Knight Rider 2008 Alternate Storyline – Episode 8 – Lockdown
Chapter 2
F.L.A.G Underground Facility
“Okay, someone explain Lockdown to the newbie.” Ian said over the din. “Pretty please?”
Charles headed quickly down the stairs. “It's only supposed to be used in the most dire of circumstances. David knows that!” Kat looked at Charles in alarm. She had never seen him angry before, and right now he looked furious.
“The term 'Lockdown' leads me to believe that we are stuck down here, is that right?” Ian asked.
“Yes.” Charles said, running a hand through his hair in agitation. “All of the exits to the surface have been sealed off, including the emergency tunnels. All communications leading outside have been jammed. We are completely cut off until the timer runs down, or until David personally releases us.”
“Which he can't really do, being outside and in the bad guys clutches and all.” Ian said. His expression turned worried.
“By 'timer', you mean the one displayed on KITT?” Kat asked, staring at the car's windshield.
“That's the one.” Charles replied. His blue eyes were hard marble.
“But that's not going to run down for seven days.” Kat said. “Why would David seal us in for that long?”
“He doesn't want us trading you for him.” Charles answered grimly. He began speaking quickly as he paced around the Main Lab. “We'll miss the deadline, and KARR will kill him. And even if he doesn't kill him, you saw the shape David was in, he won't live like that for long. Certainly not a week.” His voice became louder. “He doesn't have faith in us! That we can get him out without sacrificing Katherine. He's going to let himself die because of that lack of faith!”
“Maybe he knows something we don't.” Carmen suggested.
“Maybe he has a plan for escaping on his own.” Ian put in.
“We can't wait around and hope, though.” Pierce said urgently. “We have to disable the Lockdown.”
Soon everyone was talking at once. Kat jumped in, reminding everyone that there was only fourteen hours left until midnight. Voices became fierce as the tension in the room heightened. One voice broke through the tangled conversations, making everyone stop at once and turn to the speaker.
“Charles, who is KARR?” K.I.T.T asked calmly.
Charles eyes widened in surprise. “How do you know KARR?” He asked in a shaky voice.
“You mentioned him, just now.” K.I.T.T replied. “I don't think anyone else noticed. Who is he?”
Everyone looked at Charles. “KARR?” Kat asked in confusion. Everyone else looked just as confused.
“That's right.” Ian said. “You did mention something like that. Is it a person?”
Charles rubbed the bridge of his nose with two fingers. “KARR has David.” He said.
“But... who is he?” Kat asked.
Charles breathed in deeply, then let the breath out slowly. “I guess it's time for me to explain, “ He turned his attention back to K.I.T.T. “You already know of your predecessor, the Knight Industries Two Thousand. You also have one more predecessor, KARR. His name stands for Knight Automated Roving Robot.”
“KARR's a robot?” Pierce asked.
“Why is he called 'car'?” Ian asked, his eyebrows pushed together.
Charles held up his hands, quelling the questions. “KARR is an AI, originally placed in a car. Like KITT here, and the original KITT.”
“Then, why does he have 'robot' in his name?” Ian asked.
Charles shook his head impatiently. “I don't know, it was Wilton's idea. He did most of the engineering for KITT and KARR, I just helped. That's not the point. KARR was destroyed by the original KITT.”
“Then, how did he kidnap David?” Kat asked. “And why?”
“I can only think that his CPU Core survived somehow. That he's found a way of moving around.” Charles said. “As for 'why', KARR has a very deep-seated grudge against FLAG...” He sighed again. “I'd better tell you all from the beginning. Some of the details are fuzzy, as I got this second hand, and it's been many years...”
********
“You think you are clever.” KARR said to David.
David managed a weak smile. “Weren't expecting that, were you? They aren't going anywhere. Completely sealed off, and you are shut out. You'll never find where they are either. You should have known better. There's no way you'll win now.”
“I have learned that it is not wise to let you speak so freely.” KARR replied.
KARR's minion bound David's arms behind his back. David tried to fight him off, but he was weak from fatigue and hunger. After his arms were bound, duct tape was used to cover his mouth.
“Take him to the exchange site.” KARR ordered. “FLAG is known for it's persistence. They may find a way to make the trade in time. If they do not, dispose of him. He has outlasted his usefulness.” The laptop shut down.
********
F.L.A.G Underground Compound
While Pierce and Charles debated their options for escape, Kat walked over to K.I.T.T.
She placed her hand on his hood. Over the scan bar, which was dark. “You're locked down too, aren't you?” She asked softly.
“I am tied directly into the system here.” K.I.T.T replied. “Most of my programs have been disabled, though all of my security features are still in place. I cannot move either. I can only communicate through the dental implant and one speaker on my hood. That is the full range of abilities I have available to me.”
“That's it? You can only talk?” Kat asked worriedly.
“I have access to my own memory files, but no access to the Internet, or FLAG's database. I apologize Kat. I know it must be disappointing for you, that I can't be of any help this time.”
“Hey, don't say that.” Kat admonished him. “Us humans... we're a persistent lot. We'll find a way out of here and rescue David.”
“There is still KARR to confront.” K.I.T.T said. “It would be very unwise to go without me. We are not sure what form he is in. He has been getting help from someone, and we do not know who.”
“I don't plan on going anywhere without you.” Kat said simply. “And you talking to us can help. You're always so annoyingly calm. You can keep the rest of us sane, focused. You hear me?”
“You don't have to try to make me feel better, Kat.” K.I.T.T said. “I don't have feelings that can be hurt.”
“I doubt that. You have a pretty big ego, and those bruise easy.” Kat told him. “Now cheer up or I'll have Angela come down here and hug you.”
“I'll be good.” K.I.T.T said dryly, his voice flat. “Just please, whatever you do, don't unleash Angela on me.”
Kat smiled. “Now there's the KITT we all know and love.” She looked over at Pierce and Charles. They had their heads bent over a set of large paper blueprints. The computers had all been locked out of the database, so they couldn't access them that way.
Ian was off to the side, working on his laptop. “Internet's totally disabled.” He said. “I might be able to get it to work again, in a few hours. Someone will have to let me into Cold Storage though, so I can get to the server. I'm not allowed in there on my own.” He looked over at Charles.
Charles looked up. “Right. Rei, take Ian over to Cold Storage, see if you two can get the network server up and running.”
“I'm going with Rei?” Ian asked. His face brightened. “Sweet.” He got up quickly, closing his laptop and tucking it under his arm.
Rei rolled her eyes. Kai glowered at Ian. Ian and Rei headed up the metal staircase leading to Cold Storage. “You do know that I am old enough to have babysat you, don't you?” Rei asked Ian pointedly as they disappeared through a doorway.
Kat wandered over to Charles and Pierce's table. She studied the blueprints as well. Enrique walked up and placed a box on the table. It was filled with small, black and yellow walkie-talkies. “All internal communications are down as well.” He said. “Kevin told me to hand these out.”
Charles and Pierce took one each, turning theirs on. Kat did the same and clipped hers to the pocket of her jeans. Pierce shook his head as he stared at the blueprints. “I can't make sense of any of this.” He said. “David designed this all himself?”
“Using what Knight Industries had already built, years ago.” Charles said. “The security system was all his, though.” Charles pointed to the elevator on the blueprint. “Titanium seal, three feet thick. Here at the elevators, and at the three emergency exits, here, here, and here.” He touched various spots on the blueprint.
Pierce rifled through the papers. “This looks completely tight.” He shook his head. “David thought of everything. We can't get out, we can't contact anyone outside, not even Building B. Those guys must be going nuts.”
“That's not like David.” Kat said. “I think he would have left himself a way out, just in case. There has to be something.”
“It's not on here.” Pierce said. “And I don't know the ins and outs of the facility that well. I just work at my desk. We need someone who knows every inch of this place.”
Charles put his walkie-talkie to his mouth. “Kevin, can you come down to the Main Lab? Over.”
Kat listened closely to the response, but it was heavily garbled. “Sure thing, Boss. Over.” Kevin said.
Charles looked at Kat and Pierce. “If David left a way out somewhere, his office is the first place to check. You two head up there while Kevin and I go over the blueprints.”
Kat and Pierce nodded. They headed up the metal staircase together.
Kat opened the door to David's office. “Unlocked, how very un-David like.” She commented.
“What are we looking for?” Pierce asked as they stepped into the office.
“I have no idea. Look for anything. Lockdown codes, a secret exit, anything that looks hidden.”
“Knowing David, he's got secrets all over the place. This'll be like looking for a needle in a needle stack.” Pierce muttered. He moved to one wall and began opening cabinets.
Kat moved over to the desk. She searched through all the drawers, then crawled underneath. She ran her hands all along the bottom, but found no hidden drawers, or catches, or even dust. She crawled out from under the desk and sat in David's chair. She looked around the room, trying to see if she could see something from his perspective.
“I have no idea what I am looking for.” Pierce complained. “I'm no good at this kind of stuff.”
“Pierce.”
He turned to Kat. She lifted the corner of David's laptop slightly, giving him a pointed look. “Now that's something I know.” He said, hurrying over.
Kat relinquished the chair to him and continued searching the room. She opened file drawers and rifled through them. She pulled pictures and ornaments down off of shelves, looking them all over.
“He's got a folder here with your name on it.” Pierce remarked. “It's passworded.”
“It's probably a log of my mission reports.” Kat said, unconcerned.
“What if it's nude photos, or something?” Pierce asked.
“Where would David get nude photos of me?” Kat asked as she searched through a curio cabinet.
Pierce shrugged as he typed. “I dunno, the shower?”
“I don't think there are cameras in the shower.” Kat said. She peered into a small blue vase.
“We'll never know.” Pierce said, his voice turning spooky.
“KITT says there are no cameras in the shower.” Kat told him.
“Fine, ruin my fun.” Pierce answered.
“How about this?” Kat said teasingly. “What if they're really nude pictures of you, but David renamed the folder just to throw would be hackers off?”
Pierce shivered. “Shut up. That sounds like something he might do.” He said irritably.
Kat stifled a giggle. “This place is so clean.” She remarked, peering under a small sofa. “What does David have against dust bunnies?”
“Don't talk about dust to a techie.” Pierce said. “Dust is a computer's sworn enemy.”
“I thought that was static electricity.” Kat said as she ran her hands along the bottom of the sofa.
“That too.” Pierce said. Something on the laptop beeped. “Hey, I'm on the network!” He cried in delight.
Kat hurried over to him. “Can you get online?” She asked.
“Nope, Internet is still down.” Pierce said as he typed.
“Can you access the Lockdown protocol?”
“Yes.” Pierce said in surprise. He frowned a second later. “It's asking for a password though.”
“This is probably how David can disable the Lockdown.” Kat said.
“Which does us little good, because he isn't here.”
“Let's take the laptop with us.” Kat suggested. “Maybe something on the database can help.”
“Best idea I've heard so far.” He closed the laptop and stood up. He looked around the office, which was in a kind of ordered shambles as Kat had moved everything around. “He's not going to like that you redecorated.” Pierce said as they headed for the door.
“Don't worry, I'll tell him you did it.” Kat said simply as they exited the office.
“Hey!”
