Ghost in the Machine

There was absolute silence as the laptop screen went black then fired back up reporting a network error.

It took Xander a moment to recover the sight in his good eye after the flash and as soon as he had rushed to an unconscious Willow’s side. She had been the conduit for the energy, the only witch in the circle deemed capable of channeling the combined energies into the figure.

The others in the circle looked dazed but the Mistress Yollanda moved as quickly as she was able to assist Xander as he lifted Willow’s limp form and placed her gently on the old chaise lounge in the corner of the workshop.

“Is she be OK Yollanda? I mean really OK?”

“Her pulse is fine, and yes, I see her aura is also showing relaxation and health. But we must bear this in mind for when we attempt the full change and Illyria’s ascension. We will need a full gathering of High Mistresses or whoever is the primary will surely suffer death.”

“And Spike? How do we know?”

Yollanda moved to the statue and placed her hand gently on the cool wood near where Spike’s heart would be were he human or vampire. “It is well. There is the presence of a soul. I believe it was successful.”

Xander realized something rather too belatedly. “But… what? Now he can’t communicate at all? How are we going to… you know, contact Illyria? How do we know…?”

Willow began to come around and Xander was temporarily distracted from one worry to tend to another. Willow looked decidedly grey as she attempted to push up to sitting. Yollanda gentled her back again and cooed reassuringly “It is fine my sister, all is as it should be. Rest. Just rest.”

Yollanda turned to Xander, “To answer your question dear Xander, it is relatively easy for us to commune with Spike but it will require some training if you are to do it. We will start in the morning. As for Illyria, I believe she will have felt Spike’s shift from digital to inanimate, and I suspect we will be hearing from her very soon as I am almost certain that Spike will have indicated at least some of our progress to her. Willow and I will continue to work with other coven leaders to determine our next move and in the mean time I advise we move the statue to your living quarters as I am sure you would want Spike safe and warm.”

Xander was instantly aware of just how cold the workshop had become and moved over to the statue, touching it tentatively. The wood seemed unchanged, its pale smooth surface in stark contrast to Xander’s own work roughened hands. He resolved to rub linseed oil into the surface the following day to give it some protection against any water or random staining, but for now it was a matter of enlisting the assistance of three of the wiccans present (Matti included) to carry the sculpture first Spike then the ‘leaning tree’ back to his lounge room.

The first trip with the male body had been tricky, Xander nearly panicking as he realized they would have to put the figure down until the tree was in place. They gentled the form onto Xander’s lounge suite, careful not to knock the fine carving for fear of snapping off some piece or other. Xander blushed when he realized that Spike’s private parts were on show in the reclining position and found a small knee rug to throw over the form until they were ready to place it in the upright pose. Eventually however, Spike was resting against the carved tree trunk facing into the room, though his face was still tilted slightly up. Xander hoped he could somehow feel or even see where he was though there really was no telling until they managed to ‘talk’.

Xander made a minor attempt to clean up the workshop as Willow was helped back to the main house at the end of proceedings, and Mistress Yollanda promised to visit the following day to assist Xander in communing with his statue.

Eventually an exhausted Xander bade the statue goodnight, switched off the lights and took himself to bed to collapse exhausted.
……………

Spike came to with a jolt. He was in darkness but for a small gas fire in the corner of what he knew to be Xander’s home, although his view was restricted and certainly very different to that he had from the computer camera. He was aware of pressure on his feet and back, and could feel wood under his left hand when he concentrated hard enough. He made several minor attempts to wiggle all to no avail and suddenly wondered if this was all such a terrific idea. Like Xander, he really hadn’t thought through the lack of ability to communicate, although Willow had mentioned a channeling of sorts as the method they would use and as rather an afterthought, he had made arrangements for Xander to be a signatory for the Aurelian funds in the week prior.

So now he waited. A few things were very different. He felt warm and oddly relaxed. Though his physical eyes remained open, there was no need to blink or breathe, the latter being a familiar state from his vampire status of old. He could smell the room he was in, and his own scent of cut oak wood. He was aware he could hear Xander’s slow breathing in the next room and tried to worry but really could not. Whatever his form now, it was infinitely better than no sensation at all.

So Spike did what he always did in such circumstances. He accepted his lot for now and allowed himself to drift, sleep of sorts finally taking him.

He woke again as the sun beamed through the east facing window and had a moment of panic as a ray of light hit his torso. But nothing happened. No burning, no dusting, just the delight of slight warmth on his surface for the first time since he could remembered. Necrotinting had its advantages but there was never any warmth associated with the sun’s rays coming through the glass of Wolfram and Hart, something he only truly appreciated now.

He relished the feeling and began to take note of other morning phenomena: the sound of birds greeting the day, the movement of trees outside the window, the smell of the coffee percolating in the automatic machine and shrill sound of Xander’s alarm going off.

Moments later he became aware of movement in the bedroom and a rather disheveled Xander emerged in boxer shorts, eyes still only half open, scratching his rather well toned belly. If Spike could have said something he would but settled for simply admiring the view. Xander seemed to have forgotten Spike was present and was working on a sleepy automatic set of morning habits wandering across to open the cupboard for a cup then fridge for milk and finally poured himself a coffee, took a sip and turned around to face the room.

“Gahhh!” The coffee was jerked and sloshed all over Xander’s hand and onto the floor. He had completely forgotten about Spike’s form in the room but was a little too busy for a proper greeting in the next few minutes as he ran his had under the cold tap and wiped up the mess on the floor. When he finally did turn again, he realized the sun was lighting up the carving, giving it a golden glow and accentuating the musculature by forming shadows as a real body would. The face with its fine cheekbones and strong jaw line was even more striking in the sunlight and Xander smiled. He really was happy with his work.

Although he felt a little ridiculous talking to a statue he managed, “Morning Spike, forgot you were in the room for a minute. Sorry.”

He then began a monologue, more for his own comfort than anything. “I plan to oil you today, and that sounds so weird assuming you’re in there. Mistress Yollanda thinks it will be a week or two before I get the hang of ‘talking’ to you properly so you’ll just have to put up with this for the time being, that is assuming you can… I don’t know hear or feel or whatever. I’ll finish breakfast then I need to oil you… and OMG that sounds totally of the wrong if you’re in there and will feel… but I didn’t get the chance before the coven was ready to do the mojo and like I told you online, oiling of the good if we’re going to keep your surface in the best possible condition.”

He almost expected the statue to react in some way, but there was no indication one way or the other whether Spike was actually present, so he fell silent and simply got on with his morning routine. He was just about to move to pack up the laptop and camera ready to take back to the workshop when he realized that would be of little use if Spike was in his living room unable to move, so reassured the statue that he would be back later in the morning and went to see how Willow was faring and meet Matti on schedule.