Chapter 2: The Will of Knight
Friday, February 5, 1982
Knight industries F.L.A.G Mansion
Devon Miles just got off the phone and dreaded the news he would have to tell Wilton. Walking out of his office and down to the garage with the server terminals where Wilton had spent the last month and a half.
Knocking on the door Devon ented the room and walked over to Wilton who had his head on the desk with the terminal on. The terminal had lines of programming code on it.
"I can not do it, Devon, I can't fix him." Wilton told Devon.
"I'm sorry sir the other techs you have, had working on this for the past five weeks do not have a solution. There is more bad news our informant just called to tell me that Michael Long got shot last night. He is in critical condition at the hospital, they say he is not going to make it."
Devon waited for five minutes while Wilton tapped his finger on the desk thinking.
"Ok Denon, get Mr. Long to our doctor and keep his condition under wrap. I will contact Dr. Barstow, Dr. Graymen, and the other tech to start work on the K2000."
"What about K.A.R.R.?" Devon asked with concern
"K.A.R.R. will remain in storage in the K1000. We will attempt to use the data from the K2000 AI development to try and fix the problem. I will wait for Alex and Christon to return from their recovery mission to return an Army chopper pilot name Hawk, Stringfellow."
Nodding Devon left the room to get ahold of the people that would be able to save Mr. Long. People who could keep a secret, forge death certificates, and new identity makers.
Wilton picks up the phone and punches the privet secured line button.
"Mr. Graymen, this Wilton Knight I would like you to start work on the K2000 frame."
"Ok, Mr. Knight but what armor base would you like me to use? As you know the K1000's armor is Hargon Industries."
"We will be using Knight Industries Tri-Helical Plasteel with an MBS1 coating. I would like you and Dr. Barstow to develop a pair of physical back door keys for direct Matrix access. These keys will not be documented. The keys will be hidden by the two of you only. Do not tell me, my successor, Devon, or anyone."
"I understand Mr. Knight."
After giving Dr. Graymen more details he ended the call and called Dr. Barstow and the team in charge of forming the Tri-Helical Plasteel panels and spraying the MBS1 coating.
Wilton closed the file he currently had opened on the terminal and accessed a different file in the server.
Pulling the file up onto the terminal and began the sequin to create the new AI onto the new 1,000Mb core Matrix.
Wednesday, February 10, 1982
Knight industries F.L.A.G Mansion
120hr later the sequin was complete and the Knight Industries Two Thousand (K.I.T.T.) is born
K.I.T.T. was safely stored in the Matrix without any errors. The K2000 frame was underway. Instead of building a new vehicle from the ground up.
Wilton decided, with the little time he had left to use a Pontiac Trans-am manufacturer production model and take the spare components for the K1000 to complete the K2000 in time.
Michael Long was out of facial reconstruction surgery and in a chemically induced coma to self-heal.
Tuesday, July 6, 1982
Knight industries F.L.A.G Mansion
Wilton could tell from his medical charts that he did not have much time left. He would not live to see his dream come true.
Michael Long had just come out of his coma and would be getting the bandages removed on Friday. His rehabilitation will take several more months and the K2000 frame was not done.
The frame, driving components, and electrical tubing were MBS1 coated. The next step was to test fit the Tri-Helical Plasteel panels and then install the monitors, storage drives, modules, and lastly the Knight Industries Two Thousand's Matrix.
Wilton sat at his desk and thought about the future of his two AI creations, K.A.R.R. and K.I.T.T.
Making a decision Wilton pulled a piece of tan paper and began to write.
Dear daughter
You know that I always intended to create two AI that would protect this country. The youngest which I'm afraid I will not get to see grow. Is to protect the citizen, trying to live a normal happy life without worry. Protect them from those who operate above the law.
After I heard that Michael Long the driver I chose for this task of protecting the innocent could die.
I did not know if someone else would take his place without the same values, so I alter my new AI, K.I.T.T.
With the base program on the preservation of human life. The Live of Michael A. Long
The elder was to protect the protectors, to save the brave who fight for our freedom to live those happy lives. I still believe that he can do such a thing, to bring our protectors hope that a Knight in armor will come for them.
With K.A.R.R. he was and still intends to go beyond the front lines of war. Travers the gunfire and minefields, to recover under fire. The injured, mistreated, and under ransome. That is why K.A.R.R.'s base programming is self-preservation and the preservation of his partner.
The man considered the Hero of the Armed forces, Alex Hargon
I Wilton Knight, give full control and rights of Knight Ind's, Knight Automated Roving Robot (K.A.R.R.) Artificial Intelligence (AI) and its current residing frame, hardware, armor, and data to its selected partner, Alex Hargon.
Monday, September 27, 1982
Funeral of Wilton Knight
During Wilton's funeral, Devon was trying to mourn his friend and Jennifer was mourning her father. When Men in lawsuits came up to Devon and Jen and is told that they needed to go over Wilton Knight's contracts.
Jenn took the document folder from the men and placed it under her arm. Glaring at him she said. 'This is my father's funeral this will wait until later with my legal team."
The man was going to say something then he noticed that everyone was glaring at them. Seeming to change the wording he said. "Of course Ms. Knight we will come at a better time."
Wednesday, September 29, 1982
Knight Industries Headquarters
Jennifer Knight was going through the various wills that her father wrote during the last 14 months. Her father's short-term memory was starting to go at the end meaning that a lot of the wills he wrote, just repeated themselves.
Jenn was reading through another duplicate will. this one had no signatures, she put it in a pile of not valid documents.
Getting through the tenth one, another duplicate with a few different words. This one had the date, and signature of her father and his two witnesses.
The phone on her desk rang. "This is Jennifer Knight speaking."
"Jenn this is Trent, we found two more documents that you may want to see. We found them in the AI Matrix clean R&D lab."
"What do the documents say? That makes you think I should see them."
"We do not know. The documents are in an envelope that says from Wilton Knight for my daughter Jennifer Knight's eyes only."
"Ok then bring them to my office right away."
The AI Matrix lab was in this building on B3 and Jenn was in her office on the 12th floor.
After waiting 20 minutes for the envelope to go through screening to get from the basement to the 1st floor and then screened again to get to her office.
Jenn looked at the two catalog envelopes both said that the contents were for Jennifer Knight's eyes only. The only difference about the golden brown envelope is that one had a Solid Black chess knight stamped on it.
The other had a Red Burgundy chess knight stamp.
Jenn opens the Black stamped envelope first and is absolutely shocked to find the complete line-drawn schematics for the K2000_Alpha frame.
The next page had her father's handwriting on it. It read.
Jennifer, it is my hope that you are the only one seeing and reading what is contained in this folder. For this the only fully detailed schematics for the Knight Industries Two Thousand (K.I.T.T.) K2000 primary frame. This document also contains countermeasures to the K2000 armor if K.I.T.T. ever losses control or goes rogue like what happened to K.A.R.R.
I'm trusting you with this, to keep you and others safe after my passing.
My wish for you, my daughter is that you support FLAG and its mission to protect people from those who operate above the law. I left Deven Miles in charge of the division and sizeable starting fund.
The pages after the short note were another copy of the schematic. Jenn was just about to put the papers back in the envelope when she notice something. The first pages of the two schematics were different.
Looking closely she found that the dates written on the pages were different and the first schematic was way more complicated, on the wiring.
Jenn was looking at the small details so it took her longer than it should have to look at the title. The first blueprint was K2000_Alpha and the second was K2000_BCP.
At the bottom of the K2000_BCP, it said Emergence backup frame.
Jenn was thinking about this when she slid the papers back into the envelope. Opening the envelope with the Red Burgundy chess knight on it Jenn pulled out another schematic sheet.
She had a good guess on what this schematic was and she was right. The top of the blueprint said K1000_Alpha.
Jenn did not ever have to look at the K2000's schematic to tell the differences. The armor on the K1000 was labeled classified instead of 'KNI Tri-Helical Plasteel MBS 1000.'
The K1000 was equipped with two front-facing gun barrels tucked inside the left and right fenders.
On the lower inner two foglights, something called shock-cables were installed. The diagram showed the foglight retracted in and rotated to the side behind the bumper, then a cable with a spike shoot out.
The trunk shows that 6 Sunburst flares shoots could hold 3 flares each. The trunk could hold 4 interceptor rockets as well, also the interceptor themselves were labeled classifieds.
Looking over the blueprint closely and pulling out the K2000's blueprint she notices smaller changes in the wiring layout. She also realized that on the K1000's blueprint the location of the AI Matrix was not labeled.
After 30 minutes of comparing the two pages, she pulled out the note from the second envelope.
I have to apologize to you, Jennifer. This secret is something I felt I had to keep from you. The trues is the tech I developed and collaborated on in order to complete my greatest creation caught the attention of the NSA.
They were going to seize my work. I made a deal that I would lend them a vehicle for their use. After we shook on the deals I had our best contract writer, Ms. Fran. I had her stipulate in the contract that made the K1000 available for search and rescue missions and that it would be available for any branch of the Armed Forces to use.
The full contract is with Fran if you want her to acknowledge it existed tell her, you wish to see Archimedes.
Jenn stopped reading picks up her phone and lines the law office. "Yes, Ms. Knight?" "I need to speak with Ms. Fran." "I will get her."
"This is Fran" "Ms. Fran I wish to see Archimedes."
There was a pause then. "Right away Ms. Knight."
While waiting for Fran Jenn looked over the rest of the note. After she looked for more in the envelope but found nothing, there was not a K1000_BCP blueprint
Fran, after knocking enters Jenn's office and places two ten-page contrast in front of her.
"I was told to have you read this one first." Fran told her then left her office.
After reading both contracts in order Jennifer could not help but laugh. Her father was not well versed when it came to contract law but he was smart to pick someone like Fran gifted with it.
Jennifer Knight did not agree with all of it but either way it was better to lose K.A.R.R. to a Hero than a Villain
Monday, November 15, 1982,
Knight industries F.L.A.G The Rook
Devon Miles could not believe this. He just finished getting debrief from Michel and K.I.T.T. on their current mission. K.I.T.T. had just gotten his check-up by Bonnie and driven off with Michel to continue their investigation.
The ramp had closed and they waited for the Rook to start moving. After 5 minutes of not moving, Devon got a little annoyed. He went to pick up the radio to the cab when it crackles to life.
"Mr. Miles you have a visitor." Devon was confused, people did not just show up at the exact place the Rook was at. If someone was coming they would have contacted him and set up a meeting place.
Bonnie walked over grabbed the radio and said. "We are not expecting anyone, who is it, and do not let them in until we confirm this."
"Too late." came a female voice from behind Bonnie. Bonnie spun to face the voice and Devon pressed the panic button to summon K.I.T.T. back to the Rook.
Michael was just cruising down the road about 8 minutes after leaving the Rook when suddenly an alarm went off. "What is it K.I.T.T."
"Michael someone pressed the Rook's panic alarm located in the trailer" "K.I.T.T. get us back to the Rook fast and contact Devon."
K.I.T.T. took over the Trans-am and with the traction, he got from the KNI tires he spun around in 2 seconds and headed back to the Rook at 130mph. "Micheal I can not get a hold of Devon, the protocol is that if he pressed the button. Contact him could put him, Bonnie, and the driver in danger."
"There is no need to freak out and pushing the panic button was not necessary" Devon looked at the woman dressed in dark suits and sunglass. "Why is that?" Devon ask.
"Knights in Black armor." Devon slammed his hand onto his desk making Bonnie jump. "NO, he is way too dangerous to be of any help."
"I'm sorry you feel that way but Wilton Knights left us two options in his will. Ether we give the NSA the Knight Automated Roving Robot or we hand him over to Alex Hargon as the original plan was.
We are just going from a gradual transition to an immediate one. Jennifer has already sighed off on this, here are your orders"
Devon was taking the packet from the women when the radio cracked. "Mr. Miles the field car is back." "Thank you for letting me know."
Devon looks to Bonnie and the women. "You might as well let them back into the trailer. They will be part of the mission and Ms. Knight did not want this spoken or transmitted. That is why I was sent in person unannounced."
Bonnie stepped over to the controls, after a nod from Devon she lowers the ram.
K.I.T.T. drove into the trailer and scanned all the faces inside. The women unknown to him came up in the Knight Industries Law firm division. Ms. Fran, according to the database is KNI's export contract drafter.
Ms. Fran worked directly with W. Knight on the loaned technology contract. "So this Ms. Fran works for Jennifer Knight and is highly qualified in contract wording. Why would Devon or Bonnie push the recall alarm for her?"
"I do not know Micheal but i believe Deven is waving you over and you can ask him" Micheal stepped out of the Trans-am and just before he closed the door he said out loud. "K.I.T.T. servalce mode."
"K.I.T.T." Ms. Fran said turning to face Micheal and K.I.T.T. "Black tape protocols" Micheal turn back to face K.I.T.T. and saw his scanner going at a fast pace. "Biometrics confirmed Ms. Fran, black tape protocols activated
"I do not remember all the protocols. What is black tape protocol?" Micheal asked. Bonnie stared at K.I.T.T. and said. "The protocol stops K.I.T.T. from sending all information he collects to our servers. The data is locked away in K.I.T.T. core Matrix. The only person that would be able to get the information and decode it is K.I.T.T. himself."
"Now Mr. Miles would you do the same or should I?" Devon walked over to the side of the trailer open a panel and held down a button. "Rook, Ghost tape protacales." The screen Devon could see said, Vocal and thumbprint confirmed Mr. Miles. Ghost recording activated.
"Ok, all locale and outgoing recordings are off. Now tell us what this mission is and why we are taking such precautions."
"If you are all not aware Wilton Knight said that one man can make a difference and in the beginning, he believed that a knight was needed to protect people from those who operate above the law. Wilton thought about it and found that it sometimes took two black knights to trap a king.
Wilton started with K.A.R.R. his battle knight. K.A.R.R.'s K1000 frame is built with the most advanced adaptive weapon system. At least three years ahead of what's used in the US Army Forces. Its armor is so tuff it can take on M-102 Howitzer Shell.
K.A.R.R. was in his development stage, when what is believed by Wilton and some others. That someone used a KNI terminal at the testing sight to upload a virus directly into his Matrix.
Wilton tried for weeks to fix K.A.R.R. but nothing worked. According to notes, he left. He was going to try and use some data from K.I.T.T.'s development to fix him."
K.I.T.T. had to interrupt Ms. Fran. "Could what happened to K.A.R.R.'s Matrix happen to me?"
"No, K.I.T.T." Bonnie spoke up. "When Wilton commissioned your Matrix he had Dr. Graymen and I build a hardware safeguard on your Matrix. Once you were fully sequenced your core code could not be changed manually. K.A.R.R.'s core Matrix code was vulnerable because multiple people had access to edit it."
"As I was saying after Wilton could not fix K.A.R.R. in the time he had left. Wilton started work on K.I.T.T. his castle knight. K.I.T.T. you are designed for the purpose to protect the civilians of the United States. Wilton did not believe that you need a big gun in order to bring people to justice."
"Ok, I understand that K.I.T.T. is not equipped with a bunch of lethal weapons but why is his armor not as advanced as K.A.R.R.'s"
Micheal directed his question to Ms. Fran but it was Bonnie who answered.
"Micheal you know that Wilton developed the Molecular Bonded Shell." Micheal nodded, yes of course he knew that the thing that made K.I.T.T. virtually indestructible was the MBS.
"Ok K.I.T.T. What is your armor labeled as under your schematic?" "Bonnie you know my schematics say my armor is made from Tri-Helical Plasteel 1000 MBS coating"
"What, that's not what your armor blueprint says" They all look at Mr. Fran as she took the folder back from Devon. Opened it and pulled out a schematic.
Ms. Fran turn the paper so K.I.T.T. could scan it. The document was a hand-drawn schematic for the K2000_Alpah frame. Comparing the one he had on file K.I.T.T. found subtle differences and he saw what Ms. Fran meant.
This document clearly made by Wilton Knight said his armor was KNI Tri-Helical Plasteel MBS 1000 coating.
"Let me see that?" Bonnie said coming over and taking the blueprint. "I do not see.."
Bonnie trailed off and then just stared at K.I.T.T.
"K.I.T.T. this is the correct blueprint. Micheal, K.I.T.T. Wilton develop the MBS but there was a flaw in the formula. You know that from its name it Molecular Bonds the atoms of the materials it's coated with and the stronger the base material the stronger the armor is.
The MBS has a problem, it reacts badly to iron. The iron deposits are drawn together and then when you get moisture and air together the iron acts like thermite."
"What, if K.I.T.T. get a scratch and it starts raining he will burn like a matchbox?"
"No, K.I.T.T. is coating with the MBS1 formula that does not have the reaction to iron deposits. Before you two ask the K1000 is coated with the MBS formula but its base armor is a non-ferrous alloy.
This alloy was not developed by KNI so I have no idea what it's composed of but I know its base strength is greater than Tri-Helical Plasteel."
"Can we get back to the mission briefing?" Ms. Fran said crossing her arm and looking annoy just a little. The rest of them went silent and waited for her to continue.
"Ms. Knight would like you to take the Rook to the felicity that K.A.R.R. is stored at. Micheal, you are going to need the K1000 keys to drive it to the drop-off. K.A.R.R.'s start-up sequence is in the folder. You are to use it to make sure his CPU startup switches are all in the off position before starting the Trans-am. If you do not he will come online once the alternator charges the capacitors.
If he does come online there is a list of protocols. As you witness before with K.I.T.T. Biometric verification is required for verbal commands. Devon or Bonnie would need to give the command."
A/N: Dear Reader
I would appreciate some feedback on whether or not I made clear the difference between K.A.R.R and K1000. This included the difference with K.I.T.T. and the K2000
These first two chapters act as a Prelog. The next chapter will start the timeline on the tv shows episode 'Trust Doesn't Rust'