Summary:

Michael writes a letter to his mother.

Dear Mom,

I'm writing this letter to you after so many years of silence. You thought that I was dead almost twenty years ago. Well, guess what? I'm alive.

How? You probably want to know.

When I was shot with a gun by an evil woman named Tanya, I should have died, but the plate inside my head protected my brain. I needed reconstructive surgery for me to look like a normal man. The surgeon who performed the surgery did an excellent job.

Except.

My face is different from the face you knew until the day of my supposed death. I have a new face, Mom. It's older-looking now.

My name is no longer Michael Arthur Long. It's Michael Knight.

I work for an organization known as The Foundation for Law and Government. Its founder is Wilton Knight. Wilton was the one responsible for my new appearance and identity. He died soon after my surgery. Wilton was a good man with a dream: to help those hurt by people who operate above the law.

The Director of FLAG is Devon Miles. He's a distinguished-looking gentleman from the UK with an old-style elegance. He is quite different from my laid-back personality. Devon has been a second father and loves me like a son. I think you would have approved.

Others work for FLAG. I'll tell you about them later. Right now, I want to talk to you about my partner. I'm afraid it's not Muntzy. He was also shot and died. There was nothing I could have done to save him. He was the one who told me to go after Tanya. That's enough about her.

Where was I? Yes, my current partner, KITT. You would wonder why my partner's name is KITT. To make a long story short, K.I.T.T. is short for The Knight Industries Two Thousand. Everyone calls him KITT. My partner is a sentient computer inside a car. Remember the Trans AM I had as Michael Long? Wilton had his mechanics and technical staff modify it to be nearly indestructible with many fancy gadgets. KITT is the brain.

Mom, you would love KITT. He's smart (of course, being a computer, that's a given), but he's more than a computer. KITT has emotions! If you talk with him, you won't believe he is circuitry, memory banks, data banks, and a central processing unit. He acts like a human and sounds like one.

It may seem strange to you, Mom. I love KITT, and he loves me. Remember the story about Anam Cara you used to tell me as a kid? It applies to KITT and me. We are soul friends. I prefer the term soulmates and inseparable. I don't know what I would do if anything happened to him - specifically his CPU. I'll inform you what we have both been through another time.

I'll brief you about the other employees (and my family). Bonnie is KITT's programmer and mechanic. April fulfills the same role as Bonnie and is her backup now that Bonnie is married with a young son. Last but not least, Reginald Cornelius III, the semi's driver and sometimes mechanic. He helped rebuild KITT once, but that is a long story for another time. Occasionally, RC assists KITT and me on assignments.

There's another reason why I'm writing this letter. Christmas is almost here, and everyone is busy preparing for the holiday season. My home at the Knight Estate has garlands, lights, and a Christmas tree in the parlor. It's beautiful. KITT has a photograph of it in his memory banks.

I miss our Christmas dinners, Mom. Even though you and Dad struggled to provide us with food and shelter, we always had a delicious Christmas dinner with all the trimmings. There were presents under the tree. I still don't know how you and Dad managed to get us presents. I miss Dad. I know you do as well.

KITT and I are going to a Christmas concert later today. He loves classical music, and I promised to listen without complaining. The concert is outdoors, and we plan to be close to the orchestra (as close as one can be when parked).

That's all I can think about for now.

Your loving son,

Michael.

Michael picks up the letter he wrote, proofreads it, and walks toward the parlor's fireplace. He tosses it into the fire, knowing it never will be mailed. Michael starts to cry. "Merry Christmas, Mom."

TWO BEEPS

"Michael? Is everything alright?" KITT asked gently.

Michael wipes away the tears and speaks into the comlink. "Yeah, Pal. Let's go to the concert. I want you to have the best view of the house."

The letter turns to ash.