" You took your time" " How many times?" " I don't dance." "Nobody's dancing." " Oh, just the one." "We never go out." "For me." " For me." " This is your fault." " What have I done?" " It's your bleedin' party." " She did it again." "She's looking." " She's not." "She is." "And again." "Go over there, go on." "Just go up and say hello." "Do it." "She's just..." "I..." ""Can I get you a drink?" Just say, "Can I get you a drink?" Go on." "Excuse me." "Um..." "Can I get you a drink?" "Seemed like a good idea at the time." "Night out, like the old days, celebrate the divorce." "Seems a bit daft now." "Yeah." "But you must be sort of don't know...glad." "I left him eight months back." "Today's just a piece of paper." " I never liked him." " I wish you'd said." "I did." "Yeah." "Fiona's given me the number of this..." "...dating agency thing." "How sad is that?" " You should try it." "You're sad enough." " We'd end up like..." "They'd pair us up with each other." "About time... according to that lot." "That'd be kind of..." " ..." "I don't know...weird." " Thanks." "Good sort of weird." "Costs 80 quid to join the agency." "We could save the money." "How do you mean, like?" "160 quid between us." "It's a bargain." "And...bear in mind I've been drinking." "Judy!" "Judy!" "Someone's got my coat" "Where's my coat?" "!" "Hold on..." "She's drunk." "Don't go thinking that meant anything." "Jesus!" "Don't touch him." "He'll have needles in his pockets and all sorts." " Just get on the phone." "Call an ambulance." " Where are we?" "The A635, about ten mile north." "You'll be all right, son." "What's your name?" " Can you tell me who you are?" "I'm the son of God." "That's right, lad and I'm the Queen of Sheba." "He's a nutter." " Has he got a history of this?" " No, nothing." "Nothing like this." "Mind you, his mother had problems." "Seeing things, hearing voices - all that." "We were divorced." "She committed suicide ten years back." " Have you got anywhere to stay?" "No, I just drove straight up here." "Oh, don't tell me" " I've got to pay for an hotel." "There's a couple of BBs." "I can get you some numbers if you want." "Catholic." "It was on the news." "The Pope's dead." "A couple of hours back." "Died in his sleep." "Anyway, I'll get you those numbers." "Non mi preoccupa che ora sia." "Penso che sia accaduto, penso proprio che sia accaduto." "Dio, ci salvi!" "Judith!" "Judith!" "It's me." "Johnny Tyler." "Just the one, then you've got to go." " Who said I'm going?" " They usually do." ""Nice to meet you, never mind, bye."" "If you don't mind me saying, you've changed a bit since that video tape." "That's about three years ago now." "The agency keep telling me to change it." "I don't know." "You get past 30, it just keeps piling on." "If it's any consolation, I'm not exactly Kate Moss." "Don't be daft." "You're gorgeous." "I'm surprised at you using the agency." "You can't be short of offers." " Divorced." " Yeah." "He must be an idiot." "I think he is, yeah." "Hey, we could eat." "They do food, it's nice." " They do paella next door, if you'd rather." "Oh, I'm sorry." "I should've turned it off." "I'm busy." "Can I call you back?" "When?" "Who said?" "Well, what the hell's he doing there?" "Um..." "No, no, I'm in town." "I was just..." "Look, can you hold on?" "I'm sorry, I've got to go." " An emergency?" " It's this friend of mine." "He's in hospital." "You've really got to go." "Big emergency." "Honest to God, I'm not making it up." "This friend disappeared a few weeks ago." " That's a good one." " He's been missing for six weeks." "It was in the papers." "Thanks, then, Judith." "It was nice to meet you." "Bye." "I'm sorry." "Bitch!" "Yeah, his dad phoned." "He's driven up there." "He said they found him by the side of the road, middle of the bloody moors." "Oh, hang on." "That's Dave." " They found Steve." " Alive?" "Yeah, just wandering about on Saddleworth." "Bedtime, you." "Five minutes." "And here's the best bit - he's lost it completely, and I mean completely," " He's only saying he's the son of God." " What?" "Yeah." "Yeah, his dad said, like really, seriously, that's what he's saying." " I mean, he's not injured or anything?" " No, just mental." "But what's he doing in Yorkshire?" "How did he get there?" "God knows." "Shows a bit of initiative, anyway, for a man who's never been further than the chip shop." "He must've flown there on wings." " What's the name of the hospital?" " Dunno." "What for?" "You're not going over there?" "This time of night all that way?" "Don't be daft." "Judy, what are you like?" "What does that mean?" "Nothing." "It's a bit far." "He could've..." "Oh, you soft thing." "I told you he'd be all right" " Yeah." "The bastard." " He's alive." " Yeah." "Alive and mad." " No change there, then." " What for?" "What's he done?" " I've no idea." "It's a demand from the Italian government." "We just fetch and carry." " Is he a terrorist?" " They haven't said." "We've got a man who can identify him - a priest, of all things." " A priest?" " Yeah." "Excuse me." "Mr Francis Baxter?" " What is it?" "What's happened?" " If you could come with me, sir." "The police are just following orders." "The Vatican has asked certain favours of the British government to track you down." "They don't need to give a reason...yet." "All we want to do is talk to you." " Is your mother still alive?" " Yes." "Do you want her to wake up with her legs turned to stone?" "Then leave me alone." "Work starts tomorrow." "Right now, piss off." "You can't threaten me." " Where'd you go to school?" " Winchester." " Is that posh?" " It's a public school." "Pardon me if I haven't got any manners." "Do you want a chip?" "No." " So, how did you find me?" " It was a hidden text" "The Book of Gerasenes." "Discovered after the sacking of Rome." "What, like, "A lamb shall disappear in the city to the north"?" "Um..." "Actually, something like that, yes." "Gerasenes ends with a sequence of numbers and letters, which later turned out to be degrees of latitude and longitude and the date, even allowing for the Gregorian calendar." "You're kidding?" "And that's the welcoming committee - you?" "Not many believed it." "Look, the thing is..." "What's your name?" " Father Dillane." " First name." "Christian name." " James." "James, the minute I start, it's never going to stop." "Never, right?" "I want a night, that's all, one night," "I want to get pissed and I want to see Judy." "Please." "Look, you said tomorrow." "What are you going to do?" " I don't know." "You'll find out tomorrow." " How can you not know?" "Made flesh." "Human." "Can't be human and omniscient at the same time" "Anything could happen, anything." "And the thing is, I won't know till it happens." "There's no warning, non," "It won't be easy getting people to listen." "Some of us have been trying for years." "And some of you have been shagging choirboys" "Some of us..." "We... we've..." "How dare you?" "Some of us... most of us..." "Every day, someone is laughing at us." "Every day, someone tears us down." " And you're doing the same." " That's it." "That's more like it." "You're one of the few, Jimbo." "If people don't listen to you, if people don't believe you what happens then?" "Are we damned?" "I could kill you." "Sorry." "Do you remember that night?" "I've been thinking about it ever since." "Can't have been much of a kisser." "Made me feel great, that did." "You don't smoke." "Give it back, then." "They're not cheap." "You can feel it." "We were outside." "Do you remember?" "And I was drunk, OK?" " Then I went back in..." "I remember it all." "How did you end up all the way out there?" "I got the train." "Spent the night in Leeds." "Then I got a bus." "Then I walked." "When they found you, your dad said you were saying all sorts of bollocks, but that's just like, hypothermia, right?" "It weren't that bad on the moors." "I took a bag of food with me." "Pork pies and stuff." "I love pork pies." "Mind you, by the last week I was eating moss." "You don't think you went mad?" "Eating moss." "You didn't think, "Wooh, gone a bit mental"?" "Too much to think about." "As soon as they announce the Second Coming, that's when it goes mental." "Outside the club that night, that was it, just click." "None of that Heavenly-Father with-a-booming-voice bollocks." "I just knew." "No idea up till then." "Revelation." "We'd better get you checked out, just in case." " We could go to the MRI, I'll come with you." " I'm fine." "Look at me." "Yeah, but, you know, we could get you a bit of help." " What, you mean "help"'?" " You were never the full shilling, Steve, but this is a bit- how can I put it nicely?" " off your bleeding head." "They took me to the police station." "There was this priest there." "He asked all the questions." "Police stood back, like they're not bothered." "He's asking all about you, going back years." "School days, everything." " You been nicking lead off the roof?" " No." " What is it, then?" " He's fine now we've fed and watered him." " He looks good, don't you think?" " I'm sorry, though." "Fat lot of good that is." "I said I'm sorry and I meant it." "So you forgive me." "That's how it works." "Never bloody worked." "Are we having this curry?" "I've got work in the morning." "Curry." "Hot." "Like, strong, so you can feel it." "There's all this stuff, like cigarettes and drink and rain and everything and it's all just burning." "This is the only place you can get that." " What, Salford Road?" " Earth." "We're the luckiest bastards in creation." "We're alive!" "And noise." "Noise is just..." "You've got no idea." "Noise is just..." " Oi!" "Was that you?" " Let's go." " Come here!" "Did you do that?" " Steve, come on." "We'll walk away." "Are you listening?" "Come on." "Will you get down?" "Let's just go." " Sorry." "Taxi!" "Now, that's a miracle." " Ta." "I'm going home." " Thank God for that." " Big day tomorrow." " Oi!" "Give us 20 pence, love." "20 pence for a cup of tea." "I only want 20 pence." "I've had nothing all day." "20 pence won't kill you, will it?" "Go on." "Piss off, then, Judith." "I'm awfully sorry." "Could you help me?" "I seem to be lost." "I'm looking for this." "I keep going round in circles." "It's one of the university buildings." " Salford University?" " Manchester." " You're way out." " I should know it" " I've been there hundreds of times." " Hang on." "I'm useless at this." "My husband used to drive me there." "He died six months ago." "Bowel cancer." "Oh, that's awful." " I'll..." "I'll just get my bearings." " Only six months and he was gone." "Six months of sleeping and screaming." "Six months of blood and shit pouring out of him." "Where was God then?" "Where was that idiot God when he was screaming?" "Ask your precious boyfriend, sweetheart." "Get him into bed, get on top of him and sweat." "Then ask him." "Yes." " It's Pete." "Come on, open the door." " It's me..." "Pete." "Get your coat on." "What for?" "You've got to see it." "You've got to come and see it." "# Onward Christian Soldiers" "# Christ, the royal master" "# Leads against the foe..." "Good job I didn't send 'em my photograph." "There's been nothing advertised, I've had the radio on all day." "There's cars from France." " Is it a Commonwealth thing?" " This was you?" "Yeah." "Internet." "I posted a message." "Well, I announced myself." "This lot have been waiting for years." "Bunch of anoraks, mind you." "Nutters." "Probably had three Messiahs in the last six months," "Off the Internet?" "Couldn't you just look up porn like everyone else?" "But it's open." "They've got the gates open." "How's that happened?" "What's it all for?" "The arrival of the son of God on this earth." " Me." " Oh, shite." "Steve, you can come with me now" " or you can forget it." " I'm staying." "Right." "Because you're sick, do you know that?" "This whole thing is sick." "These people, they'd turn up for any old lunatic, and do you know why?" "Because they need it They need someone." "You've given them hope." "They've come here, and what do they get?" "Nothing." "Were you all right last night?" "Did you get home all right?" "Why?" "Because they'll be looking for you." "You've seen them, haven't you?" "It's not my problem, mate." "# He's got the whole world in His hands" "# He's got the whole world in His hands" "# He's got the whole world in His hands" "# He's got you and me, brother, in His hands..." " Vodka tonic." " That's a double by the looks of it." " Are you all right?" " Mm," "?" "2.10" "Pint?" "I'm just going." "OK." "And a pint for the gentleman." "Mr Baxter, as I understand it, you gained access to the ground," " You asked people to come." " There's murder, rape and arson out there." " Go and do some proper work." " I'm sorry if I've caused a fuss." " Let me talk to them, then we can go home." " That's not advisable." "Father, there's a hell of a lot of prayers uttered here but that doesn't give you any jurisdiction." "If you're getting orders from Rome, can you get me a pizza?" " Give me five minutes." "I can get authorisation." " Give me two minutes with them, then you can arrest me if you still want to." " Can't do any harm." " Bingo." "I'm not stalking you or anything." "I work just round the corner." "Mulvaney's, the printers." "I do the transport." "Lucky, though, seeing you again." "Well, just the one drink, then I'm off." "Yeah, I'm used to that." "Oh, don't start." "Sorry." "Hardly surprising, though, is it?" "Size of me." "I've had 16 dates off that agency." "It's not even the first agency I've been to." "Yeah, it's not easy out there." "Every time, I dress up, iron a shirt." "I've got a packet of Smints in every jacket." "Then she sees me and I get that look." "One drink, just the one." "Then home I go." "Home" "To satisfy myself over some whore in a jazz mag." "Cos that's who we are, Judith." "Life's lost." "Evil's such a lazy thing." "God..." "God's got everything." "God's got life and love." "And we're the opposite." "We've got nothing." "So we hitch a ride." "We jump on the back of useless souls." "We're waiting for you, Judy." "Stan!" " Stan!" " What's he done?" " What have you been saying to her?" " Nothing." " Get out." " I haven't done anything." " Get out before I throw you out." " That's nice." "Thanks a lot!" "I said I suppose a shag's out of the question." "Looks like she needs it." "Taking the Lord's name in vain." "Just listen to me." "Just give me a chance." " Just listen." " You shall repent." "Please, just... just listen." " You are a sinner." "May you rot in hell," " Will you just listen?" "Right there's only 200 nutters, Let's shift 'em." "OK, let's get him out of here." "Come on." "I'll get him." "Let me." "Nice try, mate." "Let's go." " I don't know what to do." " I thought the son of God knew everything." "Tiny little brain. it's like..." "I can't hold it all in my head, it's like the whole of divinity. it's like er..." "It's like it downloads a bit at a time." "I'm supposed to be doing summat right now." "There's a reason you're here." "That's to start the car." "No, it's you. it's cos..." "What is it?" "What is it?" "It's..." "What's in there?" "What's in your pocket?" "Sunnies, receipts and stuff." "Oh, that's it." "That's it." "Thanks, Pete." "Nice one." " Steve, they're gonna lock you up." " Hey, do you remember that song?" ""The future's so bright, I've got to wear shades."" "Oh, God." "Steve." "You've got to see this!" "Come and have a look." "It's Maine Road." "You've got to see it!" "Whole town can see it." "You can see it from here." "I don't know." "It just goes all the way up, all the way up into the sky." "First reports of a fire inside the stadium are now being denied." "This is a live feed." "We've got pictures coming live from the ground." "This isn't a recording." "It's daylight." "It's daylight inside the stadium and it's night outside." "There's no explanation for the light." "It's daylight inside." "This isn't a hoax." "There's no explanation." "This is the work of God and I'm his son." "God in human form." "No haloes, no white robes, no floating about" "Flesh and blood." "Got that?" "Because God is real." "Fact" "Heaven is real." "Fact" "Hell is real and burning and waiting." "Fact" "I am salvation and I'm taking you forward." "All of you." "A brand-new gospel for the entire human race coming soon." "Stay tuned." "This is now referred to as the Maine Road Event" "At 20:55 last night a column of what appeared to be daylight the exact radius of the Maine Road stadium, was projected into the night sky" "The event persisted for a total of eight hours, fading only at dawn, 5:30 GMT" "During that time, it is estimated that over 300 cameras, from practically every television station in the world, arrived in Manchester" "That's an estimate of 2,000 hours of video footage, all recording the same event" " How can it be fake?" "2,000 hours." " No, no, no." "Now, look." " I think the question is, how can it be real?" " Never mind the tape." "Half of England could see it" "NASA recorded a light source of 5,000 lumens per square metre." "As of 12 o'clock midday there has been no statement from the Government while the emergency meeting of the General Synod has yet to confirm or deny.." "Whether they consider last night's event to be a miracle or not ...you're causing great offence to people of my faith, and many faiths worldwide." "I could understand if he suddenly appeared in the Middle East in Israel, or Palestine." "But in the north of England?" "The suicide rate across the United States has rocketed overnight with over 300 suicides reported across 40 states." "On today's show, men who think they're God." "This is the man whose face has been broadcast across the world." "A Salford man with no qualifications," "Mr Baxter was formerly employed at the Easy Rent Video store, but Easy Rent Video has declined to comment" "Stephen Baxter's father, Francis Baxter, was fined in 1976 for possession of cannabis." "He was then arrested in 1979 for the possession of stolen goods, and received six months in jail." "This was followed by a further sentence of three months in 1991." "Stephen Baxter has proclaimed the Second Coming, announcing that he is the son of God, and God made flesh." "A statement made this morning by the Church of the Blessed Apostle in Houston, Texas, has called the event an Annunciation, welcoming, and I quote," ""welcoming the Son of the Lord our God and awaiting his judgement and salvation."" "I can't." "I can't do it." "Mais il est malade." "II va mourir." "Si vous le touchez..." "Touchez-le, s'il vous plait." "It doesn't work like that." "It's not what I'm here for." "Il va mourir et vous pouvez le sauver!" " Sauvez sa vie, s'il vous plait, monsieur!" " You can't test me." "If he's dying, he's dying." "He's going to paradise." "Salaud!" "Salaud!" "Yeah, yeah." "Just one question." "One question at a time." "Does he know any French?" "Does he know French?" "I don't know." "Does he know French?" " O-level, but he failed that" " She was at school with him." "Do you believe he's the son of God?" "I dunno." "I mean, I don't want a bolt of lightning or nothing." "I've got kids." "Thing is, Steve's like my best friend." "We've been hanging out for years." " Lying bastard!" " I got him that job." "I'm his bloody friend, not you." "Excuse me." "Excuse me." "Let us through now." "Looking for someone someone blind." "No." "No." "Anyone, really" "Well, not anyone, but I mean..." "Blonde, brunette." "Sort of... er..." "You know, anyone nice, really" "I suppose that's what you want" "John Grisham." "That sort of thing." "Um..." "Looking for someone someone blind." "...someone blind." "...someone blind." "Oh, Shit, Shit!" "Shit!" "Shit!" "Are we charging him, sir?" "What with?" "We can't arrest him." "They'll tear the place down." "We can't let him out." "They'll tear him to pieces." "I've got to talk to that lot out there." "That's what happens next." "I know it now." "I talk to 'em" " You'll start a riot." " If Stephen wants to make a public statement..." "The Father's just leaving." "Escort him off the premises." " What have I done?" " You being here is a statement." "It gives the Catholic Church authority." "A lot of people are going to be pissed off with that, so out." " l only want to help him." " He's right." "There's no official church any more." " There's just me." "I want to talk to them." " No way." "Let him talk." "We haven't got enough men as it is, sir." "The city's gone mad." "There's people walking up the motorway to get here." " Give them what they want and let him talk." " With respect sin" "I mean... this goes beyond Manchester." "I'm not sure it's your decision." "I know." "And I have my instructions." "We let him talk." "These events are a matter of.." "He's on." "Any second." "Broadcasting live." "Oi, Dave, you bastard!" " Did you get paid for going on telly?" " They offered." "He didn't ask." "What do you think, then, Pete?" "Reckon it's real?" " You saw it." " Yeah." "I've seen David Blaine levitate." " It's all tricks." " Don't talk like that." " Talk like what?" " What if he can hear you?" " Don't be stupid." " She's been in church all morning." " It were packed out." " Ssh, here we go." "Hallelujah!" "You are becoming gods." "There's a new master of creation, and it's you." "You've unravelled DNA." "You're five years away from building your own people." "And at the same time, you're cultivating bacteria strong enough to kill every living thing." "Do you think you're ready for that much power?" "You lot?" "You lot?" "You cheeky bastards!" "They've taken him off." "Stan, ITV." "He swore." "Two o'clock BBC ONE." "He swore!" "You're running around science like kids with guns." "creating a new world, while the world you've got is stinking." "Go on." "Hands up." "Hands up, anyone who thinks you've got it right." "Yeah, there's always one." "I can see you." "If you want the position of God, then take the responsibility." "And I'm like you." "I've been you." "Knowing it's all going wrong and doing nothing about it." "Keeping my head down." "Giving a quid to charity signing a petition, talking about it down the pub." "Laughing about it and doing nothing, even now." "Right now, I want to do nothing." "I want to..." "Go home, shut the door, and pretend this isn't happening, but I can't." "I can't." "Because I was born the son of God." "And the son of God came once before and gave you a testament and you ignored it" "This time, there'll be a Third Testament." "A new foundation for the way you live your lives." "And the Third Testament will be written by you." "You've got five days." "In five days, the Third Testament will be delivered to me, and we start again." "Every country, every religion starts again." "And don't..." "Don't argue." "All you Christians out there, don't go round saying you were right and everyone else was wrong." "Forget all those divisions, all that history all that bollocks." "Forget it." "It's gone." "Forgotten." "It's starting again from scratch right now." "Cos you've got to." "I've seen it" "You stupid, stupid people." "I've seen what you've done." "It's finally happened." "Heaven is empty" "And hell is bursting at the seams." "So, how about it?" "It was going to be converted into offices." "But you've just eaten up next year's budget all in one day." "We can put in a bed, a couple of armchairs" "The thing is, if we put you in the cells, there's people out there ready to declare holy war on us." "Those that aren't declaring holy war already." "So, how about it?" "Till we think of something better." "Yeah." "OK." " Do you want a cup of tea or something?" " Yeah." " Milk and sugar?" " Just milk." "Bang goes the worldwide sugar market!" "It's Len, by the way." "Len Chadwick." "So, what happens now?" "This Third Testament..." "We're supposed to write it, but what do we do?" "I mean, do we all sit down and write it together?" "How does that work?" "Or does everyone write their own version and you pick the best one?" " How do we write it?" "What is it?" " I'll know it when I see it." "Yeah, well, how will you get to see it?" "I don't know." "Take it upstairs." "The whole lot's going upstairs." "Ta." "Dr Thomas to Radiology" "Dr Thomas to Radiology" "If that's the press, I've got nothing to say" "Hiya, it's me." "Jude, are you there?" "Oh, come on." "Pick up." "...and the Third Testament will be written..." " I was just wondering how you are." " Yeah, yeah." "I knew you were there." " Where else would I be?" " How's things?" "Interesting." "Where are you?" "Police station, top floor." "They've locked me away in the attic." " I can see your house from here." "I had the afternoon off, thanks to you." "Half the kids didn't turn up." "Too busy watching TV." "Nothing's changed there, then." "Do you think they've tapped the phone?" "It's a mobile." "I nicked it." "They don't know." "You'll go to hell." "Be nice to see you." "I can see you now." "Trevor McDonald special." "They'd let you in if I told 'em." "I've got...things to do, Steve, you know." "My life doesn't just stop cos of you." "Do you believe me?" "Just say yes or no." "No." "OK." "All right, then." "Go on, then." "Convince me." "Who's writing this Third Testament, cos they're all meeting?" "Every synod and synagogue and mosque." "You're going to get five million testaments" "And I don't want that lot deciding for me, Steve, cos it's all bollocks." "It's just..." "Look, er..." "I said that I'd go round to Pete's, so I'd better go." "And, um... you know, take care of yourself." "I'll see you." "The Third Testament." "They're coming from everywhere." "Letters, videotapes, phone calls, e-mails." "French, Japanese, bloody Esperanto, you name it." " How many more to come?" " Three lorries stuck on the M6." "That's just the lot we've processed." "We're checking them for explosives, anthrax." "There's five times this lot still in the warehouse." " So, you'd better make a start." " I can't read 'em all." "Exactly." "Yeah." "Bit of a flaw in the plan, if you ask me." "And what if it's not even here?" "What if someone somewhere out there is thinking about the Third Testament?" "What if they think of the exact words you need, but they cant write it down?" "If it's locked away inside their head, how can you find it?" "We will be staying on air all day" "And we'll be taking your calls." "What's your testament?" "What do you think?" "What rules would you lay down for the future of mankind?" "Call us now." "One of you might have the right answer" "You could save the world, live on air" "If you're upset by the miracle or Baxter's demands, if your children are upset or scared, then we've got trained counsellors standing by ready to take your calls." "You know, that's what I love about this." "I don't care who Stephen Baxter is." "I just don't care." "But at least he's got us all talking." "You know, religion, it's like the final taboo." "It's the one thing that we re all still really embarrassed about" "We pray she's up there looking down on us." "Can I help you?" "Um... this is going to sound, er...daft." "The other night, I met this woman and she was coming here to the university, to this room." "It was two in the morning." "I don't suppose tnere'd have been anyone here." "At two o'clock in the morning?" "Sh, sh." "Have you seen this?" "...arriving all the time." "And the people coming out they're saying..." "Well..." "I don't know." "They're say...they're saying it's true." "And then there's the light" "It just doesn't stop." "Look at it" "I..." "I mean, I think it's true." "I don't know." " They keep playing that bit." " I don't know." "I think it's real." "She's actually starting to believe, and they've caught it on camera." "I think it's real." "I don't know." "I don't know." "I think it's real." "I was in school with him." "Stephen Baxter." "I've known him for years." "Anyway sorry to have bothered you." "Thanks very much." "Don't suppose you'd like a coffee?" "Everyone can see what it is, but the important thing is what it's not." "It's not shining white light." "It's not some mystical shaft of heaven beaming down." "It's just daylight." "A great big chunk of daylight." "It might even be a specific day." "If you looked at the weather reports, you could work it out." "Maybe it's just Tuesday." "The Event happened" "Thursday evening, and there's a great big chunk of Tuesday in the middle," "Could you prove it?" " With the right information, yeah." " Have you told anyone?" "They might not." "You should tell someone cos it's proof." "It doesn't explain how it happened but it's a start." "It's proof of what?" "That it's real, like you said." "That it's not heavenly, or..." "So, it's reduced to a physical process, a trick of the light instead of a miracle?" " Yeah." " Not with you." "Tuesday afternoon is dragged into Thursday night." "I think it proves the opposite." "It's...an act of God." "You can't believe that!" "But this is exactly what science is headed towards." "Some sort of design." "What more proof could you want?" "He could start with a proper miracle." "A chunk of daylight?" "What about food?" "Millions of starving people." "He could feed them." "Yeah, but we could feed them, if we made the effort." "Maybe that's the plan." "Well, you could always go to the top." " Ask Steve." " He's locked up." "He hasn't got time for the likes of me any more." "Anyway..." "I just..." "I just don't get it." "Someone sort of left me a note, led me here, but I get here and I find you, another believer, showing me proof." "It's like someone wants me to believe, or needs me to believe or..." " What for?" " Well... exactly." "There's nothing important about me." "Mr Baxter himself still refuses to submit to interview and has made no definite statement regarding the exact physical nature of his origins." "Police have yet to make a statement but this newsroom has..." "They said five minutes." "Grove Street Hospital has confirmed the results of tests conducted on Mr Francis Baxter the apparent father of Stephen Baxter" "Francis Baxter has a condition known as Klinefelter Syndrome, which has rendered him infertile since birth." "The syndrome makes it impossible for him to have fathered Stephen Baxter" "What's that all about?" "What does that mean?" " Well, like they said." "Haven't they told you?" " That's what I'm waiting for, my results." "But everyone's talking about it." "Everyone knows." "You're shooting blanks, mate." "It's official." "That's the result." "You're sterile." "How do you know?" "How do they know?" "How's it on the telly?" "...of freak genetic circumstances which could make this possible." "They told them before they told me." "It's on the bloody telly!" "It's on the telly!" "...any modern Christian understands the Virgin Birth to be symbolic, not literal." "Tell me." "Tell me, you bastards!" "I'm his bloody father!" "Where's that doctor?" "Eh?" "Where is he?" "Where's that doctor?" "Where is he?" "Where is he?" "It's on the telly!" "It's on the telly!" "Francis Baxter has refused to comment but sources inside the hospital indicate that he knew nothing about his sterility until now." "He is said to be distraught and is threatening..." "Beautiful." "There's only four days left, so who writes this Third Testament?" "Who's in charge?" "Cos they'll have so much power." "I've started writing and so should you." "No." "He told us." "He commanded us." "We do that all the time That's what the law is." "That's common sense." "How can you say we don't need it?" "People are scared." "They're panicking" "If we write the rules, that's going back to fundamentalism." "You've never even read the New Testament." " Because it hasn't worked." " It's a marvellous book." " I've always believed it." " You a Christian?" "I thought you were a Muslim." "I've always been a Christian." "My mum was a Christian." "And, yeah, all right, I don't talk about it cos you lot take the piss." "But... this is Steve." "Even if the son of God exists, there's five billion people on this planet and who gets chosen?" " Steve." " That's the point." "He's ordinary." "He's nothing." "He's so nothing." "You've seen him get pissed." "You've seen him get three O-levels." "You've seen him with a cold, with the flu, with shits..." "When he was 15, he went shoplifting and he came back with three pens." "This is Steve." "It's just Steve." "Stupid, ordinary..." "Steve." "Our next caller is Johnny from Manchester Are you there, Johnny?" "Hiya, Wiggsy Remember me." "I'm always on." "It's me." "So, are you writing a testament Johnny?" "Do you think this is for real?" "Course iris." "Absolutely" "Stephen Baxter is the real deal, Wiggsy." " People don't believe him." " That's easy." "Nobody believes anything these days." "That's why we need Baxter" "The Nazarene came 2,000 years ago and we abandoned him." "Now it's all starting again." "Now we can be prepared." " Prepared for what Johnny?" " The war?" " Stephen Baxter had his 21st right here!" "I've told you!" "Buy a drink, then you can ask questions!" "Bag of crisps - 5 pound 50!" "Lee." "Yeah?" "Hiya. it's me" " Steve." "I need a favour." "A big favour." "You've got 19 quid owing behind the bar since last Christmas." "Pay that and I'll see what I can do." "Look at him." "Daft bugger" " All right, Keith." "Haul him in." " Let him go." "Sir?" "Let him go." "With respect, sir, he's not safe outside." "They'll string us up." "Whitehall gave specific instructions." "I know the instructions." "Oi, bastard!" "How much are you gating paid?" "You liar!" "Sorry." "It's regulars only." "Oh." "Come on, then." "Cos I read the Bible all last night, and Jesus says nothing about homosexuals." "Nothing." "That's all in Leviticus." "But Jesus chucks that out." "So, what do you say?" "It's fine by me, but I'm not writing the testament." "Well, I am, and I say it's OK." "Got that?" "Yeah." "Oi!" "Are you happy now?" "That'll be a pint." "Do you want bitter or holy water?" "I'll have the bitter." "He's inside the pub, sir." "What do we do?" "I don't bloody know." "The orders are keep back and keep watch." "I've had people phoning me up from all over." "Suki Reynolds." "Remember her?" "She's living in Hong Kong." "Divorced now." "Phoned me up just cos you're on the telly." "Michael Harrigan, he got 2,000 pounds off the Sun, just cos he was in school with us." "So, how come you believe me, then?" "I saw it" "Not the daylight." "I don't know." "The look on your face." "So, er... what's it like inside your head?" "Yeah." "It's like er..." "I keep on thinking about normal things like food and telly and stuff, but..." "Behind all that, there's this the whole of creation shoved inside my head." "It's like..." "It's like opening the door and there's a furnace burning." "The size of it, Pete." "Does it hurt?" "Cos I cant help thinking, the last time this happened..." "Don't laugh, now." "But the last time..." "He died." "Yeah." "Eh, I tell you what, mate." "You won't go short of a shag now." "There's women off the Internet begging to sleep with you." "Steve, are you a virgin?" "What's that got to do with it?" "Are you?" "Yeah." " What about Beverly Jones and Jackie Danicki?" "I lied, I lied!" "I said so." "Fantastic." "That's made my day." "What do we..." "I mean..." " What do we call you?" " Steve." "Not Jesus?" "I mean, you're like his brother." "Look, I'm asking, all right?" " It's two different aspects." " Aspects." " What's wrong with that?" " It's nice to know you think we're pig-shit stupid." "What are we doing, sitting here?" " What do you want us for?" "I want you there with me." "I'm locked up alone." "I might as well be floating on a cloud." "They want me all over" "No-one's saying so in public." "Nobody wants to be the first to admit that I'm real, but behind the scenes..." " They want me in London, Washington, Roman," " Why do you have to go to Washington?" " Can't they come here?" " Well, yeah, but..." "Make 'em." "Make them come to you." "No bastard ever comes to Manchester." "They always make you travel." "Tell London to piss off!" " Do it from Manchester" "I will!" "That's it." "That's what I need." "I'm losing touch." "I just need you." "But you're locked up." "I'm not being locked up." "We're sitting here like we always do." "We stayed friends, all of us." "You know, we Te down this pub every other night" "You went off, you got jobs, you got married, you had kids." "But you kept on coming back." "You kept talking to me." "Even though I was useless." " It's like we were waiting." " What does that make us, then?" "Disciples?" "There's no-one like me, and you're the only ones who know me." "But I can't." "I've got the kids." "What's Dave going to say?" "I've got the house." "It's Jane's birthday next week." " Bring the kids." "Bring Dave." " On, don't bring Dave." "It's all right for you." "All you've got is the video shop." "The rest of us are busy." "All right, stay." "I will." "Well, I'm in." " Does that include me?" " Course it does, yeah." "What do you think?" "Are you coming?" "That'd be like saying I believe what you are, and I don't." "Judith..." "I believe that you're psychic or Martian, but I don't believe you're the son of God." "I don't believe there is a God." "I know there isn't." "Fact." " You can't say that." " Yes, she can." " And you've seen more than anybody." " Yeah." " And that doesn't make you think?" " It does." "But I'm not stupid." "If you're so powerful, you can just change my mind." "If I could do that, this job would be a piece of piss." "But you were given free will." "What if you fail?" "What if there's no Third Testament?" "There's only three days left now, and everyone's talking about it but nothing's happening." "If you don't get a testament, what then?" " I don't know." " You've got to know." "I don't know everything yet." "Come with me." "Find out." "OK." "Count me in." "Well, if we're helping you, then..." "You know Suzie, my sister's kid?" " Don't!" " She's autistic and you could make her better." "All right, Steve, answer that." "Why don't you make her better?" "Where does it stop, though, Pete?" "Hm?" "Make the cripples walk, make the blind see, but what then?" "Stop greed, stop anger, stop people going through a red light?" "If you don't agree with that?" "Change your mind?" "That's a dictatorship." "I did that miracle at Maine Road to get you listening." "Now it's your turn." "You do the work." "Not me." "You've had one big miracle, but that's it." "Well, maybe two." "Right." "Stay by my side." "What's your relationship with Stephen Baxter?" "Do you think he's a fraud?" "Come on." "Coming through." "Let us through." "Stand back." "Please keep back." "Come oh." "Coming through." "Let us through." "Stand back." "Judith, what's going to happen tomorrow?" "Can you tell us?" "Baxter is being kept here for his own safety." "It's just one more day until Baxter's deadline." "The Third Testament has been promised for tomorrow, and after that who knows?" "Right, let's get them inside, come on." "Hiya." "You're on TV." "Every single channel, I can see you now!" "Right now, it's like you're on Big Brother." "Move along, come on." "It's like worship." "People are mad, they've just gone mad." "It says on the news no-one can get into Manchester." "There's a queue on the M6 going back 60 miles." "They're calling us the new Mecca." "Pete said they're charging double in some of the shops." "People are going to make a fortune." "How are you!" "Hey, hey!" "Judith!" "It's me!" "Remember me?" "It's Johnny!" "Get inside." "Thank you." "I've got to go." "Big Brother's calling." "Hey, I know her!" "I've met her." "It's Judith Roach." "We went on a date." "I like Pete!" " I love him!" " I love Judith!" "That could've been you, Steve said." "You could have gone." " We'd have made a fortune." " Don't." " Don't what?" " Take his name in vain." "There he is now!" "We think it's him." "Steve!" "Steve!" "Steve!" "You big ponce." "Open your mouth and show them your fillings." "How divine is that - fillings?" "Is this it, then?" "It's bloody freezing." "Not exactly paradise." "Don't they know who you are?" "First things first." "Where's the beers?" "I got a crate in." "It's with all the stuff." "Come and see it." "Hey, I'm going worldwide." "Look at it." "Fantastic." "What do you think?" "They can't let me out of the building so I'm broadcasting from here tomorrow." "Who's paying for all this?" "You and me." "The taxpayer." "As soon as the Third Testament arrives, it's beamed out - satellite, analogue, digital." "It's going everywhere." "Not quite." "Only to those who'll take it." "Everybody'll get this broadcast." "Everybody." "I warn you, if you force it on people, some countries will consider that an invasion." "They'll get it, Len." "Don't worry about it." "He starts a revolution and says, "Don't worry about it."" "Right." "We've allocated you some rooms if you want to unpack." "It's all a bit makeshift." "Blame him for that." "And you, work to do." "Come on." "At precisely 11:41, the pub was devastated by an explosion, the source of which has yet to be confirmed." "Stephen Baxter was inside with the people now being called the New Disciples " "Judith Roach, Peter Gupta and Francis Baxter." "And yet, as the smoke cleared, all were seen to walk out of the building unharmed." "This is now being called Baxter's Second Miracle." "The Disciples were sitting less than two metres away from the point of detonation." "And the explosion damaged the walls, the furniture, the roof..." "You start over there and I'll start over here." " There's millions of them." "I can't do it." " You start over there and I'll start over here." "And I'll meet you in the middle, OK?" "Nutter." "Nutter." "Nutter..." "This man says if you sorted out the one-way system in Oxford, the world would be a much better place." "So there." "This woman's sent a photo." " If her husband could see this..." " Just keep going." "This is a novel." "How am I supposed to read all this?" ""England forthe English." "Kick out the Blacks and the Asians and the refugees." "Burn the gays and the Jews." "Burn them in a pit and salt the earth."" "What if they're right?" "Half of these are death threats." "Well, that's a waste of time." " He's been blown up and that didn't work." " I can die." "Steve, mate, we've seen it." "I can die." "I wouldn't be human if I couldn't die." "How do you know?" "I just..." "Do you know when or how?" "Dunno." "When it's time, I suppose." "Sort of thing nobody should know." ""Dunno, dunno." "Don't ask me, I dunno."" ""I dunno, I don't know."" "Ask a simple question, and it's, "I dunno."" " I don't know." " Yeah, I know, that's all you ever say." ""Do you want a cup of tea?" "Well, I dunno."" "I know more things than you'll ever see." "Ooh, big boy!" "Give us a straight answer." "Never mind this stuff." "What happens the day after tomorrow?" "Because the Third Testament doesn't exist" "Even if it does, it isn't here." "And even if it's here, we can't find it." "And even if we find it, we won't believe it." "So what happens then?" " Do you want to know?" " Yes." "What if it fails?" "If there's no Third Testament." "Tell me that." "I can!" "I can find out." "Then do it." "What did you see?" "Nothing." "There you go." "No." "I saw nothing." "That's what I saw." "There's nothing there." "Nothing exists." "Darkness." "Like... the end of the world?" "Steve?" "Judgement Day." "If there's no Third Testament, then it's Judgement Day." "Tomorrow." "Tomorrow night." "Bollocks." "Armageddon." "I saw it." "Death." "Stop recording." "I'll have the tape." "Sir." "Are you still worried about safety?" "We've got maximum security." "It's as safe as it can be." "Every single person inside has been checked and vetted." "No-one without clearance can get anywhere near Mr Baxter." "And presumably Mr Baxter can't get out?" "No." "No, he can't." "Night-night." "Sleep tight." "It's a raid!" "Very funny." "You want some of this?" "Keep it." "You need it." "I got you some more." "I was going to get you a T-shirt." "They're selling them outside." "Frank's Shooting Blanks." "That's what it says!" "T-shirts!" "Kids wearing them." "Kids." "It's like public humiliation." "I don't know how you can take it." "I've had worse." "I've had a wife go mad ten years into the marriage." "I got stuck with Steve while she went off on her wanderings" "How's she mad, then?" "Got religion." "So you bring Steve up all on your own and he's not even your son." "Take him to Blackpool." "Wipe his arse and tell him off." "Find him a job and pay his rent." "Not your son." "You were just a baby-sitter." "If my child did that to me..." "She's only six, my daughter." "Beautiful little thing." "Oh, Frank, you should see her." "The way she looks at you sometimes." "Beautiful." "And we're still taking calls from..." "Hold on." "We're going back to the newsroom for a newsflash." "This is coming live from London." "If there's no Third Testament then it's Judgement Day." " They've taped us." " Tomorrow." "Tomorrow night." "Armageddon." "Death." " Armageddon." " It's on every channel." "Death." "Armageddon." "Death." "Jackson, outside." "Harvey, outside." "Harris, Phillips, Riker, get out there!" "Whitehall's on the phone, sir!" " How the hell did they get that footage?" " I don't know." "To repeat, Stephen Baxter has declared Judgement Day." "We're going to central London now." "This is being broadcast live from Oxford Street." "Just 20 minutes after the release of Baxter's Judgement Day tape, the Metropolitan Police have called in the army." "...no-go areas." "That's" "London, Manchester, Glasgow, Edinburgh stay calm." "And it's a message that's being repeated across the world." "Already there have been riots centred around the British embassies in Tehran, Cairo, New Delhi, Buenos Aires, even Wellington." "Some are calling Stephen Baxter a blasphemer, if not a warmonger." "Police are asking people to stay at home, to stay calm." "Already there are reports of congestion." "There is a report of a riot taking place on the M25 itself." "A statement from the Home Office declares that Baxter is expressing an opinion and only an opinion." "A demonstration outside Downing Street is demanding Baxter's arrest." "...further unrest and violence." "Stay calm." "That's the message for tonight." "Stay calm." "This is your fault." "Get out there and stop them." " I can't!" " Why not?" "First you don't believe in me, then you want me to be God right here." "You won't help anyone." "What sort of God is that?" "You want one thing, then something else." "I can't do it all!" " Then don't play God!" " I'm making the best of this." "And all I get is you like that, like that." "What are you going to do to me?" "Shut me up, like that?" "Go on, shut me up!" "Do that!" " And what if I do?" " Go on, then!" "Round here." "Anything we can do?" "Yeah, stay inside." "We can't let anyone out." " What's Steve doing?" " He's upstairs." " What's it like out there?" " It's turning into a full-scale riot." "End of the world and we've got the Messiah upstairs." "Jackson, just do it!" "Finch, outside!" "Are we safe?" "Can they get inside?" "They're not the danger." "He is." "Him upstairs." "You've seen him, Frank." "He's going insane." "Someone's got to do something." "Someone's got to stop this." "We've got a long night ahead of us." "Better take the lot." "But throughout this emergency broadcast, again we repeat that essential advice from Downing Street- stay calm." "I was friends with Trisha Blake." "We stole this stuff." "Shoplifting." "We were kids." "Snoopy notepads." "Snoopy and Charlie Brown." " I'll be off, then." " You can't even think anything wrong." "It's in the Bible." "I'm going to be judged." "I was 13." "You can get us on this number." "Give us a couple of days." "We'll sort out the house and the kids." "I'm going." "Going where?" " I'm just going, all right?" " Don't be silly." "That's Caroline's number." "You know, from work." "That Caroline." "But it's tomorrow." "Judgement Day." "I'm walking out on you and all you can do is talk bullshit!" "Nothing's going to happen, Fiona." "Nothing." "But, just in case it does," "I want to be in the right place." "But you can't, cos we've got to be together cos that's what it's all about!" "Family, and loved ones and things." "Tell him, go on!" "Your dad's just being silly." "Tell him he can't," "See you soon, kids." "I'll send your nan round to give your mam a rest." "You haven't been listening." "I am not having a go." "Really, I'm not." "But I love you, and that's the most important thing." "Jesus said so." "I love you!" " And you love me!" "You might not know it, but you do." "We can go and find Stephen." "He'll tell you." "He knows everything." "I forgive you, Dave." "I forgive you." "That makes it all right." "I forgive you." "You've got to love me!" "You've got to love me, because if you don't love me, it doesn't say..." "It doesn't say what happens, what happens if I'm not loved." "I love you, Dave!" "I love you." "I forgive you." "What happens to me?" "What happens to me?" "I didn't ask for all this." "Why me?" "It's not like I had a choice." "I was born like this." "Nice try, but if you're the Almighty, then it's all your idea." "But I'm just not." "I'm stuck with this." "Stephen Baxter's head - his stupid, thick head!" "And I can't..." "What's the point?" "What's it for?" "I try to work out what's happening and..." "It's like tnere's 50 million megabytes of information, and I'm downloading it into a pocket calculator." " I'm just stupid." " Yeah." "You can't make sense of this." "No-one can." "You..." "You're stuck in your own system, trying to impose good and evil on the world, right and wrong, and... it's so much more complicated than that." " What do you think I should do?" " What?" " You're asking me?" "It's..." "It's like in school." "You spent two years fancying Cathy Jones and sat next to me instead." ""What should I do, Jude?"" "Yeah." "Never liked her that much." "I only went on about her so's I could like, you know, sort of..." "So you could what?" "You know." "Spend time with you." "I worked that out years ago." "Finally you've got something to say, and it's too late." "Is it?" "I liked the old Steve." "The daft sod wasting his life in a video shop." "I liked him." "You never said." "I did, in the end." "But then we got interrupted." "It's so hard to do anything in front of you, like um if I was going to punch you or kiss you or..." "If it's preordained, it just makes everything false." "That's if you believe in me." "Slow down." "Do you want..." "What about the lights?" "Do you want them on or off?" "What do you like?" "Stop thinking about it." "Oh..." "Oh." "Don't laugh." "After the riots, the silence." "The cities are being abandoned, people fleeing from the threat of judgement." "Thousands more are locked inside their houses, hoping and praying." "But what is Judgement Day?" "Is it the raising of the dead?" "The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse?" "Whatever shape it takes, only the Third Testament can prevent it happening." "But, from Stephen Baxter, there's only silence." "And now back to the studio." "A statement released by the Emergency Coalition of Churches has finally decreed that Stephen Baxter is to be welcomed as the representative of The Lord, our God." "It's the first positive action since the state of emergency was declared, but the question remains:" "is it too little, too late?" "Or is today the mythical end of days?" "Do you love me?" "Yeah." "Are you the son of God?" "Yeah." "Bloody hell..." "Judgement Day." "He's slept with the woman." "That makes him more human and more vulnerable." "Off you go." "Thank you, sir." "Morning, Len." "Judgement Day!" "Seems like bollocks, once the sun's up." "It's the calm before the storm." "Tomorrow night, he said, Well, that's tonight now." "It's ten hours till the sun sets." "The clock's still ticking." "Yeah, but he's a knob." " Excuse me, sir, a bit of a problem." " Louise, get us some food, please." " It's important." "I think you're needed, sir." "Excuse me, sir." "We're changing shifts and Reynolds was checking the armoury." "There's a gun missing, sir. 9mm side arm." "Given the crisis last night, I doubt every weapon was signed out properly." "It'll turn up, Len." "Just in case, we should stop any movement between floors." "Besides, our guest upstairs has proved himself invulnerable, apparently." "Oh!" "All right, Frankie?" "They had gas and everything." "The ambulance got stuck going down Deansgate." " You're kidding." " This mob was trashing the place." "You should have seen it." "Everyone's panicking and running around!" "It was mad." "A bit early for that, Frank." "Frank, it's a bit loud." "Turn it down." " Frank!" " Frank!" "Frank, Frank, shooting blanks." "That's the joke." "Yeah." "Frank, Frank, shooting blanks!" "Frank, Frank, shooting blanks!" "Frank, Frank, shooting blanks!" "Not any more!" "Not any more!" "Hey." "Come off it, mate." "Come off it." "Come on, Frankie boy, don't be daft." " Pete!" " Don't be daft!" " Pete, get out of the way!" " It's all right." "Frank, It's OK." " Put the gun down." " He's not mine." "He's no son of mine." "Pete, get out of the way!" "He can't hurt him." " He can't hurt him." " What thanks do I get, you bastard?" "Is this it?" "Is this the time?" " Don't be daft." " Steve!" " Is this it?" " Do it, Frank." " Do it, Frank!" " Come on, Frankie boy." " He can't hurt him." "Move out of the way." " Don't be daft." "Don't be daft." "That's it." " That's it." "Don't be daft." " Move!" " All right." "Frank, put the gun down." " Steve!" "Pete, move out of the way!" " Move out of the way!" " Don't!" "No!" "Pete?" "Pete!" "Pete!" "Pete!" "Pete!" "Bring him back." "Bring him back." "Bring him back!" " See you, Dad." " Yeah." "Come on." "This way." " I want to go home." " Yeah." "It's not safe here." "Louise!" " Can we get a car, please?" " Yeah." "Hang on, I'll get Simon." "Why didn't you save him?" "Why not?" "You saved yourself." "You were that close." "The bullets went straight through him." "I was scared." "My dad..." "Pete's..." " He's gone to a better place." " Oh, well, that's all right, then." "Stephen." "Where are you going?" " Home." " Simon can take you." "I'm so sorry." "Mr Baxter." "You can forget the Testaments." "The broadcast is cancelled." "Given the state of emergency, I can't allow you to be seen or heard." "You're under house arrest." "No speeches, no statements, no declarations." "It's eight hours till sunset, and whatever happens tonight..." "happens without you." "Sir." "I forgive you." "Here we are, then." "Safe and sound." "Where's this?" "If you'll just get out for a minute." "Won't take long." "Well, well, well!" "Now, there's a thing." "My old companion." "How are you doing, Symo?" "Not so bad, Johnny." "Been busy?" "Same old stuff." "Are you er..." "Coming in, then?" "Cup of tea?" "A pretty girl at my door is rare." "OK." "So, you..." "...you're all over the telly." "I keep telling my mates at work, "I've dated a celebrity."" "I don't really like that in the house." "Don't you?" "So, what do you want, Johnny?" "I don't want anything." "You're the one that turned up." "You been out lately?" "Any more dates?" "One or two, yeah." "Went out two days back." "What was she like?" "Smart." "Professional lady, yeah." "Seeing her again?" "Might do." "She said no." "Did you go out for a meal?" "Did you get all nervous and stuff your face?" "All three courses?" "She eats salad, you wolf it down." "She walks away, not even a kiss, so you have a Chinese on the way home." "Did you?" "There you are." "The loneliest one of the lot." "So, what do you want?" "At last, you believe." "How did he convince you?" "Did he shag some sense into you?" "I made my own mind up." "It's such a big wide world, isn't it?" "Miracles and devils." "Heaven and hell." "Don't you feel small?" "Did you..." "It was you, wasn't it?" "You made Frank do it." "He hated Steve already." "All we did was push." "That's what we do." "All those bastard little thoughts right at the back of your mind, that's us." "We're very human." "Steve's still alive." " We don't want him dead." " You tried to kill him." "He's lost his best friend." "His stepfather's insane, now you've left him." "That's all we need." "Cos we want him to join us." "Before the Final Hour, he'll become one of us." "He'll despair and then he'll fall." "He's a man." "Man always falls in the end." "Look at him now." "Wretched and angry, and lonely and vain." "When Judgement Day comes, the Lord our God in heaven will find Stephen Baxter the man and judge him a sinner." "The son of God will be sent to reign over hell." "He's almost with us now." "Just one more push." "Thanks to you." "What have I done?" " Lust." " It's more than that." "It's better than that." "Aw." "Does he love you?" "Sweet." "Do you love him?" "Yes." "And that's when the devil gets in." "He won't fall." "He's stronger than you." "He'll do anything to be with you now." "Everything we did was pushing you towards him, showing you proof, making you believe." "Cos the moment you believe, you despair." "And once you despair, you're mine." "When you join me," "Stephen Baxter will follow." "You've got a problem, then, cos I'm not joining you." "Peter's gone." "Frank's lost." "You're next." "I've seen what you've done and I haven't fallen." "Ooh." "There's more to come." "One more lost soul to push you over the edge." "Who?" "You've forgotten all about her." "The one you left behind." "The housewife." "Fiona?" "Drive me, Chorlton!" "Now!" "Do as the lady says." "She's in charge." "Happy Judgement Day!" "Judgement Night, I suppose." "Never mind, eh, Judith?" "See ya!" "Good luck!" "Godspeed!" "Wooh!" "Faster!" "What's the rush?" "Run!" "Oh, no." "I forgot the mixture and the spoon." "Not yet." "Jen, turn that off." "We're going to say a little prayer." "All of us." "Together." "What for?" "We're going to heaven." "I'm taking you to heaven, sweetheart." "Our Father who art in heaven," "Hallowed be thy name." "Thy kingdom come." "Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven." "Give us this day our daily bread." "And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those that trespass against us." "Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil:" "For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory, for ever and ever..." "Fiona!" "Fiona, come on." "Answer the door." "I'm starving." "Fiona, come on." "I know you're in there." "Fiona!" "Fiona!" "Fi-on-a!" "All Stephen Baxter has said is that it happens tonight." "Does he mean midnight?" "Does he mean sunset?" "We can't know." "All we can do is wait." "Wait and hope." "What about Dave?" "Do you know where he's gone?" "Did he say?" "We've...got the kids." "They'll be all right." "We'll take them to your mum's." "Is that all right?" "I'll be..." "We'll try and find her a bed." "If there's any staff on duty." "They're all going home before tonight." "Her own children." "Despair." "That's the word, yeah." "And it's happening all over." "People trying to escape Judgement by getting into paradise first." "Still, only a few hours to go, according to your friend Baxter." "I'm rather looking forward to it." "We've invited a few friends round, bit of a barbecue..." "You don't believe it, then?" "Well, I keep saying no." "I mean, logically, there's not much sense behind what he's saying." "It's all a bit... cryptic." "Maybe next time they should try Daughter of God." " Then we'll get a straight answer." " That's what it needs." "I mean, first there's this Testament thing..." "What happened to that?" "Then he says Judgement Day." "Which is it?" "Is it one or the other?" "Or both?" "How can both these things happen?" "There's your keys back." "If you could just sign for them." "Sorry about your windows." "That were last night." "You got off lucky." "If you need anything, just shout." "Good luck for tonight." "Hello." "Er... hi." "Er..." "I thought I..." "I just thought..." "Can you get out of there?" "I can do anything." "Where are you?" "Home." "If it's happening tonight, then..." "I want to be with you." "Yeah." "Jude, I'm sorry I didn't..." "Steve, I know what the Third Testament is." "Just come round." "Excuse me, sir." "Where have you come from?" " Upstairs." "I just popped in to see Steve." " We haven't let anyone in." "Yeah, you have I went in ten minutes ago." "That's right." "Sorry, course you did." "So, sorry, who are you?" "Did you sign yourself in?" "You said I didn't have to." "That's right, I did, didn't I?" " Thanks, then." " How is he?" "Steve?" "Just sitting there." "What's it like outside?" "So quiet." "It's weird." "It's like everyone's gone home or run away, or just... waiting." "Yeah." "Good luck, then." " What's he doing?" " Just sitting there, sir." "...burning with fire, was hurled into the sea!" "The sea became blood." "A third of the living creatures in the sea died, a third of ships was destroyed..." "Come on!" "Come on!" " You're not allowed in, sorry." " She's expecting me." "I'm on the list." "I'm a friend." "We were at school together, way back." "That's right." "So you are, sorry." "She's inside, yeah." "You were in school with Stephen Baxter, then." "What was he like?" "Bit of a twat." "Last man on duty." "You'd better get home." "I'll stay." "Just in case." "Someone's got to protect her." "Good man." "Hi." "Yeah." "Well, then..." " How have you been?" " Oh, you know." "It's nice to see you." " Like the windows." " Yeah, I might keep 'em like that." " You've dressed up." " You haven't." " Smells good." " Yeah." "Should be ready." "You cooking." "Must be the end of the world, or something," "It's only pasta." " You were right, though." " Always am." "You said I was enjoying it." "I've been doing that stuff." "Power-mad." "I keep trying to work out what's going to happen tonight but I don't know." "Like I'm not meant to see." "I don't know what time or what it is." "There you go." "Am I supposed to eat mine?" "I didn't have much in." "It's just..." "Tomatoes, bit of mixed spice, bit of pepper and... rat poison." "Do you remember that time I had rats?" "My dad gave me that poison and I didn't know how much to put in." "I put lots." "It's arsenic or strychnine, or..." "I don't know." "It says on the box." "It was Fiona's idea, except she got the wrong target." "How did they get to you?" "Who was it?" "Johnny Tyler?" "What did he say?" "This isn't the devil's work, Steve." "It's just me." "You've got to eat this and you've got to die." "I can't be killed." "You can die when you're meant to die, and that's now." "I worked it out." "Do you want a beer?" "Yeah." "I kept thinking, how can there be a Third Testament and a Judgement Day?" "But it's obvious." "They're both the same thing." " Do you want a glass?" " No." "I'm writing a testament and that's a judgement on you." "Cos my testament says that you die." "That you go." "That you stop." "I thought about you." "And us lot, and school, and all that." "Pete." "Fiona." "Your dad." "The existence of God has destroyed us, so it stops, cos I say so." "They have possessed you." "You're doing exactly what they want." "They want you alive." "This is your only way out." "Right." "So, what?" "I bugger off and abandon the world to the devils?" "It's the death of them as well." "Not those lost souls but the thing inside them." "All God's work." "When you die, you're not ascending to paradise, you're dying properly and for ever." "Taking the whole thing with you - God, and heaven and hell." "All dead." "The end of this world and the start of a new one without religion on our backs." " And what sort of world would that be?" " Better." "Cos... right now, we're promised an afterlife." "So we waste the 70 years we've got." "If God is dead, though, and this is all we've got, maybe we'll use it." "Maybe we'll become better than you." " Or worse." "Did you think of that?" " Well, maybe." "But that's up to us, not you." "It's daft, cos this is what I always thought, long before you came along." "As soon as we get rid of God, that's when we grow up." "You said it too." "It was in your big speech." "It was there all along." "You said we've got to take responsibility." "If you want us to, we have to do it on our own." "Always thinking you're so clever." "Millions don't agree with you, millions need me." "But oh, no, sod them." "You know better." " Are you going to force it down my throat?" " You know I'm right." "The world's about to end, and you waste my time with this bollocksl" "This is your plan." "It's all yours." "You saw death tonight." "And it's your death." "You said there'd be a Third Testament, and this is it." "Use your power one last time and look." "Cos this, this is right." "I'm right." "The Third Testament." "The family business closes down." "No more heaven, no more hell." "And you're all alone." "Well, then." "Don't want to." " Don't say that," " I want to stay..." "I know." "...with you." "We never stood a chance, did we?" "I should have asked you out years ago." "My fault." "I could've asked you." "Why didn't you?" "You never answered the question." "What were you waiting for?" "I was er hoping... for better." "Oh, Shit!" "I don't have to." "I could stay." "I can do what I want." "Cos you need me." "You lot need me." "I could bring Pete back." "I could raise him from the dead, just like that." "Don't." "Power-mad." "That's the time to go." "Don't." "God, this tastes..." "It was all on tape." "The police had the house keys, wired the place up, recorded everything." "Steve made his broadcast in the end and it was transmitted worldwide." "They keep on playing it now, all these years later." "Everyone saw it and everyone heard it." "That was the Testament, and that was Judgement Day." "The death of God." "Even without the tape, everyone felt it." "I mean..." "Like, everyone." "In that second, all of his creations felt his death." "Right at the end, everyone believed." "Everyone." "And everyone knew he was gone." "I felt it." "Right here, twenty past seven." "It's like they say about September 11th." "Where were you when Stephen Baxter died?" "He was meant to die." "Do you see?" "I was right, wasn't I?" "I tried to kill him." "No bastard thanks me." "And people were terrified in the first few days after his death, cos it looked like he'd died and gone and left us with nothing." "But he left us with everything." "And..." "Yeah, sometimes it looks like nothing, cos we can't turn to a book any more, or a church or some man in a dog collar." "We've got to look at each other." "Judith?" "I don't know." "I haven't seen her." "No, I erm..." "I moved away." "I'm here now, down south." "That's where Dave is and he got custody of the kids, so..." "I moved nearby." "So..." "I don't know what I'd say to her." "And the devils have gone." "People are still mad." "They still do the most terrible things, just cos they're people, not..." "That's our problem now." "OK, um..." "Do you mind?" "I..." "I don't want to talk about it any more." "I'm sorry, but..." "That's it." "That's all I've got to say." "She just wants to be left alone." "I think she's still in Manchester." "I don't know." "I hope she's all right." "Are you keeping your points or giving them to charity?" "Charity." "Thanks." "Blimey." "Hello." " Remember me?" " Yeah." "We went out on that date." "God, it must be six years ago now." "You were famous back then." "You came round my house." "Do you remember why?" "Dunno." "A funny old time." "Not just cos of Stephen Baxter and that." "I was... having a bad year." "I went a bit barmy." "How's things now?" "Still dating, yeah." "Still trying." "You've lost weight." "A little bit, maybe." "It's funny, I kept blaming it on the fish and chip shop." "You know, work and stuff." "In the end, I thought, well, it's down to me." "I suppose there's a bit of Stephen Baxter in that." "Sorry." "I know you and him were..." "Oh, it's all right." "Anyway, good luck with it." "Yeah." "I don't suppose you fancy coming for dinner?" "Well..." "Have you got the tissues?" "She split juice all down herself." " Hold on." " Hello." "This is Johnny." "He's an old friend of mine." " All right, mate." "Nice to meet you." " There you go." "Bollocks." " Married." " Yeah." "She's mine over there." "She was two last week." "She's a little monster." "What's he do, then?" "He was a policeman." "He's resigned now." "He was on duty outside my house." "The world was ending and he never left." "He's a good man." "It's daft, in't it?" "I used to think..." "Months after, years after..." "I was still waiting for Stephen Baxter to come back." "You know, like... resurrection." "One last miracle." "I thought that." "I spent a long time hoping for that, yeah." "But that's exactly the thing I got rid of." "Do you think I was right?" "Anyroad... look at us chatting away." "Things to do." " If he chucks you, give us a call." " Give up!" " Never." "Fair enough." " It's nice to see you." " And you."