Chapter 16: I Robot, You Jane

At Gateway High School Library Buffy prys the lid of a crate and looks inside disappointed. "Oh, great. A book." She pulls out the book, idly tracing the rune on the cover as Giles comes over.

Giles nods, "I haven't gone through the new arrivals. Put it in that pile – He points near Willow.

Dave comes up to Buffy. "Here, I got it."

Buffy smiles, "Thanks, Dave. The Willow pile."

Giles nods, "After I've examined it, you can, uh... skim it in."

Ms. Calendar shakes her head, "Scan it, Rupert. Scan it."

"Of course..." Giles says his voice dripping polite venom.

Ms. Calendar regards the flustered Giles with amusement. "I know our ways are strange to you, but soon you will join us in the 20th century... with three whole years to spare!"

Giles scoffs, "Ms. Calendar, I happen to believe that one can function in modern society without being a slave to the idiot box."

Ms. Calender laughs, "That's TV. The idiot box is the TV. This is a good box."

Giles nods, "Well, I still prefer a good book."

Buffy rolls her eyes.

Fritz smiles, "The printed page is obsolete. Information isn't bound up anymore, it's an entity. The only reality is virtual. If you're not jacked in, you're not alive." He walks off.

"Thank you, Fritz... for making us all sound like crazy people." Ms. Calendar says before turning back to Giles. "Fritz comes on a little strong, but he has a point. You know for the last two years there was more E-mail sent than regular mail? More digitalized information went over phone lines than conversations."

Giles nods, "That is a fact that I regard with genuine horror."

Ms. Calender nods, "I'll bet it is. All right, guys, let's wrap it up for the day."

People start moving out.

Willow smiles, "I've just got a few more to do. I'll hang for a bit."

"Cool, thanks." Ms. Calendar says.

Willow looks to Xander, "Xander, you want to stay and help me?"

"Are you kidding?" Xander says.

Willow sighs, "Yes, it was a joke I made up."

Xander smiles, "Willow, I love you, but bye." He heads out.

Willow calls after him, "I'll see you tomorrow..."

Xander nods, "Buffy, wait up!"

Willow watches Xander's retreating figure a bit piningly, then goes back to work.

"I have to stay and clean up. I'll be back in the Middle Ages." Giles says.

Ms. Calendar nods, "Did you ever leave?"

A few moments later Willow is alone solemnly scanning in books. She takes the ancient volume and waves the glowing scanner over the first page... On screen, data streams into a file, BOOKl2, in a directory labeled WILLOW - strange characters like in the book...

The last characters stream into the BOOKl2 file. The screen goes BLACK. After a beat, words appear: Where am I?

Seven days later Willow walks along a hall at school, happily lost in thought.

Buffy spies her, approaches, calling out, "Willow! Willow! Hey, wait up!"

Willow finally notices Buffy as she comes abreast of her. "Buffy! I didn't even see you."

Buffy nods, "Or hear me. What was up last night? I tried your line like a million times."

Willow smiles, "Oh, I was... I was talking."

"Talking to..." Buffy asks. Willow smiles. "Okay, that's it. You have a secret and that is not allowed."

Willow shakes her head, "Why not?"

Buffy petulantly, "'Cause... there's a rule."

Willow nods, "Well... I sort of met someone."

"I knew it! This is so important. When did you meet?" Buffy asks.

"Last week. Right after we did the scanning project in the Library."

"Does he go here? What's his name? Have you kissed him? What's he like?" Buffy says rapid fire.

Willow shakes her head, "No, Malcolm, no, and very nice."

Buffy smiles, "You are a thing of evil for not telling me this right away."

Willow nods, "Well, I wasn't sure there was anything to tell. But last night - oh, we talked all night. It was amazing. He's so smart, Buffy, and he's romantic and we agree about everything."

"What's he look like?" Buffy asks.

Willow cheerfully responds, "I don't know."

Buffy tries to work that one out as they exit the hall into the computer lab.

It is silent in here. The only people in here are Fritz and Dave, both staring at their computer screens intensely. After a moment, Dave speaks quietly, "Yes... I will. I promise."

Buffy and Willow enter, Buffy still puzzling. "You've been seeing a guy and you don't know what he looks like. Okay, it's a puzzle. No wait, I'm good at these. Does it involve a midget and a block of ice?"

"I met him on line." Willow says.

Buffy shakes her head, "On line for what?" Willow indicates a computer. "Oh. On line. As in - right. Duhh."

Ms. Calendar enters. "Morning, kids. Payson, are you supposed to be somewhere?"

Buffy looks to Ms. Calendar, "I have a free."

Ms. Calendar nods, "Cool. But this is lab time so let's make it a nice short visit, okay?"

Buffy nods, "Oh sure."

Willow has sat at the computer and logged on. Buffy sits next to her. "I still can't get used to people calling you Payson. Though I think it's nice you decided to change your name to honor your mom's memory."

Buffy smiles, "Yeah so do I."

The compuer flashes: You have mail!

"It's him..." Willow says excitedly as she accesses her mail. She reads the simple message: I'm thinking about you. Willow is totally charmed. Buffy slightly less so. "He's so sweet."

"Uh, yeah, he's a sweetie." Buffy says.

Willow nods, "What should I write back?"

Buffy shakes her head, "Uh, Willow... I think it's great that you've got a cool pen pal, but... you seem to be kind of rushing all into this. You know what I mean?

Willow doesn't hear a word of what Buffy just said, I'm thinking of you too! No, that's incredibly stupid."

"Will. Down girl. Let's focus. What do you really know about this guy?" Buffy says.

Willow sighs, "See, I knew you'd react like this."

Buffy shakes her head, "Like what? I just think you should be, well, careful."

Willow frowns, "Buffy -"

Buffy shakes her head, "He could be different than you think."

"His name is Malcolm Black, he's eighteen, he lives in Elmwood which is like eighty miles from here and he likes me." Willow says.

Buffy nods, "Short, tall, skinny, fat..."

Willow shakes her head, "Why does everything have to be about looks?"

Buffy sighs, "Not everything. But some stuff is. I mean, what if you guys get really intense and then you find out he... has a hairy back?"

Willow almost wavers, "Well... no. He doesn't talk like the kind of person who has a hairy back. And anyway that stuff doesn't matter if you really care about each other." She looks to be a little vulnerable. "Maybe I'm not his ideal of babelitude either."

Buffy softens the moment, "Hey. I just want to make sure he's good enough for you, that's all. I think it's great that you're -"

Fritz appears behind Buffy, "Hey! Are you done?"

Buffy looks up, "What?"

"I'm trying to work." Fritz states."

Buffy sighs, "Okay, sorry..." She throws Willow a look as Fritz leaves. "Boy, Fritz is even more charming than usual."

Willow nods, "I don't know what his problem is lately."

"He needs to get out more. Or ever." Buffy says.

Later in the Quad

A male student sits by the fountain, staring in disbelief at his laptop. "This isn't my report. "Nazi Germany was a model of a well-ordered society"? I didn't write that! Who's been in my files?"

Willow passes him, not noticing anything.

Xander comes up behind her and puts his hands over her eyes. "Guess who."

"Xander." Willow says.

Xander smiles, "Well, yeah, but keep guessing anyway."

Willow laughs, "Xander."

Xander removes his hands, "I can't fool you. You see right through my petty charade. Are we going to the Bronze tonight?"

Willow shakes her head, "Not me. I think I'm gonna make it an early night."

"Malcolm, huh? That's right, I heard. Okay, but you're missing out. I'm planning to be witty. I'll be making fun of all the people who won't talk to me." Xander says.

Willow nods, "That's nice. Have a good time." She ambles off, in her own space.

Xander watches as Buffy comes abreast of him.

Buffy smiles, "She certainly looks perky."

"Color in the cheeks, a bounce in the step - I don't like it. It isn't healthy." Xander says as he turns to Buffy. "So what about you? Bronze? No, you probably have to slay vampires or some lame endeavor like that. Everybody deserts me."

Buffy laughs, "Check out the jealous man."

"What are you talking about?" Xander asks.

Buffy smiles, "You're jealous!"

Xander shakes his head, "Of what?"

"Willow's got a thang and Xander's left hanging." Buffy says.

Xander frowns, "That's meaningless drivel. I'm not interested in Willow like that."

Buffy nods, "Yeah, but you got used to being the belle of the ball."

"No, it's just... this Malcolm guy. What's his deal? Admit that it wigs you slightly." Xander says.

Buffy nods, "Slightly. I mean, just not knowing what he's really like."

"How about who he really is?" Xander asks. "Oh sure, he says he's a high school student. I could say I was a high school student."

Buffy rolls her eyes, "You are."

Xander shakes his head, "Okay, but I could also say I was an elderly Dutch woman, get me? Who's to say I'm not? If I'm in the elderly Dutch chat room -"

Buffy frowns, "I get your guy could be anything. Old, weird, crazy... he could be a circus freak!"

Xander nods, "You know, you read about these things all the time. Two people meet on the net, they talk, they get together, dinner, a show, horrible axe murder..."

"Willow axe-murdered by a circus freak. What do we do?" Buffy asks before she realizes they are overreacting. "What are we doing?" She hits Xander's arm. "Xander, you get me started... we're totally over-reacting."

Xander laughs. "I know, but isn't it fun?"

Next day in the Girls Locker Room Buffy has just finished changing for gym as Willow rushes in, starts pulling off her sweater. "Whoah, you're the late girl."

Willow nods, "I overslept."

"Till fifth period? Talking to Malcolm last night?" Buffy asks.

Willow smiles, "Yeah. What."

Buffy shakes her head, "Nothing."

Willow sighs, "You're having an expression."

"I'm not. But if I was, it would be saying... It's just not like you." Buffy says.

"Not like me to have a boyfriend?" Willow asks.

Buffy blinks, "He's... boyfriendly?"

Willow shakes her head, "I don't understand why you don't want me to have this. Boys don't chase me around all the time-I thought you'd be happy for me."

Buffy smiles, "I just want you to be sure. To meet him face to face-in a crowded place - in daylight – with some friends. You know, before you get all obsessive."

"Malcolm and I really care about each other. Big deal if I blow off a couple of classes." Willow says.

Buffy shakes her head, "I thought you overslept."

Willow turns away, "Malcolm said you wouldn't understand."

Buffy stands. "Malcolm was right." She heads out into the gym.

That afternoon Dave sits at a computer console in the computer lab, typing furiously. A less enthusiastic student leaves as Buffy enters. She spies Dave and approaches. "Hi Dave." He doesn't look up. "Hey there Dave." No response. "Anybody home?" She touches his shoulder and he jumps, turns.

"Oh. What do you want?" Dave asks.

Buffy smiles, "I wanted to ask you something. If you had a minute..."

Dave is a little scattered, "A minute. Okay. Yeah, a minute... What is it?"

Buffy smiles, "Well, you're a computer geek - nius... I have a technical problem. If I wanted to find out something about someone, if someone E-mailed me, could I trace the letter?"

Dave nods, "Well, you can pull up someone's profile based on their user name."

Buffy sighs, "But they write the profile themselves, right? So they could say anything they want."

"True." Dave says.

Buffy smiles, "Wow, I had knowledge." Dave smiles - she's bringing him out a bit. "Well, is there a way to find out exactly where a letter – an E-letter - came from? I mean the actual location of the computer?"

Dave is intrigued, "It's a challenge..."

"'Cause Willow's got this friend Malcolm and it's like he's -" Buffy says.

Dave frowns, "Leave Willow alone." The color has drained from his face.

His abrupt change startles Buffy, who looks at him in concern. "What do you mean?" Buffy asks.

Dave shakes his head, "That's none of your business."

Buffy smiles, "Dave... are you Malcolm?"

"Of course not. I have to get back to work." Dave says. He turns, bringing his hands back to the keyboard.

Buffy notices Dave's hands for the first time. "Your hands..." Dave's fingertips all have bandaids on them. Buffy takes one in hers but Dave pulls it away.

"It's nothing. I'm typing a lot." Dave says.

Buffy frowns, "What's going on?"

"Look, I'll talk to you later. I've got work to do." Dave says.

Buffy rises, starts out, saying to herself, "So do I."

A few minutes later Buffy is in the library talking to Giles, "There's something going on. It's not just Willow; Dave and Fritz, they're all wicked jumpy."

"Well, those boys aren't sparklingly normal as it is." Giles says.

Buffy sighs, "Giles, trust me."

Giles nods, "I do. But I don't really know how to advise you. Things involving the computer fill me with a childlike terror. Now if it were a nice Ogre or some such I'd be more in my element."

"And our resident computer expert is too wrapped up in her new cyber-beau to help out. I gotta figure this out." Buffy says.

Giles nods, "Well, I suppose you could "tail" Dave, see if he's up to something."

Buffy thinks for a moment, "Follow Dave? What, in a trench coat and dark glasses? Please. I'll work this out. Willow's been acting weird since we scanned those books. Fritz has been acting weird since birth... I don't know. I've got all the pieces but no puzzle. Or, I've got puzzle pieces but some of them are missing. Or they're in the wrong place in the puzzle... I hate metaphors. I'm gonna follow Dave."

Later out front of the school as students leave, Dave steps out of school and heads for his old car.

As he does, Buffy is waiting by the front door. She heads over to Piper's car and gets in. "Thanks for doing this Piper."

Piper nods, "No problem, Buffy."

They follow Dave to a large, blocky, government building surrounded by a high fence. A sign says CRD in large letters above the door. Workmen are bringing in large boxes into the building with hand-dollies and a forklift.

Dave's car pulls up to the building.

Piper parks a short distance away from the gates. Buffy jumps out and runs up and stands outside the gate, watching.

Dave heads toward the building. He is greeted by a couple of scientists who speak with barely an expression. They enter together. A security guard, equally expressionless, stands by the door.

As Buffy watches a security camera mounted on top of the gate turns automatically to look at Buffy.

The next day Buffy and Piper walk into the library to find Giles and Xander there.

"Whatever Dave is into, it's large." Buffy says.

Giles nods, "What was the name of the place?"

Buffy nods, "Said CRD. I couldn't get close enough to see what it was -"

Xander nods, "Calax Research and Development. Computer research lab. Third biggest employer in Gateway, till it closed last year. What, I can't have information sometimes?"

Giles smirks, "It's just somewhat unprecedented."

Piper thinks, "Didn't they go out of business last year?"

Xander nods, "Yeah."

"Looked pretty functional from where I stood. I don't have a clue what they were doing..."

Xander nods, "And what do they need Dave for?"

"Something about computers, right? I mean he is off-the-charts-smart." Buffy says.

Giles sighs, "We still don't know a terrible lot. Whatever's going on there could be on the up and up."

Piper nods, "If CRD re-opened it'd be in the news. It was a major company in San Francisco."

Buffy nods, "Besides, I can just tell something's wrong. My spider-sense is tingling."

Giles frowns, "Your spider-sense?"

Buffy smiles, "Pop-culture reference."

Piper rolls her eyes.

Giles nods, "Yes, well, I think we're at a standstill. Short of breaking into the place, I don't see-"

"Breaking in. This then is the plan." Buffy says.

Xander nods, "I'm free tonight."

Piper frowns, "Buffy."

Buffy looks at Piper, "Piper, Willow could be in trouble."

Piper nods, "Alright. But were going in there with the Power of Three."

Buffy nods, "Ok. Tonight it is then."

Giles scoldingly, "A moment, please, of quiet reflection - I did not suggest that you illegally enter…" Ms. Calendar enters the library. "…the data into the file and then the book will be listed by title as well as author."

Ms. Calendar smiles, "Hi."

"Hello." Giles says.

Ms. Calendar nods, "I was gonna check your new database, make sure your cross reference table isn't glitching. 'Cause I'm guessing you haven't gone near it."

Giles nods, "A safe assumption."

Ms. Calendar looks to Buffy and Xander, "You here again? You kids really dig on the library, don't you?"

Buffy nods, "We're literary."

Xander nods, "To read is makes our speaking English good."

Ms. Calendar looks to Piper, "You don't look like a student."

Piper smiles, "Because I'm not. I'm Piper Halliwell. One of Buffy's legal guardians."

Ms. Calendar looks confused, "Buffy?" Buffy raises her hand. "Oh you mean Payson. I forgot you changed your name."

Buffy smiles, "It's alright. At least your trying. Most of the teachers continue to want to call me Buffy even though my legal name was changed to Payson." She grabs Xander's arm. "Anyways we gotta go. Piper you want to drive us to that thing."

Piper nods, "Sure Buffy. It was nice meeting you."

Ms. Calendar nods, "And you Ms. Halliwell."

Giles pointedly, "Yes, we'll continue our conversation another time."

Buffy shakes her head, "No, I think we're done." She, Piper and Xander head out of the library. "Our speaking English good?"

Xander sighs, "I panicked, okay?"

Outside a school nurse talks to a teacher, very upset. "But I checked the computer! There was nothing in his file about being allergic to penicillin."

Piper and Buffy walks past, Buffy is accosted by Dave.

Dave is even antsier than usual. "Buffy."

"Dave. How're you doing?" Buffy asks.

Dave smiles, "I'm okay. I'm sorry about yesterday. I haven't been sleeping much."

Buffy nods, "Don't sweat it."

"Uh, Willow was looking for you." Dave says.

Buffy smiles, "Oh, great, I wanted to catch her before she went home. Do you know where she is?"

Dave nods, "She said she would be in the girl's locker room."

Buffy smiles, "Great. Thanks." She and Piper heads off. Dave watches them go, upset.

A moment later Piper and Buffy enter the girl's locker room. It's dark and empty.

"Willow?" Buffy calls out as she moves down the line of lockers, turns the corner. Nothing. She looks back at Piper. Buffy hears the water going, starts toward it. "Will? You taking a shower?" She enters the shower area, but it's empty. "Guess not." She steps into the shower area to turn off the faucet.

Piper walks around the lockers and notices the wires.

Buffy looks at Piper standing in the puddle, "This is how droughts are started."

Piper frowns, "Buffy out, NOW!"

Buffy looks around and notices the wires, she launches into the locker room out of the shower stall, a massive jolt running through her. She lands hard on the bench, thence to the floor. She lies there, shaking, trying to catch her breath.

Piper runs over to her and kneels down, "Are you okay?"

Buffy nods, "Yeah I think so."

In the library a bit later Buffy is sitting, Piper and Giles are looking at her with concern. Xander paces, upset. Buffy is taking it slow, a little frazzled.

Xander frowns, "I'm gonna kill Dave." He looks at Piper and Giles. "Is she gonna be okay?"

Giles nods, "Thanks to Piper seeing the wires, she was only grounded for a moment." He looks to Buffy, "Still, if you'd been anyone but the Slayer..."

Buffy with quiet concern, "Tell me the truth. How's my hair?"

Piper rolls her eyes, "Really, Buffy."

Xander smiles, "It's great. It's your best hair ever."

"Oh yes." Giles says.

Buffy nods, "I just don't understand what would make Dave do a thing like that."

Giles nods, "I think perhaps I do."

Piper frowns, "The suspense is killing me. Out with it."

Giles nods and holds up a book. "Does this look familiar to either of you?"

Buffy nods, "Yeah, sure. It looks like a book."

"I knew that one." Xander says.

Piper shakes her head, "Don't look at me I'm not here enough."

Prue and Phoebe burst into the library.

Giles nods. "Well, this particular book was sent to me by an archeologist friend who found it in an old monastery."

Prue runs over to Buffy, "Are you all right?"

Buffy nods, "Yeah Prue. Just a little shock."

Xander sighs, "Wow, that's really boring."

Giles glares at Xander, "There are certain books that are not meant to be read. Ever. They have things trapped within them."

Prue looks up at Giles, "Things?"

Giles nods, "Demons."

"Here we go..." Buffy says.

Giles nods, "In the Dark Ages Demons' souls were sometimes trapped in certain volumes. The demon would remain in the book, harmless, unless the book was read aloud." He points to the picture on the cover. "If I'm not mistaken, this is Moloch, the corruptor. A very deadly and seductive demon. He draws people to him with promises of love, power, knowledge. Preys on impressionable minds."

Xander nods, "Like Dave's."

"Dave, and who knows how many others." Giles says.

"And Moloch is in that book?" Piper asks.

Giles show them that the book is blank, "Not anymore."

Xander frowns, "You released Moloch!?"

Giles sighs, "I didn't read it! That awful Calendar woman found it and it was already blank."

Phoebe nods, "So a powerful demon is walking around Gateway? And nobody's noticing?"

Xander nods, "If he's so big and strong, why bother with Dave? Why didn't he just attack Buffy himself? Or go after Prue, Piper and Phoebe?"

Buffy looks at her cousins, "He does have a point. We're usually the first targets for demons."

"I don't know. And I don't know who could have read the book. It wasn't even in English." Giles says.

Buffy frowns, "Where was it?"

Giles nods, "In a pile, with the other books that were... scanned..."

Everybody gets real quiet. As one, they turn to the computer sitting on the desk.

Buffy nods, "Willow scanned all the new books."

Xander nods, "And that released the demon."

Prue nods, "Which means he's not out here. He's in there." She points to the computer.

Giles works it out, "The scanner read the book. Brought Moloch out - as information to be absorbed."

Buffy nods, "He's gone binary on us."

"Okay, for those of us in our studio audience who are me, you guys are saying that Moloch is in this computer." Xander asks.

Buffy nods, "And in every computer connected to it by a modem."

Giles sighs, "He's everywhere."

Xander nods, "So what do we do?"

"Put him back in the book?" Phoebe asks.

Giles shakes his head, "Willow scanned him into her file. This may be a futile gesture, but I suggest we delete it."

Buffy nods, "Solid." She sits, turns on the computer.

Xander nods, "Don't get too close."

Buffy looks at the computer and then at everyone around her, "So, which file is it? Willow. That'd probably be the one. I'll just delete the whole thing."

On the screen the Willow file icon is highlighted, dragged to the trash. Suddenly a digitalized image of Moloch's horrible face fills the screen, turning and looking right at them. "Stay away from Willow. It's none of your business."

And the computer turns itself off. All three stare at it in shock.

Buffy frowns, "Stay away. That's just what Dave said when I asked about Willow and... Malcolm..."

"What are you thinking?" Xander asks

Buffy quietly, "I'm wishing Willow's new boyfriend was just an axe-murdering circus freak. Okay, so much for delete file."

Giles nods, "This is very bad."

Xander shakes his head, "Are we over-reacting? This guy's in a computer, what can he do?"

Buffy nods, "You mean besides convince a perfectly nice kid to try and kill me? I don't know... mess up all the medical equipment in the world..."

Giles nods, "Randomize traffic signals..."

"Access launch codes for our nuclear missiles..." Buffy says.

"Destroy the world's economy..." Giles replies.

Buffy shakes her head, "I think I pretty much capped it with the nuclear missile thing."

Giles nods, "All right, yours was best."

"Okay, he's a threat. I'm on board with that now. What do we do?" Xander asks.

Buffy nods, "I think the first thing we do is find Willow. She's probably talking to him right now. God, that creeps me out."

Prue nods, "Now you understand why I don't want you talking to someone you don't know on the internet."

Buffy smiles, "And I think you for that Prue."

"What does he want with Willow?" Xander asks.

Buffy nods, "Let's never find out." She starts out. "I'm gonna check the computer lab. You call her house."

Prue nods, "I'll come with you, Buffy."

A minute later in the computer lab Prue and Buffy enters, moving slowly.

Buffy looks around, "Willow?" She goes to the computer Willow usually works at - no one in the cubicle.

All the consoles turn on at once, Buffy takes a step back, creeped out.

Prue frowns, "This is not good."

Buffy's suddenly not anxious to make her way past all the computers to the door. She heads back into the dark, toward the other door and bumps right into Dave. He's twisting slowly, feet just above the floor, the rope creaking ever so slightly. The printed out suicide note taped to his shirt.

Buffy looks back at Prue, "Prue over here. It's Dave…"

Prue comes over and frowns, "This demon has a very big influence."

A moment later in the library Xander hangs up the phone. "No answer."

"Damn." Giles says.

Piper looks between the two, "Is it busy?"

Xander shakes his head, "Well, it's not busy either, so she's not on line." Buffy enters. "She's not home."

Giles senses Buffy's mood, "What did you find?"

"Willow isn't -" Xander says.

Prue nods, "Dave. He's dead."

Giles frowns, "My God..."

"This is really real, huh." Xander says.

Giles nods, "How -"

"Well, it looked like suicide." Buffy says.

Xander shakes his head, "With a little help from my friends?"

Buffy nods, "I'd guess Fritz. Or one of the zomboids from CRD."

"Horrible." Giles says.

Buffy looks to Xander, "We're going to Willow's house." She looks to her cousins and Giles, "You have to find a way to get Moloch out of the net."

Giles nods, "I have records of the ceremonies but that's for dealing with a creature of flesh. This could be completely different."

"Then get Ms. Calendar. Maybe she can help you." Buffy says.

Giles nods, "Even if she could, how am I going to convince her there's a demon on the internet?"

Buffy shrugs, "Okay, stay here and come up with a better plan."

Phoebe nods, "I will stay here and help you, Giles. Prue, Piper you guys go with Buffy and Xander. Your powers will be more use than mine. And since this is not a power of three demon…"

Prue nods, "Okay, Phoebe." She looks to Buffy, Xander and Piper, "Come on."

They leave Giles looking all worried. Phoebe simply smiles.

Sometime later in Giles' office, Phoebe and Giles are poring over texts, looking for help.

Giles smiles, "Binding ritual... there we are..." He looks up as Ms. Calendar enters the room.

Ms. Calendar nods, "I got your message. What's so urgent?"

Giles nods, "Thank you for coming. We need your help. But before that, we need you to believe something you may not want to." He gathers himself. "Something has gotten into... inside... There's a demon in the internet."

Ms. Calendar stares at him a moment. "I know." She smiles, slightly - Giles' expression draining to genuine concern - as she shuts the door behind her.

At Willow's House Prue, Piper, Buffy and Xander run up to Willow's house. The door swings open.

"That's not good..." Xander says.

Prue calls out, "Willow!"

They enter and search through the house.

Buffy calls out, "Willow?"

They enter Willow's room and see it's empty.

"Okay, any thoughts?" Xander asks.

Buffy reads a message on the screen, "No more waiting. I need you to see me. See him? How? And where?"

"What about CRD?"Xander asks.

Piper nods, "Makes sense. That's where we followed Dave to."

Xander nods, "I'm guessing that's Moloch central."

"I guess it's our best lead. Let's just hope Giles and Phoebe can back us up."

Back in the library Phoebe and Giles stands,

Giles is not taking his eyes off Ms. Calendar. "You already know. How exactly is that?"

Ms. Calendar nods, "Come on, there've been portents for days. Power surges, on-line shutdowns - and you should see the bones I've been casting." She's excited. "I knew this would happen sooner or later. It's probably a mischief demon - Kelkor, or -"

Phoebe sighs, "Moloch."

"The corruptor. Oh boy." Ms. Calendar says. "He was the one on your book! I should have remembered."

Giles nods, "I'm sorry, I have to say - I mean, you don't seem terribly surprised by - who are you?"

Phoebe nods, "Good question."

Ms. Calendar nods, "I teach computer science at the local high school."

"A profession that hardly lends itself to the casting of bones." Giles says.

Ms. Calendar shakes her head, "Wrong and wrong, snobby. You think the realm of the mystical is limited to ancient texts and relics? That bad old science made the magic go away? The divine exists in cyberspace same as out here."

Phoebe sighs, "Are you a witch?"

"I don't have that kind of power. Technopagan is the term. There's more of us than you'd think. Though I have heard of you and your sisters, Ms. Halliwell. Or should I say the Charmed Ones." Ms. Calendar says.

Phoebe and Giles rises, book in hand, and exits into the main room of the library. Ms. Calendar follows behind them. Giles places the book near the computer.

Giles nods, "Well, we definitely need your help. What's in cyberspace at the moment is less than divine. I have the binding rituals at hand but I am completely out of my idiom."

Phoebe nods, "Yeah Prue, Piper, Buffy and I deal with tangible demons. So were out of our league as well."

Ms. Calendar nods, "Well, I can help - I think. I hope. I mean, this is my first real... Do you know how he got in?"

Giles nods, "He was - scanned is the term, I believe."

Ms. Calendar is progressively more freaked, "And you want him back in the book. Right. Cool. But shouldn't we make sure we've got enough ammo to -"

"There's no time. Moloch seems to have fixated on Willow. We need to get him out now." Giles says.

Ms. Calendar nods, "Okay, okay... minor panic, but I'm dealing... first thing is... what does the book say?"

The phone rings. Phoebe grabs it at the check-out desk. "Prue? Buffy?"

At a payphone outside CRD Prue, Piper, Buffy and Xander are standing near the gate. Buffy holds the phone. "Yeah."

Phoebe on the phone, "Willow?"

Buffy shakes her head, "Not at home. It looks like she was taken somewhere."

Phoebe on the phone, "Where are you?"

"CRD. Whatever Moloch wants Willow for, it's probably in there." Buffy says.

Phoebe on the phone, "Giles, Ms. Calendar and I are working on getting Moloch off line."

Buffy nods, "Here's a tip: Hurry." She hangs up. Makes for the gate, Xander, Prue and Piper alongside.

Xander nods, "This place is pretty heavily secured. How do we get in?"

Buffy powers up a fireball and throws it at the gate causing it to crash open.

Xander nods, "Back way?"

Buffy smiles, "Back way."

They head towards it. Buffy tries the door. Locked. She Kicks it in.

At the library Phoebe is lighting candles.

Ms. Calendar looks to Giles, "The first thing we have to do is form the Circle of Kayless, right?"

Giles nods, "Form the Circle - But there's only three of us. It's really more of a triangle."

Ms. Calendar sits at the computer, "You're not getting it, Giles We have to form the Circle inside. I'm putting out a flash. I just hope enough of my group responds."

Phoebe looks at Ms. Calendar, "Won't Moloch just shut you down?"

Ms. Calendar shakes her head, "I'm betting he won't figure out what we're doing till it's too late."

"Hoping' and 'betting'. That's what we've got." Giles says.

Ms. Calendar nods, "You wanna throw in 'praying', be my guest."

At CRD the door from the hall opens and Buffy marches in, Prue, Piper and Xander behind her. The guard at the security station comes up to her - blocking her path and reaching for his weapon. Prue telekinetically throws the guard. He hits a wall and falls unconscious.

They head for the door opposite, but Xander stops at the security station, looks at the video monitors. "Buffy..."

Buffy, Prue and Piper join him and look at the monitor. On the screen is a security camera's view of Moloch and Willow. On the bottom of the monitor is tape with robotics lab 02 written on it.

Buffy nods, "It's her!"

Piper looks at the monitor, "Yeah. Who's the other guy?"

Buffy looks to Piper and they along with Xander and Prue head toward the door. They enter a hall and see the door marked ROBOTICS LAB 02 and head for it.

Buffy tries it and it's locked as well. "I can't bust this. This is heavy steel."

Xander nods, "Then let's find another way in -" The lights go out, emergency lights casting a dim, eerie glow. They hear the loud K-CHNK of a deadbolt locking. Xander runs back to the door they came in through - it's locked. "What's going on?"

Prue spies a security camera in the corner of the room. "The building's security system is computerized."

Xander frowns, "Whoops."

A red light marked fire starts flashing and jets of gas pour down, start filling the room.

At the library Ms. Calendar is at the computer, "Almost there."

The monitor shows a map of the world with a line from Gateway to various cities, forming a global circle.

"Couldn't you just stop Moloch by entering some computer virus?" Giles asks

Ms. Calendar shakes her head, "You've seen way too many movies. Okay we're up!" She turns to Giles. "You read, I type. Ready?"

Phoebe nods, "What you want me to do?"

Ms. Calendar looks to Phoebe, "Read with him. Maybe if we can get some Charmed magic going it might make it work faster." She spits in one hand, rubs them together. Poises them at the keyboard.

"By the power of the devine... By the essence of the word... I command you." Giles and Phoebe says.

At CRD Prue, Piper Xander and Buffy are staggering, the room filling with gas. Buffy SLAMS herself against the door in an effort to get out.

Prue looks to Buffy, "Buffy augment my power."

Buffy nods and moves to Prue.

At the library.

"By the power of the Circle of Kayless, I command you!" Phoebe and Giles say.

Giles looks at the screen, "Kayless. With a K."

Ms. Calendar nods, "Right. Sorry."

At CRD Piper and Xander drops to the floor. Buffy grasps Prue's hands and closes her eyes to concentrate.

At the Library.

"Demon, COME!" Giles and Phoebe says.

At CRD the door flies open.

The gas stops and the lights flicker on, off. Buffy tries the door - it's now unlocked. Buffy grabs Xander as Prue grabs Piper and they pull them into the lab.

Willow whirls as they pour in. "Buffy!"

Moloch comes at Willow - Buffy runs and does a flying kick to his chest, pushes him back but not over. "Ow! Guy's made of metal." Buffy says.

A scientist grabs Piper from behind.

Buffy grabs Willow and they make for the door.

Moloch moves between them and the door - then stops again, clutching his head. "No! I will not go!"

At the library Ms. Calendar is tying and the screen flashes, sparks flying. "Whoah."

"I command you!" Phoebe and Giles say.

At CRD Prue telekinetically throws the scientist of Piper.

Buffy and Willow join Prue, Piper and Xander at the door.

Moloch drops to his knees.

At the library Ms. Calendar finishes typing. A wind kicks up in her face, a huge cosmic noise booms around her - and then it all stops. Silence. The computer screen dark. "It worked..."

Giles looks at the screen. After a moment he moves to the book on the table, the one with Moloch on the cover.

Ms. Calendar smiles, "He's out of the net. He's bound."

Giles hesitates - then opens the book. The pages are still blank. "He's not in the book."

Phoebe frowns, "What do you mean?" She and Ms. Calendar comes over, looks.

"But... he's not in the book... Where is he?" Ms. Calendar asks.

At CRD Moloch raises his head. His eyes glow brighter than they ever have.

Out in the hall Prue, Piper, Xander, Buffy and Willow are headed for an open door - when they see the security guard and two other scientists running toward them from the other side of the door. Buffy shuts the door on them, locks it.

"Let's go this way!" Xander says as he takes off down the corridor -

"Wait -" Buffy says as she looks down the corridor - and Moloch smashes through the wall right behind her. He grabs her, throws her against the other wall. She sinks to the ground as he approaches.

"I was omnipotent! I was everything! Now I'm trapped in this shell..." Moloch says as he reaches for Buffy, who is still dazed -

Willow frowns, "Malcolm!" Moloch turns - and Willow SMASHES him in the head with a fire extinguisher, speaking through gritted teeth. "Remember me? Your girlfriend?" SMASH - in the head again. "I'm thinking we should break up." SMASH! "But maybe we can still be friends."

Willow brings it down again - only this time he grabs it. Throws it and her away - she flies back right at the returning Xander, knocking them both down.

Moloch turns back to Buffy, who has gotten shakily to her feet.

Buffy punches him once in the stomach area. Bad idea. "Ahhh!"

Moloch nods, "This body is all I have left, but it's enough to crush you."

Piper notices the fuse box. "Buffy!" She gestures with her eyes and Buffy nods indicating she sees the fuse box.

Buffy backs up towards the fuse box "Take your best shot."

Moloch pulls back his arm - drives his fist at her - and Buffy does a perfect split.

Drops right out the line of fire as Moloch SLAMS his fist right into the fuse box.

Moloch starts to shake, to smoke - as Buffy rolls out and comes up next to him.

Buffy smiles, "Hurts, doesn't it?" Moloch turns to her, smoke pouring from his eyes like fury. She takes a step back as he starts to spark - she turns and runs – "Get down!"

Buffy dives to the floor alongside Prue, Piper Xander and Willow as Moloch explodes!

It takes a moment for the smoke to clear. When it does, they look around.

By their feet lies Moloch's lifeless head.

A couple days later Xander, Buffy and Willow sit together in the Quad at school. Willow looks pretty glum.

"So we're going to the Bronze tonight? We three?" Xander asks.

Buffy nods, "It'll be fun."

Xander nods, "Willow? Fun? Remember fun? The thing when you smile?"

Willow sighs, "I'm sorry, guys. I'm just thinking about..."

"Malcolm?" Buffy asks

Willow nods, "Malcolm, Moloch, whatever he's called. The one boy that's really liked me and he's a demon robot. What does that say about me?"

"It doesn't say anything about you." Buffy says.

Willow sighs, "But I thought - I mean I was really falling -"

Buffy smiles, "Hey. Did you forget? The one boy I've had the hots for here turned out to be a vampire."

Xander nods, "Right! And the teacher I had a crush on: giant praying mantis."

Buffy nods, "And Piper was dating a warlock when I moved to San Francisco."

Willow smiles, "That's true..."

Xander nods, "It's life on the Hellmouth."

Buffy cheerfully, "Let's face it. None of us is ever going to have a normal, happy relationship."

Xander laughs, "We're doomed!"

Willow nods, "Yeah!"

They all laugh together. Then it kind of sputters out, and they all sit there, incredibly depressed.