Chapter 15

Michael Knight climbed in the passenger's side of the large quad cab truck as Caitlin got in the back seat. Sinjin got behind the wheel and started the vehicle. Michael looked about the inside of the cab. He nodded, "I like your truck." He spied the new electronics that made the KITT look obsolete. Everything was slick, smooth and digital.

"Thanks!" Sinjin replied.

Caitlin cheered from the back, "This truck won't be built to 2019. How cool is that, Michael?"

"Mind blowing." he admitted. "How much did this set ya back?" he wondered.

"Sixty thousand." Sinjin replied.

Michael gasped, "Sixty thousand dollars?"

"Inflation," he reminded him. "You can't find a new car that cost five grand anymore. Everything cost more and going higher. Some say we watching the dollar die in real time." he informed. "We're also have some supply chain disruptions. Can't find things like we used to at the stores."

Michael asked, "Because of the inflation?"

He replied, "Because of this bug." Sinjin drove off the airfield and began going down the road.

Michael observed the vehicles on the road. He noticed all the cars looked much different than what he was used to seeing on the road. He saw no cars that resembled the 80's. He figured, "This isn't 1984 anymore."

Sinjin shrugged, "Unless you are reading a certain book."

He rubbed his eyes and admitted, "I never thought that time travel theory was right but….It's right."

Caitlin stated, "Imagine how silly I felt. I honestly thought Sam was 16 years old at first. Here I am trying to be a big sister to her and she's this genius who can build a warp drive engine. String laid out one of her formulas in advanced math class today. I know advanced math but that was beyond me."

Sinjin admitted, "I can't read it either. It's Einstein level stuff. String can read it."

Caitlin asked, "Why didn't String ever get a PhD? He could do it."

"He got his masters and left it at that." he nodded. "I know he could do it. When Sam was first making designs for that engine I wanted String to go over it with her but he was too sick and refused. I'm glad he's helping her now. He helped design Airwolf."

Michael stated, "He helped design Airwolf. I got a briefing but never seen it."

"I'll swing by the hangar we are storing her in and give ya a little tour." he offered. "My wife and I restored her and we go to air shows and do stunts. Show her off a little. Crowd loves it. I'm working on designing new t-shirts to sell this season." he bragged.

He cocked his head in thought, "Are you retired?"

He nodded, "It's what I do to keep busy. And Sam's project."

Michael puckered, "Hmm…wonder if I could get KITT and do something similar when I retire?"

Caitlin cheered, "You guys could go do air shows together. Sinjin bring Airwolf and Michael bring KITT. Crowds would go wild." she imagined.

Sinjin had to admit, "That's not a bad idea." He drove into a hangar that was operational. "Cheaper to just rent a spot here than to keep the old hangar going." he told them. "They also have security here at night…so don't have to worry about vandals."

Caitlin figured, "You could probably save the rent and just take it back to Santini Air since you have to baby sit a warp drive engine anyways. Maybe get older me to get off her butt and do something."

"She's been helping Jo and me both. You just don't see her. Jo's afraid something bad might happen if you run into yourself." he defended. He glanced at the time, "She and Jo were going to drop off my dinner at the hanger. String might see her."

Caitlin sat back, "I wonder what older me would say to him."

Sinjin parked the truck. "Come on, I'll show you Airwolf, Michael." he offered.

Meanwhile

String sat in a chair by Sam who sat at the computer looking over the design plans on the warp drive engine. He was assisting in the redesign and upgrades to the next prototype. "Harden that circuit and it will prevent another overload and spike." he mentioned.

"Should do that." she agreed. She then made the changes to the plans.

"If you are going to test it in a vehicle, you will need to ensure the mounts are solid. Can't have it eating through." he pointed out.

"Will need solid gold to prevent it from eating through." she figured. "That's going to be thousands of dollars to just mount it in a vehicle."

Dom sat at the table listening to the chatter as he stared at the engine before him. He suggested, "Win the lotto. Then you will have the money."

Sam had to agree, "Might have to do that."

String suggested, "We buy the gold in 84 at 84 prices and bring it here, melt it ourselves and cast the mounts."

She grinned, "Even better."

Dom added, "And win the lotto. You can look up all the numbers and jackpots. It's all right there at your fingertips."

The door opened and in walked Jo with Older Caitlin behind her carry a cooler full of food for Sinjin. String looked up and eyes settled on older Caitlin. He had purposely avoided seeing her for he feared how she would react knowing he had died in her time.

Jo found Sinjin was not there and noticed his truck was gone. She never thought of how String and older Caitlin would react to seeing one another. She spoke candidly, "Your father step out, Sam?"

"He, 84 Cait and Michael Knight went out." she informed.

"We brought him his dinner and dessert." she informed. Jo then noticed String and older Caitlin were simply staring at one another.

Tears started to swell in Caitlin's eyes, "You look just like I remember."

String rose to his feet and made his way to her. He wasn't sure what to say. "You look good, Cait."

She reached up and gently touched his face with her fingers as she recalled her life back in the days when she flew Airwolf. "I missed you." she confessed.

He couldn't say he missed her too for Caitlin was still on his crew in his time. He could only wonder why he let her go. "I wish…" he croaked as a frog formed in his throat.

Sam looked on at the pair. For the first time she saw String at a loss for words.

"No…no wish…" Caitlin told him. "You got a second chance. Don't throw it away."

"I won't." promised.

Caitlin wrapped her arms around him, holding him close. She closed her eyes and took in his scent as she recalled what it was like to be in his arms once more. She whispered in his ear, "Don't let me go this time." She pulled away for she referring to the past and not the present. She gently kissed his lips for just moment to say goodbye and then turned away and mentioned to Jo, "I'll be waiting in the car." She walked out the door with tears streaming down her cheeks as she simply wanted to stay with String but she could not.

Sam spoke up, "Don't fuck it up with Aunt Cait. You screw this up a second time I'll come back again."

Dom smirked, "And coming with her."

"I get it! I get it!" he understood what they meant. His relationship with Caitlin was heartbreaking to watch.

Meanwhile

Michael was getting a tour of Airwolf. He mentioned, "Really should show this to Bonnie. This computer stuff is right up her ally."

Sinjin stated, "I plan on doing that so she can make upgrades to KITT. Sam and String cam make any upgrades to Airwolf in 84 but we can't get access to KITT. Sam didn't know KITT would download from her phone and eat up half his memory. That was unexpected."

"KITT can be surprising." Michael admitted. He climbed out of the fuselage and looked about the rest of the chopper. "Lot different than what was in Nam."

Sinjin asked, "You served in Nam? Sam told me that Michael Knight is not your real name but she promised Caitlin she would not tell anyone…even me."

"Legally I died in 82." he informed. "My real name is Michael Arthur Long. I served 3 years, counter intelligence. I was a Green Berets."

"Both me and String were in Nam." he told him. "I was a POW until 1986. Was in a work camp all that time. String kept Airwolf hidden from the FIRM to force them to look for me. I owe him that. Or else I would have died in that camp."

"I can see your motivation then. How does Dom and your brother die?" he wondered.

"A bomb was planted in one of the choppers and Dom was in it." he explained. "If String was ten second earlier, he would have been in it too."

"Damn." he nodded understanding. "Why is Sam so worried about Mr. Hinkley? She said she wanted to help save him too."

"Apparently there was a guy in a red suit flying around like Superman back in the 80s. No one remembers it. He said aliens wiped everyone's memory clean. He claims he was the guy and went nuts." he explained.

Michael stated, "There is a guy in a red suit flying around like Superman. Knight Industries wants me and KITT to find him if we can."

Caitlin told him, "Older me doesn't remember but I just saw another article about this morning in the paper. He's got this online diary called a 'blog' and he claimed on this blog that aliens gave him the suit, took it back and erased everyone's memory of him and somehow erased all media articles as well."

"Aliens?" he asked with a wrinkled nose. "First time travel, now aliens."

Sinjin shrugged, "If aliens invade, I'll let ya know."

Michael gasped at how nonchalant Sinjin seemed when came to the oddities. He wondered just what will happen in the 38 years to come.

Meanwhile

String had gathered himself and returned to his seat after Jo and older Caitlin left the hanger. He tried to get his mind off the encounter with older Caitlin and focus on the task at hand. He noticed Sam had opened up a tab to the internet. He read the search titles before him.

"Ancient Aliens?" he gave her a look of disbelief.

She countered, "What if aliens not only here but have been here all along?"

He paused for a moment, "Well…I can't disprove that theory."

Dom spoke up, "I think they are here. I saw foo fighters back in the war when I was on missions."

Sam became eager, "You did." Space and aliens were her field of interest.

"Oh' sure." he nodded. "Whole bunch of guys saw them. They tailed my squadron all the way back to base."

She sat wide-eyed, "Wow!"

String sighed, "I hate to ask but why are you chasing aliens, Sam?"

"I have a warp drive engine. Maybe they can give me some technical advice." she explained.

Dom defended, "It's not like there are any warp drive engine experts on Earth, String."

"Oh' boy!" he let out a sigh.

There was a knock at the side entrance door. Dom rose, "I'll get it." He went to the door and opened it to a slightly gray, pretty dark haired woman.

She smiled, "Dom!"

"Do I know you?" he asked her.

"Must be we haven't met yet. I'm Bonnie Barstow. I'm KITT's technician. Sam got a hold of me online and asked to see me." she explained.

Dom was still getting used to how time travel could mess up initial introductions. He motioned, "Come in Miss Barstow." He found she was rather pretty and about her age. He instantly liked her. He called, "Sam! String! We have company."

They looked up as Bonnie walked in with a box of computer parts. She started, "I know you have not met me yet, but I know you both. I got the upgrades for KITT." She held up the box.

Sam sprang up, "Oh great! Thank you for helping us, Bonnie." She took the box placed it aside. She then gave her a welcoming hug, "Thank you for believing me when I contacted you."

"I was waiting for you to contact me." she assured. She looked around, "No Michael?"

"He went out with Dad and Cait to get some stuff." she explained.

She paused, "Michael from 1984 when out…there…" she pointed towards the door.

She nodded, "They are with my dad."

She pondered, "No wonder he was so out of it. He was still taking it all in. I imagine going from 1984 to 2022 is a bit of a shocker."

String stated, "Which is why I won't go out of the hanger."

Dom waved him off, "Oh' I spent three days out there. It's not bad. Just different. Prices are up there though…" he nodded wide-eyed. "You should see the big flat screen TV in Sinjin's house. Heck, you should see Sinjin's house."

"No," he shook his head. He addressed Bonnie, "This is the first time for me to meet you. It's my pleasure." he told her.

"Pleasure is mine." she assured. "So, this is the engine." she looked at the contraption. "Wow, this is way ahead of what I imagined it would be."

"Thanks." Sam replied. "Uncle String is helping me iron out some issues."

"If you need any computer help, let me know." she offered.

"I will." she assured.

Soon the door swung open again and Sinjin lead his guest back inside.

Michael asked, "What is these smart watches again, Sinjin?"

"I'll show ya." he replied stepping inside. He noticed the car outside and figured, "You must be Bonnie." He greeted his new friend.

"I am." she gave a smile. "I'm sorry I never got to meet you before, Sinjin."

Michael stepped inside with younger Caitlin behind him. His eyes settled on Bonnie. She was older but still just as pretty with only a little gray hair. She looked well. "Bonnie!" he recognized her.

She grinned wide, "Michael!"

He placed the bag down and then wrapped his arms around her. She was the only thing familiar that he found in the brave new world he that had stepped into. "I'm so glad you are here." he confessed.

She assured, "I'm right here and I am going to help."

"Upgrade KITT?" he asked.

"Upgrade and save him." she determined. "After Wilton Knight passed there was no one to support him when the project ended. KITT was old and obsolete and newer and faster system were coming online. It was too much money to maintain KITT so, they turned him off and scrapped him. They gutted him, melted the parts down for the gold and recycling. I devised a plan to save KITT. I will piggy back another, much faster system with more memory and when the program ends, we pull the piggy back system. It will house KITT, so when they scrap the older system he wont be in it."

"Then what do we do?" Michael wondered.

Sam spoke up, "Can I have him?"

All eyes fell on her.

"Just asking." she miffed.

Bonnie stated, "The system is a 2022. KITT could probably help you run your engine. But from 1986 to now, KITT can stay with me and I can house him in a private computer system."

String figured, "So…if we take that second system back, install it in KITT in 1984 and have you retrieve it in 1986 and then you can bring it here now and we can have an A.I. to run the program."

"KITT would be able to make the adjustments you would need to manage that engine. He would be you key to navigating, containment, running the engine itself." she figured.

Sam gave a slight pout, "I wanted KITT in the original car."

Bonnie asked, "Why?"

"Because it's cool." she admitted.

Sinjin spoke up, "My daughter doesn't watch much TV nor gets into a lot of fandom but we she does find something she really likes…she goes total geek on ya."

She defended, "I do not!"

"Really! Frozen!" he reminded her of the movie she watched dozens of times.

She began to sing, "Let it go! Let it go! Can't hold it back anymore. Let it go. Let it go. Turn away and slam the door."

Bonnie joined in, "I don't care. What they are going to say. Let the storm rage on. The cold never bothered me anyway." She grinned at the girl. "I love Frozen."

Michael asked baffled, "What did I miss?"

Sinjin told him, "A kids' movie that adults love."

Bonnie suggested, "If you want I can download a copy in the new computer system and KITT can play it for you."

"No," he shook his head for he didn't care to watch a children's movie.