Knight Rider 2008 Alternate Storyline – Episode 11 – Turnabout
Chapter 1
R.O.O.C Headquarters, NYC, New York
David sat on one side of a long table. The table was black wood polished to a mirror shine. The room he was in wasn't unlike the boardroom at the Knight Industries Headquarters, before it was destroyed by a bomb.
There were others in the room with him, sitting on the other side of the long table. Three males to be precise. The CEO of R.O.O.C, Alan Cobb, and two of his Vice Presidents.
David was alone on his side, but he was not ill at ease. He stared down the three men coldly. “I've come here to warn you, gentlemen.” His voice was calm and level. “KARR has a complete disregard for human life, even for it's partners. It will sacrifice anything to save itself. It's promises cannot be believed, it will betray you.”
Cobb looked over the papers in front of him. He closed the report in disgust. “This is ridiculous.” He said. “Are you actually suggesting that not only has a rogue Artificial Intelligence destroyed one of our factories, but that we're helping it?”
David's expression chilled by a few more degrees. “You're denying it then?” He asked.
“You'd have to be a complete nut case to believe this tripe.” Cobb retorted. “That factory was destroyed because of a faulty gas line. I have the police reports that prove it.”
“If you are innocent, then why have you not allowed my Team to enter the site and retrieve Knight Industries property? Several pieces should have survived the blast.” David asked.
“There is no Knight Industries property at that site!” Cobb said firmly. “You allege that one of your operatives broke into that factory, attempting to retrieve technology that an evil A.I stole from you, was attacked, and then nearly trapped in that explosion. But, I have no evidence here that this-” He looked over the report again. “Katherine Knight was even at that location. The Police, the Fire Department, and my own Team have scoured that wreckage. There was no Knight Industries technology present.”
“My operative was attacked at that site.” David said with utter certainty. “She was nearly killed there. That building was full of people with the intention of causing her harm. They must have been caught in that explosion, there must be some evidence, how do you deny their presence?”
“There was no one there.” Cobb said calmly. “No one at all. That factory was shut down several months ago. The Police, the Fire Department, found no bodies, dead or otherwise.”
David's dark eyes narrowed. He rose from his chair. “I can see that I am wasting my time.” His voice was a cold whisper. “I will give you one final warning. KARR is unfeeling and uncaring. Once it is done with this company, it'll watch as it burns to the ground.”
He turned and walked out of the room.
********
David headed to the parking garage that housed his car. It was a black Aston Martin DB AR1, his favorite. He so rarely had a chance to drive it since he had started F.L.A.G up again. Karen had gotten the town house during the divorce, but she had agreed to keep the car in the garage so he could use it whenever he was visiting the New York Headquarters.
He reached his car only to find that all four tires were slashed. He stared at the damage for a long moment. A muscle in his jaw tightened.
He calmly pulled his phone from his suit jacket pocket. He pressed a button on it then put it to his ear. “Come pick me up.” He said, then snapped it closed.
As he was re-pocketing it a silver Corvette pulled up next to him. Kat leaned out the side window. “I told you so.” She said pointedly. “KITT's calling someone to pick it up now.” She said, nodding to the car.
David walked around to the passenger's side without a word. The door opened for him and he slid into the seat. The door shut and Kat drove out of the garage as he buckled his seatbelt. “So... how did it go?” She asked.
David didn't answer. She glanced over at him. He was leaning his elbow on the door's armrest. His hand was curled up and he leaned his mouth against it as he stared out the window broodingly. “That bad?” Kat asked.
David still didn't answer her, so she just fell quiet. The silence dragged on for several minutes as Kat drove to the airport.
“You could have stopped them.” David said quietly, his attention was still out the window. “That is my favorite car.”
“It was your order not to expose KITT while we were here.” Kat reminded him calmly. “You brought me along in case ROOC tried something underhanded, and your life was in danger.”
“No, I mean you personally. Angela disguised you.” David glanced at her briefly. Kat's hair was a deep red. “You could have stopped them.”
“Do you really think I am going to leave KITT by himself if I even suspect that KARR or his minions are nearby?” Kat asked him seriously.
A jaw in David's muscle tightened again. He muttered something under his breath that Kat couldn't hear.
Suddenly his seat fell backwards. The seatbelt across his chest tightened at the same time and he was pulled back forcibly. He narrowed his eyes at the ceiling of the car for a moment before readjusting the seat.
“KITT! Be nice!” Kat ordered sharply.
'Error! Passenger seat malfunction' flashed briefly across David's side of the windshield.
Kat glanced at David quickly as he fixed his seat. His face was a mask of frozen calm, but she could feel his fury just underneath the surface.
It was going to be a long trip back to New Mexico...
********
F.L.A.G Underground Facility
“Karen please, I'm begging you, just wait until he gets back.” Charles pleaded with the FBI agent as she walked down the metal walkway to the stairs leading up. He followed her quickly. “Think of the Team, when he finds out...”
“Sorry Charles, I've got to go. My plane leaves in-” She checked her watch. “Seven hours. By the time I drive back to civilization and get through checking, I'll just barely make it.”
Charles was becoming desperate. “Karen, you can't just spring something like this on him, you know David...” He said.
“Then he should have been here.” Karen said simply as she headed up the stairs. She turned when she was halfway up. “Don't you let him near that car, Charles.” She warned sternly, then was gone. Charles' shoulders slumped in defeat. He stared after her.
Everyone down in the Main Lab kept throwing covert looks up at the walkway during the exchange. Ian typed at his keyboard rapidly. A message popped up on one of Pierce's monitors:
Ian: What's going on?
Pierce shrugged and shook his head. He typed back:
Pierce: Your guess is a good as mine...
Carmen looked up from her workstation as Charles' door opened and someone stepped out. Her eyes widened. “Alex, what are you doing here?” Everyone else in the Main Lab immediately looked up.
A small hand gripped the metal railing. A young boy peered over it, down into the Main Lab. “Hi Carmen.” He said sadly.
“Hello...” Pierce said slowly, looking up at the boy. “Who are you?” He asked in confusion. The boy glanced at him with dark, solemn eyes.
Carmen stepped out of her work area, walking towards the metal staircase. “Pierce, this is Alex Marks, David's son.” She said, looking alarmed.
Pierce turned his head to her sharply. There was something akin to horror in his pale blue eyes. He opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. He looked back up at the boy.
The boy looked down at all of them. At the curious looks, to the ones of extreme shock and surprise. “Hey.” He said softly, waving one hand.
Just then, K.I.T.T's circle lowered into the floor. All eyes turned to it. When the circle came back up, K.I.T.T stood on it, David and Kat visible inside. Kat opened her door right away and stepped out. David took a moment to collect himself before facing his employees.
Kat looked around the Main Lab. Everyone was staring at her. “Okay guys, David's had a bit of a rough day. So, for our own safety, let's try not to spring anything else on him.”
Pierce swallowed heavily. “Yeah, that may be a problem...” He glanced up at the metal walkway.
Kat looked up at the walkway. She blinked in surprise, taking a step back. “Who are you?” She asked the boy loudly.
David exited K.I.T.T at that time. He was typing on his Blackberry. “Hey Dad.” The boy called down softly.
David didn't look up. “It's 'hello', not 'hey'.” He said, frowning lightly. He headed for the stairs, still focused on his Blackberry.
After about two beats, he looked up startled. He dropped his Blackberry on the concrete floor in surprise. “Alex! What are you doing here?” He asked sternly.
“Mom's going to the U.K for a few days, for work. She brought me here.” He answered simply.
David looked around on the floor for his Blackberry, but it had slid away somewhere. “Why aren't you in school?”
“It's Mid-Winter Recess.”
“David was starting to feel frustrated by the continued absence of his Blackberry. It was preventing him from retreating away from the eyes of his employees. “Doesn't your Grandmother take care of you during breaks?” He asked, his frown deepened.
“She broke her hip last week.” Alex answered.
David looked up at him sharply. “How? That woman is built like a tank.”
“Skiing.”
Kat bent down and retrieved David's Blackberry. She walked over to him and held it out. “Thanks.” He said absently, taking it from her. He hurried up the steps to the metal walkway.
Alex looked up at him as he drew near. “Mom said there was nowhere else I could stay.” He said. “She didn't want to bring me here.”
Charles walked over. He opened his office door. “Perhaps some privacy...” He suggested, looking down into the Main Lab. Everyone was staring up at them raptly.
David strode into Charles' office, Alex and Charles followed.
Silence reigned down in the Main Lab, everyone looked at each other. “Wow...” Ian said. “Is it just me or is it freaky scary how much that kid looks like David? Put him in a three-piece suit, and he could be a miniature clone.”
Pierce looked over at Carmen. “How do you know Alex?”
Carmen looked a little nervous. “I met him once or twice.” She said. “Before you started working here.”
Kat stared up at the door to Charles' office. “I'm worried. Did anyone else see how rattled David was?”
“I did.” Ian said. “He thanked you for giving him his Blackberry. He never thanks anyone, for anything. He must be really out of it.”
“He's had a pretty bad day.” Kat said. “And it's not even noon yet.”
“Which reminds me, how did the meeting with ROOC go?” Pierce asked.
Kat shook her head. “They deny knowing anything about KARR. David thinks they're playing dumb. They won't let us into the factory site.”
“So, what do we do now?” Pierce asked. “We need to get in there and salvage what we can of KITT's body.”
Kat smiled grimly. “Looks like we go to Plan B.”
