe was a nice touch? Bought a 
		little time. Made it look like whoever 
		killed those Greeks was still around. 
		But it's just us on this ship. Us 
		and your... spirit friends.

				EPPS
		And now you're gonna kill me, is 
		that it?

				MURPHY
		I didn't want it to turn out this 
		way.

				EPPS
		Murphy, don't you see what's 
		happening?

				MURPHY
		I think I see it pretty well.

				EPPS
		It's the ship. The ship's making you 
		think this way.

				MURPHY
		I know a little bit about human nature 
		and what I've seen only confirms 
		that.

				EPPS
		It's a trap. There was no way we 
		were gonna get away with that gold.  
		Nobody ever does. It's just the bait. 
		This ship sucks people in and it 
		never lets them out.

				MURPHY
		I think maybe you been on this boat 
		a little too long, with all that 
		supernatural mumbo jumbo. There's 
		nothing supernatural about greed.  
		And that's what it comes down to, 
		pure and simple.

				EPPS
		I don't give a damn about the gold.

				MURPHY
		I wish I could believe that. Either 
		way, you know what I've done. I've 
		got no choice.

	He raises the shotgun.

				MURPHY
		I'm sorry.

	He prepares to fire, when a CONCUSSION ROCKS THE SHIP. Epps 
	ducks and Murphy fires, a spatter of buckshot shredding the 
	vent behind her. A SCREECHING OF METAL DEEP IN THE SHIP SOUNDS 
	as she gets up, diving for cover as Murphy shuttles the gun 
	again.

	WITH EPPS

	Epps scrambles behind a deck vent.

	EXT. CHIMERA - CONTINUOUS - DAY

	The ship has bounced off yet another small island, the jagged 
	rocks loudly scrapping the hull with a deafening shriek.

	EXT. CHIMERA - FORWARD DECK - CONTINUOUS - DAY

	Murphy crosses toward the deck vent.

				MURPHY
		There's no reason to make this any 
		more difficult than it has to be.

	WITH EPPS

	As Epps holds there she sees the vent opening. She pulls 
	herself up and climbs inside.

	INT. CHIMERA - AIR SHAFT - CONTINUOUS - DAY

	Epps climbs down the air shaft where a giant fan spans its 
	width. She squeezes through the fan blades and drops down 
	where several vent ducts lead in different directions below 
	it.

	EXT. CHIMERA - FORWARD DECK - CONTINUOUS - DAY

	Murphy comes to the vent duct where Epps went down.

	INT. CHIMERA - AIR DUCT - CONTINUOUS - DAY

	Epps crawls through. She comes to a vent that leads out to a 
	passageway.

	INT. CHIMERA - STAIRWAY - CONTINUOUS - DAY

	Murphy runs quickly down the stairway, shotgun at the ready.

	INT. CHIMERA - PASSAGEWAY - CONTINUOUS - DAY

	The vent is shoved out and falls to the metal catwalk.

	INT. CHIMERA - STAIRWAY - CONTINUOUS - DAY

	The CLANG FROM THE VENT SOUNDS HERE and Murphy stops.

	INT. CHIMERA - PASSAGEWAY - CONTINUOUS - DAY

	Epps extends her feet and climbs down into the passage.

	INT. CHIMERA - PASSAGEWAY - CONTINUOUS - DAY

	Murphy rounds the corner, moving on the same deck.

	INT. CHIMERA - PASSAGEWAY - CONTINUOUS - DAY

	Epps moves along on a metal catwalk in the darkness when 
	something can be heard ahead of her. She stops.

	FOOTSTEPS SOUND at the end of the passage. Epps pulls back 
	into the shadows, holding there.

	The footsteps sound as if they are coming down stairs at the 
	other end, when the FOOTSTEPS STOP.

	Epps holds there, listening intently in the silence when, at 
	the other end, THE SOUND OF CREAKING METAL, as from a hatch 
	slowly opening, can be heard. It stops. All is silent, WHEN 
	THE HATCH CREAKS AGAIN at the other end. She begins moving 
	toward it.

	As she approaches, she can see that the hatch is half open, 
	swaying slightly with the movement of the ship.

	A CREAKING SOUNDS behind her. She turns, just as Murphy steps 
	into view. She ducks as he fires and a spray of buckshot 
	ricochets off the metal around her.

	She scrambles on her belly as Murphy fires again. She swings 
	down from the catwalk, letting herself fall to the next deck.

	AT THE BOTTOM

	Epps gets up, runs.

	WITH MURPHY

	Murphy climbs down a ladder to the lower decks.

	INT. CHIMERA - BELOW DECKS WITH EPPS - CONTINUOUS - DAY

	Epps moves quickly along.

	INT. CHIMERA - BELOW DECKS WITH MURPHY - CONTINUOUS - DAY

	Murphy follows, when A RUMBLING SOUND CAN BE HEARD.

	INT. CHIMERA  - BELOW DECKS WITH EPPS - CONTINUOUS - DAY

	Epps stops where she is in the cavernous engine room, looking 
	on at the massive hull rising above her as the RUMBLING GROWS 
	IN INTENSITY. Though it seems to resonate throughout the 
	ship, it seems to originate from here, from directly below, 
	as though the hull were being dragged over a rocky bottom.

	She steps back as the sound grows still louder, until it 
	becomes absolutely deafening.

	The ship begins to shudder. The steel bulkheads visibly move 
	and the steel plates in the hull can be seen to bend back 
	and forth.

	INT. CHIMERA - BELOW DECKS WITH MURPHY - CONTINUOUS - DAY

	Murphy slows and finally stops.

	INT. CHIMERA - BELOW DECKS WITH EPPS - CONTINUOUS - DAY

	A few rivets pop in the hull. Then a few more, as the RUMBLING 
	GROWS STILL LOUDER.

	Epps puts her hands to her ears and begins to back away, 
	when the RUMBLING REACHES A PINNACLE. The rivets are springing 
	out of the hull like machine gun fire when the steel plate 
	of the hull gives way, A MASSIVE CRAG OF ROCK SMASHING THROUGH 
	WITH A TREMENDOUS BOOM AND A TORRENT OF SEAWATER.

	Epps ducks for cover as the crag tears a diagonal line through 
	the Chimera's hull like a jagged claw through paper in a 
	HORRENDOUS TUMULT OF NOISE AND STEAM AND SPARKS.

	EXT. CHIMERA - CONTINUOUS - DAY

	The Chimera is impaled broadside by a particularly devious 
	rock promontory of a small island.

	INT. CHIMERA - BELOW DECKS WITH EPPS - CONTINUOUS - DAY

	The giant claw begins to pull back, as the ship drifts off, 
	water pouring in behind it.

	EXT. CHIMERA - CONTINUOUS - DAY

	The ship is drifting free of the island with the current, a 
	huge gash rising on its port side.

	INT. CHIMERA - BELOW DECKS WITH EPPS - CONTINUOUS - DAY

	A massive torrent sweeps over Epps as seawater pours in 
	through the breach.

	INT. CHIMERA - BELOW DECKS WITH MURPHY - CONTINUOUS - DAY

	Murphy stops where he is to see water rushing in at the end 
	of the passage. He begins backing away.

	INT. CHIMERA - BELOW DECKS WITH EPPS - CONTINUOUS - DAY

	Epps is forced under as the water in the hull is already 
	half way up the side, the ship listing WITH A GREAT GROANING 
	EXERTION.

	INT. CHIMERA - BELOW DECKS WITH MURPHY - CONTINUOUS - DAY

	Murphy moves down the passageway, coming to the cargo 
	compartment.

	INT. CHIMERA - BELOW DECKS WITH EPPS - CONTINUOUS - DAY

	Epps comes up for air. A clatter of all manner of debris, 
	tools and general detritus hammers against the far bulkhead 
	as the ship eases over. A boiler breaks loose of its stays.

	Epps looks up to see it coming right for her. She ducks under 
	the water as the boiler slams into the bulkhead where she 
	was.

	WITH EPPS

	Epps is forced down by the boiler, trapped between it and 
	the bulkhead.

	INT. CHIMERA - CARGO HOLD - CONTINUOUS - DAY

	The gold slides off the palette, crashing into the far wall.  
	Murphy hurries to it, collecting ingots and putting them in 
	his pockets.

	INT. CHIMERA - BELOW DECKS - CONTINUOUS - DAY

	Epps struggles under the water to free herself, but she is 
	trapped, the heavy boiler and its broken stays caging her.

	ABOVE THE WATER

	The level of the water has now almost completely reached the 
	deck above, filling the ship almost entirely below decks.

	INT. CHIMERA - CARGO HOLD - CONTINUOUS - DAY

	The water is threateningly high as Murphy pockets one last 
	ingot and makes his way for the exit.

	INT. CHIMERA - BELOW DECKS - CONTINUOUS - DAY

	Epps is trying to pull back the boiler stays, without luck.  
	She swims down lower, finding a pipe fitting she pries at 
	the stays, without luck, when a form drifts into view in the 
	murky water.

	Several more forms appear. They are human, suspended in the 
	water. As Epps looks, the several forms have become many.  
	They are the bodies of the dead she saw in the pool before.

	As they look on at her from where they are, one form emerges.  
	It is Katie.

	She reaches toward Epps, as if beckoning her to take her 
	hand from the other side. Epps raises her hand, taking it.

	The girl leads Epps down into the murky darkness where she 
	finds a way out. She takes her back further, coming to the 
	breech, leading her out and into a cool green void of water.

	Katie stops at the breach. Epps turns to her. She only looks 
	back at Epps. Epps turns away, swimming upward toward the 
	light of the surface.

	EXT. OCEAN SURFACE - MOMENTS LATER - DAY

	Epps breaks through, gasping for air. She looks to see the 
	Chimera, listing heavily to one side, its bow decks fully 
	awash.

	INT. CHIMERA - PASSAGEWAY - CONTINUOUS - DAY

	Murphy staggers through the flooded passage.

	EXT. OCEAN SURFACE - CONTINUOUS - DAY

	The Chimera is getting lower in the water, the bow submerged 
	and the stern beginning to rise.

	Epps sees another small island some distance off. She begins 
	swimming toward it.

	INT. CHIMERA - STAIRWAY - CONTINUOUS - DAY

	Water runs down the stairway as Murphy struggles toward the 
	top.

	EXT. ISLAND - CONTINUOUS - DAY

	Epps swims as the ship sinks in the distance.

	INT. CHIMERA - PROMENADE - CONTINUOUS - DAY

	A river of water rushes through as Murphy crosses with 
	difficulty.

	EXT. ISLAND - CONTINUOUS - DAY

	Epps reaches the jagged rock of the island. She pulls herself 
	up.

	EXT. CHIMERA - TOP DECK - CONTINUOUS - DAY

	Water rushes in as Murphy wades out onto the Chimera's top 
	deck. He is heavily weighted down and periodically goes under 
	as he half wades half swims, the length of the ship's aft 
	portion rising above him as the bow sinks.

	EXT. ISLAND - CONTINUOUS -  DAY

	Epps collapses on the rocks.

	EXT. CHIMERA - TOP DECK - CONTINUOUS - DAY

	As the ship moves lower, Murphy pushes off. He bobs under 
	momentarily, then comes back up with difficulty. The forward 
	smoke stack has dipped under and is now taking on water, the 
	current from the rushing water pulling him toward it.

	EXT. ISLAND - CONTINUOUS -  DAY

	Epps looks on as the giant ship angles higher and higher.

	EXT. CHIMERA - WITH MURPHY - CONTINUOUS - DAY

	As the ship dips lower, the rushing water forms an eddy that 
	pulls at Murphy. Murphy struggles, too heavy to resist as he 
	is pulled closer and closer to the sucking maw that is the 
	smokestack's opening.

	The ship sinks further and Murphy is pulled to the edge of 
	the stack. He frantically grabs for something to hold on to, 
	without success, until he is finally pulled into the smoke 
	stack and sucked into the bowels of the ship by the rushing 
	water.

	EXT. ISLAND - LATER - DAY

	Epps sits perched under a rock out of the wind, looking on 
	at the Chimera, her stern rising high above water as she 
	goes down, when the RUMBLE OF ENGINES CAN BE HEARD.

	She turns to see a Coastguard plane sweeping low over the 
	Chimera, then banking back and flying right over as she shouts 
	and waves her arms.

	EXT. ISLAND - LATER - DAY

	The Coastguard plane flies by one more time, this time 
	dropping a survival pack.

	The Chimera's stern rises up out of the water, almost vertical 
	now, slipping further and further under.

	Epps looks on one last time, as the ship goes down.

	EXT. OCEAN - WITH CHIMERA - CONTINUOUS - DAY

	The afterdeck of the Chimera sinks slowly, slowly down, the 
	CAMERA PUSHING IN TO "CHIMERA" as the name comes to the water, 
	then slips slowly beneath the surface. And THE CAMERA FOLLOWS, 
	MOVING INTO THE WATER to reveal that, beneath the surface, 
	there is no ship at all, only the vast empty depths of the 
	ocean.

	FADE TO BLACK

			 THE END


Additional Info

Ghost Ship



Writers :   Mark Hanlon
Genres :   Action  Adventure  Horror  Thriller  Sci-Fi


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