EXT. virtual reality simulation - GARDEN OF GETHSEMANE – NIGHT
It's a starry night over the olive grove. We drift over a broad footpath, leading down the center of the garden into an alcove, where a gently crackling fire warms a band of 12 sleeping men -- CHRIST'S DISCIPLES -- dressed casually in 1st-Century Middle-Eastern attire.
We float gently past them and up a shallow draw to a high place, topped with an outcropping of boulders, none more than waist high. The moon is full and its milky light on the boulders gives the spot a sacred glow.
Ext. ViRTUAL REALITY SIMULATION - garden of gethsemane - prayer rock - samE
Distressed, JESUS, 33, kneels against the largest boulder with hands clasped in prayer. His lips move, soundlessly.
Loud SNORES drift from the place, a stone's throw away, where His disciples slumber.
Ext. Virtual reality simulation - garden of gethsemane - bushes near prayer rock - same
ELI SANTI, 35, rabbi, scholar, and white hat hacker and founder of Bene Hai-el -- an evangelical movement, based in Israel and bent on ensuring that technology serves humankind and not the other way around -- hides in the bushes, watching Jesus in wide-eyed fascination.
A wave of digital distortion passes through Eli. He looks at his hands, studying the momentary effect. At a gesture a cell phone appears in his left hand. He opens an app and the words “antivirus detected” appear on the phone's screen. He taps the call button and brings the phone to his ear. Eli speaks with an assistant, BEN KASMAN, with a moderated Israeli Hebrew accent, much like Ben's.
Eli
(whispering)
What's happening?
Ben kasman
(on phone)
Your presence has been detected. Everything around you is part of the virtual reality program, except you. You're an invader. The system sees you as a virus and it's trying to protect itself.
ELI
Well, override it. Or mask my presence. We talked about this, remember?
Ben kasman
I'm on it. Stand by.
The wave, more pronounced now, passes through Eli again, making him flinch and grab his gut. Eli braces as it begins to repeat at an even higher amplitude, but it suddenly stops.
Ben kasman (CONT'D)
That should do it. Sorry about that. It shouldn't happen again.
Eli studies his hands. They look solid.
Ext. VIRTUAL REALITY SIMULATION - GARDEN OF GETHSEMANE - same
A slim male figure appears, cloaked in black. He walks stealthily around the sleeping disciples, toward Jesus.
Ext. VIRTUAL REALITY SIMULATION - garden of gethsemane - bushes near prayer rock - same
Eli tracks the dark figure with his eyes. Into the phone he whispers:
Eli
I'll call again when I'm ready for extraction. Remember what I said, If God is God, He is God everywhere, even in here. We control technology -- with God's help -- technology does not control us. And it's our job to make sure it stays that way.
ben kasman
I remember.
ELI
(smiling)
You're a good man. I'll call when I'm done.
He presses the end-call button. The phone vanishes.
Ext. virtual reality simulation - GarDEN OF GETHSEMANE – prayer rock - same
Jesus lifts His face to the starry sky.
JESUS
Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me ... yet not my will, but yours be done.
There follows a gust of wind, then gentle thunder, as a small storm cell forms overhead.
A soothing masculine voice resounds from the heavens.
GOD (V.O.)
You are my only begotten son. In my mercy I have heard your cry.
The cloaked figure moves behind Jesus.
GOD (V.O.)
Therefore, one born of sin will pay the ransom for human redemption.
Jesus struggles to comprehend.
GOD (V.O.)
Sin must be punished, and the Man of Sin is the most deserving. He will take your cross, and you shall go free. He desires to usurp your place. Let us see if he has the courage to drink from your cup.
Realization sweeps over Jesus.
JESUS
Father! No!
GOD (V.O.)
It is done.
The storm cell darkens. A gust of wind blows back the hood of the cloaked figure, revealing DIEVIL NEFERIS, 33, handsome, clean-shaven, with long straight hair and a cruel demeanor. Dievil -- founder and CEO of Macrosoft Corporation, a high-tech company, set to put a supercomputer on every desk, and basically take over the world -- does not flinch from the wind, nor the shaft of light that bursts upon him from heaven.
GOD (V.O.)
(harshly)
On the third day you shall rise, and thereafter, I shall give you power, and dominion over the Evil One. But do no harm to my servant!
DIEVIL
And who is your servant?
An unseen force knocks Dievil off his feet. He lands hard, flat on his back.
GOD (V.O.)
(angry)
He who is of my people Israel, who honors my covenant and shares my truth, and who is your rival but can be your salvation if you turn from evil, if you will turn from cruelty and embrace compassion. Do so, and you will find a kind of salvation, meaningful to you. But if you repent not, I shall destroy you. The choice is yours.
The wind snarls and tears at his clothes, then regresses. Calm returns. Dievil arrogantly picks himself up and dusts himself off.
DIEVIL
Well. We'll see. I'm not sure who you mean, but I guess it just depends -- on whether he pisses me off!
A slender tendril of lightning snakes down and strikes Dievil, knocking him on his ass, but otherwise, not harming him.
Dievil gets to his feet again.
DiEVIL (CONT'D)
Is that the best you can do?!
Thunder rumbles, distantly, as the disturbance moves off. The sky falls silent.
Dievil sees Jesus watching and gives Him a condescending look, then retreats into shadows.
Ext. ViRTUAL REALITY SIMULATION - THE GARDEN OF GETHSEMANE - bushes near prayer rock - same
Eli watches as Dievil passes by his hiding place. Dievil assumes the appearance of Jesus, but the resemblance isn't perfect. We can still see that it's Dievil.
Curious, Eli starts to follow Dievil, but a light catches his eye. He turns to see the real Jesus ascending toward heaven. Below him, the Ark of the Covenant, radiant with gentle golden light, rests on the boulder where He prayed. Heartbroken, Eli runs after Jesus.
ELI
Rabbi! Rabbi! Do not leave us! We are lost without you.
JESUS
I will be with you. I shall give you my spirit, to guide you.
(glancing in Dievil's direction)
And you shall make that which was meant for evil work for good.
(beat)
Feed my sheep.
Jesus gestures to the Ark.
Jesus (CONT'D)
And return the Ark to my people.
Jesus's last words echo, briefly, then silence falls.
There is a flash of light. Eli blinks. When he looks again, Jesus is gone.
The Ark shimmers, brilliantly, then vanishes in a flash of light.
Ext. virtual reality simulation - GARDEN OF GETHSEMANE – prayer rock - same
Eli kneels at the rock where Jesus prayed.
ELI
Oh, Father, give me this gift that your son promised. Send your Spirit to guide me.
There is a sound like rushing wind. A flame drops from heaven and impacts his forehead, then hovers there, but does not burn him.
The flame enters and possesses him. He shakes, violently. He tries to speak but can't. Then his tongue is loosed, and he prophesies:
SUPER: IN ANCIENT HEBREW
ElI (CONT'D)
(as an ecstatic utterance)
That which is ordained shall come to pass. He who would bind shall be bound. He who would be God shall become the Beast. The proud shall be brought low, and the humble, be blessed, and shall gift my people. And none shall prevent him, for I am with him. Thus it shall be!
Eli collapses, overwhelmed and muttering in prayer.
INT. virtual reality simulation - in space near God's pavilion - DAY
An enormous and beautiful open pavilion with a floor made of polished stone is set in space near the Earth. The floor extends a short distance outside the pavilion, and beneath it, there is rock, like an inverted island. And there is air near the pavilion, laced with wispy clouds, but beyond -- vacuum.
We move closer to the pavilion, then drift inside.
Int. Virtual reality simulation - god's pavilion - same
Within the pavilion four powerful and resolute ARCHANGELS stand guard around a huge golden throne. Behind the Throne is an abrupt cliff, and the starry expanse of the universe beyond, and far below, the Earth.
GOD, tall, with eyes like fire and a shining face that reminds us somewhat of an elderly Albert Einstein, and woolly gray hair, stands at the brink of the cliff, wearing a gold and white robe that shines with shimmering cosmic light.
Next to him, SATAN, a handsome man with horn buds on his forehead and talons on his fingers, stands with his hands clasped behind his back, dressed richly in clothes appropriate to the time of Christ.
Through a wide spatial aperture, suspended on nothing beyond the cliff, Satan sees Dievil, as Jesus, nailed to a cross.
SaTAN
Well, looky there. It looks like my son took your son's place on the cross. Guess they'll be worshipping him -- and through him, me -- from now on.
God
We'll see.
SATAN
(smiling)
So what do you say? Care to place a little wager? When your people abandon you and worship my son, instead of yours, and when he turns them to worshipping me, will you relinquish the throne and declare that all that is yours shall be mine?
God gives him a withering stare.
GOD
You know, the house always wins. Good always prevails.
SATAN
Humph.
God
And what do I get if you lose?
SATAN
Well then, you get what you've always wanted. You can imprison me -- for a while.
GOD
Oh, I'll get that, anyway. It's just a matter of time.
SATAN
Well, this way, you'll get it sooner. So what do you say, do we have a deal?
God
(pointedly)
Deal.
SATAN
(surprised)
Really?
(beat)
Oh, I get it... You mean, if he turns them away from you and toward me in here, you'll honor the deal. I'm talking about out in the real world. And you know, it won't be long before the two will be one, when my son enslaves the masses through his neural network -- out in the real world -- and virtual reality becomes the only reality that matters for billions of people. What about then? If I win in the real world, will you honor the agreement?
GOD
I said, Deal, and a deal is a deal. If you win, either in here or out in the real world, and turn the hearts of humanity to your son and to serving you, I'll abdicate. The throne will be yours.
SATAN
(gleeful)
Ha! I can almost feel the power. That throne will be mine!
GOD
I wouldn't be too sure. Loyalties can turn quickly. Those you trust can turn against you. I wouldn't place too much faith in that son of yours. He might betray you.
SATAN
That will never happen. Just look at him, paying the ultimate price, just as I meant for him to do. That's my son, paying the price for sin. MY SON!
GOD
My people will never follow him. They follow my son!
SATAN
Jesus? Ha!
(beat)
It's an odd name, isn't it? Jee-zuhsss. That was the name you chose to be -- "the name above every name?" Why not something more sophisticated, like ... Hercules ... or Thor ... or ... I don't know, Lucifer has a nice ring to it. That was a good name that you chose for me, for your original sidekick.
GOD
You're the one who pulled away. And His name is Yeshua, not Jesus - that's a corruption of his name. But even Jesus is better a better name than Die'-vihl. Where'd you come up with that one?
SATAN
It's going to be very popular. Soon, everyone will know his name, and they will all know that I am his father.
GOD
Unfortunate that you need him to do your work for you, that you can't win the people's hearts on your own.
SATAN
(scoffs)
Kettle calling the pot black.
GOD
My son will prevail. Your son's virtual death on a virtual cross is meaningless. It accomplishes nothing.
DiEVIL
(on the cross)
Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit.
GOD
He's talking to you. It's up to you to answer his prayers, you know. I can't help him.
God turns away from Satan to watch Dievil breathe his last. At His gesture the window on Calvary vanishes, revealing more of the star-strewn heavens.
Annoyed, Satan tries to sneak up behind God, to shove him out into the starry universe, grumbling:
SATAN
Yes, well, we all have our crosses to bear.
God sidesteps and lightly slaps him on the back.
Satan falls, earthbound, raging. His wings are useless. As soon as he is away from the pavilion, he is in the vacuum of space. His voice thins, and though we still see his mouth moving, no sound comes from him.
One of the Archangels snickers, and we see that his face now resembles Dievil's face and we realize that this is Dievil's avatar.
GOD
Am I here to entertain you?
Turning, the Archangel snaps to attention.
Jesus materializes and kneels before God.
God (CONT'D)
Stand, my son.
JESUS
(rising)
Thirty-three years on Earth, toiling in the sun, and for what?
God mounts the throne and takes His seat.
GOD
You asked to go.
JESUS
If it was your will, I said.
GOD
Everything has gone according to my will.
JESUS
You allowed a sinner to pay the price for sin. There's a rich irony for you.
GOD
It's all part of my plan.
Jesus leans close to God, as if to speak privately.
God (CONT'D)
(to the Archangels)
Give us a moment?
The Archangels step a short distance away. The Archangel who is really Dievil's avatar lingers nearby, eavesdropping, while the others move a few paces farther away.
Behind the lingering angel, we see God lean down and nudge Jesus. They exchange an amused look. Clearly, they both knew it was Dievil, all along.
Dievil's avatar strains to hear as God and Jesus speak softly, so as not to be heard:
GOD (CONT'D)
Can you believe this dialog? He has some strange expectations of deity if he thought we would really talk to one another like this.
JeSUS
But that's what the program calls for. We can go along with it or We can shut the whole thing down.
God
And he'll know if we do that. I'm not ready to tip him off yet.
JESUS
(nodding)
I think he can be useful, as can this reality. I'm not ready to give up on our plan just yet.
GOD
I agree. We'll go along with it for now. Though it's not easy, living down to human expectations.
God looks down at His hands, studying them, and then inspects His garments. He pulls a handful of gray hair around to the side, so He can see it from the corner of his eye.
