Knight Rider: The KARR Project
(This Story is Rated M for Mature. Knight Rider is ©1982-1986;2008-2009 NBC Universal. Trinity Jean Knight is my character, but her powers are ©2001-2011 The CW Network & DC Entertainment. All other characters are mine)
Chapter 2: KARR part 1
Mike stared in awe of the lab technicians that were putting the final touches on a prototype who's Central Processing Unit had been recovered from a long ago prototype a man named Wilton Knight had built as a first of a kind vehicle designed with artificial intelligence. Mike stared at the technicians as they finished swarming over the black Ford Mustang, as the latest state-of-the-art heads-up windshield displays was installed into the vehicle. The prototype was the first of its kind with the new heads-up windshield display. Mike stared at Dr. April Curtis, the pretty red head technician who unbeknownst to him, had accidentally miss-programmed an earlier version of the prototype, as she looked at the new display. It had a user name listed in the screen as the car was waiting for its driver and to be encoded for that driver for voiceprint identification and fingerprint identification as well. She inputted the name "Michael Tracer" in the user name. The orb that was the vehicle's interior sensory input where it could "see" everything inside the vehicle lit up an amber color as the car was activated for the first time.
Charles smiled at her as she climbed out of the car. The vehicle had been built on the same grounds as the original Knight Automated Roving Robot and the Knight Industries Two Thousand had been some 25 years prior. He took Dr. Curtis's access card as today was her last day.
"Mike, I'd like you to meet the Knight Automated Roving Robot, the first in a new line of vehicle designed to save lives," Charles Graiman said with pride at his creation. Mike stared at the car with a look of sarcasm. He had just gotten engaged to a woman named Sarah Graiman. The two had met a year ago when Mike was on shore leave from his tour of duty in Iraq.
"What kind of name is that?" Mike asked. Charles just smiled. The generals and other military officials came in and they saw the shiny black Mustang.
"Dr. Graiman what is this?" General Sam Lane said. Charles smiled.
"It's a state-of-the-art vehicle designed to save lives," Charles replied. Charles then climbed into the vehicle and moved to a center console with buttons and pressed a series of buttons to bring the vehicle up to full activation status.
"This car is a vehicle designed with artificial intelligence, paired with a driver. The AI is designed to work with the pilot not dominate the pilot," Charles said. Mike climbed into the vehicle and was amazed by the vehicle's state of the art technology. He then felt the vehicle rise and transform into a robotic form.
"I am The Knight Automated Roving Robot. How May I serve you?" the vehicle said. Charles smiled as the generals looked in awe at this technological marvel that they had initially refused in 1984 when Wilton had offered the military a similar prototype which had killed 13 military men and women, and the original Kight Industries design team. This time, the military was very interested in what Knight Industries had designed and built. An exoskeleton that they could pair with any soldier. "We can design these in less than a year and your men and women in the armed forces will be safe," Charles said.
The generals all nodded and smiled as they thought of the relative safety of their men in uniform.
Smallville, Kansas, LuthorCorp-Erik Larson smiled as he found the blueprints and he picked up the phone.
"Where did you find this," Shawn McCormick frowned at the blueprints as she saw the Knight Industries logo and the LuthorCorp logo on the blueprints. Erik frowned.
"It was in some files we were cleaning out of storage," Erik said. Shawn stared at the blueprints as she recognized them from her time as a cop investigating Knight Industries.
"These are original plans for a prototype Wilton Knight started 30 years ago. Why does LuthorCorp have them?" She asked. Erik shrugged with indifference. "What do we know about these blueprints and Wilton Knight?" He asked.
"Wilton knew Lionel Luthor from college. They went into business but one of their joint projects together was a state-of-the-art prototype that was not programmed properly. The vehicle was then shut down after a demonstration in front of the joint chiefs of staff. The joint chiefs were killed," Shawn said. Erik stared at her.
"How do you know?" He asked. She smiled at him. "In the year 2000, I was shot in the head and was the recipient of a microchip from a Knight Industries vehicle called the Knight Industries Two Thousand that at the time, was state-of-the-art but was not workable in this day and age. The Director of Special Projects for the government agency that built it had the prototype dismantled and I got the microchip installed in my head. Occasionally I get flashes of memory from the chip. Not sure when or where these memories take me but I have them. I had one of a voice speaking in my head, saying, 'I am the Knight Automated Roving Robot,' and that is the vehicle that was just unveiled by the parent company of the government agency that 25, 30 years ago killed the Joint chiefs," Shawn said. Erik laughed.
"Really? I don't believe it," He said. She turned the laptop toward him to a government feed that was being broadcasted on a LuthorCorp feed that the company had access to. She pointed to the Mustang with the amber colored sensor.
"Don't you see, Erik? Knight Industries recreated the prototype they initially built 15-30 years ago. It killed then and it will kill again," Shawn said. Erik picked up the company phone, and called their Los Angeles office.
"LuthorCorp, this Angela Sutton," the female receptionist said.
"This is Erik Larson. I need to speak with Mr. Luthor," Erik said trying to calm himself down. Shawn then brought up a more recent update of the blueprints of KARR. She then noticed a program that was not in the original vehicle's design.
"What is that?" She said, pointing to the program as it was redacted or hidden behind a security password. Erik then inputted his password and the program was of Kryptonian design and bore the title, dimensional disruptor.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Larson, he's at Knight Industries for a demonstration of a finished prototype," Angela said. Erik hung up the phone.
"What is this technology?" Erik asked. Shawn began looking at files and found a code word that was Krypton. She inputted the code word and it brought up footage of a tablet stolen by a woman named April Curtis. The tablet was alien in origin. A much younger Lionel was given the tablet and a holographic image of the disrupter came up and an image of a man dressed in white with a stylized S on the side of his chest where his heart should be.
"Whoever is driving that prototype isn't aware of what it can do," Erik said. Shawn looked at him.
"Were you able to get a hold of Mr. Luthor?" She asked Erik. The man shook his head.
Knight Industries-Mike stared as the vehicle switched from "robot" mode back to a vehicle.
"What do we do now, KARR," he asked the AI.
"We wait for These visitors to decide and Dr. Graiman to give us the order," KARR said. Mike nodded. Mike then noticed Dr. Graiman had his cell phone with him but the speaker mode was turned on. "Can you tap into Dr. Graiman's iPhone's speaker," Mike asked. They both then saw the generals frown. Mike then nodded.
"They aren't going to buy into it, are they?" Mike said. KARR was remarkably quiet.
"No, indeed not. I suggest we leave, Mr. Tracer," the vehicle said. Mike turned the wheel and the car went out the garage/lab and the vehicle began to gain speed and it was gone.
The Mirror Universe-Knight Estate. Mike climbed out of the car to see the estate abandoned.
Mike looked around. "Where is everybody?" He mused to himself. The estate was deserted, and looked like no one had lived in for years. He looked at the vehicle. "Can you scan for people?" He asked.
"Activating 360 heat scans," KARR said.
Our reality-Charles stared at the group of LuthorCorp & Knight Industries techs who had come out to begin investigating where the billion dollar prototype had vanished to. General Sam Lane stared in awe with a smile on his face.
"Well Charles, you promised a demonstration, and we got one. Find your missing prototype or else we'll remove your contract," Sam said. One of the LuthorCorp techs walked up to Dr. Graiman with a scanner in hand.
"I have something, Dr. Graiman," the young man said.
"What's your name son?" Charles asked. The man smiled at him.
"Billy, sir. Billy Morgan," the man said.