Chapter 2

Carlee had also expected K.I.T.T. to readily agree to help her. She certainly hadn't expected him to try to talk her out of it.

"What aren't you telling me, K.I.T.T.?" Carlee demanded. "I know you too well. There's something you're keeping from me. Is it about how Michael died?"

"I'm not hiding anything! I just don't think we can be objective about this mission. If we catch up to Michael's killer, I don't know that you'd be able to restrain yourself. I don't know that I'd even try to stop you, either."

"Michael would want us to finish this, K.I.T.T. You know he would. We need to do this. For 'closure.' I'm going after the bastard, with or without your help!"

"All right, I'll help. But if I think it's getting too dangerous, we let the feds take over," K.I.T.T. replied, reluctantly.

"Okay. Fine!" Carlee responded. "Let me go throw together a carry bag."

* * *

When Carlee left the garage, K.I.T.T. used the intercom system to call Bonnie. He informed her of their plans and requested a systems check to ensure he was performing at peak efficiency.

As Bonnie began hooking cables from the mainframe into K.I.T.T., he felt compelled to speak.

"Bonnie, do you think Wilton Knight foresaw that I would develop emotions?"

"He didn't specifically program you with emotions, but I think he gave you the capacity to learn. He also allowed you to develop attachments to people you are in contact with constantly. I think he either suspected or at least hoped, that you would gain the ability to feel."

"I'm not sure I can handle all of these feelings! I miss Michael so much! I'm full of rage at the people who took him from me. I feel so helpless when Carlee cries."

Bonnie softly stroked K.I.T.T.'s hood before reaching into his engine compartment to unhook the cable again. "Those are very normal grief responses, K.I.T.T. They will ease with time."

"Since Carlee will be at least my temporary driver, she'll be needing a comm link so we can stay in contact," K.I.T.T. said, changing the subject back to the task at hand.

"I've got a spare. It just needs to be linked up," Bonnie responded, walking over to a cabinet along the garage wall. "I've already loaded the latest information from the investigation into your memory banks."

Bonnie retrieved the comm link from the cabinet, then went back to K.I.T.T., who opened his passenger side door for her to get in.

"Okay, open your comm link channel so I can set the new comm link."

K.I.T.T. did as instructed and the link was quickly established.

"Are you going to let her drive?" Bonnie had noticed the fact that K.I.T.T. hadn't let her get in the driver's side. In fact, no one had sat in the driver's seat since Michael died.

"What's it like to die?" K.I.T.T. asked, changing the subject yet again.

Bonnie sat in stunned silence for a moment. "Um, well." She pushed her wavy, shoulder length black hair behind one ear, trying to give herself a minute to think. "Noone really knows, K.I.T.T. There are many different beliefs in an afterlife, but no one really knows."

"Do you believe in an afterlife, Bonnie?" K.I.T.T. asked, tentatively.

"I like to believe there is something more after this. A beautiful place where you're reunited with all of your loved ones who passed before you," Bonnie replied, absently fiddling with the comm link she still held.

"What about for me?" K.I.T.T. asked. His frame very nearly trembled with the need to know the answer to that question above all others.

"I... I don't know, K.I.T.T. I guess, barring something completely destroying your CPU, you could exist forever. I don't think that's what you wanted to know, though. You want to know if you would go on to an afterlife if you cease functioning, right?"

"Yes, Bonnie!"

"People generally believe that their soul is what goes to an afterlife. Most people I know would probably say you're a machine, and thus incapable of having a soul," Bonnie paused, looking towards K.I.T.T.'s voice modulator.

"What do you think?" K.I.T.T. asked quietly.

"I know what I've seen between you and Michael, and now you and Carlee. I don't care what my colleagues would say, you have a soul that is more gentle than most human beings, K.I.T.T.!" Bonnie exclaimed.

"Thank you," was K.I.T.T.'s response. Then he changed the subject yet again, "Bonnie, I've noticed something the last couple of times I've scanned Carlee."

"Let's see them," Bonnie said. She looked the scans over, taking note of what K.I.T.T. was pointed out. A moment later, she said, "You're right. Does she know?"

"No, and I'd like to keep it that way until this is over. I'm not sure how she'd take it."