A/N- This chapter has KARR in it. The KARR from Knight of the Living Dead- KR '08. It may be considered a spoiler but not much.
Only on Fremont Street
"Who is this Justin everyone keeps mistaking you for?" KITT asked Mike while speeding down the Las Vegas surface roads.
"I don't know, KITT." Mike answered distantly while in thought. "Who was that Deanna Russo girl? She looked amazingly like Sarah?"
"I find no records on her anywhere in the FBI databases or on the Internet." KITT answered in a questioning tone.
"Well KITT, there is one way to find out. Register you in the Festival." Mike said with a smirk.
"Me? Registered as a replica. No!" KITT was taken aback by the suggestion.
"Come on KITT, you'll be in good company." Mike said to butter KITT up.
"Company? Those drones are devoid of any intelligence. What kind of company would they be?" KITT wasn't going to fall for this easily.
"The best company, KITT. They will all be copies of you and KITT, Two Thousand." Mike said with a chuckle. "Besides, I want you there with me."
"Okay" KITT relented to Mike's begging. "Anyway, I want to see what a clone of me looks like."
"Thanks KITT, it wouldn't have been that much fun without you." Mike said as he patted the dash above KITT's voice orb.
A few minutes later, KITT pulled up to the makeshift guard station at the end of Fremont Street. He lowered his tinted window as an elderly guard in a blue uniform approached his driver's side door.
"I'm sorry sir, but this street is closed to vehicular traffic." The grey haired guard said as he stepped up to Mike.
"I can see other cars parked here." Mike said as he pointed to a KITT, Two Thousand replica parked only feet away. "Why can't I park here?" He asked in frustration.
"You can only park on Fremont Street with a permit. Do you have a permit?" the guard asked nonchalantly.
"Don't you recognize me?" Mike asked innocently. "I'm Justin and this is KITT, right KITT?"
KITT wouldn't justify Mike's lie by responding. So, he stayed tight lipped or in KITT's terminology, he stayed in Silent Mode.
The older guard looked at Mike with new eyes, eyes of recognition. Yet, he still pulled out a large brown clip board with a thick pile of papers attached to it loosely. The list consisted of names accompanied by photocopies of their driver's licenses. The guard easily located Justin Bruening's photocopied driver's license. "What is your birthday, sir?" He asked Mike questioningly as he studied the photocopy diligently.
Mike began to sweat. What was it, like 80 degrees outside, or what? He knew it had nothing to do with the temperature because KITT would have turned on the A/C had it been that hot. Mike hadn't counted on the guard being that efficient. He really had no idea what answer to give. So, he quickly decided to just use his own birthday. "My birthday is September 24th."
"That is correct, Mr. Bruening." The guard said in an affirming tone and lifted the white bar gate up. "So sorry to hold you up. We get all kinds here. Park right over there, please. And sir, please register your car as soon as possible. That way you will not have to go through this again."
"Gotchya" Mike agreed as KITT slowly pulled onto the pedestrian walkway.
Above Mike and KITT was a sight that any person would stand in awe and admire for minutes. There had to be over a million lights working together to show a video. However, right now it was nearing mid-day and it was hard to see if it was on and working or not.
Parked on each side of the sidewalk-roadway before them were copies of the KITT, Two Thousand. KITT drove as slow as he could. He was recording every centimeter of the line up of the cars on Fremont Street. Also, he was trying to avoid hitting pedestrians that were standing in his way snapping pictures or just milling around the replicas. It also didn't help when people suddenly jumped in front of him only inches away from him taking their knees out, just so that they could get a quick picture. It took what seemed like a half an hour for KITT to go 20 feet.
"Michael," KITT finally spoke up as he approached the location that the elderly guard had pointed to. "They are all fakes. Why?"
Mike was just as confused about the whole scenario as KITT was. KITT, Two Thousand, was supposed to be Top Secret. KITT, Three Thousand, was still brand new. How could all of these replicas exist? Why do all these replicas exist?
"KITT, I am about as well informed as you are." Mike said as he shrugged his shoulders. "Right now, we play it by ear. I got your back you got mine."
KITT stopped cold in place when he arrived at his assigned parking spot. He scanned the area twice and still didn't move.
"KITT, why aren't you parking?" Mike asked in frustration as he checked the shifter.
"I do not want to park here." KITT said coldly.
"What?" Mike asked a bit confused as he searched the milling crowd for a reason.
"I…Do…Not…Want…To…Park…Here." KITT said slowly like he was talking to someone hard of hearing.
"KITT, don't get smart with me." Mike warned in a friendly tone.
"I'm smart whether I am with you or not with you." KITT retorted.
Mike chuckled out loud. It was funny even if it was at his expense.
However, Mike knew that something was bothering KITT. "KITT, why won't you park here?" He asked in a slightly worried tone.
"Him" KITT said coldly as he brought up a visual of the Knight Auto-Cybernetic Roving Robot Exoskeleton otherwise known as KARR. The yellow scanner on the Mustang KARR was swishing together smoothly.
Then to Mike's horror KARR spoke in a deathly deep voice, "KITT Must Die". Mike's memories flashed back to the middle of one of the worst nights of his life. He felt a shiver of fear run down his back causing some hairs on his neck to quiver. He shook the fear off as best as he could and asked, "Does your scanner see KARR's AI?"
KITT scanned KARR with much trepidation. The last time he ran up against KARR, the rogue AI had tried to steal his CPU core and assimilate Michael. KARR tried to destroy him in the process. KITT would prefer to avoid KARR if it were possible.
If KITT could have sighed in relief, he would have and loudly. The KARR scans had come back negative for the presence of the nefarious AI. "Michael, we are looking at a replica." KITT said with pleasure.
Right at that moment, the Mustang KARR repeated, "KITT Must Die."
"I still do not want to park here." KITT said with confidence.
"I don't blame you, KITT. I don't even like sitting here right now." Mike said reassuringly as he glared at the very good copy of KARR. "How about that spot over there in front of the Golden Nugget Casino?"
KITT scanned the empty parking spot where Michael had pointed. It was directly in front of the casino's glass front doors where crowds were filing out in large numbers. KITT was reminded of his experiences at the television studio. "Michael, are you sure you want to park there?" KITT asked with a little worry in his tone.
"Looks good to me, KITT. Why? What's wrong with that spot? I don't see KARR anywhere near there." Mike answered unsurely. He had no idea why KITT was being so picky.
"I do not wish to be the center of everyone's attention, Michael. That spot is the first location everyone will arrive at when they first step out here to mingle amongst the cars." KITT tried to reason with Michael.
"KITT, this will be different. The TV studio was an angry crowd that took out their anger on you. Here KITT, is a crowd that is here out of respect. Respect or glorification of you and I. Why? I don't know. How do they know about us and KITT, Two Thousand? I don't know. But what I do know, KITT, is that they will be respectful of you." Mike spoke with confidence as he tried to help KITT understand. "Now take that spot and enjoy your moment in the limelight. We are on vacation, remember?"
KITT didn't like Michael's logic but he was right. So he gently backed into the available parking space while being extra careful to not hit or run over the oblivious walkers and their children.
As soon as KITT shut down the engine, a crowd formed around the black GT500KR. They were making sounds of joyful awe as they began taking video and snapping pictures. Whenever a careless child tried to touch or lean into KITT, the parent would scold the child saying, "Don't Touch!"
"KITT, I'll be back." Mike said smoothly as he opened his driver's side door. "I've got to register us."
KITT grew worried. "Why leave me? Call it in." He said quickly. He wasn't used to this much attention.
While standing in KITT's doorway, Mike leaned in and let his forehead rest against the top of his door seal as he spoke to KITT's voice modulator. "KITT relax. Have Fun. It's a festival after all." Then, he gently closed the door and turned toward his audience.
"Take pictures, snap videos, and enjoy the view but Please do not touch him. He just had a bath and wants to stay clean. Thank You." Mike happily addressed the crowd. Then before anyone could initiate a question-answer session with him, Mike pushed his way passed the throng and disappeared into the loud and busy casino.
KITT didn't like this. He was used to being Top Secret and ignored. Not ooo'd and awww'd over like a priceless artwork. However, he wasn't expecting what happened next.
A group of ladies in their mid-thirties excitedly exited the Golden Nugget Casino. They had Margaritas in their hands and gift shop labelled plastic bags hooked on their bare arms. They were talking fast and excitedly when one yelled out, "Oh My Gosh, you guys, It's KITT!" at the top of her lungs.
The rest of the ladies just laughed and nodded but one had to respond, "No Way! A KITT, at a Knight Rider Festival? What are the odds of that?!"
Then they all screamed out in joyous laughter. Even KITT couldn't help but smile internally on that one.
However, the rather skinny lady wouldn't give it up. "Guys, take my picture." She said in full excitement and set down her drink and gift bags next to KITT's shiny tire. She then got down on her hands and knees in front of KITT. She looked up expectantly at her group and called out, "Are you ready, guys?"
All of the ladies began diving into their purses. Two of them pulled out regular digital cameras while the rest used their cellular telephones.
As soon as the lady that had kneeled down in front of KITT decided that her friends were ready, she yelled, "Now!" and pressed her lips against KITT's scanner.
All of the crowd, including people no one knew, began to howl in laughter and snap pictures. Suddenly, a nearby television crew ran up and recorded KITT's embarrassing moment.
If only Mike knew what was going on outside the casino…..
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A/N-Thank You Spidey2 and BuckleWinner again for the reviews! I am having sooo much fun writing this out. I am glad that you are enjoying it to.