Finding God, By Fraser Wilkinson – Synopsis ISOBEL unexpectedly returns to town with a daughter after a sixteen year exile. Her childhood sweetheart MANNY sees a violent encounter between Isobel and his STEP-FATHER prompting him to take revenge. Perennial vacillator and day-dreamer, Manny is forced to head for the US Border, somewhat relieved that he has finally taken control of his meandering life. The group of emigrants are intercepted but with the guidance of a strange character in the party Manny heads for the safety of a steep gully but is shot in the hand, tumbles down and blacks out. Manny comes round in a strange, sealed, cave with oversized furniture. Two late-middle-aged gentlemen introduce themselves as GOD and his manservant FELIX. God asks Manny to help them get to Las Vegas to a science conference at which will be revealed a secret that will help return the Kingdom of Heaven. Feeling weakened and indecisive again, Manny agrees to help. Isobel and her young daughter, INEZ are also separately on their way to Las Vegas, having been caught up in the aftermath of Manny’s violent attempt on his step-father’s life. The step-father appears to be in league with the local gangs and Inez has encountered some local gang associates, NELSON and HORATIO. On the way to Las Vegas, God reveals some of the ancient history of the world and what brought them to this point. Manny is unconvinced about their claims but they make a good attempt at trying food and drink for the first time, almost choking. Felix takes the stage at a biker night gig and blows Manny away with an unreal rendition of Amazing Grace. Manny is beginning to believe there’s something more to them. At the conference in the MGM Grand, Manny is forced to take the stage and he starts to tell his story when he’s shot by one of the crowd. Isobel and DUPINDI, a yogi who helped Manny find the gully, witness the shooting. In the hospital the cops tell Manny that there was no sign of God on the CCTV images, only Felix and that the ‘real’ Manny Pasquez from Cananea was buried that same day. Isobel rescues Manny from the hospital but in the car park the Step-Father appears, followed closely by God and Felix. A struggle ensues but Manny and Isobel escape. Manny can’t bring himself to tell her how he really feels and they fall out over Manny’s increasing belief in his God. Manny feels his world swirling further out of control; is he really dead? The next morning Manny is overjoyed to be picked up by God and Felix in a truck and, with VINCE, the sex obsessed driver, they head back to find who’s really in the grave. Manny is told the gods of old took on the human form at God’s behest to try and prevent either side from annihilating the other, although it set in motion cataclysmic events that are soon to be finally played out in our times. Manny begins to pity them. On the way back home, the three travellers stop at the ‘best little whorehouse’ in Arizona, where, to Manny’s horror God and Felix take full advantage of their growing human condition. Manny encounters the angelic GABRIELLE and despite his best intentions he succumbs to her otherworldly charms and the chance to put Isobel behind him. The encounter clears his head of the obfuscation of God’s presence and he’s finally convinced he now needs to get Isobel back more than ever. Vince and Manny go to the grave and God and Felix return to the cave to ‘recharge’. At the graveside they are unexpectedly joined by Isobel, Dupindi and Inez, who has been aided by Nelson. Ex-forces, Nelson has his own interest in the proceedings having encountered Felix in Iraq. There’s a badly burned body in the grave wearing Manny’s suit so they take a finger to try and match up DNA later. Nelson takes control and forces the party to walk to the cave. Manny tells Isobel he now thinks God is real and he must help him. Nelson stops the party half a mile from the cave and while away an F18 appears from nowhere and destroys the cave. Nelson returns but so do God and Felix, both in regal form, looking more vital than ever before. They tell the group a New World Order approaches and they are chosen to search for the mysterious Jesus Isotope. They tell Manny that they now have a child from his indulgence with Gabrielle. Taking revenge on the ‘traitor’, a lightning bolt kills Nelson. A second bomb hits the cave and in the turmoil Manny finally has the courage to shout out his love for Isobel. When the dust settles God and Felix are gone leaving two saddlebags full of gold coins in their place. A year later, Manny and Isobel are in London awaiting the next conference but things aren’t going so well between them. Would anyone ever believe them?