Titanic (Scriptment) Page #4

SEVERAL ANGLES as the ROV deploys its manipulator and starts moving debris aside. A lamp is lifted, its ceramic colors as bright as they were in 1912. A book is moved, disintegrating into a flurry of limp confetti.

LOVETT:

Nice, Lewis. Good thing that wasn't the Ship's Log. Take it easy.

Lewis grips a wardrobe door, lying at an angle in a corner, and pulls it with Snoop's gripper. It moves reluctantly in a cloud of silt. Under it is a dark object. The silt clears and Snoop's camera's show them what was under the door...

BODINE:

Ooohh daddy-oh, are you seein' what I'm seein'?

CLOSE ON LOVETT, watching his monitors. By his expression it is like he is seeing the Holy Grail.

LOVETT:

Boys, I believe it's payday.

ON THE SCREEN, in the glare of the lights, is the object of their quest: a small STEEL COMBINATION SAFE.

NIKOLAI:

You will never get that out of there. Is too heavy. Cable will break. You will never get it back on board of ship.

SNOOP'S gripper locks solidly on the safe's handle.

CUT TO THE SAFE, dripping wet in the afternoon sun, being lowered onto the deck of the ship on a winch cable.

A word on the ship: it is the Russian research vessel AKADEMIK MISTISLAV KELDYSH, which has been chartered by Brock Lovett for his salvage operation.

Everyone crowds around the safe. In the background Mir One is being lowered into its cradle on deck by a massive Hydraulic arm. Mir Two is already recovered, just behind it. Brock Lovett comes out of the hatch before Mir One is even settled in its cradle. He drops to the deck and bounds over to the safe like a kid on Christmas morning. Bodine grins broadly as his boss arrives.

BODINE:

Who's the best? Say it.

LOVETT:

You are, Lewis.

VARIOUS ANGLES as the safe's hinges are drilled. A huge crowd has gathered, including most of the crew of KELDYSH, the sub crews, and a hand-wringing money guy named BOBBY BUELL who represents the limited partners. There is also a documentary video crew, hired by Lovett to do "warts and all" coverage of his recovery operations, which he will carefully edit later. Lovett grins wolfishly in anticipation of his greatest find yet, mugging for the camera.

When the lock and hinges are drilled, the door is pried loose.

The tension builds. Lovett makes a short speech, then signals to the technicians.

The door is removed.

Lovett moves closer, peering into the safe's wet interior. A long moment, then... his face says it all.

LOVETT:

Sh*t.

BODINE:

You know, boss, this happened to Geraldo and his career never recovered.

LOVETT:

(to the video cameraman)

Get that outta my face.

CUT TO LATER. Buell is on the satellite phone with the investors. Lovett is yelling at the video crew, saying they send out what he tells him, when he tells them. Buell covers the phone and turns to Lovett.

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