Chapter Five: Knight to King's Pawn

Auror Giles Onasi leaned against KITT's passenger door as he watched his partner pace between the two cars, free hand waving every so often as he talked on his phone. The wizard frowned to himself as he thought about the past few hours, especially how willing Roy had been to turn on their friend. It rankled; he never would've thought his friend capable of such callousness. Yes, Roy had changed his tune, but for how long? How long before Roy's prejudice against non-humans got them into trouble?

"I believe the appropriate expression is, a penny for your thoughts?"

Onasi glanced down at the black car. "Just wondering."

For several moments, KITT said nothing as his scanner whirr-whooshed, the sound an odd comfort now that the AI had turned it back on. Then he remarked, "The first time I spoke to Michael, he was very frightened. He disguised that fear with anger, but looking back, our first mission together was quite the trial for him."

"Not for you?"

The scanner whirr-whooshed through another revolution. "Certainly it was a trial for me as well. It was the first time I had been outside the testing environment, under the control of an individual I was sworn to protect, but did not know. And my creator died not long before Michael's mission." The Trans Am paused, weighing his words. "But for Michael… It was his first mission in the wake of being shot in the face and undergoing extensive plastic surgery. The same woman who shot him also murdered his partner earlier that night. And his first mission was to apprehend her."

Giles winced. "Then he found out Wilton Knight picked out a new partner for him."

"In the shape of a Trans Am and the form of a computer," KITT finished, tone droll. "Michael and I grew past our… Shall I say our rather rough beginnings. In fact, there were many times when he trusted me far too much. On those days, I rather would've preferred he use a bit more prudence rather than obstinately arguing with Bonnie and Devon on my behalf. Roy's pragmatic approach is far more sensible."

The wizard scowled. "Don't say that. Roy never should've said any of that about you." One hand stroked the car's silky-smooth finish. "You're not a threat and you never were."

KITT shifted on his axles. "When it comes to Artificial Intelligence in general, Roy's caution is well warranted, Giles. As he said, I am the exception, not the rule." A beat. "Outside of science-fiction, I know of only two examples of practical Artificial Intelligence. I am one; the other was my older 'brother' KARR and the only reason he never went on any murderous rampages is because Michael and I risked our lives to stop him."

A low whistle escaped. "Fifty/fifty shot? That's it?"

"When one factors in the many and assorted science-fiction Artificial Intelligences, the odds become ever more diminished," KITT elaborated. "In most tales that feature AIs, they are, at best, following their programming to disastrous conclusions. The great majority are quite malevolent and appear to enjoy exerting their power over the innocents in their paths." He let that hang a moment, then drolly added, "In light of that precedent, I can hardly blame Roy for his cautious response."

Onasi swallowed, hearing the unspoken reprimand behind KITT's mild reproach. Suddenly, he wondered what he would do if someone told him they'd met a dementor that didn't want to hurt anyone. Aside from admitting the poor soul to the Janus Thickey Ward (2), that was. A claim like that…who would be dumb enough to believe it? Chagrin struck as he figured it out – who would be dumb enough to believe an AI could be good?

He looked up from the thick grass when he heard his partner's footsteps. "They coming?"

Roy sighed, rubbing a hand through his hair. "Yeah, they're sending a flatbed truck out here. Had to argue with 'em awhile, but I sure don't want KITT on a regular tow truck till we get this mess straightened out."

"Copy. What about the goblins?"

The other man sighed again, though one fist clenched. "Silnok called me. He wants us to take KITT back to the warehouse they've been using for the upgrades. Promised to have a full tank of liquid hydrogen waiting for us."

The wizard blinked. "Why liquid hydrogen?"

"That is my preferred fuel." Both men glanced towards the Trans Am, who shifted on his tires. "I can operate on any combustible liquid, including ordinary automotive gas, but to operate at peak fuel efficiency and power output, I require liquid hydrogen."

"Super fuel for the super car?" Roy teased.

KITT sniffed imperiously. "Precisely."

The detective chuckled, then sobered. "Before the tow truck gets here, KITT, we need the doors open, okay?"

For an instant, the muscle car went rigid, then sagged on his suspension. "I am uncertain if my interior is safe. While I conducted thorough diagnostics after my microprocessor upgrade, I overlooked my fuel gauge, so there may be other problems I missed."

Roy huffed. "So we leave the doors open while we're gettin' you on the flatbed and take my car to the warehouse. There's always a way, even if we gotta be careful."

It took another minute, but then KITT bobbed acknowledgement and his locks disengaged.

Roy nodded, but paused long enough to point at Giles. "Don't you dare get in and close the door to prove a point. Asphyxiation's a nasty way to go, you copy?"

"I copy," Onasi replied, wincing at the image.

Silnok inspected the outer workshop at the warehouse used by the Knight Industries Two Thousand, a frown etched on his face. The tools present were metal working tools, with nary an electronics tool in sight. He was, of course, aware of the secret workshop Chief Artificer Steeltooth used for his delicate electronics work, but the old account manager hadn't realized the artificer was using that secret workshop as a means to present a false front to the Knight Industries Two Thousand.

It was not uncommon for goblinkind to present a façade in their workshops; wizards were shortsighted fools and easily offended by any goblin who wasn't precisely as expected. However… To present a false front to a Goblin-Friend was a grave insult – while the AI was not a Goblin-Friend himself, his contract with Gringotts was under the House of Calvin. To mislead the AI was akin to misleading the House of Calvin – and that was before Silnok considered the broken contract.

The goblin stilled at the sound of the warehouse door rising, listening for the sound of vehicles entering the building. Turning, Silnok activated the goblin glamour riding high on his upper arm and gestured for his son to do the same. The three artificers moved to follow suit and his head whipped towards them.

"You will remain here until my son returns for you."

Steeltooth bristled. "You have no right to give me orders, Sil clan!"

"With a Gringotts contract in ruins at your feet, you are in no position to object to anything," Silnok countered, icy silk velveting each word. So saying, he gestured for his son to follow him and exited the workshop in time to see the Knight Industries Two Thousand tilted up on the tow truck's flatbed. As he watched, the driver came around, working the controls of his machine to back the Trans Am off its perch and onto the concrete floor.

The vehicle inched off the metal ramp and Silnok spied a gleam of steel as the tow truck's chain rattled, straining under a heavy load. Even so, the driver knew his business and it only took him a few minutes before the Trans Am was parked, the chain removed, and the flatbed itself back in position. Detective Roy Lane closed with the driver, speaking to him in a low tone before he offered a bill and shook the man's hand in thanks. The driver swung up into his truck and left with the rumbling roar of a diesel engine.

The goblins waited until the tow truck was gone, both of them deactivating their glamours before they strode towards the two men and the AI parked in the center of the warehouse. The men turned at the sound of footsteps, frowning at the goblins even as they shifted to be between the Knight Industries Two Thousand and the Gringotts employees.

Silnok halted a distance away, lifting a hand in greeting. "Aurors Lane and Onasi. I see you were successful."

Lane crossed his arms. "You knew he was outta gas, didn't you."

"I suspected," Silnok admitted. Turning his attention to the black car, he inclined his head. "On behalf of Gringotts Bank, I apologize for what occurred, Knight Industries Two Thousand, and I shall do my best to remediate the situation."

The machine let out a whirr-whoosh before speaking. "You can restore my lost programming?"

The account manager winced. "Would that I could, but I am merely an account manager. I have spoken with all three of our artificers concerning the situation, but they continue to regard their actions as correct."

"They ripped out an AI's morality chip without asking and they think they're right?" Detective Lane blurted.

"They do, Auror Lane," Silnok replied. "Ours is a proud warrior race; we have no concept of a shackled AI, nor do we accept that such a thing might be necessary."

"How, then, do you propose to remediate the situation?" the AI inquired, tone cool. "From my perspective, you have apologized, yet you insist that your workers are justified in their actions based solely upon your species."

Before Silnok could reply, his son stepped forward, lifting his chin. "Chief Artificer Steeltooth's actions were dishonorable and unjust. The contract between you and Gringotts Bank was clear – we could modify your systems to withstand magic and upgrade the hardware concerned, but no more."

"And yet," the AI observed, a thread of anger lurking, "My software was altered without my consent."

Silverock nodded once. "That action broke the contract between Gringotts Bank and the Knight Industries Two Thousand." The young goblin spread his hands. "The Steel clan has returned the gold you spent for this upgrade to your vault and the blueprints produced for this upgrade as well as future upgrades are now yours. Additionally, your old microprocessor cannot be retained by Gringotts."

The Trans Am rocked on his tires. "My new microprocessors?"

"Are yours, now and forever," Silnok interjected. "We have not returned all the gold you spent; the initial modifications to permit you to survive in our world were conducted honorably and without incident." He paused. "However, as all modifications were covered under the same contract, it is within your rights to contest all payments."

A whirr-whoosh. "That is not necessary, Account Manager Silnok. I acknowledge that the first set of modifications were valid, as were the payments."

Silnok exhaled relief. The situation remained precarious, but so long as it was handled carefully, his clan would survive it. "There is the matter of future upgrades."

The humans stiffened. "What, you want another chance to screw KITT's programming up even more?" Lane snapped.

"No." Silnok's voice was firm. "Any future contracts between the Knight Industries Two Thousand and Gringotts will contain strict provisions for any transgression of the terms by Gringotts."

"Just Gringotts?" Onasi pressed, skeptical.

The goblin looked up at the human, silently acknowledging his point. "These are provisions that have never been added to any Gringotts contracts, Auror Onasi. Until now, no contracts had been proven to be violated by Gringotts as opposed to the wizards involved. But our kind is not known for being careless; provisions were crafted long ago to be used if ever we were at fault in a contract dispute."

"You assume I will sign another contract," the AI pointed out, the words frosty.

"I do not. I am presenting options for your consideration."

Silence fell, broken only by the whirr-whoosh of the machine's front scanner. At last, he said, "By all means, continue, Account Manager Silnok."

The account manager bowed, low enough that it was more apology than simple respect. "There are three general possibilities at this juncture. The first is the simplest – you can choose to decline any further upgrades. You would retain the new microprocessors, but all your other hardware components would remain as they are." He considered, then added, in a slow tone, "Perhaps you might investigate options in the non-magical world, though any such upgrades would lack magical resistance."

"Or I can sign another contract." The AI's distaste was plain.

"That is certainly your second avenue," Silnok admitted. "There would be strict provisions to prevent any further deviations, as I said, but the Steel clan remains unrepentant. They would likely demand that you surrender the blueprints for your upgrades at a minimum and I do not doubt that they will seek to recoup the gold they have lost."

The humans tensed, fists clenching and glares boring into him; the old goblin suspected that he was fortunate the Trans Am was still out of fuel. He was unsurprised when the Knight Industries Two Thousand did not even deign to respond to his 'second option'.

A quiet sigh escaped. "Or you may choose to approach another magical race."

"Who would he go to?" Auror Onasi demanded, crossing his arms. "Gringotts has exclusive rights to magical technology."

The grimace was deep and unfeigned. "So we did, Auror Onasi," Silnok acknowledged. Distaste twisted his expression. "Such was our bargain with the Ancient and Noble House of Calvin in consideration for overturning many centuries of goblin tradition regarding the ownership of goblin-made items."

Keen brown eyes inspected him, right before the human rocked back on his heels. "Until your guy broke KITT's contract."

There was little point in hiding it now. "Precisely," Silnok replied.

Detective Lane frowned. "But if Gringotts has had exclusive right up till now, who would KITT even go to?"

"I don't know, Roy. We'd have to research it."

"You would not. As Account Manager for the Ancient and Noble House of Calvin, I possess records on all magical races who have put time and effort into maginology."

The wizard blinked, but Lane chuckled. At the inquiring glance, he shook his head. "Tell you later, partner." Shifting back to the goblins, he arched a brow. "You work for Gringotts and you're gonna hand us your competitors' info on a silver platter?"

"It is not to my liking," Silnok confessed. "But I must regard my clients' welfare more dearly than my own, particularly in such a case as this." Taking in a deep breath, he looked directly at the Trans Am and said, "If it is your wish, I will dispatch a missive to the dwarves on your behalf. Of all the magical races save our own, they are the greatest craftsmen."

He heard an outraged bellow from the workshop behind him, but Silverock scurried away to deal with the enraged goblin artificer. For his part, he kept his focus on the Knight Industries Two Thousand, listening to the odd whirr-whoosh sound that always seemed to accompany the AI. The machine considered his final proposal for some minutes even as the humans traded intrigued glances.

At last, the black vehicle seemed to straighten on his tires. "I will want to hear the contents of your missive before you send it, Account Manager Silnok."

"Of course."

"Then I agree to your third proposal," the Knight Industries Two Thousand said. "In the meantime, I would like to be refueled."

Silnok inclined his nose in acceptance. "It will take a day or so to draft the letter. Will you be departing with Aurors Lane and Onasi in the meantime?"

"No. I will not permit your artisans anywhere near my systems, but it seems my diagnostics were incomplete and I will not place my friends in jeopardy." The Trans Am paused a moment, considering. "Should the dwarves respond favorably, perhaps that might serve as our first interaction."

The humans traded glances, then Onasi leveled a hard glare at Silnok. "This warehouse is under the House of Calvin, right?"

"It is, Auror Onasi," the account manager confirmed, lifting a hand. "Although my son and I anticipated that the Knight Industries Two Thousand would refuse forthwith to work with the Steel clan any further, we determined that we would not make any decisions on his behalf. Now that he has decided, we shall lay claim to the blueprints and evict the Steel clan from this premise."

"Fine, but tell the dwarves that KITT isn't gonna be on his own if they come. That went bad enough the first time around." The wizard's fists clenched and he took a step forward. "And don't think I forgot about telling Lord Calvin all about this travesty."

"I have made no such assumption, Auror Onasi," Silnok replied. "I shall be sure to inform the dwarves that any contracts will be negotiated under the watchful eyes of those who have the Knight Industries Two Thousand's best interests at heart."

Onasi nodded once, one hand gesturing to keep his companion quiet. "You do that. But me 'n' Roy are stayin' till your guys are packed up and gone, understand?"

"Giles, I am not defenseless," the Trans Am protested.

"We're not taking that chance," the detective put in, shifting towards the machine. "Not this time, KITT."

The old goblin shook his head and left the trio to their argument. He had an irate goblin artificer to evict and a letter to redraft now that the Knight Industries Two Thousand had insisted upon reading it himself. Though the dratted machine didn't know it, he had made the account manager's task far harder; he could no longer appeal to the dwarves in the name of Aslan, nor invoke their ancient oath to stand beside the Kings and Queens of Narnia in the face of the Old Religion's resurgence.

A new strategy presented itself for consideration and Silnok stroked his chin, intrigued by the idea. Yes, yes, that just might do. A challenge coupled with the opportunity for the dwarves to score points off their hated rivals. And if he used the original crest of the House of Calvin, how was the machine to know the difference?

[2] The long-term care ward at St. Mungo's Hospital

Author Note: I hope everyone is enjoying so far. For those not interested in religious claptrap nonsense, I bid ye adieu and good day. ; )

And now, turning to those of us who are religious nuts (your faithful author included), I have three items of prayer which I would appreciate my readers lifting up if they feel so inclined. I desperately need the Lord's help and guidance with all the below issues.

1. My Job Part 1 - I can always use prayer in a general sense, as my boss is more interested in delegating all of his responsibilities onto us and the team is... Not a good team. Good people, but not a good team.

2. My Job Part 2 - More specifically, right now, there seem to be a never-ending stream of Production Issues and another issue which I've been trying to get done for almost six months now - we're on the final step and no one wants to take ownership. Sadly, my team cannot do it, so I keep begging and pleading, to no avail.

3. My Writing - This is a happier one, but still in need of prayer. Next week, on Thursday, March 9th, I will be taking the first 6 pages of my book, Small Beginnings to a writer's group to get it beta-read and receive feedback. Also, I am in need of the Lord's guidance as I struggle with the issue of characters - I'm very used to fanfiction where you can use any character you like, but that cannot be the case with Original Fiction. I know this in my head, but I'm so attached to our Flashpoint gang that it's... Bottom line, I need help with it.

Thank you everyone for indulging my Real Life author note and I especially thank each and every one of you for being faithful readers of my series.

See You on the Battlefield!