PROLOGUE:

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 Cortona, Italy, 1418. Cut inside. Carlo is standing by a 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 dartto. Tutto quello che desidero 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. E il diavolo, Molocco. E fuori nel mondo, facendo 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 蠭ai letto pi?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 蠭ai lasciato pi?ri 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 Willow pile.

Dave takes the book from Buffy and goes over to the pile of books next to Willow.

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.

Willow:  I've just got a few more. I'll hang for a bit.

Ms. Calendar:  Cool! Thanks.

Xander grabs his bag and pulls it onto his shoulder.

Willow:  Xander, you wanna stay and help me?

Xander:  (in disbelief) Are you kidding?

Willow:  (taken aback) Yes, it was a joke I made up.

Xander:  Willow, I love you, but bye! (leaves)

Willow:  (calls after him) See you tomorrow!

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. Willow is alone in the library scanning the last book. She 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. Willow 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.

The hall at Sunnydale High School. Buffy runs to catch up with Willow as she slowly walks along.

Buffy:  Willow! Willow, hey, wait up! (reaches her)

Willow:  Oh, Buffy, I didn't even see you.

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

Willow:  Oh, I was, I was talking.

Buffy:  Talking to...? (no answer) Okay, that's it, you have a secret, and that's not allowed.

Willow:  Why not? (opens her locker)

Buffy:  'Cause... there's a rule.

Willow:  Well, I sort of met someone. (smiles)

Buffy:  (excitedly) I knew it! This is so important! When did you meet?

Willow:  Last week after we did the scanning project in the library. (closes her locker)

Buffy:  (curiously) Does he go here? What's his name? Have you kissed him? What's he like?

Willow:  (amused) No, Malcolm, no, and very nice.

Buffy:  (annoyed) You are a thing of evil for not telling me this right away!

Willow:  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, and he's romantic, and we agree about everything!

Buffy:  (sighs) What's he look like?

Willow:  I don't know!

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.

Willow and Buffy enter.

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?

Willow:  I met him online.

Buffy:  On line for what?

Willow indicates a computer.

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.

Willow:  It's him! (types to get the message)

Message:  I'm thinking of you.

Willow:  He's so sweet!

Buffy:  (nods) He's a sweetie. (smiles nervously)

Willow:  What should I write back?

Buffy:  (cautiously) Uh, Willow, I think it's really great that you have this cool pen pal, but don't you think you're kinda rushing all into this? Y'know what I mean?

Willow:  (excitedly) 'I'm thinking of you, too!' (crestfallen) No, that's incredibly stupid!

Buffy:  Will, down girl! Let's focus here, okay? What do you actually know about this guy?

Willow:  (disappointed) Oh, see, I knew you'd react like this.

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.

Willow:  Buffy...

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 Willow and Buffy.

Willow:  His name is Malcolm Black, he's eighteen, he lives in Elmwood, which is about eighty miles from here, and he likes me!

Buffy:  Short, tall, skinny, fat?

Willow:  Why does everything have to be about looks?

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?

Willow:  Well, no! Uh, he doesn't talk like somebody who would have a 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?

Willow comes down the steps next to him. She's off in her own world and 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?

Willow:  Uh, Xander?

Xander:  Yeah, but keep guessing anyway.

Willow:  Xander.

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?

Willow:  (smiles) Not me, I think I'm gonna call it an early night.

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.

Willow:  That's nice. Have a good time!

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:  Willow's got a thang, and Xander's left hanging.

Xander:  Oh, that's meaningless drivel. I'm not interested in Willow 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 Willow comes barging in.

Buffy:  Whoa! You're the Late Girl.

Willow:  I overslept.

Buffy:  Till fifth period? Talkin' to Malcolm last night?

Willow:  Yeah. (sees Buffy's look) What?

Buffy:  Nothing.

Willow:  You're having an expression.

Buffy:  I'm not. But if I was, it'd be saying, 'This just isn't like you.'

Willow:  Not like me to have a boyfriend?

Buffy:  He's boyfriendly?

Willow:  (confused) I don't understand why you don't want me to have 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.

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

Buffy:  I thought you said you overslept.

Willow:  Malcolm said you wouldn't understand.

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, Willow's got this boyfriend, Malcolm, and to tell you the truth, I think...

Dave:  (interrupts, annoyed) Leave Willow alone.

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 Willow. 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.

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. Willow is chatting online with Malcolm.

Malcolm:  I've never felt this way about anyone before, Willow.

Willow:  I know what you mean. I feel like you know me better than anyone.

Malcolm:  I do.

Willow:  Do you think we should... meet?

Malcolm:  I think we should soon.

Willow:  I'm nervous.

Malcolm:  I'm not. Isn't that strange?

Willow:  That's what Buffy doesn't understand, how comfortable you can 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.

Willow:  How did you know that?

Malcolm:  It's on her permanent record.

She doesn't respond, still puzzled.

Malcolm:  You must have mentioned it.

Willow:  (unsure) I guess.

Malcolm:  Let's not worry about her anymore.

Willow:  I have to sign off. I'll talk to you later.

Malcolm:  Don't.

Willow:  Bye.

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) Willow was looking for you.

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 Willow. He watches 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:  Willow?

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:  Willow scanned him into her file. It may be... a futile gesture, 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? Willow? (types) That's probably it, right? I'll just delete the 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 Willow! It is none of your business!

The monitor returns to normal.

Buffy:  So that's what Malcolm looks like.

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 Willow. She's probably talking to him right now. God, that creeps me out!

Xander:  What does he want with Willow?

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:  Willow?

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 Willow. He 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) Willow isn't...

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 Willow's house. Giles, you need 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 Willow's house. She's coming home. She unlocks the door and goes in. Cut inside.

Willow:  Mom? Dad?

She closes the door. Cut to her room. She dumps her book bag on the bed and opens it.

PC:  You have mail.

Willow looks at her PC. The mail icon is active. She goes over to her 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.

Willow stares at it in disbelief. The doorbell rings, and after another look at her computer she goes to answer it. Cut to the front door.

Willow:  Dad, did you forget your keys again?

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 Willow loses 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 Washington D.C., the FBI today reported that all of its 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 Willow's house. Buffy and Xander arrive and find the door open.

Buffy:  Willow?!

Cut inside.

Xander:  This isn't good.

Buffy:  Willow?!

They come in and head for Willow's room. Cut to Willow's room.

Buffy:  Willow?!

They walk into the room and see that Willow isn't there.

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.