WW3 CyberWars Nuclear Holocaust is an original John Storm political espionage thriller. This plot offers a thrilling adventure for John Storm, with high stakes, international intrigue, and a race against time.

OPENING SCENES 1 >>>

EXT. TURKISH DOCKSIDE - ISTANBUL - NIGHT

RAIN slicks the worn cobblestones. The air is thick with the scent of salt and diesel. Ship horns BLAST in the distance.

A sudden, violent GUST OF WIND rips through the dock. A heavy WOODEN CRATE, suspended by frayed ropes from a gantry, sways dangerously.

BURAK (30s, burly, rain-soaked dockworker) wrestles with a rope, trying to steady it. His teeth are gritted.

With a loud SNAP, the rope gives way. The crate tips—then tumbles.

It crashes onto the damp stone with a muffled, sickening WHUMP. Wood SPLINTERS violently, scattering across the dock. Torn sacks burst open, spilling dull grey ballast.

Burak recoils, rubbing his shoulder where the crate grazed him. He spits.

ASAF (40s, Turkish Customs, sharp-eyed, authoritative, dressed in a crisp uniform beneath a trench coat) steps forward, assessing the wreckage.

ASAF
That was close, Burak. Be more careful.

Burak just shakes his head, still spitting wood splinters.

BURAK
Sorry, Asaf. But hey, what are those?

Asaf's gaze has fallen to the scattered debris. Beneath the ballast, stark against the dark stone, are several STONE TABLETS. They look ancient, but one, in particular, glints oddly in the dock lights.

CLOSE ON – The tablet. Its surface is rough, weathered by millennia. But etched onto it are UNUSUAL MARKINGS, some deeply carved, some disturbingly fresh, almost glowing. They pulse with an unseen energy. They are certainly NOT ON THE MANIFEST.

Asaf kneels, running a gloved hand over the cold stone.

ASAF
Not ballast, that's for sure. Call in the Captain. These tablets look important.

INT. TURKISH CUSTOMS OFFICE - NIGHT

Fluorescent lights hum. PHONES RING constantly, a chaotic symphony of urgency. Screens flash with grainy images of the discovered tablets.

The TURKISH MUSEUM is contacted. They are overwhelmed, short-staffed. They defer to BLUE SHIELD. Blue Shield, also stretched thin, contacts their global network.

INT. ROBERTA TREADSTONE'S OFFICE - LUXEMBOURG - NIGHT

DR. ROBERTA TREADSTONE (40s, sharp, intense, dressed in a sleek, business-casual suit) stares at a high-resolution display showing the tablets. She makes a call.

INT. UNESCO OFFICE - PARIS - NIGHT

PROFESSOR JACQUES PIERRE DACCORD (60s, a refined intellectual, an old-world charm, but with deep lines of worry around his eyes) answers his secure comms. He's looking at the same images.

JACQUES
(Into comms)
I'm looking at them now, Roberta. Curious markings. Some fresh. Who do we know in the Med might decipher for us? Someone... less bound by red tape?

ROBERTA (V.O.)
John Storm, is in the Med. Heading from Malta to Port Said.

Jacques' lips twitch into a wry smile.

JACQUES
Oh. The intrepid ocean adventurer. Nobody else? More amenable to our cause?

ROBERTA (V.O.)
Not so amenable and friendly. Or so close.

JACQUES
Okay, I know you like Mr. Storm... and... he does get results, the controversial bastard.

ROBERTA (V.O.)
Agreed then?

JACQUES
Agreed. But keep me informed.

The line goes dead. Roberta smiles to herself, a flicker of genuine amusement and something else – something almost flirtatious – in her eyes. Her heart rate does increase. She did indeed fancy John Storm. What red-blooded woman wouldn't.

She reaches for a different, more sophisticated radio handset.

INT. ELIZABETH SWANN - BRIDGE - DAY

Sunlight pours into the sleek, high-tech bridge of the ELIZABETH SWANN. The world's fastest hydrogen-powered vessel glides silently over the deep blue Mediterranean, a white wake stretching behind it. The bridge hums with quiet power.

JOHN STORM (40s, effortlessly cool, a compelling blend of rugged adventurer and intellectual) is at a console, eyes on a distant point.

DAN (20s, easygoing, mischievous) and HAL (AI super computer, tech-savvy, quietly amused), seated at their stations, exchange a knowing glance as the comms unit CRACKLES to life.

DAN
(Muttering to Hal)
Holy fuel cells, John. It's Roberta.

John rolls his eyes, tempted to ignore the transmission. But CLEOPATRA (20s, radiant, regal, an ancient presence in a modern world) is nearby, overseeing some data. She hears the call. Her gaze, ancient and piercing, fixes on John.

He sighs, grimaces, and picks up the handset.

JOHN
Elizabeth Swann here, Roberta. Keeping well? Over.

ROBERTA (V.O.)
Good John, thanks. We need your help I'm afraid. If you can. Not if you're doing anything important. Over.

JOHN
(A wry smile)
Priorities, Roberta. Heading to Port Said to drop off a living, breathing heritage item for her annual bonding ceremony. Not bad looking either for her age.

ROBERTA (V.O.)
You devil. Perhaps after saying your goodbyes you could head up to Istanbul.

JOHN
Sounds inviting. What else? Over.

ROBERTA (V.O.)
The Turkish Museum needs an opinion. Over.

JOHN
You know I'm a sucker for antiquities, Roberta. What else? Over.

ROBERTA (V.O.)
To lend a hand deciphering a haul of ancient tablets. Intercepted going through customs, en-route to Iraq — of all places. Over.

John straightens, the amusement gone from his face. His eyes narrow, a flicker of something dangerous ignited.

JOHN
Really? Normally, artifacts would be recovered from the Middle East, not be shipped there. Over.

ROBERTA (V.O.)
Precisely. And perhaps discover the source. Over.

Cleopatra watches him. She’s made it her life’s mission to document and protect the ancient world she once ruled. She can see John's hesitation. She gives him a knowing glance, making him feel like a heel.

ROBERTA (V.O.)
Okay John, there is more to this. Some new engraving in code, on ancient tablets.

Cleopatra shrugs, a subtle, elegant gesture. John shrugs back. Fine.

ROBERTA (V.O.)
I'm sensing that is a no, John. Over?

John glances at Dan and Hal, who give him thumbs-up, barely stifling their grins.

JOHN
Okay Roberta. My crew seem to want this mission for me. Over.

ROBERTA (V.O.)
Nice one. Big thanks to the leopard lady. Thank you all. I'll let the Museum know you are on your way then. Over and out.

Cleopatra, her ancient spirit glowing, rushes over and hugs John.

CLEOPATRA
My hero.

A pause. A shared look, deep and resonant.

CLEOPATRA
Again.

The reborn Pharaoh plants a soft, seductive kiss on John's lips. A current of pure electricity passes between them, sending shivers down his spine. She knows she has that effect on him. He is Mark Antony reborn. They share a bond through time.

CLEOPATRA
I'll prepare a special meal.

She floats toward the galley, her movement graceful, almost ethereal.

Dan elbows John, a wide smirk on his face.

DAN
Sucker.

John laughs.

JOHN
I know, Dan. Suckers me every time.

EXT. PORT SAID - DOCKSIDE - DAY

The Elizabeth Swann slices through the water at breath-taking speed, her foils lifting her hull clear of the waves, heading swiftly towards Port Said.

MONTAGE – Rapid, efficient cuts:

- The Swann, sleek and powerful, docking in Port Said.
- John, dressed in lighter, more casual attire, walking down the port outrigger with Cleopatra.
- The two embrace, a lingering, reluctant goodbye.
- Cleopatra’s face, bathed in the Egyptian sun, radiant, seductive, enchanting.
- John's face, a flicker of sadness. He hates parting from her. It always feels like losing a piece of himself.

CLEOPATRA
John, you know I hate leaving?

JOHN
She calls to you, I know. Speaks to me too. Somehow, in my dreams. Very strange, except that I like it.

Cleopatra nods. She's drawn back to the Cairo Museum every year, to the mummy of her former self. Drawn by an inexplicable, yet very real, feeling of union that grows more powerful the closer she is to her ancient remains, especially when the sun shines on the pyramids at exactly the right astronomical zenith.

She gives him one last, lingering look.

CLEOPATRA
Now off you scoot, Mr. Storm. Turkey needs you. Don't worry about me.

JOHN
I'll be thinking of you.

CLEOPATRA
Of course. My rescuer and guardian angel, you are always in my thoughts. And in here.

She places both hands over her heart. She walks into the distance, stopping every few paces to look back. John watches her, holding back a tear, until she eventually disappears from sight.

INT. ELIZABETH SWANN - BRIDGE - DAY

John re-boards the Swann, a new resolve in his eyes, but a touch of melancholy remains.

DAN
Come on, Skip.

JOHN
Coming.

John walks to the main console.

JOHN
Can you do the honors, Dan? I'm not in the mood.

DAN
Sure, Captain. Hal! Captain Nemo, please plot a course for Istanbul.

The Elizabeth Swann's engines HUM louder. Her foils extend, and she slices through the water with increasing speed, turning northeast.

John looks out at the open sea, his mind already racing with the implications of the coded tablets.

What encoded message was hidden in those tablets? And who would go to such lengths to smuggle them into Iraq?

Something big was brewing.

And he was about to be caught in the middle of it.


EXT. TURKISH MUSEUM - ISTANBUL - DAY

A sleek BLACK SEDAN glides to a stop in front of the grand Turkish Museum. The architecture is imposing, ancient, yet well-maintained.

JOHN STORM (40s, sharp, intense, dressed in a practical, dark suit) and DAN HAWK (20s, brilliant, focused, carrying a specialized, secure case) emerge. They move with an almost casual efficiency.

They are greeted by MUSEUM OFFICIALS. A brisk handshake. A nod. No fanfare. John and Dan are already moving inside. They're not just visitors; they're here on business.

EXT. BOSPORUS STRAIT - DAY (FLASHBACK - A FEW DAYS EARLIER)

The deep, choppy waters of the BOSPORUS STRAIT. Strong currents churn the surface.

The ELIZABETH SWANN cuts through the waves, its hydrogen engines a silent marvel.

INT. ELIZABETH SWANN - BRIDGE - DAY (FLASHBACK)

JOHN, wearing dive gear, stares at a holographic display. It shows a detailed scan of the seabed: a massive UNDERWATER ROCKSLIDE. The source of the Byzantium tablets.

JOHN
(To himself, a thought)
Hold her steady, Nemo.

A subtle flicker in his temple. John communicates pseudo-telepathically via his BioCore™ implant synced with the CyberCore Genetica™ super-nanocomputer. The only one of its kind.

A faint, almost imperceptible electronic VOICE whispers in his mind: "Aye, aye, Captain."

EXT. BOSPORUS STRAIT - UNDERWATER - DAY (FLASHBACK)

JOHN, flippers churning, fights the powerful currents. He's tethered to a flimsy HOIST PLATFORM – an old wooden pallet, ropes tied to each corner.

On the platform, three STONE TABLETS, dark and wet, glimmer. They were located by the Swann's advanced sensor array.

John strains, his muscles burning, to keep the platform stable as it's hauled upwards.

INT. ELIZABETH SWANN - DECK - DAY (FLASHBACK)

DAN HAWK, a computer and electronics genius, operates a small, precise winch. The pallet emerges from the water, dripping. Dan steadies it, securing the tablets.

From a safe distance, KITTY, a sleek tabby, watches. Her tail flicks, curious, hoping for fish. This is the ship's cat, a constant, silent presence.

DAN
Sorry, Kitty, not this time.

Dan grins at the cat's obvious displeasure.

John climbs up the stern ladder, dripping, but already focused.

JOHN
Better get these back to the Museum, Dan. I'd like to compare them with the one Blue Shield recovered from Customs.

DAN
Shall I scan them into Hal?

JOHN
Good idea.

Dan carefully places one of the wet tablets onto a flatbed scanner built into the deck. It whirs.

A digital VOICE, crisp and almost bored, emanates from a hidden speaker.

HAL (O.S.)
Hello, Dan. What delights do you have in store for me?

DAN
Just a bit more dusty old history, Hal.

Hal makes a faint, digital CLICKING SOUND, like a tongue being bitten.

Scanning complete, Dan and John efficiently pack the tablets into secure, padded containers. Their movements are practiced, precise.

INT. TURKISH MUSEUM - CONSERVATION LAB - DAY (PRESENT)

The lab is cool, sterile. White coats move with hushed reverence. The air smells faintly of chemicals and ancient dust.

The previously recovered tablet from Customs lies on a large, illuminated table. Its unusual markings are starkly visible.

John places one of the newly recovered tablets next to it. They match. Almost.

His eyes narrow, scanning the intricate carvings. A quiet intensity in his gaze. He's not just looking at history; he's looking for anomalies. For the hand that shouldn't be there. For the message that shouldn't exist.

The weight of the silent conspiracy settles in the air.

SCENE 2 >>>

DRAFT SCREENPLAY V1.0 (90-110 pages) - ORDER MAY BE VARIED

PART 1.

SCENE 1.    - ISTANBUL, TURKEY, THE BOSPHORUS STRAIT, BYZANTIUM TABLETS, SUNKEN REMAINS NEAR CONSTANTINOPLE, TURKISH MUSEUM: John Storm, on a routine artifact dive in the Bosphorus, Istanbul, stumbles upon a coded message hidden within a smuggled Sumerian tablet captured by Blue Shield. The message reveals a chilling covert alliance (Triad) - Russia, Iran, and North Korea - codenamed "Red Dragon" - are planning a coordinated attack. Their goal: global domination.

SCENE 2.    - KIDNAP CHAOS - 'RED DRAGON' - THE CONTROLLING CELL FOR 'OPERATION GRAND SLAM,' WITH 'GOLDEN CAGE,' & 'MIDNIGHT SUN': Phase One: The Kidnapping Chaos. 'Red Dragon,' using advanced sleeper cells and cyberwarfare, orchestrates the abduction of key political figures from the West - the US President, the British Prime Minister - Keir Starmer, the French President - Emmanuel Macron, and the German Chancellor - Olaf Scholz. Cutting off the heads of the corrupt capitalist Dragon.

SCENE 3.    - JILL BIRD, BBC ANCHOR - NEWS REPORT, KIDNAP CHAOS - DEMANDS - MARKETS IN TURMOIL: World military are thrown into disarray, communication channels are jammed, and financial markets plummet - It's a Fire Sale. 'Red Dragon' broadcasts a chilling message, threatening to kill the kidnap victims, if their demands are not met. The demands (vast resource concessions) being a feint.

SCENE 4.    - THE MASTERMIND - The plan is orchestrated by a shadowy figure deep within the Iranian government, General Reza Shah. Shah believes the West is on the verge of collapse and seeks to exploit their weakness for global domination. He's been secretly stockpiling gold and weapons for years, along with building a network of fallout shelters for the Triad underground elite, about which the West appear oblivious.

SCENE 5.   -  OPERATION GRAND SLAM - Intrigued, Storm deciphers the message with the help of a former Russian intelligence agent turned informant, Katya Volkov. With international order on the brink, Hal, recognizing the coded language from the tablet, deciphers the Triad's plan. John inadvertently teams up with a brilliant but jaded ex-KGB agent, Nadia Petrova, who knows the inner workings of the Triad from eavesdropping years before. Nadia sends anonymous regular messages to John. John and Katya discover they reference a sinister plot: "Operation Grand Slam" - The Motive to create global chaos as a prelude to an all out nuclear attack.

"Red Dragon" - North Korea, coordinating joint operations, targeting Iran and North Korea leaders in Operation Grand Slam. "Midnight Sun" - A cell to abduct key USA and European leaders, western politicians for kidnapping - and - Golden Cage: Refers to a joint operation by Russia (Red Dragon) and North Korea (Midnight Sun) targeting key Western politicians for coordinated kidnappings and transits.

SCENE 6.    - JOHN RACES TO NAPLES, JUST TOO LATE TO STOP KIDNAPPINGS -  John and Katya race against time to prevent a series of high-profile kidnappings, seemingly chasing tails as though Red Dragon has intel - the US President on route to G7 summit Naples - Joe Biden was already missing, so too the British Prime Minister. The French President, and the German Chancellor were thought to be next. Red Dragon triggers kidnap commands timed to opportunistic venues. Of which G7 is ideal for remaining Europeans. Leaving Xi Jinping, Kim Jong Un and Ali Khamenei.

SCENE 7.    - OUT OF TIME: They travel to Tripoli, ending in Bierut, where the trail leading to Ali Khamenei, Jinping and Jong Un deciphering clues inadvertently left behind by the kidnappers. Each location tests John's deciphering skills and Katya's knowledge of international espionage. But even with Hal they are too late - the trail disappears. The Cells capture their hostages just minutes before John gets to the sites.

PART 2.

SCENE 8.    - A MOLE: One of the kidnapped leaders is suspected as being a double agent working for Shah. This throws John and Katya off track, forcing them to question the allegiances of the hostages. Hal fails to identify any incriminating communications.

SCENE 9.    - PRISONERS: The chase leads to a secret underground facility in Iran, where the politicians are being held captive. It is seemingly impregnable reinforced concrete, much like a super bank vault, near Char Bahar, Gulf of Oman, Arabian Sea. It is impregnable, without harming the hostages. This is the Golden Cage, the European cell was named after.

SCENE 10.  - CHAR BAHAR: John and Katya must infiltrate the heavily guarded complex and free the hostages before a nuclear strike is launched on major Western cities. Hal calculates that a nuclear launch is imminent, where brute force hacking at NORAD and other military bases is detected. The clock is ticking, and John now realizes that the kidnappings are diversionary tactics. But still he pushes on.

SCENE 11.  - MISSION IMPOSSIBLE: Having taken out the perimeter guards, John and Katya finally succeed in gaining access to the prisoners the old fashioned way with thermal lances - a seemingly impossible mission - freeing the hostages - and transferring the bewildered heads of state to the Swann by RIB. Then the Swann vanishes into the Arabian Sea for a rendezvous with an ageing USS Vermont, Virginia class nuclear submarine. During transit, the freed captives talk through John freely, Hal interpreting telepathically. The freed prisoners cannot believe he understands so many languages. And his grasp on politics.

SCENE 12.  - BBC WORLD NEWS: Jill Bird item exposes Shah's plan to the world, discovering and revealing his identity as leader of Red Dragon, a Cell operating somewhere in the Middle East, and turning the tide against him. Revealed by Katya Volkov to John as she admits to having had an affair with the handsome Iranian General many years previously and was cast aside, left for dead. Adding pressure to an already knife edge plan for the Triads.

SCENE 13.  - CYBER CHESS GRAND MASTER: A high-stakes battle ensues involving advanced weaponry and cunning strategy. With launch and abort codes changing by the minute as US, Chinese, and Russian military are running at full pelt to stand still - helpless against cyber attacks. It's Military main frames from three locations versus Hal and John Storm, as the fastest computer CyberCore Genetica™ fends off brute force worms and viruses. It's a standoff without a final solution. Hal and CyberCore Genetica effectively block and counter, but need to locate the Cells that are hosting the attacks.

SCENE 14.  - BASE 37 NUCLEAR STRIKE: In cyber defeat and frustrated, Red Dragon attempts to strike fear into their targets with three small devices in Beijing, Moscow and Washington. Two devices are detected and defused. The third detonates at Base 37. This is a last-ditch effort by Shah's loyalists, saying to the world they are not safe, thumbing their noses at the CIA, FSB, MI6, Interpol and other agencies. Meantime, stockpiles of missiles by the superpowers remain a tempting target for other extremists that must be eliminated, with the assistance of John's new 'world-leader' friends.

PART 3.

SCENE 15.  - PLAYING WITH FIRE: Hal, John and Katya, disable the launch sequence for the Russian missiles. But cannot trace the source code, meaning transmissions could all begin again. Iranian and Chinese missiles are still a danger. The situation could rebound against Red Dragon; if only communist missiles are deactivated. While US and European missiles could still destroy the antagonists countries. Their plan could backfire. All hard lines are cut to Russian, Chinese and Iranian missiles, then manually shut down. Submarine missiles are systematically deactivated. Finally, US hard lines are cut, and submarine missile systems manually turned off. The world breathes a sigh of relief, Jill Bird reporting.

SCENE 16.  - TREBLE AGENT: One of the kidnapped leaders is identified as secretly sympathetic to Shah's cause. His identity becomes known during debriefing, when John (with Hal present telepathically) connects the dots, and he is turned around as a treble agent, used to penetrate further into the Red Dragon Cell, and close that and hunt down, then arrest of General Reza Shah.

SCENE 17.  - BLOODHOUNDS: John and Katya work together to track down Shah's remaining Cells, devout followers who fight to the death. John prevails to prevent further chaos. Within and from these Cells, they obtain valuable intelligence, much needed passwords and the like, to disable Golden Cage and Midnight Sun's Chinese and Iranian nukes.

SCENE 18.  - ATOMIC GOOD SAMARITAN: Using their new information, they take back control of the launch codes for the Iranian and Chinese missiles. The temporary administrations in China, Iran and North Korea plead with John Storm for his help. Not that he wasn't working double time to save them, but with Hal's help and using the CyberCore Genetica, they finally defuse the situation. Control of their missiles is restored. Then neutralized. All hail to John Storm.

SCENE 19.  - KNIGHTS OF THE GARTER: The root cause of Red Dragon is revealed as discontent brewing from 2014, when Tony Blair deceived Parliament with false intelligence, so initiating the invasion of Iraq by way of a coalition with US President George Walker Bush. The Brits knighting their own for such corruption, and intelligence abuses was the last straw. As the seeds of hate were revealed, another Petition succeeds in Blair's KG honour being reviewed with Keir Starmer making sincere public apology to Iraq. With a promise that the British honours system will be examined, such as not to ignite future Red Dragons.

SCENE 20.  - CRIME OF PASSION: Katya Volkov has a hidden agenda of her own - revenge over a jilted romance, being used and left for dead. She takes out Reza Shah, a a personal and simmering crime of passion - after he goads her, saying how she was used to obtain information taunting her about Nadia Petrova - before John can stop her the General is dead. Honour satisfied, she collapses from shock, the experience strengthens their partnership, hinting at future adventures; maybe. John making a mental note not to dally with her emotions thus. A final message is delivered anonymously: Job done!

SCENE 21.  - NATIONS REUNITED: The world grapples with the fallout of the attack, both literal and geopolitical. A broadcast transmitted all across the globe, from all the kidnap victims speaking as one voice, assures the world that they will now multiply their efforts to work together to resolve their differences. The first step being to dismantle their nuclear stockpiles, and agree never to replenish such weapons of mass destruction. One warning like this being seen as enough. John receives several honours. Including the 'Hero of the Russian Federation' (replacing the Order of Lenin), People's Republic of China Friendship Medal, Purple Heart (for being injured while a temporary US Navy SEAL) and after some debate, the Victoria Cross, in place of the at first suggested George Cross. And finally, the Nobel Peace Prize awarded in Oslo, to a standing ovation at a UN General assembly later that year. Making John the winner of a Guinness Book of Records entry and certificate, for the person with most multi-national decorations from a single mission.

CHAPTERS | CHARACTERS | MEDIA | MOVIE REF | SCREENPLAYS | SCRIPT