Knight Rider 2020: Pilot, Part Two: Some Things Never Change

Kitt was floating in the middle of a canal near a restaurant, sunning himself as Maddock collaborated with an undercover officer over lunch. Michael was sitting on the edge of the dock, enjoying the brisk afternoon in the serenity of an old friend’s company. Kitt couldn’t concentrate on anything but the memories. He hadn’t yet been told of the problem Shawn and Maddock were so worked up about, and it was beginning to really upset him to know that something was being kept a secret from him. All of a sudden, a metallic grey Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera took a nosedive off the High Streets into the canal. Kitt couldn’t believe it. How had the automobile broken through such a strong guardrail? How had it done so without a scratch? Where were its license plates? Why did it have a chaser light?1

Without warning, the Lamborghini resurfaced and drove up the incline leading onto the sideline. Its driver dismounted and strode over to Michael, who was soaked with the frigid water the diving car had kicked up. The driver pulled him up by the collar and drew a Weber handgun from the inside of his coat, then pressed it to his hostage’s head.2

“If you so much as move, I’ll fire,” he threatened the red car bobbing on the waves.3

“Put down the gun,” Kitt instructed, his voice shaky. He had never handled these situations alone. Michael shivered and coughed. “He’s innocent.”4

“If you don’t do what I say, Knight gets it. Don’t think I’m kidding around.”5

“What do you want?”6

Shawn and Maddock burst out the door, Shawn aiming her electric gun for him. “Freeze!” they shouted in unison.7

“Put it down!” Kitt yelled back, panicking. Fortunately, he got results. “What do you want?”8

“The schematics of the Knight 4000.”9

“Don’t do it, Kitt!” Michael cried.10

“No way!” Maddock agreed.11

“It’s sad he’s going to become the victim of another senseless handgun shooting isn’t it?” the man said as he clicked off the gun’s safety. He began to squeeze the trigger.12

“Wait!” Kitt begged. “You can have the data! The formulas! They’re yours, they’re all yours! Just please spare my partner!”13

He smirked. “Good boy, Kitt. Send them to Karr.”14

“Karr? You’re behind this?”15

For perhaps the first time in his life, Karr felt a pang of guilt. “Just do what he says.”16

Before Kitt sent anything, he gave a disappointed sigh. "I really thought you would have changed, brother."17

Karr felt ashamed. He could really only think of one other thing to say. "Some things never change."18

Kitt began to send the data and Karr put it into a code that could be read by Ace’s computer. As he did so, his guilt began to nip at him, but he pushed it to the last of his thoughts and continued converting the data. After a moment, the feed was complete and Karr motioned to Ace that they were finished. The man shoved Michael down, sheathed his gun and boarded his Lamborghini. Two wings ejected from the sides of the automobile and it drove into the water, using the canal as a runway and the jet boosters to lift off. He alighted into the air and shot off, leaving Kitt bobbing in his wake. Michael sat up, massaging his sore neck. The Knight 4000 heaved itself up the incline onto the sideline and opened the door for him. Michael pulled himself up using the car and sat in the drivers’ seat, coughing. Kitt closed the door.19

“I’m taking him home,” Kitt declared. “You two stay here and warn headquarters of anything suspicious.”20

Shawn nodded and Kitt watched Maddock for the go-ahead. After a moment, he nodded and gestured for Kitt to move along. The 4000 turned in the water and headed for the Foundation.21

Karr leveled the car out and pulled the wings back in, barely able to hold control of the car as it went into a rough landing. As it decelerated to ninety miles per hour, Karr realized there wasn’t enough room to do this safely. As he neared the warehouse wall, he pulled the emergency brake and turned the wheels full starboard, spinning the car out and stopping broadside to the wall. Ace was clenching the wheel, a little frightened by the deadly maneuver. The Lamborghini seemed to be breathing hard, rising and falling with the heavy air intake.22

“What was that?” Ace asked after a deep breath. “Are you trying to kill me?”23

“This wall is twelve inches of reinforced concrete with an iron support beam on the other side.”24

“So? It will only rattle the car up a little!”25

“I couldn’t risk it,” Karr quietly replied, feeling rather guilty about putting himself before Winston. “I…I’m sorry.”26

Ace put the car in gear and pulled away from the wall, careful not to scrape the quarter panels against the wall. He steered the car around to the front of the garage, where Lance opened the overhead door for them, and drove in. The Lamborghini parked itself in a stall and let its driver out. As Ace and Lance left, he felt a spark of insanity. Not again, he pleaded. Not this soon.27

Kitt was waiting in his stall, unable to think of anything except Karr. How had he come back? Why did his driver look familiar? He found the answers through a random access-powered search. It was Ace Winston, a top-gun automotive thief. He had stolen Karr’s Lamborghini and five other cars in Seattle alone. Maybe that was the problem Maddock and Shawn had been discussing earlier. Why hadn’t they told him? He could have pinpointed Winston’s location and gone after him before the man even got his hands on Karr! Maddock came down the stairs to cut through the garage, notebook in hand. Kitt couldn’t have been luckier.28

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Kitt quietly asked, satisfied as Maddock jumped and nearly dropped his notebook.29

“About what?”30

“Winston.”31

Maddock gave him a suspicious glare. “Some things are better left –“32

“I could have found him and stopped him before he found Karr! Now we have to deal with a dangerous criminal and an insane supercomputer!”33

“We were trying to get the evidence straight before we told you.”34

Kitt sighed. “We’re going to need help.”35

“Don’t worry, I’ve got this covered. Promise.”36

Maddock toned his stride down to a leisurely walk and left. Kitt wanted so badly to believe that he did have it all under control, but he just couldn’t trust the man after what he had done.37