Chapter 90

Sam made her way into class after speaking with Johnny, Daniel and Ali in the hallway. She greeted, "Morning everyone." She plopped down in her seat and looked over to Tony. "What is this big competition that Johnny and Daniel are in?" She noticed the two police offers were both absent.

"It's a karate competition. Johnny holds the nationals title. He's good. Daniel won this year and Johnny congratulated him. Kreese ordered Johnny to cheat and sweep his leg. I saw the whole thing. Daniel won using an old out dated move…looked like some kind of crane kick or something. Anyways, after the competition, Kreese attacked Johnny in the parking lot. Nearly chocked him to death. The guy is a real piece of work. Johnny left karate after that. He lost his scholarship for college too. Ended up a contract worker, did maintenance. A few years back he started his own karate school and Daniel then started his own school. Then Kreese showed back up and basically took over Johnny's school and stole his students. Last I heard he was working with Daniel."

Sam requested, "Tell me about this guy, Kreese."

"I think he was military, special forces and basically teaches like he's training recruits for a war. No mercy!" he told her. "As I said…real piece of work."

She cocked her head, "What would happen if he saw the Airwolf tape?"

Tony figured, "He would be at the front door of that hangar. Looking to get inside. He would want a piece of the action."

Her head rolled back, "Just what I need."

Karl asked, "What's the latest on the Galactica? Mr. H. said you had an update for us."

She replied, "Colonel Austin has recruited a crew made up of me, Uncle String, Aunt Cait, Mac and Apollo to take the space shuttle, put my engine in it and get it to the Galactica sitting on the edge of the solar system. Once there we are drafted as viper pilots and we have to take out two basestars. We cannot find the other battlestar. We're on our own."

Tony volunteered concerned, "That sounds dangerous. Maybe I should come with you."

She shook her head, "If we fail or Balter gets word, he will attack Earth. They are getting my father out of the P.O.W. camp early. He and my mom are going to take over flying Airwolf before they did the first time. Uncle Dom will be their flight engineer. The other two guys won't have anything to do with it this time around. Baltar is here, he has an army of robots that are more advanced than what we have in 2022. He will use them to attack the population. If that happens, you will need to help Mr. H. The sentinels are wireless. More advanced than KITT and Ziggy and answer to some A.I. that is hidden. Mac can't get access to the A.I. controlling them. But it's really advanced and now Knight Industries is working on upgrading all firewalls fearing cyber warfare is next."

Karl asked, "What do we do if these robots attack us?"

She concluded, "You will have to fight them off."

"With what?" he asked.

She looked at Tony and Ralph.

Ralph suggested, "They are robots. We can attempt to take control over the computer systems."

Tony nodded, "Hack them or just blow the things apart."

Karl asked, "With what?"

He debated which weapon. "A twelve gauge should do it."

"You mean a shotgun?" Karl asked.

He nodded.

Jose stated, "My dad has a twelve gauge and buck shot. He also has slugs. It can blow a whole in the side of a car this big." he held his hands wide.

Sam smirked to Tony, "I'm surprised you didn't say we needed assault weapons. You know…the AR-15."

He rolled his eyes, "What is that gonna do against alien robots that I can only assume are shielded. A 5.56 round is not gonna do it. You need a cannon! Get a shotgun with a slug." He then puckered in thought as he fell back on his military training, "Though something like what they had World War Two might do it. Something that can take down something big, like an elk. A 308, 300...something along those lines. Big game hunting rifle would work."

Karl stated, "My dad doesn't have a gun. How am I gonna get one?"

Tony figured, "I'm eighteen now. I can legally buy a few shotguns. I can train you how to use it, Karl. You two Jose and Rhonda…"

Rhonda soured, "I don't want to shoot a gun. Those things scare me."

Tony rebutted, "We could be literally invaded by alien robots at any moment. You will have to put your fear aside and learn how to use one to defend yourself, Rhonda. We are staring down the barrel of a Cylon gun right now."

"Okay," she backed off. "But…I've never even held a gun before. What if I do it wrong?"

Sam assured, "That's what training is for."

Rhonda asked, "Have you ever shot a gun, Sam?"

She nodded, "I was in youth shooting competitions. I did pretty well."

Tony grinned, "Seriously! I figured you would have been in something like band or arts and crafts."

She reminded him, "You guys are my band. I learned to play but never had a band." Then she pouted, "I suck at arts and crafts."

Ralph blinked surprised and asked, "How can you suck at arts and crafts? You made a warp drive engine in an old hangar."

"I can do tools, mills and machines. But hard stuff like drawing, painting…I suck." she explained.

Ralph suggested, "Maybe if you practiced at it you would get better."

She asked, "When am I supposed to do that? Kind of busy right now."

"Maybe after things settle down." he told her. He wished for a way to help Sam improve her own skills. "There is a school art show coming up along with a science project show. How about we enter those as a class?" he suggested. Ralph still needed to do his job with the class or he could be fired from his position.

Sam reminded him, "We're facing an alien invasion. It's on our doorstep."

"I know." he soothed. "But we still need to be a class and act as normal as possible."

Tony smirked, "You know…that science project would be a good way to explain your engine and introduce it to the world."

Karl agreed with a nod, "That would turn some heads."

Ralph cheered, "That's a good idea, Tony. Plus, Sam could use the science fair to get her engine out so people will know it exist. Set up a narrative so the people know what is coming."

Sam asked, "You mean use a high school since fair to introduce my engine to the world."

"It will get on the news." Ralph figured. "That can help protect it and you."

Tony agreed, "Nothing protect better than public knowledge. Sunlight is your friend, Sam."

She agreed, "I can make a working model of the engine and put it in the fair. That would introduce the concept to the world. First step towards a real space program."

"Exactly!" Ralph agreed. He then added, "And you can work on your art work with some drawings of what that space travel would look like."

"I can't draw! Especially freehand." she insisted.

Jose injected, "I can draw freehand. I can do the drawing. We can all help Sam with the project for the fair."

She smiled at his gesture, "I appreciate that, Jose. Thank you. I wish I could something for you."

"Like what?" he wondered.

She paused in thought.

Tony pleaded, "Don't tell him, Sam. He doesn't need to know that." He feared how his friend would react if he knew his fate.

Jose came to attention, "Tell me what? You know my future, Tony. What happens to me?"

"Nothing." he shook his head upset.

Sam stated, "You will die of cancer at fifty years of age."

Jose sucked in a breath and thought to himself for a second. "I guess…at least I know I make it to fifty. I didn't think I would live that long with my folks and all."'

Sam closed her eyes for a moment and made a plea, "Nanite dudes. If you could do us all a really big favor and cure Jose of cancer when he gets sick, we would all really appreciate it." She opened her eyes wishing she could do more for her friend.

Ralph came to attention. He asked, "Did that work?"

She shrugged, "I won't know until I go back to my time and see if anything changed."

Jose soothed, "Hey…if it works and I'm there, thank you. If it didn't and I still die…still…thank you. Least I know I mean something to someone."

Rhonda's eyes swelled up, "Jose you mean a lot to all of us. And since I become a doctor…I will be your doctor and we will keep an eye out together for that cancer."

Karl stated, "It would be cool if we are all together in 2022." He then suggested, "After we save Jose, we can all meet up at the hangar and have those nanites imprint us like Tony and we can all know what happens and how to fight off these Cylons." He laughed to himself at the suggestion.

Tony paused in thought. "Actually, that's not a bad idea. Karl goes into the military and gets combat training. He can help teach others if we can imprint him too."

Karl grinned, "Give me nanite power!" He motioned with his hand and made two fist. He then suggested, "We can all be like superheroes, just like Mr. H. We can get super suits and help fight off the Cylons."

Ralph chuckled a bit, "That suit is not as easy to control as it looks, Karl."

Tony assured, "Trust me…that suit does not look easy to control." He sat back in his chair and let his mind wonder, "Not like Iron Man."

"From the Avenger's movie." Sam suggested.

He nodded, "Yup! Gotta admit, Robert Downey Jr. did a good Iron Man."

"I liked Sherlock Holmes." Sam admitted.

Tony wondered, "Would it be possible to make a suit like what was in that movie, Sam? Using the nanites."

"I have no idea." she shrugged.

He motioned, "Try it!"

She closed her eyes and recalled the red suit from the movie. "Nanites, make a Iron Man suit, that looks like the one in the movies but is…" she knew not to use the term "real" or she would simply get a movie prop, "capable of doing mach one and has arms, navigation systems, a onboard computer and download a copy of KITT into the suit for to make it operational."

Before the class and much like magic, a red suit that looked much like something from a Hollywood movie, appeared out of thin air.

As Sam opened her eyes the class gasp amazed.

"Whoa!" Karl exclaimed. "That is awesome." The boy volunteered, "Can I fly it?"

Ralph stood absolutely wide eyed, "I think maybe Sam should be the one to fly it."

From the speaker system in the suit a familiar voice arose. "Samantha!" It was KITT.

She stood up and walked over to the suit and lifted the face mask to reveal the inside was empty. She replied, "KITT!"

"I appear to have been downloaded into another system. Did you authorize this?" the voice asked.

"I did." she grinned. She then told the class, "KITT can actually test this and see if it will work before we put anyone in it."

Karl spoke up again, "After KITT test it can I fly it then?"

Tony shook his head laughing to himself.

Rhonda asked shocked, "So…where are we going to store this thing? The tapes and players were already stolen from class."

"I know!" Karl spoke up. "I got a big closet at home we can store it in."

Ralph grew alarm for if anyone saw the suit it would bring unwanted attention for sure. He stated, "Tony! Help me move this thing."

Tony stood up and went to the other side of the mechanical suit. Both men lifted it up and walked it to the far back corner of the classroom.

KITT then spoke, "I could have walked."

"Now you tell us, KITT." Tony miffed.

Ralph then found a white sheet he would use to cover his desk for during break to keep it clean. He placed the sheet over suit to hide it. The suit stood in the far corner of the classroom looking as obvious as possible.

KITT spoke, "I cannot see." He then pulled the sheet down with suit's arm. He stated, "I must say this new body is far superior to the Trans Am body.

Tony realized they needed to hide KITT before anyone else could see him. He looked to Sam, "You have to find a way to hide him."

"I don't know how." she told him.

Rhonda suggested, "Can you use the nanites and make him look like a student? You know, like a disguise."

"I can try." she agreed. She closed her eyes and pictured the student body she wished KITT to have in her mind. "Nanite dudes, morph the Iron Man shell into robotic skeleton absent fire arms and flight system, instead mimic bionics systems and with centralized computer system. Encase robotic skeleton in human skin, white in color, brown hair, blue eyes, dress in jeans, sneakers, red polo shirt. Make age appear to be around sixteen years old and male." She found she needed to be as precise as possible when giving commands to the nanites.

Before the class the Iron Man suit morphed into what appeared to be a teenage boy. KITT looked down at himself. "It appears I have acquired a more human form." He stepped out of the corner. He paused, "Samantha."

She asked, "Is there something wrong, KITT?"

"Yes," he replied. "I require undergarments and socks."

She gave the command, "Nanites, give KITT's new body underwear and socks."

KITT the pulled the pant leg up to reveal white sock. He used the fingers and tugged at the elastic of the underwear. "Much better." he agreed. "Shall I take a seat to blend in with the classroom?" he requested.

Ralph stated, "Plead do KITT." He looked about the class, "What do we tell the two cops when they come in?"

Tony smirked, "Simple! His name is Kitt…Carson…and he's a British foreign exchange student."

Rhonda asked, "Do you think those two cops will buy that?"

He shrugged, "Who knows."

KITT suggested, "If I am to be a student in high school with Samantha than I shall need to register."

Sam stated, "Just hack into the system remotely, KITT. The body only has a copy of you. You are still in your mainframe in the hangar."

"Excellent." he agreed. "I shall approach this as a new learning experience." KITT then asked, "What about inviting the class to the beach party?

I heard the invitation over your watch this morning, Samantha."

She told the class, "We've been invited to a beach part tonight. Anyone want to go?"

Karl cheered, "Let's all go and bring KITT. My class just got awesome again."

KITT agreed, "I would love to go. I have never been to a beach party as a human before."

"You only look human, KITT." Sam reminded him.

"I have a bionic body. Bionics are highly advanced and can feel sensations. This is as close to human form as I have ever come." he explained.

Tony asked, "Is KITT's bionics as good at Colonel Austin's?"

"I assure you my bionics are superior to the Colonel's." he informed.

"Good," he gave a nod. "You can help protect Sam and fight off Cylons."

"I will do everything in my power to assist." he assured. "May I see a mirror?" he requested.

Rhonda reached in her bag and retrieved a small mirror. "Here you go, KITT." She handed it to him.

He took the mirror and looked at his face. He debated, "Samantha! Can you have the nanites give me a pair of glasses?"

"You are having trouble seeing?" she asked concerned.

"Negative. I wonder what I will look like with glasses." he explained.

"Nanites, give KITT glasses." she ordered.

Before KITT on the desk appeared a pair of wire rimmed glasses. He placed the glasses on his nose and then looked in the mirror once more. "Ah, I look more sophisticated now." he declared.

Karl pleaded, "Can we go back to the Iron Man suit."

Sam asked, "Why?"

"KITT's cool and all but the Iron Man suit is cooler." he explained.

"You just want to be Iron Man." Tony rolled his eyes.

Karl stated, "I could be black Iron Man. Now we got…" he reached for a word, "Geeky KITT."

KITT asked alarmed, "Am I a geek, Samantha?"

"Of course not, KITT." she soothed as they thought to herself just how big of a geek KITT would be as a human.