Chapter 2
Willow put away the crystal and took out her talking stone and waved her hand over it to activate it. "Hey babe, how's it hanging?" she said.
"Oh godess, its about time you called. Are you okay?" Kennedy asked as she spoke into her mated talking stone. "I was worried that you had beamed into the ice or something."
"Now honey, you know that the basic properties of the teleportation spell guard against that kind of accident. The real danger is that I would materialize too high in the air and bust my tucas."
"We wouldn't want that, I kind of like that little tushy-so how do things look in the fortress of solitude?" Kennedy asked. Willow could defiantly tell she had been talking with Andrew and Xander a lot the past year or so.
"Lots of ice, but not extremely cold. I've even starting to feel a little hot. Lots of strange looking machines all around. A big chair in the middle of the chamber. The machinery looks operational, I just need to figure out how to access it."
"Why don't you try the Scotty thing from Star Trek IV?"
"Ok, if you insist," Willow said before she cleared her throat and spoke with her best faint Scottish brogue, "Computer, show me how to access your controls."
"Anything happen?"
"Nope."
"Maybe you need to turn it on or be in a special place to work it."
"Yeah, good idea. I'll try that big chair in the middle."
"Just be careful."
"I will," Willow said as she sat in the chair and repeated, "Computer, show me how to access your controls." To her surprise, the chair folded back to an almost vertical position and a holographic display popped up in the air. It showed strange symbols and writing.
"Anything happening?"
"Yeah it looks like I've brought up some kind of interface. It may be able to read my thoughts in some manner. I'm seeing some form of writing. I can't translate it, but it looks related to one of the demon languages I've researched before. I'll send it to Giles and see what the Watchers can dig up."
"Sounds like a great start," Kennedy said. "Can you teleport me over there now?"
"No, you need to stay there in Tierra del Fuego in case something happens to me and you need to get help from Giles and the Coven. When we're sure things are safe down here, then you can join me." They had decided to set up base camp in Patagonia in order to conserve the energies needed for teleporting down into the ice. Willow could feel her mind becoming more attuned to the chair and the interface. She was certain that she would learn how to make the device give up its secrets.