Knight Rider 2020: Pilot, Part Four: Back In Black

The day after Kitt lost his battle, Shawn walked into the engineering room at about six to see how recovery was coming along. Erin and the team were out on a break, so she had about thirty minutes to look around and get out. As she entered the garage, she heard a strange ting to the rhythm of a heartbeat. Investigating it further, she found an energy pulse monitor to be the source. Every time a vital electric surge ran through the systems, a spike appeared on a line, similar to the heartbeat monitors of 2000. Shawn caught a familiar whir, this one heartbreakingly weak and muted, issuing from somewhere behind her. She pulled a curtain back and there sat the Knight 4000, now jet-black, its scanner dark and slow as a muzzy Kitt awoke from an uneasy slumber.1

“Kitt?” Shawn quietly called.2

“Bonnie?” Kitt tried to identify, unable to think clearly. “No, no…Shawn?”3

She smiled warmly and kneeled beside the car. “I see you're back in black, aren't you?”4

Kitt scanned himself. So he was. But he couldn't seem to muster up the words he wanted so badly to say.5

Shawn’s smile faded. “They didn’t hurt you, did they?”6

“I…can’t recall. Everything seems…to be in working order.”7

Kitt grunted as the turbine engine tried to fire up, but it was too much for him. He cancelled the command and settled lower to the ground.8

“Kitt, listen. Maddock’s worried about you. In fact, Erin had to kick him out before she and her team could start working on you. I came here for both of us, since he was busy working with an insider on the Winston case.”9

“Well, you can tell him…that I’m coming along. For now, I’m…just a little slow.”10

Shawn pressed her head against the fender. “I had a bad feeling about that Lamborghini. Whether it was Karr or not, I’m not sure.”11

“Well, we made it through…twenty years without total destruction.”12

“That’s my Kitten. Always on the bright side.”13

Kitt’s scanners sent out an alert that gave him a throbbing pain in the central energy vessel. “You should go. Erin and…her crew are coming back early.”14

“Well, see you later, partner,” Shawn said, rubbing the fender lovingly.15

“Au revoir.”16

Shawn smiled. At least Kitt was back to his lexicon. She pulled the curtains back just as they were when she had entered and left the engineering room just in time to avoid being caught by Erin Barstow and her posse of technicians and engineers. Shawn’s pace quickly accelerated to a jog as she went down the hall and turned left, nearly running into Maddock as he nervously clicked his pen in thought over a document on his clipboard.17

“Oh,” he said, still focused mainly on the papers. “Hello, Shawn.”18

“I talked to Kitt.”19

He tucked the clipboard under his arm and looked around, then gave Shawn his full attention. “What did he say?”20

“He’s self-proclaimed ‘coming along.’ I think he’ll be back to himself soon.”21

“Oh?”22

“He’s got his old phraseology back. He found the strength to say ‘au revoir’ rather than the usual farewell.”23

“Well, I’m glad to hear our boy’s alright. Has Koda said anything lately?”24

“No. He’s been quiet as a mouse since yesterday. I think he’s just plotting his revenge on Karr. You know how protective he is of Kitt.”25

“I’m actually a little disappointed in him.”26

Shawn gave him a questioning look.27

“I expected him to be a little more physical than that. He just sort of sat there like a wallflower while they gave each other those lethal stares.”28

“He’s still young, Russell. He doesn’t know when to fight and when to back down. I’m a little surprised too, though. He was programmed to fight, but I’m thinking Brett’s been teaching him otherwise.”29

“Redwin is a big impact on him…you’re probably right. Well, I have to fill out these damage reports, and they should take all afternoon.”30

“Anything you need me to do?”31

“See if you can get a word out of Koda. A greeting, a conversation, a sentence, whatever you can find.”32

“I’ll keep you posted.”33

“Be careful.”34

Maddock took a left onto the main hall and pulled his clipboard out. Shawn walked down the corridor until she came to a door leading outside. She exited the building and picked a golf cart out of the fleet, started it up, and took it down the drive until she reached Koda’s garage. She parked it and cautiously opened the door into the large garage. The blue Shelby was still in the corner of the warehouse, his driver sleeping on a black sofa beside him. As soon as she stepped in, Koda’s scanner flashed awake. “Whose presence do I detect?”35

“Shawn McCormick,” Shawn answered, unsure of whether or not that was the correct answer. “I’m not here to hurt anyone.”36

The Shelby grunted and the scanner went blank again. So much for a conversation.37

------38

Ace soundlessly climbed over a fence into a hotel’s lot and scanned the selection. He had come here for one car in particular – a rare Ferrari 560 Vincitore. Sure enough, it was sitting amongst other cars, trying to blend in. The silvery moonlight glinted off its brilliant red coat and Ace’s smirk faded. He strode over to the automobile and set one hand on the A-pillar. This wasn’t a car he could ever forget.39

With great stealth, Karr silently moved into the parking lot. The Lamborghini’s hood, trunk, and spoiler had been toned down from their shining graphite finish with matte black panels to prevent glare that could flag down the police. He wasn’t nervous – just a little guilty. He unlocked the Ferrari’s doors, tripped the alarm system, and flashed the low-intensity hazard lights twice to let Ace know that he was in the clear.40

Ace carefully lifted the door handle and the door lifted upwards enough for him to get in comfortably, then lowered at the touch of a button. He pressed the Ferrari Horse logo on the black suede-coated steering wheel and the engine fired to life with such a hearty roar that Ace knew someone had heard.41

“Karr, distract him!” he ordered as the patrol car’s siren distantly wailed.42

“As you wish,” Karr replied, flipping the license plates to the blank sides. As soon as the patrol car turned the corner, he took off.43

“Ace, what are you, crazy?” Lance asked from his place at the computer in the warehouse as he realized the Ferrari was tailing the officer.44

“Karr, find a turnaround point and get behind me!” Ace ordered.45

Karr toyed with the officer for a moment before speeding out of the parking lot and taking off down the street. When he had a good lead, he turned a corner and, before the officer could follow, drifted into a parallel parking space and waited for the patrol car and the Ferrari to pass. He pulled out and accelerated to their 170 mph pace in a mere 3.2 seconds.46

The patrol car took a right at the next intersection trying to evade the two. The disc brakes screamed, but were unable to stop the car in time to save it from plunging into the harbor. Ace took a left, but Karr slowed to a halt at the intersection. What had he done?
“Come on, Karr,” Ace beckoned, slowing down for his accomplice. “Casualties are something to be expected when you work above the law. Now let’s get back to HQ and give this baby her new identity.”47

Back at the warehouse, Ace was outside smoking, since this steal had been a victory. After he finished with it, he put it out and went back inside to tend to his car.
“Karr,” he said matter-of-factly as he closed the door. “Next time, just keep driving.”
“Yes sir,” Karr answered in a neutral tone, much like a Marine answering his sergeant. “Did we succeed?”
“Well, she looks good. Thanks for getting rid of that patrol car, it was a bit of a burden.”
Karr looked around and noticed Lance cleaning off the red Ferrari. He gave an affirmative grunt to Ace and parked in his own stall, relieved to finally get some rest. What had happened to him earlier? Why had he felt bad about running the officer into the harbor? Was it him or was he catching Kitt's invasion in the link? It couldn't have been Kitt; the signal block wouldn't let anything through. It *was* him, and there was no denying it. Change was definite. Definite...and frightening.