The Permafrost Papers
The data drive felt like a block of ice in my palm. Outside, the blizzard wasn't weather anymore; it was the story, and it was trying to kill me.
Introduction
This screenplay adaptation of 'The Permafrost Papers' illustrates the translation of atmospheric prose into a visual, production-ready script. By converting internal monologue and descriptive metaphors into observable actions and specific sound cues, this exercise highlights the importance of 'showing, not telling' in screenwriting. It serves as a practical example for students of digital literacy and narrative adaptation, demonstrating how to maintain the integrity of a source text's tone—in this case, a claustrophobic eco-thriller—while adhering to the rigid formatting constraints of the film industry.
The Script
EXT. STREET - NIGHT
A wall of white. The snow does not fall; it moves sideways. A horizontal river of ice particles erasing the world.
A figure struggles against the wind. CARTER (30s), huddled in a coat that isn't thick enough, slams his shoulder against a heavy oak door.
INT. CAFE - CONTINUOUS
The door seals shut with a heavy, final THUMP.
The SCREAM of the wind is instantly cut off, replaced by a pressurized ringing silence. The bell above the door gives a single, choked clank.
Carter stands there, dripping. He removes his glasses. Completely fogged.
He wipes them on his scarf. It leaves a greasy smear. He hooks the frames onto his collar.
The cafe smells of burnt coffee and damp wool. Under the hum of sickly yellow fluorescent lights, the room is sparse.
A COUPLE in the far corner, huddled. Silent.
A MAN with a laptop, face bathed in blue light.
Behind the counter, CATHY (20s) wipes a cup with a rag. Methodical. She does not look up.
Carter slides into a booth by the window. The vinyl squeaks, cracked and cold.
He pulls his phone. The screen glows: BATTERY 15%.
Cathy appears at the table. Soundless.
<center>CATHY</center>
Coffee?
<center>CARTER</center>
Please. Black.
She walks away. Her shoes are worn down at the heels.
WHUMP.
A violent impact against the plate-glass window. The entire frame shudders.
The Man with the laptop glances up, annoyed, then returns to his screen. Cathy places a thick ceramic mug on Carter's table. She doesn't blink.
Carter wraps his raw, red knuckles around the mug.
The door opens again. Another dead clank of the bell.
DR. ARNOLD PETERSON (60s) stumbles in. A scarecrow of winter gear. A huge puffy coat, gray toque pulled low.
He unwinds a scarf, stomping snow onto the mat. His face is gaunt, skin stretched tight. His eyes dart to the corners of the room. Scanning.
He locks eyes with Carter. A flicker of fear.
Peterson moves to the booth with a stiff gait. He slides into the opposite seat and immediately sheds layers. Underneath, a frayed tweed jacket.
<center>PETERSON</center>
You’re Carter.
<center>CARTER</center>
Dr. Peterson.
Peterson ignores him. He stares at the Man with the laptop.
<center>PETERSON</center>
(A whisper)
They listen. Ears everywhere. Anything connected.
<center>CARTER</center>
We can go somewhere else.
<center>PETERSON</center>
No. No public Wi-Fi here. Old building. Interference.
Peterson taps a bony finger on the formica. A nervous, unsteady rhythm.
<center>CARTER</center>
My editor said you had something.
Peterson laughs. A dry, rasping sound.
<center>PETERSON</center>
Something. Yes.
He lifts his coffee. His hand shakes. The mug RATTLES against his teeth.
<center>PETERSON</center>
Look out the window. What do you see?
<center>CARTER</center>
A blizzard.
<center>PETERSON</center>
Incorrect. You see a symptom. A planetary fever.
Peterson leans back. A strange calm settles over him.
<center>PETERSON</center>
I told them the permafrost was no longer permanent. A methane bomb with a trillion-ton payload.
The lights FLICKER. Once. Twice. They hold steady.
<center>PETERSON</center>
Arctic Energy Solutions. They weren't just drilling for oil. They used subsurface thermal injection. Superheated waste fluid.
Carter pulls a notepad. He tries to write. The pen digs a useless indentation into the paper. The ink is frozen.
<center>PETERSON</center>
They knew it would trigger a cascade. A feedback loop. Methane warms the air, melts the ground, releases more methane. A serpent eating its own tail.
Peterson leans in. His intensity sucks the air from the booth.
<center>PETERSON</center>
They crossed the threshold six weeks ago. This storm isn't weather. It's an industrial accident.
Peterson reaches into his tweed jacket.
He places a small object on the table.
A USB drive. Scuffed black plastic.
<center>PETERSON</center>
Everything. Internal memos. Buried climate models. Real-time seismic data.
Carter stares at the drive. A piece of plastic holding the end of the world.
He reaches for it. His fingers close around the cold casing.
Peterson freezes. His eyes snap to the window.
<center>CARTER</center>
What is it?
Peterson doesn't answer. A tiny shake of his head.
Carter turns slowly.
Through the swirling vortex outside, a momentary lapse in the snow.
Across the street. A dark sedan. Engine running. Two silhouettes inside. Motionless. Facing the cafe.
The snow swirls back. The car vanishes into the white.
Peterson looks at Carter. The fear is gone. Replaced by grim resolve.
<center>PETERSON</center>
They followed me.
He pushes his chair back.
<center>PETERSON</center>
You have to go. Now.
<center>CARTER</center>
What about you?
<center>PETERSON</center>
I am the decoy. They think I still have the original.
Peterson drops a twenty-dollar bill on the table.
<center>PETERSON</center>
Walk. Don't run. Get it to Miller.
Carter hesitates. His legs look heavy.
<center>PETERSON</center>
(Hissing)
Go. Now.
Carter fumbles the drive into his pocket. He stands.
He zips his coat. Fingers clumsy.
Peterson stares into his coffee cup. A defeated old man.
Carter walks to the door. He passes the counter.
Cathy polishes the same glass. She watches him go. Blank.
Carter grabs the cold metal handle. He pulls.
EXT. STREET - CONTINUOUS
The wind PUNCHES him in the chest.
Carter steps into the white. He doesn't look back.
What We Can Learn
This adaptation highlights the challenge of translating internal exposition into external action. In the prose, much of the tension comes from Carter's internal thoughts about his rent, the specific scientific details of the methane loop, and his feelings of dread. In the script, these must be converted into visual beats: the frozen pen that refuses to write symbolizes the hostility of the environment, while the specific action of the 'lights flickering' underscores the instability Peterson describes. The adaptation process requires stripping away the 'why' provided by the narrator and relying entirely on the 'what' that the camera can see to convey the same emotional weight.
From a media literacy perspective, this script demonstrates how pacing is controlled through formatting rather than sentence structure. In the source text, long paragraphs build a suffocating atmosphere. In the screenplay, the 'four-line rule' and the use of vertical spacing (breaking actions into separate lines) force the reader's eye to move down the page at a specific rhythm, mimicking the editing beats of a film. This teaches the writer to direct the audience's attention to specific details—the scuffed USB drive, the silhouette in the car—without using amateur camera directions like 'CLOSE UP' or 'ZOOM IN,' relying instead on the white space on the page to frame the image.