National Treasure
In an attic in
Young Benjamin Franklin Gates: Grandpa!
John Adams Gates: You’re not supposed to be up here…looking at that.
Ben: I just wanted to know.
John Adams Gates: Well, you’re old enough I suppose. You should know the story. Ok, here we go. It was 1832, on a night much like this. Charles Carroll was last surviving signer of the Declaration of Independence. He was also a member of a secret society known as the Masons. And he knew he was dying. He woke up his stable boy in the middle of the night and ordered him to take him to the White House to see Andrew Jackson because it was urgent that he speak to the president.
Ben: Did he talk to him?
John Adams Gates: No, he never got the chance. The president wasn’t there that night. But Charles Carroll had a secret, so he took into his confidence the one person he could, my grandfather’s grandfather, Thomas Gates.
Ben: What was his secret?
John Adams
Gates: A treasure… a treasure
beyond all imagining. A treasure that had been fought over for centuries by tyrants,
pharaohs, emperors, warlords.
Every time it changed hands it grew larger. And then suddenly it
vanished. It didn’t reappear for
more than a thousand years when knights from the first crusade discovered secret
vaults beneath the
Charles
Carroll:
Grandfather
Gates: …the secret lies with
Ben: Who is
John Adams Gates: Oh, not even Mr. Carroll knew that. Now look here Ben. The free masons among our founding fathers left us clues like these. The unfinished pyramid, the all-seeing eye, symbols of the Knights Templar. Guardians of the treasure. They’re speaking to us through these…
Patrick Gates: You mean laughing at us. You know what that dollar represents? The entire Gates family fortune. Six generations of fools chasing after fool’s gold.
John Gates: It’s not about the money Patrick. It’s never been about the money.
Patrick Gates: Come on son, time to go. You can say your goodbyes.
Ben: Grandpa, are we knights?
John Gates: You want to be?
Ben: (Shakes head yes)
John Gates: Alright, um, kneel. Benjamin Franklin Gates, you take upon yourself the duty of the Templars, free masons, and the family Gates. Do you so swear?
Ben: I so swear.
Ben grows up, it is now the
present day. They are in the artic
circle. The title National Treasure flashes up on the screen.
Ben Gates: I was thinking about Hanson and Perry, crossing this kind of terrain with nothing more than dog sleds and on foot. Can you imagine?
Ian Howe: It’s extraordinary.
Powell: Are we getting closer?
Riley Poole: Assuming Ben’s theory is correct and my tracking model’s accurate, we should be getting very close. But don’t go by me, I broke a shoelace this morning. It’s…it’s a bad omen.
Ian: Should we turn around and go home?
Ben: Or we could pull over and just throw him out here.
Riley: Haha…okay.
Ben: Oh Riley, you aren’t missing that windowless cubicle we found you in are you?
Riley: Oh no,
absolutely not.
His computer beeps and alerts them they have reached their destination.
Shaw: Why are we stopping? I thought we were looking for a ship.
Shippen: I don’t see any ship.
Ben: Oh she’s out there.
Shippen: Look, this is a waste of time. How could a ship wind up way out here?
Riley: Well I’m no expert, but it could be that the hydrothermal properties of this region produce hurricane force ice storms that cause the ocean to freeze, then melt, than refreeze, resulting in a semi-solid migrating land mass that would land a ship right around here.
Ben’s metal detector goes
off, indicating something buried in the snow. He uncovers what appears to be a bell or
the mouth of a cannon with the words
Ben: Hello
beautiful……..2 years ago, if you hadn’t shown up, hadn’t believed the treasure
was real, I don’t know if I ever would have found
Ian: You would have found it, I have no doubts. That’s why I didn’t think this was a crazy investment as everyone says.
Ben: I’m just relieved I’m not as crazy as everyone says, or said my dad was, or my granddad, or my great granddad. Okay! Let’s go!
Ian: Let’s go find some treasure.
The group enters the ship’s
holds.
Riley: After seeing a frozen skeleton… Ahh! OH GOD! AHH!
Ben: You handled that well. This is it. It’s the cargo hold.
Riley: You think it’s in the barrels?
Ian: Gunpowder
Ben: Now why would the captain be guarding this barrel?....I’ve found something!
Riley: What is it?
Ben proceeds to open a nice
box and reveal an ivory pipe.
Ben: Do you guys know what this is?
Riley: Is it a billion dollar pipe?
Ian: It’s a Miashawn pipe. Ah, it’s beautiful.
Ben: Look at the intricacy of the scroll work on the stem.
Riley: Is it a million dollar pipe?
Ben: No it’s a clue. Let me see that.
Riley: What…Don’t break it.
Ben: We are one step closer to the treasure gentleman.
Ian: Ben, I
thought you said the treasure would be on the
Ben: No, the
secret lies with
The legend writ,
The stain affected,
The key in silence undetected.
Fifty five in iron pen,
Mr. Matlack can’t offend.
It’s a riddle. I need to think. To himself: The legend writ the stain affected. What legend? There is the legend of the Templar treasure, the stain affects the legend. How? The key in silence undetected. Wait! The legend the key. There’s something. A map. Maps have legends maps have keys. It’s a map, an invisible map. So now…
Ian: Wait a minute. What do you mean invisible? An invisible map?
Ben: The stain affect could refer to a die or reagent used to bring about a certain result, combined with the key in silence undetected. The implication is to make what was undetectable detectable. Unless the key in silence could be….
Shaw: Prison.
Riley:
Shaw: It’s where the map is. Like you said, 55 in iron pen. Iron Pen is a prison.
Ben: Or it could be since the primary writing medium of the time was Iron gull ink, the pen is…just a pen. Than why not say a pen, why say iron pen?
Shaw: Because it’s a prison.
Ben: Wait, iron pen. The ink does not describe what was in
the pen, it describes what was penned.
It was iron, it was firm. It
was mineral, no no no no. It was firm it was adamant. It was resolved, it was resolved. Mr. Matlack
can’t offend. Timothy Matlack was the official scribe of the continental
congress. Calligrapher, not writer. And to make sure he could not offend the
map, it was put on the back of a resolution that he transcribed, a resolution
that 55 men signed. The declaration of
Ian: Ooooh
Riley: Come on. There is no invisible map on the back of the declaration of independence.
Ian: It’s clever really. A document of that importance would ensure the map’s survival.
And you said several masons signed it yeah?
Ben: Yeah, nine for sure.
Ian: We’ll have to arrange for a way to examine it.
Ben: This is one of the most important documents in history, they aren’t just going to let us waltz in there and run chemical tests on it.
Ian: What do you propose we do?
Ben: I don’t know!
Ian: We could borrow it.
Ben: Steal it? I don’t think so.
Ian: Ben, the treasure of the Knight’s Templar is the treasure of all treasures.
Ben: Oh? I didn’t know that. Really?
Ian: Ben, I understand your bitterness I really do. You’ve spent your entire life searching for this treasure only to have the historical community treat your family with mockery and contempt. You should be able to rub this treasure in their arrogant faces, and I want you to have the chance to do that.
Ben: How?
Ian: We all have our areas of expertise. You don’t think mine is limited to writing Sheakstean. Why, I’ve arranged a number of operations of questionable legality.
Shaw: I would take his word for it.
Ian: Don’t worry, I’ll make all the arrangements.
Ben: No.
Ian: I really need your help here.
Ben: Ian, I am not going let you steal the declaration of independence.
Ian: Okay, from this point on all you’re going to be is a hindrance.
Shaw pulls out a gun and
points it toward Ben.
Riley: Hey!
Ben: What are you going to do? You going to shoot me Shaw? Well you can’t shoot me; there is more to the riddle. Information you don’t have, I do. I am the only one who can figure it out and you know that.
Ian: He’s bluffing.
Ben: We played poker together Ian you know I can’t bluff.
Ian: Tell me what I need to know or I’ll shoot your friend.
Riley: Hey!
Ian: Quiet Riley. Your job is finished here.
Ben strikes a flare against
a barrel. He waves it for Ian and
Shaw to see.
Ben: Look where you’re standing. All that gunpowder. You shoot me, I drop this, we all go up.
Riley: Ben!
Ian: What happens when the flare burns down? Tell me what I need to know Ben.
Ben: You need to know…to shock and catch!
Ben tosses the flare and with quick
reflexes, Ian catches it.
Ian: Nice try though Ben.
Ian’s arm catches on fire. He drops the flare in the
gunpowder. Ian and Shaw head for
the door, while Ben and Riley retreat farther into the hold. Everything starts to ignite.
Ian: Get out Shaw!
Ian closes and locks the door to the hold,
trapping Ben and Riley inside.
Ben: Riley get over here!!!!
Riley: AHH! What is this?!
Ben: Smuggler’s hold! Get in!
Shaw: Move! Get out of here! MOVE!!!!!!!!
Ben: Follow me!
Shaw: Get back! It’s going to blow!
Ben: Get down!
Ian: Okay. Let’s go before someone sees the
smoke.
Ben and Riley both gasp for
air as they emerge from the wreckage.
Ben: There is an Inuit village about 9 miles east of here. It’s popular with push pilots.
Riley: Alright, ahh, ooh, ahh, then what are we going to do?
Ben: Start making our way back home.
Riley: No I meant about Ian. He is going to steal the declaration of independence Ben.
Ben: We stop him.
The scenery changes to
Riley: Is it really so hard to believe that someone is going to steal the declaration of independence?
Ben: The FBI gets 10,000 tips a week. They aren’t going to worry about something they are sure is safe.
Riley: But anyone that can do anything is going to think we are crazy. And anyone crazy enough to believe us isn’t going to want to help.
Ben: We don’t need someone crazy. We are one step short of crazy and what do you get?
Riley: Obsessed.
Ben: Passionate.
Ben and Riley are now in the
National Archives, waiting to speak with Dr. Chase.
Ben: Excuse
me.
He reaches for a pamphlet about the
National Archives Gala.
Secretary: Dr. Chase can see you now Mr. Brown.
Ben: Thank you.
Riley: Mr. Brown?
Ben: Family name doesn’t get a lot of respect in the academic community.
Riley: So you are cutting down by the man. A very cute man.
Dr. Abigail Chase: On phone: Thank you. To Ben and Riley: Good afternoon gentleman.
Riley: Hi.
Abigail: Abigail Chase.
Ben: Paul Brown.
Abigail: Nice to meet you.
Riley: Bill.
Abigail: Nice to meet you Bill. How may I help you?
Ben: Well your accent…Pennsylvania Dutch?
Abigail: Saxony-German.
Ben: Oh.
Riley: You’re not American?
Abigail: Oh I am an American I just wasn’t born here. Please don’t touch that.
Ben: Sorry. Neat collection. George Washington’s campaign buttons. You’re missing the 1789 inaugural though. I found one once.
Abigail: That’s very fortunate of you. Now you told my assistant that this was an urgent matter.
Ben: Ah yes mam. Well I am going to get straight to the point. Someone is going to steal the declaration of independence.
Riley: It’s true.
Abigail: I think I better put you gentleman in touch with the FBI…
Ben: We’ve been to the FBI.
Abigail: And…
Riley: And they assured us the declaration could not possibly be stolen.
Abigail: They’re right.
Ben: My friend and I are less certain. However, if we were giving the privilege of examining the document we would be able to tell you for certain if it were in any danger.
Abigail: What do you think you are going to find?
Ben: We believe that there is an encryption on the back.
Abigail: An encryption of what?
Ben: Uh, a cartograph.
Abigail: A map?
Ben: Yes ma’m
Abigail: A map of what?
Ben: The location of…clears throat…of items of historic and intrinsic value.
Abigail: A treasure map?
Riley: That’s where we lost the FBI.
Abigail: You’re treasure hunters aren’t you?
Ben: We’re more like treasure protectors.
Abigail: Mr. Brown I have personally seen the back of the declaration of independence and I promise you the only thing there is a notation that reads original declaration of independence dated…
Ben: …of independence dated 4 of July 1776. Yes ma’m.
Abigail: But no map.
Ben: After a long and uncomfortable silence…It’s invisible.
Abigail: Oh…right.
Riley: And that’s where we lost the department of homeland security.
Abigail: What led you to assume there is this invisible map?
Ben: We found an engraving on the stem of a 200 year old pipe.
Riley: Owned by free masons.
Abigail: May I see the pipe?
Riley: We don’t have it.
Abigail: Did Big Foot take it?
Ben: It was nice meeting you.
Abigail: It was nice to meet you too.
Ben: You know that really is a nice collection. Must have taken you a long time to hunt down all that history.
Ben and Riley enter the
display room of the National Archives building. They move to stand in front of the
declaration.
Riley: Ben, if it’s any consolation you had me convinced.
Ben: It’s not.
Riley: I was thinking, what if we go public? Flash this story all over the internet. It’s not like we have our reputations to worry about. Although, I don’t think that’s exactly going to scare Ian away.
Ben: 180 years of searching and I am 3 feet
away. Of all the ideas that became
the
Riley: Beautiful…huh…no idea what you said.
Ben: It means if something is wrong, those that have the ability to take action have the responsibility to take action. I’m going to steal it.
Riley: What?
Ben: I’m going to steal the declaration of independence.
Riley: uh…Ben?!
The following part takes
place on the steps of the
Riley: This is huge. Prison huge. You are going to go to prison. You know that?
Ben: Yeah probably.
Riley: That bothers most people.
Ben: Ian’s going to try and steal it and if he succeeds, he will destroy the declaration. The fact is the only way to protect the declaration is to steal it. It’s upside-down. I don’t think there’s a choice.
Ben: Ben, for god-sakes it’s like stealing a national monument. It’s like stealing him. It can’t be done. It’s not that it shouldn’t be done, it can’t be done. Let me prove it to you.
In the Library of Congress.
Okay Ben pay
attention. I brought you to the
Library of Congress. Why? Because it’s the
biggest library in the world.
Over 20 million books. And they are all saying the same exact
thing. Listen to Riley. What we have here my friend is an entire
layout of the Archives. We’ve got
builder’s blue prints, we have construction orders,
phone lines, water and sewage. It’s
all here. Now, when the declaration
is on display, it is surrounded by guards and video monitors, and little
families from
Ben: You know Thomas Edison tried and failed nearly 2000 times to develop the carbonized cotton filament for the incandescent light bulb.
Riley:
Ben: And when asked about it he said “I didn’t fail, I found out 2000 ways how not to make a light bulb”, but he only needed to find one way to make it work. The preservation room. Enjoy. Go ahead. Do you know what the preservation room is for?
Riley: Delicious jams and jellies?
Ben: That’s where they clean, repair, and maintain all the documents and storage housings when they aren’t on display or in the vault. Now when the case needs work, they take it out of the vault and directly across the hall into the preservation room. The best time for us or Ian to steal it would be during the Gala this weekend, when the guards are distracted by the V.I.P.s upstairs. But we’ll make our way to the preservation room where there is much less security.
Riley: Huh…well if Ian…preservation room…gala…this might be possible.
Ben: It might.
Preparations begin. Riley is now hacking into the video cables.
Riley: Uh, and we are in. There you are. Hello. The hallway. That’s what I want. Game on.
Ben: I’ll buy that.
Riley: Cool.
In the
national archives.
Secretary: This just came for you.
Abigail: I hope it’s not from Stan. For the woman who has everything else thanks for listening…Paul Brown.
Riley sets off one of the
Declaration’s sensors. Abigail
responds to the call.
Abigail: Abigail Chase. Hey Mike. What have you got? Run full diagnostics and then I want them all changed out.
Riley: Our evil plan is working.
Ben and Riley begin to
execute their plan. Riley stays in
the van while Ben goes inside the National Archives.
Riley: Ben are you sure that we should do th….
Ben: Riley can you hear me?
Riley: Unfortunately yes. We’re all set then.
Guard: Go ahead.
Ben: Howdy.
Riley: How do you look?
Ben: Not bad.
Riley: Mozeltov.
Ian is also ready. His team moves into position.
Ian: This is it.
Ben: For you.
Abigail: Oh Mr. Brown.
Ben: Dr. Chase.
Abigail: What are you doing here?
Riley: Is that that hot girl? How does she look?
Ben: I made a last minute donation. A pretty big one.
Abigail: Well on that subject thank you for your wonderful gift.
Ben: Oh you did get it?
Abigail: I really couldn’t accept something like that normally, but I really want it.
Ben: Well you needed it.
Riley: Come on Romeo, get out of there.
Abigail: I have been wondering though, what the engraving indicated on the pipe that Big Foot took.
Dr. Herbert: Hi. Here you go.
Abigail: Oh Dr. Herbert this is Mr. Brown.
Dr. Herbert: Hi
Ben: Hi there.
Riley: Who’s the stiff?
Ben: Here why don’t you let me take that, so you can take that off his hands.
Abigail: Thank you.
Ben: A toast yeah? To high treason. That’s what these men were committing when they signed the declaration. Had we lost the war, they would have been hanged, beheaded, drawn and quartered, and oh my personal favorite, had their entrails cut out and burned. So here’s to the men who did what was considered wrong in order to do what they knew was right. What they knew was right. Well…good night.
Dr. Herbert: Good night.
Abigail: Good night.
Ian: Okay go go!
Riley: This better work.
Ian: Door one, thirty seconds.
Riley: How does it look?
Ben: It’s working. It’s working.
Riley: Unbelievable.
Ian: Second door, ninety seconds. Well done boys lets go.
Ben: We’re in the elevator.
Riley: Okay I am going to turn off the surveillance camera. Ready? In five, four, three now. Ben Gates, you are now the invisible man. Give me the letters to her password. Hit me.
Ben: A…e… f… g… l…o… r… v …y.
Riley: Anagrams being listed. Okay top results, a glove fry, a very
golf,
Ben: It’s valley forge.
Riley:
Ben: It’s valley forge, she pressed the “l” twice. We’re in.
Riley: Hello. Ben you’re doing great. Ben pick it up. You got about 1…
Phil: We have video.
Riley: I lost me feed. I lost my feed Ben! I don’t know where anyone is. I have nothing…Ben I have….Ben I have nothing. Get out of there, get out of there now.
Ben: I’m taking the whole thing with me. I will get it out in the elevator.
Riley: What are you talking…Is it heavy?
Ian: Shaw, Door three 1 minute. Gates.
Riley: What was that. Who is shooting.
Ian: He’s got the bloody map!
Riley: Ben you still there? Ben?!
Ben: I am in the elevator. Ian’s here. There was a shooting.
Riley: I hate that guy.
Abigail: Rebecca, do you have a Paul Brown on that list?
Rebecca: Paul Brown? No. Not here.
Store Clerk: Are you trying to steal that?
Ben: Oh uh..
Store clerk: It’s 35 dollars.
Ben: For this?
Store clerk: Yeah.
Ben: That’s a lot.
Store clerk: I don’t make the prices.
Ben: I have um 32, uh 57?
Store Clerk: We take Visa.
Patrol: This is mike sublevel 3. I have an alert.
Riley: Where are you Ben? Where are you?
Ben: Stop talking. Start the van.
Riley: Ben, the uh, mean declaration lady is behind you.
Abigail: Hey.
Ben: Oh it’s you.
Abigail: Mr. Brown what’s going on? What’s that?
Ben: It’s a souvenir.
Abigail: Really?
Riley: Stop chatting and get in the van.
Security officer: Code red, code red. We have a break in. Lock it down. Nobody leaves. Get the FBI on the phone.
Ben: Did you enjoy the party?
Abigail: Yeah…
The alarms go off and
everything goes haywire.
Ben: Oooh…
Riley: Oh my god.
Abigail: Oh my god. You did not. Security!!!
Ben: Stop.
Abigail: Give me that.
Ben: It’s yours. Take it. SECURITY! OVER HERE!
Ian: Gotcha.
Ben: Go.
Riley: What?
Ian: Victor move.
Riley: We can’t just let her go!
Ben: We can. Now go!
Abigail: Security over here.
Ben: Wait no hold it. Hold it. Bad. No bad. Bad bad bad.
Phil: Give me the document.
Abigail: No. let me go.
Ian: Just bring her!
Ben: GO! GO!
Ian: And just who might you be?
Riley: Once we catch them what are we going to do?
Ben: I’m working on it.
Riley: Right turn right turn.
Ian: Why don’t you pass me that document and we can all go home.
Victor: Oh no!
Riley: Skidding skidding skidding.
Abigail is screaming
throughout the entire scene, so her screams have been
omitted.
Ben: Oh no!
Riley: Holy lord!
Ian: NO! If she fall the document falls.
Ben: Get me next to her.
Ian: Thank you. Got it. Go on.
Ben: Abigail! Jump!
Shaw: Lost them.
Ian: That’s alright. This is all we need. He opens the document to find out it’s fake. Well done Gates. Well done.
Ben: You alright?
Abigail: No those lunatics…They stole…
Ben: You’re not hurt are you?
Abigail: You’re all lunatics.
Ben: You hungry?
Abigail: What?
Ben: Are you alright?
Riley: Still a little on edge from being shot at, but I’ll be okay. Thanks for asking.
Abigail: Well I’m not alright. Those men have the declaration of independence.
Riley: She lost it?
Ben: They don’t have it. See? Okay? Now can you please stop shouting.
Abigail: Give me that.
Ben: You’re still shouting and it’s really starting to annoy. You’d do well Dr. Chase to be a bit more civilized in this instance.
Abigail: This is the real one. What did they get?
Ben: A souvenir. I thought it might be a good idea to have a duplicate. Turned out I was right. Actually I had to pay for both the souvenir and the real one so you owe me 35 dollars plus tax.
Riley: Genius.
Abigail: Who were those men?
Ben: Just the guys we warned you were going to steal the declaration.
Riley: And you didn’t believe us.
Ben: We did the only thing we could do to keep it safe.
Abigail: That doc…give me that!
Ben: You know something, you’re shouting again.
Riley: Pretty sure she was swearing too.
Ben: Well we probably deserve that.
Back at the National
Archives
Sedusky: Ladies and gentleman, ladies and gentleman, my name is Peter Sedusky, I am the agent in charge. I want to reassure you, you are not danger in any way. If we all cooperate, we will get through this with as little frustration as possible. Thank you. Get positive I.D.s and search everyone, including the security staff. If they refuse, detain them and get warrants. Yes agent Hendricks? You have something?
Agent Hendricks: Um...
Sedusky: This isn’t a day for um.
Agent Hendricks: We got a tip several days ago that someone was going to steal the declaration of independence.
Sedusky: You have a name on the tipster?
Agent Hendricks: There was no file opened. We didn’t find the information credible.
Sedusky: How about now?
Abigail: There is not a treasure map on the back of the declaration of independence.
Ben: And there is no chance that anyone could steal this either. I level with you 100 percent. Everything I told you was the truth.
Abigail: I want that document Mr. Brown.
Ben: Okay my name’s not Brown, it’s Gates. I level with you 98 percent.
Abigail: Wait a minute, did you just say Gates? Gates? You’re that family with the conspiracy theory about the founding fathers.
Ben: It’s not a conspiracy theory.
Riley: Per say.
Abigail: I take it back. You aren’t liars, you’re insane.
Sedusky: There is a copy of the declaration on display now?
Dr. Herbert: Yes we felt it best to leave…
Sedusky: Leave it there. The guests know something happened, but they don’t know what.
Female Agent: They got him with a tazer at the service entrance. He doesn’t remember a thing. Also we found bullet casings.
Sedusky: Did we get a description from the other guards.
Mike: What other guards?
Sedusky: The guards that were fired upon.
Mike: There weren’t any other guards on patrol down here.
Sedusky: So who was shooting? Who were they shooting at? And why weren’t they getting along?
Abigail: You can’t seriously intend to run chemical tests on the declaration of independence in the back of a moving van.
Riley: We have a clean room environment all set up. ETS suits, particulate air filtration, the whole chi-bang.
Abigail: Really?
Ben: We can’t go back there.
Riley: What? Why not?
Male agent: This is the guy. Dr. Herbert said Dr. Chase introduced him as Mr. Brown. Not on the guest list. Now the gift store clerk said he seemed well, flustered. He tried to walk out with a copy of the declaration of independence without paying. He paid with a Visa. Charge to Benjamin Gates.
Riley: A credit card slip? Dude, we’re on the grid. Do you… they are going to have your records from forever; they are going to have my records from forever.
Ben: I know I know. It’s only a matter of time before the FBI shows up at my front door.
Riley: What do we do?
Ben: We need those letters.
Abigail: What letters?
Ben: You know what, get off the road. Take a right.
Abigail: What letters? You have the original Silence Dogood letters? Did you steal those too?
Ben: They are scans of the originals. Quiet please.
Abigail: How did you get scans?
Ben: Well I know the person who has the originals. Now shush.
Abigail: Why do you need them?
Ben: She really can’t shut her mouth can she? Now look, I will let you hold onto this if you promise to shut up please. Thank you.
Riley: Ben you know what you have to do.
Ben: I know what to do. I am just trying to think of anything else we could do.
Riley: Well not to be a…uh…nudge, but you do realize how many people we have after us. I mean we probably have our own satellite by now. It took you all of 2 seconds to decide to steal the declaration of independence.
Ben: Yeah but I didn’t think I would have to personally tell my dad about it. Abigail makes a run for it. Hey not cool not cool.
Abigail: Let me go!
Ben: You’re let go now shoo.
Abigail: I’m not going. Not without the declaration.
Ben: You’re not going with the declaration.
Abigail: Yes I am. I’m not letting it out of my sight so I am going.
Ben: Wait, you’re not going with us with the declaration.
Abigail: Yes I am.
Ben: No you’re not.
Abigail: Look if you wanted to leave me behind you shouldn’t have told me where you were going.
Sedusky: Now we’re getting somewhere.
Female agent: They’re digital scans of letters to the editor of the New England Current. Written 1722. All from the same person. Your humble servant Silence Dogood.
Ian: Gentleman, why is this word capitalized.
Victor: Because it is important?
Ian: Because it’s a name.
Agent Michaels: Okay I got it. When Ben Franklin was only 15 years old he secretly wrote 14 letters to his brother’s newspaper pretending to be a middle age widow named Silence Dogood.
Sedusky: These letters were written by Benjamin Franklin.
Riley: Looks okay.
Ben: Park a couple blocks away.
Riley: Well how long do you think we got.
Ben: Give them a couple of hours at least. I hope.
Riley: What do we do about her? I have some duct tape in the back.
Ben: No that won’t be necessary. She won’t be any trouble. Promise you won’t be any trouble.
Abigail: I promise.
Ben: See? She’s curious.
Agent
Hendricks: Here’s what I got on
Gates. A degree
in American history from
Sedusky: Hmm…What in the world did this guy want to be when he grew up. We keep our focus on Gates. Run him to ground. Compile a family and friends list. Closest relatives first. I want to find out who this guy is.
Ben: Dad.
Patrick Gates: Where’s the party?
Ben: Well…uh…I’m in a little trouble.
Patrick: She pregnant?
Ben: Well if she is are you going to leave the woman carrying your grandchild standing out in the cold?
Abigail: I look pregnant?
Patrick: This better not be about that dumb treasure. Well have…have a seat. Make yourselves comfortable. There is some pizza. Still warm I think.
Ben: Dad, I need the Silence Dogood letters. Yeah it’s about the treasure.
Patrick: And he dragged you two into this nonsense?
Abigail: Literally.
Riley: I volunteered.
Patrick: Well unvolunteer before you waste your life.
Ben: Knock it off dad.
Patrick: Of course I know. I’m the family kook. I have a house, a job, health insurance. At least I had your mother for however brief of time. At least I had you. What do you have? Him?
Ben: Look if you just give us the letters we’re gone.
Patrick: You disappoint me Ben.
Ben: Well maybe that’s the real Gates family legacy. Sons who disappoint their fathers.
Patrick: Get out. Take your troubles with you.
Ben: I found the
Patrick: The
Ben: Yeah she was beautiful. It was amazing dad.
Patrick: And the treasure?
Ben: No, no, but we found another clue that led us here…
Patrick: And that will lead you to another clue. And that’s all you’ll ever find is another clue. Don’t you get it Ben? I finally figured it out. The legend said the treasure was buried to keep it from the British. But what really happened was the legend was invented to keep the British occupied searching for buried treasure. The treasure is a myth.
Ben: I refuse to believe that.
Patrick: Well you can believe what you want. You’re a grown person. What am I doing? Do what you want Ben, do what you want.
Abigail: He’s probably right. You don’t even know if there is another clue.
Ben: Well I can think of a way that we can find out. And we can find out right now.
The group prepares to run a
test on the Declaration.
Patrick: Looks like animal skin. How old is it?
Ben: At least 200 years.
Patrick: Really? You sure?
Ben: Pretty darn.
Riley: Now if this thing is in invisible ink how to we look at it?
Patrick: Throw it in the oven.
Ben, Abigail, and Riley: No!
Patrick: Higher sulfate inks can only be brought out with heat.
Abigail: Yes but this…
Ben: It’s very old. It’s very old. And we can’t risk compromising the map.
Patrick: You need a reagent.
Ben: Dad it’s really late. Why don’t you get some rest?
Patrick: I’m fine.
Ben: Lemons.
Abigail: You can’t do that.
Ben: But it has to be done.
Abigail: Then someone who is trained to handle antique documents is going to do it.
Ben: Okay.
Abigail: Okay. Now if there is a secret message it will probably be marked by a symbol in the upper right hand corner.
Ben: That’s right.
Abigail: I am so getting fired for this.
Patrick: I told you. You need heat. See?
Ben: We need more juice.
Abigail: We need more heat.
Riley: It’s not a map. Is it?
Patrick: More clues. What a surprise.
Riley: Are those latitudes and longitudes?
Ben: That’s why we need the Silence Dogood letters.
Abigail: That’s the key?
Ben: The key in silence undetected. Dad can we have the letters now?
Riley: Can someone please explain to me what these magic numbers are.
Abigail: It’s an andor cipher.
Patrick: That’s right.
Riley: Oh okay. What’s an andor cipher?
Patrick: Just codes.
Ben: Each of these numbers corresponds to a word in the key.
Abigail: Usually a random book or newspaper article.
Ben: In this case the Silence Dogood letters. So it’s like that page number of the key text, the line on that page, and the letter in that line. So dad, where are the letters.
Patrick: You know, it’s just by sheer happenstance that his grandfather…
Ben: Dad…
Patrick: even found those. They were in an antique desk from the press room…
Ben: Dad…
Patrick: from the
Ben: Dad where are the letters?
Patrick: I don’t have them son.
Ben: What?
Patrick: I don’t have them.
Ben: Where are they?
Patrick: I donated them to the Franklin Institute
in
Ben: Time to go.
Abigail: I still can’t believe that all this time no one knew what was on the back…
Patrick: Back of what?
Riley: oooo ahhh!
Ben: No!
Patrick: Oh my god. Oh my god.
Ben: I know.
Patrick: Oh my god. What have you done? This is…this is…
Ben: I know!
Patrick: This is the declaration of independence.
Abigail: And it’s very delicate.
Patrick: You stole it?
Ben: Dad I can explain, but I don’t have time. It was necessary. And you saw the cipher.
Patrick: And that will lead to another clue. And that will lead to anther clue. And that’s all you’ll ever find. There is no treasure. I wasted 20 years of my life, and now you’ve destroyed yours. And you’ve pulled me into all of this.
Ben: Well we can’t have that.
Patrick: Come in! I’m in here. FBI right? Going to untie me?
Sedusky: And you have no idea where he’s going?
Patrick: Wouldn’t I have told you if I did?
Sedusky: Would you?
Patrick: He tied me to a chair.
Agent Michaels: The garage is empty, but there is a Cadillac Deville registered to Patrick Gates.
Patrick: And he stole my car.
Sedusky: Don’t worry Mr. Gates. We’ll find your car, and your son.
Riley: Your dad’s got a sweet ride.
Ben: I think we should change clothes. We might look kind of conspicuous don’t you think?
Riley: I would love to go shopping too but we have no money.
Ben: Here I took this from his house. He usually tucks a few hundred dollars somewhere between those pages.
Abigail: Common sense. How appropriate.
Riley: When are we going to get there? I’m hungry. This car smells weird.
The trio is now in
Little boy: Excuse me. Excuse me. Sorry sir. Excuse me.
Ian: That’s okay.
Boy: S S A N D
Riley: Hmm, you sure this is right? Okay. S S A
Boy: No N.
Riley: That is an N
Boy: It doesn’t look like one.
Riley: You know what? Here. One more dollar. Go get the last 4 letters. Go get em chief. Come on. Okay. The vision to see the treasured past comes as the timely shadow passes in front of the house of pass and what? Pass and what? Pass and…
Shaw: What’s going on?
Ian: I’m not sure.
Abigail: So you show up at your father’s door, say you’re in trouble and the first thing he assumes is I’m pregnant.
Ben: Is there a question in there?
Abigail: I think there is an interesting story in there.
Ben: Well my father things I have been a little to cavalier in my personal life.
Abigail: I see.
Ben: Let me ask you something. Have you ever told someone, not a relative, I love you?
Abigail: Yes.
Ben: More than one someone?
Abigail: Yes.
Ben: Oh, then my father would say you are a little to cavalier in your personal life too.
Abigail: So you get your sense of absolute certainty from him?
Ben: I’m sure I don’t know what you mean.
Abigail: Well you’re certain the treasure is real no matter what anyone else thinks.
Ben: No. I hope it’s real. I mean I have dreamt it was real since my grandfather told me about it. I want to hold it. I feel like I am so close I can taste it. I just…I just want to know it’s not something in my head or in my heart.
Abigail: People don’t really talk that way anymore you know.
Ben: I know, but they think that way.
Riley: Hey.
Ben: Did you get it Riley?
Riley: Oh I got it. The vision to see the treasured past
comes as the timely shadow crosses in front of the house of Pass and
Ben and Abigail: The liberty bell.
Abigail:
Riley: Why do you have to do that?
Riley: Well what does the rest of this mean?
Ben: Wait a minute. The vision to see the treasured past must refer to a way to read the map.
Riley: I thought the cipher was the map.
Ben: No the cipher was a way to find the way to read the map.
Abigail: And the way to read the map comes as the timely shadow crosses in front of the liberty bell.
Ben: Crosses in front of the house of the
Liberty Bell.
Abigail: It’s a timely shadow. It’s a specific time.
Riley: Uh, what time?
Ben: What time? What time? Wait wait, you’re going to love this. Excuse me, can I see one of those hundred dollar bills I paid you with?
Store clerk: No.
Ben: Well, uh, I have this diver’s watch. It’s called a sub-mariner. I dive with it. It’s actually quite valuable. You could use it as collateral.
Store clerk: Whatever.
Ben: Thank you. On the back of a hundred dollar bill is an etching of independence hall, based on a painting done in the 1780s, thank you, and the artist was actually a friend of Benjamin Franklin. It’s wonderful. Hold this.
Abigail: Okay. I’m not going anywhere.
Ben: Now I think that if we look at this clock tower, we may find the specific time.
Abigail: What do you see?
Ben:
Abigail: What time is it now?
Store clerk: Almost 3.
Abigail: We missed it.
Riley: No we didn’t. We didn’t miss it because…wait you don’t know this? I know something about history that you don’t know.
Ben: I would be very excited to learn about it Riley.
Riley: Hold on one second. Let me just…just take in this moment. This is…is cool. Is this how you feel all the time? Because….except for now of course…
Abigail: Riley!
Riley: Alright. What I know is that daylight savings
wasn’t established until World War 1.
If it’s
Ben: Riley you’re a genius.
Abigail: Let’s go.
Riley: Okay. Do you actually know who the first person to suggest daylight savings was?
Abigail and Ben: Benjamin Franklin.
Little boy: Is this real?
Ian: Just tell me what you told my friend.
Boy: Just a bunch of letters, I can’t remember.
Ian: Can you remember which ones you were going to tell him next?
Boy: Yeah here, S T O W.
Shippen: Top
results,
Ben, Abigail, and Riley
climb to the top of
Ian: Idiot.
Shaw: Who?
Ian: Me.
Shaw: What?
Ian: It’s not here, it’s there.
Riley: What bell is this?
Ben: It’s the Centennial bell. Replaced the
Abigail: There it is.
Ben: Alright. I’m going to go down there and you two meet me in the signing room. Okay? Alright.
Abigail: Let’s go.
Riely:
Riley: Hey what did you score?
Ben: I found some kind of ocular device. The vision to see the treasured past? Let me take this.
Riley: They’re like early American X-ray specs.
Abigail: Benjamin Franklin invented something like these.
Ben: Uh, I think he invented these.
Riley: What to we do them?
Ben: We look through them.
Abigail: Here help me.
Ben: Whew.
Riley: What?
Ben: It’s just that the last time this was here, it was being signed.
Riley: Ben there’s another tour coming.
Ben: Turn it over.
Abigail: Careful.
Ben: Spectacles. Oooh. Oh.
Abigail: What do you see?
Riley: What is it? Is it a treasure map?
Ben: It says heere at the wall, spelled with two E’s.
Abigail: Oh, wow.
Riley: Why can’t they just say go to this place here’s the treasure, spend it wisely?
Ben: Oh no.
Riley: How did they find us?
Ben: Ian has nearly unlimited resources and he’s smart.
Abigail: I don’t think we can get out of here without being spotted.
Ben: Well we don’t want them to have the declaration or the glasses, but we especially don’t want them to have them both together.
Riley: So what do we do?
Ben: We separate the lock from the key. We’re splitting up.
Abigail: Good idea.
Riley: Really?
Ben: I’ll take this and those, you take that. Meet me at the car and call me if you have any problems.
Riley: Like if we get caught and killed?
Ben: Yeah. That would be a big problem. Take care of her.
Riley and Abigail: I will.
Phil: We’re on him.
Ian: There he is.
Abigail: Let’s walk this way.
Ian: Shaw look, there’s the others.
Shaw: Victor meet me at 5th and chestnut 5th and chestnut. They’re heading your way.
The chase begins for all
three of our main characters.
Abigail: Riley!
Riley: Time to run.
Abigail: In here. Follow me.
Woman: If you’re not a steak than you don’t belong here.
Abigail: I’m just trying to hide from my ex-husband.
Woman: Who baldy?
Abigail: Yes.
Woman: Honey stay as long as you like.
Abigail: Ah thank you.
Woman: Do you want something? Do you want something?
Shaw: Shut up.
Woman: I see why you left him.
Phil: Gates!
Ben: OW! Oh come on!
Abigail: AH! Where were you?
Riley: Hiding! Come on let’s go.
Shaw: Ian, Ian I’ve got them. They’re heading toward city hall.
Ian: Okay, I’m on my way.
Phil: Hey Gates. Enough man. Give me the document.
Ben: Alright Phil.
Ian: Let them go. We’ve got it. We’ve got it.
Female agent: FBI. Have you seen this guy?
Guard: No.
Agent
Hendricks: Ted,
Agent Michaels: Let’s go. Tell the boss, we’ve got the car.
Ben: What?
Riley: We lost it.
Ben: What?
Riley: We lost the declaration. Ian took it.
Ben: Yeah, okay. You alright? You both alright?
Riley: Yeah yeah. We’re alright.
Ben: We’ll be fine. Meet me at the car.
Agent Michaels: Suspect has arrived.
Sedusky: Hello Mr. Gates.
Agent Michaels: Mr. Gates face your father’s car and put your hands behind your back please. We got one in custody. Mr. Gates you’re a hard man to find.
Abigail: Riley, do you know how to get in touch with Ian?
Riley: Excuse me?
Sedusky: That’s some story.
Ben: Well it’s the same story I tried to tell you guys before the declaration was stolen.
Sedusky: By you?
Ben: No by Ian. I stole it to stop him. I did it alone. Dr. Chase was not involved. And Ian still ended up with the declaration of independence.
Sedusky: Because of you. So here’s your options. Door number one. You go to prison for a very long time. Door number two. We are going to get back the declaration of independence. You help us find it, and you still go to prison for a very long time, but you feel better inside.
Ben: Is there a door that doesn’t lead to prison?
Sedusky: Someone’s got to go to prison Ben.
Ben: Yeah.
Sedusky: So what are these for?
Ben: It’s a way to read the map.
Sedusky: Right, Knight’s Templar, Free Masons. Invisible treasure map. So what did it say?
Ben: Heere at the wall. Nothing else. Just another clue. There’s more to it. Yes?
Ian: Hello Ben. How are you?
Ben: I’m chained to a desk.
Ian: Sorry to hear that. I want you to meet me on the flight deck of the U.S.S. Intrepid. You know where that is?
Ben:
Ian: Meet me there at
Ben: I’m supposed to believe that?
Ian: I told you from the start I only wanted
to borrow it. You can have it, and
the glasses. I’ll even throw in the
pipe from the
Ben: I’ll be there.
Ian: And tell the FBI agents listening in on this call. If they want the declaration back, and not just a box of confetti, then you come alone.
The scenery switches to
NYC.
Sedusky: All eyes on Gates. Do not lose sight of primary mark. Gates stay with the program.
Ben: I hope all your agents are all under 4 feet tall and wearing little scarves otherwise Ian’s going to know they’re here.
Sedusky: As soon as he shows you the declaration we’ll move in. Don’t try anything.
Ben: You know agent Sedusky, something I’ve noticed about fishing, it never works out so well for the bait.
Sedusky: Gates you with me?
Ben: Well I’m sure not against you if that’s what your asking.
Shaw: Hello Ben. Thomas Edison needed only one way to make a light bulb. Sound familiar? Go to the observation point behind the F16 and here’s what you do. Jump overboard…
Sedusky: Gates? Gates? Who’s got gates? Anyone got a view of our friend Ian Howe?
Agent: Oh Ian Howe is not at the stern sir.
Sedusky: Than why is he heading there?
Ben: Sedusky, I’m still not against you. But I found door number 3, and I’m taking it.
Agent Michaels: What is he talking about?
Sedusky: Move in. Move in. Move in on Gates. Divers are a go. Snipers pursue action zebra.
Agent Michaels: Pursue at own risk, I repeat pursue at own risk.
Agent: You first.
Sedusky: Holy mackerel. He set us up. Agent Dorris do you have a visual? Can you see Gates in the water?
Agent Dorris: Sir,
it’s the
Sedusky: Smart fish.
Ben has just swam across the
Shaw: Hello Ben. Welcome to
Ben: What did you do with Abigail and Riley?
Shippen: Hope these fit.
Ben: I said what did you do with Abigail and
Riley? He’s the only one who could
have told you that line about
Shaw: Did you bring the glasses?
Ben: I don’t know, tell me what’s happening here.
Shaw: Ask your girlfriend. She’s the one calling all the shots now. She won’t shut up.
On the
phone.
Shaw: Here it’s for you.
Ben: Hello?
Abigail: Hi sweetie. How’s your day going.
Ben: Interesting dear. So what, you’re working with Ian now?
Abigail: Turns out helping someone escape from FBI custody is a criminal act. He’s the only criminal we knew so we called him and made a deal.
Ben: You’re…you’re alright yeah? I mean you’re safe?
Abigail: Yeah we both are. Riley’s right here doing something clever with a computer.
Riley: I’m tracking him through the…hey. I’m tracking you through the GPS in Shaw’s phone. They take a turn anywhere we don’t want and we’ll know it. So don’t worry.
Abigail: If Ian tries to double cross us, we can call the FBI and tell them right where you are. And where to find Ian.
Ben: And where’s that?
Abigail: Right across the street from where we’re hiding. At the intersection of Wall Street and Broadway.
Ben: Well, you figured out the clue.
Abigail: Simple. Heere at the wall. Wall Street and Broadway. Ben there is a catch. We made Ian believe that he could have the treasure. It was the only way we could get this far.
Riley: He’s here. Here we go.
At the
intersection of Wall Street and Broadway.
Ian: Ben. You alright? No broken bones? A jump like that could kill a man.
Ben: No it was cool. You should try it sometime.
Ian: The Declaration of
Ben: That’s it?
Ian: That’s it. I knew you’d keep your promise. Now where is it? Where’s my treasure?
Ben: It’s right here. The map said Heere at the wall spelled with 2 E’s. Wall street follows the path of an actual wall that the Dutch settlers built as a defense to keep the British out. The main gate was located at a street called Deheere, also 2 E’s. Later Deheere was renamed Broadway after the British got in. So heere at the wall, Broadway, Wall street. Cheerio!
Ian: Just a moment Ben.
Ben: Ian if you break our deal the FBI will be only a few minutes behind you. You might get away you might not.
Ian: Is that all the map said?
Ben: Every word.
Ian: Oh Ben, you know the key to running a convincing bluff. Every once in a while, you’ve got to be holding all the cards.
Ben: Dad…
Ian: Is there anything else you want to tell me?
Ben: Trinity church. We have to go inside
Ian: Good. Excellent. Well why don’t you ask Dr. Chase and Riley to join us? I’m sure they’re around here somewhere.
Inside
Ben: Are you alright?
Patrick Gates: What do you think? I’m a hostage.
Ben: Let him go Ian.
Ian: When we find the treasure.
Ben: No now! Or you can figure out the clues for yourself. Good luck.
Ian: Ben, I don’t think you fully appreciate the gravity of the situation. Let’s have a look at that map.
Ben: Well it’s uh, it’s really quite something. It’s really quite remarkable.
Ian: Parkington lane.
Ben: Beneath
Ian: Why would the map lead us here, then take us somewhere else? What’s the purpose?
Patrick: Just another clue.
Ben: Dad! No you’re right, Parkington lane has to be around here somewhere.
Ian: A street inside the church.
Ben: Not inside, beneath. Beneath the church.
Abigail: I’m so sorry.
Ben: None of this is your fault.
Patrick: Look, cooperation only lasts as long as the status quo remains unchanged. As soon as this guy gets to where this thing ends, he won’t need you anymore. Or any of us.
Ben: So we find a way to make sure the status quo changes in our favor.
Patrick: How?
Ben: I’m still working on it.
Patrick: Well I guess I better work on it too then.
Riley: Hey! Park…I found it. Him.
Ian: Ben! It’s a name.
Ben:
All: oh!
Shippen: Careful no one steps in him.
Riley: Okay, who wants to go down the creepy tunnel inside the tomb first?
Ian: Alright. McGregor, Victor you stay here. And if anyone should come out without me, well, use your imagination. Shall we?
Ben: You got a lighter? Careful. Watch your step. Come here.
Shippen: Why does that never happen to me?
Ian: What’s this?
Ben: It’s a chandelier. Here.
Riley: Wow.
Ben: Look at the elevator system.
Shippen: How do a bunch of guys with hand tools built all this?
Ben: The same way they built the pyramids,
and the
Riley: Yeah, the aliens helped them.
Ian: Alright let’s go. What are you waiting for.
Patrick: I’m not going out on that thing. 200 years of termite damage and rot…
Ben: Dad, do what he says.
Patrick: Watch your step.
Ian: Subway. God Shaw!
All: Oh!
Abigail: Hold on.
Ben: Get on! Jump.
Abigail: Ben! Come on.
Ben: The elevator. Get on.
Riley: Ben!
Patrick: Get down there! Get down there!
Abigail: Oh! The declaration!
Ben: Do you trust me?
Abigail: Yes. Oh no! Ben! Hang on!
Patrick: Son!
Ben: I’m sorry. I’m sorry I dropped you. I had to save the declaration.
Abigail: No don’t be. I would have done exactly the same thing to you.
Ben: Really?
Riley: I would have dropped you both. Freaks.
Ian: Get on.
Ben: Ian it’s not worth it.
Ian: Do you imagine any one of your lives is more valuable to me than Shaw’s? We go on.
Patrick: The status quo, keep the status quo.
Riley: What is this?
Shippen: So where is the treasure?
Ian: Well?
Riley: This is it? We came all this way for a dead end?
Ben: Yes.
Riley: There has got to be something more.
Ben: Riley there is no more.
Riley: Another clue.
Ben: No there are no more clues. That’s it. It’s over. End of the road. The treasure is gone. Move. Take it somewhere else.
Ian: You’re not playing games with me are you Ben? You know where it is.
Ben: No.
Ian: Okay go.
Ben: Hey. Wait a minute.
All: Wait Ian!
Abigail: Ian wait.
Ben: You can’t just leave us here.
Ian: Yes I can. Unless Ben tells me the next clue.
Ben: There isn’t another clue.
Riley: Ian wait. Listen why don’t you come back down here and we can talk through this together.
Ian: Don’t speak again.
Riley: Okay.
Ian: The clue. Where is the treasure? Ben?
Patrick: The lantern.
Ben: Dad.
Patrick: The status quo has changed son.
Ben: Don’t.
Patrick: It’s part of free mason teachings. In King Solomon’s temple there was a winding staircase. It signified the journey that had to be made to find the light of truth. The lantern is the clue.
Ian: And what does it mean?
Ben:
Patrick: The old
Ian: Thank you.
Patrick: Hey you have to take us with you.
Ian: Why? So you can escape in
Patrick: What if we lied?
Ian: Did you?
Ben: What if there’s another clue?
Ian: Then I’ll know right where to find you. See you Ben.
Ben: NO!
Riley: There’s no other way out!
Abigail: Come back!
Ben: You’re going to need us Ian.
Riley: We’re all going to die.
Ben: It’s going to be okay Riley. I’m sorry I yelled at you.
Patrick: It’s okay kiddo.
Abigail: Alright boys what’s going on? The British came by sea. It was two lanterns not one.
Patrick: Ian needed another clue, so we gave it to him.
Riley: It was fake. It was a fake clue.
Ben: The all-seeing eye. Through the all seeing eye.
Riley: That means by the time Ian figures it out, we’ll still be trapped here and he’ll shoot us then. Either way we’re going to die.
Ben: Nobody’s going to die. There is another way out.
Riley: Where?
Ben: Through the treasure room.
Riley: Looks like someone got here first.
Abigail: I’m sorry Ben.
Ben: It’s gone.
Patrick: Listen Ben.
Ben: It may have even been gone before Charles Carroll told the story to Thomas Gates.
Patrick: It doesn’t matter.
Ben: I know, because you were right.
Patrick: No I wasn’t right. This room is real Ben. And that means the treasure is real. You’re in the company of some of the most brilliant minds in history because you found what they left behind for you to find and understood the meaning of it. You did it Ben. For all of us. Your grandfather, and all of us. And I’ve never been so happy to be proven wrong.
Ben: I just really thought I was going to find the treasure.
Patrick: Okay, then we just keep looking for it.
Abigail: I’m in.
Ben: Okay.
Riley: Not to be Johnny rain cloud, but that’s not going to happen. Because as far as I can see, we’re still trapped down here. Oh Ben, where’s this other way out?
Ben: Well that’s it, it doesn’t make any sense. The first thing the builders would have done after getting down here was cut a secondary shaft back out for air…
Patrick: Right.
Ben: …Incase of
cave ins. Could it really be that
simple? The secret lies with
Inside the
treasure room.
Abigail: Scrolls from the Library of
Riley: That’s a big, bluish-green man, with a strange looking goatee. I’m guessing that’s significant.
Ben: Dad!
Abigail: Riley, are you crying?
Riley: Look, stairs.
Ben: Hi. Do you have a cell phone I can borrow?
Sedusky: Just like that?
Ben: Just like that.
Sedusky: You do know you just handed me your biggest bargaining chip.
Ben: The declaration of independence is not a bargaining chip. Not to me.
Sedusky: Have a seat. So what’s your offer?
Ben: Oh how about a bribe? Say 10 billion dollars?
Sedusky: I take it you found the treasure.
Ben: It’s about 5 stories beneath your shoes.
Sedusky: You know the templars and the free masons believed that the treasure was too great for any one man to have. Not even a king. That’s why they went to such lengths to keep it hidden.
Ben: That’s right. The founding fathers believed the same thing about government. I figure their solution will work for the treasure too.
Sedusky: Give it to the people.
Ben: Divide it among the Smithsonian, the
Luve, the
Sedusky: You really don’t understand the concept of a bargaining chip.
Ben: Okay here’s what I want. Dr. Chase gets off completely clean, not even a little post-it on her service record.
Sedusky: Okay.
Ben: I want the credit for the find to go to the entire Gates family with the assistance of Mr. Riley Poole.
Sedusky: And what about you?
Ben: I really would love not to go to prison. I can’t even begin to describe how much I would love not to go to prison.
Sedusky: Someone’s got to go to prison Ben.
Ben: Well if you’ve got a helicopter I think I can help with that.
In
FBI Agents: Freeze! Hands up! Turn around now.
Sedusky: You’re under arrest Mr. Howe. We’ve got you on kidnapping, attempted murder, and oh, trespassing on government property.
Ben, Riley, and Abigail are
walking along Ben’s new estate.
Riley: Yeah you got it chief. Thank you. Bye. They want us in
Abigail: Fun.
Riley: Big whoop. You could have had a whole fleet of private jets. Ten percent Ben. They offered you ten percent and you turn it down.
Ben: Riley we’ve been over this. It was too much, I couldn’t accept it.
Riley: I actually have this splinter that’s been festering for three months from an old piece of wood.
Ben: I’ll tell you what. Next time we find a treasure that redefines history for all mankind, you make the call on the finder’s fee.
Riley: It’s not as funny. What do you care? You got the girl.
Abigail: It’s true.
Ben: It’s true.
Riley: Enjoy your spoils while I sit on one percent. One stinking percent. Half of one percent actually. One percent.
Ben: I’m sorry for your suffering Riley.
Riley: For the record Ben, I like the house.
Ben: You know, I chose this estate because in 1812, Charles Carrol…
Riley: did something in history and had fun. Yeah that’s great. Could have had a bigger house.
Abigail: I made something for you.
Ben: You did? What?
Abigail: A map.
Ben: A map. Where does it lead to?
Abigail: You’ll figure it out.
THE END!
This script was merely written by a fan. No copyright infringement is
intended. Everything is copyright
to Disney and
Jerry Bruckheimer. Any part of the script reproduced from this copy is credited to Jen at Secret-Storm
Productions.