Disclaimer:
Knight Rider was created by Glen A. Larson.
I make no monetary profit from my fanfic.
Summary:
KARR is repaired.
Author's note:
Similar to "Dude, Where's My K.A.R.R.," but different - set in
KR Universe. Based on a dream I had
4/1/05.
Rating PG
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
KNIGHT RIDER
K.A.R.R. TROUBLE
KARR could feel hands around him. Was it Michael? Would he be destroyed for sure? The only thing he knew for sure was the hands were warm. He could not see, he could not speak, he could not hear, but he could feel and right now he was afraid.
"Don't worry, Karr," Juliana said. "I'm gonna take good care of you. I'm gonna make you good as new. No I'm gonna make you better."
She
picked up his slightly burnt EBS (Emergency Schematic Blueprint) and left the
scene.
Juliana
secured a 1982 Trans-AM Pontiac Firebird model and began working on KARR. Fortunately for her and KARR she had most of
the parts on hand, though some she had to shop around for. She was only missing an alpha circuit.
As
for FLAG, they were blissfully unaware of KARR's predicament.
*
* *
Within
a month, Juliana had finished KARR.
"There you go, better than new."
KARR
was silent.
"Karr?" Juliana asked. "What's the matter? Kitt got your tongue?"
"Hardly."
"That's more like it. So how do you feel?"
"Where am I?"
"You're in my double garage,"
Juliana replied, though it looked more like something out of Star Trek.
"I brought your CPU here and repaired you," Juliana replied.
"You repaired me?"
She nodded.
"Thank you, but why?"
"You don't remember me, do you?"
"Remember you? We have just met."
Juliana
smiled. "I worked on you,
KARR."
"Yes, you told me that you repaired
me. I have that information in my data
banks."
"Before that, Karr. I worked on you with Wilton Knight."
"Wilton Knight abandoned me." KARR's voice had an edge.
"I know. We had an argument about you, Karr. I argued for you, Wilton against. He won out of course. I
tried to take you, but he discovered and fired me."
"So Wilton abandoned you as
well."
"You could say that."
"Well it looks like we have something
in common. Perhaps we should pay the
old man a visit. Get in." KARR
opened his door.
"I'm sorry to say this, Karr, but
Wilton died five years ago."
The
Trans Am closed his door and was silent for a while. "He … he was like a father to me."
"Myself as well."
"Then why did he abandon me?"
"I asked him the same question. He felt you were a danger. I felt otherwise. He kept on going on 'in the wrong hands Karr could be a menace,'
but I argued 'in the right hands …' " Juliana shook her head, "but
Wilton just wasn't interested."
KARR
grunted.
"What about a test drive?" Juliana
asked.
"You’re on."
She
drove KARR to the desert and back.
"You’re somethin' else, Karr."
"Thank you. Shall I Turbo Boost?"
"What the hell? Go for it."
KARR
did as he was asked.
"Whoooooh!"
"Was that to your liking?"
"Was it ever? I was never allowed to drive you when I worked on you."
"Would you like me to do it
again?"
"Can a dolphin swim?"
KARR
Turbo Boosted again.
When
he came to a halt, he asked. "What
do you want me for?"
"Karr?" Juliana asked, not sure
she understood the question.
"Tony and the Rev wanted me to commit a
series of crimes. John Stanton and his girlfriend wanted me for them to look
cool. Eddie wanted me for yet another
crime. What do you want me for?"
Juliana
told him. Karr's new redlight scanner
tracked back and forth with the same sounds as KITT's.
*
* *
"I'm getting some strange
readings," Bonnie said. "Like
a signal echo from Kitt coming from the Mojave desert."
"That's supposed to be
impossible," Michael said.
"And it can't be Karr, be blew the crap out of him."
"Nevertheless," Devon said, "I
want you to investigate."
"I don't like this," KITT said.
"That makes two of us, Buddy,"
Michael said.
"If it is Karr," Devon said,
"we have our work cut out for us."
KITT
and Michael rolled out of the Semi.
"Michael you don't think it's Karr do
you?" KITT asked when they were on the road.
"I don't know, Kitt, but like Devon
said, if it is, we have work to do."
"Who could have repaired him?"
"Let's not jump the gun here. Let's find out if it really is Karr
first."
"I'm not sure I want to know."
"We have to know, Buddy."
"I know that, Michael."
KITT
sped off in the direction the signal echo came from.
The
signal became stronger.
"Silent mode and time to make yourself
scarce, Buddy."
"You mean hide?"
"That's exactly what I mean. If Karr's about we don't want him to sense or
see you."
KITT
hid behind a large rock and shut down most of his functions. Sooner rather than later a black Trans Am
sped past.
"Did that licence plate read what I
thought it read?"
"I'm afraid so, Michael."
"Damn."
"My thoughts exactly. And who was that driving him? Do you think they repaired him?"
"Did you get a picture?"
"Do whales sing?"
Michael
smiled. KITT's screen showed the
driver.
"Michael, do you think she repaired
Karr?"
"I don't know, perhaps. Let's get this back to Devon."
"What about Karr?"
"We don't want to spook him for
now. We can keep track of his
sonar."
"Good thinking, Michael."
*
* *
"Juliana Thomson," Devon said.
"You know her?"
"Yes. She worked for FLAG before Wilton
died. He fired her when she tried to
steal Karr. She was Karr's
technician."
"My goodness," KITT said.
"So that explains who repaired
him," Knight said. "The
question is why?"
"Juliana and Wilton fought like cats
and dogs over Karr. I remember coming
in on one such argument. Wilton argued
that Karr was a danger. She argued that
in the right hands Karr could be an asset."
"And Wilton won out, obviously."
"Yes," Devon said. "To which she tried to steal Karr one
night and was caught and fired."
"So now they both have a grudge against
FLAG."
"I'm afraid so."
*
* *
"You still need an alpha circuit,"
Juliana said, "and I know of only one place where we can get one, but
there are some things I need to do before we get it."
Juliana
replaced KARR's licence plates with KNIGHT.
"Is this really necessary?" KARR
asked.
"Yes, if you're to pose as Kitt."
"Ahh, I see."
"Can you synchronise Kitt's
voice?"
"How's this?" KARR said in KITT's
voice.
Juliana
smiled. "Now can you create a
hologram of Michael in the drivers seat?"
KARR
did so.
"Perfect. Can you synchronise Michael's voice as well?"
"Can a dolphin swim?"
* * *
KARR
rolled up the ramp of the Semi. Juliana
curled up in the trunk, the trunk window blackened out.
KARR
spoke in KITT's voice. "Bonnie, my
alpha circuit shorted out. I'm going to
need a new one."
"Your alpha circuit? Michael what have you done this time?"
"Nothing, Bonnie," the hologram
said.
"Kitt?" Bonnie asked.
"Bonnie, no comment." KARR
replied, quite proud of his acting.
The
technician smiled and shook her head.
"I'll get the parts."
Moments
later, she returned with them.
"If you don't mind, I'd like to install
them myself, Bonnie," Michael said.
"Michael?"
"I need to learn more about KITT's
circuitry.
Karr
opened his door.
"Hurry, we have a Karr to catch,"
'Michael' said.
"I believe we've caught one," Devon
said, coming out of the communications room.
"Michael just radioed me."
"Well there's no point in keeping up
this charade," KARR said. The
hologram of Michael disappeared.
"So no circuits for you I'm
afraid."
"Oh, you disappoint me, Devon. You should know that I always have an ace up
my sleeve so to speak. KARR unblackened
his trunk window, showing Juliana inside.
"How about I blow all the air
out?"
Juliana
began to suffocate. "Karr?"
"My Dear, you don't seriously think you
meant anything to me do you?"
Juliana
wanted to cry.
"That's just like you, Karr," Devon
said. "Using people to get what
you want."
"Well do I get the parts, Devon, or
does she die?"
Devon
motioned to Bonnie.
"Open the door," Bonne said.
" I'll give you the parts."
"But only if you let Juliana go."
"Deal."
KARR
opened his door and his trunk. Bonnie
placed the parts on his front seat.
KARR slammed his door and hood once Juliana had scrambled out.
"Now unless you all want to become part
of this truck, I suggest you let me go."
The
back of the Semi opened and KARR escaped.
"Damn!" Devon swore. He then looked at Juliana, his face
maddening, but when he saw her crying, he softened.
Michael
returned with KITT.
"Karr paid us a visit," Devon said.
"The semi looks intact."
"He posed as KITT with a hologram of you
in the drivers seat no less. He
threatened kill Juliana if we didn't give him the parts he needed."
"He … he was my baby…" Juliana
wailed.
"Karr is hardly a baby," Devon
said. "Do you see the menace
you've unleashed?"
Juliana
sniffed. "Can you blame him? All his life humans have treated him like a
thing."
"Well he has to be stopped,"
Knight said.
"Agreed," KITT said.
Juliana
placed her face in her hands as they drove to FLAG HQ.
*
* *
"Juliana's gone," Bonnie said.
"Where would she go?"
"Where you think?" Devon asked.
"You don't think she'd go back do
you?"
"She loves that car," Devon said,
"God only knows why."
"After what he did to her?" Bonnie
asked, incredulous.
"Love does strange things,"
Michael said.
"Where would she start even looking for
him?"
"Knowing Juliana she has an ace up her
sleeve."
"Kitt," Michael spoke into his
wristwatch. "Did you see
anything?"
"People come and go here all the time,
Michael, she simply slipped into the night."
"I've installed an immobiliser into
KITT's circuitry."
"That's great," Michael said. "We won't let Karr get away."
*
* *
Juliana
found KARR in her garage.
"I thought you'd come back here."
"Well, well, well," KARR
said. "Come for some more punishment?"
Juliana
sighed. "Karr, I know how you feel
toward humans and I can't blame you.
All they wanted to do was use you.
All I want to do is help you."
"And I suppose you have Michael and
Kitt right behind you?"
"Scan the area."
"I detect no one but myself and
yourself and a black feline across the street."
"Exactly. No one to cause you any harm.
I want to help you, Karr. Who
did you think would install your new Alpha circuit? Devon? You didn't think
of that, did you?"
KARR
backed off. "You are trying to
trick me."
"Scan me, do you detect I'm
lying?"
"No," KARR said after a while.
"You do not appear to be lying."
"Let me help you."
"After what I did to you?"
Juliana
sighed. "Just call me a glutton
for punishment."
KARR
allowed her to install the circuit. He was amazed that she did not hesitate to
climb underneath him. He realised that
she trusted him fully.
"I am whole again," he said after
Juliana had finished.
"Yes, and we better get out of
here. It won't take them long to find
my address."
"You are right," KARR said. "Get in."
"You promise not to suffocate me this
time?"
"I promise."
Juliana
was about to get into KARR when KITT crashed into the garage. The other Trans AM immediately fired the
immobiliser.
"No!" Juliana yelled.
"I cannot move," KARR said.
"I've Immobilised, you, Karr,"
KITT said.
"Release me."
"Not on your life," Michael said.
"Let him go, please," Juliana
said.
"I'm afraid I can't," Michael
said.
To
KARR's utter embarrassment, he was towed back to FLAG HQ. Juliana rode in KITT with Michael, arms
folded, she said nada word to either of them.
"You realise Karr's a menace,"
Michael said when they arrived.
"He even tried to kill you."
"He didn't know if he could trust
me. He thought I'd just use him in the
end."
KARR
heard every word.
"You really do love him don't you?"
Bonnie said.
"Like you love Kitt."
Bonnie
smiled sadly. "I wish there was
something I could do."
"Perhaps there is."
"I'm afraid Karr must be
dismantled."
"Devon, you can't!" Juliana
protested. "Please!"
She
began to cry.
"I'm sorry, Juliana, but he's a -"
"Menace. It seems everyone things
that's his middle name."
"It is," Michael said.
"Karr must be dismantled," Devon
said again.
"That word is so cold," Juliana
sobbed.
"So is Karr," Michael said.
"What if we reprogram him? Just change his basic program, make it more
like Kitt's. Please, it's worth a try. Please, Devon."
The
older man gave in with a sigh. "All right, but if it doesn't work-"
"Let's not even go there," Juliana
said.
*
* *
Juliana.
Devon, Michael, Bonnie and KITT stood around KARR.
"Karr, how are you feeling?"
Juliana asked.
"Apart from an overwhelming desire to
protect human life, I feel fine."
Juliana
smiled.
"It's not so bad, is it, Karr?"
Devon asked.
"I suppose I have you to thank for
this, Miles?" KARR said.
"After all my life was in your hands."
"And let us hope you make good with
your second chance, Karr."
"I plan to. And you," he said to Juliana. "How can I ever thank you, even after what I did to you
…"
"Karr ... I … I love you." Gently
she kissed his hood.
KARR
paused for a moment before he spoke.
"The feeling … is mutual."
Michael
smiled.
"That's how I feel about Michael,"
KITT said. "Good for you,
Karr."
"Thank you, Kitt. Now I must bid you
all adieu."
Juliana
climbed into KARR's driver's seat.
"Where to, Miss?"
"Second star on the right and straight
on 'till morning."
"You got it."
KARR
sped off into the night.
"I've a funny feeling we'll see him
again." KITT said.
"So do I, Buddy," Michael
said. "So do I."
*
Received 2 votes in the 2005 Edward Awards for
"Best Short Story"
1
vote for "Best Old Timer Story"
1 vote for "Best Canon
Fic"
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