Knight Rider 2008 Alternate Storyline – Episode 6 – Mission de Sauvetage
Chapter 2
F.L.A.G Underground Facility
“Welcome to my garage.” Carmen said proudly.
“It's huge.” Kat said in awe. She walked down the long room, past row after row of automobile parts. They were all suspended up on steel-frame shelves. “How many different bodies does KITT have?”
“Not enough.” Carmen grinned.
K.I.T.T was too heavy for mere jacks to support him, so he had a hydraulic lift. He drove onto it while Carmen closed the door of the garage. The door was huge and made of titanium. After it was closed, Carmen locked it by punching a few numbers into a keypad on the door next to it.
Kat staked out a spot by the door, out of the way. She leaned against the wall. The mechanics began rolling a few of those steel shelves over to the space where K.I.T.T was. Kat couldn't recognize the parts as being K.I.T.T's Camaro body. Admittedly, she didn't know much about cars, and she was interested about how they were going to make one out of all those pieces.
Carmen placed her hand on the Driver's door. A green panel flared to life under her hand, scanning it. A green keypad screen appeared next to it. Carmen punched in a long series of numbers. Kat guessed that she was too short to interact comfortably with the hood on the truck, so she was using the door.
She passed the security check and the hood popped open. Kat watched with intense concentration. She knew that Carmen was right, she wasn't going to understand what she was seeing, but she was going to absorb as much as possible.
Carmen walked around to the front. She climbed up, wrench in hand. She worked under the hood for a bit. Enrique walked up to her and waited. She pulled out a large, unidentifiable piece of bright silver machinery and handed it to him. He brought it over to an empty steel shelf and hung it up.
Kat's eyebrow arched. “Is that KITT's engine?” She asked.
“Si, half of it.” Carmen said while she worked.
“Half?”
“It's in two pieces.” Carmen pulled out another large piece of machinery. Neither of the pieces looked like any kind of engine that Kat had ever seen. Not even if you placed them together.
“How much does each piece weigh?” Kat asked. She knew that most engines weighed in about 1000 pounds. But Carmen was lifting these pieces out by herself, instead of using a crane.
“About seventy-five pounds each.” Carmen replied as Enrique hung up the other piece.
“How is that possible?” Kat asked. “How can it be so light? KITT's so much heavier than a normal car.”
“You should know the answer to that.” Carmen told her. “It's in the book I gave you.”
Kat thought back. “The Molecular-Bonded Shell.” She said at last,
“There you go.” Carmen said. “The Shell doubles KITT's normal weight. I compensate for that by making the other parts as light as possible. I can't tell you why KITT's engine is so light though. Lo siento.”
“De nada.” Kat said dismissively. “Just seeing this is cool enough.” She watched with morbid fascination as K.I.T.T was quickly being dismantled. “Does it hurt?” Kat asked him anxiously.
“Not at all.” K.I.T.T replied. “Though I do think it's unfair that you get to see me undressed, while I do not get to see you undressed.” Carmen chuckled quietly while she worked.
Kat grimaced, crossing her arms over her chest and looking away. “Totally different things, KITT.” She told him.
“Not to me.” K.I.T.T replied. “Right now you are seeing me in my most vulnerable state. I cannot access many of my systems, save the cameras and microphones that are built into my dash. I have no means of defending myself against any attack. But there is no reason for me to defend myself, because I trust you.”
Kat peered at him from the corner of her eye. “Fine then. I won't take my contacts out next time.” She shrugged. “I don't care what a car thinks.” She muttered.
Carmen's eyebrows shot up. Enrique whistled. He rolled one tire off to the side and brought a smaller one up. “You're in trouble now KITT.” He said as he bolted the wheel into place. “You've no idea of the Pandora's Box you just opened.”
“I still have victory on the matter of principles.” K.I.T.T replied.
Kat sulked for a bit more, but eventually turned back to watching the refitting. It was pretty amazing to see. Carmen, Enrique and three other mechanics all worked at once. No one got in anyone else's way. They each had their tasks to do and they did them quickly and efficiently.
Kat noticed that some parts they hung up and rolled away, and others were set aside. Enrique noticed her puzzled expression. “KITT's only got the one engine, so it goes in the 'stay pile'. That and the dash, the CPU Core, and some of the circuitry.”
Kat saw that they really didn't take the dash out. They just stripped everything off the dash and frame, leaving the seats, and put the Camaro parts on around it. Then they replaced the engine.
“Done!” Carmen announced, closing the hood.
Kat checked her watch, only half an hour had passed. “Wow. Is this your quickest time?” She asked Carmen.
Carmen shook her head. “Nah, we're trained in case of emergency. We can get KITT into a new body in ten minutes if we really push it.” Kat whistled low.
Carmen walked over to the door, unlocking it. “Come on KITT.” She said.
“One second.” Kat ran lightly over to the car. She opened the door and got in. She looked behind her, at the backseat. She sighed in relief. “Thank goodness it's all back to normal.”
“I see we agree that this body is the better one.” KITT said as he drove out of the garage.
“Oh yeah.” Kat said. “You don't need some huge muscle-car body, KITT. You're too cool for that. Much more sophisticated.”
“That's how we roll.” K.I.T.T replied.
Kat grinned. “I see Ian's been teaching you slang.”
“I've been learning.”
A screen flared to life on the windshield, showing Charles' face. “Katherine, can you come up to my office? I have a mission for you.”
********
“What's up?” Kat asked once she was in Charles' office. “Is it about David?”
Charles shook his head sadly. “Still no word. If he has truly been kidnapped, his captors will contact us eventually. Hopefully. If they want something from us.” He looked pretty grim.
“We'll get him back.” Kat told him. He gave her a long, tired look, then nodded. “Now, you mentioned something about a mission?” Kat asked. “Nothing like busy hands to get your mind off of things.”
“I just received a call from an old friend of mine.” Charles said. “They need help.”
“When it rains, it pours, huh?” Kat asked.
“Apparently.” Charles agreed.
Kat sat in the chair across from Charles' desk. “What are the details?” She asked.
“The French Minister of Defense is visiting in Los Angeles with his daughter. Since they arrived, they have been getting numerous threatening letters. This morning the daughter, Aimée, was taken.”
“She was kidnapped?” Kat asked.
Charles nodded. “The Minister distrusts Americans as a general rule. He does not wish to involve the police. He feels that they will not care if his daughter is harmed as long as they catch the kidnapper.”
“If he distrusts us, then why is he visiting?” Kat asked in confusion.
“His daughter is a singer.” Charles explained. “Nothing very big, she is just starting out. Though she is very popular in France. She got an offer for a commercial over here and she and her father were checking it out.”
“I can see that this is a delicate situation.” Kat said. “Her father doesn't trust us already. If she is harmed, then ties between America and France will be fractured.”
Charles waved his hand. “That doesn't matter. It's doesn't matter who her father is.” He told her. “We're just helping someone who needs it. All you have to focus on is getting that young girl back to her father.”
Kat nodded. “You're right.” She said, getting out of her chair. “I'll go fill in KITT.”
“Thank you, Katherine.” Charles said in relief.
“You know, you are acting Director.” Kat told him. “You can just send KITT and me out anywhere. You didn't have to explain everything. David wouldn't.”
Charles rubbed his temples wearily. “I'm not David, and I am hardly cut out to be the Director. Acting or otherwise.”
“Nah, I liked you explaining things.” Kat said. “It's nice.” She walked over to the door.
“We really need David.” Charles said. “Not niceness.”
“You would know better than I.” She exited the office.
********
Outside of Los Angeles, California
K.I.T.T zoomed down the highway, pushing 90. Kat let him drive while she talked to Pierce. “Okay, what information were you able to gather?” She asked.
“We tracked her cellphone, piece of cake. The kidnapper is an amateur or he would have ditched the battery.” Pierce said. “I've already sent KITT the address.”
“Oh, if only all missions were this easy for you.” Kat teased.
“Bah. I want a really good mystery to sink my teeth into.” Pierce said.
“Be careful what you wish for.” Kat told him. “We still have to find David.”
“Yeah. We might have a lead on that.” Pierce said. “When K.I.T.T patched into the security system he downloaded all of the video feeds. Kai and Rei are looking through them now, to see if we can plot David's route through the building on camera.”
“How long do you think it will take?” Kat asked.
“Well, there were over two thousand cameras in the building. It's going to take some time.” Pierce answered.
Kat's eyebrows shot up. “Two thousand?” She looked at K.I.T.T's modulator. “You downloaded video feed from two thousand cameras? How big is your hard drive space?” She asked.
“375 terabytes.” K.I.T.T answered promptly.
“I have to stop being so surprised by you all the time.” She said to him. “I'm going to develop a neurosis.”
********
Aimée woke to the sound of men arguing. She opened her eyes slowly. She was lying against a wall. Her hands were bound behind her back.
“I'm telling you, make the call now.” Someone was saying.
“Let him stew a bit. The more he worries, the more likely we'll get the cash.” Another voice countered.
Aimée was confused. Where was she? She looked around. The space she was in was very dark and cramped. Light came in from under a doorway. Was this a closet?
She tried to remember how she had gotten here. She had been with Papa. They were waiting outside of the television studio. Then there had been the sound of a car behind her.
She couldn't remember anything after that.
Why was she tied up? Who had done this to her and why?
She felt panic rising in her chest, making her breathing quicken. “Laisser sortir, s'il vous plaît!” She cried.
The arguing outside of the closet ceased. “She's awake.” One of them said.
“What did she say?” Another asked.
Aimée tried again, concentrating on her English. “Please... let me out.” She pleaded.
There was the sound of footsteps coming toward her. “You just sit tight for a bit. Wait until we speak to Daddy.” A gruff voice told her. “If you stay quiet, then things will go by more easily.”
She had been kidnapped. Panic seized her heart. It beat frantically. “Please...” She could feel tears pricking her eyes. “Let me go...”
There was a loud banging on the closet door that made her jump. She scrambled away from the door. “Quiet!”
Aimée whimpered. She felt tears sliding down her cheeks. “Someone, help me...” She whispered.
