Knight Rider characters copyright Glen A. Larson
Friends in unlikely places.
It was raining, it seemed as if it was always raining when he travelled alone. It was also dark, as night had set in. A lone shape travelled through the silent Montana night. He moved like a shadow making no noise. Keeping under the speed limit Kitt was cruising in silent mood to avoid attracting attention to himself. As unusual as it was, Kitt was alone. Michael Knight was not in his usual place in the driver's seat. Kitt was driving, or should it be said that his navigation program was driving. The AI program -if a conscience could be called a program- that was Kitt's main self, was curled up in the back of his CPU. He had disconnected all ties to the outside world, had shut down communications and deactivated the homing beacon. He was in Montana and travelling east, that was all he knew. He didn't know his destination, nor did he care. To anyone watching he was just a black Trans Am, perhaps slightly modified at the prow, but that was it. Even his scanner light was dark. "As dark as I am." Kitt thought. "For I have killed." And he drove on.
Meanwhile at the mansion Devon Miles was just hearing the reports. He was shocked to the core. Michael was pacing back and forth in front of Devon's desk. Bonnie sat in one of the chairs. She was crying, had been for most of the night. "Kitt couldn't have known!" Michael stated for the tenth time. "It wasn't his fault, he tried to avoid hitting her, but even Kitt's reflexes couldn't help him this time, she came out of no- where." Michael sat down in the chair next to Bonnie's and continued. "I know why he left. He blames himself for this, even though it was MY stupidity that got her killed. God, this wasn't even a case, just a night out, a night out to have some fun." "FUN!!! Is that what you call this!!!" Bonnie had been crying silently up to now, but Michael's choice of words had woken her from her out of own hell. Bonnie got up and advanced on Michael. "Do you know what this is doing to him! Do you know what Kitt's going through! What you made him do goes against his most basic programming. It goes against his and every other sane individual's conscience. No wonder he has cut communications. He doesn't want to talk to you and for that matter, neither do I!" With that she stood up and left the office heading out to the garage to try and contact one of the most important individuals in her life. Devon turned to Michael who was staring at the door. "Tell me again what happened, Michael." With visible effort Michael met the older man's eyes. "She's right you know, this time I really blew it. Everything that happened was my fault. I just wanted to show off for once."
Kitt had stopped. He had decided that he was a danger on the road in the state that he was in. He had pulled onto a small side road and driven it until he had ended up in a dead end. There he had plenty of time to think and be alone. The nearest human was approximately 13,89 miles away. He had accessed his exterior sensors only to confirm that he was indeed alone. Now he had shut everything down again. His power cells needed recharging and in a while he would be in need of fuel. He didn't care. Kitt accessed his databanks and called up the events that had made him do the unthinkable and take off. The files began to scroll and as Kitt watched them he knew something had changed inside him. He watched in amazement as some of his main programs rewrote themselves almost as if a virus was at work. It couldn't be a virus, for his backup subroutines didn't kick in. When Kitt realized that he couldn't do anything about the reprogramming he settled for reviewing the logs leading up to the resent events, trying to find anything that he could have done differently. The what if's seemed endless. Kitt played the logs over and over again.
"We had a night off." Michael began again, explaining the resent unfortunate events. "It was one of the few nights off we ever get. Remember the one of the cases we were on recently Devon, the one concerning the street-racers?" Devon nodded absentmindedly, he did of course. Michael and Kitt had investigated a gang of street-racers that ran an illegal betting agency in Houston. The agency had been shut down and the leaders jailed for a long time. Michael however had made friends with some of the race drivers who had mostly been blackmailed into racing. The drivers had vowed to stay on the right side of the law from now on and had helped to put their leaders away. They were basically good boys, out for some money and a chance to drive fast cars. "So I take it this concerns them in a way?" Devon asked. Michael shook his head. "Not directly no. I had been invited to a party at a local race track that they had leased for the occasion. It was a chance to relax, enjoy some time off and race Kitt against the other cars. And no Devon, I wasn't about to revile what Kitt really was. As I said, it was a chance to have some fun. I asked Kitt if it was ok with him and he said yes. Anyhow we arrived at the small race track near the border of Canada. It was an old privately owned concrete race track which wasn't in the best of conditions, but it suited our needs, or so we thought at the time. We got there around seven. There were about twenty of us guys all together. Mostly we stood around the hoods of the cars going through their engines bragging each one of his own car. Of course I wouldn't let anyone near Kitt's hood let alone under it." Michael added at Devon's worried look. "At about nine we started racing. It was all clean, good sportsmanship racing, not at all like they raced in Houston. Kitt and I were the first to race against a couple of Fords and a Jaguar. The track was about a mile long and Kitt informed me that it was slippery with black ice in some parts. I wish I had decided not to race when he said that, but I had faith in my own driving ability and I had Kitt to back me up." Michael closed his eyes. He could see the track in front of him and felt the rumble of Kitt's powerful engine, the AI had seemed as eager as him to get on the track. "Someone had been chosen to start the race, as the flag came down all four of us accelerated. Kitt and I took up in the lead and headed for the first bend. I had told Kitt to keep his sensors on the road, that's why he didn't see her. It all happened in a spilt second. A young child, a five-year-old girl ran into the track right in front of us. Kitt took over and tried to brake. There was ice under his wheels and he couldn't stop. Kitt then sent the car into an uncontrolled spin but hit the child anyway. She was killed instantly." Michael met Devon's eyes. "She was only five-years-old! Her parents had been killed in street-racing when she was three. One of the drivers had taken her in and had raised her almost as his own daughter. Mack, the girl's adoptive father had introduced me to the young lady earlier that evening. Lucy loved cars and had grown up around them. Mack said he often had to physically restrain her as she had no fear of cars. That's why she was in the track. She wanted to see better. She had slipped away from her father and that spilt second no proved fatal. Kitt managed to stop after sliding for almost 50 yards. I got out and ran to check on the child. But then Kitt had already scanned her vitals and found out that his shell had killed an innocent child. He left and we haven't heard from him since." Michael's eyes fell. "It was my fault. I shouldn't have raced Kitt. He told me that there was ice. Why couldn't I listen?" Devon got up and walked around his desk to stand by Michael. He laid his hand on Michael's shoulder. "He'll come back Michael." "I know Devon, but will he ever forgive me or himself for that matter."
He wasn't using slow-motion viewing, but Kitt experienced the tragic event over and over in his CPU. He felt the child hit his shell and fly through the air only to land with a thud on the track. He remembered bringing his sensors online and remembered Michael leave the cabin and run to the child. Just before he had turned and sped out of the track he had seen the child's adoptive-father collapse next to his daughter's body and scream "NOOOO!" at the top of his lungs. No-one had seen Kitt leave, everyone had been too preoccupied to notice. Kitt stopped the recording. "What could I have done?" he asked the forest. "I never expected anyone to come onto the track. I should have done something!" But try as he might, he couldn't think of anything. Kitt started his engine, heard the familiar hum of the turbines. Warnings of low fuel supply flowed into his CPU but he simply ignored them. He had to move. Some people would say he was running from his problems and getting further from the answers, but Kitt didn't care. He reversed and continued down the road. He was still going east. Further away from California, further away from Michael and everyone he knew. They couldn't help anyway, Kitt decided. He was of no use to anyone. He was a danger and it was best for everyone if he just disappeared forever. At least that way he could do no more harm. This way he couldn't hurt anyone again. Kitt scanned the dirt road. Useless.a danger.untrustworthy.I've failed.
Bonnie had stormed out of Devon's office after chewing Michael's head off. She had known Michael was reckless. God, how many hours had she spent patching Kitt up after yet anoughter one of his crusades? Perhaps she had been too hard on him. He had seemed sorry, he was worried about Kitt and was distraught over all of this. Yet all she could think of was Kitt. Bonnie sat down at one of her many computers. She had chosen the semi as there were no mechanics around. She just couldn't handle their questions right now. She had to find Kitt. Wiping her tears away she set to work. Kitt was not going to make this easy for her. If the AI did not want to be found. Bonnie knew she didn't stand a chance.
Michael had retired to his room after his talk with Devon. This was his home, had been for many years now. Yet he spent so little time here, that this almost seemed like anoughter hotel. Normally he'd be on a case now -with Kitt. He had grown used to sleeping in Kitt's cabin. That was the one place in the world that he felt completely safe in. He sat down on the bed. "Kitt come back, pal." Michael spoke into his wrist communicator. He knew Kitt didn't hear. The privet wrist com-line had been cut, when Kitt had cut communications. Getting up, Michael took a quick shower and walked outside to his patio. The foundation's black semi was parked right under him and he could see light flooding out of the open back. Bonnie, he thought. Would she ever be able to forgive him either? Did he even have the right to ask forgiveness? An innocent child had been killed.
"Nashville, the home of country music." Kitt's sensors briefly registered the sign on the side of the road. It was of no importance. Michael likes country, a small voice said in the back of his CPU. He used to say that the words often had meaning. Couldn't hurt to try, Kitt decided. Accessing his radio tuner Kitt picked at random one station. The Gambler began playing as the Knight Two Thousand rolled to a stop. His main fuel supply exhausted and his secondary tank read empty as well. The voice of Johnny Cash rang through Kitt's audio system. Kitt wasn't listening. He shut down his systems and recharged. Three hours went by. Kitt detected and blocked several attempts of someone accessing his systems. Bonnie, he decided. He didn't want to talk to her. He didn't want to be found. A car pulled up behind him. Surveillance mood. State trooper, he decided. Of course, he shouldn't be parked here. Kitt made an attempt to ignitiate his engine. Error35698: insufficient fuel. A bored looking female officer got out of her car. Stretching, she walked over to the driver's side window and attempted to peer in. Kitt darkened the windows and flipped on a new licence plate. Now, there was no visible way to trace the car back to FLAG.
"Anyone in there? Move alone buddy, you can't park here." Officer Andrea Montgomery stated tapping the window. She had been having the most boring month of her life. Didn't anyone speed anymore she thought as she walked around the black Trans Am. Louisiana licence plate. She tried the door, locked. She walked back to her patrol car, picking up the radio she called headquarters. "Hey Gus." she greeted the officer who answered. "I got an apparently abandoned Pontiac here on the highway, could you run a plate check for me? It's a Louisiana licence BBC896." "Sorry Andy, there's no such licence in Louisiana. Could it be stolen, have had it's plates changed?" Gus asked. "I don't think so." Andrea countered. "It's in perfect condition. Someone's done a lot of work on it. It's slightly modified with some kind of light on the prow, that's not on at the moment. I can't see inside, the windows are darkened. You'd love it." She remarked to Gus who was as into American sporting cars as she was. "Anyhow, send a tow truck to pick this up. We can't leave it here." "A-okay, truck's on it's way." With a final pat to the black car's hood Andrea walked to her car and drove off. Something about the car bothered her. Call it cop's instinct if you will, but she swore there was something strange about that car. She made a mental note to go see the car in impound after her shift today.
"Bonnie?" He peaked into the semi to see Bonnie hard at work on one of the computers. She heard Michael enter but didn't say anything. She had searched everywhere and still had no idea of were Kitt was. Signing she turned to Michael. "I'm sorry." She said quietly. "I was out of line. I know you're as worried about Kitt as I am." "Don't worry about it, besides you did have a point." Michael took a seat next to Bonnie. "Any luck?" Bonnie turned back to her computer. "None at all, there's not a trace of him anywhere. Michael, Kitt's never done this before, but if he doesn't want to be found. Michael, Kitt's a computer, he can hide better then anybody." Michael signed, "Kitt's not the kind who runs from his problems, he's usually the one who keep me from running away from mine." He turned to the nearest computer screen. It was off and he watched his face reflect on the clear blank glass, god he looked tired. Bonnie apparently saw it as well. "You sound get some sleep, Michael. There's not much you can do here. I'm monitoring police bands as much as I can, but there's plenty of states he could be in." Signing FLAG's main operative got up. With a final glance at Kitt's usual space he left the semi. Bonnie watched him go and turned back to the computer. Many states, many places indeed.
Friends in unlikely places.
It was raining, it seemed as if it was always raining when he travelled alone. It was also dark, as night had set in. A lone shape travelled through the silent Montana night. He moved like a shadow making no noise. Keeping under the speed limit Kitt was cruising in silent mood to avoid attracting attention to himself. As unusual as it was, Kitt was alone. Michael Knight was not in his usual place in the driver's seat. Kitt was driving, or should it be said that his navigation program was driving. The AI program -if a conscience could be called a program- that was Kitt's main self, was curled up in the back of his CPU. He had disconnected all ties to the outside world, had shut down communications and deactivated the homing beacon. He was in Montana and travelling east, that was all he knew. He didn't know his destination, nor did he care. To anyone watching he was just a black Trans Am, perhaps slightly modified at the prow, but that was it. Even his scanner light was dark. "As dark as I am." Kitt thought. "For I have killed." And he drove on.
Meanwhile at the mansion Devon Miles was just hearing the reports. He was shocked to the core. Michael was pacing back and forth in front of Devon's desk. Bonnie sat in one of the chairs. She was crying, had been for most of the night. "Kitt couldn't have known!" Michael stated for the tenth time. "It wasn't his fault, he tried to avoid hitting her, but even Kitt's reflexes couldn't help him this time, she came out of no- where." Michael sat down in the chair next to Bonnie's and continued. "I know why he left. He blames himself for this, even though it was MY stupidity that got her killed. God, this wasn't even a case, just a night out, a night out to have some fun." "FUN!!! Is that what you call this!!!" Bonnie had been crying silently up to now, but Michael's choice of words had woken her from her out of own hell. Bonnie got up and advanced on Michael. "Do you know what this is doing to him! Do you know what Kitt's going through! What you made him do goes against his most basic programming. It goes against his and every other sane individual's conscience. No wonder he has cut communications. He doesn't want to talk to you and for that matter, neither do I!" With that she stood up and left the office heading out to the garage to try and contact one of the most important individuals in her life. Devon turned to Michael who was staring at the door. "Tell me again what happened, Michael." With visible effort Michael met the older man's eyes. "She's right you know, this time I really blew it. Everything that happened was my fault. I just wanted to show off for once."
Kitt had stopped. He had decided that he was a danger on the road in the state that he was in. He had pulled onto a small side road and driven it until he had ended up in a dead end. There he had plenty of time to think and be alone. The nearest human was approximately 13,89 miles away. He had accessed his exterior sensors only to confirm that he was indeed alone. Now he had shut everything down again. His power cells needed recharging and in a while he would be in need of fuel. He didn't care. Kitt accessed his databanks and called up the events that had made him do the unthinkable and take off. The files began to scroll and as Kitt watched them he knew something had changed inside him. He watched in amazement as some of his main programs rewrote themselves almost as if a virus was at work. It couldn't be a virus, for his backup subroutines didn't kick in. When Kitt realized that he couldn't do anything about the reprogramming he settled for reviewing the logs leading up to the resent events, trying to find anything that he could have done differently. The what if's seemed endless. Kitt played the logs over and over again.
"We had a night off." Michael began again, explaining the resent unfortunate events. "It was one of the few nights off we ever get. Remember the one of the cases we were on recently Devon, the one concerning the street-racers?" Devon nodded absentmindedly, he did of course. Michael and Kitt had investigated a gang of street-racers that ran an illegal betting agency in Houston. The agency had been shut down and the leaders jailed for a long time. Michael however had made friends with some of the race drivers who had mostly been blackmailed into racing. The drivers had vowed to stay on the right side of the law from now on and had helped to put their leaders away. They were basically good boys, out for some money and a chance to drive fast cars. "So I take it this concerns them in a way?" Devon asked. Michael shook his head. "Not directly no. I had been invited to a party at a local race track that they had leased for the occasion. It was a chance to relax, enjoy some time off and race Kitt against the other cars. And no Devon, I wasn't about to revile what Kitt really was. As I said, it was a chance to have some fun. I asked Kitt if it was ok with him and he said yes. Anyhow we arrived at the small race track near the border of Canada. It was an old privately owned concrete race track which wasn't in the best of conditions, but it suited our needs, or so we thought at the time. We got there around seven. There were about twenty of us guys all together. Mostly we stood around the hoods of the cars going through their engines bragging each one of his own car. Of course I wouldn't let anyone near Kitt's hood let alone under it." Michael added at Devon's worried look. "At about nine we started racing. It was all clean, good sportsmanship racing, not at all like they raced in Houston. Kitt and I were the first to race against a couple of Fords and a Jaguar. The track was about a mile long and Kitt informed me that it was slippery with black ice in some parts. I wish I had decided not to race when he said that, but I had faith in my own driving ability and I had Kitt to back me up." Michael closed his eyes. He could see the track in front of him and felt the rumble of Kitt's powerful engine, the AI had seemed as eager as him to get on the track. "Someone had been chosen to start the race, as the flag came down all four of us accelerated. Kitt and I took up in the lead and headed for the first bend. I had told Kitt to keep his sensors on the road, that's why he didn't see her. It all happened in a spilt second. A young child, a five-year-old girl ran into the track right in front of us. Kitt took over and tried to brake. There was ice under his wheels and he couldn't stop. Kitt then sent the car into an uncontrolled spin but hit the child anyway. She was killed instantly." Michael met Devon's eyes. "She was only five-years-old! Her parents had been killed in street-racing when she was three. One of the drivers had taken her in and had raised her almost as his own daughter. Mack, the girl's adoptive father had introduced me to the young lady earlier that evening. Lucy loved cars and had grown up around them. Mack said he often had to physically restrain her as she had no fear of cars. That's why she was in the track. She wanted to see better. She had slipped away from her father and that spilt second no proved fatal. Kitt managed to stop after sliding for almost 50 yards. I got out and ran to check on the child. But then Kitt had already scanned her vitals and found out that his shell had killed an innocent child. He left and we haven't heard from him since." Michael's eyes fell. "It was my fault. I shouldn't have raced Kitt. He told me that there was ice. Why couldn't I listen?" Devon got up and walked around his desk to stand by Michael. He laid his hand on Michael's shoulder. "He'll come back Michael." "I know Devon, but will he ever forgive me or himself for that matter."
He wasn't using slow-motion viewing, but Kitt experienced the tragic event over and over in his CPU. He felt the child hit his shell and fly through the air only to land with a thud on the track. He remembered bringing his sensors online and remembered Michael leave the cabin and run to the child. Just before he had turned and sped out of the track he had seen the child's adoptive-father collapse next to his daughter's body and scream "NOOOO!" at the top of his lungs. No-one had seen Kitt leave, everyone had been too preoccupied to notice. Kitt stopped the recording. "What could I have done?" he asked the forest. "I never expected anyone to come onto the track. I should have done something!" But try as he might, he couldn't think of anything. Kitt started his engine, heard the familiar hum of the turbines. Warnings of low fuel supply flowed into his CPU but he simply ignored them. He had to move. Some people would say he was running from his problems and getting further from the answers, but Kitt didn't care. He reversed and continued down the road. He was still going east. Further away from California, further away from Michael and everyone he knew. They couldn't help anyway, Kitt decided. He was of no use to anyone. He was a danger and it was best for everyone if he just disappeared forever. At least that way he could do no more harm. This way he couldn't hurt anyone again. Kitt scanned the dirt road. Useless.a danger.untrustworthy.I've failed.
Bonnie had stormed out of Devon's office after chewing Michael's head off. She had known Michael was reckless. God, how many hours had she spent patching Kitt up after yet anoughter one of his crusades? Perhaps she had been too hard on him. He had seemed sorry, he was worried about Kitt and was distraught over all of this. Yet all she could think of was Kitt. Bonnie sat down at one of her many computers. She had chosen the semi as there were no mechanics around. She just couldn't handle their questions right now. She had to find Kitt. Wiping her tears away she set to work. Kitt was not going to make this easy for her. If the AI did not want to be found. Bonnie knew she didn't stand a chance.
Michael had retired to his room after his talk with Devon. This was his home, had been for many years now. Yet he spent so little time here, that this almost seemed like anoughter hotel. Normally he'd be on a case now -with Kitt. He had grown used to sleeping in Kitt's cabin. That was the one place in the world that he felt completely safe in. He sat down on the bed. "Kitt come back, pal." Michael spoke into his wrist communicator. He knew Kitt didn't hear. The privet wrist com-line had been cut, when Kitt had cut communications. Getting up, Michael took a quick shower and walked outside to his patio. The foundation's black semi was parked right under him and he could see light flooding out of the open back. Bonnie, he thought. Would she ever be able to forgive him either? Did he even have the right to ask forgiveness? An innocent child had been killed.
"Nashville, the home of country music." Kitt's sensors briefly registered the sign on the side of the road. It was of no importance. Michael likes country, a small voice said in the back of his CPU. He used to say that the words often had meaning. Couldn't hurt to try, Kitt decided. Accessing his radio tuner Kitt picked at random one station. The Gambler began playing as the Knight Two Thousand rolled to a stop. His main fuel supply exhausted and his secondary tank read empty as well. The voice of Johnny Cash rang through Kitt's audio system. Kitt wasn't listening. He shut down his systems and recharged. Three hours went by. Kitt detected and blocked several attempts of someone accessing his systems. Bonnie, he decided. He didn't want to talk to her. He didn't want to be found. A car pulled up behind him. Surveillance mood. State trooper, he decided. Of course, he shouldn't be parked here. Kitt made an attempt to ignitiate his engine. Error35698: insufficient fuel. A bored looking female officer got out of her car. Stretching, she walked over to the driver's side window and attempted to peer in. Kitt darkened the windows and flipped on a new licence plate. Now, there was no visible way to trace the car back to FLAG.
"Anyone in there? Move alone buddy, you can't park here." Officer Andrea Montgomery stated tapping the window. She had been having the most boring month of her life. Didn't anyone speed anymore she thought as she walked around the black Trans Am. Louisiana licence plate. She tried the door, locked. She walked back to her patrol car, picking up the radio she called headquarters. "Hey Gus." she greeted the officer who answered. "I got an apparently abandoned Pontiac here on the highway, could you run a plate check for me? It's a Louisiana licence BBC896." "Sorry Andy, there's no such licence in Louisiana. Could it be stolen, have had it's plates changed?" Gus asked. "I don't think so." Andrea countered. "It's in perfect condition. Someone's done a lot of work on it. It's slightly modified with some kind of light on the prow, that's not on at the moment. I can't see inside, the windows are darkened. You'd love it." She remarked to Gus who was as into American sporting cars as she was. "Anyhow, send a tow truck to pick this up. We can't leave it here." "A-okay, truck's on it's way." With a final pat to the black car's hood Andrea walked to her car and drove off. Something about the car bothered her. Call it cop's instinct if you will, but she swore there was something strange about that car. She made a mental note to go see the car in impound after her shift today.
"Bonnie?" He peaked into the semi to see Bonnie hard at work on one of the computers. She heard Michael enter but didn't say anything. She had searched everywhere and still had no idea of were Kitt was. Signing she turned to Michael. "I'm sorry." She said quietly. "I was out of line. I know you're as worried about Kitt as I am." "Don't worry about it, besides you did have a point." Michael took a seat next to Bonnie. "Any luck?" Bonnie turned back to her computer. "None at all, there's not a trace of him anywhere. Michael, Kitt's never done this before, but if he doesn't want to be found. Michael, Kitt's a computer, he can hide better then anybody." Michael signed, "Kitt's not the kind who runs from his problems, he's usually the one who keep me from running away from mine." He turned to the nearest computer screen. It was off and he watched his face reflect on the clear blank glass, god he looked tired. Bonnie apparently saw it as well. "You sound get some sleep, Michael. There's not much you can do here. I'm monitoring police bands as much as I can, but there's plenty of states he could be in." Signing FLAG's main operative got up. With a final glance at Kitt's usual space he left the semi. Bonnie watched him go and turned back to the computer. Many states, many places indeed.