AN OUTING
	
The day before his birthday, he discovers that he has never been quite who he is.

INT. COFFEE SHOP -- DAY.

Can understand French much better. 

He is giving a talk on something to do with maths when suddenly he doesn't know how to do it. 

Gets his pass word wrong on the computer. Tries again. Then again. He takes a deep breath, closes his eyes stretches his fingers, then types without loooking. He is successful. Shakes his head. Then he gets it My birthday is tomorrow. Not today. It's been the sixteenth for as long as I can remember. 

ELIZABETH
You made such a big fuss last year because I forgot your birthday. Here's your card. 

JAMES
Thanks. That's really thoughtful.

ELIZABETH
And I didn't forget, last year, I was just a bit late.

JAMES
And now you're early. That's really sweet of you. 

ELIZABETH
No, I'm not early, today’s the day, right? The fifteenth. I went especially out of my way and marked it on my calendar. To preempt all the complaints and accusations of last year.

JAMES
I'm sorry, anyway, I wasn't -- I told you, I was just a bit swamped last year. What with everything.

ELIZABETH
I know. Anyway, happy birthday!

JAMES
Thanks. That's really nice. Really kind of you to go to the trouble.

He look sat the inside of the card and chuckles at the joke or whatever.

JAMES
You know -- my birthday is actually tomorrow. Right?

ELIZABETH
No, it's not. Stop it!

She laughs and throws a balled-up napkin at him.
CUT TO:

In the kitchen, he gets out his wallet and checks his licence. We see, in close up, his date of birth: 15 SEP. He stops and thinks. He is about to put the wallet away, then looks at it again. Then he thinks a bit more, then he examines the licnece carefully. 

CUT TO:

Later, Thomas is at the desk looking through a drawer, the TV is on. 

Just trying to find my tax stuff. 

Hopefully, one of our viewers will be inspired by this program and star to investigate the whole problem of hyperspace

and do the essential work on M-theory which will allow us, one day, to answer questions like-- Are you worried about hair loss? Maybe your friends don't notice but you do. Hair Loss Invigilators invites you to take part in their stunning new program. 

He finds his passport. There again it says 15 SEP. That seems to prove it. He checks some other documents, apparently confirming 15 SEP as his date of birth. Now he is convinced, yet puzzled.

How do you know who you are now? I mean, is that a memory, that you have?
A legitimate memory? Yes. 
Not just "sort of have"?
  
Well we should establish, when we talk about me, we mean this me, the unsuitable me. The replacement for your guy, with all his memories that are not quite the same.
And the other guy --
Is the suitable me, the one who belongs here and has gone missing.

But nobody knows why you think that. I mean, can you point to anything really different?
No, it's all tiny things, hardly noticeable, but there's so many of them, all kinds of stupid little details. Birthday off by one day. Password is off by two letters. 
Bob smokes. A friend of mine, he apparently smokes, and has done since he was a kid. The one I knew didn't.

What's the biggest thing that's different?

I don't know. Just everything -
No, I mean, what's the most important single thing that's different?
I don't like licorice.
(Pause)
I broke my arm when I was twelve falling off my bike. Not falling off a jungle gym.
I mean, that's just stupid.

What time of the day were you born?
I don't know. What difference would that make?
Well, it could be just a matter of hours, or even minutes. Say you were born near midnight -- a few minutes later and it would be the next day. Or even a few seconds.

Does it matter?
No.
End

It was yesterday. 
That was yesterday. From now on, everything will be different.
Pause
What do you mean? 
CUT TO:

INT. COFFEE SHOP.
We see that Mr Warkentin is still not back from the bathroom, the booth is as Gordon left it. 

FADE OUT