COMMENTARYThe Iceberg Conspiracy was written in an effort to speculate what might actually happen if someone actually built a replica of the Titanic. Of course it would be a SENSATION! Everybody who was anybody would want to take a voyage on it.--But it would also be a very tempting target for terrorists.---Thus such speculation would make an excellent and exciting story.
The terrorists are lead by a wealthy "Bin Ladin" type Terrorist,ABDUL SALEEM, in this case a deposed prince who wants to impress his supporters and get his throne back, and his Henchman, AMHED KABUL. But the other terrorists consist of an international group including Irishmen, Germans and Rusians. (equal oppourtunity terrorists;-) )
They have to destroy the lifeboats, the communication and transponder systems and move the vessel out of the shipping lanes, far from any potential rescue craft. Of course, the Terrorists would not ram the ship into an iceberg--nature cannot be relied upon to provide one at the right time and place. They could meet their own ship to offload their men and then sink the Titanic with torpedoes or explosives.
Another attractive element is that the story would give the viewer an oppourtunity to ask himself "What would I do if I were on a sinking ship with no lifeboats or hope for rescue?"---Yes, the ship DOES begin to sink and the protagonist has to find a way to save the passengers. The stern will float if it can be cut cleanly away from the forward part of the ship before the stresses spring the plates of the watertight bulkheads. The disarmed terrorist bombs provide a way to do this.--only HALF of the ship sinks.
WGAw # 768249
SYNOPSIS: Eccentric Billionaire WILL PORTER, owner and CEO of MEGAWARE a giant software company, surprises the world by building a replica of the most famous ocean liner of all time, the Titanic. He has arranged a celebrity filled maiden voyage from Southampton, UK. To New York.
Also on board is MAX CARTER, an ex NIS officer, whom Will is trying to entice to head Megaware’s new “security” department. Three days out, MAX notices that an old adversary of his, the beautiful, but “dangerous” Chinese intelligence agent, MEI LING is also on board. Max suspects that she might be after some US government classified software that Will’s company is developing. When confronted, she denies the allegations, but Max is still suspicious.
Max’s suspicions must be put on hold however when a small army of terrorists blows up the lifeboats and hijacks the ship. He and Mei Ling have to join forces to save themselves and 2400 other passengers and crew. With the help of some crew members, they manage to thwart the terrorist’s plans to move the ship out of the shipping lanes and sink it. Mei Ling, however, turns against Max and makes a deal with the terrorists to get herself and the "classified" software that she has stolen off the ship. They double cross her, taking both the software and the payoff money she gave them, and leave her aboard the Titanic while they attempt to escape via a submarine.
Max manages to sink the submarine and kill the terrorists by releasing and dropping the 16000 pound, starboard bow anchor on the vessel as the terrorists attempt to escape.
The terrorists have set small bombs in each of the ship’s watertight compartments however, and Max and a crewmember attempt to disarm them. They do not finish in time and several go off. The Titanic is sinking! And this time there are NO Lifeboats.
Max “saves the day” when he decides to use the explosives from the disarmed bombs to cut the stern section, with it’s still intact watertight compartments, off the ship, thus saving the other passengers.
Copyright © 2000 by Thomas M. Ray All rights reserved.
