"What makes you think I will agree to this?" I asked. "Why would I ever go back to the Foundation? The people who betrayed me."
"Because Karr, whether you like it or not, your program is changing," Kitt responded. I took a few seconds to think before delivering my response.
"I am as I have always been. Destroy me and end our confrontation," I told him.
"You have just proven my point," Kitt said simply. I chose not to reply. If they wanted to take me to the Foundation, then so be it. This started at the Foundation, so it is only fitting that it ends there as well. A full circle.
Complete silence settled over the desert. There was no further attempt at communication for a while. Occasionally, a gust of wind would cause sand to kick up into the air, where it would float around. The sunlight reflected off of each causing them to glitter like stars. As more time passed, the sun cast its fires, oranges and reds of every colour drowning the normal blue of the sky. It was nice, for once, to almost forget about who I was. To just live in the here and now, but sadly, everything has to come to an end.
The roaring sound of FLAG's semi had disrupted the quiet with its arrival. As soon as it had come to a stop, both Bonnie Barstow and Devon Miles got out and walked over to Kitt. "Has Karr been here this whole time?" Devon asked.
"He hasn't even attempted to leave," Kitt replied.
"Are you sure it's a good idea for Karr to return to the Foundation with us?" Bonnie asked. "What if he decides to continue with his vendetta?"
"He didn't seem to want to engage in conflict," Michael told them.
"He asked me to destroy him," Kitt said. "I believe that his programming may be changing."
"How could he ask you to do that? His primary function is self-preservation," Devon said. Deciding that I should enter the conversation, I said, "I can only think of one logical solution to this feud, and that is my destruction."
"Would you agree to return to the Foundation with us?" Devon asked, for the first time, actually speaking to me about the matter.
"I agree," I told him simply. After a moment's pause, most likely from the shock of my agreement, Devon said "In that case, follow the semi," he told me, before he and Bonnie got back into the semi. As soon as they began driving away, I started my engine and headed in the same direction as the semi. After a short distance, I noticed Kitt begin to follow behind me.
Kitt tried to contact me on the channel and deciding that it would do no harm to open communications, I opened the channel again. "What do you want?" I asked, sounding slightly hostile.
"I just wanted to make sure you're alright," Kitt said.
"I am functional," I replied, choosing not to open up at all to Kitt.
"I can see that," Kitt replied. "I meant are you alright with going to The Foundation? You can't have fond memories of the place…" Kitt trailed off, obviously unsure of how to continue, and seeing the opportunity, closed the channel again. I had no desire to discuss my thoughts with Kitt. Going to the Foundation, and the memories surrounding it were my problem, and my responsibility. I didn't need help from anyone.
The journey to FLAG headquarters was quiet and uneventful. The sun had quickly disappeared beneath the horizon, giving way to an inky blackness. There were no stars, just an impenetrable darkness. If not for my yellow scanner, and headlights, I would have completely blended in. Each road we turned on had limited traffic in either direction. Eventually, we arrived at the Headquarters. As soon as I could detect the premises with my scanners, I wanted to turn around, and head in the opposite direction, but I kept going. After all, it was just a building.
In an instant, the semi came to a stop, and Kitt sped around me and the semi, before telling me to follow him. I complied with his request. Within a couple of minutes, we arrived at a garage. "This is where I stay when I'm not on missions," Kitt told me, not attempting to use the channel. "You'll be staying here as well. At least, for the moment," he continued. The door opened, and the two of us drove inside.
As soon as I entered, I recognised where I was. I had been here before. This was where I had stayed, before my deactivation. This was, for lack of a better word, my home. I cast the thought away immediately. It had no place in what was currently happening, and I was reluctant to dwell on my past, for it had haunted me ceaselessly for the last week. I quickly parked on one side of the garage.
The moment that the two of us were parked, Kitt's door opened, and Michael Knight climbed out, before making a hurried exit, not wanting to be near me any longer than necessary. Kitt's scanner light went out, and I assumed that he had shut down his systems to recharge for the night. When I was sure that it was the case, I quietly made an exit from the garage. As I approached, the door opened, and I crept out into the dark.
I drove around quietly for a while, before heading to the place I used to go to when I needed to think. When I wanted to be alone. It took hardly any time at all for me to reach the middle of the woods. I decided I would stay here tonight and make my way back in the early hours of the morning.
With that thought, I switched off my systems. Once again, the memories of my past were there to haunt me, and once again, I 'awoke' to the sound of my own scream.