Author's Note: Sorry for the long wait on this one! It's hard to update when I have younger siblings vying for my attention every five seconds of every minute that I'm home, LOL. And I've started my job this past week. *sigh* tHANK YOU FOR REVIEWING!! *HUGS*
Chapter 6
At long last, after another excruciatingly boring two days of confinement in the med ward, she was finally granted admittance to roam free. Although the stitches wouldn't come out for another week, Mikah was given strict orders not to do anything strenuous until the doctor gave her the final all clear.
That didn't really concern her at the moment…because she was FREE!!
Her first stop was to see KITT who was waiting patiently in the middle of the massive room known as the KITT cave. It was strange seeing it again, like revisiting an old dream.
The eighteen-year-old wandered through the vast expanse of space, taking it all in with wonder. There was an entire wall devoted to an array of advanced computer systems and screens. Much of the technology was so high tech it almost seemed better suited in a sci-fi movie than in real life.
When she approached one of the consoles, a holographic keypad appeared directly in front of her. It reminded her of the movie Minority Report with the holo-technology. Her finger hesitated over the touch-screen but she restrained herself. There was no knowing what kind of trouble she would get into…what if she accidentally set off some self-destruct sequence??
Mikah continued to roam, committing the place to memory.
Flashbacks of her time spent here as a four year old child resurfaced.
Everything was so familiar but at the same time, so utterly alien.
There were a few changes she noticed, one of which was the absence of the large sliding doors that served as KITT's exit. She whirled around and realized that the layout was very much the same as the last place but something was definitely off…a new location maybe?
Before she could get much further in her puzzled thoughts, KITT made his presence known.
I am glad to see you out and about again Mikah.
Mikah turned her head in his direction and smiled. The smile quickly faded and turned into a fierce frown when she recalled just how much trouble he got her in during her stay in the medical wing.
-Flashback-
Mikah fiercely believed that a person really could die of boredom, despite KITT's constant reassurances.
She crawled carefully out of bed, wincing when one of the monitor wires still attached to her arm got tangled and pulled the IV rack, causing the small wheels to squeak loudly. She froze barely breathing and listened intently for the doctor's approaching footsteps.
When silence greeted her relieved ears, she proceeded in her sly and most brilliantly thought out plan. After removing the various medical devices attached to her (the IV line had been removed a few hours earlier by the doctor), she switched them off and began to tip toe across the room, heading directly for the door. This was her one and only shot at escape.
The doctor left to go on his rounds on the other side of the medical wing. He operated like clockwork and she knew she had timed this perfectly.
The second her hand firmly grasped the doorknob, a loud automated voice (that sounded suspiciously like KITT) sounded the alarm. Red strobe lights in the room went off and she backed away from the door with wide, terrified eyes wondering what in the hell was going on.
"EMERGENCY IN ROOM 223—code red" (the KITT-voice calmly announced over a loudspeaker while an annoying warning klaxon continued to blare in time with the red strobe lights, which immediately silenced after the door opened).
About fifteen seconds later and Mikah was hauled back to bed by a furious looking Dr. Clarke who admonished her none too gently about getting out of bed before her recovery time was up. He checked her stitches to make sure none of them had been torn open in her escape attempt and proceeded to hook her back up to the monitors and IV line, much to her horror.
KITT appeared on screen for about five seconds before flashing back out without a word. It was like he was silently mocking her…or just letting her know just who was responsible for ruining her only chance at escape.
She growled dangerously low and narrowed her eyes at the black screen.
KITT was so going to pay for this!
Dr. Clarke, still a bit grouchy at her lack of obedience, (and no longer trusting her to stay in bed) dosed her up on a heavy narcotic…AGAIN.
END FLASHBACK
As a matter of fact, the drug wore off a few hours ago.
It was strange in her mind, that the place was relatively abandoned right now. Weren't there supposed to be more people working here?
Her thoughts ground back to halt when she shook herself out of a 'zoning moment' and refocused angry eyes on the black mustang. She pointed an accusatory finger at him from where she stood a good ten feet away.
"I'm not talking to YOU right now…you mean spirited jerk!"
You should have known better.
KITT calmly remarked.
Mikah turned her back on him with crossed arms in stubborn defiance.
She stood like that for a good two minutes and forty three seconds.
If you do not wish to speak to me, then why are you still here?
The question sounded so innocent, that she turned back around to face him in startled surprise.
"What?"
If you and I are not on speaking terms, then why do you insist on remaining here with me?
"Well…"
She struggled to find the right words, her face soon mirroring her own confusion.
"That's a very good question…"
Mikah walked closer until she was leaning casually against his exterior, one hand resting on his hood companionably.
"I suppose I'm not leaving because I'm not really that angry with you…"
You're not?
She smiled then, her first true smile in over three days.
"If I remember correctly, you are my friend…and friends stick together through thick and thin. Even if I was mad at you, it's impossible to stay mad at you for very long. I'm not the type of person to hold a grudge."
I am relieved, Mikah.
"Then good"
The teen shifted her weight for a second and then her eyes brightened at a memory.
"Do you mind if I sit with you?"
The passenger side door opened immediately in answer to her question.
She got in and shut the door and breathed in awe. Her favorite TV show was real…and she was sitting right here with her favorite character who also happened to be her childhood friend.
"I have so many questions…"
Of course, ask as many as you'd like. I will do my best to answer all of them.
"Okay, first question…how can there be a TV show about you...aren't you guys supposed to be top secret?"
Our security was compromised when a former agent threatened to reveal us to the public. We thought it would be clever to use that to our own advantage.
She could buy that, it made sense...it fit perfectly with her own theory after all.
"Why does this place look so familiar but so different at the same time? Wasn't there a big exit door that you drove out of a lot?"
There was at our old headquarters. We were forced to relocate after KARR found us.
Just the evil AI's very name sent a cold shiver down her spine. She unconsciously snuggled further into the warm seat as if to escape the dark memories of KARR.
"Then, how do you get out of this place?"
Look above you.
KITT's roof transformed down into convertible mode and she craned her head up. In the ceiling there was a big round metal circle that appeared to open up in the middle.
"We are underground?!" Mikah's mouth fell open in shock.
Yes, approximately three hundred and seventy nine feet below ground.
"We ARE still in America, right?"
She focused wide eyes on the glowing blue orb in the dashboard that was KITT's voice modulator.
Of course
"Well…?"
She looked pointedly at him, awaiting further explanation. When nothing else was forthcoming she rolled her eyes.
"Okay, so where were we before the transfer?"
Nevada…we are now in the state of Wisconsin.
She raised an eyebrow and nodded her head in silent understanding.
"So how did you get me here so fast? It's like a nine hour drive from Kentucky…"
Emergency medical personnel were standing by in a designated carrier plane. Flight time was approximately one hour and eight minutes.
Her face lit up at this news and she nodded her head in approval.
"I'm quite impressed…wow. I do owe you thanks for…for saving me back there."
No, you are wrong.
She was a little taken aback by his disappointed tone.
Now she felt confused all over again. What was he talking about?
You never should have been compromised. It was my fault that KARR was able to get to you at all. If I had just kept up my guard a little better, I could have—
"—okay seriously just stop, KITT. Stop blaming yourself for something that was out of your control. KARR is one sneaky, bastard…and one scary mo-fo to boot."
My duty was to protect you. I failed…again.
Her eyebrows knit in puzzlement.
"What do you mean, 'again'?"
Do you not remember?
She thought long and hard, trying to recall any significant so-called 'failure' that KITT referred to. She came up blank.
"Not really…whatever 'failure' you refer to has been long forgotten so just forget about it, okay? What matters, is that I'm safe and perfectly fine now," she patted his dashboard in reassurance.
I am unable to 'forget' as you so aptly suggest.
"Can't you just delete that memory file or something?"
Not unless I want to lose the rest of the data that accompanied it.
She winced in sympathy at this newfound knowledge. That had to suck…having the clear ability to delete bad memories but unable to unless he wanted to erase helpful information.
"Well…just TRY to forget. Put it in the back of your mind…that's what I do when I don't want to remember something bad."
Did you have anything else you would like to ask?
He was changing the subject. How predictable. There was no way she was going to point that out either, she knew that KITT might do something nasty in retaliation…like in the episode when KITT slammed on the brakes and forced Mike to hit his head on the steering wheel for doing just that very thing.
She supposed it was time to go with the flow.
"My real parents…they are connected to you, I assume?"
This question startled KITT. She did not remember them?
You do not remember?
She shrugged lightly, relaxing a little more now that the conversation wasn't so tense or emotionally charged.
"I remember a little bit…I can remember some conversations, feelings, events, but that's about it. I can't remember what they look like…"
The two sat in reflective silence for a minute until KITT transformed back into his regular form and activated the internal screen above the dashboard, displaying two picture profiles on the windshield.
Mikah's eyes widened considerably and she leaned forward to get a better look.
"No way…these are them?"
They are indeed.
"Sarah and Michael…together, just like in my story."
Ah yes, KITT recalled that fanfiction story clearly.
Yes, and you are their offspring.
She sat back in the seat heavily, her brain momentarily frozen from shock, now unable to process much of anything else at the moment. How was this possible?
"Is this a joke?"
Great, now she was going into denial. What the AI said next was completely lost on her.
I assure you, I am being quite serious.
"This isn't possible…this has to be some weird dream I'm stuck in…or better yet, maybe I'm in a coma somewhere and this is some loony fabrication forged within the depths of my subconscious imagination."
She was talking to herself now, completely ignoring KITT for the time being as she struggled to rationalize what she knew to be false.
If this was like a dream come true, then why was it so hard for her to accept it as fact?
Mikah was beginning to hyperventilate now, unable to comprehend this strange reality she now found herself in. It didn't make sense. None of it did.
KITT was doing his best to snap her out of her funk but she wasn't listening. He finally resorted to violence…his way of 'slapping' someone out of it.
His engine roared and he lurked violently forward, moving from 0-50 in two seconds. They covered most of the room and he slammed the brakes on, sending her reeling forward. Before she could slam her head on the dashboard or go flying through the windshield, he activated the restraint system and she was then thrown violently back into the seat.
She was screaming, now completely aware of her surroundings and for moment, she stopped breathing. KITT rolled slowly backwards to dock back into his original spot.
Mikah finally took a deep breath and redirected her full blown fury on him.
"KITT, WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT FOR?!"
I apologize, but you were not responding. Internal scans indicate you have suffered no injury.
She scowled at him with narrowed eyes and felt a deep, almost uncontrollable urge to kick the dashboard.
"You are SO lucky I like you so much…or you would be a pile of scrap right now," she growled at him with clenched teeth.
I had to 'snap you out of it' since your oxygen levels were dangerously low…you were on the verge of a blackout.
"You really think that scaring the crap out of me by doing that little stunt was going to HELP THAT PROBLEM?!"
You have resumed normal respiration rates. So in answer to your question…yes.
"I can't believe you did that…"
She slumped further into the seat, calm and rather quiet now.
Am I correct to assume that I have your undivided attention now?
She nodded tiredly and gestured for him to continue.
I have been tasked with the sole responsibility of filling you in and keeping you up to date. Please pay close attention. When you were only three years old...
That is where KITT started. On his screen he replayed old video logs of the past, beginning with the daring rescue after the mafia kidnapped her, then to the birthday they shared when she was four-years-old, moving on to KITT's battle with KARR, the loss of her father, the first mission she went on with KITT in order to find him again, and then at long last to her separation and good-byes before she was placed into the care of the couple that for the past 14 years, she had called mom and dad.
Tears filled her eyes and a thick lump formed in her throat but she did not utter a sound as she continued to watch the screen, her memory returning with crystal clarity the more she saw of her mother's heartbreaking farewell.
Then came the footage of her father's cryo-stasis and the years gone by as KITT silently guarded her. He had watched her grow up all of these years…she had seen him countless times in the past but never knew it was him.
Her eyes were glued to the screen, hungrily soaking in every detail until at long last, it was over and the screen darkened.
"Wow…," she breathed in awe, "so you have been watching me all this time?"
Yes…there was always the possibility that KARR would return in an attempt to enact his revenge on me by getting to you. And he nearly succeeded…
KITT's voice turned darker and he almost sounded angry with those last words.
"You know…that is sweet but decidedly creepy at the same time, knowing that for the majority of my life, you were just around the corner…stalking me," she looked dead serious but there was laughter in her voice.
I would not say stalking…more like guarding.
Mikah patted the dashboard soothingly with a silly grin.
"I know… I was just messing with you."
The base alarm erupted into a bone chilling cacophony, sending a flare of panic through both human and AI alike.
Her eyes went wide and she made a move to get out, in order to see what was happening as a few personnel ran out to the computer systems. KITT was faster and locked her in.
I am receiving an encoded transmission from the away team. They are under attack.
"What?"
All sorts of worst case scenarios ran through her head at that moment. She recalled the doctor mentioning that her mother was due to return any hour now. Was she part of this so called 'away team'?
"KITT…who was part of the away team?"
Zoe and Billy went with four highly trained special ops soldiers working for F.L.A.G to escort your mother home when they ran into a severely hostile situation.
Mikah felt her heart fluttering in her chest as ice cold fear trickled through her veins. She had that instinctive feeling that something was terribly wrong. It thickened the air, making it difficult to breathe, nearly suffocating her.
"What kind of hostile situation?"
The AI was silent.
"KITT…I need to know."
At last he answered the dreaded question.
KARR has returned…and he has your mother.
TO BE CONTINUED!
A/N: Please don't hate me for another cliff hanger! *locks self inside of KITT's indestructible interior and laughs maniacally as projectiles bounce harmlessly off of the mustang's nano-shell*
PLEASE REVIEW!! ^.^