Knight Rider 2008 Alternate Storyline – Episode 8 – Lockdown
Chapter 3
F.L.A.G Underground Facility
Kat and Pierce hurried down the metal staircase. Pierce headed over to his desk and began hooking the laptop up to his computer.
Charles stood alone at the table with the blueprints. “Where's Kevin?” Kat asked. She had been looking forward to meeting the man who had given K.I.T.T his voice.
“He's examining the ventilation system.” Charles told her.
Kat frowned. “It's odd how I've been here over a month and I have yet to meet this man.” She said, a little irritated.
Charles gave her a confused look. “There are a few people that you haven't met yet. The Forensics Team and the Custodial Staff, for example.”
“I at least know them by face.” Kat said. “I've seen them around. I am wondering if this 'Kevin' is avoiding me.”
“Now, why would I want to avoid someone as pretty as you?” K.I.T.T asked from right behind her.
Kat jumped and whirled around. A tall man stood behind her, giving her a quizzical look. “Where the hell did you come from?” She asked quickly.
His confused expression deepened. He half turned and pointed to the wall under the metal walkway. “The vent?”
Kat looked past him, at the vent set low in the wall. The cover was off and placed to the side. Kevin flashed her an easygoing smile and turned to Charles. “No can do with the vents, Boss. Maybe if you were a flea, you'd be small enough to fit outside.”
Kat studied Kevin while he and Charles spoke. He was taller than she was, but shorter than Sam, who was a giant that she compared all tall people to. His hair was a pale orange color. It was short and messy, as if he had a habit of running his hand through it instead of combing it. His eyes were such a pale green they bordered on yellow. He was broad shouldered and fairly fit, from what she could tell. The pale blue coveralls he was wearing were a bit baggy.
Charles sighed heavily. “What else can we do?”
“My guys are working on the elevator seal.” Kevin said. “They could prolly cut through with a thermal lance if you give em...” He thought for a moment. “Five, six hours?”
“Get them on it now, that will be Plan B.” Charles said. “The coordinates KARR gave us are in Phoenix. The only way Kat can get there in time is in KITT. We have to find a way of shutting down the Lockdown.”
“If I can get out, I could take the jet to Phoenix.” Kat offered.
“You're not leaving without me.” K.I.T.T said firmly from his circle.
“We still have to find a quicker way out.” Kevin countered.
Kat looked over at Kevin, then back at K.I.T.T. It was true, their voices were exactly alike. The only difference was in how they spoke. “That's just creepy.” She murmured.
She stared at K.I.T.T for a long moment. Something nagged the back of her brain. It wasn't the voice thing. It was something else...
“I think KITT might have a way out.” She said suddenly.
Pierce, Charles, and Kevin stopped speaking and looked at her. She walked around K.I.T.T. “What am I missing?” She asked.
“I'm not certain.” K.I.T.T said. “I am unable to move or help in any way.”
“Yes, but there's something about you...” She crouched low, looking underneath. Then she smacked her forehead with the heel of her palm. “Duh! The circle!” She got to her feet. “Is that sealed off with titanium too?” She asked Charles.
Charles checked his blueprint. “No.” He said in surprise. “The Tunnel is clear, if you can get down there...”
“But the Tunnel Entrance is controlled electronically.” Pierce objected. “There is a manual button, but it's not functioning. The Lockdown prevents us from lowering the circle.”
“No, Katherine's on to something.” Kevin said. He headed over to K.I.T.T. “Excuse me, buddy.” He knelt down next to the car and placed his hands on the concrete circle. He shook his head. “No, the edge is reinforced...” He said to himself. He crawled under K.I.T.T to the center of the circle.
After a moment, he crawled back out. “Its two feet in the center, at the most.” He announced. “And easier to lance through than titanium.” He grabbed his walkie-talkie. “John, Casey, forget the elevator. Bring the lances down to the Main Lab. Over.” He turned to Charles. “If that's all right with you, Boss?” He asked.
Charles looked surprised. “No, it's fine.” He assured Kevin.
“We'll have to move KITT out of the way.” Kat said. “Are your wheels locked, KITT?”
“They are not.” K.I.T.T replied.
Kat put her hands on his hood. “We're going to push you.” She said, gesturing to her and Kevin.
“By yourselves?” K.I.T.T asked. “I don't think your chance of success is very high.”
Kat gestured to Pierce. Kevin waved for Carmen. Soon the four of them were at K.I.T.T's hood. They began pushing all at once.
“KITT, you have to lose some weight.” Kat puffed as she struggled against his hood.
KITT rolled very slowly. Pierce was panting with exertion before they were done. The others held up better, but it wasn't easy. They finally managed to push him clear of the circle.
Kat turned and collapsed on his hood. “Dear god.” She gasped. “Are you made of lead? Solid lead? How can a chemical make you so heavy?” She frowned darkly at Kevin, who didn't even look winded.
“That's the Molecular-Bonded Shell for you.” Carmen said. She straightened up and cracked her back. Pierce just sat on the circle, trying to breathe. Carmen smacked his shoulder lightly. “Come on, get up.”
Pierce shook his head. “I'm just going to sit here, maybe till I die...” He said weakly.
Carmen pointed to a pair of men in light blue coveralls heading towards them. One of them was wearing protective gear. “Those guys are going to use thermal lances to cut a hole right through where you're sitting.” She pointed out.
“Okay, moving.” Pierce struggled to his feet. Carmen grabbed him by the elbow and hauled him up. Then she released him and walked away. Pierce stepped away from the circle quickly.
Kat climbed up onto K.I.T.T's top to watch. She sat cross-legged. “Is this your wisest idea?” K.I.T.T asked. “The flare from a thermal lance can be blinding.”
“Can you darken my contacts to a safe level?” Kat asked.
“Yes, I can still affect the eye-cams.” K.I.T.T replied.
“Then we're golden.”
Kevin laughed. “I can see who wears the pants here.” He winked at Kat.
“I'm not even going to dignify that with a response.” K.I.T.T replied sourly.
Charles cleared the room while John and Casey got the lances ready. Kat watched as Casey knelt down in the middle of the circle, pulling on a pair of dark goggles. John slid a lance into it's holder and handed it to him. Casey held it out while John ignited the tip. Then he quickly stepped back.
“Eyes!” Casey shouted, touching the lance to the concrete.
Casey used the burning bright tip of the lance to cut into the concrete. He began cutting a circle in the center. He stood on the outside, and when one lanced was used up, John prepped another for him. A half an hour and five lances later, the circle of concrete fell through to the floor below with a resounding crash.
Kat clapped as Casey doused the lance. He removed a pair of dark goggles and grinned at John. “Easy.”
John looked through the portal cut into the circle with trepidation, the space under the circle was completely dark. He doused the still hot edge with water. “Who's going down the hole?”
“I will.” Kevin and Kat said at the same time. They looked at each other.
“I know how the machinery works down there.” Kevin said. “I might be able to get the circle functioning manually. Then we can get KITT out.”
Kat frowned. “Are we going to push him ten miles till we get out of the tunnel?” She hopped down from K.I.T.T's top. “Then what? Push him to Phoenix?”
“I might be able to get KITT working.” Pierce said. Kat turned to him. “If I hook up David's laptop inside of KITT, I might be able to release him from the Lockdown.”
Kat opened K.I.T.T's passenger's side door. “Be my guest.”
“Okay.” Kevin said. He walked over to John, who handed him a tool belt and a large flashlight. “I'll head down the hole.”
“Wait for me.” Kat said, walking over after Pierce had slid into K.I.T.T's passenger seat.
Kevin gave her a patient look. “It's a good sized drop to the floor below.” He said. “It's probably best if you wait up here.”
“I see where you got all that overprotective crap, KITT.” Kat said. Kevin frowned at her.
“Don't bring me into this.” K.I.T.T said. “I think you should go with him.”
Kat turned and looked at him. “I'm shocked. How come?”
“Two reasons.” K.I.T.T replied. “One, Kevin needs someone to hold the flashlight for him. Two, I want to know what's going on as well. You have no idea how blind I feel when I can't X-Ray everything around me or use my infrared.”
“Hey, humans don't have that stuff, and we survive.” Kat said.
“How can you stand it?”
Kat rolled her eyes skyward. “Okay, bottom line, I'm going.”
“I guess I can't argue with the talking car.” Kevin said ruefully. “I'll head down first, I'm taller.” He moved to the hole in the circle and lowered himself in. He hung on to the edge by his hands before dropping the rest of the way down.
Kat heard him land with a grunt. “All right. Come on down.” He said, turning on the flashlight. He placed it on the ground next to him.
Kat looked down as she sat at the edge and lowered her legs into the hole. The drop was pretty deep. “Maybe not one of my best ideas...” She muttered.
“No worries, I'll catch you.” Kevin said, holding his arms up.
Kat stretched her full length downwards, holding onto the edge of the circle with her hands. Then she let herself fall.
She landed on her feet jarringly. Her teeth clenched together and she stumbled backwards. Kevin grabbed her around the waist and steadied her. He smiled at her crookedly. “Still alive?”
Kat stared at him for a moment, then quickly stepped back. “Of course.” She said irritably.
Kevin bent down and retrieved the flashlight. “This is all yours.” He said, holding it out to her.
“Are you sure I can handle it?” Kat asked, still sore from earlier. She took the flashlight from him.
He frowned at her. “I wasn't trying to make a crack earlier.” He said. “I wasn't trying to say you couldn't handle this.”
“Then what does it matter to you?” Kat asked.
“If you got hurt, it would bother me.” Kevin explained. “You haven't noticed me around before, but I have noticed you.” He said matter-of-factly. He turned and walked over to the wall, where the mechanism that controlled the lift was.
Kat blinked a few times in surprise. “What did he say?” K.I.T.T asked through the dental implant.
“Nothing.” Kat said quickly.
“Once I get back online, I am learning lip-reading.” K.I.T.T said, sounding irritated. Kat grimaced.
Kat took a step back, till her feet were on the edge of the circle in the floor. This was the circle that lowered into the chamber below when the upper circle lowered down to this level. She directed the flashlight beam to the wall in front of Kevin.
There was a metal panel set into the wall here. Kevin took a screwdriver from his tool belt and began removing the panel. “So, you know how to get this thing working?” Kat asked.
“I've never worked on it during a Lockdown.” Kevin said as he set the panel aside. A mass of various colored wires was now exposed in the wall.
“So, what are you going to do?” Kat asked.
“I thought I would try the direct approach.” Kevin said. He jammed the screwdriver into the mass of wires, hitting something in the back.
Kat felt the floor under her shift slightly. Her feet were on the absolute edge of the lower circle, half on and half off. The motion was extremely slight, so much so that Kevin, who was on the other side and fully on the circle, didn't notice it at all. It gave Kat the warning she needed though.
“Watch out!” She cried. She stepped forward and grabbed the back of Kevin's coveralls. She yanked him back, into the Tunnel, stepping off of the circle quickly.
The machinery holding the two circles gave out. The upper circle came crashing down, the lower circle falling into the space below. The sound was deafening.
Kat stared numbly at the spot they had both been standing on. Light poured in from above. John and Casey peered over the edge. “You guys all right?” John asked.
“We're alive!” Kevin yelled up at them. He turned to Kat. “Hey, thanks for the save.” He smiled at her. “Come on, I've got it working now.” He grabbed her hand in his and pulled her onto the circle.
“You're absolutely insane.” Kat murmured as she followed him numbly.
Kevin didn't seem to have heard her. He released her hand and reached into the panel. “Lost my best screwdriver...” He said to himself. He pulled out a small black box, which was nearly destroyed. “Well, here's your problem...” He turned and grinned at Kat. “Should work fine now.” He looked up at John. “Hit the manual button.”
“Sure thing.” John said and disappeared. A few seconds later, the circle slowly ascended, Kat and Kevin standing on it.
Kevin grinned at Casey. “Easy.” Casey grinned back.
Kat escaped, walking over to K.I.T.T. “Any luck?” She asked.
Pierce leaned his head out the open door. “I think I can restore KITT's functions. He still won't be able to access the network though, so I hope the lift is working properly.”
“Somewhat.” Kat said weakly.
Pierce closed David's laptop and slid out of the car. He placed the laptop on the seat. A USB wire ran from it to under K.I.T.T's dash. “Okay, KITT, try rebooting.”
K.I.T.T was silent for a long moment. Then the red light on his hood came on. His frame lifted up a few inches and the timer on his windshield went out.
Kat felt excitement build up in her chest as she watched him. “All right.” She said, smiling. “Are you ready to go get David?”
“As ready as you are.” K.I.T.T replied.
