I Robot, You Jane
In every generation there
is a Chosen One. She alone will stand against
the vampires, the demons and the forces of darkness. She is the
Slayer.
A castle in
window looking into the room at his master.
Moloch: Carlo, caro mio.
Translation: Carlo, my
dear one.
Carlo comes into the room
and over to Moloch. He kneels. Moloch steps
over to him and puts his hand on his head. The camera pans up to
Moloch's demonic face.
Moloch: Mi ami? Ti darò tutto. Tutto quello che desidero
è il
tuo
amore.
Translation: Do you love
me? I can give you everything. All I want is
your love.
Carlo: Tu hai il mio amore.
Translation: You have my
love.
Moloch growls and quickly
twists Carlo's head, snapping his neck.
Cut to a church. Cut
inside. The priest Thelonius is talking to a group
of monks bearing torches.
Thelonius: E fuori.
tante cose male. Abbiamo bisogno di fare il circolo.
Translation: He's out. It
is the devil, Moloch. He is out in the world,
doing such bad things. We need to form the circle.
(Transcriber's
note: in this part there is a significant difference
between the subtitles from the episode and what was actually said, so
the subtitles are included below.)
Subtitles: It is Moloch. The Corrupter. He walks again. More and more
people have fallen under his mesmerizing power. There is still time to
bind him. We must form the circle.
The monks gather around
him as he opens a large book. Cut to a shot from
above. The pages of the book are blank.
Thelonius: Per potere di
questo circolo di Kayless...
Translation: By the power
of the circle of Kayless...
Cut to Moloch. He smiles
as he straightens up and lets Carlo's body
fall. His expression changes when he realizes something is wrong, and
he
looks up.
Moloch: (surprised) No!
Cut back to the church.
Thelonius: Per potere di
questo circolo di Kayless, ti
commando! Vieni!
Translation: By the power
of the circle of Kayless, I command you!
Come!
Cut to Moloch. He begins
to scream angrily. Cut to the Church.
Thelonius: Ti commando! Vieni!
Translation: I command
you! Come!
Cut to Moloch. He screams
even more loudly in terror. Cut to the Church.
Thelonius: VIENI!
Translation: COME!
Cut to Moloch. He
continues to scream. Suddenly he bursts into millions
of tiny particles. Cut to the Church. The particles fall into the
book
as the camera follows them down.
Thelonius: Vieni, demonio!
Vieni!
Translation: Come, demon!
Come!
As the particles fall
into the book an ancient script appears. When the
pages are filled, Thelonius closes the book.
He steps over to a table
and puts the book into a heavy wooden box.
Thelonius: Preghiamo che
questo libro è mai letto
più...
Translation: Pray that
this accursed book is never again read...
Cut to a shot of the
priest from inside the box.
Thelonius: Che il demonio Molocco è mai
lasciato più fuori nel mondo.
Translation: Lest the
Demon Moloch be loosed upon the world.
He puts the lid on the
box.
Centuries later the lid
is lifted off of the box, and Buffy looks in.
Buffy: (sarcastically)
Oh, great! A book!
Cut to the library. A
book-scanning project is going on, and Willow and
a few other computer science students are seated at the table,
scanning
the books into the library's computer system. Buffy pulls the book
out
of the box and blows some of the dust off of it.
Giles: Oh, uh, I, uh...
haven't gone through the new arrivals. Uh, put
it in, uh, (points with his book) in, in that pile.
Dave: Here, I'll get it.
He gets up from his
computer.
Buffy: Oh, thanks, Dave. The
Dave takes the book from
Buffy and goes over to the pile of books next
to
Giles: Uh, when I've
examined it, you can, uh, uh, skim it.
Ms. Calendar: Scan it,
Rupert. That's scan it.
Giles: (gives her a
sarcastic look) Of course.
Ms. Calendar: Oh, I know,
our ways are strange to you, but soon you
will join us in the 20th century. With three whole years to spare!
(grins)
Giles: (smugly) Ms.
Calendar, I'm sure your computer science class is
fascinating, but I happen to believe that one can survive in modern
society without being a slave to the, um, idiot box.
Ms. Calendar: (annoyed) That's TV. The idiot box is TV. This (indicates
a computer) is the *good* box!
Giles: I still prefer a
good book.
Fritz: (self-righteously)
The printed page is obsolete. (stands
up)
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. (grabs
his books and
leaves)
Ms. Calendar: Thank you,
Fritz, for making us all sound like crazy
people. (to Giles) Fritz, Fritz comes on a
little strong, but he does
have a point. You know, for the last two years more e-mail was sent
than
regular mail.
Giles: Oh...
Ms. Calendar: More
digitized information went across phone lines than
conversation.
Giles: That is a fact
that I regard with genuine horror.
Ms. Calendar: (teasingly)
I'll bet it is. (to the students) Alright,
guys, let's wrap it up for today.
Ms. Calendar: Cool!
Thanks.
Xander grabs his bag and
pulls it onto his shoulder.
Xander: (in disbelief) Are you kidding?
Xander:
Xander: (ignores her)
Buffy, wait up!
Giles: I'm, I'm just gonna stay and clean up a little. I'll, uh, I'll
be back in the middle ages. (starts up the
stairs)
Ms. Calendar: Did you
ever leave?
Giles stops and looks
back at her. She's smiles to herself, pleased with
his reaction to her comment. He continues up the stairs.
Cut to later.
draws the scanner over the two pages, and they appear on the monitor.
As
she types to save the scan, the script in the book disappears.
closes the book, puts it in the pile with the others and leaves. The
computer monitor goes blank and Moloch's words appear.
Moloch: Where am I?
Opening credits roll.
Buffy's theme plays.
~~~~~~~~~~ Part 1
~~~~~~~~~~
The hall at
she slowly walks along.
Buffy:
Buffy: Or hear me. What
was up last night? I tried your line, like, a
million times.
Buffy: Talking to...? (no answer) Okay, that's it, you have a secret,
and that's not allowed.
Buffy: 'Cause... there's
a rule.
Buffy: (excitedly) I knew
it! This is so important! When did you meet?
(closes
her locker)
Buffy: (curiously) Does he go here? What's his name? Have you kissed
him? What's he like?
Buffy: (annoyed) You are a thing of evil for not telling me this right
away!
oh! We talked all night, it was amazing. He's so smart, Buffy, and,
and
he's romantic, and we agree about everything!
Buffy: (sighs) What's he look like?
She continues down the
hall with a big smile on her face. Buffy is
confused and stares after her a moment, then starts to follow.
Cut to the computer lab.
Fritz and Dave are there, typing away.
Dave: (to the monitor)
Yes, I will. I promise.
Buffy: So, you've been
seeing a guy, and you don't know what he looks
like? Okay, this is a puzzle. No, wait, I'm good at these. Does it
involve a midget and a block of ice?
Buffy: On line for what?
Buffy: Oh!
Ms. Calendar strides
quickly into the room wearing dark glasses and
holding a mug of coffee in one hand and her books in the other.
Ms. Calendar: Morning,
kids!
Buffy turns to look at
her. Ms. Calendar notices Buffy as she heads to
her desk. She puts her mug down.
Ms. Calendar: Buffy, are
you supposed to be somewhere? (takes off her
glasses)
Buffy: No, I have a free.
Ms. Calendar: Cool! But
this is lab time, so let's make it a nice,
short visit, okay?
Buffy: Sure.
PC: You have mail.
Message: I'm thinking of
you.
Buffy: (nods) He's a
sweetie. (smiles nervously)
Buffy: (cautiously) Uh,
this cool pen pal, but don't you think you're kinda
rushing all into
this? Y'know what I mean?
that's incredibly stupid!
Buffy: Will, down girl!
Let's focus here, okay? What do you actually
know about this guy?
Buffy: Like what?
The camera closes in on
the computer's video feed.
Buffy: I just wanna make sure you're careful, that's all.
Cut to the computer's
view.
Buffy: He could be
different than you think.
The computer focuses
closely on Buffy.
Cut to an office. The
computer on the desk suddenly comes on. The
student records scroll by. It stops on Buffy's record and expands it.
Cut to Fritz's PC in the lab. Buffy's record appears there. The
camera
pans over to Fritz as he studies her record. The monitor goes blank
and
a message appears.
Moloch: Watch her.
Cut to
which is about eighty miles from here, and he likes me!
Buffy: Short, tall,
skinny, fat?
Buffy: Not everything,
but some stuff is. I mean, what if you guys get
really, really intense, and then you find out that he... has... a hairy
back?
hairy back. And anyways, that stuff doesn't matter when you really care
about each other. Maybe I'm not his ideal either.
Buffy: Hey, I'm just trying
to make sure that he's good enough for you.
I think it's great that
you met someone.
Cut to Ms. Calendar at
her desk. She gets up holding some papers and
comes over to Fritz.
Ms. Calendar: Hey,
Fritz... I'm, uh, lookin' at the logs. You and Dave
are clockin' a pretty scary amount of
computer time.
Fritz: New project.
Ms. Calendar: Ooo, will I be excited?
Fritz: You'll die.
Cut outside to the steps
in the quad. A boy is sitting on them reviewing
his report on his laptop.
Boy: (upset) 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?
doesn't notice Xander coming from her right. He puts his hand over her
eyes, and she's forced to stop, nearly losing her balance.
Xander: Hup, guess who?
Xander: Yeah, but keep
guessing anyway.
Xander: (takes his hand
from her eyes) Oh, I can't fool ya, you see
right through my petty charade. We goin' to the Bronze tonight?
Xander: Oh, Malcolm,
right? (Willow smiles and nods) Yeah, I heard. But
you're gonna be missin'
out. I'm plannin' to be witty. I'm gonna make
fun of all the people who won't talk to me.
She smiles and quickly
leaves. He watches her go. Buffy arrives and
watches her go, too.
Buffy: She certainly
looks perky.
Xander: Yeah, color in the cheeks, bounce in the step... I don't like
it. It's not healthy. (faces her) So, are
you goin' to the Bronze
tonight? Oh, probably not, you probably have some vampire slaying or
some lame endeavor like that, don't you?
Everyone deserts me.
They begin to walk.
Buffy: Check out the
jealous man!
Xander: What are you
talking about?
Buffy: You're jealous.
Xander: Of what?
Buffy:
Xander: Oh, that's
meaningless drivel. I'm not interested in
like that.
Buffy: Yeah, but you got
used to being the Belle of the Ball.
Xander: No, it's just...
this Malcolm guy? What's his deal? I mean,
tell me you're not slightly wigged.
Buffy: Okay, slightly. I
mean, just not knowing what he's really like.
Xander: Or who he really
is. I mean, sure he says he's a high school
student, but I can say I'm a high school student.
Buffy: You are.
Xander: Okay, but I can
also say that I'm an elderly Dutch woman. Get
me? I mean, who's to say I'm not if I'm in the elderly Dutch chat
room?
Buffy: (making light) I
get your point! (gets his point) I get your
point. Oh, this guy could be anybody. He could be weird, or crazy, or
old, or... He could be a circus freak. (panicked)
He's probably a circus
freak!
Xander: Yeah. I mean, we
read about it all the time. Y'know, people
meet on the 'Net, they talk, they get together, have dinner, a show,
horrible ax murder.
Buffy: Willow ax murdered by a circus freak... Okay, okay, what do we
do? (realizes her paranoia) What are we
doing? Xander, you get me
started! We are totally overreacting!
Xander: But it's fun, isn't it?
Cut to the computer lab.
Fritz is staring at stuff scrolling by on the
monitor.
Fritz: (in a trance) I'm
jacked in. I'm jacked in. I'm jacked in.
The camera pans down to
his arm where he's carving an 'M' into it.
Fritz: I'm jacked in.
Cut to the girls' locker
room the next day. The camera is following two
girls out when suddenly
Buffy: Whoa! You're the
Late Girl.
Buffy: Till fifth period?
Talkin' to Malcolm last night?
Buffy: Nothing.
Buffy: I'm not. But if I
was, it'd be saying, 'This just isn't like
you.'
Buffy: He's boyfriendly?
this. I mean, boys don't chase me around all the time. I thought you'd
be happy for me.
Buffy: (concerned) I just
want you to be sure. To meet him face to
face. In daylight, in a crowded place with some
friends. Y'know, before
you become all... obsessive.
off a couple classes.
Buffy: I thought you said
you overslept.
Buffy: Malcolm was right.
Cut to the computer lab.
Buffy comes in, sees Dave and goes over to him.
Buffy: Dave? (he's oblivious) Hey there, Dave. Anybody
home?
He jumps in his seat when
she puts her hand on his shoulder.
Dave: Oh, what do you
want?
Buffy: I wanted to ask
you something if you have a minute.
Dave: What is it?
Buffy: Well, you're a computer
geek... genius, and, uh, I sort of have
a technical problem. If I wanted to find out something about
someone, i-
if someone e-mailed me, could I trace the letter?
Dave: Well, you could
pull up somebody's profile based on their user
name.
Buffy: But they write the
profile themselves, right? And so they could
say anything they wanted.
Dave: True.
Buffy: Wow! I had
knowledge! (Dave smiles) 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: (considers) That's a challenge.
Buffy: 'Cause, you see,
tell you the truth, I think...
Dave: (interrupts,
annoyed) Leave
Buffy: What do you mean?
Dave: (insistently) That's none of your business.
Buffy: (jumps to a
conclusion) Dave, are you Malcolm?
Dave: (turns back to the
PC) Of course not. (types)
Buffy: Dave, what's going
on?
Dave: Look, I'll talk to
you later, okay? I've got work to do.
She gets up and leaves.
Buffy: (exhales) So do I.
Fritz watches her go as
she passes him.
Cut to the library. Buffy
follows Giles down the stairs to the counter.
Buffy: I'm telling you,
something is going on. It's not just
Dave, Fritz, they're all
wicked jumpy.
Giles: Those boys aren't
sparklingly normal as it is.
Buffy: Giles,
trust me.
Giles: I-I do! I-I-I
really don't know how to advise you. Things
involved with a computer fill me with a childlike terror. Now, if it
were a nice ogre or some such I'd be more in my element. Well, I-I
suppose you could, um, tail Dave, see if he's up to something.
Buffy: Follow Dave? What,
in dark glasses and a trench coat? Please. I
can work this out myself.
Cut outside after school.
Dave gets into his car, starts it and drives
off. The camera pans over to Buffy wearing dark glasses and a dark
coat
as she watches him go.
Cut to a front view of
the CRD building. Cut to the loading dock in
back. Dave drives up and gets out. Cut to outside the fence, where
Buffy
is looking in. She sees Dave go up to a technician and start talking
to
him. After a moment Dave and the technician go inside. The camera
pans
over to the CRD logo. Cut to a security camera turning towards Buffy.
Cut to the view from the
camera on Fritz's PC at school. It stops on
Buffy and pulls in for a
close-up.
Fritz: She's too close.
What do I do?
Moloch: (on the monitor) Kill her.
Fritz: Party.
~~~~~~~~~~ Part 2
~~~~~~~~~~
Sunnydale High.
Buffy: Whatever Dave is
into, it's large.
Cut to the library. Buffy
is sitting on the study table.
Giles: What was the name
of this place?
Buffy: It said CRD. But,
I couldn't get close enough to see what it
was.
Xander: Calax Research and Development. It's a computer research
lab.
Third largest employer in
Sunnydale till it closed down last year. (gets
stares from the others) What, I can't have information sometimes?
Giles: Well, it-it's just
somewhat unprecedented.
Xander: Well, my uncle
used to work there. I-in a floor sweeping
capacity.
Buffy: But it closed?
Xander: Uh-huh.
Buffy: Looked pretty
functional from where I stood. I don't have a clue
what they were doing.
Xander: And what do they
need Dave for?
Buffy: Something about
computers, right? I mean, he is off-the-chart
smart.
Giles: We still don't
know an enormous amount. Whatever is going on
there may be on the up-and-up.
Xander: No, if CRD
opened, it would've been on the news.
Buffy: Besides, I can
just tell something's wrong. My spider sense is
tingling.
Giles: Your...
spider sense?
Buffy: Pop culture
reference. Sorry.
Giles: Yes, well, ahem, I
think we're still at a stand still. Uh, uh,
short of breaking into the place, I don't see...
Buffy: Breaking in! (slides off of the table) Then this is the plan!
Xander: I'm free tonight!
Buffy: Tonight it is! (goes over to Xander)
Giles: (tries to dampen
their excitement) A moment, please, of quiet
reflection. I do not suggest that you illegally enter the...
Ms. Calendar enters the
library.
Giles: ...data into the
file so the book will be listed by title as
well as by author.
Ms. Calendar: I just came
by to check your new data base, make sure
your cross reference table isn't glitching.
'Cause I'm guessing you
haven't gone anywhere near it.
Giles: Uh, I'm still
sorting through the chaos you left behind you.
Ms. Calendar: Hmm. (to
Buffy and Xander) You're here again? Kids really
dig the library, don't cha?
Buffy: We're literary!
Xander: To read makes our
speaking English good.
Buffy: (embarrassed) We'll be going now. (grabs Xander
and turns to
leave)
Giles: Uh, w-we'll, uh,
continue this conversation at another time.
Buffy: I think we're
done. (they leave) (to
Xander) Makes our speaking
English is good?
Xander: (defensively) I
panicked, okay?
Cut to the computer lab.
Malcolm: I've never felt
this way about anyone before,
anyone.
Malcolm: I do.
Malcolm: I think we
should soon.
Malcolm: I'm not. Isn't
that strange?
make me feel.
Malcolm: Buffy just makes
trouble. That's why she got kicked out of her
old school.
She is puzzled and pauses
for a moment.
Malcolm: It's on her
permanent record.
She doesn't respond,
still puzzled.
Malcolm: You must have
mentioned it.
Malcolm: Let's not worry
about her anymore.
Malcolm: Don't.
She turns off the
monitor, gets up and leaves.
Cut to the library.
Ms. Calendar:
(exasperated) You're a snob!
Giles: (incredulous) I am
no such thing.
Ms. Calendar: Oh, you are
a *big* snob. You, you think that knowledge
should be kept in these carefully guarded repositories where only a
handful of white guys can get at it.
Giles: Nonsense! I simply
don't adhere to a, a knee-jerk assumption
that because something is new, it's better.
Ms. Calendar: This isn't
a fad, Rupert! We are creating a new society
here.
Giles: A society in which
human interaction is all but obsolete? In
which people can be completely manipulated by technology, well, well...
Thank you, I'll pass.
Ms. Calendar: Well, ahem,
I think you'll be very happy here with your
musty, old books. (opens Moloch's book)
Giles: These musty old
books have a great deal more to say than in any
of your... fabulous web pages.
Ms. Calendar: Hmm. (pages
through the book) This one doesn't have a
whole lot more to say.
Giles stares at the empty
book.
Ms. Calendar: What is it,
like a diary?
Giles: How odd. I haven't
looked through all the volumes yet, I didn't,
um...
He closes the book and
sees the etching of Moloch on the cover.
Ms. Calendar: What is it?
Giles: (puzzled) Uh,
nothing, um, a, a diary, yes. I imagine that's
what it is. (pauses to think) Well, it's been
so nice talking to you.
(heads
to his office with the book)
Ms. Calendar: We were
fighting.
Giles: (absently) Must do it again sometime, yes... Bye, now.
She watches him disappear
into his office.
Cut outside. The school
nurse is frantic as she quickly walks along with
a man.
School nurse: I checked
the computer, and there's nothing in his file
about being allergic to penicillin!
Buffy comes walking out
of the school. Dave comes up to her.
Dave: Buffy!
Buffy: Dave! How're you
doing?
Dave: Okay. Uh, look, I'm
sorry about yesterday. I haven't been getting
much sleep lately, y'know?
Buffy: Don't sweat it.
Dave: (awkwardly)
Buffy: Good, I need to
talk to her. Do you know where she is?
Dave: She said she'd be
in the, in the girls' locker room.
Buffy: Great. Thanks.
She looks at him for a
moment, and then goes to find
her go.
Cut to the girl's locker
room. It's deserted. Buffy slowly walks down
the aisle and into a row of lockers.
Buffy: Will?
She walks further.
Buffy:
Cut to Fritz in the
shower. He turns the water on and leaves. Cut to
Buffy.
Buffy: Will? You taking a shower?
She goes to the shower
and sees that it's on, but no one's there.
Buffy: I guess not.
The camera cuts to a
light above and follows an electrical cord from it
down to the corner of the floor in the shower. Buffy walks into the
shower to turn off the water.
Buffy: This is how
droughts get started.
She turns the water off.
The water creeps toward the exposed wires.
Dave: Buffy! Get out!
She turns to him and
notices the wires. They begin to spark. She leaps
out of the shower. An arc of electricity follows her for an instant.
She
lands on a changing bench and rolls off onto the floor. Dave runs from
the locker room. She sits up and looks over toward the showers. The
camera pulls back to show the soles of her shoes smoking.
Cut to the computer lab.
It's dark. Dave comes in and turns on a PC.
Dave: I can't do it! I'm
not gonna do it.
Moloch: But you promised.
Dave: (desperately) Buffy
isn't a threat to you! Stop with it.
Moloch: The project is
almost complete. You won't have to do it again.
Dave: (drops his bag and
whimpers) Oh, I can't!
Moloch: I've shown you a
new world, Dave. Knowledge, power... I can
give you everything. All I want is your love.
Dave: No. This isn't
right. None of it is.
The scratch pad comes up
on the monitor and Moloch writes a note:
I'm sorry. I've been a
terrible person.
I'm a coward, and I can't
go on living like this.
Forgive me, Mom and Dad.
At least now I'll
have some peace. Remember me.
Love, Dave.
He backs away from the
computer. Fritz is waiting behind him by the
window.
Cut to the library. Buffy
sits at the table while Xander paces.
Xander: I'm gonna kill Dave!
Buffy: He tried to warn
me.
Xander: Warn you that he
set you up? (to Giles) Is she gonna
be okay?
Giles: She was only
grounded for a moment. (sits and hands Buffy a mug)
Still, if you'd been
anyone but the Slayer...
Buffy: Tell me the truth:
how's my hair?
Xander: It's great! It's
your best hair ever! (smiles)
Giles: Uh, oh, yes.
Buffy: I just... I don't
understand what would make Dave do a thing
like that.
Giles: I think perhaps I
do.
He goes over to get
Moloch's book from the cage. He comes back holding
it up.
Giles: Does this look
familiar to either of you?
Buffy: Yeah, sure. Looks
like a book.
Xander: I knew that one.
Giles: (sets it on the
table) In the dark ages the souls of demons were
sometimes trapped in certain volumes. They remained locked within the
book, harmless, unless the pages were read aloud. Unless I'm mistaken,
this is Moloch, the Corrupter. A very deadly and
seductive demon. He
draws people to him with promises of love, power, knowledge. Preys on
impressionable minds.
Xander: Like Dave's.
Giles: Dave, and who
knows how many others.
Buffy: And Moloch is
inside that book?
Giles: Not anymore. (opens the book)
Xander: You released
Moloch?
Buffy: Way to go!
Giles: I didn't read it!
That dreadful Calendar woman found it and, and
it was already blank.
Buffy: Okay, so a
powerful demon with horns is walking around
Sunnydale, and nobody's noticed?
Xander: I-if he's so big
and strong, why bother with Dave? I mean, why
didn't he just attack Buffy himself?
Giles: I don't know. And
I don't know who could've read that book. It
wasn't even in English.
Buffy: Where was it?
Giles: Uh, in a pile with
others that were, um, uh, scanned.
They look over at the PC.
Xander: And that released
the demon?
Buffy: No, he's not out
here. (points to the PC) He's in there.
Giles: The scanner read
the book. It brought Moloch out as information
to be absorbed.
Buffy: He's gone binary
on us.
Xander: Okay, for those
of us in our studio audience, who are me? You
guys are saying that Moloch is in this computer?
Buffy: And every computer
connected to it by a modem.
Giles: He's everywhere.
Xander: What are we gonna do?
Giles:
but I suggest we, um, uh, delete it.
Buffy: Solid!
She gets up and walks
over to the PC.
Xander: Don't get too
close.
She sits down in front of
it.
Buffy: Okay. Okay. (turns on the monitor) So which file do you think it
is?
whole thing.
She drags the file icon
to the trash bin, and inhales in fright when
Moloch's demonic face
appears on the monitor.
Moloch: Stay away from
The monitor returns to
normal.
Buffy: So that's what
Malcolm looks like.
~~~~~~~~~~ Part 3
~~~~~~~~~~
The library.
Buffy: So much for delete
file.
Giles: This is very bad.
Xander: Are we
overreacting? He's in a computer! What can he do?
Buffy: You mean besides
convince a perfectly nice kid to try and kill
me? I don't know. How about mess up all the medical equipment in the
world?
Giles: Randomize traffic
signals.
Buffy: Access launch codes for our nuclear missiles.
Giles: Destroy the
world's economy.
Buffy: I think I pretty
much capped it with that nuclear missile thing.
Giles: Right, yours was
best.
Xander: Okay, he's a threat, I'm on board with that now. But what can
we do about it?
Buffy: I think the first
thing we do is find
talking to him right now. God, that creeps me
out!
Xander: What does he want
with
Buffy: Let's never find
out. (gets up) Okay, I'm gonna
check the
computer lab, and you guys call her home.
Cut to the computer lab.
Buffy comes in and looks around. It's dark.
Buffy:
The PC's suddenly all
come on, startling her. She backs further into the
room while looking around more. She turns around and jumps as she
bumps
into Dave. He's hanging from the ceiling with the note pinned to his
shirt.
Cut to the library.
Xander is on the phone trying to reach
gives up.
Xander: No answer.
Giles: Damn it!
Xander: (hangs up) Well,
it wasn't busy either, so she's not online.
Buffy comes back into the
library.
Xander: (to Buffy) She's not home.
Giles: What did you find?
Xander: (worried)
Buffy: Dave. He's dead.
Giles: How?
Buffy: Well, it looks
like suicide.
Xander: With a little
help from my friends?
Buffy: I'd guess Fritz. Or the other zomboids from CRD.
Okay, (to
Xander) you and I are gonna go to
come up with a way to get Moloch out of the 'Net.
Giles: I, I have records
of the ceremonies, but, but that's for a
creature of the flesh. Th-this could be
something completely different.
Buffy: Then get Ms.
Calendar. Maybe she can help you.
Giles: Well, even if she
could, how am I gonna convince her that
there's a demon on the Internet?
Buffy: Okay, fine, then
you can stay here and come up with a better
plan. (to Xander) C'mon.
Cut to
in. Cut inside.
She closes the door. Cut
to her room. She dumps her book bag on the bed
and opens it.
PC: You have mail.
desk, logs on, clicks on the icon and opens the new message folder.
Message: No more waiting.
I need you to see me.
She turns off her monitor
and goes back to her bag. The monitor comes
back on by itself again.
PC: You have mail.
look at her computer she goes to answer it. Cut to the front door.
She opens the door, but
no one's there. She turns to go back in. As she
starts to close the door behind her Fritz reaches around her head with a
cloth splashed with chloroform. After a brief struggle
unconsciousness.
Fritz: No more waiting.
Cut to the library. Giles
is researching and listening to the radio.
Radio: A spokesman for
the archbishop denied the allegations, blaming
computer error for the apparent financial discrepancy.
Giles: Binding rituals...
Radio: In
serial killer profiles have been mysteriously downloaded from its
central computer.
Ms. Calendar knocks on
the door.
Ms. Calendar: Hi. I got
your message. What's so urgent?
Giles: (turns off the
radio and gets up) Um, thank you for coming. Uh,
I need your help. (laughs nervously) But before that, um, I need you to
believe something that, um, you may not want to. Uh, there's, uh...
something's got into the, um... i-i-inside, um... (takes a breath and
lets it out) There's a demon in the Internet.
Ms. Calendar: I know.
Giles is surprised to
hear that.
Cut to
Buffy:
Cut inside.
Xander: This isn't good.
Buffy:
They come in and head for
Buffy:
They walk into the room
and see that
Xander: Okay, any
thoughts?
Buffy looks around and
sees the message on the computer.
Buffy: (reads) 'No more
waiting, I need you to see me'? (to Xander) See
him how? Where?
Xander: What about CRD?
Buffy: The research
place?
Xander: I'm guessing
that's Moloch central.
Buffy: Guessing that's
our best lead. Let's just hope Giles can back us
up.
They leave.
Cut to the library. Giles
unfolds his arms and gets up from the table.
Giles: You already know?
How exactly is that?
Ms. Calendar: Come on,
there've been portents for days. I mean, power
surges, online shutdowns... You should see the bones I've been casting.
I *knew* this would
happen sooner or later. I mean, it's probably a, a
mischief demon, y'know, like Kelkor,
or...
Giles: It's Moloch.
Ms. Calendar: The
Corrupter? Oh, boy. (exhales) I shoulda
remembered, I
just don't...
Giles: Uh... You don't
seem exactly surprised by... Who are you?
Ms. Calendar: I teach
computer science at the local high school.
Giles: A profession that
hardly lends itself to the casting of bones.
Ms. Calendar:
(exasperated) 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? Mm. The
divine exists in cyberspace
same as out here.
Giles: Are you a witch?
Ms. Calendar: Mm. I don't
have that kinda power. 'Technopagan'
is the
term.
Giles lets out a chuckle.
Ms. Calendar: There are
more of us than you think.
Giles: Well, uh, you can
definitely help me. (gets the book) Um...
What's in cyberspace at
the moment is less than divine.
They go out into the main
area.
Giles: I have the binding
rituals at hand, but I'm completely out of my
idiom.
Ms. Calendar: Well, I can
help! I think... I hope, I mean, well, (sits
at the PC) this is my first real... Do you know how he got in?
Giles: He was, uh,
'scanned' is the term, I believe.
Ms. Calendar: And you
want him back in the book?
The phone rings. Giles
goes to get it.
Giles: Buffy!
Buffy: (cut to a pay
phone outside CRD) Yeah.
Giles:
Buffy: Not at home. It
looks like she was taken somewhere.
Giles: (cut to him) Where are you?
Buffy: (cut to her) CRD.
Whatever Moloch wants
probably in there.
Giles: (cut to him) Ms.
Calendar and I are, uh, working to get Moloch
offline.
Buffy: (cut to her) Here's a tip: hurry! (hangs up)
Cut to a lab inside CRD.
It's dark.
unconscious. She wakes up. After a moment she sits up and looks around.
She sees Fritz and a
technician standing there, and beyond them a
computer monitor. The camera begins to close on the monitor.
Moloch: Welcome, my love.
Cut to the camera
starting to close in on
closing in on the monitor again.
Moloch: I can't tell you
how good it is to see you...
The camera closes in on
metal hand slaps down on it. The camera pans up to Moloch's face. A
robot body has been built for him.
Moloch: ...with my own
two eyes.
~~~~~~~~~~ Part
4~~~~~~~~~~
The lab at CRD.
Moloch:
Fritz and the technician
come to get her and take her by the arms.
Moloch slowly comes
closer.
Moloch: This world is so
new, so exciting. I can see all of it.
Everything flows through
me. I know the secrets of your kings. But
nothing compares to having form again. To be able to walk,
(puts his
hand on Fritz's head) to touch, (breaks Fritz's neck) to kill.
Cut outside. Buffy lands
on the other side of the fence. Xander yells as
he falls after climbing over the top. Buffy helps him up.
Xander: Back way?
Buffy: Back way.
They make for the rear
entrance. Xander is limping badly.
Cut inside. Buffy kicks
the doors open. She walks in determinedly.
Cut to the lab.
Moloch: Here they come.
Cut to the library. Ms.
Calendar is lighting candles.
Ms. Calendar: The first
thing we have to do is form the circle of
Kayless. Right?
Giles: Form a circle? But
there's only two of us. That's really more of
a line.
Ms. Calendar: You're not
getting it, Rupert. We have to form the circle
inside. (sits at the PC) I'm putting out a
flash. I just hope enough of
my group responds.
Giles: Won't Moloch just
shut you down?
Ms. Calendar: Well, I'm
betting he won't figure out what we're doing
until it's too late.
Giles: Hoping and
betting, that's what we've got.
Ms. Calendar: You wanna throw in praying? Be my guest.
Cut to the lab at CRD.
Moloch: I want to give
you the world.
Moloch: You created me. I
brought these humans together to build me a
body. But *you* gave me life. Took me out of the
book that held me. I
want to repay you.
loved me?
Moloch: I do!
Cut to the lobby. Buffy
and Xander walk up to the guard. He gets up to
stop them, but she punches him out and continues. Xander notices the
guard's monitor.
Xander: Uh, Buffy!
She comes back to look.
Buffy: It's her!
Xander: Yeah, who's the
other guy?
Cut to the lab.
Moloch: Don't you see? I
can give you everything! I can control the
world! Right now a man in
account for a contract on his mother's life. Good for him!
Cut to another hall.
Buffy and Xander come through the doors. She finds
the door to the lab and tries to force it open.
Buffy: I can't bust it.
It's heavy steel.
Xander: Then let's find
another way in.
He starts toward the next
set of doors when an alarm goes off and red
lights flash. Xander jumps to the door to try it. It's locked. He comes
back.
Xander: What's goin' on?
Buffy spies a security
camera.
Buffy: Building's
security system is computerized.
Xander: Whoops!
A gas begins to spray
into the hall.
Cut to the library.
Ms. Calendar: Almost
there.
Giles: Couldn't you just
stop Moloch by, by entering some computer
virus?
Ms. Calendar: You've seen
way too many movies. Okay! We're up. You
read, I type. Ready?
Giles: Uh, I am. By the
power of the divine, by the essence of the
word, I command you...
Cut to the hall at CRD.
Buffy and Xander are pounding on the doors.
Xander begins to cough.
Cut into the lab.
Moloch: But I love you!
Moloch: You are mine!
Moloch lowers his head
and considers for a moment while
watches and waits. He raises his head again.
Moloch: Pity.
Cut to the library.
Giles: By the power of
the circle of Kayless, I command you... (sees
her typing) Kayless, with a 'K'.
Cut to the hall. Xander
slides down the wall to the floor, almost
unconscious. Buffy is still weakly hitting the door.
Cut to the lab. Moloch
has
hand on her head.
Moloch: I'll miss you.
Giles: Demon, come!
Cut to the lab. Moloch
screams and lifts his arms in pain, letting go of
Giles: I command you!
Cut to the lab. Buffy
comes in though the door with Xander close behind.
She leaps into a jumping
side kick, making a dull thud when she connects
with Moloch's chest, but he only staggers a bit, and she just falls to
the floor.
Buffy: Ow... Guy's made of metal!
The technician grabs
Xander from behind and pulls him away. Buffy
quickly gets up and looks at
pain.
Moloch: No! I won't go
back!
Buffy grabs
library.
Giles: Demon, COME!
Cut to the lab. Moloch
continues to scream. Cut to the library. The
computer sparks several times. Cut to the lab. Xander pushes the
technician back into a wall, turns around and punches him out. He
quickly follows the girls out.
Xander: Hey! I got to hit
someone!
Moloch falls to his
knees. Cut to the library. Wind is blowing inside
and the computer monitor is flashing. Cut to the lab. Moloch screams
loudly. Cut to the library. Giles and Ms. Calendar watch the monitor
flicker. Cut to the lab. Moloch's screams die out. Cut to the library.
The computer monitor
stops flashing. Smoke comes out of the back of it.
Ms. Calendar: He's out of
the 'Net. He's bound.
Giles goes over to the
book, picks it up and opens it to look.
Giles: He's not in the
book.
Ms. Calendar: (gets up
and looks at it also) He's not in the book.
Well, where is he?
Cut to the lab. Moloch
slowly raises his head. Cut to the hall. Buffy
and
running toward them. They push the doors closed.
Xander: Let's go this
way! (begins to run the other way)
Buffy: Wait!
Xander is still limping
heavily. Suddenly Moloch crashes through the
wall between them. He looks at Xander and backhands him in the face.
Xander falls to the floor
unconscious. Moloch turns and advances on the
girls. He starts to swing at Buffy, and she tries to block the hit, but
he doesn't budge and just pushes her aside and into the wall. She
slides
to the floor, a bit dazed.
Moloch: (angrily) I was
omnipotent. I was everything! Now I'm trapped in this shell!
He reaches out to grab
her by the head.
Moloch turns to face her.
She has a fire extinguisher.
She pounds the
extinguisher into his chest hard enough to make him bend
back.
She hits him again even
harder.
She tries again for his
face, but this time he grabs the extinguisher
from her and throws it down. He grabs her and shoves her down the hall
into Xander, who's just getting up again. They both crash to the
floor.
Buffy has recovered from
her daze and gets up to face Moloch. He turns
his attention on her.
Moloch: This body's all I
have left. But it's enough to crush you!
Buffy looks around for a
way to deal with him. She notices a power
junction box on the wall. She faces him again and eases her way in front
of the box.
Buffy: Take your best
shot.
Moloch rears back for a
punch and swings. Buffy ducks away, and he
punches right into the electrical box. It shorts out, and Moloch is
enveloped by high voltage electricity. Buffy runs over to
Xander and crouches down
to protect them. Moloch's circuitry overloads,
and his body explodes. His head lands right in front of them.
Cut to the school the
next day. Cut to the computer lab. Ms. Calendar is
standing at her desk and typing on her PC. Giles comes in, clears his
throat and knocks on the open door. She turns to see who's there.
Ms. Calendar: (smiles) Well, look who's here! Welcome to my world.
(with
a bit of an attitude) You scared?
Giles: I'm remaining
calm, thank you. Uh, I just wanted to, uh, return
this. (holds up a small curly earring) I
found it among the new books,
and naturally I thought of you.
Ms. Calendar: Cool.
Thanks. (takes it)
Giles: Uh, well, I'll,
I'll see you anon. (begins to go)
Ms. Calendar: Can't get outta here fast enough, can you?
Giles: (comes back in)
Truthfully, I'm even less anxious to be around
computers than I used to be.
Ms. Calendar: Well, it
was your book that started all the trouble, not
a computer.
Giles is at a loss.
Ms. Calendar: Honestly,
what is it about them that bothers you so much?
Giles: The smell.
Ms. Calendar: Computer's
don't smell, Rupert.
Giles: I know! Smell is
the most powerful trigger to the memory there
is. A certain flower or a, a whiff of smoke can bring up
experiences...
long forgotten. Books smell. Musty and, and, and, and rich. The
knowledge gained from a computer, is, uh, it... it has no, no texture,
no, no context. It's, it's there and then it's gone. If it's to
last,
then, then the getting of knowledge should be, uh, tangible, it should
be, um... smelly.
Ms. Calendar: Well! You
really are an old-fashioned boy, aren't you?
Giles: Well, I-I don't
dangle a corkscrew from my ear.
Ms. Calendar:
(mischievously) That's not where I dangle it.
She walks past him and
smiles. Giles follows her with his gaze and looks
Puzzled yet intrigued.
Cut outside to the
fountain. Xander and Buffy are trying to cheer up
Xander: We gonna go to the Bronze tonight? We three?
Buffy: It'll be fun!
Xander: Yeah, Willow,
fun? Remember fun? That thing where you smile?
(smiles)
Buffy: Malcolm?
really liked me, and he's a demon robot. What does that say about me?
Buffy: It doesn't say
anything about you.
Buffy: (interrupts) Hey,
did you forget? The one boy I've had the hots
for since I've moved here turned out to be a vampire.
Xander: Right, and the
teacher I had a crush on? Giant praying mantis?
(goofy
smile)
Xander: Yeah, that's life
on the Hellmouth.
Buffy: Let's face it:
none of us are ever gonna have a happy, normal
relationship.
Xander: We're doomed!
They all laugh. Their
laughter quickly becomes nervous and stops. Only
the fountain can be heard as they each consider their plight.