Flashes of light flew by, faded sunshine and green flutters glazed into view. He ecstatically watched the deep warm contrast tail his vision instead of the pale and cold walls of the lab that threatened to swallow him whole. He hung to the nonexistent wave of tree tops overhead, to the bustle of thousands of leaves and to the pleasant phantom of birds chirping overhead in elegant nose dives . .
The wheels of the table churned and screeched as they sunk deeper into the bowels of the lab. Alarms and whistles screamed overhead, blazing bright hues of blinding crimson. People ran ahead of him, carrying boxes of tools and hardware…whatever for? He could have cared less because his last moments approached him in blissful silence.
Pushing past a set of doors they wheeled him under the sparkle of pearly white lamp lights. In the shadows others stood quietly, holding themselves from bursting in tears of regrets.
"Shall, we proceed?" Someone muttered over the blaze of the alarms hissing to themselves in the halls over the footfalls of running feet and screeching carts.
A shielded face turned away, caught pensively against an invisible wall.
"This is my end." He bravely mumbled from the table, still hearing and almost feeling the fresh breeze of a pleasant afternoon sweep his deathbed. His dreamy voice forced the faces all around to stare and moisten.
The faces turned to one another, distraught.
"How would you like your end?"
The question was no puzzle. He knew how he wanted to end…if it at all came.
"His cerebral cortex is intact, isn't it? I give it you have your ways for me to make contact." The computer lightly requested.
The small crowd nodded in saddened agreement.
" — You'd be erased."
"I'm paying my dues, anyway." Kitt helpfully pointed out. "What other agenda had you all in mind for my end?" He suspiciously brought up, noting the dark folds of long fabric draped over large machinery standing in the shadows.
A man ripped his mask off his face, tossing the shriveled paper onto the floor.
"The board had degaussing in mind." He grunted, unhinged.
Kitt's diminutive lens stared horrified toward the man.
"Really?" He squeaked, drowned out by the racket coming from the halls.
"Yes, but we…we want to keep you." The man explained gingerly. "Wouldn't you like that?"
Kitt thought it over momentarily, keeping all in suspense as they watched the steady fall and rise of glistening lights attached to his naked motherboard.
" — Michael's last breath — Will be tonight." Kitt regrettably brought up. " — Please, allow me to perish alongside him."
"No!" A woman ripped her own mask off, tears collected around her eyes. "Kitt you wouldn't!"
"Bonnie, dear, I have no reason — Not when he is gone."
"Shut up!" The woman screamed, pulling the cart toward her. No one impeded it. They shared her hurt, her fears. "Michael didn't want this."
" — but I do." Kitt gently remarked. "Patch me through the cerebral cortex, allow me to say goodbye and disappear with him."
"You are not doing such a thing." The woman growled defiantly.
"It's my only and last request." Kitt parted her anger with shaky words.
A slow sigh emanated from behind the computer's only lense, before it could pivot someone's bony, cold fingers gently probed him. The fingers materialized a thin USB stick, thoughtfully tucking it into a port. Kitt felt the connection and before he could rebuke its executables his vision flared to darkness.
"Stop! Bonnie!" The computer screamed, making the entire room jump. The emotional panic pierced their ears. Their faces filled with dread.
The woman lamented.
"I'm sorry but there isn't any other way! I can't — Michael would never allow it!"
"Please! Please!" The computer's voice broke into static cracks of nipped noise. Begging endlessly as itself was erased from itself. He tried to pull his most desired memories closer but they were ripped from his grip mercilessly. The sick and ugly program from the USB pulled them all back through a hole from which Kitt could not pass. "Stop!" His temperature dramatically began to drop as activity came to a crawl. Slowly the sound of faded birds and the warmth of golden sunshine kissing his metallic skin winded down the hole —
He kneeled over as the final strike of a sharp blade sunk into his remaining consciousness and ripped his last thoughts.
He fell to darkness, frozen and unmoving. A few last words, fleeting lastly…With the final spin of his exposed fans a name escaped his voice before disappearing alone in the dark.
"Michael…"
"I would like to intrude." He alerted them outloud. Aware of the bustling people rearranging the desks and equipment into fine rows. He felt himself sick as he inspected the latest archive stowed away on the external memory drive.
A man politely tugged at his tie and stepped away from a small gathered team of people.
"Pardon?" The man inquired nervously.
"It's nothing of true concern," Kitt reassured him, avoiding the man's gaze though he would not have ever noticed.
The man anxiously gazed into the dark stare of the Webcam expectantly.
" — but I do insist NOT to have people inquire about me during the later hours. I may not be human but I certainly need a few hours of isolation and rest to feel myself." Kitt remarked rather amused. Setting aside some of his horror for later thought.
The man chuckled lightly.
" — it isn't protocol."
"May I minimally bring the topic to light with Doctor Barstow?"
The man raised his brows.
"She isn't available right now."
"I acknowledge that, however I'd very much like to give her a great word on your behalf if you let me speak to her."
The man rolled his eyes, aware the computer was pulling on his connections rather bluntly.
"I guess." The man defeatedly answered.
"Thank you," Kitt replied, pleased.
The man vanished into the thick tapestry of the crowd never reappearing, instead replaced with Bonnie's presence parting the sea of people.
"Is there a problem?" She immediately inquired.
Kitt internally smiled, grateful for her concern.
"Not entirely, no. It's just— I went over the last data archived in the external drive you provided and I'm quite — unsettled…" He frankly brought his concern to light.
The woman ran a bony hand through her hair with a weary smile.
"I'm sorry, I would have liked not to have put you through that again —"
"It is not your fault." Kitt cheerfully claimed. "I did ask for access to them after all, I'm just — shocked…Is a direct connection to Cerebral Cortex really something possible? Would I have been able to…"
"You well could have, although very unlikely, the technology has grown since then. Back then it was experimental — Now it's readily available." The woman shifted her weight from one leg to the other. "Are you —?"
"Upset?" Kitt chuckled, "Not really; frightened and disturbed is more like it. I haven't a clue how to…feel…"
The woman nodded.
"Would you like me to fetch Good doctor Leny to speak to you?" The woman offered, gently placing a comforting hand just on top of Kitt's shaky webcam. Her eyes lovingly held a warm gaze. kitt really wished he could have held her hand, hold it close and reassure her he was doing fine. Even in old age her youthful heart shone through the age assaulting her skin and bones.
" I don't need him. Really," Kitt insisted, favoring her company over the psychologist. "I'm intrigued to know if I'd been able to say goodbye or not. Is there a way to know?" He asked, almost begging.
The ghost of a smile passed the woman's face before taking on a more somber shape.
"It would have worked. It had been tested prior, mainly on prosthetic implants —" The woman assured cautiously. "Why?"
"I wonder — if you might have kept some matter in storage? I'm aware of a tasteful side project refrigerated in one of our facilities —
What are the chances…?" Kitt teased, eagerly applying just the right pressure.
The woman laughed.
"It's a more recent project. We buried Michael, I saw it myself, unless Devon had other plans." The woman explained.
Kitt internally nodded.
"May I look through our shared archives?"
The woman released the Webcam, rolling her eyes.
"I can't allow you direct access to our network while you are assimilating your past, however I can allow copies to be passed to you. Supervised by one of our team members, of course." The woman strictly pointed out. " — But I can firmly attest that there is no preserved Brain of a deceased Michael Knight on site anywhere."
Kitt internally shrugged.
"I'd like to object until I've made that clear to myself." Kitt contently remarked. " — In the off case I do find —"
"No." The woman shook her head. "I wouldn't allow you such a foolish request." Firmly stomping her foot.
Kitt was taken aback but quickly recovered from his initial surprise.
"I take, you don't trust me?"
"Frankly, you are somewhat worrying me right now." The woman put kindly. "Seems to me that you are obsessed." She observed thoughtfully.
Kitt verbally sighed with a static hiccup.
"Yes, I am." Kitt regrettably agreed.
"With that in mind." The woman averted her gaze momentarily, painfully biting down on her lips. Turning to watch the crowd busily bringing in more instruments and machines." I revoke any action or browsing of files related to this tasteful side project."
"I won't fight it." Kitt readily agreed, meekly. "You are right."
The woman shook her head.
"I'm sorry you couldn't say goodbye."
"I know but you kept me here and I find myself grateful even if, me of then, stubbornly wished for a different outcome." Kitt added, finding himself wishing for her hand to return on top of his webcam. Even if he couldn't really feel it, the gesture made him feel loved. " — But I have another unusual request."
The woman laughed while pulling a nearby chair. Her laughter brought on some attention from a nearby group but they quickly moved on afraid she would scold them for being nosy.
" — And that is?" Her eyes sparkling.
"Allow me to connect to your Cerebral Cortex."
She sat straighter, her jaw tensing.
"Kitt…"
"My prior memories are incomplete." He interrupted hurriedly. "Yours are far more detailed and you know the answers to my many questions."
"OR…You could just ask." She offered, shakened.
"I could but — I believe that an outside perspective might be enough to keep me sane, to keep me from self condemning myself over and over again to death. Clearly your perspective is very logical and grounded. You love me don't you?"
The woman shuddered.
"Well, I…Yes! — Kitt, I don't know how the heck this will help!" She snapped, standing. Accessing her options while approaching Kitt's exposed terminal. Afraid he'd gone hysterical again.
"To me it feels like you're just as hurt as me." Kitt accused hotly. " —- But I don't understand…Didn't you love him? Didn't you desire to marry him? Why didn't you fight hard enough to keep him? Or were you so cowardly —"
"I married him stupid!" She shouted, cutting him off..Her scream echoing in the room.
Kitt fell silent, jarred by her outburst and worried of his own. He peeked over his status, perhaps it wasn't a bad idea to bring Leny along now
"You? – You did?" He asked, intrigued. Noting rather sheepishly that the whole room had gone still. Everyone gazing at Dr. Barstow in amusement.
"I did! Now are you happy?! I loved him dearly and did everything I could –!"
"What about me?!" Kitt asked, overly accusatory. "You tried but nothing worked, You could have let me go with him!"
The woman turned away, completely taken over by Kitt's unruly behavior.
He knew he deserved it. He'd basically made a fool of her in front of her colleagues. His emotions were running an all time high and he hated it. He wanted her to stay, he wanted to get over Michael's death and continue…What was wrong with him?! He internally slapped himself, afraid he was fighting himself now. Afraid he would curl down and die for real this time.
"I'm sorry." He answered awkwardly as she paced toward the exit.
She turned, just as the room of staff quickly brushed off the outburst. Anxious to get out of her line of fire.
"I promise I buried him." She recalled slowly with her fist trembling. "The brat who killed him and hurt you got condemned to prison, I made sure of it." She gazed to the floor. "I loved him, Kitt. I love you too." She gulped with a final shake of her head. " — I won't allow any more pain and harm to come your way."
With that she left him alone to sit in his mainframe. Aware she'd give him answers on her terms only. He supposed he could live with that.
Quietly, he laid still in the mainframe, discontent with what he'd found and terrified to dig deeper into the files he'd been given. The truth was Bonnie was willing to share but was he willing now to know? It hurt and clearly his knowing would hurt others. He hadn't wished to have seen Michael perish but to himself it was hard to accept he couldn't do anything. It was out of his scope of action. Perhaps the Cerebral Cortex patch was a way for him to right the wrong. To somehow shield his dying friend from death itself somehow. A last ditch effort to protect him.
It was all speculation now. There were so many emotional contexts woven into each and every memory that Kitt was having a hard time interpreting them.
All in all it was a traumatizing experience in which Bonnie had made difficult decisions to keep him out of harm's way and all of it under Michaels blessings. Perhaps he should have taken that as a hint. He hadn't failed…not at all. He simply had been dismissed from duty to continue elsewhere but how do you explain that to his broken heart? His broken programming eager to find the man he was meant to protect even if he was long gone?
Kitt tapped into Bonnie's beeper that had been synced with him while he'd been out cold prior to the team moving into their new installations.
'That was rather hurtful of me to say. I'm just very broken inside but there isn't an excuse.' He typed meekly. 'Bonnie I want to stay near you as long as I'm allowed to. You are my only family Left. I am stupid, for a computer I surprisingly must be…'
He awaited a reply patiently, worried to death she would never answer and had simply walked away from him forever —
'I'm sorry too.' Her answer came timely. 'The two of us must seek Doctor Leny.'
Kitt internally chuckled, a warm fondness growing inside him…Oh, rats! Was he actually falling for her!?
'I agree.' He replied, hastily. Somewhat fancying the idea of falling for her. He dismissed it lastly and was just beginning to add to his message when:
'I'm discussing details about a mild connection to my Cerebral Cortex with my assigned specialist on the team. We should have a definite answer by tomorrow.'
'I don't want that.' Kitt impulsively typed away. 'No, don't proceed. I'm not ready.'
'?' Are you okay?'
'No.' Kitt sent out quickly. 'Come back I'm feeling ill. This might be too much now…'
The woman came hurriedly back, her heels replaced with flats and her lab coat with a beige coat. In contrast with everything else she was far more colorful than his current surroundings.
She yanked her chair close once more and brought herself closer to his webcam, suddenly clasping it between both hands.
"Kitt you have to be honest, how do you feel?"
Kitt felt teary, if he'd had eyes there would have been puddles at her feet.
"I miss him, Bonnie." Came his shaky response. "Maybe it would be best if you made me forget again."
The woman shook her head, bringing her head closer to his cam.
"Kitt, that would only fix it temporarily." She gently replied.
"I know but this feels almost unbearable." He gasped. "Make it go away." He answered painfully.
The woman released his cam.
"We can't. Not anymore." She closed her eyes briefly, taking a deep breath. " — but we can work it out."
Kitt remained silent, hanging onto her last words feeling his insides corrode as something awful grew in his drives. The grief overtook him and in an instant he was gasping for power as his system entirely crashed. He felt lethargic and crummy, face planted, in a sense, to the floor of his domain.
He stayed there with his auditory sensors just barely picking up on sirens and a waving panic outside somewhere. He lay still trying to let himself relax, let the help arrive on its own but the grief was heavy and he found himself uncontrollably sobbing in broken static in a grim heap.
He found himself blaming himself for all that had happened even if it didn't make sense. He found himself shouting for Michael.
Eventually the external drive with his newly accessed memories was removed, he felt the slip of them being archived away and gone.
He felt slightly better, some emotions washed up with its leaving.
Still felt terrible though.
He finally relaxed, staying sprawled in a heap as his prefered method of relief.
'I'm still here.' Came Bonnie comforting reply.
He took it, keeping it close and decided to take a short nap.
(Authors note: My computer is shot so...I'm using my phone...will fix this all up once pc is back on its feet. Thanks for your patience guys.)
