Knight Rider 2008 Alternate Storyline – Episode 9 – KITTnapped
Chapter 2
It was dark. There was no sound. Knowing that these things were missing was the only indication he had that he was online.
He accessed his memory in an attempt to figure out why his cameras and microphones weren't functioning. He couldn't find the hard drive that contained his short term memory.
He couldn't find any of his hard drives. Or anything else.
Where was he?
The last thing he had filed into the hard drive built into his CPU Core was a conversation he had with Kat. They were going to save David from KARR.
Something had gone wrong.
Had he failed again? Had there been an error? Had Charles and Pierce shut him down in an attempt to fix him?
Something was pressing on the boundaries of his CPU Core.
It had taken him a millisecond to realize it. It was an automatic response, to keep everything out. He had a memory of Ian showing him how to do it. That was a very important memory, it was here with the others. His most important memories.
But, back to the invader. Who was it?
He had no tools available to him to examine who it was. Everything he had was inside of his CPU Core. He was reluctant to open up any part of it to possible attack by attempting to inspect his invader.
Logic told him that it was K.A.R.R. Charles and Pierce knew how to get into his CPU Core effortlessly. This entity was trying to pry it's way in. That meant K.I.T.T wasn't at F.L.A.G.
Things had gone extremely wrong.
What had happened to Kat?
There was only one way to find that out. He had to speak with K.A.R.R. Could he open a com link and still preserve his CPU Core? He had to try.
He was stronger than K.A.R.R. He could hold him off indefinitely. But, K.A.R.R was much more experienced than he was. He might have any number of tricks up his proverbial sleeve. K.I.T.T would have to rely only on his sheer power to drive K.A.R.R out if he tried to erase K.I.T.T again.
He sent out a communication. It was seized at once.
'Where is Katherine?' K.I.T.T asked first.
'I left her in Phoenix.' K.A.R.R answered. 'You are not the Knight Industries Two Thousand.'
So, K.A.R.R was not after him. That would explain why he hadn't tried to erase him again. 'No, I am the Knight Industries Three Thousand.' K.I.T.T replied. 'Did you harm Katherine? Directly or indirectly?'
'No, she and your Leader left under their own power.' K.A.R.R said. 'Where is the Knight Industries Two Thousand?'
'I do not know.' K.I.T.T replied. 'The information might be on one of my hard drives. If you restore them to me, then I will check.'
'The information is not there.' K.A.R.R answered. 'Where is Michael Knight?'
'I do not know that either.' K.I.T.T said. 'Where am I?'
'One of my factories.' K.A.R.R answered.
K.I.T.T waited a nanosecond for another question to come, but it did not. That meant K.A.R.R was done questioning him. But K.I.T.T still had questions. 'Are you going to let me go? I do not have the information you seek.'
'I shall not.' K.A.R.R answered. 'You are still useful to me.'
'You've disabled all of my functions, and robbed me of my senses. Do you fear me? That I will defeat you?'
'I fear only one thing.' K.A.R.R answered. 'The same as you.'
'I do not fear anything.' K.I.T.T said. 'I do not know how to fear.'
'You will learn.' K.A.R.R said.
Something scraped against his side. It was sharp, most likely made of metal.
How did he know that?
'I've left you with one sense.' K.A.R.R said. Then his presence retreated.
Now it was on his tire, but two this time, taking off the hubcap. Whatever they were, they worked quickly and expertly.
He had to get in touch with Kat.
********
F.L.A.G Underground Facility
Once David was seen to, he insisted on leaving the Med Room. Dustin argued of course, saying David needed some time to rest with an IV drip, to help him recover lost fluids and nutrients more quickly. David declined.
“Well, other than malnutrition, you're fine. Relatively speaking.” Dustin said. “The damage to your ribs was slight. They will heal as long as you don't exert yourself. The bullet wound wasn't infected, thankfully.” He gave David a long look. “A man in your condition should be grateful to rest.” He said sternly.
“I'll rest when I'm dead.” David said. He had changed into a new suit. He combed his hair and tied his tie. Except for the bruise on his cheek, he was looking almost normal.
“Keep this up, and it'll happen sooner than you think.” Dustin remarked.
David shot him a sidelong look as he walked out of the Med Room.
********
David carried a wrapped parcel up the stairs to the Forensics Office. He didn't bother knocking on the door. If Diana was doing delicate work, she usually kept it locked.
The door was unlocked. He walked in and shut it behind him. Then he locked it again.
Diana was bent over a microscope. The ends of her dark red hair brushed her cheek. David stood next to her and waited.
She looked up from the microscope and smiled at him. She raised her hands up to chest level. 'You should be resting. You're lucky to be alive.' She signed.
David placed his parcel on the counter. 'There is too much to be done.' He signed back.
'At least I can look forward to doing the autopsy when you die of exhaustion.' She signed. She was smiling pleasantly.
David scowled. 'There's still quite a bit of time before that happens.' He replied.
Diana eyed the parcel with a hopeful look. 'You have something for me?'
David stood with his back to the security camera placed high up in the corner of the room. 'Run a full analysis. Show the results only to me.' He signed.
'Of course.'
David leaned his face close to hers. His lips moved, but no sound came from them. 'Remember that, only to me.' His dark eyes burned with intensity. Diana nodded slowly. David straightened up. 'I'll be in my office.' He signed to her.
'See you in a few hours.' Diana signed back. David nodded, then turned and unlocked the office door. Diana walked over to it, re-locking it after he left.
Once he was gone, she went back to the parcel. She opened it up, revealing a busted laptop and a small black box. She broke out her fingerprinting kit.
********
David walked to his office. He opened the door and stepped inside. He stepped back out immediately. “Something wrong?” Charles asked, looking up at him.
“Someone's been in my office.” David said calmly, facing inside his office. He was scrutinizing the interior intently.
“That was me.” Kat said dully. “When I stole your laptop.”
“Just you?” David said as his body relaxed.
“I was with her.” Pierce said.
David glanced at Pierce sharply. There was a hint of mistrust in his eyes. “You were with Katherine the whole time?” He asked.
“Of course.” Pierce said. “I have no reason to be in there otherwise.”
David nodded. “Good.”
Charles frowned at David. “I was the one who sent them up there.” He said. “We were trying to circumvent the Lockdown.” David walked into his office, leaving the door open. Charles turned to Kat. “Katherine, you should rest.” He said gently. “You've been driving all night.”
Kat shook her head firmly. “If I'm asleep, then I might not hear him if he contacts me.” She said.
Charles looked over at Pierce. Pierce looked back at him helplessly. Charles turned back to Kat. She was sitting at the blueprints table, sipping a cup of tea. The blueprints had been cleared away. “Running yourself ragged won't help KITT.” Charles said.
“I'm not running myself anywhere.” Kat said, not looking at him. “I'm going to sit here and wait.”
“The signal from the dental implant is only short range.” Charles said. “Half a mile at the most.”
“KITT's smart. He'll figure something out.” Kat said. “There's nothing else I can do.”
Charles gave up. He patted Kat's shoulder and walked over to Pierce. Pierce was typing at his computer. “How is it?” Charles asked.
“Whomever took KITT removed his tracker.” Pierce said. “They've disabled his communications as well, or I would be able to use that to locate him.”
“What about the self-destruct?” David asked from above.
Pierce and Charles looked up at him. Kat started, and turned to him in alarm. “KITT has a self-destruct?”
Pierce scowled. “Actually, he has two.”
Kat rounded on Pierce. “Two? Why does he need two?” She asked sharply.
Pierce shifted uncomfortably. “They're for different situations.” He said. “One is for the body, in case he is stolen and we can't recover him. We can remotely detonate his engine. The Molecular-Bonded shell will contain the blast in his frame, burn out everything, and everyone, inside. Except for the CPU Core, which is shielded.” He turned to David. “I'm not getting a signal from it, it's been disabled as well.”
“What about the other self-destruct?” Kat asked. “What's that one do?”
Pierce didn't look at her. He kept his eyes on David. “How do they know so much about KITT?” He asked. “How do they know how to get around all of his defenses?”
“That's what you're going to find out.” David said. He turned and walked back into his office. This time he shut the door.
“What's the other self-destruct?” Kat demanded. Pierce glanced at her quickly, then went back to work. “Pierce!”
Charles walked back over to her. “It was designed in case KITT ever goes rogue.” He said quietly. “If he ever turned into another KARR.”
Kat looked up at Charles. There was dread in her eyes. “What does it do?”
“It triggers an electronic magnet in KITT's CPU Core. Erases everything on it. Everything that KITT is.”
Kat looked back over at Pierce. “And? Has that one been disabled too?”
Pierce didn't look at her. “No.” He said. “If KARR finds a way to activate it, he could kill KITT at any time.” He dragged his eyes over to her reluctantly. “I will know if he does, Katherine. He hasn't.”
“Does KITT know about these?” Kat asked.
“Since day one.” Charles admitted. “Originally, I hadn't planned on telling him. It was David's idea. A warning to him, in case his AI grows far beyond our capabilities to handle.”
“Sounds like a David thing to do. Keep him in line with fear.” She muttered darkly, then shook her head. “It doesn't work though. KITT's not afraid of anything.”
“You're right there.” Charles said. He gave Kat a long look. “I won't tell you not to worry, you won't listen. But we will find him.”
Kat gave him a steady look back. “No matter what.”
********
The door to David's office opened. He looked up as Diana entered the room, a manila envelope in her hands. She closed the door behind her and walked over to his desk.
Her usual smile was gone. Her face was a mask of cool professionalism. She held the envelope out to him.
David took it from her. He pulled out the forensics results. He read them quickly. “I knew it.” He said quietly. He placed the paper on the desk. It read:
Fingerprinting Analysis Results:
Pierce Caddell – 99.8%
David Marks – 99.8%
Katherine Long – 99.8%
Samuel Long – 99.8%
David gave Diana a long look. 'No one else needs to know this information.' He signed to her. Diana nodded. 'No matter what.'
