The Fortune Hunter - excerpt - Screenplay by Graeme Beck

INT. DRILL RIG'S CABIN - DAY

A massive drill rig thunders down a dirt track in the remote bush. Harrison, late 50's with skin of sun-baked leather swings the rig a hard left down another rut-filled track. His young, naive, offsider Rohan, is navigating with a large paper map and a handheld GPS. He turns the map 180 degrees.

ROHAN

No I mean left! Left.

HARRISON

Make up your bloody mind!

ROHAN

Yeah, left back there.

Unimpressed, he slams on the brakes and reverses the rig.

INT. MICK'S WORKSHOP - DAY

In a workshop at the back of his suburban house, Mick files gold from an ounce bar into a mortar and from a couple of dusty old jars adds a pinch of copper sulphide and zinc.

EXT. MICK'S HOUSE - DAY

He loads up his 4WD.

EXT. DRILL RIG POSITION 1 - DAY

The rig is positioned about a kilometer from Jack's mine.

SUE

(shouting)

We're drilling an anomalie which runs through here.

(pointing towards Jack's mine)

It's located along Komatite and Basalt contact. You can determine from the sulfurous smell.

Sue takes a handful out of the sample bag and lets Mick smell it. It stinks.

MICK

How far down are you?

SUE

One fifty.

MICK

One fifty! Fuck, we can't afford to go that deep!

SUE

They drilled to a hundred on this block in the seventies with no success.

(pause)

At one twenty we struck abundant alteration and at one forty, some sulfides.

(shrugging)

It's a good sign.

MICK

Yeah?

SUE

The results aren't back yet so don't get too excited.

EXT. TRACK - DAY

At an isolated spot Mick stops his vehicle and opens a few of the collected sample bags. He stirs in some of his powder.

INT. TRADING FLOOR - MORNING

TV screens flash out the bids as stockbrokers type in orders. Others talk quickly on the telephones.

INT. PALACE HOTEL DINNING ROOM - MORNING

Nial has finished his breakfast and is sitting back with a coffee reading the newspaper.

George in his new waiters outfit clears Phil's plate.

NIAL

I'll have another coffee thanks.

Nial is alerted to a headline.

NIAL (CONT'D)

(loud)

Shit! Gold strike by South Am.

George is alarmed at hearing 'South Am.' A couple of the other miners look their way.

GEORGE

South Am!

NIAL

(reading)

The rumors were rampant in Sydney yesterday driving South Am shares up in heavy buying to one dollar twenty.

Nial throws the paper down, and George picks it up.

NIAL (CONT'D)

Fuck! A dollar twenty! I was given the tip when they were three cents.

MINER 2

Hey Nial, didn't you put any money on South Am?

NIAL

Piss off!

The miner laughs. George is still reading the paper.

GEORGE

Struth!

NIAL

Fuck it! Fuck it! I would of done alright!