Chapter 9

Sinjin Hawke sat at the desk looking at his daughter with a slightly amused look upon his face. He stated, "Well…least you got my pie."

Sam rolled her eyes, "I never thought the money would be different. I noticed everything is a lot cheaper but I never thought of that." She figured, "I will have to bring back money with the right dates on it…I guess."

"You can't." Sinjin told her. "The lifespan of cash bills is only about 6 years. It gets culled and destroyed by the Fed and then new money printed to replace it as it wears and tears. You will not find the older money in circulation. You will find some coins because that last much longer. Bills get torn and wear down." He asked, "Did you spend any coin?"

She nodded, "I did spent some quarters at the arcade. I didn't look at them to see the dates either." She admitted, "I'm not sure how much I spent."

Dom suggested, "Hopefully no one will notice the coins. Dates on those are smaller."

Sinjin reached into his pants pocket and pulled out a newer quarter. He handed it to Dom, "Look at the back."

The man flipped it over and he and String saw a different back than they were expecting. Dom asked, "No eagle?"

"They are called States Quarters and there is whole series of them." he explained. "People will notice those."

String grasped the coin, "This is noticeable." He looked to Sam and gave a heavy sigh. "Don't feel bad. None of use thought about the money being different."

Dom stated, "For now on you get any money you need from me, Sam. You can't be spending money from the future."

Sinjin agreed, "I can't even give you money, Sam. If I go to the bank, I would have same problem as you."

She asked, "So how are we going to fund this little project then? Sure, Dom can give me some spending cash but…real work and resources…"

A slight smile came across Dom's face. He mentioned "Heck, if I had a time machine, I would get the lotto numbers and then go play them."

String and Sinjin looked at one another. It wasn't a bad plan for the situation.

String suggested, "We could do that!"

"Can't hit all the time though." Sinjin told him. "Maybe hit a second or third jackpot every a month or so."

He slowly nodded, "Might work."

Dom suggested, "How about just one big jackpot and use the millions to run the project?"

String stated, "I don't play the lotto. Caitlin would be suspicious and so would the FIRM. I mean even if I did play…that would raise eyebrows."

Dom stated, "I play every week. Never win anything but I run my numbers every drawing."

Sam stated, "But if Dom gets wins the lotto then we change things. He never won the lotto the first time."

Dom shrugged, "So…I'm gonna be dead in two years if we don't stop that bomb too."

Sinjin suggested, "Maybe he can win and remain anonymous. We can set up a fund that you can get access to in the past and when you are home."

String agreed, "Better than Sam coming to 2022, getting money out of her bank and then go to 1984 to spend it." He then gave her a near amused and yet irritated look.

Sinjin motioned, "Only my daughter…"

She gave a heavy sigh and then asked, "Can you Google…Knight Industries, Dad? Apparently, they are doing an investigation into the bills that I spent too."

"Sure," he then typed in the information into the computer. "Interesting!" he began to read. "It's a research and development company. Ties to the CIA. Developed some high tech computer systems back in the 80's. Had a program where they put a A.I. in a black Trans Am. The Knight Industry Two Thousand or KITT. The system is considered an artificial intelligence. It was the second attempt, first one failed. Considered a success, decommission. They recruited a driver and freelance agent named, Michael Knight." He then clicked on the profile as String, Dom and Sam looked at the screen over his shoulder.

Sam gasped, "That's him! Is his teeth real?" she wondered.

Dom admitted, "He's a good looking guy. Cait will go nuts over him."

"Not much on his prior record before working for Knight." Sinjin noted. He combed through the public files. "Retired now. Not sure what became of the car and computer system. This is the guy they are sending in to investigate?"

String nodded, "And I bet he will have the car too. KITT…bring up more on that."

"State of the art at the time. Had a weapons system and bullet resistant." he read the specs.

"For a civilian research car?" String asked.

"Appears so…" he nodded. "The car was able to self drive…" he looked to Sam.

"So, Tesla is not the world's first self driving car?" she asked.

Sinjin agreed, "Guess not. Specs by today's standard are pretty low but for the 80's…" he looked to String.

"It would rival Airwolf." he figured. "But if that system is A.I. then we are dealing with a different level altogether."

Sam requested, "Google Ralph Hinkley, Dad."

"Who is he?" he asked.

"My high school teacher. I wonder what became of him."

"Ralph Hinkley," he typed. "Let's see…common name."

"California." she directed the search. She pointed, "It think that's him."

Sinjin opened the link and accessed the public records. He scanned the information with his eyes. "Retired! Divorced. Hmm…some mental health issues. Was admitted to a psychiatric hospital in early 2000."

"Really?" she asked surprised. "He's seems normal and stable."

"I found his blog." Sinjin then clicked another link. Before his eyes another page appeared. "Aliens." He started to read aloud, "I was given a red suit that was highly advanced. I worked with the FBI to bust criminals with an agent named Bill Maxwell, who is deceased today. The aliens made contact with me in the desert in the fall of 1982. I was given the suit but lost the instruction book. I worked as a school teacher at the time. Eventually, I became famous but the aliens wiped everyone's memory of me and all evidence from the news. I was called the man in the red suit. My ex-wife knows this is the truth but wants me to let it go. I tried but I was cheated out of at least the recognition. I was an actual super hero, like from the comic books but no one believes me. I know it sounds crazy but I'm not. I just wish someone else could remember or had a newspaper article." He sat back in his chair and looked to Sam, "Maybe we should get you out of that school? The teacher sounds nuts."

"Maybe it really happened?" she suggested. "He doesn't seem crazy to me."

Her father pointed to the screen, "This is crazy."

String and Dom traded glanced. String stated, "He's not crazy, Sinjin. Dom and I saw a man in a red suit in flight in the air. Neither one of us could believe what we were seeing."

"We thought it was a trick on the eyes." Dom agreed. "And the man in the red suit has been in the papers. He's busting criminals."

String nodded, "I saw an article a couple weeks ago about the mysterious man in the red suit. It's this guy! A school teacher."

Sam asked, "Dom and Uncle String can verify his claims?"

The two men traded glances as String nodded, "I know what I saw. We were in flight. He was flying like…Superman…from a comic book…kind of…"

Dom agreed, "I know I saw it."

Sinjin sat back in the chair and let out a long exhale. "Well, damn…now we are looking at aliens too."

1984

Stringfellow Hawke decided he also needed to go into the high school undercover. With the cover of a math teacher he allowed the FIRM to set him up as a substitute teacher. String's goal was not to find the source of the futuristic money for that mystery was easily solved for him. His goal was to make contact with Michael Knight and Ralph Hinkley.

Caitlin relished in her roll as an undercover student in the school. She was sent in as a senior and used the last name of Santini as her cover story was she is the big sister to Sam. Caitlin had no idea Sam was much closer to her own age physically and not the sixteen year old teen that Dom claimed.

For Sam the only plus to having Caitlin in the school with her was she now had a ride to school in Caitlin's white Jeep which was also a standard transmission and thus she could not drive the vehicle.

Sam sat in the passenger's side of the jeep in the morning as Caitlin was getting ready for her new undercover assignment and still inside the hangar speaking with String. She crossed her arms and puffed out her cheeks, "Least I got a ride in." She muttered, "Sure, can fly a chopper, a plane, Airwolf…make a warp drive engine but drive a stick shift…" she shook her disgusted with herself, "Noope!"

Caitlin emerged with String behind her. She spied Sam disgusted face and assumed she was upset that Caitlin and String were on assignment in her new high school. She climbed behind the wheel and assured, "It will be fine. I've gone undercover in schools before. I know not to embarrass you." She turned the key.

Sam asked, "You have been undercover in high schools before. I thought you flew the traffic chopper."

"That was my promotion. When I was a new recruit I looked real young, so they sent in in as a narc. Luckily, I'm only looking for those bills and whoever is passing them. I don't have to look for drugs and pretend I'm a druggie."

Sam cocked her head and spoke to herself, "I never knew you were a narc."

"Surprise." she cheered. "I was real good at it too."

"Okay." she sighed. "Maybe after school you can let me drive so I can learn how to drive a standard."

"Maybe," she agreed unsure how the day would go.

Dressed in jeans, sneakers and a lacy white blouse, Caitlin was ready for her day first day in Sam's high school. She started down the road. They came to the first stop light. Caitlin made small talk. "So, any boys in school you like?"

Sam was simply not like most young women. She was bored by most of her peers and found the whole dating ritual idiotic. She had yet to find any men who could engage with her on a mental level. "No," she shook her head. "I'm in the dullard class."

"Any cute boys?" she pressed figuring Sam had to like a boy by now as she had made friends.

"Sure there are cute boys. Tony is cute but…all cars and stuff." she explained. "About the only man in school that I can actually sit and carry on a conversation with is Mr. H and even that is limited."

Caitlin suggested, "Maybe you should lower your standards. It's high school. You can find a guy who is more on your level in college." she figured Sam was just being too picky.

"Lower my standards?" she balked. "What kind of bullshit advice is that? That's like telling a teenage girl to go sleep with the smelly, dumb kid. You should be telling me to stick to my guns and not to lower my standards."

Caitlin back tracked, "I didn't mean lower your standard that much and do not go sleeping around. Just don't be so picky. Have fun in school. It's not like you get a second chance to do it all over again."

"I wouldn't say that." she replied. "You would be surprised where a second chance can come from."

"I understand you get along better with adults. I'm just saying have fun and don't call your classmates 'dullards'. Yes, you are very smart. Probably smarter than most the student body. I'm just suggesting you blend in more and if a guy ask you out to the prom, go!"

Sam wondered, "Did you go to your prom?" Sam never went to a prom for she was never in school.

"I did and I had fun." she nodded. They pulled into the school parking lot. The busses were unloading and the faculty was arriving. They spied String pull into the parking lot in one of Dom's business jeeps. He parked beside a black Trans Am with a red strobe light in the nose.

Sam figured, "That must be KITT." She spoke to herself.

Caitlin heard the comment. She pulled Sam's arm and asked, "How do you know about KITT? That's top secret. I don't think String or Dom know about KITT."

Sam replied, "I read about it."

"Where?" she demanded to know.

"Knight Industries. I looked it up. What do you know about Michael Knight? I saw his bio and picture." she stated.

"You got access to Knight Industry internal publications?" she gasped.

She shook her head, "Public publications. Odd there is nothing on him prior to working for Knight Industries."

Caitlin spoke low, "His real name is Michael Long. He was patrol officer with me and he was ambushed. I thought he was dead at first. Knight Industries gave him a new face and name and recruited in some top secret project. They put KITT in his car and upgraded it. None of that should be public knowledge." she warned.

Sam rubbed her chin in thought, "Hmmm.." she debated if maybe they needed to tell Caitlin the truth.

Caitlin warned, "You tend to talk too much at times so when you see him, do not blow his cover."

She balked, "What do you mean I talk too much at times? You would be surprised at the secrets I keep."

"Come on Chatty Cathy! And remember, you know nothing about KITT or Michael." she grabbed her by the arm and escorted her towards the school.

"Chatty Cathy?" she asked confused. "Why did you get that from?"

"It was a doll." she told her.

Sam recalled, "I had a stuffed monkey in a spacesuit." She grinned at the memory, "Dad called it space monkey for the space monkey."

Caitlin asked, "Dom got a you stuffed monkey?" She thought Dom was an absent father.

"Um…" she motioned, "Gonne be late for class."

Caitlin walked behind Sam into school wondering if Dom was really Sam's father after all and what she was not being told.

Short Time Later

Caitlin found herself sitting in math class and String was her teacher. For the first time she got to see him interact with teenagers on a large scale. He stood before the classroom, wearing a yellow button down shirt, tan slacks and his leather jacket hung over the chair behind his desk. He wrote his name "Mr. Hawke" on the chalkboard behind him.

String tried to not be distracted by Caitlin being undercover as a student in the class. He was undercover too…as the teacher. For a moment the forbidden teacher-student love affair crossed his mind as he looked upon her. He then addressed the class.

"I'm Mr. Hawke and I will be your substitute teacher for the week." he informed.

One nerdy teen with blonde hair and braces wearing a yellow button down shirt that matched the teacher's but with blue jeans raised his hand. "Mr. Hawke!" The geek began. "Where is Mr. Kline?"

"He had to take the week off. I don't know why." he went with the cover. The teacher was given the week off with full pay much like a welcomed vacation.

The geek sank in his seat, "Oh…" he gave a heavy sigh.

String picked up the paper the teacher left for the class assignment. "Okay, you are supposed to turn in homework and take a test today."

Caitlin raised her hand.

String gave a smirk, "Yes."

"Do I have to take the test? It's my first day." she reminded him.

He teased, "And you are?"

"Caitlin Santini." she stuck to her cover.

"Miss Santini…this is an advanced mathematics class and you should be able to at least pass a basic quiz." he stated. He wasn't about to let Caitlin off the hook. He relished in his role as her teacher.

She rebutted, "I just got here and have no idea what the test is about."

"Neither do I!" he replied. He knew it wouldn't affect her grad if she passed or failed for she wasn't really a student. "Taking a test is a good way to determine your placement and since your were placed in this class…You must grasp math."

She pushed, "But I need to time to study."

He rebutted, "Are you that much of a dullard?"

She never heard him use the term before. She found it odd that Sam used the term dullard previously. She asked, "Dullard? Who uses that term anymore?"

"An old friend of mine named Dom who flew a P-51 over Germany in World War Two." he replied.

She slowly nodded as she figured Dom would use the term.

Another classmate spoke up. "Your friend sounds cool. Can we meet him?" he was an older boy with dark hair and glasses.

"Dom might come in for a special presentation." he figured. "I would have to ask the school and Dom. Maybe he will come."

The geek agreed, "That would be cool."

Caitlin liked the idea of Dom doing a school presentation for the school and thought it was a great. She grinned at the thought.

String found the list of classman and started taking attendance. "When I call your name, say here. Mark Brown."

"Here!" a boy called.

"Samantha Baker," he glanced up at a young red headed girl.

"Here." she replied.

"Farris Bueller." he made a face for the name was odd. No one answered. "Bueller?" he asked.

The door of the room opened and in sauntered a sophomore wearing jeans, a t-shirt with a vest. He had black hair a rounded youthful face. He sat down in his seat without having a pass.

String looked at him, "Bueller?"

"Right here." he looked about. "Um…where is Mr. Kline?"

"He's got the week off." String told him as he gauged how much trouble this boy would be.

He sat back, "You know something…we could use a day off too." He looked at his classmates, "Right guys!"

The class cheered in agreement.

String stated, "You are not getting in free rides in my class, Mr. Bueller." He was irritated by the boy.

"But isn't it our class?" he asked.

String growled, "It's my class." He then gave him a detention slip.

Ferris gasped, "Detention."

"Another word out of your smart mouth and you will get another one." he warned.

Ferris made a zip motion across his lips as he understood his easy going math teacher was no where to be found.