Author's Note: So sorry for the update delay. It's my crappy work schedule. I work like 7 days on, 2 days off, 7 on, and 5 days off on a rotating third shift schedule. It's hard to ever find time for ANYTHING outside of eating, sleeping, and working, lol. Thanks for the awesome reviews, keep them up! Also I do not intend for there to be any romantic relationships between Mikah and the AI's. If anything it is more friendship or family based type of relationship. Thanks for sticking with me you guys! ^.^
Chapter 14
Michael and KITT were nearing their base of operations. KARR was keeping close tabs on his scanners.
They were falling right into their trap…
Mikah groaned as she became conscious again and raised her head up to see she was within KARR's yellow tinted cockpit. She shifted slightly and only then became mildly aware that she was indeed, merged with him. The sedative he used on her wore off although oddly enough, she felt no pain. When she was finally conscious, Mikah came to discover that her body was incredibly tense and that her mind block was still in place but not just with KITT but with KARR also. She was instinctively fighting against KARR and had been doing so the entire time without realizing it.
She felt something else and it frightened her. That feeling she felt the first night KARR forcefully merged with her against her will… POWER and what frightened her was that she liked it.
They are nearly here, Mikah Knight.
"This isn't right. I'm not supposed to be here."
Mikah tried to use strength of will to undo the merging process but all she got in return for her failed efforts was a blinding mirgraine.
Why do you resist me, Mikah Knight? We are one…as it was always meant to be. There are no negative effects to harm you this time. I have eliminated all of them so that we can be one.
Then Mikah felt a strange sensation creeping through her mind and panicked when the mental block dropped granting the AI complete access to her thought processes. She could feel KARR's consciousness creeping into her own, touching her mind lightly in curiosity, searching for…something. She instinctively recoiled from the odd sensation for a moment to digest what it was the AI had just revealed to her. He eliminated the harmful effects of the merging and integration process? Then that meant that she and KARR could now be bonded for the rest of her life without her suffering the bio-degradation her father had. For some reason, this new knowledge did nothing to comfort her.
Revenge will be ours.
Mikah tried to resist him and struggled to regain her own mind back. It was like playing tug of war with another personality. She and KARR were practically one being right now and it was hard trying to be the dominant one when she didn't have an inkling of a clue how KARR even operated. That was when she got a brilliant idea…one she hoped KARR wouldn't pick up on.
Know thy enemy…
It was Michael Knight's philosophy for years. From what Mikah had been told about the man in recent months, it almost always worked out for him. How can you defeat an enemy when you know nothing about them?
Mikah forced herself to relax a little bit and felt the tension draining from her muscles. Rather than resist KARR and the merge she opened herself up completely and slowly sank deeper into it.
She was aware of KARR reaching back to her, both embracing each other for the first time. It felt oddly comforting…and good. Like her missing half had been found after years of searching. Then again, she wasn't sure if that was her or KARR that felt that way.
Soon, all of her senses exploded with new sensations, images, colors, and even feelings. Mikah breathed in awe as KARR granted her access into his vision field and she was able to "see" what KARR was at the moment. He was focused on the main hangar door where KITT and her father would soon be entering through. It was amazing, like seeing through a first person heads-up display.
She became newly aware of the feel of the robotic mechanism and felt the raw power KARR was capable of.
Damn, KARR has awesome weaponry and the most badass arsenal I've ever seen…
Mikah felt KARR's amusement somehow at her conscious praise over his firepower. She couldn't help but feel like a little kid on Christmas morning. All that KARR was…was hers now. He was one impressive killing machine…
Then something happened she did not expect.
She knew it would be risky delving deeper into KARR since that of course would in return open herself up further to the AI. He now had complete access to her mind and feelings. She became consciously aware of this factor when memories surfaced unbidden to the forefront of her mind. She felt KARR's curiosity as he began to delve into her past and felt his disgust and rage at the friendship she had with KITT. She also felt pride on some occasions. KARR praised her for all the times she fought someone and won. The AI sensed the great strength within her and knew she was a very capable fighter… now her memories merely proved this to him.
Mikah began to drink in KARR's presence and no longer felt threatened as he continued to root through memory after memory, like a computer going through and organizing files. When he withdrew from that part of her mind and began to creep into her thought processes she put up another barrier. She began to sweat when KARR began to break it down, like an unstoppable Spartan bent on victory. Mikah knew that as soon as KARR broke through…he was NOT going to be pleased with her traitorous intentions.
She winced when she felt his mind collide painfully with hers in what can only be described as a mental tackle.
For a second, she heard and felt nothing. Then a searing, white hot pain lanced through her skull eliciting a scream she could not contain. Tears filled the corners of her eyes and she bit her lip as the excruciating pain subsided marginally.
I have severed your mental connection with KITT. The chip implanted within your brain has been shorted out. You will help me destroy KITT and Michael Knight.
Like she really had a choice? He was most likely going to keep her as his prisoner until the end of time the way he kept droning on about how it was their destiny to be partners.
Maybe she could try and get the answer out of KARR's processor about how to disengage the merge!
In answer to her rather hasty idea, KARR retaliated by completely blocking off his mind before she could dig around for the answer.
"I don't want to kill KITT and my dad! I still love them!"
They betrayed us! They must face the consequences of their actions!
"Have you ever heard of a little thing called, forgiveness?"
Forgiveness does not change the past. There is a high probability that if KITT and Michael Knight are not eliminated, they will only harm the two of us again.
"Come on KARR, history doesn't always repeat itself! I'm sure KITT and my dad had a good reason…for erasing my memories…and for…stuff."
She honestly didn't have a clue how erasing her memories and sending her away could have been a good thing. As far as she could tell, all their efforts to "protect" her had all been in vain. KARR still got his evil mitts on her and now that she was in his grasp, all hell was about to break loose.
Then again, maybe KARR really wasn't evil…just…misguided.
It was kind of sweet that the giant metal behemoth wanted to protect her from future hurt but his methods were a little too extreme.
At first, she had liked the idea of getting revenge on KITT and her dad but that was when she was still lost in rage filled confusion. Emotions could really mess up a person's rationality. She had figured that she and KARR could just scare KITT and her dad, a little bit…not KILL them!
"Oh shit…"
Speaking of which, she could see through KARR's vision field the distinct outline of a black mustang racing right for them, as if hell itself were chasing it.
Prepare yourself for the inevitable Mikah Knight. KITT and your father will be eliminated!
"NO! I won't let you hurt them!"
Mikah was horrified when KARR raised one of their arms and fired a missile in KITT's direction. Wait…did she just refer to herself as well as KARR in a plural tense? Mikah gritted her teeth and narrowed her eyes in angered concentration and fought with all her might to prevent KARR from firing upon her rescuers anymore.
She was rewarded with intense pain as KARR fought to keep the two of them together as one unit.
"Don't…hurt them…anymore!"
Mikah was stunned at what happened next.
She felt an odd tickling growing in the back of her brain and soon a weird, almost indescribable feeling crept over her until she felt as if she was drifting on a cloud, her vision and hearing faint and her thought processes incredibly slow. What just happened?
You have been subdued, Mikah Knight so that we may accomplish our mission. We will remain as one until KITT and Michael are terminated.
Did he use some kind of sedative on her or something? What the hell…
And to make matters worse, she could almost faintly hear an incessant, boring monotonous voice droning something in the back of her mind. The same phrases repeating over and over again although she could barely make out what it was saying…
Whatever it was saying, it made her feel safe and warm. She felt secure and calm. The mission was important…the mission had to come first…she and KARR needed each other to survive. Nothing else mattered anymore.
Mikah was in a haze as she both watched and felt her and KARR's integrated movements as they fired another hail of missiles at the swerving black GT mustang still on approach. That was funny…wasn't she supposed to recognize that car? It did seem vaguely familiar…
All she had the presence of mind to do was obey the short, mental commands that KARR was giving her. Raise right arm, snap wrist up into place, open and close left hand in anticipation, pull an invisible trigger with right index finger…sidestep to the left and dodge incoming return fire from KITT's gatling gun. Reach down to left hip area, grab weapon that was finally recharged for combat, raise that gun up and acquire target…
"MIKAH!"
The very faint, muffled sounding voice drifted to her ears after it took a minute for her brain to register that someone was indeed shouting her name from far away.
Before she had a chance to think too long on it, KARR shouted another mental command at her, breaking her from her silent ponderings.
Target acquired: FIRE!
Mikah saw that they had indeed locked on to the black car and she unleashed a merciless volley of bullets at it from the sub-machine gun mounted on KARR's left wrist. The mustang peeled rubber and narrowly escaped the hailstorm of highly modified lead that had a 38 percent chance of penetrating KITT's supposedly indestructible nano-skin armor. A few of the bullets actually ricocheted off and left some dents that the nano-skin soon repaired moments later.
"MIKAH FIGHT HIS CONTROL!"
That was an odd thing for a black mustang to say…cars weren't supposed to talk, were they?
A grappling hook was fired and wrapped around their left hand, pulling the machine gun off. It crashed to the ground and Mikah was only partially aware that she had just activated a freaking arm sword that slid out from their right hand to cut the cable attached to the grappling hook, freeing KARR's left arm again.
"I KNOW YOU CAN DO IT!"
Do what? Oh…fight his control. Whose control did she need to fight?
That's it Mikah Knight…forget all about your friends…you belong solely to ME now.
Woah…she just heard a creepy voice in her head…where had THAT come from? Oh yeah…KARR was helping her achieve her destiny or something.
What did he mean by forget about her friends? Was he referring to that black car down there that somehow knew her name?
Every time she came so infuriatingly close to remembering something important about that car that she kept shooting at, that same strange tingling sensation would sweep through her brain and then she would forget what she was trying to think about!
It was starting to frustrate her.
There is no need to fret, Mikah…everything is going according to my plan.
Oh, okay. Then that was a good thing, right?
Suddenly from out of nowhere, something made KARR trip…sending both the AI and his driver crashing to the ground, leaving them vulnerable and open to attack. Mikah's head swam from the impact as her noggin got jarred slightly from within the cranial unit that had her skull in a vise-like grip.
She struggled to get them back up, fear and panic seeped into her being as the sudden prospect of going offline forever seared through her consciousness. Before she or KARR had a chance to register what happened, they were both rendered unconscious.
EMP deployed!
"Let's hope that Sarah's calculations were correct on this one. The last time we tried an EMP on him, he had already upgraded his defense protocols against it."
Michael, scans indicate that the EMP was a success. KARR is currently inoperable and Mikah is unconscious.
"Then what the hell are we waiting for, let's get her out of there!"
Before the man could leap out, KITT kept him restrained where he was.
I am detecting possible fail-safes that will trigger should you attempt a hull breach.
"You mean to tell me…that KARR booby trapped himself?"
Apparently so… and most likely to prevent us from a successful rescue attempt
Michael couldn't believe they had come this far just to hit a dead end now.
"Come on KITT…there has got to be a way around those damn fail-safes! Help me think of a way to get her out of there!"
Scanning for possible alternatives…
After a moment, KITT reported back with his results.
After analyzing KARR, I have concluded that there is no safe way that we can remove Mikah without triggering his self-destruct sequence or without setting off a number of other devices that would most likely severely maim if not cripple you, Michael.
Michael growled his frustration and resisted slamming a fist down upon KITT's steering wheel to vent his anger.
However, I have detected low vital signs and Mikah's brainwaves have slowed ever since we first arrived. There is a possibility that a toxin has been released into her bloodstream.
"Toxin? WHAT TOXIN?"
Michael exploded, not bothering to hide his panic or worry for his daughter.
It is not fatal or extremely hazardous to her health. From what I can determine, it is acting as a sedative and has properties similar to that of truth serum. Without a sample, I am unable to verify what it is exactly or what the purpose of the drug is.
"You might be getting a sample faster than you think, buddy…"
Where do you think you are going?
"Just let me out, KITT…trust me on this."
The AI grudgingly did as requested and deactivated the restraints, setting his driver free.
Michael got out, armed with his combat knife in hand. He circled cautiously around the temporarily deactivated KARR and knew that he and KITT only had a few minutes left before KARR's systems rebooted themselves. Thanks to past experience and a little more research on his part…Michael knew exactly where one of the access ports was that fed IV solutions to the driver within the cockpit. There was an emergency panel and access code that he prayed still worked that was used mainly for emergency medical personnel to aid KARR's driver should the AI run out of life-sustaining medicines. If the driver was dying and KARR was unable to lend anymore first aid assistance, then a medic could punch in that code, open up the panel and inject or dump out fluids from a couple of the IV lines that KARR used to merge with his driver.
Mike crossed his fingers and punched in the old military access code from years before when he had been KARR's driver. It took F.L.A.G. years to dig up those old files and to even find that information on KARR. It proved invaluable now as his daughter's life practically hung in the balance.
After a few seconds had passed after punching in the code, Mike stood stock still with baited breath, his eyes glued to the little monitor next to the keypad waiting for that little green light to flicker on to let him know access had been granted.
He swore when the red light popped up instead.
"DAMN"
He only had one last shot at this…he wiped sweaty hands on the side of his pants and tried the code again only this time, reversing the last two numbers in the sequence. If he failed now…he would lose his chance to get that sample because KARR's failsafe would activate and prevent anyone from accessing it again. Only Charles Graiman might be able to undo any one of KARR's lock down protocols but the man was dead now.
Mike nearly cried tears of joy when the green light popped up this time and the panel unlocked for him with a distinct click. He pulled out the small needle and syringe that KITT had provided him and found one of the two IV lines. He took a small sample of the fluids being pumped through it and capped it before moving on to the second. Once Mike had a sample of each main IV line, he popped the panel back into place and ran back to KITT's side.
"Analyze these quick, KITT because I have that deep 'oh-shit' feeling…"
You are right, Michael…we have approximately 95 seconds before KARR's systems complete the reboot sequence.
Mike shoved the two syringes into his 'glove compartment' where the AI analyzed the liquids. After a moment KITT gave Mike strict orders, not even bothering to tell the man the results.
Michael, you must go back and sever the green wire connected to the pump directly below the central IV line! You have 60 seconds!
The man sprang into action and sprinted back the way he had come, unsheathing his combat knife as he slid to a stop in front of the panel. He punched in the code and tapped his foot impatiently as a precious 20 seconds was lost just waiting for the damn light to turn green and give him access to it again. The man's face paled when his eyes took in the problem. There was more than one green wire beneath the central IV line pump…
"KITT WE HAVE A PROBLEM! BOTH WIRES ARE GREEN!"
Before KITT had the chance to shout a warning, the panel that Mike had gained access to slammed shut, nearly taking Mike's fingers with it. The man barely had time to yank his hands back with a curse and glared defiantly at the locked access port.
Michael, get out of there! KARR's systems are nearly online!
Mike barely made it back within KITT's interior before the metal monstrosity known as KARR reactivated with a roar.
Both KITT and Mike watched KARR clamber awkwardly back up to his feet with trepidation.
"This is so not good."
What is our best course of action now, Michael?
Mike continued to stare at KARR, eyes going wide as the evil AI revealed a huge freaking rocket launcher. The barrel was aimed right at them.
"RUN!"
KITT's tires squealed as he fought for purchase on the cement as his car form accelerated. The missile nearly grazed his back bumper before impacting the ground a few feet away, sending a shower of dirt and cement rocks over them.
"That was a close call…you okay KITT?"
I will be once KARR has been off-lined and Mikah is safe.
"Wait a second…I have an idea."
Mike allowed himself to smile and patted KITT's dashboard reassuringly.
"I think this crazy scheme of mine might just actually work! Alright KITT…here's the plan…"
Mikah was disgusted with the amount of times she had been knocked out in this past year alone. Once she was awake again she realized that no…it wasn't a bad dream and KARR actually had her prisoner, and that she was helping KARR destroy KITT and her father against her will.
"Dammit KARR! LEAVE THEM ALONE!"
She snarled and struggled against her restraints, ignoring the pain it caused her and focused all of her fury on her captor.
Relax Mikah Knight…there is no reason for you to be so upset with me. We are accomplishing our destiny together!
There it was…that weird tingling sensation sweeping through her mind again, clouding her thought processes and making it incredibly difficult to remember things. What was she trying to remember or even think about? How did all of this happen again? Wasn't KITT like her best friend or partner or something? But KARR just said that she was his partner. Who the hell was KITT?
"I don't think…you are telling me the truth."
She shook her head in an attempt to shake the fuzzy feeling, as if the action itself would help to clear her mind.
You want to help me destroy the traitors! You know this to be true.
"What? I don't understand…I don't want to kill anyone!"
You aren't…I am. With you I am whole again…you complete me…and I will do what is necessary to protect you… and myself.
Then it dawned upon her and Mikah understood for the first time.
He was like a child, dependent on someone else to survive. Without a driver, KARR was just an incomplete being. He needed her in order to simply feel alive. It was the human aspect that gave his AI personality life…without his human driver he was just an empty shell of a machine. Didn't he say before that he could feel emotion?
"KARR…can you really feel? Or are you just a heartless…killing machine with no regard for life?"
No response was forthcoming but in the back of her mind, Mikah had the feeling that she had struck a nerve somewhere. That hazy, foggy feeling began to diminish a little, allowing her a little more freedom to actually think clearly. Feeling a little bolder, she felt courageous enough to continue.
"How do you decipher between right and wrong?"
Now she could feel KARR slowly faltering, his movements not as fluid or as confident as they had been minutes before.
I must preserve the life of my human driver and myself at any cost!
"You are referring to your, self-preservation programming aren't you?"
Perhaps I am but my self-preservation includes the life of my driver.
"What if your self-preservation programming is flawed?"
This got KARR's curiosity since she could vaguely feel him trying to sneak into her mind again.
"What if in trying to protect yourself…you accidentally destroyed your driver instead?"
That's not possible. We are one. We cannot be separated!
"So what if your driver turned out to be a threat, KARR. What if I wanted to eliminate you? How does your self-preservation programming help you in that case?"
My driver will not be able to accomplish that goal. If my driver becomes mentally unstable and wishes harm upon either me or themselves, then my subroutine protocols will subdue and render the threat non-existent.
"Are you saying that you would KILL me if I tried destroying you?"
No, my driver will simply be forced into a temporary hibernation until the mental imbalance corrects itself.
Great, so in other words, KARR would simply force his mutinous driver into a temporary coma until the human's mental state was calm enough to finally accept that KARR was their partner...just wonderful.
Now to try to make KARR see reason.
"You…are trying to destroy other lives when our lives haven't even been threatened yet! You are twisting your own programming around. You want to eliminate a possible threat before it even becomes a threat. Well what if that supposed threat turned out to be innocent lives?"
KARR didn't bother answering that one and Mikah began to despair when whatever drug he kept using to keep her mind subdued returned to cloud her thought processes again. Now that odd voice she kept imagining in the back of her mind…the one that kept repeating stuff over and over again was actually understandable enough to hear. That's funny, it kind of sounded like KARR…a very boring, monotonous, version of him anyway.
We are one
Submit to me
It's your destiny
Embrace your potential
What was the point in repeating that crap like a broken record?
She could almost swear that this was familiar somehow…like she should normally be able to recognize this technique. Maybe she would be able to remember later. Right now, she was feeling so tired. It actually hurt to keep thinking like this.
Mikah's eyelids began drooping as the voice continued to whisper within her subconscious mind.
KARR smiled internally to himself. By the time Mikah figured it all out…it would be far too late.
TO BE CONTINUED!
Author's Note: If you guys don't know what his evil plan is…despite the obvious clues I threw out here…then I can't help you, lol. Please review! Oh, and hopefully I will have this story finished in like one or two more chapters. ;)