DOOMSDAY By R.J. Smith WGA Registered #1552312 [email protected] (212) 365-4234 FADE IN “It’s not a question of if Cumbre Vieja collapses, it’s simply a question of when.” Dr. Simon Day, Benfield Greig Hazard Research Centre, Department of Geological Sciences, University College, London, UK. FADE TO: EXT. OFF THE COAST OF CANDELARIA - MORNING SUPER: Candelaria Spain. Descending from the clouds and towards the seaside coast of Candelaria. EXT. BASILICA OF OUR LADY CANDELARIA - DAY Cheering spectators line a road leading to the basilica. A Papal motorcade stops at the entrance as ANDERSON COOPER steps in front of a CAMERA MAN who points at Anderson. CAMERA MAN Three, two and... you’re live! POPE CALLIXTUS, 59, steps from the Pope-mobile and makes the sign of the cross SECURITY TEAM MEMBERS and CARDINAL JONATHAN, 45, follow the Pope. ANDERSON COOPER The popular Spanish Pope has just arrived here at the Patron Saint of the Canary Islands for what has been dubbed the seaside salvation of souls. Suddenly an earthquake shakes the scene and the basilica crumbles to the ground. Cardinal Jonathan pushes the Pope towards the Pope-mobile. EXT. ROQUE DE LOS MUCHACHOS OBSERVATORY - DAY SUPER: La Palma, Spain. 2. The William Herschel Telescope trembles and collapses in on itself. A parked Single Engine Airplane trembles on a short blacktop runway. INT. A RESEARCH ROOM - SAME A group of researchers and DR. TISH HARRIET, a sexy yet hardened 50-something, struggles for balance. An alarm beeps and a red EARTHQUAKE light flashes upon a wall. PROFESSOR CHRIS GROSSMAN, a scholarly man, late forties, enters the room and glances at Tish. PROFESSOR GROSSMAN Notify GDACS and locate Professor May, immediately! Tish picks up a phone and dials a number. TISH This is the Palisades Hydrophone Station at Cumbre Vieja Volcano. We are at this moment experiencing a quake! EXT. ICELAND GEOLOGICAL BASE CAMP - MORNING SUPER: Grimsvotn Volcano, Iceland An American Geologist, WILL SQUIRE, late forties, stares into the ground where a monitoring device lies half buried. A Jeep Wrangler quickly approaches from Grimsvotn Volcano erupting in the distance. An Englishman, DR. SAMUEL MAY, a happy go lucky 50 something, pulls the Jeep to a stop beside Will. Sam jumps from the Jeep and chuckles while pointing back at the volcano. SAM (English accent) She’s all action and no talk, I tell you! Day six of moaning and groaning! 3. WILL That’s what you get when ya mess with girls. SAM Huh? What’s that? WILL Never mind, Professor! Women are women, even when they’re volcanos! SAM Oh, Yes! You have learned a thing or two. A United Nations helicopter swoops out of the sky and lands in a swirl of dust. SAM (CONT’D) What the hell is this? Haven’t you told them to stay out of our testing area? LARRY MAGLEY, 30-something, leaps from the aircraft, hits the ground and hurries to Sam. LARRY MAGLEY Professor May? I’m Larry Magley with the Global Disaster Alert and Coordination System over at - SAM - The United Nations, yeah, yeah. How are things back at GDACS? LARRY MAGLEY Madam Under-Secretary General requests your presence, sir! SAM Karin Soma sent you to pull my chain, did she? What is it, then? What’s biting her rump? LARRY MAGLEY It’s Cumbre Vieja, Professor. WILL The Old Summit? 4. LARRY MAGLEY (to Will) The orientation of vents and feeder dykes within the volcano have shifted during a quake. WILL It’s a lateral collapse. SAM Son of a gun! They hurry beneath the spinning blades and jump into the chopper just before it lifts into the sky. INT. U.N. HELICOPTER - SAME Will and Sam sit in the back of the chopper beside Larry Magley who’s busy speaking into a satellite phone. WILL Tish is still in La Palma, isn’t she? SAM I’m afraid so. WILL Sam, are you all right? SAM I’ll be fine. Sometimes I wonder why we do this, working in two separate parts of the world, each not knowing what’s going on with the other. WILL It’s gotta be rough. SAM Are you getting it on with a lassie of your own? WILL No, of course not! I don’t get it on! Well, not seriously. SAM What then, you’re not a twink are you? 5. WILL Of course not! What would make you think that? SAM I simply inquired if you were getting it on with a lass and you went dramatically GLEE on me. What should I think, then? WILL (dramatically) I’m not acting dramatic! SAM It’s called show business for a reason, right? WILL I’m not a twink and I don’t sing. SAM It doesn’t really matter, does it, in the grand scope of our impending disaster? EXT. ICELAND - KEFLAVÍK AIRPORT - DAY SUPER: Keflavík International Airport, Iceland. Larry Magley stands on the top air-stair by a jet bearing the seal of the United Nations. At the bottom stair Sam speaks to Will. SAM You have to lay it out again to the Prime Minister, Will. Show him the data and our scenario. He must close the Underground. WILL I’ll get it done, Sam. SAM I’ll have the United Nations and GDACS deal with the American President and the French. WILL Good luck with that! What about Allen Edward? Is he going to be there? 6. SAM Snob. I’m sure his Royal Highness of Her Majesty’s Navy can’t wait to see me. WILL Who’s the snob? Allen Edward, the United States or the French? SAM Must I choose? Sam hurries up the air-stairs, then turns back to Will. SAM (CONT’D) Oh, Will? By the way, when does GLEE come on the telly? WILL Tuesday nights, eight o’clock. SAM See what I mean? EXT. UNITED NATIONS BUILDING - DAY SUPER: United Nations, New York The flags of the United Nations wave in the wind as people rush along the sidewalk. INT. UNITED NATIONS - HALLWAY - SAME Military men briskly lead a group of officials along a corridor bustling with activity. Sam emerges holding a cellphone to his ear while staring at an iPad 2. SAM (into phone) Tish, how long before you’ve finished in the field? EXT. CUBRE VIEJA VOLCANO - IN THE WOODS - DAY Tish speaks into a satellite phone. Behind her Professor Grossman leads a team of Six Researchers who carry shovels. 7. TISH (into phone) Sam, we’re making our way to the transmitting pole. We have to get a manual reading because the quake knocked out the station’s AFM monitors. PROFESSOR GROSSMAN Tish! Tish peers at Professor Grossman. Professor Grossman points towards a huge hydrothermal vent opening right before their eyes. TISH (into phone) Sam? Sam! It’s happening! INT. UNITED NATIONS - HALLWAY - SAME Sam stops beside a door with the seal of the United Nations on it. SAM (into phone) Well, get your rumps off that rock! He presses the end button and hurries through the door. INT. UNITED NATIONS - CONFERENCE ROOM C - SAME A horseshoe dais is occupied by REPRESENTATIVES of the United States, Britain, Morocco, Portugal, France, Ireland, the Bahamas, Cuba and Venezuela. DR. JACK ROBBINS, 60, speaks excitedly to a Stately African American Woman, KARIN SOMA, mid-fifties. Jack POINTS a laser at a huge video screen displaying a satellite image of the Canary Islands. DR. JACK ROBBINS (British accent) That is why University College London has committed such time, energy, and, let me remind this body, the money to run such research - Karin cuts him off. 8. KARIN SOMA - yes, yes, of course! But what of the real catastrophic issue of the day? Be our hero, Dr. Robbins, will the volcano collapse or won’t it? The conference room door bursts open and Sam appears holding the iPad 2 over his head. SAM It’s not a question of if Cumbre Vieja collapses, it’s simply a question of when! The Representatives gasp as Sam hurries down the isle and stands beside Jack. DR. JACK ROBBINS Oh, Samuel, thank heavens you have arrived! KARIN SOMA Dr. May, please come forward and let us hear directly from the horse’s mouth, as it were. Sam grabs the laser from Jack and lights up the smallest of the Canary Islands on the screen. SAM Madam Under-Secretary, we await the birth of a disaster like modern man has never imagined! KARIN SOMA Let it be known for the record, then? SAM We predict the failure of Cumbre Vieja’s western flank on the Isla de La Palma. Loud protests erupt from the Representatives. EXT. PORT OF SANTA CRUZ DE LA PALMA - DAY SUPER: Santa Cruz, Canary Islands. The port is smoldering and lies in ruins. A tall ship sinks and crew members are leaping from her bow into the water. 9. A tugboat pulls along side the tall ship. A SAILOR tosses life-preservers to the crew members in the water. SAILOR (Spanish) Swim! Swim! Grab the life preservers! A fog horn blows and the Sailor peers toward it. A huge cruise ship with VALENCIA painted along its side moves through the port. INT. VALENCIA - CAPTAINS BRIDGE - SAME A bald Hawaiian man, CAPTAIN MAKA, late-fifties, peers into binoculars. Tugboat Sailors pull people out of the water and onto their deck. Captain Maka lowers the binoculars and glances at a SWEDISH man, CHIEF MATE FERN NOORD, pushing buttons on a control panel. CAPTAIN MAKA (to Chief Mate Noord) Set a course, Fern.