Echoes

by Macx

KR/TKR, read Nemesis first to get an idea about the set-up of the universe. An old enemy of TKR comes back....

Echoes
by Birgit Staebler
mac@robyn.rhein-neckar.de

It was 5 a.m., still in the middle of the night as some of her colleagues sometimes joked, as Dr. Joanne Royce-Campbell entered the high security facility of FLAG's Nevada desert outpost. The whole building was one vast lab and storage area, honeycombed with dozens of rooms, all state-of-the-art, all under surveillance, and the storage room stretched out under the actual lab. Only a few people worked here, most of them scientists, guarded by an army of security men who were almost twice their number. From the outside the building was a long, flat and rather unattractive construction, as well as fenced in. The few parking spots dotted with private vehicles were the only signs that this was more than just another military base. FLAG was a private organization with government connections, running under semi-government rules, but it was still a far cry from any military. Still, everything in here was under tight control.
For a reason.
The Remote Desert Testing Facility, as it was officially called, dubbed 'Spook Tank' by the people working there, was one of three bases where FLAG worked on their most ambitious projects, the artificial intelligences used for the Team Knight Rider. They had been developed here, all of them, tested and examined, probed and prodded, until the result had been transferred to the California facility to be put into the car bodies. Jo Royce-Campbell was one of the robotics and cybernetic experts working on these projects, though she had not been around to actually be a large part throughout the TKR project. She had only lately joined the team, transferring from Marland Industries about one year ago, and she had mainly worked behind the scenes, evaluating the data the engineers and technicians gave her. Still, she knew each and every AI out in the field and she received frequent updates on development and behavior.
Jo balanced her coffee cup on her papers and the books she had brought with her, fumbling for her high security pass. She fished it out of her jeans, stuck it into the small machine next to the door in front of her, and heard the 'click' of the security bolts sliding back. Cursing slightly as coffee spilled over the rim of the cup she pushed the door open and continued.
"Should have spent the night here," she muttered to herself. "Less trouble in the morning."
The next door was easier because it was guarded by a uniformed man, who smiled
slightly as he saw the petite scientist making her way toward him.
"Good morning, Doctor. Weren't you here just a few hours ago?"
Jo grimaced. "Work, Harry. You know how it is."
"Hm, must be one big project you are on."
"You wouldn't believe it."
He held open the door for her, then accompanied her down the corridor. "You are, as always, the first in today. I expect that no one else is coming." Harry grinned. "It's Sunday."
Jo grimaced. Sunday. Where had the week gone? "Thanks," she muttered and walked on.
After passing the door and finally finding herself in the well-known outmost room of the lab complex that was her domain, Jo put the books down, snatched the prints and the coffee, and walked into the main lab. She switched on the lights. Everything was suddenly bathed in bright, fluorescent light, blinding her briefly. There were no windows to the outside.
"Good morning," she said, voice warm and gentle, as she stepped into the empty room. Her voice echoed slightly and to about anyone else it would have sounded eerie, but Jo found it normal.
The lab was spacious but still looked crammed by all the equipment present, as well as a large work table, several smaller ones at the walls and the wide-spread computer terminal area. A PC dominated the main desk. Jo put down the coffee, shrugged into her lab coat, and looked at the reason why she had suddenly been relieved of a very boring research assignment several months back.
At first there was nothing really remarkable about the small, black box in the middle of the main work table. It was rectangular, flat, about the size of a modern VCR without all the control buttons, and gleamed dully in the harsh lab lights. But on second look it revealed more to the practiced eye. There were a few indentions, sockets for connections, and a panel that led deeper into the flat box. What Jo had on her work table was the central part of an artificial intelligence: the CPU case, the microprocessor. Inside sat the mind and soul of the AI in question, highly intelligent - and catatonic.
That was her patient.
Going through a stack of CDs she chose five of them, then switched on the CD player. Music started in the background, just loud enough to let her feel like she wasn't the only person alive in here because of the dead silence.
"Hope you like the choice of music," she said conversationally. "If you don't, one word of protest is enough."
The AI didn't reply. Jo then began to boot her PC, started to sort through her papers and rearranged some of the equipment on her desk. Jo knew how an AI worked; she had developed some minor ones as well, though none of them had ever been on a level like the TKR ones. None had been what she would call 'sentient'. The one she had in her lab was a predecessor of those out in the field, those teamed up with a human driver. It had been brought to the Spook Tank several weeks back and no one less than Michael Knight himself had asked her whether or not she could help FLAG with the problem they had. Jo had been flattered, but she had also found out that it was a load of work that might well occupy all her free time. Knight had told her that this would be the only project she would work on, that if she needed help she'd receive it, and she had accepted.
"Well, let's see how your night was, my friend," she said.
The AI was aware; that much she knew. It's audio and visual sensors had been reconnected to the lab's sensory net. Jo had decided to really work on her patient she needed him to be able to access his senses if he came out of his catatonia. He had yet to do it, but she knew the feed into the CPU was working.
GOOD MORNING, JO.CAMPBELL@NEVTECH.FLAGNET.COM
WELCOME BACK TO FLAGNET
YOU HAVE 6 NEW MAILS
Jo ignored the emails and logged into the NEVTech computer system.
WELCOME TO NEVTECH
LAST LOG-ON WAS AT 5:01 AM, SAT.
PRINT SERVICE HAS BEEN ROUTED TO LPJ550.
She changed to her own little corner of the NEVTech net and began activating the sensory net log book. The sensory net had been an invention by one of Marland's teams and FLAG had bought the technology, mainly because it helped adjusting a newly-born AI to its new environment as well as letting it interact with the engineers on a wider scale. So far, Jo had had no luck with it for her patient.
Waiting for the computer to load the night's activities, or lack thereof, she sipped at her coffee. She knew the story behind the problematic AI and she knew what had happened to it. If she could actually help - that was a question she had been unable to answer back then, when Knight had asked her, and even now, after nearly three months.
"Hm, quiet night," she commented as she read over the log.
Had she really expected anything else? Probably not. Shrugging, Jo switched programs and waited for the uplink with the AI. Her computer was directly linked to the small black box, enabling her to reach out and work with the programs inside, with the mind of her patient. Sometimes she thought she was a kind of psychologist. She was trying to erase horrifying and terribly painful events and actions out of the mind of the AI, all the time trying not to lobotomize the patient.
SYSTEM UPLINK COMPLETE, the computer told her.
ACCESSING K.R.O.
The screen scrolled down several datastrings, all of no importance to her, then she was inside.
K.R.O. ACCESSED.
SYSTEM INTEGRITY 100%
AUDIO UPLINK TO SENSORNET COMPLETE
VIDEO UPLINK TO SENSORNET COMPLETE
Jo Campbell's task sounded easy: remove all foreign matrix material from the CPU core without destroying the program of the AI mind. Easy... yeah, right. The 'foreign matrix material' had been partially fused to the data strings that were the KRO AI and it was infinitely delicate to remove them. She had taken over a week for one data string and she still couldn't be sure that there wouldn't be remnants. And for each foreign clutch she removed, the AI would fall deeper away from her. Jo knew that the foreign matrix was a copy of the person's mind and personality who had been intended as KRO's driver. He was dead and the AI had witnessed its death, falling into catatonia and having been like this ever since. She also knew KRO's history and it had hurt her to read it all.
Curse Marland and his experiments! She had worked for him for two years and sometimes she had wanted to scream at him to stop being so arrogant and *see* what he was doing. Well, the consequences of this pet project of her former boss had been terrible. The AI had gone over the edge, had killed, and it had defended itself almost to death. Jo was familiar with the original KRO programming and she knew that all AIs started out innocent and clean, that their later handling was what influenced them. This poor thing had been almost driven completely insane, and to help it, the driver's matrix had to be separated from it.
"Let's get to work," she muttered.
She had had several new ideas how to approach this problem, but all had worked only once or twice, then had proven less useful against the worse merges. She was taking something away from KRO that he had held precious and dear: his driver. That the man had been mentally unstable had been of no interest to the young AI. KRO had been programmed to protect him and that was what he had done. Taking the mind matrix away was like leaving KRO in the middle of a large nothingness.
Jo chewed on her lower lip as an idea she had had a while ago surfaced again. She had to give KRO something else to work with, another matrix, but she also couldn't risk introducing a neutral matrix into his abused system. It would either hurt or kill him; or drive him completely over the edge once more. He needed something to concentrate on, something other than his driver who she was slowly removing, but what? Outside stimuli were ineffective, as it seemed. He had yet to even acknowledge that he was receiving the music or words.
"What are you afraid of?" she asked, shaking her head.
He had full access to the video and audio uplink, but he refused to use them. Jo sighed. Okay, back to work. She could try experimenting with her new ideas later.

*

He dreamed.
Nightmares.
Memories that were of a time when his life had been profoundly changed.
He also dreamed of happier times, times with his partner and driver, times when they had been out on the test track, driving full speed and enjoying the rush. He remembered the joy and the freedom; but then the darkness had come. A lot of what had happened was like a totally different nightmare that culminated in his deactivation.
He had been reborn.
More nightmares followed. This time the end had been far more horrifying than a mere deactivation. His driver had died at the hands of those who had reactivated him, had promised them their freedom. Nightmares of being alone crashed down on him, feeding the terror which in turn fed the nightmares. It was a vicious circle. The nightmares were a darkness that held him in a cold stranglehold through which no warmth could permeate because the only warmth that had been there for him had been Martin. Martin was dead.
KRO couldn't feel hatred, actually. He could only feel anger and the pain of his loss, and the pain overshadowed any feelings of revenge, drowning them. Part of him had left him forever and there was a black space of infinite pain inside him. He had curled up and had wanted to die, to be deactivated and scrapped, but he hadn't been. Instead he had been brought somewhere.
KRO was deprived of most of his functions, like vital scanners, video links and all the other special additions he had had in the car body. On top of it was the missing presence of Martin and it slowly drove him mad. He had been there when Martin had been shot, he had scanned his vital functions as he had steadily lost blood and then fallen unconscious, and his medical memory had told him that his driver was dying. All he had now were the memories of a time when he had been complete; a time when FLAG had still been proud of him. He didn't really understand what had changed their opinion of him. He had been intended to be the next generation, to be Kitt's replacement when he and his driver would leave the Foundation, and he had been given his own driver. They had merged them on almost all levels and then... what had happened then? Why had he been shut down?
Old memories of people dying through him surfaced like oily bubbles and KRO frowned. But he also remembered Martin telling him it had been necessary. Martin had always been there for him, he had protected his driver and his driver had protected him. That was what they had been teamed up for, wasn't it? When had he made a mistake? He had followed his driver's orders and wishes. Where had he erred? He didn't really know.
KRO knew that there was a link leading to the outside, for him to link up audio and visual circuits, but he didn't dare. The pain was still too deep and he was afraid what might await him outside. What was inside him was painful enough to deal with and he didn't want more of it.
Time passed by.
He knew that whatever was outside was still there, that it waited for him to react, but he couldn't. Could he? He sometimes felt the stranger outside access his systems and he was helpless while watching him work. Parts of him were carefully split and then removed, the old program, his core program, freed of what was a later addition, after he had been activated. There was no sudden erasure of programs, just the removal of the additions. Whoever was out there knew what he could do and stopped whenever it might endanger the core.
KRO carefully approached the com link to the outside and watched it. His CPU was connected to a restricted net, he saw, but he didn't actually enter the net yet. He analyzed what was out there and finally allowed audio to reach him.
Sound touched his core.
He recoiled, trembling. There was music, a voice, the sound of someone working. He shivered. Someone was around him. The music was in the background, he heard after a while, actually rather nice, and the voice could only be heard now and then. Listening for a long time he got used to the voice and the music. Sometimes he thought the voice was talking to him, but why should it?
More work was done on his programming and he watched the stranger warily all the time. Sometimes there was a twinge of pain and he cried soundlessly as he realized that yet another part of his driver's matrix was purged from his system, but it never really hurt. The memories were still there, very much intact, and he could recall everything about Martin; every little detail. What was done to him was not actually a reprogramming; it was something else. And it was done carefully and over a long stretch of time, trying not to hurt the vulnerable AI.
Finally, after waiting another long time he finally accessed the link that gave him a connection to a computer.
His curiosity had been woken, as well as his suspicion and caution.

*

Around noon, Jo decided to take a break and went to the cafeteria. Taking the prepackaged sandwich and a large cup of coffee she walked back, her mind still busy on the KRO problem. She needed to call FLAG and talk to Michael Knight about an idea she had had before, something that might help her work, if she didn't get anywhere soon. She had been running in circles for a month now and all she could do was remove strings of foreign matrix files and hope the AI would not suffer a breakdown. Integrity had gone down before and it had been a battle to get it to 100% once again.
Jo pushed the door open and walked into the lab, chewing on the ham sandwich. Music was still playing and she found herself humming along as she placed the food next to her work station. Her colleagues, who had worked with her on different projects before, had complained about the stereo set, but she had never given it up. Music helped her work and since she was alone here, it also provided company.
"Not that you aren't company," she told the silent CPU. "But you are quiet company."
>Who are you?
Jo looked at the computer screen like it was an alien object. The three words had just popped up and she knew the source of that question. She felt like crying out in joy. A reaction! She had a reaction!
>My name is Jo Campbell. Can you tell me your name? she typed, ignoring her protesting stomach as she forgot all about her lunch.
The cursor blinked for a while, then the letters 'K.R.O.' appeared.
>Hello, KRO, Jo added, smiling widely.
>Where am I? the AI asked.
>Nevada. FLAG Remote Testing Facility.
The cursor blinked again for a while.
>FLAG. I remember.
Jo watched the screen for more, but nothing happened. >What do you remember? she typed a question.
>_
>_
>_
>KRO?
Silence.
>KRO? Are you still there?
There was no answer and the woman sighed. Well, at least some kind of contact had been established, however short it had been. Jo went back to work and for the next hours it was as if KRO had never spoken. He didn't counteract her work, but he also didn't respond in any way. As Jo took a coffee break and got herself a donut, the screen was filled with words again.
>Jo
>Yes? she answered.
>Where is Martin? I remember Martin....
Jo felt like gnashing her teeth for a second. Of course he would first only remember his driver! The personality matrix was too meshed for a complete recovery of the AI system yet. Darn!
>Jo?
She blinked, aware that she had been staring at the screen and hadn't typed a reply.
>Do you remember Martin?
>Yes. No. I... I am confused.
>Why?
>I feel I know him. He was my driver. He died. That is correct, isn't it?
>Yes, she answered him.
>But I feel like there is more. What happened to me?
Jo sighed. How much could she tell him? KRO was like a comatose patient who had recovered to find some of his nightmares come true.
>You were involved in an accident, KRO.
Silence again. The AI was apparently processing it. Jo checked on the security files keeping track of any activity and found they were monitoring what she believed had to be thought patterns. At least there was a lot of computing going on inside the black box.
>I.... remember. Why am I here? Why was I not destroyed.
She caught her breath. >You remember all?
>Yes.
"Oh, great," Jo muttered and shook her head. >You were brought here for me to work with you, she then answered the question.
>What is your position?
>I'm a robotics and cybernetic expert. I'm trying to undo the damage done to you.
>I see. Are you reprogramming me?
Yes, in a way she was, Jo thought. She was removing a part of him that had belonged to KRO's mind for years now.
>I'm not destroying your mind, she then typed slowly. >I'm trying to remove harmful particles from your data strings.
>What harmful particles?
Your driver, she sighed silently. He is a harmful particle. Goddamnit, why do you have to ask these questions?
>A foreign matrix.
KRO processed that and Jo waited tensely.
>Martin.
She briefly closed her eyes. He was quite quick on the uptake! >Yes.
>Will you also remove my memories?
Well, his reaction was strange. >No, she answered. >I only try to separate to minds to free yours.
>_
>_
>KRO?
>Yes, Dr. Campbell?
>Will you work with me?
>Do I have a choice?
She laughed softly. >Actually, yes, you do.
>What happens if I resist?
>Then I have to work around that. My job is to clean your mind of the foreign matrix, KRO, nothing more, nothing less. I want to be honest about this because if you want to work with me, I want you to know. You will keep your memories, but the matrix has to go.
>Why?
It was a simple question, but it presented Jo with a problem. She knew the reason why. Martin Jantzen had been mentally unstable and through him, KRO had declined rapidly as well. But the AI didn't know that. He had been linked to a human driver and he had seen him as the one he had to protect. How could she explain this to him?
>Because the matrix is hurting you.
>Martin never hurt me
>Not physically. KRO, you were never intended to merge this completely. Martin's presence damaged a part of you I want to heal.
>I don't feel damaged
Of course not. He felt that this was normal.
>No, but there is a foreign matrix inside you, something that doesn't belong to you
>Martin was my driver. He belonged to me.
Jo sighed. This would require a lot more work.
>What happens afterwards? KRO suddenly asked.
>I don't know. It's not for me to decide.
>Am I dangerous?
Jo blinked. If he remembered all, why did he ask? If he remembered killing people, why did he want it confirmed?
>You were dangerous in the car body that had been chosen for you, she now typed carefully.
>Am I now?
>You might still be.
>I understand.
Jo waited for a while, then peered over the computer terminal at the black box. KRO sat silently on the work bench.
>Will you work with me?
>I will try.
>Thank you.
Jo smiled. Well, it was a start and though she would need a lot more time to actually get somewhere, KRO seemed to be cooperative. She had to call Michael Knight. He had to tell him of her progress and the success she had had today.

* * *

It was close to 10 am and Michael had had a late night, so he had woken just half an hour ago. He yawned and walked into the kitchen, smelling coffee. To his surprise he discovered he had a visitor.
"Nick?"
The dark-haired man looked up from where he sat reading the newspaper and drinking coffee. "Good morning, Michael."
"What are you doing here?"
"Visiting while on my way to Vancouver." He smiled slightly.
Michael grinned. Yes, Nicholas MacKenzie was on his way to Vancouver - to meet Alex. It was an open secret and though Nick didn't like to be reminded of the fact that he really loved this woman, Michael couldn't help teasing him about it now and then. They were an odd couple, neither admitting that there was more to their relationship and sometimes really at each other's throat. But as Bonnie had once remarked 'If you can see the sparks fly, you know there will be a fire'. Yup, he had to admit, there was quite a fire....
"Got some more coffee?"
Nick pointed at the coffee machine. Michael got himself a cup and poured the black liquid into it. Then he rummaged around the fridge and found cold waffles. A minute in the microwave made them edible.
"So, anything new?" her asked conversationally.
"Karr is bored, which means he is more insufferable than ever, the warehouse is finished renovation-wise, and I could use some work-out. How is the KRO business coming along?"
Michael attacked the waffles. "Last I heard of Dr. Campbell, she was making progress. She got him talking."
"Is that good or bad?"
"I'd say it's good. KRO was totally unresponsive since Jantzen died and it's a rather positive sign that he is talking. Jo told me he is coherent and as calm as can be expected."
Nick frowned slightly. "What will you do when this therapy is successful? If your doctor can separate the matrix from the core, you'll have a traumatized AI without a body. I recall that the treatment will leave him with his memories intact, which means he remembers killing people, attacking TKR and getting deactivated once before. He will also remember the car body, and an AI suddenly without its shell becomes highly vulnerable."
"I know," Michael sighed, stirring his coffee. "I wish I knew right now. First I want to see if Jo can do it, then, if she is really successful, and I think she will be, I'll have to deal with what to do with KRO. I can hardly expect TKR to accept him as a new team member."
"You'd have to find a driver for him first," Nick reminded him.
Michael nodded. "I have to think this over some more. Jo has been working on KRO for three months now and I believe it'll take about that time again until we can say for sure how much of the damage has been repaired."
"I'd advise you to start thinking already, Michael." Nick raised an eyebrow.
He sighed. "Yeah, I guess you are right."
"Well," Nick announced and got up, carrying his cup over to the sink, "Karr and I'll be off for the next few days. You know how to reach us."
"I'll make sure you won't be disturbed."
MacKenzie grimaced, then waved. Michael was left alone in the kitchen, cleaning up the rest of his waffles. He wondered where Bonnie was; probably doing something or other technical with Kitt.
//She is// Kitt told him through the link.
//Thanks, Pal// he chuckled, then got up. He had work to do, but not enough not to drop in and say good-morning.

* * *

Night had fallen an hour ago and a soft breeze rustled through the leaves of the few trees. In the distance a dog barked and a lonely train whistle added a sense of mystery to the quiet neighborhood. The house lay in a remote location and had been sold quite a while ago. There were no nosy neighbors to poke around and trying to get to know the new owner, but the broker had found out that whoever the buyer was, he was rich, he liked to live alone, and he was slightly eccentric. But it really didn't interest him. He had gotten a fat bonus out of the sale and had left it alone.
The house had undergone a few changes, mainly inside, to accommodate the new owner. None showed luxury, just plain functionality. Except one room. It contained no furniture, no wall decorations and there were no windows. Except there were metal racks. Within the racks were rows of electronic circuit boards, rising to the ceiling and nearly touching it. Among the circuit boards were monitors, disk systems, and equipment numerous small governments would have liked to get their hands on: network sniffers, fax interception devices, units for remote seizure of computer screen images, dedicated password breakers, cell phone scanner-interceptors and more. The room smelled faintly of hot metal and ozone. Thick bundles of cables hung between the racks.
In the middle of the room was a figure, sitting in a wheelchair, attention focused on one of the screens. In the faint glow of the blue light a crooked finger started to type a few commands and a dialing tone could be heard.
"Yeah?" a voice came out of the loudspeakers.
"What is the situation?"
"She has made progress, boss."
A soft hiss of compressed air flowing out of a tank and through a breathing mask was the answer. "Good," a voice then said. "Keep monitoring her progress."
"Will do."
A withered, clawed looking hand hit a key and disconnected the call. The whir of an electric engine, powering the wheelchair he was sitting in, filled the room and the chair moved over to another communicator.
"Dr. Lawrence, your patient will be here soon."
"The car is almost ready," a slightly tinny voice answered. "We'll start applying the protective shielding next week."
"Good."
The wheelchair moved back again and the man left the room.

* * *

Four more weeks had passed with moderate success. Jo sat on her chair, staring at the CPU in front of her, face scrunched up in a deep frown. A cold burger and some half-eaten fries lay next to her. She had been able to remove a bit more of the old matrix, but whatever move she made forward, KRO stepped back. It was like a dance and it was leading toward a steep cliff. He didn't understand why Martin Jantzen, his driver and partner, was a danger and he had sometimes fought back, shifting to his old personality. It was frightening, but she knew it was just a defense mechanism.
>KRO? she now typed.
>Yes?
>Do I hurt you?
>No, Jo. I'm fine.
>Why don't you link up to the audio and visual support?
It had been a topic for days now. KRO simply refused what the SensorNet had to offer! Now he hesitated again, the screen blank.
>Does it hurt to see and hear? she asked.
>I don't know. I'm afraid.
She smiled at the black box. >No one will hurt you.
>I'm afraid I will lose everything, KRO added.
Damn, not again. They had had lengthy discussions about it and she had tried again and again to explain her work to him. Somehow he still believed she'd erase his memories.
>I'm not purging your mind, KRO. I want to heal you. Healing also means you accessing more than this link. The longer you go without sensory input, the more you are likely to feel pain.
>I can't.
After that he refused to answer and she leaned back, thoroughly frustrated. She had to talk to Michael about this idea she had had. Maybe it would give KRO the necessary stability to take the next step with her. Jo slid off the high chair and walked over to the phone.

*

"Okay, listen," Jo tried it once more. "The more I remove of Martin Jantzen, the more open and vulnerable KRO becomes. It's like opening a wound with a scalpel and laser! He is hurting, subconsciously mainly, and he is flailing to find a support. We have to give it to him!"
Michael sighed. "I can't sanction this, Jo, you have to understand."
"I'm not about to try and merge with him, Michael," Jo told him firmly. "I'm trying to give him something to concentrate on other than the last remnants of a matrix he sees as part of himself!"
They had been arguing about this for nearly an hour now and it was revolving around the same argument over and over again. Jo was getting tired of it. She knew Michael was worried and he had every right to be, but she was not about to throw herself into an untested field.
"It's dangerous."
"Yes, and I won't argue about that, but it's also necessary if you want to save this AI and not drive it into insanity."
Michael sighed once more. "Jo, I know I'm repeating myself, but KRO was programmed to exploit weaknesses in his enemies and opponents. If he sees either of it in you, he is going for your weakness, and that is currently your growing compassion for an injured AI."
Jo closed her eyes for a moment, fighting down the urge to yell at her boss. "I don't think he sees me as an enemy, Michael," she finally said as calmly as she could. "And if he does, I can break off the experiment without a problem. Please! I was called as a psychologist and surgeon for this AI, right? You want me to work with KRO, heal him of what was done to him in the past, and because of that I need the freedom to do it." Jo put all her pleading into this. "It's like background music," she added, trying to explain. "Have a monitor close-by if you want to, but let me at least try it! He was talking to me just a few days back, but now he is falling again. He needs stability. Jantzen's matrix was this stability and I'm taking it from him. He needs a temporary substitute until we've fixed the problem."
Michael was quiet for a long time. "Okay, Doctor, you can continue. But I want frequent updates on what is going on and I want your progress to be monitored."
"By whom?" She felt slight dread. If they sent one of those tech heads who would probe and prod and ask stupid questions.....
Michael audibly smiled. "Don't worry, Jo, it won't be anyone who interferes. Actually I was thinking of another AI who has the necessary distance and knows what KRO was before the merge."
Jo wracked her brain for who that might be and suddenly her eyes widened. "Kitt?"
"Yes. He's currently rather bored," he explained with amusement in his voice. "Might be a nice change of scenery."
"You want him to be in the lab?"
"No. Kitt can connect to the sensory net of the lab and keep an eye on things without intruding."
Jo chewed her lower lip. "No interference?"
"None. You work on your own, but you can fall back on Kitt when you have a dead end or need advice. He dealt with the KRO AI when KRO was still clean. He knows him."
"All right," she finally agreed.
After the connection had been terminated, Jo slid off her chair and walked over to a large cabinet. She pulled open a drawer and rummaged around, finding what she had been looking for underneath tools and assorted stuff she never liked to throw away in case it could be of use. Jo looked at the transparent case that contained what looked like electrodes used in medicine for EEGs and chips. They were something like that, but highly sensitive and could transmit neuro signals almost to the detail. She opened the case and took out four of the electrodes, carefully checking them. They seemed okay.
"Okay, let's try this. Can't be more than a failure."
Carefully Jo took two of the electrodes and stuck them to her temples and another two to the back of her neck. They clung tightly and she could move freely without the danger of the small patches falling off. They were almost flat and didn't really stand out at first sight. Finally she activated the lab's sensor transmission program, which allowed the transfer of impulses between the receptors inside the CPU and the net and electrodes.
"Here we go," she said.

* * *

Kitt hadn't talked or tried to touch KRO since the fatal day Martin Jantzen's personality matrix had been merged with the young AI. Before that, they had regularly communicated through the com line all AIs had toward each other and which was usually only used to interface and exchange data. The KRO of former times had been a clean, innocent, highly intelligent person who had looked at his new world with wide, virtual eyes and had asked questions about everything. He had wanted a driver, work with FLAG, be like Kitt. And Kitt had smiled at the eagerness, the 'youth', and had helped him along as best as he could.
KRO had been created to be the next generation, the replacement for Kitt. If someone had told Kitt this before the fateful day Jennifer Knight had done her experiments on him, Kitt would have been jealous, but as it was, he had readily agreed. Having a replacement meant that he and Michael would then be free of FLAG. He still enjoyed the work, the cases, the time on the road with his driver, and since the all-powerful presence of FLAG, the company who had created and owned him, had disappeared, everything had been so much lighter. He belonged to Michael and Michael alone; no one had any rights to the car or the AI inside. That day had been the most joyous in his whole life, with maybe the exception of the discovery of the neuro link, and he cherished it.
When the error of Marland's experiment had finally been revealed, Kitt had been as shocked as everyone. KRO had started to change, grow more hostile, center his attention on Jantzen, and he had only existed to serve. The spirit had been shadowed and tainted. Jantzen had simply used his new partner for his own purposes, pulling him down with him in a way no one could ever have foreseen. In a way it had reminded Kitt of the failed prototype, the KARR, but that had been something different; back then a program had been installed that had had consequences no one could have foreseen. KARR had been saved because of his driver, though nearly too late, but KRO had fallen through Jantzen. Now that Jantzen was dead.... Kitt didn't really know what to expect. He had read the reports Jo Campbell had sent in, he had evaluated her evaluations, and he knew she was making progress, but what was happening to KRO, his core?
"You don't think she can pull it off?" Michael asked as he voiced his worries out loud.
"I don't know, Michael. Dr. Campbell is a highly capable scientist and a professional in her field, but what she is attempting is virtually impossible. Martin Jantzen's personality was meshed with KRO's core to make them a team and separating them might result in killing what KRO was. I don't believe she can remove everything."
"But maybe enough so he can work normally again."
Kitt doubted that whatever was the result of Dr. Campbell's work would be the KRO he had known. The young AI was gone and whatever would come out of this, he hoped it would be better. KARR was gone as well, his memories just a dark shadow, and the Karr who had helped Kitt through so much and who was his older brother was vastly different. He lived with his memories and he had accepted it. Could the same thing happen to KRO?
Kitt had readily agreed to watch the next step in Dr. Campbell's attempt to heal her patient and had linked up with the SensorNet inside the facility. He could hear and see what was going on and he usually was there full time. There wasn't much back at home Michael needed him for and he could divide his time enough to still keep track of his driver. Michael was buried in paper-work, Bonnie was on some kind of congress, and there was nothing requiring his attention. Using herself as a substitute matrix sounded logical to Kitt at first, but it had its drawbacks and it might fail completely. What if Dr. Campbell underestimated KRO? What if he was just showing her the surface and beneath was nothing but boiling hatred? What if he was using the only person who wanted to truly help him with all her strength?
Finding KRO was easy once he had explored the SensorNet and Kitt was shocked of the state the other AI was in. KRO was a small, gray ball curled up in the farthest corner, only a few tendrils stretched out to access the link to the computer he used to communicate, walling himself off. Jo had access through her work station to his core and that he couldn't escape, but he shied away from contact he had to initiate. It was a step forward from the catatonia, but it was a far cry from a healing. Kitt didn't approach him and he didn't make his presence known; he just stayed and watched. No, there was no pretense. KRO was a hurt and lonely being, his driver dead, his world torn apart, his only outside contact the woman who had been entrusted with his healing. Kitt felt with him.

* * *

Getting used to the electrodes had taken a while, but now Jo's first task when entering the lab was attaching the patches. KRO had not really commented on the new background feeling of her presence, but he wasn't evading her when she worked on the core programs again. Kitt was mostly a silent watcher close by, but they had had a few conversations now and then. Stretching, she worked the kinks out of her neck, rubbing over a patch sticking tightly to her skin. At least the urge to scratch it every now and then had disappeared.
Suddenly there was a sound. Jo froze. It had sounded strange, slightly mangled, but it had come from inside the lab.
"Hello?"
Silence.
"Kitt?" she addressed the ever-present monitor.
"Yes, Jo?"
"Did you just make a noise?"
"No, I didn't."
"Okay," she answered slowly, sliding off the chair and walking over to the computer. The screen was empty. "KRO?" she asked.
Silence again.
Jo checked the log and a bright smile split her face. He had accessed audio.
"KRO, was that you? I know you can hear me. You accessed the audio link."
Something crackled again and this time she thought it sounded like someone clearing his throat.
"Okay, slowly, take it easy. Are you accessing the audio input link from the SensorNet?"
>Yes
She smiled. "So you can hear me?"
>Yes. You.... are a woman.
Jo felt like laughing out loud. Of course! KRO had never heard her before, at least in a kind of conscious manner, and he had only communicated via the computer.
"Yes," she now answered, amusement audible in her voice. "Does is bother you?"
>No. It is just a surprise.
"Can you access the voice link? The audio output?"
>I think so.
There was more crackling and Jo tensed, praying this would work. The AI casing as such had the potential for voice communication as well and she would have to have a look at it when she took a break from her work. Maybe KRO would feel better if he didn't have to go through a foreign system.
"KRO?" she now asked.
"Yes?"
Jo froze, eyes wide. It had been a voice, coming from the lab speakers, slightly hesitant and also wavering.
"You did it!" she finally whispered.
"I... think so," he answered.
His timbre was dark and deep, currently very much laced with insecurity and fear, and she felt like hugging someone at the success.
"You did it!" she exclaimed, looking at the CPU with a bright smile. "I'm so proud!"
"Thank you," KRO answered after a while. "Jo?"
"Yes?"
"I... feel strange. There is something...."
Worry and fear clutched her. Oh, no... not another integrity failure! "What? Describe it, KRO." Jo almost ran to her work station, but as she checked there was no sign of any errors or imminent failures.
"I feel something. With me. It has been there for a while, but I didn't notice it as strongly as until a few seconds ago."
Jo blinked, then unconsciously touched the electrode patch on her temple. Had he actually taken note of that?
"Jo?"
She inhaled deeply. "Yes, I'm here. I think I have to explain some things to you. Now that you have made a few more steps forward into the right direction, we need to talk about what has happened lately."
"I don't understand."
"You will."

* * *

Kitt had watched KRO for a while now, keeping his presence at the border between the two CPUs, just watching. He didn't want to scare the injured AI and he hoped that throughout his continued presence, KRO would get used to him. As Jo continued her work, he watched her a well. She was careful in what she did, explaining it to KRO as she went along, and in a way it helped the younger AI to understand. He was curious now and then, even playful when Jo didn't work on the data strings and concentrated on simply talking to him or coaxing him to talk about himself. Kitt appreciated the approach. Still, there were episodes where KRO reverted back to his old self, fighting and acting hostile, going up against whatever threatened him. Those were brief interludes, but they were a source of worry.
He also talked to Jo directly and found her a very interesting, multi-layered person who had never stood out among projects. Someone else had always been given the credit and Jo had never really protested. She was at ease with AIs, but it wasn't like her only friends were computers. Right now though, she worked mostly alone.
Over the time Kitt moved closer to KRO, making himself known, and though the younger AI always shrank back in fear, he knew he wasn't traumatizing him. KRO was getting used to the idea of Kitt being there.
::kitt?::
It was the first time he acknowledged it and Kitt smiled gently. ::yes?::
KRO came closer, careful and hesitant, and it reminded him a lot of their first meeting, when KRO had been recently activated. He had met Kitt with awe and hesitation. The being now approaching was equally hesitant, but where once a bright spark had glowed vibrantly, there was a grayish ball of faint light. Darkness seemed to swirl over the surface, but it was a darkness unlike Karr's. This one was alien; Jantzen's influence.
The meeting happened outside the CPU, not on such an intimate level like Kitt shared with his brother Karr or his driver.
::how long?:: KRO asked.
::some time:: Kitt answered truthfully.
::watching. why?::
::as a safety measure::
KRO mulled that over. Kitt didn't really want to lie to him about his presence. ::i wouldn't hurt jo::
He smiled briefly. ::maybe, but you are not always in control, are you?::
Kitt had noticed the backlashes, just like Dr. Campbell, and he felt sad each and every time. KRO was fighting the past, but now and then it was simply too much for him.
::no:: KRO now answered sadly. He moved back again and something like a sigh passed through the void.
Kitt watched him. KRO remained silent and distanced himself more, but he worked with Jo and Kitt continued to just watch.

* * *

"It's time."
The burly man standing in the partially dark room nodded. "We are ready. Our man on the inside has been contacted and will switch off the security the moment we tell him. We'll be in and out in a flash."
"Good. Don't harm the merchandise."
"Don't worry, boss."

* * *

KRO sat in the darkness of his CPU, shivering a bit, but every time he felt misery creep upon him, the faint hum of background noises drew him out of the black depths of depression and pain. He hadn't noticed the support, the hum, until he had linked to the audio units. Why then he didn't know. Now he also knew what it was. It was a replacement for what Jo Campbell was taking from him, keeping him safe and secure, giving him something to hold onto while she tried to heal his torn mind. And it was a part of her. KRO had started to listen to the hum, sometimes moving closer and feeling the vibrations like a familiar program among his. Sometimes the vibrations changed and he consulted the audio input to see if it correlated with events in the lab. Through it he learned more about the woman treating him.
He understood the procedure, the electrode patches, and he knew what he was receiving was a faint copy of what had been inside him. Still, it was a comfort. He drew on that comfort and he missed Jo whenever she went home or left the lab complex for another reason. He had started to trust her.

* * *

His name was Bruce Montiro and he had been with FLAG for nearly five years now. He was one of the security guards at the Remote Testing Facility in Nevada and was mostly on duty in the security control room. Montiro had been with the police until a young punk had tried to shoot him for giving him a parking ticket. The slug had nearly severed his spine in two and though he had recovered, he was no longer fit for police duty. He couldn't stand for any length of time and running was out of the question. Applying for security guard jobs had been the only alternative to eternal desk duty. FLAG had taken him and he was now responsible for the whole facility. The job paid well and he could need the money.
Montiro was divorced. His wife had left him when he had been in the hospital and it had devastated him. She had taken the kids and left, the insurance had paid not enough to help him through the time of recovery without indebting himself, and in the end he had lost the house and the car. Montiro had managed to claw his way back out of the pit again, getting this job and a small apartment within the employee complex. Only a few people lived here permanently, most of them either scientists or guards. But then he had gone to Vegas - and had come back with an addiction to gambling. For months he went there again and again, and he had lost most of his money, even that he hadn't even earned yet.
Afraid that if FLAG found out, they would fire him, Montiro had tried to get more money from somewhere else to pay back his debts. That was when a stranger had approached him, offering him money for services to be rendered later. They would pay his debts and all he had to do was let them into the facility. He had fought with his conscience, then had told himself that if he got fired, he would never find a job like that ever again. And what was there to steal anyway? Some computer chips?
And Montiro had agreed. It had been months back, nearly half a year, and no call had ever come. He had started to relax, until yesterday evening. The fateful call had come. He knew he was on duty in the control room tomorrow morning and it was the easiest task in the world to simply switch off the sectors he had been told to. Sweating, his fingers shaking, Montiro tied the knot of his tie. He knew he had to do it. He owed the man who had saved him...

* * *

They came in two vans with tinted windows, passing through the front gate control unhindered as the automatic doors opened. The guards, who functioned as back-up in case the gate didn't open or someone was trying to gain access without authorization, watched the vehicles enter, but they weren't alarmed. You couldn't fake the access code. The vans drove over to the main building, one stopping at the front, the other at the rear. Five men got out of each one and entered.

*

Montiro was startled when he heard the footsteps. He had been watching the security monitors with wide eyes, seeing the intruders enter and start sweeping the grounds. So many? And armed! Now he turned to see who it was.
"What...." he started and rose from his chair as he discovered it was one of the intruders.
There was a popping noise as a muffled shot went off. Bruce Montiro crumbled to the ground, dead before he even hit the floor, eyes wide. The shooter just let the door to the control room fall shut and walked away.

*

Jo was in her lab, as always, working carefully on a new datastring, humming along to the music. Kro had been rather silent today and she had to confess she missed his voice. Yes, it was rather dark, but she had detected a smoothness in it that returned every time he felt secure, when he knew there was nothing to fear. She tried to coax him out of his hide-out inside the CPU and she had had success from time to time. She had changed therapy again and he was reacting rather positively, she thought. As she finished with the first section, she looked up and at the CPU case. She had never really studied it because all the links she had needed were within the work station, but of lately she had spent more and more time thinking about the case as such. It was the central part of Kro, of the car he had been installed in, and as such it had sensors or open connecting sockets to sensors as well. Currently it was in what was called a shock absorber, a metal cage that allowed easy transport and kept the CPU from receiving too many jolts or lying flat on a table.
Jo got up and walked over to the desk. She saw external connections, open and accessible, and the ridges of the panel leading to Kro's inner self. Beyond this thin wall of metal was what made the AI what he was. The sockets had never been closed because no one had ever thought that an AI would end up with no body it was connected to. One socket contained the plug into the SensorNet, the others were empty.
"Kro?"
"Yes, Jo?" he answered.
As always she felt a slight shiver at the voice. In a way it touched something dark inside her, something no one wanted to be reminded of, but then there was a smoothness, a sensual aspect to the voice, that gave her a jolt. She had also started to think of his name as more as an acronym. It was a name; he was a person. He might not be like Kitt, he would need to go a much longer way to grow as much as the older AI had in all his life, but he had started to transform into something more than just the K.R.O. for her. He was a person, someone who suffered and who needed as much help and empathy as a human being would in his situation.
"I want to try something. Are all the sensors on the case online?"
"Yes, they are."
"You would be able to hear me even if taken off the SensorNet?"
"Yes, but it would not be the same."
She smiled. "I know. Can you feel touch?"
"I can feel someone handling the case, yes," Kro answered slowly. "What do you want to do?"
"I want to touch the case and I want you to tell me if you feel it. There is a special extension to the SensorNet, a kind of glove. I want you to tell me if something inside you changes when I give you a sense of touch through me."
The idea had struck her a while ago. Kro could hear and speak, even see if he would just be brave enough to connect, which he still wasn't, and the only sense he still didn't have was the one of touch. Inside the car body he had had scanners to tell him of his environment when the audio or visual function didn't work, but here he didn't. Maybe giving him a sense of touch would change that, would help her along the bumpy road she was currently on. The deeper she delved into the core programming, the more difficult it was for her to proceed because more and more obstacles rose. Like a human patient he was frightened of what might come, of what she might change. And he fought it his way, even if it was subconsciously.
"Okay," Kro now said hesitantly.
"I'm not going to hurt you," Jo promised him as she got the wire-net glove that looked like a spider web with little knots. She fastened it around her fingers and forearm. "If it hurts, please tell me."
"I understand."
Jo checked the settings. The glove had been invented by a colleague of hers and it had served well in the early stages of AI experiments. It had been an evolution of the virtual reality gloves used to move through the 3-D world of VR, and it transmitted signals even more precisely.
Carefully, Jo stretched out her hand and pressed it onto the case. The metal was smooth and slightly warm to the touch. She ran her fingers lightly across the black surface.
"It feels.... strange," Kro said, his voice slightly choked.
Jo smiled. "Does it feel okay?"
"I think so."
She was just about to say something when the alarm went off. Jo straightened, confused, a rush of adrenaline surging through her. An alarm?!
"Jo? What is the matter?"
"I don't know," she answered, running over to the phone. It was dead. "It's the evacuation alarm," she breathed.
"Evacuate? Why?" Kro asked, confused.
She had no idea. The phones were dead and she had no way of reaching anyone. Suddenly Harry burst into the room, gun drawn, face flushed.
"Dr. Campbell!"
"Harry, what's wrong? What's going on?" she asked, fear gripping her. The electrodes tingled on her skin.
"Someone's attacking the facility! They are everywhere! They are armed! You have to get out."
Like from far away Jo heard something remotely like a car misfiring. She blanched. "But...."
"Quick!" Harry urged her.
Jo ran over to the desk, starting to disconnect the CPU from the work terminal. "Kro, we gotta leave. Sorry about the rush. Just hold on, it's gonna be all right," she whispered urgently.
"Jo?" he sounded alarmed and even more confused.
"Doc, hurry! We don't have time for this!" Harry yelled.
There was an explosion close by, rattling the building.
"They are detonating the security locks!"
Jo grabbed her backpack, the unreality of the situation hitting her. Why would someone attack this lab? Why?! She took the CPU as carefully as possible, thanking whatever had made her lock it into the stabilizer cage, and put it into the backpack.
"Doc, please! Leave that!"
"It's important, Harry!" she told him. "I can't leave him here."
The next explosion was just around the corner and she was thrown against the table, hitting her hip on the corner. Tears of pain sprang to her eyes and Jo bit down a cry. Harry grabbed her upper arm and shoved her ahead of him. At the door he gestured her to duck, then took a peek. The guard eased silently out of the lab, secured the area, then motioned her to follow. The hurried down the opposite end of the corridor from where the explosions were coming from. Jo limped as fast as she could, fighting the pain.
Then the lights went out, plunging them in darkness. Jo stifled a gasp and stopped, feeling and hearing Harry next to her. The emergency lighting flickered on, bathing everything in a weird, orange glow.
"Back entrance," Harry told her in a whisper.
Suddenly she heard shouting and the popping noises from before. One was followed by a muffled scream.
"Of my god!" she whispered.
"Go!" Harry ordered. "Run! I'll hold them off."
"But..."
"I said go!"
And Jo ran. A new explosion rattled the building and the shockwave threw her to the ground. She rolled around, clutching the backpack to her chest, silently apologizing for the rough ride to her patient. Then she scrambled to her feet, running down the corridor as fast as she could. Her lungs were protesting against the sudden activity. She had never been good at sports, probably because she had been asthmatic as a child and her lungs couldn't actually support longer runs, but she drove herself on. Somewhere behind her something crashed down heavily, then there was shouting and gunfire. Jo felt tears sting in her eyes, as much from the fear as from the smoke wafting through the place. Somewhere something had to be burning.
And then she saw the doors. Calling upon her last reserves, the woman ran toward the exit - to find the doors locked. She felt like screaming with frustration. She had to get out of here!
Think, Jo!
She had been to each and every corner of the complex before and she knew it inside out! There had to be an escape route. But if these people had found a way inside, into a highly secured facility!, then how was she supposed to get out?
And why did she have to get out anyway?
Jo stopped. What if she hid? What if she made them believe she had escaped? What if she bided her time until help, which she hoped was on the way, arrived? She swallowed, trying to find a location inside the Testing Facility that could hide her.
The Robotics Lab!
Jo pushed herself away from the door, slung the backpack on her shoulders, the weight of Kro settling into place, and tried to get her bearings. She was not far from the RL. Inside were several test cylinders she could hide in. No one would actually look into them. With renewed courage she headed down into the smoky corridor again, coughing, trying not to breathe too deeply. Half-blinded by the tears that had sprung to her eyes she finally reached the door to the Robotics Facility, pushed it open and quickly looked around. No one here.
Okay, hide.
She ran over to one of the rectangular environmental boxes and peered inside, favoring the boxy construction over the coffin-like cylinders. She crawled inside, pulling it shut, then settled back against the wall. Like from far away she heard loud crashes and more explosions. Jo curled up, clutching the CPU to her chest, trying to even out her breathing.
"I'm safe, I'm safe, I'm safe," she continued muttering to herself.

*

KRO was confused. He felt the jolts, his newly discovered outside sensors came in contact with some kind of rough material and there was heat. Finally the jolts stopped and there was only the warmth and a sound like harsh breathing. The breathing quieted down after a while. He searched for a way to access the link allowing him to use the audio unit outside the casing and finally found it. It was a small system, powered by his internal power cells, and he had never really felt like using it because the SensorNet had been more convenient. Now there was no Net, only the 'touch extension' Jo was wearing and it sent conflicting signals.
"Jo?" he asked.
He heard a faint gasp, then someone touched the casing. "KRO?"
That was Jo's voice, shaky, slightly choked, and barely above a whisper.
"What is going on?"
"Shhh...." she whispered. "Don't talk. They might hear us."
Confused he fell silent. Jo was very close to him, her hands caressing the black box, but he also felt the fear. The background noise, her presence, had changed to something more violent, frantic.... painful. Still, he didn't want to lose it and he kept close to it. Who were 'they'? Why had they evacuated? What was going on?

* * *

The large, unmarked plane sat in the middle of nowhere. There were no towns close by, no populated highways led past its temporary 'parking spot' and no tourist tours would be expected. The ramp in the back was lowered, the thrusters as always pointing down, ready to leave if necessary, and the engines were off. The plane's name was Sky One, the mobile home of Team Knight Rider, FLAG's newest operation force. Home of not only the five operatives and their vehicles but also about sixty other crew members, Sky One could land virtually in every spot large enough for the massive plane and fly faster than its sisters, the C-5 planes who had not been modified.
Currently, three vehicles were weaving their way around the plane, chasing each other, executing hair-raising maneuvers. TKR had just gone back on duty after a two-week, forced interruption due to the appliance of the MBS shielding to the vehicles. Michael Knight had fought long and hard with the board and had finally won a small victory. Though neither vehicle had a full strength Molecular Bonded Shell, they were now no longer as vulnerable as before. The MBS had about half the strength of Kitt's, which was more than an armored car had and would suffice for now. Michael was still trying to get the Foundation Board to allow a full MBS, but that would take time and a lot of stamina.
Kyle Stewart, leader of the small team and driver of Dante, was in the middle of going through the last report he had typed up and was about ready to send it. Their last two cases before the interruption of daily operations had been rather easy and a welcome relief to what had occurred several months back. Fighting KRO, Jantzen and General Jackson Nash had been a strain on all of them. It had taken the team nearly three weeks to recover to full strength and there were still remnants. Both AIs and operatives had had to deal with a lot, especially since Michael Knight and Kitt's presence within FLAG had been revealed to the others. Kyle was relieved that he no longer had to keep the secret, but he also remembered the accusations. Dante had suffered through something similar since the other AIs had been as angry as their partners.
"Kyle, do I have to remind you of the training session you promised Jenny?" Dante's voice now interrupted his thoughts.
Kyle rolled his eyes and looked at the slowly rotating image of the silver Ford in a corner of his computer screen. "Yes, Dante. I remember. But I'm busy."
"You promised."
"I know," he repeated.
"So....?"
Kyle sighed. Why did his own car have to play matchmaker? "Dante.... shut up?"
"Just trying to be helpful with your oh-so tight schedule," Dante remarked sarcastically. "While the others are testing the MBS capabilities, I'm stuck in the garage because you have paperwork," he added.
"We know that your MBS is strong enough to withstand blasts. There is no need for further testing."
Dante gave a 'hah'.
Kyle shot him a nasty look, but any reply he might have had was cut off by the beep of an incoming message. He switched on the small vid screen. The FLAG logo popped up, then replaced by Michael Knight's face.
"Kyle, there has been an emergency," the former key operative said, his voice transmitting enough urgency for Kyle to be immediately alert. "The Nevada Remote Testing Facility is under attack. The call came in five minutes ago."
"Nevada? That's...."
"Where KRO is kept," Michael finished grimly. "Yes."
"Dante?" Kyle asked the ever-present AI.
"We could be there in approximately fifteen minutes," Dante answered dutifully.
Michael nodded, having heard the words. "Get on it, Kyle."
"We are on our way."

* * *

Duke stopped Beast just short of the main entrance, shaking his head. "Damn, what happened here?" he whispered.
Everything was dead and quiet, smoke curling up from part of the building, the gates wide open.
"Duke, there are two bodies right in front of us," Beast reported, sounding a bit subdued.
Duke got out of the truck, hearing the others stop not far behind. He walked around the gatehouse and swallowed. The two guards lay sprawled in the sand, both killed by a shot to the heart.
"Duke? Oh my god!" Jenny stopped, eyes wide.
"They are dead," he said flatly. He didn't really have to check for a pulse.
"Search the area and the buildings," Kyle ordered, squinting as he surveyed the silent area. "Look for survivors. Dante?"
"I have detected nothing so far," the Ford replied readily. "No life signs. But there are an awful lot of .... human remains," he then added.
"Get going," Kyle ordered quietly and walked off toward the main building.
Duke climbed back into Beast and drove to the back, slowly, Beast scanning for anything alive.
"Hey, I got something," the AI suddenly said, startling Duke out of his thoughts.
"Where?"
"Just up ahead. Human life sign."
"Armed?"
"Not that I can see."
Duke stopped and got out.

*

Jo was nearly at the end of her emotional rope. She had left the Robotics Lab when the terrible explosions had died down, when there had been no more noises. She didn't know how long she had been inside the box, but it had been like an eternity. Kro had been quiet throughout it. He had apparently switched off his case's sensors after she had told him to be silent; hopefully he wasn't falling again....
Now she crept along the base of the building and around a corner, aiming for the exit. She scurried across a walkway to the shadowy area next to a shed used to store back-up machinery. As she carefully made her way along the wall she heard steps. Jo froze. Someone was here. Maybe one of the attackers? Her heart was hammering wildly and she felt cold sweat break out.
And then someone stepped into view. Jo screamed as he approached her and lashed out at the tall man, hitting him with the calibration instrument she had taken with her as a weapon when she had left the lab, though not actually hard enough to leave more than a bruise.
"Hey, whoa, lady!" he exclaimed, warding it off, trying to reach her.
Jo ducked quickly, diving under his hand, and made a run for the door. She flung open the doors, ignoring the devastation and destruction around her, and ran with the remaining strength she still had. Suddenly something loomed up in front of her, big and black, and on wheels. It stopped right in her path and she smacked into it with enough force to throw her back and onto her butt.
"Not so fast," a deep, gruff voice told her.
Panting, frightened and confused, Jo tried to get to her feet, Kro's weight on her back suddenly ten times what it really was, and she stumbled. Strong hands grabbed her, pulling her to her feet, and she immediately lashed out once more, but it was just a weak flail. Still, it hit the tall man's cheek and he yelped, drawing back, but not letting go of her. Jo was desperate and more than a little blind with panic. She kicked out and hit him somewhere painful. The man wheezed, though she hadn't landed a 100% hit, and Jo freed herself. She sprinted away from her attacker, aware that the car reversed and shot past her, blocking her way once more. She screamed and managed to avoid slamming into the black truck once more, but now the man had caught up with her again. Jo fought against him, aiming to scratch his face, but he caught her wrist and his fingers closed around it like a vice.
"Calm down, we're on your side!"
Jo panted hard, her vision slightly fogged, her adrenaline level high, her heart pounding. She looked at her captor, his broad, unshaven face displaying a calming smile. Jo's mind was screaming to get away, not to trust whoever this man was, that she had to keep KRO safe.
"I'm Duke DePalma, Team Knight Rider. I've come to help!" he told her, his dark eyes fixing her wildly roaming ones.
She was shaking badly now, her memory presenting her with the name of the TKR operative and also the name of his AI. "Oh," was all she managed.
Good one, Jo! Sounds like a bimbo about to faint!
And she felt ready to faint. Her adrenaline level was dropping and the sudden burst of energy was replaced by weariness, a dully throbbing headache and the desire to just break down and cry.
Duke raised his wristwatch to his mouth. "Kyle, I found a survivor. I'll get her to Sky One."
"We'll be with you in a moment," a male voice replied. Whatever happened here, it was quick and bad. A clean up and investigation team is coming in."
Duke turned back to her. "What's your name?"
"Jo Campbell," Jo managed.
"Dr. Joanne Royce-Campbell?" the black truck asked. "The computer shrink?"
She smiled weakly and had to laugh at Duke's expression. "Yes, the computer shrink. Drop the 'Royce'. I'm just Dr. Campbell. You must be Beast. Heard a lot about you."
The truck seemed to glow. "Hope only good things."
"I only listen to the good things." Jo wondered where she took the nerve from to make normal conversation here. Inside she was a total wreck. Her place of work had been bombed, friends killed and she had been chased. She had spent hours in the environmental box and currently she didn't feel all that steady at all.
"Lady, you are my kinda woman."
"Beast, cut it out," Duke growled. He turned to her. "Can you tell me what happened?"
Jo shook her head. "Not really." She felt slightly dizzy and clutched the backpack more tightly. She needed to check on her patient. Kro had been too silent for her liking and she feared the worst. Maybe this all had been too much for him.... "I was in my lab, pulling overtime again, when the alarm went off. Harry got me out." She swallowed as the memories returned. "God, they shot him....!"
Duke laid a calming hand on her shoulder. "Come on, let's sit you down."
Beast readily popped open the passenger door and Jo climbed inside. As Duke tried to take the backpack she shook her head, holding it to her.
"Sorry, this is something important," she said, voice rough.
"Okay," he answered slowly, a strange expression in his eyes. "So, what can you tell me about what happened?"
"I ran," Jo whispered. "I didn't know who those people were, but I guess they were after my work. I hid in the Robotics Facility until I believed it to be safe, then I ran into you." She looked over at the flat building of the Remote Testing Facility. "They are all dead, right?"
"I don't know. We are still looking. That's when you tried to clobber me." Duke flashed her a brief grin. "Beast?"
"I still scan no life signs," the AI answered after a second. "I'm sorry."
Jo closed her eyes, feeling a lump in her throat, her eyes stinging. She was on the verge of a nervous breakdown.
"Listen, I'll get you out of here. You need a doctor and I'm sure Kyle wants to talk to you."
She shook her head. "I have to talk to Michael Knight," she protested faintly.
Duke nodded. "Okay, we can arrange that from Sky One."
Sky One?! No! She couldn't go! Jo wanted to protest again, but she had no strength left. Holding on to the precious contents in her backpack she watched as he closed the passenger door, then got in as well. She didn't know when, but she nodded off as Beast drove back toward the desert highway, curled around the backpack, oblivious to the world.

Duke looked over at his passenger and smiled slightly as he saw that she was asleep. Joanne Campbell was an almost petite woman with long, dark brown hair, which was currently a mess and singed, dressed in jeans, sneakers and a shirt. She was dirty from head to toe and she had curled herself around the backpack. Duke wondered what was inside. Maybe what the attackers had been after?
"Beast? What can you tell me about Dr. Campbell?"
"She is asleep on my passenger seat," the AI rumbled.
"Very funny."
"Thought so myself."
"And now the facts?"
"She is cute."
Duke rolled his eyes. "Beast!"
"Hey, keep it down. The lady's asleep," Beast growled.
Duke shot him an annoyed look.
"Okay, okay," his partner finally relented. "Dr. Joanne Royce-Campbell, married to Paul Campbell, widowed, robotics and cybernetic sciences, expert in her field, came from Marland Industries to FLAG about two years ago after working for Marland two years. Mainly does in-depth personality analysis for AIs and human partners."
Duke raised an eyebrow and looked at the sleeping woman again. "A psychologist?"
"You could say that. She fixes broken things."
"You said she's a widow."
"Yeah, her husband died three years ago in a traffic accident."
"Bad," Duke muttered.
"You might wanna know who she is related to," Beast added.
"Yeah?"
"Quinn Campbell, former Board member. She is Dr. Campbell's grandmother-in-law, if you want to see it like that. Paul Campbell was Mrs. Quinn's grandson."
Duke frowned, but didn't comment. The rest of the journey was spent in silence.

Jo woke to a rocking motion and she opened her eyes. Beast was driving into the belly of a plane, Sky One, she recalled. She tried to straighten and winced as multiple bruises and abrasions made themselves felt, accompanied by a killer headache.
"Welcome to Sky One," Duke announced as he pulled into the garage.
Jo gave him a smile. As Beast stopped in his assigned parking space, Duke opened the door and walked around his car, opening hers. Jo got out, her knees suddenly very wobbly, and Duke lent her a helping hand.
"Thanks," she muttered.
"Hey, Duke, new girl-friend?"
The jovial voice belonged to a young man, maybe in his early twenties, with long hair and a Bugs Bunny T-shirt. He grinned at them, then the smile disappeared as he took in Jo's condition.
"Wow, what happened? Beast ran her over?"
"Hey, watch it!" Beast growled.
"Dr. Campbell, meet Trek Sanders, resident nut," Duke introduced them.
Jo called up another smiled. "Hi."
"I heard the others were out on a mission. Guess I missed some action, hm?" Trek remarked.
"The action was over when we got there," Duke answered. "Let's get you into the infirmary," he addressed Jo.
"No," she protested immediately. "I need to talk to Michael Knight!"
"That can wait until the doc's checked you."
Jo freed herself of the grasp. "No," she said, voice firm. "It can't. I need to talk to him. Now."
Trek and Duke exchanged a look, then Duke shrugged. "Okay...."

* * *

"I'm glad you are all right, Jo," Michael said, looking seriously at her.
Jo just nodded, the backpack still held tightly to her chest as she sat in one of the chair. "I'm okay, but I guess no one else is, right?" she sounded subdued.
Kyle shook his head and she winced, staring the desk for a moment.
"Why?" she then asked.
"We are currently trying to find out." Michael gave her a serious look. "Have you seen anyone?"
"No. Harry came into the lab, told me there were intruders, and then he got me out. He... he held them off." Jo swallowed.
"They were looking for something," Kyle then said, "but we can't say for sure what has been removed from the facility until the clean up team is done going through each lab. All the larger machines and instruments are still there. Michael, was there any special project running?"
Michael looked at Jo, raising both eyebrows. "You could call it that, but I don't believe anyone would be interested in it. Jo, what happened to your project?"
All eyes turned on the scientist and she sighed.
"I took it with me," she answered. "It... is safe; maybe a bit rattled."
"Uh, what are we talking about here?" Duke wanted to know. "The mysterious backpack?"
"Michael, I need technical support," Jo addressed Knight, ignoring the others. "I need an outside feed or he might slip again. But I can't do it here!"
"Currently Sky One is the safest place there is for you," Michael answered slowly.
"I can't stay!"
"Excuse me, but what are we discussing here?" Kyle asked, looking first at Michael, then Jo.
"Dr. Campbell has been working on a special project for the last four months, involving the healing of an artificial intelligence created by Marland Industries and FLAG," Michael explained slowly. "Lately the project has had a lot of success."
"You have an AI in your backpack?" Trek exclaimed, eyes alight.
Jo nodded.
"Wow!"
"Not so 'wow' when you know who it is," she muttered.
"Michael, what is going on?" Kyle asked, voice edgy.
"Jo's task can be described in a few words," Knight answered levelly. "Remove all foreign matrix strains from the AI in question and heal it. Her job is to separate Martin Jantzen's personality pattern from KRO."
"What?!" Duke nearly yelled, moving almost instinctively away from Jo.
"Whoa, return of the phantom or what?" Erica muttered.
"You want to tell me that the AI she has taken with her from the lab and which currently in her backpack is KRO?" Kyle asked, voice dead.
"Yes."
They all stared at the backpack. Jo shot them warning looks. If anyone so much as made a threatening move, she'd... well, she had no idea what she would do, but she would try for something painful!
"If that thing so much as coughs at me, I'm out of here!" Erica declared.
"He is just a CPU case," Jo sighed, anger floating to the surface. "He can't harm you."
"Lady, you better leave that decision to us," Duke muttered.
"Michael, I need to be off this plane," she now repeated. "You see my problem. I disconnected Kro in a hurry and he might be back to almost catatonic already!"
"You have to stay until we find out what is going on," Michael decided. "Kyle, you and your team are responsible for her and KRO's safety."
"You expect us to guard this abomination?" Beast could suddenly be heard. The cars had eavesdropped again.
"Yes, I expect it, Beast," Michael replied. "Maybe the attackers were after the CPU, maybe they were after something else. Until we find out, we can't risk anything."
"Except us," the AI growled.
"KRO is no risk to any of you. I expect you to treat Dr. Campbell without hostility toward her patient. That goes for all of you." Michael's face and voice were dead serious. "I'll be in touch."
The screen went dark and everyone looked at Jo again. The woman glared back at them with all her strength. She was still in her smudged, singed and torn clothes, her face streaked with dust and dried tears, but she looked ready to take on everyone who'd so much as look at KRO the wrong way.
"Do you have a detention cell where I can spend the night?" she asked coolly.
Kyle managed a smile. "How about the guest room?"
"Can I get an independent power cell and a computer in there?"
"Trek?"
"I can find something, sure," the boy answered, not very enthused.
"Oh, don't fall all over yourselves," Jo muttered, barely loud enough for even Kyle to hear. She got out of the chair and swayed briefly.
"You should get yourself looked at by our doctor," the TKR leader decided.
"I'm fine, just tired," she said, voice level. "The room?"
Kyle sighed. "Jenny, could you?"
Domino's driver nodded and rose. "Come on. I'll show you around and maybe you change your mind about the visit to the infirmary."
"There is nothing wrong with me that a long shower and some sleep don't heal," Jo only said, then took her backpack and followed.

Her room turned out to be a small guest quarter and she didn't even mind. There was a shower and that was enough for her. Trek excused himself quite quickly and she simply stripped, then took a shower. She let herself get soaked in the warm water, her body slowly relaxing. She started to tremble and turned off the water, then dried herself and padded into the guest quarters. Jo felt empty, exhausted, at the end of her strength. A bathrobe hung in the tiny cabinet and she pulled it on, then collapsed on the bed. She felt the tingle of the electrodes. She completely forgotten about them and the water had luckily not damaged the transmitters.
Jo smiled tiredly. Kro was safe with her, and only with her, but she had to get out of this trap. She needed to get back to a lab where she didn't have to worry about hostile operatives out to get her patient. Trek had gotten her a small, limited scanner to check on the AI and she had found out that Kro had cut all links to the CPU case's audio links once more, just like when he had been brought to her such a long time ago. It was frustrating and she wanted to get him to the SensorNet as fast as possible, but right now she had no chance at that. She needed to restore her strength to deal with her patient first. She wasn't superwoman...
Sleep claimed her a few minutes later.

* * *

Kyle sat in his office/quarters, face buried in his hands, shaking his head. "Michael, this isn't exactly what I expected."
Michael was on the com line, though the video was switched off. "I know, Kyle, and it should never have happened, but it did. I need Dr. Cambell to be as safe as possible, and she is aboard Sky One. Until we know who or what was the target of the attack, she has to be protected."
"You could have told us that the KRO unit is at the facility."
"Yes, but then so are other devices and dangerous equipment and I usually don't make a habit out of giving lists out to my operatives. Dr. Campbell's work has nothing to do with TKR and it stays that way."
"Well, we have the killer who tried to take us out twice before aboard, and if I turn my back long enough, someone will surely try and kill him." Kyle's voice was sarcastic and held a sour touch.
"I expect you not to let that happen," Michael said, voice level and dead serious.
Kyle looked up, massaging the bridge of his nose. "Can't you get her to a safehouse?"
"Kitt is currently looking for one. She will relocate ASAP, but the next hours she will be your protégé; she and KRO. You shouldn't worry too much, Kyle. KRO is a helpless, frightened and injured AI in an immobile CPU case. The only outside input he receives comes from Dr. Campbell and Jo won't leave him alone. Tell the others that she will defend him."
He smiled dryly. "Duke already had his share of that. I'll make sure we keep our distance without leaving her out in the open."
"Thanks."
Kyle leaned back in his chair, eyes on the gray ceiling. He didn't feel much better, but the reasonable part of him told him that Michael was right. KRO had no weapons, no body, no outside links other than what Dr. Campbell allowed him to.
"Trek has set up Dr. Campbell's quarters," Dante quietly interrupted his musings.
"Okay."
"Kyle, we all feel unwell with him here, but I believe that Michael is right: he is currently no danger."
"But he could be," Kyle said calmly.
Dante had to agree. "If you give him a body, yes, he can be a very powerful and formidable enemy once more. Kitt has contacted me and told me that he is monitoring and has monitored him for a long time now. KRO has been catatonic for almost all the time and came out of his shell just a few weeks ago. He is afraid."
"Fear can transform into very dangerous outbreaks," Kyle argued.
"It's possible, but he has no way to hurt us, Kyle."
He sighed. "Well, maybe." Kyle drummed his fingers on the desk, then he rose. "Let's get started on finding out what is going on."

* * *

Jo sat in the lab room, the backpack on her knees, the most precious object in this whole place. She was afraid to talk to Kro, tell him where they were, but she needed to inform him of their situation, why she had had to disconnect him so completely, even from the SensorNet. Sighing, she opened the dust-covered, slightly singed bag and carefully removed the CPU casing that had been placed into a shock-absorber. She hoped he was all right. Trek hovered close by, eyes wide, curious and anxious in one. Kyle was watching her as well, eyes narrowed, suspicious and wary. Jo didn't let the suspicion rattle her. She knew she had back-up and it had been a sanctioned project. She knew about past encounters, but it had never let be anything but objective.
"Kitt?" she asked.
"Yes, Jo?" the gentle voice of the AI answered her.
"I'll reconnect him now. I don't have the complete SensorNet with me, so I'll just do a computer uplink without actually using Sky One's main computer."
"Understood. I don't believe he could actually do any harm. Sky One is protected."
"I know, but it might also be confusing." Jo worked as she talked to Kitt, ignoring everyone else. "I'll use my extensions to keep him calm."
"Be careful."
Jo smiled as she set up the last connections between the CPU and the computer. "Don't worry." Then she proceeded to rummage through the backpack for the last two electrodes she had been able to save.
"Where did you get that from?" Trek asked as she stuck them to her head and neck.
"You'd be surprised what's hidden in the depth of FLAG's archives," she answered with a fine smile.
Jo turned back to the computer and initiated the program.
SCAN RUNNING
PROGRAM K.R.O. ACTIVE
ACCESS GRANTED
STARTING SKY ONE UPLINK
UPLINK COMPLETE
LIMITED ACCESS
AUDIO UPLINK DENIED
VIDEO UPLINK DENIED
SENSORNET INCOMPLETE
ERROR IN SUBSECTIONS 3, 8, 56, 58, 59
Jo ignored the error messages and instead went to the com lines.
>Kro?
>_
Everyone leaned closer to see what happened.
>Kro, it's me, Jo. I'm sorry about what I did before, but it was necessary. We were under attack.
Please don't let us be back to square one! she prayed.
>_
>_
>Under attack?
As the letters came to the screen, Trek stared at her, then at Kyle. No one said anything.
>Yes
>Are you all right, Jo?
That drew another look of surprise.
>Yes. I want to check your systems, Kro. You were pretty shaken throughout our run.
>I feel fine, just deaf and blind.
>Sorry about that. The SensorNet was blown and all that's left is the extension.
>I can feel it. I can feel...you.
Jo smiled involuntarily. >I'll see what I can do about a complete uplink. Maybe I can get your external case sensors active. Kitt is with you.
>Yes, I can feel him too. Where am I?
She looked at Kyle, then asked, "Kitt?"
"I receive stable signals, Jo. I think you can tell him," Kitt answered.
>You are aboard Sky One.
>_
>_
The silence stretched.
>I understand, was the reply and it was strangely muted, though Jo couldn't really tell through the simple words.
>You are in no danger.
>Jo?
>Yes?
>Are we alone?
>No. Why do you ask?
>Nothing.
She frowned and looked at Kyle, then Trek. "Could you give us a moment of privacy?"
"Privacy? With KRO?" Trek asked, incredulous.
"Yes, with Kro. Kitt will be there. Don't worry so much! I've worked with him for over four months now!"
Kyle just nodded and they both moved out of immediate line of sight for the computer screen, though it was visibly annoying Trek who was curious.
>Kro, I'm alone at the screen now. What is it?
>Jo, I'm afraid. I can't stay here. I'm their enemy. I tried to kill them.
>You are safe. I'll promise to keep you safe. Kitt is there as well and Michael told me that we are under protection.
>I'm afraid, Kro repeated and it sounded miserable.
>Don't be. I'll try to get the SensorNet working and I won't let you out of my sight.
>It's okay, Jo. The current input situation is not too bad. And you really do feel good.
She blushed, then wiped the feeling out of her mind. He was a computer, for heaven's sake!
>Thank you, she finally typed, then erased the conversation.
"Kitt?"
"Yes, Jo?"
"Will you stay with him?"
"I will. Don't worry," Kitt answered, voice gentle.
Jo looked at Kyle. He didn't like the whole situation, but she also knew that he wouldn't do anything against Kro. "I want him off Sky One just as badly as you," she said calmly. "Kitt, can you remind Michael that we need a new lab?"
"I certainly will, but for the moment the safest place is Sky One."
She sighed. "I was afraid of that."
"Until we know who the attackers were, I have to agree," Kyle now said. "Duke and Jenny are on it, trying to find a trace as to who it might have been." He glanced at the silent, black CPU, then left.
Jo sighed deeply. This was just as bad as running away from invisible attackers.
>Kro, I'm disconnecting you from the computer now. We are switching rooms.
>Understood.
Trek waited while she readied the CPU case for transport, then gingerly followed her.
"It's not a bomb," Jo told him with a small smile. "And he's not going to attack you."
The young man chewed on his lower lip. "I know, I know, but it's KRO and I don't really have all too many good memories. Last time we met he shot Plato and the time before that he threatened to slice me apart."
"I understand. Still, all he is now is a very vulnerable CPU. I've been working on healing the damage done to him and believe me, we've made progress. He knows what he has done, but he is also trying to break free from the matrix of his former driver. You know what he was before the merge?"
"Nope. I only read the file."
Jo nodded. "Well, I've never met him before either, but Kitt has, and he told me that before the merge Kro was an innocent, clean program not unlike any of your AIs before they were introduced to you and programmed to match you as their drivers."
Trek shrugged, clearly still uncomfortable. She understood him.

*

KRO had shielded himself as best as he could, fear buried deep within his circuits. He was back among those he had made his enemies and the only protection he had was the woman who had fought battles for him so far. She had won each time, but it had been close. KRO was amazed by Jo, by what she had risked, how far she had gone for him, and his trust in her grew in leaps. She treated him like a person, not like a machine, and it was very different from Martin.....
He had been shocked by the sudden disconnection, but he understood now, and his briefly flaring worry for her safety and health had surprised him. Jo had become a lot more for him lately than just an ally. She was a friend; a trusted friend. She wouldn't let anyone of TKR harm him, he was certain of that, but what would happen to him now?
KRO drew closer to the hum, Jo's presence, and felt the shift in the vibrations again. He read anger and frustration in it. It had gotten easier to determine Jo's mood, but it was still mostly guess work when it came to the finer details of the emotional wavelength of a human. Currently he wished he could tell her not to worry, but he was worried himself. What good would his words do?

*

It was night aboard Sky One, but Jo Campbell was far from asleep. She felt like running a ditch into the metal floor. KRO sat like a modern VCR on her desk, connected to the meager support this room with the small terminal had to offer, connected to her through the extension. He had been rather quiet lately and the computer screen was empty and he still refused to use the audio link in his CPU case. She wished he would use his voice communication abilities, that she could talk to him, hear his voice, because words on a screen were one thing; listening to the timbres in a voice was another. He was scared, she knew, and so was she, just for another reason.
Finally Jo couldn't stand it anymore. She left the room, locked it, and started to walk around the plane. She finally ended up in the spacious garage where the night shift was checking or keeping track of the vehicles' functions. Domino and Kat were missing; the operatives were probably on a mission. She looked at the remaining three.
"Good evening, Dr. Campbell," Dante suddenly said and she shot him a surprised look.
"Hey, Dante," she replied.
"I thought you were already asleep."
"I wish I could sleep. I'm way too agitated." Jo found it natural to talk to the silver car, just like she had had no problem accepting Beast. To her, AIs were persons. Now she leaned against the work station next to the Ford.
"Do you feel unsafe here?" Dante asked.
She shrugged. "Might be one of the reasons. It's not like you can't provide security against those who attacked the Remote Testing Facility, but you aren't exactly falling all over yourselves in joy because of my and my patient."
"You have to understand our apprehension, Dr. Campbell," the Ford said calmly. "KRO is, in our eyes, the enemy. He tried to kill several of this team, including me, and I to confess that thinking about his presence aboard makes my circuits crawl."
She sighed. "Yes, I know. Telling you that he has changed from what you remember wouldn't help either, I think."
"No, not really," Dante confessed.
"Figures."
"I'm sorry."
"Don't." Jo shook her head. "I might be the only one without reservations and enough objectivity in this case to actually deal with Kro after all. I only know the files, I never was part of the events."
"I have to agree," Dante told her. "How successful has your treatment been so far?"
"I removed about 40% of the foreign matrix, have encapsulated another 20% to erase it one by one, and except for a small rest, I believe I can separate the KRO core programming from the Jantzen matrix. I have to be careful because if I'm too crude, I might damage him beyond repair."
"It sounds like a lot of work."
"It is." Jo rubbed her eyes. "Having my lab burned down didn't help." She sighed. "Okay, I guess I should get back to my room and try to sleep. Was nice talking to you, Dante."
"As was talking to you, Doctor."
Jo made her way back to her room, glancing at the screen to see if Kro had been active, but he was still resting. She sat down on the bed and leaned back against the wall, looking at the vulnerable little box. She had to continue the treatment she had begun and she had to be in a safe environment to do so. Maybe she should talk to Michael again. Sky One was not where she wanted to continue.

* * *

"The target has been moved to Sky One."
He breathed deeply, the oxygen hissing softly. "How could she escape you?"
"I... I don't know. We searched the place, but she was gone."
Another hiss. "She was picked up at the facility. She had hidden there."
"We can't get her out of that plane. It's impossible."
A wheeze of laughter. "Nothing is impossible, but I agree that trying to get them out would use up too many resources. We can wait. She won't stay for long and when they move her to a so-called safehouse, we get what we want."

* * *

Jo sat inside the silver Ford, eyes fixed on the landscape flying by. Kro was on her lap, a warm weight that assured her that he was okay, that he was on his way to safety. Neither Kyle nor Dante had spoken much, except for a small banter war concerning the quickest way to the safehouse, and Jo was glad they hadn't tried to make small talk. The animosity aboard had been almost palpable and she had been only too happy to hear that Michael wanted her out of there. She had told Kro about their departure and she had read his relief in the reply as well.
"Dr. Campbell?"
She jerked out of her thoughts. "Hm?"
"I'm sorry if we made you feel unwell those last two days," Kyle apologized.
Jo shook her head. "No, it's okay. I understand. It's nothing you can shrug off and nothing I can make you accept. I'm a neutral party and a doctor trying to protect my patient. Kro is nothing else to me; for you he is a killer."
"I've tried to see it your way," Kyle confessed. "I tried seeing it from your point of view. I know KRO was as untainted as any of the others, but every time I think of him, I see him attacking my friends, trying to kill them."
Jo nodded slowly. "Which is why I needed to be out of the plane. You might provide the safest place for me, but I can't work in an environment that is as subconsciously hostile as that. I'm sorry."
"No need to apologize. I understand. Michael said he would come by the safehouse later," he then changed the topic.
"Yes. He wants to see the results himself."
"How long do you estimate your work will take?"
Jo shrugged. "Depends on how many problems I find. Maybe a few weeks, maybe months."
Kyle was silent for a while. He pulled Dante up in front of a small, rather normal looking house. "Here we are," he then said.
Jo looked at the house, which looked like a family home. She expected to see grandma on the porch, the cat in her lap and the kids playing in the garden.
"Welcome to your new home," Kyle announced.

* * *

Nick scratched the back of his neck, then shook his head. "Gone for a few weeks and everything is going down," he muttered.
Michael smiled humorlessly. "Believe me, I wish I had better news from the FLAG front."
"You still have no idea who attacked the Nevada facility?"
"None at all. TKR is investigating it and getting no further. Everything's a dead end."
"So what part do I play?"
"Who says you are part of it?"
Nick smiled. "I am."
Michael mirrored the smile briefly. "How do you feel about bodyguard duty?"
"Oh, my all time favorite," the dark-haired man sighed. "You want me to baby-sit your scientist and KRO?"
"That's the idea. She is in a safehouse and she might be a target, though I have no idea why anyone would be after the KRO AI."
"Same reason why people have kidnapped your partner in the past. Michael, an artificial intelligence is a powerful weapon, be it Kitt, Karr or KRO, or one of the TKR AIs. They can be reprogrammed if the core programming is not strong enough to survive any tampering. While I have no doubt that our partners are strong enough, KRO has been tampered with before. Currently he is a semi-catatonic, easily influenced entity. Whoever attacked the facility, he might be after the CPU for his or her own reasons."
"Okay, then who? And who knew the AI was there?"
"You might have a leak then," Nick said slowly.
"I was afraid you'd say that," Michael sighed. "Will you have an eye on Dr. Campbell until we can be sure she is not the target?"
"No problem. Might be change of pace for now." Nick grinned and rose. "I'll be off ASAP."
"Thanks, Nick."
Nick left the room and Michael was alone with the reports, the dead end and the rising frustration. Who had attacked the facility? Who knew KRO had been there? Maybe that was the starting point.
"Kitt?"
"Yes, Michael?"
"Get me a list of the people who knew about KRO's transfer from the high security vault to the Remote Testing Facility. Check on their background, any little smudge, any affiliation with doubtful companies or contacts."
"I'll get right at it. Do you really think we have a leak?"
He sighed. "I wish I could say no. Maybe KRO was the actual target. Nothing else was taken and Jo escaped with the CPU."
Kitt set to work and Michael went back reading through the reports coming in from TKR.

* * *

Jenny sat in Sky One's situation room, going over a death list. Twelve people had died out there in the Nevada desert, most of the guards, four of them scientists. Kyle had asked her to look through each person's background to see if there was something or other that might help them find the one who had let the attackers inside. There was no other explanation for it anyway: someone had opened the door and had let the intruders in. The front gate had been wide open and it had been opened with the correct code as Trek had found out. No one had hacked into the system or broken the lock. The man on duty in the control room was dead. Shot straight through the heart.
She sighed. Jenny had gone through the list of the scientists first. It had been the shorter one. None of them were in any way outstanding. Two electronic specialists, a physicist and a robotics expert. And of course Dr. Campbell, who had come out of this alive as the only person. Maybe that made her a suspect, but maybe she was just one heck of a lucky survivor. Considering who she had saved, it made her a crazy, lucky survivor. Having KRO aboard had made each of the operatives very jumpy and Jenny felt her stomach clench each time she thought about the AI. She couldn't understand Jo's arguments that he was a sick person and needed to heal. To Jenny he was a mad killing machine.
"Jenny, honey?" Domino's voice broke into her thoughts.
"Yes?"
"I think I may have found something interesting."
Jenny was immediately fully attentive. While she had checked the scientists, she had asked her partner to go through the guards.
"What is it, Dom?"
"Bruce Montiro." The file popped up on her screen. "Cute face, bad life style," the AI remarked.
Jenny looked at the rather handsome man on the picture, then quickly read over the brief personnel file. Former cop, shot in the line of duty, unfit for return to patrol, divorced. Had gotten the job with FLAG several years back.
"Doesn't really look suspicious," she told Domino.
"Well, look at his bank account, sweetie."
Jenny changed to the bank account and her eyebrows rose as the numbers scrolled down. "Whoa!"
"Yes, he had debts. All the credit card charges are coming from Las Vegas casinos, most the Luxor, Circus Circus, Excalibur and Mirage. He added a few charges at other casinos as well, but I think he lost most of it there. Then he received exactly the sum, plus a little extra, of what he needed to get out of the debt pit from a source I have trouble tracing."
"What kind of trouble?"
Domino sighed. "Dead ends, reroutes, you name it, I hit it. The money came from someone who doesn't like to be found."
Jenny's brows knitted into a deep frown. "Looks like this someone paid Montiro's debts and in turn asked for a favor, right?"
"Just that the favor got our guard killed."
She nodded. "That still doesn't tell us who it is, but at least we now know who the leak was." She rose. "I'll talk to Kyle."
"He is currently in his office," Domino replied helpfully. "Alone," she added, her voice dropping to a seductive tone.
"Domino!"
"Just stating a fact, hon."
Jenny frowned angrily and left the situation room. So Kyle was alone in his office - what was the deal? She felt a small tingle in her stomach. Huh.... right. She purged those thoughts from her mind, forcefully shoving the memory of the one kiss they had shared into a box and locking it, then walked purposefully down the corridor.

* * *

Jo had needed some time to really go back to work. She had reconnected Kro to the computer terminal that had been set up in the first floor living room, thoroughly checking his casing for damage for the first time, and finding only a few scratches.
"Kro?" she asked as she cleaned off some dirt.
There was no reply. She smiled.
"I'm not sitting in front of the PC. You have to talk to me through the audio link."
There was a period of silence and she waited patiently. Finally the tiny loudspeakers crackled.
"I'm sorry," Kro apologized, his dark voice holding a tinge of sadness.
"You don't have to apologize. Just talk to me. How do you feel?"
"Afraid. Where are we, Jo?"
Right, he had not known. "We are in a safehouse."
"No longer on Sky One?"
"No."
There was a something like a sigh coming from the tiny loudspeaker. Jo smiled.
"Kro, I want to continue where I left off, but I'm not sure whether or not you are relaxed enough to help me."
"Neither am I. You are still there...." The dark voice shifted and he sounded fascinated. "I can feel your presence. It feels good."
Jo touched the electrodes, blushing a bit. "Thanks, I hoped it would be a stabilizer."
"It is." Kro hesitated. "Will it be permanent?"
She stopped, biting her lower lip. "I don't know," Jo finally said slowly.
"I want it to be, Jo."
A small smile flickered over her features and she cleaned away the last smudges on the black case. "I think I should get back to work. Tell me when you feel unwell, okay?"
"I will."
"I'm going to change the therapy," she said calmly.
"How?" he asked, curious.
"We have to work on your stability. It won't hurt. I promise."
"I trust you."

*

Nick arrived at the safehouse around noon, flashed his FLAG ID at the guard in front and was given access. Karr was parked around the side, not visible because he stood under a large tree whose shadow was falling onto the black vehicle, and his scanners were running on full.
Nothing suspicious> his partner now reported.
Nick nodded at the second guard and then walked into the living room area. The whole room looked more like a lab than anything else. There was a lot of equipment he had seen in Bonnie's lab as well and the small, black box in the middle of the table was also familiar to him. Karr didn't look any different when taken out of the Stealth shell.
I beg your pardon!> the dark AI growled.
Nick chuckled. Then he discovered the occupant and also 'prisoner' of this safehouse. Joanne Campbell was about two heads smaller than him, had long, dark hair and dark eyes. She looked a bit on the pale side and there was a bruise on her forehead. She was dressed in jeans, sneakers and a shirt. As he entered, she looked up from where she had been working on the computer.
"Dr. Campbell? My name is Nicholas MacKenzie. Michael sent me to check on you."
She frowned slightly. "I got another bodyguard?"
Nick smiled slightly. "Yes." He gazed at the silent CPU. "How is your work coming along?"
She gave him a narrow-eyed look. "I'm still working on it," she said dismissively.
Nick nodded. "Okay, I understand. Hands off, no questions. Do you have a kitchen around here? I could do with a coffee."
She wordlessly pointed toward the corridor. MacKenzie left, smiling to himself.
Protective> Karr remarked.
Very. Michael told me she has linked her brain-pattern to his as a substitute matrix. Might become tricky to cut the link when she is done>
You think KRO is attaching to her?> Karr sounded surprised.
Why not? She is the only stable object he has in his current world> Nick took a cup out of the cupboard and poured himself some coffee. Leaning back against the counter he gazed thoughtfully out of the bullet proof window onto the lawn. She is his comfort>
Karr harrumphed and refrained from commenting. Nick finished the coffee and decided on a patrol. He might be here for a while, depending on how long it took for Michael to find out what was going on, and he wanted to get to know the territory.

* * *

"Someone just arrived at the safehouse."
"Who?"
"Some guy in a black sports car," the man answered.
"Michael Knight?"
"Nope, someone else."
There was a brief silence, only interrupted by the sound of air hissing out of a bottle. "Well, I think this has just gotten even more interesting," came finally the reply. "Be careful. The car he is driving is an AI. It will surely scan the area."
The man frowned. "That means we have to change the plan."
"No," the other contradicted. "The plan stays. I want KRO and the girl. Use the driver as a hostage and the car won't attack."
"Understood."

* * *

Nick had gone on a wide perimeter patrol, getting himself 'acquainted' with the area. It was a quiet neighborhood and except for a few elderly people standing at a bus stop and the barking of dogs there was nothing.
"Do you think she will be successful?" Karr asked all of a sudden as they turned another corner.
Nick raised an eyebrow. "Come again?"
"Do you think she can clear KRO's programming?"
He frowned. "I'm not sure. She might be able to, but whether or not it's a) lasting or b) complete, it's anyone's guess."
Karr was silent, apparently in thought. Nick stopped the Stealth and looked at the slightly futuristic dash. Something was going on in that CPU he wanted to know.
"What's the matter?" he asked.
"Nothing."
"Huh, right. Second attempt?"
Karr was silent again. "Dr. Campbell is renowned for her work as a cybernetics expert in the field of AIs," Karr finally said. "She specializes in healing, in removing foreign strains and also creating the opening for a reprogramming if the AI is beyond help."
Nick blinked. "Whoa, wait a second, partner. I hope this is not going the way I think it is!"
"She might be able to help us."
"Help us?" Nick exclaimed. "Help us with what? Karr, what is there to change?"
"Myself," the AI said softly. "Take the darkness away."
Nick was shocked. "Take it away?" he finally managed. "Karr, why?"
"It hurts you. Even after such a long time I know I sometimes hurt you unintentionally. She might be able to change me, make me more like Kitt."
Anger surged up inside of him. "No one is touching you and no one is reprogramming you, Karr! You don't hurt me! We are partners, we are beyond that!" I don't want you any other way than you are> Nick sent fiercely.
Karr shivered. Thank you>
"What brought this on anyway? Karr, we've been driving the roads together for fifteen years. I know we had our ups and downs, but why this?" Nick wanted to know.
"I'm not sure," the AI mumbled. "It was just a thought."
"Then lose it. Quickly. You are my partner, with every little string of darkness, and I want you to stay that way." Nick gently touched the sensor. Okay?>
Karr leaned into the touch. Okay....>
He smiled and restarted the engine. "Let's find a take-out and get some food to that place."
The Stealth headed off.

* * *

Joanne Campbell had more or less gotten used to her new prison. She didn't know how long she would have to stay here, but at least someone was getting some things from her apartment. One of the guards, Will Carlisle, had helped her set up the living room as her new workplace. He had talked a bit and she had found out that the other guy was Robert Harmon, that they were both former CIA agents who had left because FLAG had offered them better payment. He was a jovial character who liked to talk and who seemed to drink coffee non-stop. Jo liked him immediately.
When Will left her alone to make his rounds, she turned to Kro. He had been silent for the whole time.
"Kro? Are you awake?"
"Yes, I am."
"You've been awfully silent."
"I didn't have any comments."
She smiled. "How do you feel?"
"No different than before," he answered. "Will you continue the work now?"
"Yes. Are you okay with that?"
"I am. Thank you for asking."
Jo smiled again, then set to work. She had made progress. Kro had come out of his shell, he had started to talk, and he had accepted her stabilizing influence. But what if she removed the electrodes? What if he found himself without her presence? Removing most of Martin Jantzen's presence inside the tainted CPU had left him open and yearning for a replacement and currently she was this replacement. What if Kro was put back into a car? And would he ever be put back? Would he actually ever go back inside a body? What would they do to him when she had finished her job?
Jo swallowed. She couldn't think about this! It distracted her and Kro had started to pick up on fluctuating waves through the electrodes. He was learning and he was learning fast.

* * *

Nick parked the Stealth under the tree where he had left him before, then got out and took the pizza boxes from the co-driver's seat.
"The stench will be with me for days," Karr complained.
"It's not too bad."
"Pepperoni, mushrooms, ham and mozzarella?" Karr growled. "It's impossible to get rid off!"
"You don't have a sense of smell."
"And I know why!"
Nick grinned and kicked the door shut with one foot, then proceeded toward the safehouse. He noticed that there was a car parked further down the street and frowned briefly, then walked up to the house. Everything was silent, except for the birds and a dog barking not far away.
Something was wrong.
Nick tensed. Where was the guard who usually did his rounds outside? Stopping before he had even reached the porch, Nick listened. Nothing. No footsteps. Moving away from the front door he carefully made his way to the back.
Karr>
Yes?>
Scan the house. How many people?>
Karr complied. Suddenly confusion flooded through the link. I can't get a fix> he told his partner, mystified.
Scramblers?>
Most likely> Annoyance relieved the confusion.
All right. Keep monitoring>
Nick needed to check out the situation and that meant he had to go inside. Still carrying the pizza boxes he crouched and sneaked around the back of the house and tried to get a look through the back window. He could only risk a quick look, but it told him enough. About five men, all masked, were present in the living room, holding Jo prisoner, as well as one of the guards. And they were preparing to leave. Nick hadn't seen the second guard and he hoped he was alive somewhere.
I'm going in> he told Karr and carefully sneaked back to the front.
Be careful>
Nick smiled and shrugged out of his jacket, now clad in a gray shirt and black jeans. He messed up his hair a little and arranged the pizza boxes.
You'll never fool them> Karr remarked nastily.
Just long enough that they open the door>
Nick walked up the stairs and rang, then knocked on the door. He heard steps and saw how the peephole darkened as someone looked through.
"Al's Pizza Service," he announced with a faked accent and a smile. "Fastest delivery in town!"
"You got the wrong door," a muffled voice said gruffly.
"Hey, this is 355 Alamo, right? You ordered, here it is. Now pay me."
"The door was opened a crack and a shadowed face appeared. "I said we didn't order pizza. Now beat it."
Nick gave him an angry look without appearing threatening. "You want me to call the boss? I'm not leaving before you pay me!"
Get an acting course, Nick. This is awful>
Shut up>
"Pay the guy and then kick him off the lawn," another voice said angrily.
There was a mutter, then the guy opened the door as he searched for some money. "How much?"
"Thirty bucks."
The eyes of the man narrowed. "What kind of pizza is this?"
"Alfredo's speciale grande!"
Another suspicious look, then the man handed over the thirty bucks and reached for the pizza boxes. Nick smiled and took the money, holding out the pizza to him.
"What's taking so long?" the gruff voice from before demanded.
That was his chance. As the man on the door looked over his shoulder to say something, Nick grabbed his wrist, pulled him forward and smashed his hand into his face. The man went down without a sound and Nick cushioned his fall. He picked up one of the pizza boxes, briefly scanned the corridor and then moved in.
"Hey, Marco!"
Someone appeared out of the living room and Nick reacted immediately. He shoved the one pizza box he had taken with him into his face, then followed up with a blow to the throat. The man gurgled, grabbed his throat, but he couldn't react as Nick's fist sent him into oblivion.
Karr, get help!> he sent, then proceeded deeper into the house.
By now the others had been alerted. Nick sent the next attacker flying through the open door with a roundhouse kick, then ducked out of the way as another one aimed and lost two bullets his way. He rolled back to his feet, quickly glancing around. Not far away from him lay the dead body of one of the guards, the weapon still in his hands.
"Sorry, I need that," Nick muttered and grabbed the gun, then searched for the enemy.
Help is on the way> Karr sent, his inability to act gnawing at his temper.
Tell them to put the pedal to the metal, partner, we are outnumbered and definitely outgunned!>
A bullet chipped wood of the frame he was hiding behind and Nick quickly retreated, ducking behind the kitchen counter. There was some commotion, a barked order, then the sound of three shots.
The second guard> Karr reported. He tried to get out to the front and was shot>
Nick clenched his teeth. He heard a scream, then a muffled 'thump', and cursed. Jo. As fast as possible he made his way out of the kitchen and toward the living room, but another intruder popping up in front of him hindered his progress. A bullet to the heart changed that, but Nick knew he was way too slow. He quickly ran past the dead man, not losing a second thought about the fact that he had just taken a life in cold blood.
"Stop where you are or she buys it."
Nick stopped and his eyes narrowed in anger. Damnit! Jo lay on the ground, apparently unconscious, and one of the masked men was standing over her, gun pointing at her head.
"Drop the gun. Kick it over here."
Sure. No problem. He dropped the gun and shoved it toward the guy. He didn't need a gun to kill him.
"I know who you are, Mr. MacKenzie, and I know to be careful." He gestured at one of the others and the man approached, careful and not really happy about it. "Don't even think about it. We only really need the CPU. The girl might come in handy, but you don't play by the rules, she dies as well."
Nick clenched his teeth.
"We also know about your car outside. That's why you are our insurance that it won't stop us."
The man approaching him suddenly had a thin wire in his hands and Nick glared. The wire was placed around his neck and tightened. He grasped it, gasping, but it had already cut the skin.
"Who are you?" he snarled.
"None of your concern, my friend. You should be more worried about your survival."
Nicholas felt the noose around his neck tighten, biting into his skin and a trickle of blood ran down his throat. Karr's fury was all-encompassing, but his partner stayed where he was, afraid to endanger his driver even more.
"Get the girl!" the apparent leader told the remaining assailants.
Two men grabbed the unconscious scientist and dragged her out of the house. Nick was shoved forward, gasping for air, one hand still locked between his throat and the wire, about the only obstacle between him and suffocation. Karr growled furiously, but he stayed where he was. Another one had taken the CPU and was following his comrades.
"You won't get away with this," Nick wheezed.
"Well, we are," his attacker whispered nastily.
Nick tried to shift his weight, but the man immediately tightened the wire again. He gasped abruptly, the pain and the need for air letting him see stars. He was dragged over to the van that had been parked with the side sliding door open close by. Jo was roughly shoved inside, the CPU placed into a special box, then the doors were closed.
"See ya, looser!" the man snarled, then kicked Nick viciously into the back of his knees, making him stumble and collapse. A second blow hit the side of his head and he saw darkness rush toward him, accompanied by a bright explosion behind his eyes. The wire cut deeply into his skin, but that was the last sensation he felt.

*

Karr watched the scene with barely restrained fury. Nick's side of the link was sending out pain and anger that was slowly transforming into helpless fury. The sensation of his partner's pain was bad enough, but Nick's anger was feeding Karr's. Suddenly one of the attackers kicked Nick hard, the spike of pain arcing over to Karr, then MacKenzie was beaten unconscious.
Karr roared in fury and jumped forward. The man who had held Nick hostage was just fast enough to jump into the van that had already started to drive away, then the car accelerated. Karr himself stopped, torn between staying with his unconscious and bleeding partner, and catching the kidnappers. The van took the next corner with screaming tires and disappeared. The Stealth rolled slowly back, Karr reaching out for Nick, trying to rouse him, but he was out cold. Assessing the situation he determined some mild bruises, a deep cut at the throat that was still bleeding, and a larger bruise at Nick's temple.
Nick?> he asked desperately.
No answer.
Help was on the way, he knew, because he had called for it, but they were too late. Much too late.

* * *

Kyle pulled Dante up to the house and stopped, jumping out of the car before the engine had really died. "Damnit!" he whispered to himself as he saw the body of one of the security guards lying plain visible on the front porch.
Jenny and Duke were not far behind.
"Not again," Duke muttered.
"Spread out, be careful!" Kyle ordered.
"Kyle, I'm detecting life signs behind the house."
Kyle nodded. "Duke, Jenny, the house. I'll take the back." With that he quickly and carefully approached the back.
There was another body, this time from a masked man, and Kyle grimaced slightly. With infinite care he finally rounded the house and discovered a man in dark clothes spread on the lawn. He approached him carefully, mainly because there was as vehicle parked close by he didn't really want to get too close to: the Stealth; Karr. A blood-covered wire was half wrapped around the man's neck and he seemed to be out cold. Kyle knew him.
"MacKenzie," he muttered and knelt down to check for a pulse.
There was a sudden, dark growl, followed by the howl of an engine, and Kyle was just fast enough to jump and roll out of the way as Karr shot toward him.
"What the....? I'm here to help!" he yelled.
Another engine howl answered and to his ultimate surprise Dante surged onto the lawn, placing himself right between his driver and the dangerously gleaming sports car.
"Back off!" the Ford hissed.
Kyle touched Dante's snout, slightly shocked by the events. Dante had never done this before.... Then his gaze fixed on the black car. Karr.... Of course.
"Dante, down," he now said calmly.
"He attacked you!"
"I think he is just trying to protect his driver." Like you just did, my friend. "Karr, we are here to help."
A deep rumble escaped the Stealth, but he didn't make any more threatening moves as Kyle walked around his own vehicle and approached Nick again.
"Be careful," Dante advised.
"I am. Thanks, Dante." Kyle quickly checked the unconscious man and found a cut in his throat that still bled sluggishly. The wire had gone deep. "Call an ambulance," he addressed his partner. "And FLAG. Coroner might come in handy as well." Kyle straightened. His eyes fell on Karr again, who sat too close by for comfort, but he understood the AI. His driver had been knocked out, nearly strangled before that, and the ones who should have been safe here had been abducted.
What a mess....

* * *

Nick sat on the examination table, gingerly rubbing the bandage around his neck, his face a mask, but his eyes sparked with cold fury. The doctor just nodded at him and silently left the room, casting a quick look at Kyle, who had been here for the last two minutes.
"What happened?" he now asked.
Nick looked up and Kyle almost flinched back from the rage he saw in the other man's eyes. But it was not just the rage alone. It was the utter coldness that was almost inhuman.
"I failed is what happened," MacKenzie finally said, voice even, but there was an inflection to it Kyle didn't like one bit.
"Can you tell me what went on?"
"I checked the perimeter, came back, and they were already there. They grabbed Dr. Campbell, the AI, killed both guards, and used me as a hostage to keep Karr from running them over." Nick's words were totally flat. "I reacted too late and I hesitated."
"In what way did you hesitate?"
"I had several chances to take them out, but I couldn't."
"Because they had Jo?"
Nick's expression was answer enough. "I hesitated," he then repeated.
"You saved a life through it."
"If they leave her alive," Nick added darkly.
"Does Karr have a picture of either attacker? Of the van? The license plate?"
"Probably."
Nick slid down the table and briefly had to stabilize himself. The blow to his head had left quite a bruise and he had come around when the paramedics had arrived. He had refused a transfer to the hospital and Kyle had convinced them that Nick could be treated aboard Sky One. Michael still needed to be informed of the full scale of the incident.
"What about the dead attackers?" MacKenzie asked as he slowly shrugged into this jacket.
"No luck with any ID so far, but we are on it."
They left med bay and walked toward the situation room. Erica and Duke were onto the identification of the thugs who had attacked Nick and killed the guards, Jenny and Trek were waiting for them. Nick sank down on a chair, looking decidedly pale, and briefly closed his eyes.
"Karr has pictures," he then said. "He's transferring them into your computer."
Trek leaned forward and typed in a few commands, his eyebrows rising. "Yup, there it is."
"Trek, get on it. See if you can find something useful like a license plate. Track it," Kyle ordered.
"No problem."
"Someone knew," Nick now said slowly. "Someone knew Jo was at the safehouse, he knew the location, and he knew when to hit. You have a leak."
Kyle nodded. "The man who let the intruders into the Nevada facility died with the others. He was shot. I don't believe any of the two guards was responsible for this, but I'll check."
"Who knew about Dr. Campbell's transfer?"
"We did, as did Michael and you."
Nick frowned slightly. "And the guards at the safehouse were told, right? You had to inform them that a guest would arrive."
"Yes," Kyle answered slowly. "What are you implying?"
"Maybe you have an electronic leak."
Trek frowned. "Wow, that would be one hell of an achievement. FLAGNet has just been upgraded and all lines are secured."
"Nothing is unbeatable."
"Trek?"
"Uh, I don't think it was a net leak, Kyle. This would be really big!"
"Still, check that as well."
The younger man sighed. "Okay."
Kyle looked at MacKenzie again. "Are you staying or leaving?"
Nick smiled briefly, nothing more than a twist of his lips. "Leaving. Helps the tension level aboard. Thanks for the help." He rose out of the chair again and Kyle noted how he dragged himself. The man had to be close to a breakdown, still, Kyle shut up. He knew that no remark would help.

* * *

Karr sat in the garage, feeling the hostility wafting around him, the vehicles watching him icily. All but one. Kat had greeted him in a friendly and warm way, as if he was just another visitor.
::Ignore the others:: the female AI now said. ::They need to grow up::
Karr had to smile slightly. Most of his attention was with his driver. Nick was in pain, he was angry and he had shut down his side of the link. It was most likely for the best. They were both too angry about what had happened.
"Hey, freak," Beast suddenly called. "Looks like ya not such a hot car after all."
Karr fixed his attention on the black truck, refusing to fall for the bait.
"Not only did ya let the bad guys take Jo, you even got your driver nearly killed."
"Beast, leave it," Dante intercepted.
"Stay out of this, Dante!" Beast snarled. "If he had been on his toes, nothing of this would have happened! The guards are dead and the doc was kidnapped."
"No one could have prevented it," Kat chimed in Karr's defense. "Nicholas was alone and they used him as a hostage. You would have reacted the same if it had been Duke."
"Duke wouldn't have been dumb enough to get captured in the first place!"
Karr felt anger flood through him. No one insulted his driver!
"It happened, guys, let it go," Domino now said.
"Ya all on the freak's side?" Beast wanted to know.
"No, we just want our quiet," Dante replied.
"That thing is an incompetent mistake that should never have been reactivated."
"I'm going to deactivate you if you don't watch your voice unit," Karr said flatly.
"Oh, threats!" Beast snarled. "Feel safe enough? Think you can take us on?"
Karr growled.
::Don't fall for it:: Kat sent.
::Tell him to shut up then!:: he answered.
"Think you can take me on?" the truck taunted and revved up his engine.
The mechanics who had been in the garage cast nervous glances around and moved back.
"Don't stretch your luck," Karr remarked levelly.
"Guys, please," a tired voice interrupted the argument. "Not today."
Nick came down the stairs, looking pale and exhausted. Still, there was a fire in his eyes that spoke of the suppressed anger he felt.
"Get out of the way, MacKenzie, or I'll run you over before I catapult your toy out of here!" Beast growled.
Nick sighed, too tired to rise to the threats. "Thanks for the offer, but we'll leave the regular way."
Karr's engine eagerly came to life. He wanted to be out of here as well.
Beast snorted. "Chicken."
The Stealth hissed, but Nick stepped in front of him. "Not today, partner. Would be such a mess and we are in a mess up to our eyebrows already."
"A mess you created," the black Ford accused.
Nick sighed. "Maybe. Now cut it out before I'll turn my back on the next set of events. I don't care if this plane features a new hole or not."
Beast rumbled something.
Nick slid into the driver's seat and backed the Stealth out of the garage and down the ramp. As they drove away from Sky One, he felt another wave of exhaustion hit him. The pain killers were still working, but he had lost blood, had been struck down and his body was telling him he needed rest.
The Auto Cruise light lit up.
"Karr, what's that supposed to mean?" he asked.
"It means I don't want to be involved in a traffic accident," Karr remarked dryly. "Sleep. You are exhausted."
"I'm fine!"
"Do you want me to tell you just how 'fine' you are? Your vitals tell me something else."
Nick sighed.
"Sleep," Karr said, voice dropping slightly into a more gentle tone. "Please. Your condition is reflecting back on me."
He leaned back, hands sliding off the steering wheel. His throat hurt, his head was pounding and he felt incredibly tired. But deep inside was still the gnawing anger, the rage at what had happened.
You couldn't do anything without endangering Dr. Campbell>
Nick growled. I hesitated! I stopped!>
You spared her life>
I could have killed them all>
Karr had to agree. As could I have, but they had you. You stopped because of Dr. Campbell, I stopped because of you>
Nick briefly brushed his hand over the sensor, a whisper answering him, then he drifted off into sleep. The Stealth drove on.

* * *

Jo had been attacked for the second time in a week and she not only felt a major headache hammering behind her eyes, but her anger was rising with the pain. The blow to her head had been hard and she was sure she had quite a bruise. She had come around in a room that as nothing more than a concrete block with a tiny, barred window and a single, metal door. There had been several vents but none large enough to crawl through to get out of here, like they did in the movies. Someone had come not long after she had woken and forced her at gun point to walk into a large room beyond where she had been kept. She had been pushed down on a chair and now her captor had appeared.
The man regarded her from out of the shadows, his wheelchair bound shape as intimidating as if he were standing on his own two feet. The soft hiss of the air tanks was the only sound in the room. She could see tubes snaking out from behind the chair to his head where she suspected he wore a breathing mask. She couldn't see any facial features, but his body seemed crippled. One hand was almost withered and the other looked clawed.
"Dr. Campbell, how nice of you to join us." The voice was accompanied by wheezing as he breathed.
She glared at him, her rage battling her fear. "Who are you? What do you want from me?"
"You may call me Mobius and I have most of what I was looking for. The KRO AI."
Jo felt anger rise inside her. "What have you done with him?" she demanded.
"Just given him what he most craves: a body."
She didn't get it. This man had kidnapped her to get Kro ... to implant him in a new car body? "Why?"
"I'm afraid that is confidential, my dear."
She glared again. "So why grab me as well?" She feared the answer, but she wanted to know.
"Let's say we need a hostage; something to encourage our dear friend to work with us."
Jo felt her stomach turn into a fist of ice. "What?" she whispered.
"I know you have worked with the AI, Dr. Campbell. He trusts you, he actually feels protective of you, and with you in my power, he will do what I want." The hiss of the air flowing through the mask and into the handicapped madman's lungs was suddenly loud in her ears.
"He won't ....."
"Believe me, he will."
"Why?" Jo asked weakly.
"To fulfill an old dream: the destruction of Team Knight Rider."

* * *

KRO was confused. He didn't really know what had happened, only that he had been removed from the safehouse, then had followed a long stretch of nearly no sensations, except the continued emissions he picked up from the sensors attached to Jo's skin, and then he had been reconnected. Not only to any outside feed but a body! He had immediately started to check the body and found he was in a car not unlike what he remembered from his former existence. It had a lot of special functions he had no clue what they were, but he was quickly familiarizing himself with every system. He even had a light MBS coating! What was going on here? Who had done this?
The answer came in form of a man in a wheelchair, his face almost completely hidden behind a mask.
"KRO," he said.
"Identify yourself," KRO demanded.
"Call me Mobius, my friend. Your benefactor."
"You have given me this body?"
"Yes." The man wheezed, drawing oxygen from the tanks into his lungs. "For a reason, KRO."
"Why?" the AI demanded.
"To help me with my revenge, of course."
He felt even more confused. "Against who?"
"Your old enemies, someone who has tried to destroy you in the past. The Team Knight Rider."
KRO stopped short. Yes, he knew what TKR had done in the past, but it was oddly enough just a very bad memory out of a time Jo had tried to help him deal with. "I no longer seek revenge," he heard himself say and he knew it was true. He didn't like the TKR operatives, but he didn't actually hate them either. And he didn't want to kill them.
"Ah, I was afraid of that." Another wheeze. "She has already completed her work then, but that doesn't matter. You are my tool, KRO, and I intend to use you."
"I do not 'intend' to be used," KRO answered, rage bubbling up inside him.
"Too bad. Because if you don't work with me, I'm forced to hurt your little human friend."
"What are you talking about?"
A monitor lit up, showing KRO not only a large, armed man, but also the small, slender woman he had come to trust as the only person in this world. She was sitting on a chair, glaring at no one in particular, the man standing behind her. KRO felt torn between a scream and shutting his emotions off completely.
"She means nothing to me."
"Oh? I heard different, KRO. I saw different," Mobius whispered. "Maybe I can enhance your memories....." His withered hand flicked a switch on the control pad of the wheelchair. "What shall it be? A broken finger? An arm? A few cuts?"
"No!"
The sound of denial was out before KRO could stop himself. Mobius laughed, his voice rough, and then broke off in a wheeze.
"Cooperate, KRO, and she will live. Fail me and she dies."
KRO struggled with two programs clashing inside his core. One told him that he had no obligation to any human because the one he had been told to protect was dead; he belonged to no one, he was free. The other part screamed that he couldn't risk Jo's life. He trusted her, she was his friend, and he couldn't let anyone harm her. She had kept him safe, had healed him, had always been there.
"Your decision?" Mobius demanded.
"If you harm her, I will kill you," KRO said levelly.
Mobius gave a cough of laughter, then retreated. "We'll see."

* * *

"She was kidnapped out of a safehouse!" Michael exclaimed. "How could that happen?"
Kyle rubbed his eyes, tired and frustrated just like Michael. "Nobody knows. Her location was only known to us, no one else. Trek is checking for system leaks.... but right now, we don't know."
Michael shook his head. "That's impossible! Someone was after the KRO AI and found it both times; both times people died! Now not only the AI but also one of my best cybernetics experts is gone!"
Kyle nodded, only too aware of the facts. "We are on it, Michael. We'll find her."
Knight sighed. "I'm sorry for the outburst, Kyle, but this is too weird. No one should have known!"
"Someone apparently did. I'll get back to you the moment Trek comes up with something - or lack thereof."
"Thanks."
Michael leaned back, mind rotating around just how this could have happened. Nick sat silently in one of the overstuffed chair, the white bandage in stark contrast to his sun-tanned skin. He looked exhausted and from Kitt Michael knew that Karr had forced him to sleep on the way back. He hadn't said a word in the last half hour Michael had talked with Kyle and he looked ready to collapse in a bed.
"Kitt?"
"Yes, Michael?"
"Any way to connect to KRO?"
"I'm sorry," Kitt answered. "I lost the connection."
"Too bad," Michael muttered. He rubbed his eyes.
"I'm trying to get the internal com line up and running."
"Thanks, Pal." He looked at Nick again. "Why don't you get some rest in a bed?"
Nick smiled wryly. "What is this? A conspiracy?"
Michael shrugged, but Nick actually rose and went up to the guest room. Michael stayed in his office, deep in thought. What was going on? Who wanted the KRO AI? And for what reasons?

*

Several hundred miles away Kyle Stewart was wondering the same. He had gone through a mental list of possibilities, but none sounded all too likely. Someone had napped KRO and the doctor.... what for? Well, he could think of a reason why the kidnapper could make use of the AI, but why Dr. Campbell? She wasn't exactly an engineer to install it into something. Kyle felt something cold trickle down his spine. What if KRO was installed in a new body?
"Damn," he muttered.

* * *

Jo sat on the bed of her prison, eyes fixed on the door. Since she had had her brief meeting with Mobius, no one had seen after her. She was afraid; terrified would be more like it, but most of her fear was for Kro. This maniac was using a fragile AI who was barely on the road to recovery, forcing Kro to kill again. She had to stop him! A shiver passed through her. How could she stop this man? He was surrounded by well-armed, strong men and she was nothing but a woman.
Her eyes narrowed on the hinges and an idea blossomed. Jo rose slowly from the bed and walked over to the door. She ran light fingers over the hinges and nodded to herself. They weren't pinned tight.
"Watch enough MacGyver and you get ideas," she muttered to herself.
Jo started to look around the room. There was nothing flat and strong enough to use. She finally searched through her pockets and came up with a few coins, chewing gum and some pieces of paper. The coins had to do....
It took a while and she broke two of her nails, which were short to begin with because she hated to type with long nails, but in the end one of the pins was out. Jo wiped sweat off her face and attacked the second one. All the time she was afraid that someone might come and look for her, but it was quiet and she was left alone. She had no idea how long it took, but finally the second pin was out and she straightened, breathing hard. Now came the even harder part: lift the door.
Jo was not a very tall woman and not very strong, but she was enduring and she was very determined. She fought with the heavy door and finally managed to move it slightly, then pushed and shoved until the opening was large enough for her to squeeze through. She peeked out of the opening, trying to find out whether or not there was a guard close by, but the corridor was dark and empty. Jo slipped out, back pressed against the cold concrete wall, breathing hard. The electrodes tingled again, something she had noticed throughout her task of unhinging the door, but now it was very prominent.
"Kro," she whispered, almost to herself.
It was him. Something told her. Her signals were still transmitting and maybe something was bounced back. She ran her fingertips over one patch. Suddenly there was a noise. Jo flattened herself against the wall, barely daring to breath. The noise didn't repeat itself and she carefully walked further down the corridor. She knew the way to the lab because no one had actually bothered to blind-fold her.
"Going somewhere?"
A hulking figure appeared right in front of her and Jo stumbled back, stifling a scream. She turned and ran right into the next goon. Panic took over and she kicked the man hard where it hurt. He gave a grunt of pain and doubled over. Jo ducked, feeling his fingers scrape over her shoulder. She made a run for it, blindly following the corridor and uncaring where she was going to, as long as it helped her lose those two. They were coming after her.
Jo saw an open door, her mind telling her to go and she did. She fumbled for the door and threw it shut behind her, then looked wildly around. She was in a semi-lit, wide-open space with a ramp at the other end leading toward large doors.
"Dr. Campbell, how nice of you to join us."
Jo gave a gasp and moved back just as the goons banged against the door. The door was pushed open and she flew forward. Hands grasped her and she fought back, scratching a face that was in her reach. Someone backhanded her brutally and her head flew around. Stars exploded in front of her eyes and she stumbled. Her cheek burned with the pain and humiliation, tears springing to her eyes. There was the sound of an engine howling somewhere in the background, an angry, dangerous noise.
"Don't damage her too much," the voice of Mobius ordered and the hand that had grabbed her let go. She fell to the ground, shaking, her head hurting.
Jo looked up and discovered the wheelchair-bound figure in the shadows.
"Quite an ingenious escape, my dear doctor, but quite futile."
"Go to hell," she spat, a metallic taste suddenly in her mouth. She touched her lip and felt the split, blood seeping slowly out of it.
"Not yet. Get her back to the cell."
Jo was roughly pulled to her feet and shoved out of the room again. She thought she felt another tingle from the electrodes, but her head was hurting too much to catch a clear thought. She was actually brought to another room and this time the door's hinges didn't lie on the inside, nor was there anything in it but a mattress. She was pushed inside and then the door fell shut. Jo sank onto the mattress, tears of frustration and fear stinging in her eyes.

*

Mobius turned his wheelchair and moved it deeper into the semi-lit hall. Lights came on, revealing a silvery car.
"Your friend has spirit."
The vehicle was silent. Its tires were clamped down. "If you hurt her, I'll kill you," KRO whispered icily.
Mobius wheezed. "I feel so threatened. You don't seem to understand who is holding all the cards here, KRO. I tell you what to do and you do it. Otherwise, your doctor friend dies."
A hiss escaped the silver car.
"Take out the Team Knight Rider," Mobius went on. "Except for the esteemed Mr. Kyle Stewart. I want him to see it." A chuckle came from behind the mask. "I want him to suffer the loss."
KRO growled, but he didn't answer. His mind was furiously working on a way out of this situation, but there was none.
"Go," the handicapped man then said and touched a button. The wheel clamps clicked open. "Don't think of attacking me, KRO," Mobius added rather pleasantly as KRO rolled threateningly toward him. "Think of Jo."
The silver car reversed and left rubber tire marks on the cement floor. "You'll pay for this!" KRO promised darkly, then he turned in a tight circle and headed for the ramp.
The wide doors opened to let him out, then closed after him again.
Mobius just chuckled and rolled deeper into the shadows.

* * *

A bag of chips lay spilled next to the keyboard and Trek Sanders was immersed in FLAGNet, sometimes blindly fishing for some chips and stuffing them into his mouth. He had occupied the situation room for the last four hours and had gone through every aspect of FLAGNet, then started a minute, detailed search. It was slow and kind of boring, but it was necessary. Plato was assisting him, going through many of the almost countless peripheral connections, but neither had come up with a leak yet.
Trek frowned. "What if isn't a leak?" he muttered. "What if it is a bug?"
He hacked in a few commands and waited. The new program was launched and ran all by itself. Trek had developed it before joining FLAG and it hunted through a system, looking for anything that transmitted data without being on the transmission list or which used an already known transmitter. This would take a while.
Reaching over to the bag of chips he found it empty and sighed. Trek got up and left the situation room in search for a soda and some more chips or something like it.

* * *

Nick didn't feel much better after a few hours of sleep and Karr's rumbled 'good morning' told him that his partner wasn't feeling on top of the world either. He peeled back the bandage and looked at the blood-crusted cuts, palpating them carefully. They hurt like hell. Nick sighed and after a quick shower, where he managed to get enough shampoo into the cuts to let them go up in an explosion of pain, he rebandaged the wounds and went downstairs. Michael was already up as he entered the office, coffee cup in hand, talking to someone on the phone. He gestured at Nick to sit down, smiling briefly.
Anything?> Nick wanted to know as he sipped the hot liquid.
No> Karr grated.
Did Kitt get in contact with KRO>
No>
Yeow, you are in a bright mood this morning>
As much as you are> Karr remarked nastily.
Nick briefly closed his eyes. Damn, sorry......>
Karr rumbled something and fell silent. Michael put down the receiver, sighing.
"Nothing, I take it," Nick asked calmly.
His friend nodded. "No trace of either KRO or Dr. Campbell. The dead attackers have been identified, but there is nothing that would tell us who is behind it."
"So I should dig deeper?"
"You should get more rest and not run around looking for the next confrontation, Nick," Michael said seriously.
Nick shook his head. "I'm fine. Yes, I made a mistake and yes, it bothers me, but it's not going to influence my performance," he said stiffly, almost defiantly.
"I'm not an evaluator, Nick, just a concerned friend. You lost blood and those cuts are not exactly a shaving accident. Why don't you just lean back and let us handle the rest."
"Because," Nick answered slowly, "I feel like that there is no 'rest'. This has only just begun. Whoever was after the KRO AI, he knew a lot. He found it in the Remote Testing Facility, he found the safehouse.... you have a leak. Either it is a person or it's in the system."
Michael frowned. "And you want to go hunting?"
"Yes."
"Okay," Michael sighed. "I've known you long enough to realize that even if I say 'no', you'll do it anyway. Right?"
Nick just flashed him an innocent smile. Then he rose. "I'll keep in contact."
Michael shook his head and leaned back in his chair.

* * *

KRO was driving toward the location he had been given, the place where Sky One had touched down. How Mobius knew about the landing spot was of no interest to him. He was too busy thinking how to contact anyone at all. Mobius was monitoring him, that much he had already found out, but there had to be a way.
And there was. KRO felt a surge of energy pass through his microprocessor and immediately squelched it. He was taking a chance and he had to take it. Jo's life was on the line and he felt responsible for her safety. She was his friend, a trusted friend, and she had done so much for him. KRO unconsciously reached for the background hum, taking an immense comfort out of it. He shivered and finally turned to the only open link he could safely use, at least for a while.
::kitt?::
Surprise met his call and he felt Kitt open the line immediately.
::kro?::
::yes. no time. they have jo! they want me to do this. kitt help me!::

Kitt had been monitoring the line he had erected to KRO while watching him in the lab, hoping he would open it and talk. He couldn't actually force the blocks open. The link was too fragile to risk it. Now he was stunned by the brief message and he immediately reached out toward the other presence, trying to uphold the com link.
::kro? where are you? what is going on?::
::insecure channel. no time. warn them. i have to do it. i can't disobey. they have jo. they will kill her!::
.::who?:: Kitt now asked, feeling KRO's frantic fear, his worry and plain open desperation.
::mobius::
The link was cut and Kitt was left with a feeling of dread. Mobius had kidnapped Jo and stolen KRO?
"Michael?"
"Yes, Kitt?"
"I just received a message from KRO," Kitt said, sounding strangely numb.
His driver went rigid. "What?"
"It was brief and came in over the com link. He said Mobius has him and Jo, and that he is forcing KRO to work for him. He is threatening to kill her if he disobeys...."

* * *

Trek and Erica had been cruising around for hours and were now on the way back to Sky One. The plane had landed in the Nevada desert close to the destroyed Testing Facility. Their ETA would be in about twenty minutes. Neither had had any luck with the trails they had been following and Erica was sick and tired of driving around endlessly and finding nothing.
"Bogey at six o'clock," Plato suddenly chimed and Trek turned to cast a look over his shoulder.
Sure enough, there was a car behind them, matching their speed and coming closer. Fast! This was no highway and there shouldn't be any cars anywhere. The road was an old desert way, leading nowhere at all.
"Hey, Erica!" he called.
"I see it," she answered. "Who the heck is that clown?"
The car accelerated, passed them and suddenly braked.
"Yikes!" Trek exclaimed and swerved to the right. He had to slow down for the maneuver and saw Erica do the same out of the corners of his eyes.
"Launch all torpedoes!" Plato suddenly called.
Trek paled. "Missiles! Erica, that thing is armed!"
The missile shot toward him and Trek accelerated, hoping to outrun it. He never had a chance. The missile struck the ground beside him, the shockwave sending him flying off Plato in a loop. His helmeted head hit the ground and the world went dark.

*

KRO stopped, surveying his work. His engine idled, his systems running checks on his two victims, determining that both were alive, though injured. None of the injuries was life-threatening. Both motorbikes were undamaged, but they lay on their sides and were of no danger to him. He reversed, rolling away from the two unconscious humans, then stopped again. He didn't want to kill them....

* * *

Nick was on the road. He had been driving from one place to the next for nearly a day now, stopping for just long enough to get a coffee and a sandwich, then he was off again. Swallowing was a pain and his injury itched abominably underneath the bandage, as well as created a rather large discomfort. He had been injured worse in the past, but strangulation cuts were nasty. Karr had been silent, but he lurked around the edges of the link, clearly uncomfortable as well since Nick didn't so much as think about taking painkillers yet.
Stopping at a red light, Nick scratched the bandage again, slightly irritable. His failure from before was still haunting him, though he rarely made it last; in his line of work guilt wasn't an emotion he could carry for too long without getting killed. But it also was an indicator of a job not well done. He had been hired as a bodyguard and he had let the enemy get the person he had been told to protect. He wasn't infallible, but he didn't like to lose. Nick drove off as the light turned green. He was only human, true, but then again he was also much more. He should have expected this, he should have been prepared.
Next time he wouldn't fail. And he would get Dr. Campbell back alive.....

* * *

Kyle sat in the situation room, rubbing his eyes, feeling infinitely tired. It was an emotional exhaustion that had nothing to do with no sleep.
"Mobius has KRO," he finally said quietly. "And he is using him to take us out. Why does this sound so familiar?"
Michael smiled humorlessly. "Yes, but this time it has a twist. It seems like Dr. Jo Campbell has gotten to KRO and Mobius is using her to make him work for him."
"You're saying that KRO is doing this to protect Jo?" Duke asked, incredulous.
"That's what Kitt told me." Michael looked at the three present team members. "He attacked Erica and Trek, but he didn't kill them. KRO is trying to follow Mobius' orders because otherwise he might get Jo killed, but he doesn't want to do it."
"That thing has no conscience," Jenny said coldly. "It only didn't kill the others because we were in time."
Michael shook his head again. "No. From Kat's memories we know that KRO stopped the attack and just sat there, then fled. He had nearly ten minutes to finish what he had started. He didn't."
Both TKR operatives were currently at the hospital. Trek had a broken collar bone and a mild concussion, Erica had a twisted ankle, some bruised ribs and a concussion as well. The bikes had been recovered, but except for a bruised ego and some shook-up circuits, they were fine.
"So what now?" Kyle asked.
"We need to find Jo and free her."
"How?" Duke wanted to know.
"Through KRO. Kitt can contact him secretly, though not for a long time. If we can convince him that we can help him, that we free Jo, he might cooperate."
"And if not?"
Michael looked briefly at the desk top. "Then we need to find another way."
Suddenly there was a beeping noise. Michael's brows rose. He was sitting in Trek's place and the console was demanding he do something.
"What's that?"
Jenny leaned over and punched a button. The screen filled with letters and numbers that scrolled past at an impossible speed to read them properly.
"It's one of Trek's," she said. "I don't know what it does."
"Kitt?" Michael asked.
"Yes, Michael?"
"Can you translate this?"
"Of course." There was a moment of silence, then the screen cleared of the numbers and letters. Instead a string of data appeared.
"What is it?" Michael wanted to know.
The data string appeared on the larger viewscreen and the others looked at it with various expressions, but neither of them was understanding.
"Trek launched a bug program," Kitt explained. "He was looking for a foreign program that is either latched onto an already existing transmitter or is camouflaged as one. He has found one."
"A leak?" Kyle asked, surprised.
"Not really a leak, but it enables the person at the other end of the bug to get in and pull out the data the bug has accumulated. This one is only collecting data from a few specific areas, including phone calls."
"I'd call that a leak," Duke said. "So Mobius listened in to us all the time? Great!"
"It's also impossible to trace," Kitt added. "It's a dead end."
"Damn," Duke muttered.
"Can you close the bug program?" Michael wanted to know.
"I can completely erase it."
"Do it."
Michael turned back to the team. "Mobius has breached our security yet again, he has kidnapped Jo and the KRO AI, and he is using KRO to attack us, though he seems to lack control of him. Our main focus is finding KRO and Dr. Joanne Campbell. Kitt is trying to get through to KRO and we should be ready to act the moment we have a lead...."

* * *

"I'm not pleased." The words were accompanied by the hiss of air flowing through the breathing mask.
KRO sat in the middle of the spacious garage, silent, waiting. Mobius had greeted him when he had come back and he knew that he had not performed as ordered.
"I took out two of the TKR operatives," he finally said, voice without inflection.
"You backed off from the kill."
"I was told to take them out," he repeated doggedly.
Mobius laughed softly, wheezing. "Ah, a flaw in the command. I see. But we'll change that, as we will change your connection to your little scientist friend."
KRO felt his circuits freeze, but he stayed silent. Jo's background presence was as strong as always and he relied on it, he needed it to be there, and he knew that if it went away, he had failed. He couldn't fail the one entrusted to him again! He had failed his first driver and gotten him killed in the end; the memories were still there and rather painful, but he no longer felt the deep desperation he had felt before the treatment Jo had started. Now he was responsible for her.
Mobius left him alone and the guards entered the garage. He could kill them so easily, but one false move and Jo would suffer.
::kro?::
He jerked around. ::kitt?::
::yes:: Gentle waves touched him and he shivered.
::go away! they'll detect you!::
::not yet, kro. we need to know where you are. we need to know where jo is::
KRO shivered again. ::can't::
::please, kro. if you tell us, we can come and safe her. i know you didn't want to kill and i know you want to stop this. please?::
KRO retreated. What if he told Kitt the location? What if TKR came here and tried to free Jo? Mobius would send him against the team....
::kro?::
Desperation swamped him and he sent a burst of data, then quickly cut the link. Trembling, the AI curled up in a remote corner of his CPU, reaching for Jo's presence.

* * *

"Nothing," Nick growled angrily. "Nothing at all. Someone's covering his tracks and he is damn good." He tapped the side of the Stealth, feeling a headache throbbing just below his forehead. His injuries stung again and he was tempted to take a painkiller just to be rid of the annoyance, but it would also influence his performance. He might be too drowsy. "But who?"
Nick and Karr had been busy looking for a trail the last hours and nothing had come out of it. Nick had gone as far as contacting a few of his shadowy friends, but they had shaken their heads. Nick wasn't sure whether all told the truth or not; a few had sounded afraid, others just plain close-mouthed. Then Michael's message about the attack had come in. Trek and Erica were out of the game for now, a bug had been discovered transmitting data to an unknown source and KRO was in the hands of Mobius. Nick had only briefly read the name in one of the TKR files before, but now he had researched him and come up with as much mystery as truth. No one knew who he was, he was just a shadowy presence, pulling the strings, and he was out to neutralize TKR.
But he knew his contacts knew..... and they were scared enough not to talk. That meant something.
"Let's go back," he finally decided.
The action was back at Sky One and with Kitt and Michael. Maybe something had come up.
"I will drive," Karr suddenly spoke up.
"I'm fine!" Nick snapped irritably, then caught himself and leaned back into the seat, drawing a breath. "Shit," he whispered. "Okay, you'll drive."
"Thank you," Karr replied, sounding slightly stiff.
"I'm sorry. I know I'm leaking," Nick muttered, carefully rubbing the bandage. It pulsed with pain.
"Take medication. It helps," Karr replied neutrally as he pulled off onto the street.
"I'll be fine without drugs," his driver replied, edgy again.
Karr just rumbled and didn't bother replying.

* * *

Jo looked at the tray with what had to be food on it. She refused to eat the stuff because it looked utterly disgusting. She had also not touched the water in fear it might be drugged. Suddenly the door opened and two men entered her prison, one grabbing her roughly and shoving her outside.
"Hey!" she protested, but another vicious push silenced her. She simply glared.
She was led into the next room and saw the by now familiar figure in the wheelchair, hidden by shadows. One of the goons forced her onto a chair.
"What do you want now?" she demanded.
"You have done remarkable work on your patient, Dr. Campbell. He refuses to actually see my orders as they were meant to be, interpreting them his way."
"So? Good for him."
"No, rather bad for him."
"If you harm so much as a diode of ...."
Mobius' wheezing laughter stopped her. "Harm my weapon? No, my dear, I wouldn't. I realize how much you have changed him now, but that only gives me better access to him. He cares for you, so I make him care even more."
"What are you talking about?"
"These extensions you wear, the electrodes, are so very crude," Mobius remarked and Jo just glowered. "We can change this, give our friend a few more reasons to comply."
Someone stepped into view and Jo stared at him. He was clad in a white coat, apparently a doctor, and he was holding a syringe.
"What's the meaning of this!?" she cried, struggling, but two sets of hands held her like vices.
"KRO is having second thoughts about this," Mobius explained calmly, wheezing again, as the man in the coat approached. "He might think I'm not going through with my threats against you, so I'm giving him a better way to feel you, my dear Dr. Campbell."
"NO!" she screamed.
The syringe plunged into her arm and she felt the liquid inside pushed into her veins.
"Prepare her," Mobius ordered.
She was unbound and carried over to a table. Jo tried to fight it, but the contents of the syringe was quickly pushing her into oblivion. She felt how the extensions were removed, then there was nothingness.

* * *

"Okay, these are the facts." Michael looked at the assembled team. He had come to Sky One in person about an hour ago. Kitt had told him about the contact to KRO and whatever doubts he had had, he now knew that the AI wanted to help. "We have the location of the place where Jo is held. It's an old farm building in the middle of nowhere. There are guards and KRO hasn't been able to add a floor plan, but we should be able to get at least close enough to get us an impression of the situation. He mentioned an underground facility, so my guess is that the building as such is camouflage and we have to go underground."
"How far do you trust KRO?" Jenny asked quietly. "It could be a trap set by Mobius."
"Kitt would have detected the lie. It's impossible to hide facts on this level of communication without someone like Kitt feeling it," Michael answered. "I'm not ordering you to help me. Kitt and I will go there alone if we have to. Nick is already en route to check it out."
Kyle shook his head. "We are coming with you, even though we are a two operatives short, but Jenny's suspicion is not unfounded. KRO is not trustworthy."
"Maybe, but he has changed. His worry for Jo is real."
"How can you be sure?"
"Kitt is," Michael answered seriously.
Kyle chewed on his lower lip. "Okay. Let's check it out."

* * *

KRO was on the road again, but his mind was not on the job he had been told to do but rather with Jo. She was in danger and it was his fault. She had risked her life for him when Mobius had attacked the Remote Testing Facility and she had been beaten when he had found them in the safehouse. People had died because of him and the next person could be Jo. His orders were simple, but they were also creating a conflict inside of him. If he attacked TKR and killed them he'd betray Jo and what she had fought so hard to achieve. He'd go against a streak of programming she had unearthed. He wasn't programmed to kill; he respected human life. What he had done before, killing five technicians and attacking others, was like out of another life time. He still couldn't understand it and he probably never would. But if he didn't follow his orders, Jo would die and he would have killed a human as well.
KRO moaned softly. He was caught and there was no solution! He had told Kitt where Jo was held and he hoped the other AI would find a way to help, but he doubted it.
::kro?::
He winced. ::kitt?:. he sent, startled.
::we are on our way. meet us::
He hesitated.
::kro, please....::
::where are you?:: he asked softly.
Kitt sent him the coordinates and he found himself steering into the direction.
Suddenly there was a change in the background noise that was Jo's presence. It suddenly intensified, then died down again, but the vibrations had changed. He frowned.

* * *

"The treatment was rather easy," Mobius told her, sounding satisfied, "and I apologize for having to cut your skin, my dear. It was necessary."
"What have you done?" Jo whispered, horrified.
She had woken about an hour ago and had had a doctor examining her from head to toe, poking at the wounds and asking her weird questions. She didn't know what exactly had happened, but she knew it wasn't good. She felt strange and there was a constant tingle coming from the base of her neck. The doctor had told her not to scratch.
"I gave KRO the possibility to read and feel you more closely. Have you ever heard of the neurotransmitter links? Those intriguing chips that two operatives of FLAG have in their heads? No, I didn't think so. Well, these chips link them quite intimately to their AIs. We had no time for finesse, but the crude version will assist me in my plans. You have a chip in the back of your neck and two at your temples, fused into the bone."
Jo felt very sick all of a sudden.
"They transmit neuro signals not unlike the electrodes, but they can be fine-tuned. KRO can pick up a lot more now. Emotions, for instance. We also added small devices behind your ears, drilled deep into the flesh to link up to your inner ear. You can hear him and he can hear you when you talk. And you should talk. Tell him what we can do if he disobeys me again!"
Jo swallowed. "You sick bastard!" she managed.
Mobius wheezed. "Harsh words coming from someone who was given a gift."
"I don't want it!"
"Too bad. No money back guarantee on this one."
Jo fell back against the hard, cold concrete wall of her cell, feeling tears rise in her eyes. Mobius left her alone again and she curled up, trembling in fear. The places where she had been operated stung and she was afraid to touch them. What had this maniac done? God, what had he done?!

* * *

Kyle stopped Dante on the lonely, dusty parking spot. It was the meeting place Kitt had told them KRO would come to. Jenny and Duke pulled up as well, followed by Michael. A black car was already there and he shivered. It was Karr. Nick MacKenzie was next to the Stealth, the bandage around his neck still standing out.
"I don't like this," Kyle muttered.
"I have to agree," Dante said. "KRO has tried to kill us twice. Why should he be different this time?"
His driver looked through the windshield, scanning the horizon. "Michael says because of Dr. Campbell."
"What if it is a lie?"
Another sigh. "According to Kitt he told the truth."
Dante was silent. It wasn't his place to express doubt in an AI who he respected so much, but he didn't trust KRO at all. KRO had tried to kill him in the past.
"Here he comes."
A car approached. It was silver and a sports car. No one was driving. The car slowed down and approached carefully, stopping far enough away from the three TKR vehicles to be of no immediate threat. Still, Kyle thought he was one. Michael got out of Kitt and Kyle did the same, running his hand along Dante's front as he walked away from his car.
"KRO?" Michael asked.
"Mr. Knight," KRO answered and Kyle's brows rose. The voice was rather different from the last time. "Mobius gave me my orders," the AI continued, sounding hesitant.
"I thought as much. Is Jo okay?"
"I... think so." KRO fell silent all of a sudden.
"KRO?"
Kitt rolled silently closer. "Michael, something's wrong."
Kyle heard Dante's engine come to life. His partner rolled closer as well. "Kyle, you should get inside," the Ford said.
"No..." KRO suddenly whispered. "No!"
"What's going on?" Michael asked, addressing both Kitt and KRO.

KRO felt something inside of him come painfully alive. It was cold and hot in one, fiery and freezing. It dug itself into his systems, coming out of the background hum of Jo's presence. It was overwhelming, smothering him, then sloshed back, leaving him shivering and confused.
"Jo?" he asked, voice trembling.
And there was a reply. It was a weak moan of denial, but it was Jo. KRO touched the new link and winced when he felt a flood of strange emotional energy come through. He knew it was Jo because he recognized the signature. It was familiar.
"......?"
Something akin to a whimper answered him and the emotion he felt, the surge actually, was like something he had felt before. It was anger, frustration and pain.
"Jo!?" he asked more desperately. "What have they done to you?"

Kitt was shocked for a moment. He was watching the blooming of a link like a spectator would a theater play, and for a second he was unable to connect.
//Michael, something's happening!// he sent, unable to voice the words. //Jo... Jo linked//
"//What?!//"
//Mobius.. he did something... I'm not sure....//
And then KRO cried out. It was a cry of pain, followed by a howl as his engine protested the sudden strain. He reversed, dust flowing up around him.
::kro!::
::he is hurting her! he is hurting her!:: KRO screamed. ::i have to do it!::
::no! stop! let us help!::
KRO screamed again, but he stopped, engine idling. ::can't. have to follow his orders::
::no, let us help. we can save her:: "Michael? Mobius is using the link to get to KRO. Whatever he does to Jo.... he does it to control KRO!"

Kyle listened to the exchange, eyes wide. Jenny and Duke had joined him, staring at the silver vehicle that was shaking badly, tires twitching.
"Mobius linked those two?" he finally managed.
Michael nodded. "Whatever he does to Jo, KRO feels it." He turned to the AI. "Can you tell us how many guards he has? How we can get in?"
"Yes," KRO managed, then moaned. "He is hurting her...."
"We'll stop it," Michael said calmly. "Show us the way in and we'll stop it."
"Can you promise?"
It was an easy question and it was asked in an almost child-like plaintive way. Michael stared at the silver sports car, shocked. Kyle shared his shock. This was very much unlike KRO!
Nick stepped forward. "What are your orders, KRO?" he wanted to know.
"My orders are to destroy the Team Knight Rider and leave Kyle Stewart alive."
Kyle raised an eyebrow and Duke mirrored the action. "How nice. Why me?"
"Mobius said he wants you to feel the loss and the pain of having to watch without being able to stop it."
"Cute," Duke remarked grimly.
Nick frowned, but didn't comment. Michael scratched his neck. "I can't promise you that we get Jo out of this; no one can. But I promise you that we'll do everything in our power to help. She means a lot to us as well."
KRO seemed uneasy. "Mobius will kill her."
"He will kill her when he has what he wants as well," Kyle said, surprised that he was actually trying to convince the AI to work with them. "Mobius uses people and objects, then throws them away."
"Or kills them," KRO added softly.
"Correct."
"We can give you the chance to get Jo out of this alive," Michael said calmly. "Help us, KRO. You contacted Kitt because you didn't want to kill anymore; you want us to help you."
KRO was silent. Finally he shifted into gear and rolled back onto the street. "Follow me," he said calmly.

* * *

Jo lay curled up on the bed of her prison, shaking, feeling nauseous. She was so sick that she was afraid she'd throw up any minute. Someone had come and given her an injection and then she had drifted off into a nightmarish world of shadows and gruesome creatures out to get her. There had been a monster in those nightmares, a large, vicious, dark-colored monster with long teeth and glowing eyes, its taloned hands reaching for her. As her mind replayed the nightmare, she felt herself slip again.
No!

The bricks were damp and cold. It was too dark to see much, but the rancid garbage overran the place. She felt her way along a brick wall and looked out across the alley to see another brick wall on the other side. Boxes and rusty old garbage cans lay everywhere. She thought he could hear mice scuttling about. Yuck! Suddenly the harsh laughter she had heard before sounded through the darkness. Last time it had been followed by the appearance of... the monster. She shivered, her body gripped by fear. She ran, her heart pounding, gasping for breath. She could hear the ground shake as the monster behind her started to run. She could feel its hot breath on her back. Suddenly, she slipped in the blackness and tumbled to the ground. She felt the wet pavement smack her painfully in the chest. She rolled over and over in the muddy blackness as her inertia kept pushing her on. Finally she stopped.
And the monster loomed over here, laughing.

Jo screamed, curling up more tightly. She was aware of faint calls, of a desperate voice in her ear, and she thought she recognized it, but she was unable to answer. Now she was awake, the nightmares nothing but memories, but those memories were pretty real. Shaking, drenched in sweat, she tried to get her mind to work.
She was still a prisoner.
She was still outfitted with links to Kro on a level that would transmit everything she felt.
Kro was still out there and trying to follow the orders that would save her life.
Jo felt tears flow down her cheek. "Don't do it," she whispered into the mattress.
"Jo?" The voice was in her ear and she nearly jumped, but she was actually too weak to move all that much.
"Kro?"
"Yes. What did he do to you?"
"Nightmares.... Drugs, I think." She swallowed as the nausea rose. "Don't kill, Kro. Please..."
Something trickled through her and more tears flowed. "Coming for you," was all Kro said, then she was alone again.
Alone except for the implants the strange sensations coming through them. She was barely aware of the dank mattress, the cold cell, the filth. The monster was still out to get her, lurking in her mind, waiting for a weak spot. All Jo was concentrating on was the sensation in the back of her neck, the presence she could feel, and she wished she could just reach out and go to this presence, leave this place behind.

* * *

The farm building was really in the middle of nowhere. Hills sloped gently away from it in one direction, a few trees dotting the land, farm and cattle land stretching toward the other. There was a rather old looking silage, a well, a shed for cattle that had long since been destroyed by the forces of nature and age, and the fences were all torn down, destroyed or collapsing. A dirty path leading up to the main house. Fresh tire tracks could be seen in the dirt.
Michael pocketed the binoculars and carefully crawled back from where he had been hiding. The vehicles had been left at the bottom of a hill that rose several feet and then fell toward the farm. Nick and Kyle were waiting for him there, each next to his vehicle. KRO had stopped further away as if he knew that no one wanted to be all that close to him, except Kitt. The black TransAm had automatically joined the silver car, still not inside his 'personal space' but close enough to express support.
"No guards, no remote controlled cameras I can see," Michael reported. "Anything from Duke and Jenny?"
"They are still slowly making their way around the hills. Domino is having trouble with the road."
Michael nodded. "We'll wait for them, then we have to get closer. I don't think that waiting till nightfall would help. If Mobius has hidden cameras, they will have night vision." He looked at KRO.
"I have no information about that," the AI answered.
"But you could give them to us," Nick suddenly spoke up. He had been leaning against the Stealth, arms crossed in front of his chest, eyes hidden behind shades, and studying the ground. "Kitt could link to your scanners. You go to the farm, we see what you scan."
"If I come back... Mobius will demand to see proof of my fulfilled mission," KRO answered.
A smile spread over Nick's lips that had no humor in it at all. "That can be arranged."
Kyle stared at him. "What?"
"Throughout our leisurely drive, Kitt and Karr have come up with a very convincing video of TKR's destruction, mainly Domino and Beast's. We refrained from blowing up Sky One." Another humorless smile. "Might have gone too far."
"You have what?!" Kyle exclaimed.
Michael grinned, shaking his head. "When did you come up with that idea?"
"It wasn't mine. It was Kitt's."
//Kitt?//
//Yes, Michael?// Kitt answered innocently.
//Why didn't you tell me?//
//Because I was discussing it with Karr and Karr asked Nick, which led to the idea of the video tape. We didn't know if it would work//
Michael sent soft laughter. //You are incredible//
//Thank you// Kitt beamed.
Kyle rubbed his forehead. "You want to tell me you want to feed Mobius a fake tape? He'll see right through it."
""But it will give us some time. We can get the position of the cameras while KRO drives toward the farm and we can at least get ten to fifteen more minutes to get close when he is inside," Michael argued. "It's a rather sketchy and shaky idea, but about the only one I have right now."
"Better than none," Nick said, smiling. "Kitt, how about you give KRO the tape? We'll wait for Duke and Jenny to report they are in position, then we move in."
Michael nodded his agreement, as did Kyle.

* * *

KRO slowly closed in on the farm, his scanners running on full. Kitt was a presence not too far away and though he knew it should make him feel secure, it didn't. Kitt was a strong, almost overwhelming presence and he was afraid. Not that Kitt would do anything to him; Kitt wouldn't. It was just.... he couldn't define the feeling.
"KRO."
The voice crackled through the com system and froze his circuits. Mobius....
"I see you have come back."
"I did what you ordered," KRO said, voice cold and steady, surprising himself.
"Did you really?"
KRO was silent and came to a stop outside the hangar doors. They were camouflaged as barn doors.
"I heard something different, KRO. You failed again."
"I did not!" KRO lied, voice still rather monotone. "I have the proof."
Mobius wheezed. "Oh, yes, proof. I have Jo, my artificial friend, and she is not happy."
Something trickled through the link and KRO gasped. "No!" he whispered. "What are you doing? Jo!?"
He felt a surge inside him, coming from the background noise that was Jo and winced away. It was painful, almost agonizing, and it struck him completely unawares.
"NO!"
"You tried to trick me, KRO," Mobius went on.
"Jo? Talk to me!" he begged, using the still alien link.
All that answered him was a whimper.
"What are you doing to her?" he cried.
More surges followed and the car reversed, tires spinning. Dust flew up around him.
"You lied," Mobius repeated. "You ran to your enemies and begged for their help. Wrong move." Another hiss of oxygen. "You brought them here. I know it, KRO. But you didn't fulfill your mission. I'm very disappointed."
This time the surge was overpowering. KRO screamed out his emotional pain, unable to process what was collapsing on him, and ran right into a fence, crumbling it beneath him.

*

"What the hell is going on?" Kyle exclaimed as he watched KRO stop, then suddenly reverse.
Michael tensed and then stared at Kitt. "Damn!" he exclaimed.
"He found out?" Nick asked.
"Yes. And he's apparently using Jo to punish KRO. We move in. Now!"

*

Jo struggled against the man holding her and pushing her down the corridor back to her cell. She was bruised, battered, her lip was split and bleeding and she was about to surrender to total panic. Kro was on the receiving end of her haywire emotions. She tried to stanch the flow, but she had no idea how to do it. How could she control what a chip inside her head transmitted?! The man pushed her roughly and she stumbled.
"Move!" he ordered gruffly.
Suddenly there was a sound. Jo received another shove, was thrown against the wall and turned to see a large, dark-skinned man struggle with Mobius' goon. The bad guy lost. Jo blinked.
"Oh... you," was all she managed.
"Hm, I don't think we should make a habit of meeting like this," Duke joked. "Come on, we are leaving this joint."
Jo swallowed hard and her knees started to buckle all of a sudden. She felt Kro flood her with something she couldn't define. Duke caught her.
"Are you okay?"
"Yes," she breathed, forcing some strength back into her legs. "Where's ... Kro?"
"Currently taking everything apart," was the brisk reply. "Now let's go!"

*

KRO shot forward and through the wide hangar doors, taking them out completely. The howl of his engine echoed through the large room and the two men present whirled around, bringing up their weapons, and a barrage of fire was unleashed upon him. KRO didn't care. The MBS protected him and the bullets sprayed in all directions. He continued his mad dash, nearly running over one of the attackers, who managed to jump out of the way just in time, and drove straight through the door leading deeper into the base. The concrete splintered under the onslaught, but he was too big to actually fit into the corridor.
The engine howled in rage once more and KRO reversed, attacking the too tight entrance again. Still, he didn't get through.
::kro, stop it!:: Kitt's voice suddenly pierced through his panicked mind. ::duke has her. they are coming your way::
KRO searched frantically through his CPU for the link to Jo, shakily accessing it. "Jo?!"
There was a reply, a half-sob of fear and desperation, and he felt like tearing into the wall once more.
::she is okay:: Kitt told him quickly.
"Self-destruct sequence activated."
The neutral voice echoed through the room and KRO froze. The two men who had attacked him stopped, then turned on their heels and ran. Somewhere out of the corridor he heard footsteps and he backed up a little, scanners on full. He took in Jo, half carried by DePalma, and his CPU was struck by relief.
"One minute," the genderless voice announced.
Another car raced into the wide room and stopped almost beside him. KRO recognized Beast, but his attention was still on Jo as she stumbled over the debris and toward him. The silver form of Dante appeared almost out of nowhere.
"Forty seconds."
"Let's get out of here!" Duke yelled.
Jo staggered forward, her face streaked with tears, shaking badly, eyes wide.
"Get in," KRO managed and opened the door.
Jo all but fell into the silver car, the door closing after her immediately, then KRO reversed. Beast was not far behind, his own driver safely inside the protected shell of the truck. The truck gathered speed, overtook them and crashed through the remaining hangar doors, bouncing onto the hard packed earth. KRO was about to follow when a first explosion ripped through the ground before him. He swerved away, hearing Jo gasp. Dante was behind him and braked hard, reversing, frantically evading another explosion that took out half of the wall left of him.
"Ten," the neutral voice started the final countdown.
KRO searched for a way past the wide crater in the hangar floor.
"Nine."
Dante came up next to him, Kyle's face a pale, determined mask.
"Eight."
The crater was too wide to cross. Neither of them had Kitt's turbo boost function, but both had the MBS shielding.
"Seven."
"We might survive the collapse," KRO heard himself say.
"Six."
Dante drove slightly away, rumbling nervously, but they were closed in, no way out of here by the back and the front was unreachable.
"Five."
"Jo, I'm sorry," KRO whispered.
She smiled tiredly, her pale face covered with dried tears, blood and dirt.
"Four."
"We'll get through this," she said, her voice eerily calm.
"Three."
"In case we don't - thank you for everything, Dr. Campbell."
"Two."
Jo only smiled.
"One."
Bricks and rubble exploded around them, showering onto the two silver cars, piling up around them. It was like getting buried in a tomb and soon neither car was visible underneath the growing pile.
The farm building ceased to exist.

*

Beast crashed through the remaining wall and bounced hard onto the packed earth, dust flying up around him. Duke felt his teeth ache. Behind them, the building went up in a thunderous explosion. The shockwave raced over him, burning the ground, scorching Beast's skin, but the MBS protected the AI inside.
"No!" Beast suddenly exclaimed.
Duke's stopped the truck and stared at the pile of rubble and debris that had once represented the farm. "Kyle!" Duke breathed.
"They didn't make it," Beast said almost tonelessly.
"Life signs?"
"I can only receive electrical life signs. The human ones are protected by the MBS...."
Duke swallowed, adding 'Or they ceased to exist' to himself. The others came over, looking shocked.
"We have to get them out of there!" Jenny exclaimed.
Nick regarded the pile almost emotionlessly and Duke briefly felt like strangling him. His friend was under there!
"Kitt is getting a weak signal from Dante," Michael suddenly said. "The interface com channel," he added as Duke gave him a surprised look. "I'm calling in the heavy equipment. We have to get them out."

*

Kyle opened his eyes, greeted by darkness. The only illumination came from Dante's dash. As everything had started to come down, Kyle had instinctively ducked, shielding his head, but the MBS had kept them save.
"Dante?" he asked, sounding breathless.
"I'm here, Kyle," came the reassuring, calm voice.
He gave a sigh of relief. "You okay?"
"As okay as you can be under several tons of bricks," came the snide remark.
He chuckled. That answered the question to the fullest. Dante was okay. "KRO?"
"As far as my scanners can pick up anything, he is next to us. Hang on, I'm picking up a call."
The com crackled and Michael's rather tinny voice could be heard. "Kyle?"
"We are okay, Michael."
"Good to hear. We'll get you out ASAP."
"Dante has detected KRO close by...."
"Yes. Kitt is picking up faint signals as well. He and Jo seem to be fine."
"Good to hear." Kyle leaned back, all he could do waiting.

*

Jo had ducked as the building had collapsed onto them and curled up on the seat. Now she peeked up and found that she and Kro were still on one piece and that they were trapped under what had once been a farm building. She felt her fear, her exhaustion, her despair, all ebbing and then coming again full blow. It was a confusing mix, but it was a welcome emotional wave as well. It meant she was alive.
"Kro?"
"I'm here, Jo," came the calming voice of the AI. He sounded very stable, very collected; the total opposite to what she felt.
She tried to calm her breathing, but panic attacks struck her again and again. She screwed her eyes shut and clenched her hands into fists. Damnit!
"Jo?" Kro's voice invaded her frightened mind.
"Yes?" she answered shakily.
"It'll be all right."
She opened her eyes and smiled weakly at the futuristic display.
"They'll get us out," he added.
Jo buried herself in the leather seats, trembling with exhaustion.

Kro increased the heat in the cabin and scanned his passenger. Jo needed a medical examination and sleep, but there were no life-threatening injuries.
::kro? are you all right?::
::yes:: he sent carefully, most of his attention set on his friend.
::jo?::
::exhausted -- afraid::
::we'll get you out:: Kitt told him.
Kro didn't reply. He simply watched Jo and waited.

*

After an almost endless seeming waiting period throughout which he could hear the rumble of unseen heavy equipment moving stone and wood from him, they finally came through. Kro waited, slight fear curling into his CPU, but he was too worried about Jo to think about fleeing. She needed a hospital. Suddenly an avalanche of junk cascaded off his left side and sunlight streamed in. Jo blinked into the brighter light.
"They made it," she whispered, voice wobbly.
More debris was cleared away and Kro detected Dante, looking unscathed as well, next to him.
Someone approached him and he identified Michael Knight. He reversed, backing away as much as he could with so much rubble still around him. Knight stopped and looked at his car.
::we won't hurt her:: Kitt said through the com interface.
Kro was torn by indecision. "Jo?" he asked, frightened by the decision he had to make. She needed help.....
"We'll be okay," she muttered. "Let them help. We both need it."
"Okay," he whispered and clicked the door open. He trusted her.

Michael carefully approached and when KRO didn't make any threatening moves and since Kitt was apparently reassuring him that nothing would happen, he helped Jo out. She was shaky, shivering uncontrollably, her clothes dirty, her face streaked with blood, bruised and smudged.
"It's over," he said calmly.
But hadn't it just begun?

* * *

Twenty-four hours had passed and Jo had slept most of the time when she hadn't been examined by doctors or asked endless questions by Michael or Kyle. The doctor aboard Sky One had determined that the implants sat too deep to remove them easily or quickly and he might do more damage than good it he tried. This needed a neurologist. The wounds were not infected and healing nicely. She touched the area at the base of her neck and shivered. It tingled now and then and sometimes she thought she felt something transmit her way.
Kro had been silent ever since they had been rescued and she knew he was in the vault again, still inside the car body, and under heavy guard. He hadn't fought any of it; he trusted her.
"Kro?" she asked, her voice a soft whisper. She was alone in the infirmary and she knew he could hear her. She could receive him as well through the inner ear implant; hear his voice. Communicating through the artificial device was not exactly easy for her yet. It required a lot of concentration and it hurt her from time to time, but it was the only way to get to her patient right now. "Talk to me, please?" she continued. "I need to know how you are."
"Alone," was the reply only she could hear.
Jo felt tears spring to her eyes. Kro sounded mute, almost defeated. "You are not alone. I'm here."
Kro was silent for a while. "I can feel you. I want to see you."
She smiled. "I'll be with you soon, Kro."
"You were hurt," he said hesitantly. "I never wanted this to happen, believe me. I tried to prevent it."
"No, I'm not really hurt. I'm just tired, exhausted...."
"They beat you....they cut you, Jo!"
"Yes, that much is true, but in a way it helped me to help you. Change of therapy," she joked weakly.
Kro sent a sigh. "What will they do to me?"
"Nothing. What happened must show them that we have made progress. You are not yet healed, but you are healing."
Jo felt another tingle and this time it wasn't her imagination. It gave her a warm feeling and she smiled. She drifted off a few minutes later, Kro a presence with her.

* * *

Kitt had been monitoring KRO ever since he had been brought to the vault and the AI had been very silent and closed-off. Now and then there had been ripples, but he kept his self shielded and was unresponsive to little gestures from Kitt. Finally he uncurled a bit.
::Kitt?::
Kitt was surprised by the strength in the voice, by what he would see as willpower, the will to live.
::Yes?::
::What will happen now?::
Kitt looked at the gray spark. KRO had changed a lot in the past weeks and a lot was due to Jo's influence. That she was now linked to him seemed to have had a lot of positive influence on his continued healing.
::Michael is still deciding on that::
::Will they separate us?::
::I don't know. It's possible:: Kitt didn't actually know. What if they did? Would it be a backlash?
KRO shivered slightly. ::I don't want to lose her::
::Dr. Campbell was never chosen to be an operative:: Kitt told him reasonably.
::Does she have to be? She feels good. She helped me::
::Doesn't a doctor need the necessary distance to help a patient?:: Kitt asked in return.
KRO hesitated. ::Probably:: he then confessed miserably.
The implants were in no way the neuro link Kitt shared with Michael; they were a very pale shadow of them. Still, they linked Jo with the AI in a very special way. She could hear him, her voice was transmitted to his core and he could receive her emotional flow. There was no thought transmission, though. It was voice communication. That KRO had difficulty interpreting most of the emotions coming in was only natural.
::When will we be separated?:: he finally asked.
Kitt was slightly shocked. He sounded so resigned, as if this really was his fate. ::We don't know what the decision is:: he told him firmly. ::Maybe there won't be a separation::
::There will be:: KRO mumbled. ::There is no other way. You know it, I know it. I'm too dangerous. I might have flashback episodes, I might revert, and I would pull Jo with me. I'm starting to understand what you think Martin did to me, but he didn't do it, Kitt. He was my driver!::
Kitt swallowed a sigh. KRO would never believe that Jantzen had driven him over the edge as well. He could never see the mental instability, because he hadn't known his driver otherwise. That he had now met Jo Campbell didn't change it. Sometimes he imagined that someone would say the same about Michael, that he was mentally unstable and bad for the AI he was partnered with. Kitt would never believe it, never leave his driver, and he would defend him. Looking at it this way, he understood KRO.
::Yes, he was:: he finally said. ::What is Dr. Campbell to you?::
::A friend:: KRO answered softly. ::Probably the only one I have::

* * *

"We could remove the implants, but I wouldn't risk it," Michael said, meeting Nick's eyes. The other man held a neutral expression. "Dr. Parker told me that those implants come pretty to close to the neurotransmitters we have in our heads, with the difference that she can't use the link as we can. Their communication seems to be limited, but there is a large potential for growth. The inner ear implant enables her to hear KRO and he can hear her through the others."
"What will you do?" Nick asked, voice level.
"I don't know, Nick. I really don't know. KRO trusts her, but linking Dr. Campbell to this entity....."
"Is like linking Karr to me. Or should I say the K.A.R.R.? The difference is that KRO regards her as a trusted friend. He is a dangerous AI, but he has started to heal," Nick told him seriously. "Give them a chance. He was never malicious, he was only driven by his partner to do what he did."
"You mean, make her an operative?" Michael asked, brows rising.
Nick laughed softly. "Hell, no. Dr. Campbell is a scientist and not a possible new agent for FLAG. Maybe she can help out if this partnership works, but she can never be one of the TKR team. It wouldn't work with KRO either."
"I know."
"Michael, give them a chance. KRO needs Jo to heal and I think she is the only one willing to work with him. Give them the chance you gave me," Nick added quietly.
Michael looked at him. "KRO is back in a MBS-protected shell. What if he loses it again?"
"He was under a lot of pressure for the last days and he didn't crack. Jo is his stability and if she is allowed to work with him, I firmly believe she can bring him back completely."
"If I may add my two cents," Kitt could be heard. "I agree with Nick. Jo has come very far and when I last contacted KRO he sounded very afraid that we might separate them. Still, he is stable."
Michael sighed silently. "It's risky."
"Life in general is."
He gave Nick a wry look. "Thank you, Dr. MacKenzie. The Board is not happy about the last week's events and John told me that whatever my decision will be, he'll back me up. Still, it's a hard decision. Jo is KRO's psychologist, so to speak, and now they are linked. It's a primitive link, but its one nevertheless. They have to be taught and she needs to complete her work without making the mistake we did with Jantzen."
"It's not the same," Nick argued. "They have a connection and it might be KRO's only chance and help."
Michael raised an eyebrow and looked at his friend. "You want this to happen, right?"
Nicholas was suddenly very serious. "Maybe I'm a bit prejudiced because I went through a slightly similar situation. KRO has shown he can change, we should give him the chance to complete the change."
"Want to help?"
"Wow, wait. I'm not a teacher for neuro links!" he protested.
Michael smiled. "You taught me and Kitt, and you did well."
Nick looked embarrassed. "This is different."
"No, not really. I want you to guide them, give them a bit of help. Kitt can help KRO adjust, but you are the one who knows how to handle a newly linked person, Nick. I am not."
"But KRO is mentally unstable, or at least he was linked to a person whose influence he might still be under to some degree. Neither you nor Kitt showed those symptoms. You knew each other already, you were operatives already!" Nick shook his head. "Dr. Campbell is not you. She is an outsider, not a field operative. She knows the AIs from her studies and from papers, nothing else!"
"She and KRO are linked, Nick," Michael repeated. "They have to learn, whatever they were or are."
He sighed. "Why me?" he muttered, addressing the world in general.
"Because you are damn good, Nick. Help Jo and KRO."
"Do you want them as a team of new operatives?"
"No, I want the AI healed. I don't think I can ever expect them to be more than just a team; Jo is not an operative and KRO... I'm not sure he would be able to go out in the field again." Michael shrugged. "For now he'll be a talking car." A smile flitted over his features.
"With MBS shielding and weapons."
"His armament is down to defensive weapons. No missiles, no guns. His laser has been down-tuned, but all the other functions are up and running."
Nick studied the contents of his coffee mug. "Guide and help, but no teaching, right?"
Michael nodded. "I think they know the basics and it's not like back when Kitt and I connected. Just be there to answer their questions."
"Does she know who I am; that Karr is with me?"
"No, I don't think so. I never told her and I doubt Kro did."
Nick grimaced. "I hope you don't expect me to be a good influence on them," he said sarcastically.
Michael laughed. "No, never."
"You owe me, Michael."
The smile on Michael's face broadened. "I know."

* * *

It was a slightly rainy night, with a slow drizzle obscuring the sight and a dense mist already rising above the ground. Dawn would come soon and it promised to be a bleary, gray day. Dr. Jo Campbell couldn't sleep. The rest she had gotten aboard Sky One had not been enough to really rejuvenate her strength, but she didn't feel tired either. Exhausted maybe, mainly emotionally, but not tired. The new home Michael had driven her to was a non-descript house that looked rather innocent from the outside and stood in a row of like-wise non-descript looking houses in a quiet neighborhood. A ramp led down to the garage just left off the stairs to the main entrance. The basement was a lab area, functional, spacious, large enough to park a car and still house enough equipment to make any FLAG lab honor. The first floor was mainly a living room and kitchen, and stairs led to the bedroom on the second floor. There were two empty rooms, one probably meant to be a guest room, a bathroom, and the kitchen was slightly beyond functional. All in all it was too large for one person, but Jo wasn't feeling unwell in the lonely building. It actually felt like home.
Now she walked down the stairs to the basement, wrapped in a bathrobe, not really aware of where she was going. Kro had told her he liked the place, though it was new and he was still not sure whether or not this was just a trick to make him feel safe, then take him out of his new body or deactivate him completely. Jo had tried to assure him she wouldn't let it happen and Michael had promised she had all the leeway she needed to continue her work. Nick MacKenzie, the guy she had briefly met in the safehouse, would help them with the implant, apparently because he was some kind of expert. She didn't know what to think of that. Jo knew Michael was linked to Kitt through a neurotransmitter implant, just like she and Kro were - though hers was very, very simple in comparison - but what about MacKenzie? She had to see and hear that when he got here.
Jo approached the car slowly. It sat in the middle of the lab/garage, gleaming in a beautiful, smooth silver. She didn't recognize the brand, but it was a sports car, and reminded her of a TransAm mixed with something else. Mobius had used a basic TransAm model and then started to change it. Something tickled along the implants and she stopped, smiling involuntarily. It was a beautiful feeling, mainly because it showed her that her patient was awake and receptive, but it was also like a warmth next to her she had never known and never thought possible.
"Kro?"
"Hey, Jo," the AI answered gently.
She closed her eyes for a moment, then opened them again and looked at the car.
"Are you okay?" Kro asked.
"Yes."
"You should sleep."
"I'm not tired." Jo leaned against the car and felt a shiver course through the implants. They both had so much to learn as to what each reaction meant.
Kro clicked open the door and she slipped inside. She curled her legs under her as she made herself comfortable in 'her' car. Michael had registered it to her name and told her that though Kro was FLAG property, she was his driver.
"Are you comfortable?" Jo asked softly.
A soft hum in the back of her mind answered her and she smiled.
"I take that as a yes."
"I am," Kro finally said.
"We still have a lot of work ahead of us," Jo sighed.
"I know. I don't understand, but I know."
She nodded. She hadn't expected him to suddenly see what had gone wrong in the past. He had no sense of right and wrong when it came to Martin Jantzen, but she hoped that her presence might teach him the differences. He might never really understand what the mental instability of his driver had done to him and she had realized that purging the 'Jantzen program' was close to impossible. Fragments would always remain. She didn't want to clear out Kro's entire mind with the program; he deserved better. Reprogramming was out of the question. She had told Michael it might take another four to six months to reach her goal, but he had just smiled. He wanted Kro to be healed just as much she did.
"I'm glad," she said.
"Someone will come here, right?" he asked, sounding wary.
Jo smiled. "Yes. Someone called Nicholas MacKenzie. Michael said he'd help us mastering the implants. I have no idea how he'll do that, but he seems to be some kind of professional in that field. We'll just wait and see."
Wait and see what the future would bring. She would fight for Kro, for his acceptance back among the others and for his safety. He deserved to live, he deserved a chance.
"Will we stay here?" Kro suddenly asked.
"Yes, as long as it takes," she answered slowly.
"And then?"
Jo didn't know and she told him. "We'll handle it when we get there," she added softly. "Together."
"Thanks. For everything."
Jo only touched the smooth, silver surface. She still had a lot of work before her; it would take patience and time. A lot of patience and a lot more time. After that... whatever happened, it would be better than imagining Kro in the vault, alone and frightened and catatonic.