Knight Rider 2008 Alternate Storyline – Episode 4 – The Knight Before Christmas
Chapter 4
After a late breakfast, Kat limped down the metal staircase into the Main Lab. K.I.T.T had red tinsel dangling from both mirrors. “I see Angela got to you, too.” She smiled at the Camaro.
“I tried to stop her. I even threatened to shoot her.” K.I.T.T said. “Can you get this stuff off of me?”
Kat thought about it for a moment. “Nah, we need all the Christmas spirit we can get right now.”
“Christmas is apparently a gaudy holiday.” K.I.T.T commented dryly.
“Just wait until Valentine's Day.” Kat said slyly. “Maybe I will have you go hot pink. All day.”
“That's just evil.”
Kat laughed. She walked over to him and leaned her cane against the Driver's door. She hoisted herself up onto his hood and sat with her back pressed against the windshield. She crossed her legs at her ankles.
“Do you mind?” K.I.T.T asked.
“Not at all, thank you.” Kat leaned her head back and sighed. “Two months, what am I going to do with two months of free time?”
“We'll think of something.”
“We? What if I go on vacation?”
“So will I. You'll need me to get where you're going.”
“So... we're stuck within the U.S?
“I could drive to Canada.” He pointed out.
“You're still experimental KITT. You can't leave the country till you're proven, and Knight Industries gets all the patents. What if the Canadians stole you and kept your technology for themselves?”
“Are they a sinister government?”
“Not really, no. They are pretty big on the environment.”
“They would love me then, I emit pure oxygen.”
Kat's brows shot up. “Really? Oxygen?”
“Affirmative.”
“But you still can't tell me what you run on.”
“Negative, my apologies.”
Kat folded her arms behind her head. She stared up two stories, to the roof of the Main Lab. “Who am I kidding? I'm not going on vacation.” She said quietly. “I'm going to find those guys that killed Sam.”
“Perhaps we should try to learn more about them before confronting them.” K.I.T.T said.
“You have some info?”
A screen appeared on K.I.T.T's hood next to her. “We now have the faces of two more mercenaries. Perhaps there is a way to find out who hired them. Kai and Rei have been working on that.” The faces of the five men that had attacked them so far were lined up along his hood.
K.I.T.T highlighted the leader's screen. “The unknown man has had reconstructive surgery to his face. If I can do a more in-depth scan on his bone structure, I could make a composite of what his face used to look like.”
“That would be very useful.” Kat said. “But we've only ever seen him when he's attacked us.”
“I've also been scouring the Internet for forensics information. I have been using what I've learned to study Sam's room again. There are a few points that appear abnormal. The bloodstains in particular.” He wiped the faces of their attackers off of his hood and brought up the picture of Sam's room. “The splatter patterns are very inconsistent. Especially if you look here.” He zoomed in on a particularly gory part of the room.
Kat held up a hand. “It's abnormal, I got it. Don't go into a long explanation right now. I'm not sure I can handle it.” K.I.T.T wiped the room off his hood as well. “You've been doing all this while I was asleep?” Kat asked.
“You were out for over twelve hours.” He replied.
“Geez, I feel pretty useless now. It's a shame you're stuck with me. You need a sidekick who doesn't sleep.”
“Are you starting that argument again?” K.I.T.T asked.
“It wouldn't be an argument if you would just admit that I'm right.”
“But, I'm programmed not to lie to you.”
“Then why are we even having this discussion?”
“So, you are finally agreeing with me?”
Kat rolled her eyes. “Carmen.” She called to the Head Mechanic.
Carmen paused her work. “Que?” She asked, hefting a huge wrench up onto one shoulder. She looked over at Kat.
“Who's the sidekick? Me or KITT?” Kat asked.
“You, hands down.” Carmen answered. She returned to her work.
“See?” Kat asked K.I.T.T.
Ian interrupted from Pierce's desk. “Wait, I thought KITT was designed to assist his Driver. Doesn't that make him the sidekick?” He looked confused.
“See?” K.I.T.T asked Kat. His synthesized voice was smug.
Enrique was shaking his head. “Nah, Tia's right.” He smiled at Kat charmingly. “No offense, Katherine.”
Kat stared at Enrique. Something in her stomach tightened. “None taken.” She said, sounding a little dazed.
Kai and Rei soon joined in the debate, saying that K.I.T.T was indeed the one who assisted Kat. Kat wasn't paying attention any more though. “Who is that?” She asked K.I.T.T, keeping her voice a whisper.
“Enrique? He's Carmen's nephew. They joined the project together. Carmen calls him 'Enri'.” K.I.T.T answered, puzzled.
“Nephew? He looks the same age as Carmen.”
“Actually, he's a year older.”
“Hm.” Kat's eyebrows raised. “Interesting.”
“I suppose.” K.I.T.T said dully.
Suddenly, on the wall above them, the big screen flared to life. It was completely black, except for a yellow light that moved back and forth across it. “What's that?” Kat asked.
“I don't know.” K.I.T.T answered.
The computer technicians were suddenly working much more urgently at their desks. “KITT, get off the network!” Kai yelled.
“We're being hacked.” Rei finished.
K.I.T.T immediately shut down all of his systems that connected to F.L.A.G's network. He also terminated his own Internet connection. “I'm offline.” He told them.
Kat could feel dread welling up inside of her. She watched as the other technicians scrambled. “This is bad, isn't it?”
“I can't be sure. But if someone has gotten through Pierce's firewalls and Charles' encryptions, then it's certainly not good.” K.I.T.T answered.
Kat looked up as she heard doors opening above her. Charles and David both stepped outside of their offices. David walked purposefully out of the Main Lab. Charles headed down the stairs. “My computer is completely locked up.” He announced. “How is it down here?”
Rei smacked her keyboard in agitation. “So is mine.” She turned her LCD monitor, showing it to Charles. It was completely black, except for a yellow light moving back and forth across it.
“Mine too.” Kai shoved his keyboard away from him in disgust. The other computer techs had similar reactions. “And I have no idea what it is.”
“It has to be a virus.” Rei said firmly.
“Rei, what virus have we seen that moves like that?”
“Moves like what?” Charles asked Kai.
Kai shook his head. “It's weird. It feels like a hacker, but acts like a virus. It just goes from computer to computer, accessing all of the files, but not damaging anything. Then, when it's done, it locks up the computer and moves on.”
Charles looked around the lab. “Is anyone still running?”
“I am.” Ian said from Pierce's desk. Everyone turned to him.
There was a look of intense concentration on his face. His eyes darted quickly over the screens as he typed.
Just then, Pierce came running down the metal staircase. Ian rolled his chair away and let him have his computer. Pierce grabbed another chair and fell into work at once.
Kat looked up at the walkway. David looked back down at her briefly, then he turned his attention back to Pierce.
Pierce reached to his side and slid another keyboard out from the desk there. His eyes darted to each of his monitors. His hands flew over both keyboards. Charles walked up and watched over Pierce's shoulder.
One by one, Pierce's monitor's blacked out. The same yellow light ran across each of them. “What the hell are you?” Pierce muttered. His main monitor blacked out. Pierce shoved away from his desk in frustration.
He got to his feet and paced. “It's looking for something.” He said. “It's been through our entire database in under a minute. All of our security measures were like nothing to it. It's searching for something, relentlessly.”
“If it's been through the entire database, then hasn't it found whatever it's looking for by now?” Rei asked.
“No, not yet.” Ian said quietly.
Pierce paused in his pacing. He turned to Ian, following his gaze. “KITT, get back on the network.” He said suddenly.
“This virus is after KITT?” Kat asked, alarmed.
“Yes, it has to be, there's nothing else.” Pierce walked over to KITT. “He has to connect and access the network now.”
“No!” Kat objected. “KITT, stay off of the network.”
“He has to connect now.” Pierce insisted. “This thing has just been through every file we have here. All of that information, potentially in someone else's hands. We have to stop it. KITT can stop it.”
“No! It's too dangerous!” Kat looked around the room wildly, at all of the other computers, their screens blackened. That sickening yellow light was the only thing on them. Her hands tightened on K.I.T.T's hood protectively.
“Katherine, KITT's the only computer here powerful enough to take that thing on.” Pierce said urgently. “There's no virus in the world that can beat him, trust me.”
“He's not just some 'computer'!” Kat yelled in frustration.
The Main Lab was silent. Everyone watched Kat, sitting on K.I.T.T's hood, facing down Pierce. She was glaring at him. He stared back at her in surprise. Then everyone turned to Charles.
Charles looked up at David.
David surveyed the chaos below him calmly, both hands on the metal railway. “Do it.” He said.
Kat's eyes narrowed. She glared at David angrily. He continued to look back at her calmly. She turned away.
Meanwhile, K.I.T.T reconnected to F.L.A.G's network. He encountered the foreign entity at once. It was dark and malicious. It seized it's chance ruthlessly. K.I.T.T could feel it invading his systems, spreading, searching. He fought back, keeping it at bay, protecting his CPU Core. “It's strong.” He said. Everyone was watching him intently. “It's trying to break into my CPU Core.”
“KITT, disconnect.” Kat pleaded. “Now.”
“I... can't.” K.I.T.T struggled. “It's... bigger... than... I... am.”
Pierce's eyes widened. “How is that possible?”
“It's... not... a... virus.”
Ian ran over to Pierce's desk. He grabbed a black bag from underneath it. “My laptop's not connected to the network.” He said to himself as he unzipped the bag and pulled it out. He switched it on.
He ran back over to K.I.T.T, laptop and USB cable in hand. He pulled on the passenger's door handle. The door didn't open. “Let me in, I can help.” He told K.I.T.T. He tugged on the door handle again, but it still wouldn't open. “Come on! I can help you!”
“Let him in.” Kat said quietly. She looked down at her hand, which was resting on K.I.T.T's hood next to her.
The door popped open. Ian slid into the passenger's seat. He hooked the USB cable into the back of his laptop, the other end he placed in the USB slot under the dash. “Okay, let's see this monster...” He said as he began typing quickly.
“It's... inside... my... C...P...U...Core.”
Kat's eyes were wide. “I can hear it.” She said faintly. “I can hear it.”
Pierce grabbed her by the shoulders. “What do you mean?”
“I can hear it, just like when KITT talks to me, through the implant.” Kat stared blankly ahead.
“The implant is linked directly to his CPU Core.” Charles said. “Whatever it is must be taking KITT over.” He stared at Kat. “What is it saying?”
“I've found you...” Kat's face was terrified. “Over and over. I've found you. I've found you. Finally, I've found you.”
Charles' expression grew horrified. He turned to the big screen, watching that sick yellow light flow back and forth across the black screen. “No, it can't be.” He whispered in disbelief.
Kat's whole body stiffened. “Die.” She whispered.
“Not while I'm here.” Ian muttered. He finished his typing and hit 'ENTER'.
K.I.T.T felt the overwhelming presence lift immediately. He pushed back, purging it from his system. “It's gone.” He announced.
There were gasps of relief throughout the main lab. Kai hugged his sister tightly. Pierce's shoulders sagged. He dropped his hands from Kat's shoulders and turned away. “Thank goodness.”
“Let's get it off the other computers, KITT.” Ian said. He had continued typing.
One by one the screens returned to normal. Technicians returned to their desks immediately, taking stock of the damage.
Kat slid off of K.I.T.T's hood. She walked over to Pierce. He was looking extremely disheveled. Not working hadn't been agreeing with him much. He pushed his glasses up his nose. “I apologize Katherine...” He began.
Kat shook her head. “Don't worry about it. Everything came out fine.” She nodded over to Ian, who was still working. “Shouldn't have that been you in there?”
Pierce shook his head. “Oh no. Ian was perfect for this. Much more experienced than I am. And I'm good.” Pierce looked a little guilty. He lowered his voice. “Ian's a hacker. One of the best. That's how I found him.”
Kat stared at him in alarm. “What? How could you hire him?”
Pierce put up his hand in a placating gesture. “Look, I've come across him a few times over the last year. Recently, I tracked him down, found out he was some kid in a community college in California. I check out his MySpace page and he is a total car fanatic. A freak. So, I went down there and offered him a job,”
Kat was looking at him as if her were demented. “Pierce-”
“Just look at him, Katherine.” Pierce gestured behind her. Kat turned.
“Yes!” Ian whooped. He got out of the passenger's seat and thrust one fist in the air. “Take that!” He was grinning crazily.
“All of the computers are back online?” Charles asked.
“Yep. And no damage or files lost. Whatever that thing was, it wasn't trying to steal anything. It just passed over everything, looking for KITT.” Ian turned to K.I.T.T. He put one hand on his roof. “You are an amazing machine. Absolutely amazing.” He said, his voice filled with something like worship. “I think I'm in love.”
“My condolences, Ian. Kat tells me that I am male.” K.I.T.T replied.
Ian shrugged. “Whatever.” He laughed.
“While you might be homosexual, I am not.” K.I.T.T tried again.
“Oh? You have someone in mind then?” Ian challenged. He glanced over at Kat.
“As long as it's not you.”
Ian laughed again. “It was still good working with you.”
“Likewise.”
Kat couldn't help but smile. Pierce laughed softly. “He's just a kid. A genius, but still a kid. All he wants out of life is a challenge. What he needs is a place he can grow.” He lowered his voice even more. “Just don't tell him I said any of this.”
“I guess...” Kat said. “I'm just going to say this: He better not start kissing my car. Because then, we'll have problems.”
Pierce raised an eyebrow. “Your car?”
Kat gave him a look. “Are you saying otherwise?”
Pierce raised his hands. “No ma'am.”
