Michael rose from the bed, letting out a big yawn and stretching until he noticed rather coldly that the sun had risen — he'd slept in. It only took a quick peek with a partially closed eye to see why this was.
His alarm clock had been tampered with and looked awfully disoriented…displaying the wrong time and flickering ever so slightly.
He decided to ignore it…the car was designed that way he guessed. Always looked out for his interests, attempting to make things better, and usually, the car did so without fail. When hadn't Kitt answered his pleas for help when the two were stuck between a hard place and a rock? Though it was a little absurd for him to admit that the computer did some things out of sheer will — like micro jamming his alarm clock so he could get more sleep — Michael had begun to comprehend the humanity in the machine. As of late — it seemed Kitt was simply just lonely.
The man entered his living room noting gloomily that the A/C looked like it'd need life support rather soon. It was gurgling and he didn't think the leaking had gotten better overnight either. Going to his kitchen the man prepared himself a quick snack and called it breakfast.
He was still hopeful that perhaps Devon was still busy and entertained with his morning tasks for him to notice that Michael was still on the premises.
So having changed into the appropriate apparel he barged into the garage only to half scare himself when he found the black Trans-Am parked rear first into the garage.
The man grimaced, running air through his teeth hoping the car was going through its usual shutdown procedure or whatever to allow him to slip by with his fishing gear unnoticed. He approached a shelf and went about rather slowly pulling out his tackle box and rod. He exited using the small exit attached to the garage that allowed him to leave without the need to open the large garage door — and by an extension (though he could only assume) "awaken" the car.
The moment he locked the door behind him and slipped his keys into his pocket he charged through the path leading out of the property. Even though it was particularly late he could still catch a ride with a tractor-trailer busily doing drops around the neighboring warehouses —
He reached the highway rather efficiently but at the cost of soaking his face in sweat. The heat was almost intolerable but it would have to do…
He stood on the side strolling slowly with his thumb extended and giving friendly smiles to passing vehicles. While a tractor-trailer would be more adequate to take a ride in — there was always the chance someone going about their business in their car would take pity on a stranger and offer him a ride —
He'd been trying to flag down a car or anything for several minutes while walking down the highway shoulder unsure of why people were giving him odd glances and faces, completely denying him the privilege of relishing in an air-conditioned cabin when he stopped and listened —
His eyes widened, and clenching his jaw he turned around. His ears strained to pick up on the almost invisible sound of gravel being crushed underfoot by a several-ton black coupe crawling a few yards away from him!
"Kitt!?" He shouted, more so in alarm than surprise. He stormed up the gravel shoulder, letting his things fall to the ground as he glared down at the nervously pulsing scanner.
"You didn't tell anyone where you were going…" The computer pressed on nervously.
The man let out a hysterical laugh.
"Kitt, that was the point."
"Why?"
The man facepalmed, turning around picking up his things, and hurrying his pace up the shoulder highway while aggressively attempting to flag an alternative vehicle down.
Kitt didn't hesitate to follow. The AI watched, rather puzzled at Michael's overall behavior.
"Where are we going?" Kitt asked timidly, continuing to stroll behind the man and becoming restless as the man's vitals raced up the charts in the noon heat.
The man stopped, running a hand through his soaked disheveled hair, and gave Kitt's sun-soaked chassis an eye roll.
"Not we — "
"Michael, why can't I come with you?" The computer began to pick at the argument ahead. "Wouldn't it be better if I assisted you?"
The man groaned knowing full well that the lake he planned to fish at was too far to realistically reach by foot, plus given the summer conditions — he wouldn't have enough energy to fish anyways by the time he got there — he'd probably be in dire need of a doctor and experiencing a heat stroke.
He took one step toward Kitt when the car whirred excitingly and the scanner picked up some speed. Before the man could question the AI, Michael heard the giant release of air a short way from them before a huge vehicle pulled off the road and into the shoulder in front of them. Michael flinched as it picked up the highway dust, sending it scattering all over the shoulder highway brushing Michael's skin. Shielding his eyes he caught sight of a huge rig that'd been subdued by what he could only presume was Kitt's micro jammer or electrical interference device. Whatever the case he gave the car a faint smile as he approached the driver who'd gotten down and seemed completely bamboozled by how his monster of a machine had suddenly gone dead.
"Hey." Michael nodded in greeting. "Where are you headed?"
"Nowhere for now…" the man answered with a grunt, taking off his cap and throwing it on the ground. "Hey kid," the man suddenly blurted toward Michael. "Know anything about big machinery? Maybe you can help me."
Michael put his tackle box and rod down, shrugging.
"I know a fair amou —" He accidentally bit the side of his tongue as he caught sight of the trans-am in the truck's side view mirrors; single-handedly climbing up the empty trailer in the back of the truck…It sent a shiver down his back…
The driver raised a brow before giving a light slap on Michael's shoulder.
"Boy, how long have you been walking 'round the desert? You look like you've haven't had a drop of water in days —" The man turned around and reached in between the truck's seats, grasping a cooler and handing Michael a thermo that happened to have water.
Michael took it without a second thought and took a quick sip. Maybe he needed to go back to the mansion and turn Kitt over to Bonnie first — the car was mad! Completely insane!
"Say — where did you say you need to go?" The driver asked once more.
Michael winced under the blinding rays of the broiling sun. Gritting his teeth he made a final decision —
"There's a lake couple miles off the highway —"
The driver chuckled.
"I'm hitting 'bout the same area. If I can get my rig going I can take you —"
Both men jerked their heads as the huge monster of the machine roared back to life. The man gaped in awe.
"Huh, look at that — never have I heard of a truck firing itself up like that." The man squinted blocking the sun with his hand.
"Yeah — odd…" Michael pinned Kitt, who was comfortably parked on top of the partially occupied trailer bed, with his critical glare.
It didn't take even a few minutes and the truck was powerfully roaring down the highway with Michael in it. The man kept his head low, avoiding glancing through the side mirror as he observed Kitt's glowing light mocking him at the corner of his eye —
The driver was completely oblivious to the known fact and seemed rather content to have company as he shifted the truck into gear down the road. Telling Michael stories that almost made the man reconsider his career path. Trucking around in a huge rig had a good ring to it — lone wolfing it around without hesitation and control over his life. It sounded like a dream — but every so often he'd peek back at Kitt enjoying the little ride in the back, he'd catch his new face flinching back at him —
He was stuck this way — detached from his former life and glued to this one. He could always leave he supposed but to make it alone under the name Michael Knight would prove difficult —
"Thanks for the lift." He finally called over to the driver as the man pulled his rig over.
"Okay, Kid. Take care aye? Have a good one."
Michael nodded, giving the man a thankful smile as he jumped out into the heated oven-like air again.
He waved as the tractor-trailer pulled away from the curb hauling its trailer bed, devoid of a Trans-Am, away.
Michael sighed and looked over his shoulder toward the black trans-am parked along the gravel road shoulder awaiting his company.
Michael only whistled as he motioned for Kitt to follow. No use in leaving the car unattended, he figured.
The two strolled along the stretch of gravel and pothole-infested road for several minutes until a tree grove began to appear in the distance…not to mention the shimmer of what looked like dark violet glass.
Michael grinned mischievously. Content they were getting closer and a little anxious as he began to internally ask himself a rather ludicrous question. Why was he being so cold toward the car? His mind poked about the question and for a split second Michael admitted to himself — he feared the attachment…and by keeping the car far and going at it on his own — he prevented this connection from latching on…
He squinted over his shoulder looking down at the car noting the dimness of Kitt's scanner and the dust collecting over his body panels. Usually — and this was why Michael was gravely surprised — Kitt made his complaints audible and quite clear — his turbine detested dust…Michael knew that.
Upon further inspection, Michael noted that Kitt was wearing an odd sustained silence overall.
Clenching his jaw and letting out a crude laugh Michael remarked into the basked air.
"You know, I didn't know hitchhiking was part of your programming —"
Kitt returned a mellow hum of his scanner, the man awaiting the computer's reply as the t-top strolled slowly behind him.
"It's not — I simply deducted its use while watching you for several minutes. After observing I figured it had to do with catching a ride…"
"Clever —" Michael answered tiredly, coughing as he kicked up dust unintentionally after striking a can along the edge of the road into the overgrowth.
The two continued to slowly pace down the road until finally, they made it under the blessed shade of the tree canopies above. Here Michael took a seat and lay on the grass. Closing his eyes and taking a sip from a bottle the truck driver had gifted him.
Michael heard the familiar whirr of Kitt's t-top opening and when he cracked open a singular eyelid he saw that Kitt was catching the sun and "laying" in the grass as well. The man suppressed a chuckle — intent on wanting to keep to himself for the remainder of the day. The two relished in the cooler shadows of the trees and in the light breeze coming from the lake for about an hour until Michael had fallen deeply asleep…When he did wake up — he wasn't too pleased.
He bumped his head almost instantly and caught on quite quickly to what was going around him as he heard voices and watched pensively from under Kitt as four different pairs of shoes swarmed the Trans-Am.
He heard rapid gunfire which made him shield his ears as the shots bounced off somewhere above and made Kitt's frame shudder slightly.
While he wasn't too fond of getting covered in car grease and hanging around a sentient vehicle's undercarriage that could probably split him in two if the vehicle happened to engage his turbo boost or hydraulic system while he was beneath — it was the next best thing! Given it worked great as a hiding spot.
"I saw him —" A voice explained. "Saw the man leave 'round noon —"
"So where is he? Only his blasted car is here!" The other voice scoffed.
"Probably out fishing…?" Another voice suggested.
"Whatever, get the truck here, we'll tow the car while you all search the lake."
"Fine."
Michael tried to shift a little, just enough to get a peek at what he was up against when something hard struck Kitt sending a tremor along Kitt's frame. Michael squeezed himself toward the driver's side and cautiously took a quick glance.
One of the men was assaulting Kitt's windows with a crowbar and seemed to be miserably failing. It was rather amusing to witness, the man had to admit. He wondered what life was like to be so — indestructible and incapable of being damaged at the same time.
His amusement didn't last long when Kitt let out a sharp chirp from his scanner. Letting Michael know that the men had come back — with a jack.
The men quickly slid it under Kitt's rear, readying it to lift the car and attach him to the pickup truck's hauler.
Kitt emitted another tone but this one was — fond?…calm — almost as if he was telling Michael to settle, down?
The man widened his eyes, tucking his arms and legs stiffly to his sides and aligning himself in the middle of the undercarriage aware of what the car was about to do!
With a crescendo of a firing engine — Kitt rammed in reverse, abruptly sending the men tumbling into the tall grasses and exposing Michael finally to the spacious outdoors. The man stood up, hardly able to contain his beating heart as he swung his fist and knocked an approaching guy out.
Catching a glimpse of the black blur pushing the pickup into a ditch, Michael took to a full sprint in the opposite direction. Diving into the overgrowth as he picked up on the footfalls of heavy and angered men stumbling after him…He got to the lake's edge and dove beneath the waters. Trembling from the sudden pressure building in his chest while the frigid waters penetrated his skin.
He could just barely see the shadows of the men hanging over the water's edge. Michael struggled to swim as his legs began to cramp! Forced to surface and aware of how erroneous his decision had ultimately been he made the frightening discovery that he could not in fact — surface!
Panicked he beat his legs no matter how painful but he couldn't emit enough strength to push himself up. He was sinking rapidly too!
His vision was fogging and his head was aching terribly now when he felt someone grasp his hairline and yank him upward.
Gagging and coughing, while he struggled to stand upright he locked eyes with the goons who'd been chasing him.
One of them raised their brows and let out a heap of laughter, with Kitt in the foreground with his rear tires suspended into the air. His scanner pulsated in a singular solid motion as the men dragged Michael to shore and deposited him on the muddy bank.
"Your car is something else…" One of the men grinned as Michael continued to gasp for air, collapsing over the mud puddles.
Coughing Michael looked toward the black dusty car catching tiredly the relieved beat of Kitt's crimson scanner.