Chapter 7: Discovered

"Does it work?" Keri asked.

"Does what work?" Kitt replied.

"Your holographic projector. Does it work?"

"Yes, it works very well. You are good with technology, my dear."

"Let me see it."

Keri rested her elbows on Kitt''s roof and looked over it. In about the only clear space left in the garage, a flickering image appeared, then solidified. Keri stared wide eyed at the man.

"It works... I can't believe it works," she whispered.

The blonde man looked down at the ground, allowing his semi-long thick hair to fall over his eyes, and put his hands behind his back.

"I was the one who put you in the car. And I was the one who made you the sandwich, too. I hope you aren't angry with me."

"Why would I be angry? Thank you for doing that for me." Keri walked over to the image and stared at him for a moment. She threw her arms around him and hugged him tightly. Kitt looked down at her confused, but wrapped his arms around her as well.

She looked up at him and said, "Oh, Chris, I've missed you so much. Promise you'll never leave me again?"

Kitt was even more confused than ever, "Who's Chris?"

Now Keri was confused, "You are."

"I don't mean to disappoint you, but I'm Kitt remember? The car?"

Keri stepped away, "Oh, yes, of course. I'm sorry. I was just overwhelmed. I haven't seen Chris in so long, and you look like him now and... " she trailed off.

"Who's Chris?" he softly repeated.

She turned around and stared at the wall. "Chris was my boyfriend. I loved him more than anything in the world. Then, one day he was... gone."

"I'm so sorry. He left you."

"No, he died." She looked down at the floor, pulling the blanket that was wrapped around her up closer to her face.

Kitt tried to think of what he could do. Finally, he walked up behind her and put his hand on her shoulder. "Loosing a loved one hurts. I know that personally now. But soon all you remember are the good things."

"But why does it have to hurt so bad?" she whimpered.

Kitt thought, "With all the good, there must come some bad. And the pain just reminds us of our humanity."

Keri turned around and stared into Kitt's large blue eyes. He noticed tears welling up in her deep violet eyes. She sniffled and walked into his arms.

"I just miss him so much."

Kitt hugged her against himself, then leaned down and kissed her forehead. He took his thumb and wiped away her tears.

"You should really go get something to eat," he said, quietly. "All you had was that sandwich. You should get some rest as well. You look exhausted."

Keri put a hand to her mouth as she yawned. "You're right, Kitt. Thanks." She hugged him tightly one more time then walked to the front of the cluttered garage with her blanket gently flowing behind her. She pulled it up closer to her face and pushed aside the large blue tarp she had hung over the gaping hole in her garage.

She looked back before she left, "Good night, Kitt. I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow, then," he replied. Keri turned and left. The holographic image disappeared again, and the garage was silent.

* * * * *

Keri walked slowly, quietly humming to herself, when a strange car pulled up to the front of her house. She walked even slower and narrowed her eyes when she saw two uniformed people exit the strange machine. They walked up to her front door and knocked. Apparently they hadn't noticed her. She walked over and cleared her throat.

"*ahem* May I help you?" she asked.

Startled, the two looked down over the banister. The man spoke up first.

"Yes, do you live here?"

"I do," she said warily.

"Is your name Kamie?" the woman asked.

"No, it's Keri. Who are you?"

"We're from the Foundation for Law and Government. We're looking for a car that was reported missing from the junk yard a few miles from here. Do you know anything about it?"

"No. I haven't seen a car," she lied. "Who would take a car from a junk yard?"

"We have reason to believe you assaulted an old man to get this car. Are you sure you don't know anything?" Trek said, raising an eyebrow.

Keri stared at them a moment, considering the situation. She didn't want to give up that car. I took him home, I fixed him up, he's mine! There's no way they're gonna take him away from me!... Not again. The more she thought about it, the more determined she became. Suddenly, she dropped her blanket and took off toward the garage.

"He's in the garage! Quick, Kat, stun her!" Erica yelled.

"I don't harm human lives," Kat said flatly.

"Plato! Do something!" Trek yelled as he jumped down from the porch to chase the fleeing girl. On Plato's display screen a target cross hairs appeared on Keri.

"Okey dokey, boss!" he said in yet another of his strange accents. The sound of a gun being shot with a silencer emanated from the front of the motorcycle. Keri went limp and fell to the ground about twenty feet from the garage.

Suddenly a voice screamed from behind the blue tarp.

"NOOO!" An engine roared and the black car burst through the tarp in reverse. It turned it's back end around Keri to block her pursuer. Now the car was parked catty-cornered between Keri and Trek and revved its engine menacingly. The pacing red light in the front looked like the darting eye of a crazed demon, ready to plow over anyone who dared to tamper with him.

"Back off!" the car demanded.

Trek blinked. He couldn't believe what he saw. The car. The car he had heard so many wonderful stories about was threatening him!

"Leave her ALONE!" Kitt yelled.

Trek finally regained his composure. "Uh... we didn't hurt her. We just knocked her out for a few minutes. She'll be fine, really!" he said trying to appease the car.

"I heard you talking. What do you want with me?" Kitt asked, still on his guard.

"We're with the Foundation. We're here to take you back with us."

"NO! The Foundation left me in that junk yard because they didn't want me anymore. They disowned me. But Keri found me. I belong to her now, and I will NOT leave her!"

Erica finally walked up and joined Trek, five feet from the car's front end. She looked at Trek and winked.

"But, Kitt," she said in that child-like voice again, "It's obvious you're still damaged from that horrible junk yard incident! Please, come back with us and we'll help you," she paused a moment and walked forward. She placed her hand on Kitt's hood and rubbed it slightly, "I'll help you, Kitt."

Kitt's engine roared and he lurched forward slightly and stopped. Erica jumped and ducked behind Trek for protection.

"I am not tempted by human females!" he growled. "Go away! I'm not coming with you! I'm staying with Keri!"

Behind Kitt's bumper Keri began to stir. She blinked her eyes and looked around. She was lying face down in the damp, cold grass, shivering. She felt a thudding pain on her back from where the vibrations of the stun mechanism had hit her. A light moan escaped her mouth as the pain worsened for a moment.

"Keri?" Kitt asked. He backed up around her so he was parked beside her. "Are you all right?"

She slowly sat up and the pain from her back moved to her head. Touching her temple and swaying slightly, she took hold of the open passenger window and pulled herself up.

"What hit me?" she asked.

"They did," Kitt responded angrily, then more concerned he asked, "How do you feel? Do you need a doctor? My scanners aren't functioning properly, so I can't tell."

"I'm okay, Kitt," Keri said as she patted his roof. "What's been going on?" She looked at the two standing there. "Who are you? And what do you want with me?"

Trek stepped forward to speak, but stopped and backed up when Kitt revved his engine.

"My name is Trek Sanders and this is Erica West. As I said before, we are from the Foundation for Law and Government. We've come to take Kitt back with us to repair his systems."

"I'm not letting you take him!" she said angrily. "I brought him home fair and square. He's mine now, so get lost!"

"Yes, please leave," said Kitt.

"But you don't understand. If all of his systems aren't fixed, what good will he be to you? Eventually all of his programs will shut off or break down and he'll be nothing but, pardon the term, a useless hunk of metal!"

Kitt broke in before Keri could respond, "You know, he does have a point there. All of those things will happen if I am not properly taken care of. Perhaps we should go with them. They could teach you all you need to know about me, and, therefore, you could take better care of me."

"I don't know, Kitt," Keri whispered. "Do you think we can trust them?"

"They do seem sincere."

Keri thought for a moment. Every time she asked herself a question, her head hurt even worse.

"All right," she said to them finally, "But we're both coming with you. Got it?"

"No problem!" said Trek. He looked into Keri's eyes and saw the headache she was having, "I'm sorry we shot you, but you were running and we needed that car."

"Why?"

"Sorry, that's classified information. Perhaps we'll be able to tell you when we get back to Sky One."

"Sky One? Where and what is that?" she asked.

Trek looked toward the southeast, "That way. It's our headquarters."

Keri turned to Kitt after Trek and Erica walked back to their bikes, "This is starting to sound like one of those stupid, cheesy, syndicated TV shows.

"I haven't seen one of those in years," Kitt said longingly.

Behind a tree of the far side of Keri's property, stood the old man, watching the events as they were unfolding. When he saw Keri get into the black car and drive off after the car that chased him in the junk yard, he whimpered.

"Oh, man, the boss is definitely not gonna like this."