Author's note: this is not about an artificial soul. It's about circumstances and their effect on that AI, and we know their result. And most importantly, it is about Wilton Knight.
The only worthy Knight
'One man can make a difference' he used to say.
Or one car. Why not?
'If we take out the CPU from the prototype.....' Devon started, but he looked into his boss's eyes and decided not to finish the thought. He heard a murmur much like „over my dead body" but he convinced himself he heard nothing. It was better not to talk about death now.
'I'm sorry, Mr. Knight, but any other way would take.... time.'
'I know' the Knight whispered. He wouldn't say 'I have time', he was not a liar. He was running out of time, they all knew that. Even Wilton Knight had to admit it, after a very important meeting that had to be cancelled because of his condition.
He shivered. 'One man can make a difference' but he won't be this man anymore. He was dying.
A week ago, he was driving to the meeting when his car suddenly switched to Auto cruise and raced to the nearest hospital. The doctors said this decision couldn't save his life, but won him a few more weeks to live. A few more weeks to make a difference.
He would have to use this time wisely. No time to waste! Yet, he was reluctant to allow the technicians to simply throw the old CPU away, and replace it with a new one.
KARR was a prototype. Prototype of his last dream, the Knight Industries Two Thousand. He was too dangerous to be directly used by the Foundation for Law and Government.
So far, KARR was the only part of the dream that had come true. Unreliable for FLAG, but still good enough for the old millionaire to use it as his own car. He was a wonderful, elegant high-tech Trans-Am, after all. The one that won him a few weeks when he turned around and boosted to the hospital against the direct order of his owner.
That was an unexpected move, Wilton Knight admitted to himself. KARR was not programmed to save or even consider human lives, so he must have picked up on his own decision to turn around.
K. A. R. R. Knight Automatic Roving Robot. He lived up to his name, and roved according to his own mind. So how could he allow anyone to take the prototype CPU and simply replace it with a new one? Wouldn't it be murder? Wouldn't he kill his own child with such move?
The Knight touched the hood of the deactivated AI. Even shutting him down was a hard decision for him, but he still believed there was a way to safely re-program his creation.
'Good night, KARR.'
It was sunset.
Wilton Knight walked up into the castle, thinking about the results of the latest tests. He was running out of time. How much he wished he could see the result of his last plans! He felt all right for the time being, but he knew this was the last bloom of health, as temporary as life itself.
It was clear that he would not have time to re-program KARR. He would die, and would leave the dangerous Trans-Am activated. Of so many people here, KARR trusted Wilton alone. Why? Because he was his owner, his creator, or because he was the only one who still trusted him? Was he the only worthy Knight?
A dying Knight. Wilton felt that he had to tell KARR the truth.
He turned around and took a few steps down. He stopped, he hesitated.
Why would he have to tell? Didn't KARR already know? Wasn't he the one who decided to cancel the meeting and race to the hospital instead?
Maybe. But he didn't know the deadlines.
Dead lines?
He didn't know that Wilton could never have him reprogrammed. They had run out of time.
How will the AI react to this? Doesn't he have the right to know?
Doesn't Wilton Knight have the right to say goodbye to his own plans? To his last dream he hoped to live to see?
He turned around again.
Would KARR understand? Not likely. He was programmed to defend himself, and news felt like a death sentence.
Death sentence?
He would shatter KARR's trust forever. This was the last thing he planned to do! And now it seemed that it would really be the last thing he did in his life.
He steadied himself and walked on, heading to the main hall of the castle.
He felt so weak. Maybe it was the weight still on his shoulders. Or maybe it was the pressure that was on his shoulders during his long life. Whatever. He had to go on. He had so little time left....
He had to go to KARR, activate him again, and tell him the truth. Whatever will happen.
At the next turn, he ran into Devon. His best friend and employee was elegantly dressed, and he seemed to be waiting for him. Then, he remembered.
'Oh, the casino! Right?'
Devon nodded.
'I'll be ready in a minute!' he said, as if he had to apologise for being late. As if he didn't need this night off. As if he wasn't happy to run away from this situation, to adjourn this discussion by one more night.
For this night, KARR was left deactivated, unaware of his owner's declining health.
As they rolled to the casino's entrance, Wilton Knight noticed a black Trans-Am parked nearby. It looked so much like his own! It looked exactly like KARR before they started working on him.
It must have been a coincidence.
Or Fate had another idea for Knight Industries.