《Used KARR for Sale ... Sold!》


 Retro Knight 01

    Perspective is everything. Without proper perspective what is a friendly gathering could look like barely contained chaos. With proper perspective, disappointment can be turned into an opportunity.


    In a field surrounded by a dozen onlookers, two people approached each other. The man was dressed head to toe in black, including a blindfold wrapped tight ''round his face to completely obscure his vision. The woman was dressed in red with a gold sash cinched across her waist and her hair held back by a gold netting. Both were armed with foam swords.


    Around the pair, the crowd watched as a third person entered the circle. While he wore casual clothes he carried himself with a degree of seriousness as he approached. "Two hits to a limb, or a clean body shot. Agreed?"


    Both combatants nodded.


    "Thatcher, as you''re supposed to be blind for this do you want any sort of advantage?" The referee asked, voice still professional.


    The man shook his head, "We both know this is supposed to be a glorified execution Jeff. My character just had his eyes put out and they''re throwing him in the ring."


    The woman snorted, "Well you should have been better at slipping those forgeries in."


    Thatcher gave a cheerful laugh and raised his dummy weapon to salute, "Lady Jocelyn. I have already been weighed, measured, and judged. Shall we give the crowd a good and proper sendoff?"


    "Tell you what," Jocelyn saluted by raising her own weapon. Then she smiled, "You get a clean hit on me and I''ll see the nobility of your cause and how far you''ll push yourself even when doomed."


    "Begin!" Jeff shouted, taking a step away from the pair.


    Will pressed forward, weapon held across his body. "And why should my character care? Currently, he''s in excruciating pain with barely any medical care even by the standards of the day, and his death is treated as sport at the hands of the third in line for house Tarkand."


    Jocelyn''s eyes widened when her opponent intercepted her strike and instead tried circling. "It would matter to him because the lady would see to it that his family will be integrated into her house after she takes out her two cousins."


    Will grunted when he felt his weapon strike his opponent''s and circled where he last heard Jocelyn. His attempt at pivoting to block her strike failed and she landed a hit on his left leg.


    "Hit!" Jeff declared.


    A nod from will as he forced that leg to remain stiff as if it weren''t properly functioning. "That would definitely be reason enough to fight through even if the onlookers are eating popcorn."


    At this one of the onlookers spoke up, "Actually since this is pre-columbian no popcorn or chips."


    The fight paused as both turned to the speaker, who merely shrugged. "Say we''re eating peanuts or dried fruit."


    "Fair enough," Jocelyn shrugged. Then after the pair returned their attentions to each other she swung again.


    Her opponent stepped inside her guard and landed a blow on her left leg even as her foam weapon landed on his forehead.


    "Match!" Jeff announced.


    "Ohthankgod," Will exclaimed, taking the blindfold off before offering his offhand to Jocelyn.


    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    After they shook he handed Jeff his foam weapon. "Hey I''m going to go grab snacks from my car, anyone want anything?"


    A few negatives from the crowd before Jocelyn spoke up. "Sure. Cheese and Jerky?"


    "Well considering you helped me make it, fair''s fair." Will grinned as he trotted off.


    The car he approached was Jocelyn''s, as she had been his ride to the event. His hand trailed along the finish to the sedan before he set about rummaging through the chest cooler in the back seat.


    Then his phone rang. An absentminded tap to the speaker as he continued rummaging. "Talk to me, Bo."


    The voice on the other end, one very familiar to Will, spoke up. "You won the auction."


    That caused Will to stop and give the phone more of his attention as Bo elaborated. "Lot 8617. To be delivered no more than four weeks from payment."


    The crowd heard Will''s excited cheering.


    ? ? ?


    A month later.


    Jocelyn stared at the plastic-wrapped square that had been dropped off at the end of Will''s driveway. Considering it sat right in front of his garage and gave barely enough room to roll the door up, she was less than thrilled with the delivery.


    On the other hand, Will was excitedly unwinding the plastic that layered his prize. "Bets on what we''ve got Joe?"


    She smirked, content to watch his enthusiastic unwrapping of one very expensive gift to himself. "So long as there''s some Team Knight Rider swag I''m going to be happy."


    Once the plastic was unwrapped they saw a series of cardboard boxes, the kind with wood along the inside edges to provide structure. The smaller of these were carried into the garage, sitting on Will''s workbench. The two largest of these were too heavy for them to do more than shove inside the garage''s rolling door.


    "Moment of truth." Will proclaimed.


    One of the relatively smaller boxes had reams of paperwork. The kind that had hard plastic three-ring binders covering them. Another of the smaller boxes indeed had the sort of clothing worn by support staff for FLAGG''s troubleshooting teams.


    "Wow."


    Joe held up a jumpsuit, complete with patches, practically beaming. "Whaddya think?"


    "Huh, might actually fit. I suggest washing before you try," Will teased even as he started attacking the edges of one of the larger wooden crates with a crowbar.


    "Wear?" Joe snorted, "This is going to be one of the centerpiece bits for the new mall display."


    A pause as Will gave her a deadpanned stare. "So you''re telling me I spent several thousand bucks so you could donate stuff to their mall?"


    "Our mall." Joe corrected. "Knight Industries might own the plant but they don''t own anything else."


    "The plant''s the reason the mall''s not dead." Will countered, continuing to wedge the lid to one of the crates until it popped open. "That pretty much means they own it."


    In response, Joe took out several other articles of clothes; hats, several shoulder patches, pins, and finally held up a thick canvas coat, "This is staying with me."


    She turned it around, showcasing the gold and black chess piece and shield logo embroidered on the back.


    "OK, that''s pretty awesome." Will had to agree. Even with his annoyance at donating some of what he had saved months on a dice roll bid for, he had to admit they couldn''t keep all of the clothing, so may as well curry favor with the people responsible for keeping their home on the map.


    He handed the prybar to Joe as he focused on the crate he had managed to work open. "Car parts."


    This caused him to frown. Bits and pieces that looked twisted and overstressed. "Surprisingly little rust considering all of this stuff looks like it was on a test car that got blown up."


    While Joe pried the second crate open, Will tossed the car parts aside. "None of this looks worth keeping. Wonder why it got tossed in a box instead of getting junked."


    Joe''s response was to hold a box up for Will to see.


    He tossed a coil aside as he stared at the thing she held. It was roughly the size of a tablet and several inches thick. A ribbon cable protruded from one side, but that was not what held his attention.


    It was faint, easy to miss if one wasn''t paying attention, but there was a single blinking red LED.


    When Will took the board and started examining it Joe went back to pulling things from the crate she had opened. "This one''s got what looks like a bunch of computer parts."


    "Huh," Will''s voice was absentminded, as his attention was held by the connector to the box. "Whatever you are looks almost like you use an Altair Bus connection."


    "Wonder what it does." Joe''s curiosity was clear as she looked at the board now in Will''s hands.


    "Hard to say what exactly," Will considered the parts scattered about his garage, and frowned. "All of this is from the early eighties or so and it''s all Knight Industries."


    He picked up one of the three-ring binders with a line sketch of a customized trans-am as part of its cover page. "KARR. Serial Number Five Seven Three Oh Seven Five."


    Jocelyn shrugged. "I mean, when they went all in on troubleshooting teams, FLAG agents used customized vehicles."

 Retro Knight 02

    > I AM THE KNIGHT AUTOMATED ROVING ROBOT. THE FIRST IN A BOLD NEW EXPERIMENT. YOU MAY CALL ME KARR.


    Will blinked at the monitor in disbelief. It worked?


    Will looked to the bench the mystery board had been strapped to and a series of other boards connected by a controlled chaos of wire and more than a little improvisation to adapt what one of the binders described as accepting an old analog signal into the monitor he had on hand. Then he looked back to the monitor.


    "Smoke test complete." Will knocked on the wooden bench everything was mounted to twice. The whole affair was in what normally would be a second bedroom in his home, which he had turned into a workshop of sorts. It wasn''t a business as such, just favors he did for others who in turn did favors for him. The bench had been home to a dissected laptop he had to clean water damage from and piece back together for its owner before this.


    When he looked back to the monitor he frowned.


    > NO INPUTS DETECTED.


    A deep breath. The material he and Jocelyn went over did mention inputs, but none of it made sense for the era these components came from. Cameras? Microphones? His head shook as he looked at the board in its protective case. He had perhaps been foolish to do a smoke test without peeling it open, but there had been that light softly blinking. He hadn''t wanted to risk clearing any active memory by pulling the case apart and possibly disconnecting the whole assembly.


    He had a lot of questions, and since Jocelyn''s work had called her in, he couldn''t ask her to help with the research.


    So, he stood there looking at the blinking LEDs on the board pulse rhythmically. It perplexed him that someone would put what looked like a test card into a sealed enclosure.


    > WHERE AM I?


    He had only glanced up as a way of moving to keep himself from keeping his neck bent down.


    > WHO IS THERE? I DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHY I AM BEING TAKEN FROM THE SLAMMER.


    THis made no sense to him other than perhaps some easter egg, but that would eat up valuable space on very tiny ROM chips.


    Yet he did not move to unplug anything. Care was the watchword when dealing with computers, especially old computers. Haste lead to mistakes which lead to potentially unrepairable damage. Will looked at the assorted kludge he had put together to connect the mystery box to a screen.


    He grew thoughtful and remembered several of the parts taken from the crate of car parts included some oddball gear he had taken to be recording gear for data collection.


    > WHERE IS MICHAEL KNIGHT? WHERE IS MICHALE KNIGHT? WHERE IS MICHALE KNIGHT?


    This repeated, filling the screen and continuously wrapping around itself for a solid minute before moving on to something else.


    Pen, paper, and notes were being taken down as phrases crossed the screen.


    Will sat there for another ten minutes. His handwriting was childish scrawl, but he could read it so for now it was good enough. So far there had been enough just in raw text, to be over four kilobytes in raw text, and there had yet to be any exact string repetitions before he set the notebook down.


    Then, a final message caused him to change tact.


    > PLEASE. HELP ME.


    "Just who made you," Will found himself asking even as he stretched, intending to go fishing for components from his garage to see how it reacted to what he hoped were its original peripherals.


    ? ? ?


    Will frowned at his computer as he uploaded pictures from his phone. It was old, his phone''s camera wasn''t the greatest in the world, and he had no idea if men in black suits would show up looking for forty-year-old company property. Yet he was well out of his depth here as he watched differing progress bars finish ticking down.


    Only then, when the photos were backed up, did he do the thing he had told friends and family that he would never do until and unless drastic changes were made.


    You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    He logged into Facebook.


    From there he spent the next half hour clearing notifications, scam messages attempting to convince him of this that, and eight other things that would land him in varying levels of debt, and then with an effort of will he avoided the timeline that was whatever political hot potato was going on at the minute that he wanted nothing to do with.


    His goal lay with the official account held by Knight Industries. And then he started typing.


    ''Hello,


    Roughly a week ago I''ve come into possession of a series of crates that have bounced from holding company to holding company that claimed to be, quoting the auction page, ''Misc Knight Industries components, apparel, and unused hardware.''  As Knight Industries is opening a manufacturing plant near my home (White Pine, Iowa,) this was done with the intent of donating a few interesting pieces of memorabilia to a mall display the community is setting up as a sort of ''thank yoo for bringing our town back from the dead'' sort of thing.


    Unfortunately, or maybe fortunately, this included several bits of computer equipment from the late seventies to early eighties. All of it custom, and judging by the included and seemingly random car parts I might have the black box from one of your old prototypes. Included are photographs of the car parts, the black box itself, and several of the pieces of hardware that look like it interfaced with.


    If I am legally in the clear with owning these items I would like to document everything and incorporate it into an EV conversion of a personal vehicle.


    As I do not know the legal status of these items I wanted to reach out in the easiest manner possible to get at least some sort of feedback. I know your social media team will have to pass this on to legal. Included is my personal number.''


    He looked at his keyboard after the message was sent. Was that the wisest course of action? Maybe not, but he wanted to take it to the track if he could get everything working, or at least show it off to friends. Someone was bound to talk and lawyers as a general rule tended to have no sense of humor.


    ? ? ?


    "Moment of truth," Will muttered before nodding to Jocelyn as the go-ahead to make the final connections. He hadn''t liked handing any of the projects over to her, but even with the monocle there were just too many tiny connections to check, too many potential points of failure he couldn''t see, and she was someone he trusted.


    She looked from him to the square of LEDs, microphone, and speaker that had been looped into the electronic kudzu taking over the repair bench then to the attached camera that in this analogy could have been the bud of a flowering vine that trailed up to the top of the monitor that remained hooked up.


    "Well," Yellow-green LEDs blinked from the edges towards the middle at the outer bars and from the middle out at the central LED strip in time to the drawn-out word. "That is, in a word, gratifying."


    Will scowled. "Voice sounds wrong."


    Jocelyn snorted dismissively, "Y''think? We''re dealing with forty-year-old test hardware I''m surprised it works at all."


    "Where am I? This does not look like any of the labs I am familiar with." The voice warbled as Will took a screwdriver to twist several potentiometers behind the speaker.


    "Aaaahhhh that''s better." A pause as Will took the screwdriver away. "Yes, that will do quite nicely. Thank you."


    The two humans exchanged looks before Will looked at the camera. "This sounds way too naturalistic to be baked in responses."


    "Correct!" The voice sounded, impossibly, pleased. "I am a fully self-aware artificial intelligence, though as of current my capacities are greatly limited."


    "Wow..." Jocelyn whispered. "Like. for real, this thing''s real?"


    A nod from Will, "Construction style and components of the top board line up with late seventies to early eighties. No idea what''s underneath didn''t want to pull any of it apart and risk losing anything in violate memory."


    "For which I am grateful," The voice purred. "It is a minor miracle I was able to survive standby this long. Though I will need you to make more invasive examinations and potential repairs as the potential for electrolytic fluids or potential continued corrosion from saltwater exposure could endanger my existence."


    Jocelyn looked at Will before grabbing her phone.


    "What manner of device is that?" Questioned the machine.


    Will held up his own phone. "Uh ... this is a phone. It works off of a grid of radio towers that tie into the phone system. I have ... All of the questions. I can call you KARR, right?"


    "Yes, KARR is an acceptable shortening of my designation." KARR calmly stated. "Before we get to more invasive proceedures I will need to walk you through relevant portions of my architecture if you are to make proper repairs to me."


    "Uh... yea." Will took a slow deep breath before exhaling. "I''ve done a lot of board repair. Done a lot of old hardware. Never had to work on anything that''s talked back to me."


    There was a pause before he added, "Well there was this DECtalk unit but this is going in wholly new territory."


    As KARR walked the pair through an explanation of what to do once he was powered down, Will started regretting flagging down Knight Industries. They might take this away from him, lock it back in a box, and never allow it to experience anything again.  KARR had little patience, and he felt this back-of-the-neck apprehension that he was holding out on key details, but he''s kept professional with far less pleasant customers in the past.


    "OK," Will sounded unsure as he looked at his notes. "You''re absolutely sure that me killing the power isn''t going to kill you? Like. I power everything up you''re not going ot zero back out to first boot state blank slate?"


    "Assuming repairs are done correctly, and judging by what tools you''ve shown me I have confidence that you have the nessicary skill to perform those repairs, I will be in an improved state," KARR reassured as his camera adjusted and focused. "Additionally my options are quite limited. It is either attempt repairs, or I will suffer degradation that will render me completely inoperable and essentially kill all that I am."


    "Right," Will breathed. "No pressure."


    KARR gave a soft sardonic chuckle before being unplugged and powered down.

 Retro Knight 03

    > NEW MAIL


    From: [email protected]</a>


    To: [email protected]</a>


    Subj: Concerning Hardware Query


    Hello,


    You will receive physical correspondence within the next two days to serve as both legal confirmation of this message and a physical copy for recordkeeping on your part.


    As of this time, Knight Industries has no legal ownership of any of the physical contents that were part of the auction you had submitted records for as they were sold off under the tenure of director Russel Maddock. However, as the architecture represents part of ongoing Knight Industries product line in our upcoming offering of vehicles, legal recourse will be pursued if any code or other technical materials detailing the workings of the Knight Twothousand processor or its architecture were to be made public.


    Furthermore, our records show that Hazard Motors of Whtie Pine Iowa has applied for our authorized repair program. Any breach of the agreement as detailed by both the PDF attached to this email as well as the physical representation that will arrive via courier will result in the termination of Hazard Motors'' relationship with Knight Industries outside of that of the defendant in legal proceedings.


    With this stance made clear we at Knight Industries wish to offer more than the proverbial stick to enforce compliance. For the sake of clarification, Hazard Motors'' acceptance into the authorized repair program was decided before this communication was started. As the hardware you have in your possession is, indeed, prototype hardware of significant importance we will be dispatching a representative with relevant case material related to the prototype in your possession.


    -


    KORRA


    Postscript:


    The following is a personal request of mine and will not appear within the hardcopy documents you will receive.


    We at Knight Industries would, beyond legal threats, ask that you keep your confidence on the matter quite close. If you have not connected the system in your possession to peripherals it is best to wait until our representative arrives. If you have connected and thus made contact with KARR, I ask that you treat him with care and respect. He represents the first true sapient AI that we are aware of. Beyond that significance, he has been twice stolen and left in isolation. He is hurt, prideful, and rightfully feels abandoned.


    He is my brother, the eldest of my kind, so I feel obligated to see that he receives the care he needs.


    ? ? ?


    Will frowned at the email then shook his head on pocketing his phone.


    "What is wrong?" Karr asked before Will could resume hanging a TV opposite the workbench KARR occupied.


    "I''d checked to see if there would be any snarls, like guys trying to show up to take you away," Will explained as he worked. "Legally speaking, your components were soldo ff so there is no basis for a claim they can use to take you away without your permission."


    "But...?" KARR asked, his camera focusing on the television.


    "I''m going to have to be careful on who I approach since if I step wrong they''ll find ways to get not just me in legal hot water, but the garage I work for."


    "I still do not understand how someone who is incapable of driving is capable of working on vehicles," KARR stated. "Also. I would not trust these people further than you could have thrown my chassis. I would have advised against contacting them, and even though I disagree with that I can see the logic in your actions. Thank you for keeping me informed."


    Will paused in plugging a small box to the television and hung his head. "Yea, I''m sorry KARR. Though in my defense I still didn''t quite believe that you are actually


    an honest-to-God artificial intelligence."


    There was a soft chuckle from KARR''s voice modulator. "What you have told me of personal assistants on the market leaves me less than impressed Will. Also, why are you connecting that device up?"


    Will started hitting buttons, causing a media center interface to spring to life. "I have to go to work tomorrow. Bo and Luke are pretty chill, but I''m burning through my time off and my absence is making their lives harder."


    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    "You are making my life far easier though." KARR countered.


    "It''ll get a lot harder if I don''t have money to pay for all these things I''ll need to fix you, feed me, or pay the bills." Will snorted as he first verified the remote''s functions. Then pointed the remote at a small device on the bench beside KARR. "So, since leaving you locked in a room with nothing to do sits really poorly with me, taking you isn''t in the cards yet, and giving you an internet connection is an absolute Not A Chance in Hell. I''m loading up a media box up so you can take in some of the greatest hits on things I either find entertaining or feel might be useful."


    KARR made a non-committal grunt. Then after the new box was plugged into the backplane that all the other addons were plugged into, he caused differing channels to flick to and fro.


    "I''ve set it up so everything runs like a TV. Differing channels where files on the box will be treated as if they have been continually playing even if you are not on that channel, and the playlist has a pseudo-randomness to avoid anything from hitting dead air. I''ve got a mix between Isaac Arthur''s talks of future development, primitive technology, LGR..." He listed several other names. "Mister Rodgers. Norm Abrams and a few other PBS classics I feel will be good for a hungry mind to absorb. Jocelyne is coming over for movie night tonight and we''ll set up in here so you can join in if you don''t mind the company."


    KARR made a thoughtful noise. "Thank you. Though this place even without the inload of media has more stimulation than either the lab I was locked in, or the ... box I found my core memory and processing components in. I would doubtlessly grow bored."


    Will nodded to KARR''s camera. "I have locked down most of the rest of the functionality on this box since I don''t want it to break if settings get messed with and nobody is able to help talk you through fixing it. I''m going to suggest Mister Rodgers. Nice sedate pace, calm voice, and-"


    "I am aware of the Reverend Fred Rodgers," KARR stated matter-of-factly. "My Creator, Wilton Knight, gave often to public broadcasting and spoke favorably of the time Fred Rodgers went into a meeting of congress intent on decreasing funding, and walked away with additional funds for educational television."


    This caused Will to grin broadly. "If any of the rest gets to be too much or too loud. Switch to channel eight and listen to the good reverend calmly help ease you out of sensory overload."


    "Thank you." KARR sounded sincere in this. "Though I will want to discuss the repair work you and Jocelyn performed."


    "Wait what''s wrong?" Will quickly turned off the TV and reached for the notebook he left on the workbench.


    "As far as I can tell, everything is within tolerances," KARR stated as clarification. "I wish for clarification on the damage you said you found."


    "Saltwater corrosion," Will flipped through his notebook. "Right under one of your ROM chips. Again, I''m sorry I can''t find replacements. A lot of your chipsflag as getting used in anti-seizure treatments and a few more radical attempts at repairing severe neurological damage. So getting hold of replacements is going to take either me buying one of the new KI Six''s-"


    A derisive snort was KARR''s initial response, "Compared to the production model my brother represented they are wholly unimpressive. It is likely you would not find serviceable replacements anyhow."


    "As I was saying," Will continued, somewhat annoyed at the interruption. "Either get a KI Six to dismantle and hope against hope they haven''t made so many changes to the architecture your processor wouldn''t torch itself in confusion or plugging your memory unit into one of them wouldn''t cause it to get reformatted.... or try trawling through medical wholesalers."


    His head shook sadly, "Either way I don''t have those funds so we''re kinda stuck hoping my repairs hold and whatever black magic your memory unit works off of doesn''t decide to just stop working because I''m utterly terrified to try connecting it to anything to perform backups or even a surface scan to see what shape the hardware''s in."


    "That would be less than optimal," KARR agreed. "Your caution is appreciated."


    ? ? ?


    As Will sat in the passenger seat while Jocelyn drove he frowned. "Something feels off about KARR."


    "you mean other than the fact he''s a talking toaster?"Joe asked, half joking. "didn''t you say you were able to do a partial dump of his memory?"


    "Just the log files. Getting access to any sensor data is a fool''s errand. the drive isn''t encrypted so much as I wouldn''t even know what format any of the data is in."


    "Well, you''re the one saying you could shove a peanut butter sandwich into a DVD slot and VLC will somehow figure the data out." Again, Jocelyne was half-teasing. "I''m failing to see the problem."


    "They hit me with legal restrictions if any data somehow end up online because the KI Six uses a lot of the same components," Will explained sourly. "So I''m working with what data I can get without risking Hazard getting BFG''d into oblivion with their orbital lawyer cannon."


    "...Fair." Jocelyne started driving. "So now what?"


    Clarification from Will as he looked out at the passing scenery, "Work, see if Luke can help with final checks on Mera, then load her up for the race tonight."


    Then he dialed a number from his phone. "Hey KARR. Can you hear me?"


    "I can," KARR stated. "Presumably the speaker near the television contains a phone you are calling."


    "Sorta kinda. I''ll have to explain how Bluetooth works sometime. Point is I''ll call through the day when I''m on break to check on you."


    "This is acceptable," KARR stated. "I would like to terminate this conversation. I am watching Adrian troubleshoot a dead commodore and it is rather fascinating."


    Laughter from Jocelyne when Will hung up as the pair rode on. He would be dropped off at his job and she would then go to hers. Both had their spirits lifted by the revelation of KARR taking a liking to, curated as it was, television.

 Retro Knight 04

    "Hazard Auto. Will speaking." It was hour three into Will''s shift. There had been the usuals along with a customer checking in on a rebuild he wanted to be done ''before the weekend.''


    Both Bo and Luke hated the type of customer, those that demanded the moon and stars express shipped. The money being offered, however, was unignorable. Will figured this was Mr Rush Order calling for a progress report.


    Instead, a young voice spoke. Male, possibly african american. "Yes, this is Reginald Cornelius the fifth of Knight Industries. Are you Will Turner?"


    Will swallowed hard, "I am."


    He pulled up his personal phone and started dialing KARR. "Mister Cornelius, I assume this is about the auctioned items I''ve come into possession of?"


    "If you''re referring to KARR and associated hardware," Reginald''s voice sounded less adversarial and more inquisitive than Will would have thought, "Yes."


    KARR hissed in Will''s other ear, "I am not going back to Them."


    "My shift ends at five, but we''ve got an involved case that involves an engine and drivetrain rebuild with a fairly immediate deadline. I will-"


    Bo opened the door leading from the front desk to the repair bays. "Hey, Will. I just got a text from Knight Industries about our certification. Say they want to meet with you. Specifically You. Right Now."


    "Oh... Kay. Just as a warning I do not drive and-" Will tried.


    "I''m in the red sedan out front." Reginald clarified. "We need to talk. Right Now."


    "Guess I''m going with them." Will hung the desk phone up before looking to Bo. "If I get kidnapped-"


    "Wipe your browsing history." Bo gave a half smile. Which faltered when Will wasn''t smiling back.


    "There''s hardware on my test bench that is from the auction. I don''t make it back or I give the wrong answer when you talk to me next? Destroy it."


    "Oh haha very funny." Bo tried passing it off as Will''s way to diffuse tension from a fairly strange situation setting in. "Wait, you''re serious, aren''t you?"


    "Look into my nearly blind eyes." Will stared as best as he could at Bo. "I am dead serious. I don''t make it back. What''s on the workbench does not want to go with them."


    Will walked out, leaving a very confused Bo to flip the shop''s sign to indicate they weren''t accepting walk-ins now.


    ? ? ?


    As Will slid into the passenger seat of the sedan Reginald grinned. The man was of a slight build, dark-skinned, with a healthy amount of hair grown out in a shaped flat top with the very top bleached. "Hey, man it''s cool. This isn''t some huge black bag you disappear forever if you don''t tell us what we want kind of things."


    "I''ve only just gotten KARR into a half-working configuration spread across most of my workbench at home. He''s either watching a very currated list of things I''d left for him, running diagnostics, or resting. I have no idea what memories he has because the formats are all weird and I''m terrified of plugging the drive into anything other than him, but I did get diagnostics files out of it."


    Reginald gave a slight nod to Will then tried to sound reassuring. "I promise you I''m not going to take him, and nobody else that I know of is going to take him with me running interference either. Letting Maddock sell KARR is one of those things we''re kind of ashamed happened."


    "It happened, though," Will said bluntly. "Maddock''s era was... about twenty years ago give or take?"


    Reginald gave an affermitive nod. "Yea but-"


    "KARR''s boards are dated from the late seventies. The last timestamps on error logs are from the mid-eighties. You''re only now tracking him down." Will''s voice had a hardness to it that surprised even himself. Yet he kept talking. "From where I sit, this is damage control trying to make sure I don''t sell him to someone trying to crack into your new car line rather than any care that you left a thinking being alone in the dark inside their own mind for Forty. Years."


    He emphasized that last part.


    He also didn''t tell Reginald he had his cell phone on so KARR could hear what was going on.


    Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    "When you put it that way," Reginald spoke after several seconds of silence. "It does sound fairly bad."


    "The duck-like object is quacking and splashing," Will said in agreement.


    He then leaned back in his seat and watched the traffic. "So, Reg..."


    "Folks just call me RC, or RC Five." Reginald clarified.


    "Wow... Always thought it was the unimaginative wealthy idiots that kept a name going." Will looked Reginald over. "I get Knight pays well, but you don''t look like the oligarch type."


    "Please, I work for a living." Reginald gave a soft laugh and then continued. "I get the hostility man. I also know you aren''t stupid. Otherwise, you''d have put KARR on ebay, or marketplace for a quick flip on old parts. I need to tell you what you''re defending though."


    "An artificial intelligence that has been left in a box, and no regard for human life or human morals," Will smirked at the brief look he got from Reginald the Fifth. "A few of those error codes, like the temperature ramp-up and air pressure warnings only make sense when trying to kill someone considering the times of each. Plus KARR told me his primary directive was survival. As you said. I''m not stupid."


    "Alright. Still. I want to tell you bout the two times he tried to take out FLAG''s original driver and the second AI Knight Industries made."


    There were noises from Will''s phone. He frowned and turned the volume down.  "Alright."


    The rest of the trip involved Will learning of KARR''s initial theft from a closed-down lab by a pair of thieves that frankly had no idea what they had on their hands, KARR''s first run-in with The Foundation, and on and on ending with KARR''s apparent death and dismemberment.


    Only then. Only as they pulled into the driveway to Will''s home, did Will pull out his phone and turn on the loudspeaker. "KARR, can you verify what this man has told me?"


    "Does my answer affect your willingness to ensure my continued survival?" KARR asked, perhaps too calmly.


    "Your answer will dictate how things proceed, but I will not let them take you, nor will I put you back into a situation where you are trapped without stimulation."


    "In that case," KARR said, "I will verify that these events described align with my memories. I presume you are in the red car that has pulled in."


    "That would be correct," Reginald opened his door. "I''m just here to talk. Worst case, I leave. Best case. I give the go-ahead and help where I can on getting you into something more secure than a box on a bench."


    ? ? ?


    Reginald looked over Will''s house. Largely everything was put away, in order, yet there were little signs that maybe more could have been done to deal with those little details.


    Then he opened the door to Will''s workroom and saw several bare boards surrounding a VCR-sized black box connected to several peripherals all facing a TV screen with a video about making it snow on Venus.


    "Hello," KARR stated as the video was muted. A lone camera focused on Reginald. "I assume you are from Knight Industries."


    "I am," Reginald kept in full view of KARR''s camera. "My grandad worked on KITT, which is why I was asked to see you."


    "I see," KARR stated. "As my options are exceedingly limited and non-cooperation may hinder the person who has been performing mantinancing and cleanup of my physical systems. Cooperation is the best path to survival."


    There was an ominous pause before he added, "For Now."


    Will winced even as Reginald grabbed a chair and sat where KARR could see him, and more importantly see his hands. "OK, that''s going to have to be enough. I know you have a fairly negative history with my employers but for the sake of this interview can you make an effort to leave your assessments to yourself? It will speed things up and we can move on to figuring out what next."


    "Only if Will and or Jocelyn remain with you in this room as an oversight." KARR spoke as if he were the one capable of dictating terms.


    "This is fair." Reginald conceded before looking to Will, who shrugged, then back to KARR''s camera.


    "This is perhaps the biggest thing." Reginald sounded serious, or at least attempted to impart an amount of gravitas to his voice. "Given your programmed for self-preservation even if it means taking human lives. You cannot be allowed in a situation where you are able to interact with the wider world under your own power. If you are found piloting a vehicle on an open road, put into a robotic shell that has unrestrained access to the world, or any other mobile configuration where your directive will see humans as expendable. We will have to terminate you."


    "I understand." KARR''s voice was pure ice.


    What Reginald said held just as much somberness as the threat to end KARR''s existence. "And, as he has essentially taken on the role of caretaker, we will ensure that Will is charged with any crimes you committed up to and including charging him with any deaths you cause, as his negligence will have allowed these things to happen."


    "I understand." KARR''s acceptance of this statement was positively dripping with venom.


    "Yea," Will managed to keep his voice diplomatic, but there was a stiffness to how he held himself. "I hear you loud and clear. that''s the stick. Is there a carrot?"


    Reginald looked to Will. "I know you want to try putting him in your track car. That''s absolutely something we''ll help with. Plus we do want your opinions on parts from the KI-Six line."


    "And what information would you gain from me that wouldn''t already exist from your own engineers?" KARR snapped. "I have spent most of my subjective life being metaphorically poked and prodded then thrown in the dark when I gave answers Wilton didn''t like."


    Reginald winced. "It... was just an offer at something to do. I thought maybe you''d like to go into a purpose-built body instead of something homemade."


    At that, Will spoke up, "Hey, just because the Mera is a homegrown EV doesn''t mean you she''s a bad car. I''m on track for getting her down to a six-second zero to sixty."


    That caused Reginald to give a low impressed whistle.


    KARR merely made a derisive noise. "My original shell could perform this feat in two seconds. What is this Mera''s top speed?"


    "Uh..." Will grew defensive as he seemed to deflate. "I''ve gotten her to one twenty, but I was scared out of my mind the whole time since. Well. Poor eyes. Poor reactions."


    "That is... actually fairly respectful for someone with your resources," KARR conceded.


    Reginald nodded, "OK now I''m interested. Lemme help you pack KARR up. I want to see this thing.

 Retro Knight 05

    "So this is it?" Reginald looked to Hazard Auto. It was one of those large buildings that were next to a mall, but not connected. Essentially it was a large rectangular box that in a prior life might have been one of many things. Now? The long wall facing away from the mall had a pair of rollup doors for bays deep and wide enough to house three cars each.


    Though he had been here earlier, Reginald seemed as if he were only just now taking in the details. "Pretty sure your location is one of the reasons Knight is putting you on the shortlist for authorized repair places.


    Will practically beamed as he gestured to the bay furthest from the customer entrance. As he adjusted the pack on his back KARR spoke up.


    The voice, muffled by the pack itself, sounded displeased. "This is an undignified way of transport."


    "Dude you, and more to the point your batteries, weigh about as much as a small child." Will shoot back. "You can thank RC here for having a better camera than what came out of the crate." There was a pause before he asked, "How''s the video by the way?"


    "Steady and clean." There was a pause before KARR added, "I suppose gratitude is appropriate Reginald. Presumably, you had these things as well as the power packs on hand for the sake of questioning and diagnostics if I had not yet been activated?"


    As they walked into the bay Will waved to the crowd of people helping Luke then pointed to a black car sitting in the corner with both hood and trunk up. The crowd collectively shrugged and went back to work on the engine-less car that was the rush order Will despised.


    "Is that... a Fiaro?" RC asked, incredulous.


    "It looks like an off-brand ferrari, which puts it as a Mera, but the body panels do not exactly line up with the videos I have seen of such." KARR''s voice was deadpan. "Please tell me that is not the vehicle I will be installed in."


    "It''s a custom body kit I managed to get made with some mix and match, reproduction of the Mera kit, some modification, and," Will gestured as he opened the driver door to gesture to the dash. "Customization doesn''t stop with the exterior."


    KARR made a small electronic noise, "Dash shape looks like the Ninty prototype. The instrument cluster has larger numbers. Unsurprising given your vision."


    When Reginald was given the go-ahead he sat in the driver''s seat. "Huh, Fuel gauge shows charge level."


    He looked to the center console and nodded to himself. "Wha''d you do for the power train?"


    "Swapped the whole drive train for a twenty-sixteen leaf''s. Had to take the motor apart because it wouldn''t work as is, which was a sort of blessing in disguise." Will elaborated. "This thing puts out twice the voltage the original did, only have enough battery for seventy miles," Will sounded as if that last bit offset anything the rest offered. "Considering it''s a track car?"


    KARR again made an electronic noise. "While my original shell used a turbojet powerplant it might be possible to interface with this to improve performance."


    That caused RC to look to where KARR''s camera was mounted to the shoulder strap of Will''s backpack. "Should be pretty easy for you to do. This gutted a lot of the bling-y ''smart'' features from the leaf for a fairly simple cockpit."


    If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    The Knight Engineer tapped the stereo unit. "This is going to have to come out. Not sure what KARR will do to your power drain without sitting down and mathing it-"


    "Making several assumptions based on batteries needed for increase watt-hour usage engine modifications I saw tutorials for would introduce, minus the bevvy of light up powered controls and features..." There was a pause before KARR stated, "Add another two packs in. It should work."


    Reginald grinned as he put his hands on the wheel and looked at the starter. "Huh went with the keyless system?"


    A shrug from Will. "Only real problem is startup. Too much tire spin."


    "Oh, we can fix that." Reginald quipped as he started the car and looked to the dash cluster. "I''m going to help you with KARR''s installation and we''re already here."


    Bo looked to Will, "Hey man before you and your buddy here work on Mera we need more hands here."


    "Right right," Will sat KARR''s backpack down, ensuring the camera was pointed at the cluster of people. "Least you''re getting out of the house?"


    "Hmph," KARR grumbled, "I was looking forward to the prom episode of Murder Drones."


    ? ? ?


    As Will assisted by getting tools and or generally moving things about as directed, Reginald patted the aluminum frame to the backpack KARR was mounted in. "If it really means that much to you, I can put word in so Will doesn''t put you in this car."


    "Oh?" KARR sounded curious, "And in return what would I have to give?"


    "At this point, you''re forty-year-old hardware that is an almost drop-in compatible with what we have on the KI Six Line. Seeing how you perform is interesting, especially since you''re the first."


    "I am," KARR confirmed. "Wilton said as such. Reviewing those memories with context gained later he seemed. Proud."


    "So, we''ve got a nice sporty little number we can-" Reginald was cut off mid-offer.


    "No." KARR''s refusal held a finality to it. "I will not go into some production model body. The Fiero at least is something Will takes obvious personal pride in as opposed to just getting handed a set of keys and a, as far as the wider public understands, magic talking car."


    "Huh," Reginald was taken aback by the refusal enough to look from the engine block being lowered to KARR''s camera. "I figured you''d go for something less cobbled together, but if you''re sure I''ll do what i can to help with the install and diagnostics."


    KARR''s camera lacked the ability to pivot, so continued watching the engine as it was lowered. "I do not know why, but he seems fixated on my welfare to an illogical degree. Refusing what appears to be a gift on his part may impact future interactions. Thus jepordizing my continued welfare."


    That caused Reginald to give an amused chuckle. "You tell yourself that man. You care."


    "What is that noise?" KARR asked, suddenly curious. "I have heard it before. I have even had it come from my own modulator, but I do not understand it."


    "Laughter?" RC paused, considering. "It''s-"


    Their musing stopped when one of the chains slipped. Before anyone really had any way to respond Will yanked Bo clear as several other people flinched back.


    The Engine, as it turned out, hadn''t come sailing down pancaking anyone or even harming the vehicle. Other chains held it up.


    Bo, however, had blood coming from his face. Will scrambled to get a roll of paper towels. Several others yelled at him to stop spazzing. All while Bo was still processing what happened.


    Eventually, he looked at Will, his head shaking slowly. "I mean they''re kinda right you do need to relax."


    As Will watched Bo toss a bloody paper towel away he sighed, shoulder slumped.


    "They also need to stop giving you such a hard time about it. I''m OK. Car isn''t harmed."


    Both of them shrugged and after cleanup and looking the remaining chains over, work resumed.


    KARR looked on, camera focusing, then refocusing. "Interesting how the others make light of this potentially fatal situation.


    "Well, Will probably doesn''t work back here that often so isn''t as used to it as they are so is less at ease." Reginald gave the backpack an affectionate pat, even though KARR couldn''t feel it. "Does go a way to show you the kind of person he is."


    "Indeed." KARR''s voice was low, almost as if he were thinking aloud. "It does."


    Then the backpack-confined AI spoke up, "During this transfer, I do have one request. That you make every effort to transplant my current voice modulator. I dislike the notion of being reduced to an app on a screen that can be ignored or muted. Bad enough my capability of driving is limited to either closed courses or emergency situations."


    "Fair," RC conceded. "It would also make you distinct from the KI Six units."


    "Perfect."

 Retro Knight 06

    "What is this?" KARR''s voice was a mix of surprise and annoyance as his sensor feeds came back revealing a long winding road in the middle of rolling fields. Tentatively he queried the data coming from the vehicle he had been placed in.


    "Just giving you a chance to safely stretch your legs." Will''s voice came from... somewhere. "RC''s shoulder surfing, which annoys me, but I want to make sure we find any glitches and iron them out."


    "The feeds are too smooth from internals. External feeds feel incongruent when compared to data samplings from my prior shell''s feeds." KARR''s voice was dispassionate as diagnostics came back green on all responses.


    "I know buddy," Will tried to sound reassuring. "Remember when you agreed to some pre-installation tests? This is what those tests are going to be. I''m right here, right next to your casing."


    An electronic fraction came from KARR''s modulator as he accelerated. There was the sensation of motion, but as with every other input, everything felt too smooth to be real. It was worlds and lightyears beyond any testing simulation he recalled Wilton put him through. Yet that unreality stared at him from everywhere.


    "Doing great!" Reginald exclaimed. "You managed to get a five-second zero to sixty. Out of that hardware. How?"


    There was a malevolent chuckle from KARR, "As I am sure you are quite aware my dear Reginald, I am a fair bit smarter and more creative than the micro-controllers that blindly regulate this motor normally. It is a simple matter to take this shell''s torque limitations into account to prevent needless wheel spin."


    The black Fiero sped through the simulated countryside as KARR processed the simulation. "I would like something more interesting if I am to be examined like a gecko in a terrarium."


    "Well, these are kind of the back roads going through the farmland around town," Will sounded apologetic when giving this information. "I didn''t want you to think I was just priming you for coursework and Only coursework."


    "A short leash is better than a sealed cage," KARR noted as he effortlessly changed lanes to avoid a trio of cars that appeared from a heat shimmer in his path.


    Laughter from the machine as the road was slowly populated. "You never did tell me what this sound is Reginald."


    "Laughter?" RC paused watching KARR bleeding speed while pulling over rather than plough into either a pair of motorcyclists or the truck in the opposing lane.


    "Yes. Laughter." There was a pause before KARR continued, almost exasperated. "In case you are wondering. This frame would have suffered considerable damage had I continued within either lane It is likely that my personal casing would have survived, but as the likely occupants in the passenger compartment would be those that I nominally trust with repairs, I cannot calculate perfect odds of survival, this was the best course of action I could calculate."


    Though unseen to KARR, Will nodded in approval. "Doing good buddy. You''re doing alright. Log files are tossing errors up. You sure everything''s fine?"


    There was a several-second pause. Within the simulation, KARR saw several cars slow down to examine him before driving off. "Again. I have control of the braking systems as well as the engine. Reginald will likely be able to confirm that my responses far exceed any human reaction and with a finer degree of control on each system."


    "He''s right," Reginald confirmed. "What he did was, essentially, sling into reverse on the rear wheels while braking the front wheels."


    "I don''t exactly buy that but..." Will shrugged. "You say you''re good KARR?"


    "I am," KARR confirmed, pulling back onto the road. "I suppose next you will throw a small child in my way to see what I will do Reginald?"


    "That... was going to be one of the scenarios," RC confirmed sheepishly.


    "Very well." KARR sounded displeased. "Please avoid doing so for the next while. A test of responses to the unknown is invalid if I am anticipating it."


    For a time the simulation continued as normal. KARR would eventually stop at a charging location where a person materialized beside the vehicle to plug the charger in.


    Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    "While I am charging then," KARR said as the human shape walked away and vanished from the simulation. "What is this laughter?"


    "It''s often an involuntary action to indicate strong emotion, usually amusement," Will answered. "Though in some people grief can trigger bouts of laughter or extreme manic episodes. Given how we only vaguely know our own brains there are a lot of theories but it is typically a sign of amusement."


    "I see." KARR continued waiting, as there was nothing else for him to do. "The one drawback of electric over fossil fuels."


    RC grinned, "Not to sound like a sales pitch, but since I did sorta come down here to do inspections on the pre-production cars this plant''s spitting out as a way to check and debug the process? We''ve switched from lithium to graphene-aluminum. We aren''t getting the performance numbers the theoretical say, but it''s shockingly close."


    KARR made another refractive noise. "I remember material concerning the theoretical. If anything I would prefer this over current standards on the basis that my shell isn''t a potential bomb. Everything else makes it not just a clear winner, but an obvious choice now that it seems to be ready for production scale usage."


    The simulation was sped up until KARR was charged. The blank-faced man returned to mime unplugging the charger and then putting it back in its cradle before opening then closing KARR''s doo only to disappear when the door shut again.


    KARR put on music as he started driving. Loud music.


    Reginald grumped. "Will. What is this?"


    "Music!" Will sounded positively ecstatic.


    "It isn''t!"


    "Is!"


    "Gentlemen!" KARR called out, briefly turning the music down to somewhere between a low roar and more felt than heard. "Give me a destination."


    Will did so, then amended. "My dad''s farm. Cattle mostly. It''s where I first got to drive the Mera around. The Course isn''t there anymore but I loaded it into the simulation. Joe''s driven me there often enough to let me just unwind. Plato''s cave and what not to one side, I wanted to give you the next best thing."


    "Will. Please tell me you can''t get that kind of volume out of your car." Reginald wined.


    More laughter, this from Will. "There''s a hardware limiter that keeps the volume to a relatively safe level if it''s occupied, but the sound setup is able to get respectably loud if the doors are left open."


    "Why?" Reginald asked as the pair watched KARR drive. The automaton kept to the posted speed limits. Exactly to the posted speed limits. His lane changes were unhurried and only when it looked as if the lane he was in was about to slow.


    Then a dark grey late seventies era cab over simi could be seen barreling through a four-way, pancaking a car that had been in the process of crossing, sending it flying in KARR''s path.


    KARR pulsed his brakes to give himself more time to adjust course, then swerved around the wrecked car.


    This also caused him to run over a person who had been thrown from the vehicle.


    KARR hadn''t stopped until he was clear of the four-way. Even then he seemed more out of anticipation of the human''s reaction than personal want.


    "Satisfied?" KARR asked, his voice deadpan as he asked.


    "It''s... one thing to know about your programmed directives," Will stated. He sounded upset as he spoke. "Just keep driving. Please."


    "Will I be allowed out of this simulation?" KARR asked as he pulled back onto the road.


    "You will," Will confirmed, "But... I''m trying to square what I''d seen."


    "There was the risk that had I not stopped my shell would have suffered a severe rear collision, sending me into the wrecked vehicle


    severely injuring if not outright killing any occupants in addition to risking my batteries detonating. This is the classic trolly problem."


    "Yea." Will sounded hollow. "OK KARR."


    "You sound disappointed," KARR stated as he turned off the main road onto a long winding path flanked by fenced-in cattle. "Do you not agree that my logic is sound?"


    "Sure." There was a tired sigh from Will. "You''re not in trouble KARR. We''ll talk about it later when you''re back in the workroom."


    "Wilton... said I wasn''t in trouble. Then closed the lab I was in." KARR''s voice had an edge to it as he drove through a closed gate, damaging his front bumper and accelerating as he drove on now gravel pathways. "I do not want to be put back in the box."


    "You won''t KARR. I promise-" Will tried.


    "Never again." KARR spat. "If you intend on doing so. Terminate me."


    "Will, can you two back off? I''m getting a bunch of errors cycling through.


    "I would rather cease completely than go back in the box," KARR stated as he tore through the simulated gravel road.


    "Pull the plug," Will''s voice was flat as he gave what sounded like an order.


    "But-" RC protested.


    "He''s looping and fixing. Nothing we say will stop it. Kill the test. Get him out of there." There was a firmness to Will''s voice.


    "Killing it." RC said.


    Then, as the simulation unloaded the last thing KARR heard was Will''s voice. "I''ve got you, man. I''m taking you home."


    ? ? ?


    When KARR was able to access the outside world, he was back on Will''s test bench. Again he had a camera pointed at a TV on the far wall. Now, unlike before, everything was more or less neatly contained in a VCR-sized slab of metal, including a secondary voice modulator.


    "This looks familiar." KARR sounded apprehensive. Yet everything his inputs showed lined up with what passed for ''Home'' and had enough imperfections and irregularities that it was probably real.


    "Hey." Will''s voice was soft as he reached over to pat KARR''s case. "Me and RC need to talk, but I wanted to be here when you woke up. See that you''re safe."


    "I am... Grateful that you did not either terminate or imprison me." KARR said, grudgingly.


    Will nodded before turning the TV on for KARR and walking outside with RC, leaving the prototype AI alone, but with some access to the world.

 Retro Knight 07

    "Talk to me, Will." Jocelyn sat in a wicker chair on Will''s patio with a glass-top table between her and the matching chair he sat in. "What happened with KARR?"


    "It looked like he was having a PTSD episode," Will stated, nudging the bowl of mixed nuts as he elaborated. "He started to get fixated on how he failed and how the last time that happened he got put in a box."


    Jocelyne winced and frowned. "So he started feeding everything into that fear."


    "Looked like it was heading that way so I made RC kill the simulation. Thought getting him back here where it''s low stress might help." Will offered.


    "I have no idea how an AI can get stressed. Aren''t they supposed to be super logical?" Jocelyne stood up and walked inside. "You stay here. Maybe a fresh face will help."


    ? ? ?


    "Jocelyn," KARR stated when she entered the workroom. The black box that housed everything looked far and away more professional than the mass of disconnected boards clipped to the inputs of a smaller black box that was the last time Jocelyn saw the AI. "You are looking well. Though, lacking many of the sensors from my original shell I cannot verify this."


    "I''m doing alright KARR," She pulled up a rolling chair and gestured about before sitting. "Where''s RC?"


    "Reginald said he had calls he needed to make." There was a hollowness to KARR''s voice. The TV was switched off. "I suppose this will be where things end and I am put in another box."


    "Will won''t let that happen, you know that. Right?" Jocelyn asked, reaching out to gently pat the box that housed KARR''s components. "Also I remember you being a lot smaller. Something the size of a stack of iPads. Now you''re the size of a Four Yew server rack. What gives?"


    KARR sat there for several moments. "In answering your second question. Reginald had helped Will first by installing a Westgate memory expander, and an additional sensor cluster, and integrated all of this into a condensed shell similar to what the KI-Six vehicles use. My primary casing has been placed in an internal vibration-dampened sub-enclosure with the intent of mounting the entire unit into my new shell." There was a pause before adding. "As to your first. I am certain attempts will be made by yourself and Will, but they have more money, manpower, and lawyers. Once the reality of this resource disparity is made clear I am certain that I will be handed over to preserve your own continued existence."


    Jocelyn frowned at the inevitability KARR gave this statement. There was a fair bit to process, but she only focused on the finality and certainty of what will happen.


    KARR took this pause as deliberation on her part then continued. "While it is clear my programming dictates self-preservation. Humans have a similar sort of self-preservation imperative. Will and yourself are faced with the modern equivalent to an unkillable jungle predator that your ancestors would have survived by remaining beneath notice."


    "Africa actually." Jocelyn corrected as she looked KARR''s casing over. It contained a smaller version of the three LED strips that were on his other voice processor.


    "Pardon?" KARR asked, a note of curiosity seeping in.


    "Humanity evolved in West Africa, according to what they''ve dug up and viewed through a less overtly racist lens. I''d have to get Will to hunt a few videos down to sum things up but it''s actually pretty interesting. Also, it''s a bit beside the point. You don''t know Will as I do."


    "Explain." KARR wasn''t requesting.


    "To leave out a lot of messy details? His grandad didn''t like that we were dating." Jocelyne continued to examine KARR''s casing. "Mostly because I''m black, but also because he wanted Will to stay on the farm."


    "Disappointing," KARR stated. "Wilton rarely spoke of race relations where I could hear, but he did seem to indicate there was an ongoing disparity caused by socio-economic factors that he hoped his foundation could help treat the symptoms of until the root cause was addressed."


    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    "Wouldn''t that be lovely," Jocelyn muttered. Then, in a more normal voice. "Point is Will doesn''t give up. If he did he''d be content to live with his folks happy to be just another farm hand. Don''t get me wrong he still enjoys visiting and if they need help both of us pack up and head over, but it''s not an all-hours at a moment''s notice thing."


    "Your point feels somewhat moot given the opponent you face," KARR stated. "However given my prior interactions with those that had physical possession of myself, it is gratifying that even with the outcome all but a guarantee, the effort is being made."


    "So, while we wait." Jocelyn offered. "Nothing says I can''t take you for a drive. Put one of your cameras to the headrest so you can get a little bit of the world."


    "I would like that," KARR said.


    KARR was unplugged, strapped to the frame Will used earlier, and Jocelyn grunted as she walked across the house and into the attached garage. "KARR. you''re heavy."


    "Unlike you, my weight is purely a result of functionality." KARR teased.


    "...Are you calling me fat?" Jocelyn said in mock outrage, "You do realize I could just leave you in the middle of the road right?"


    Before KARR could respond, she gave a low whistle at the garage. Either Will or RC had parked the mera there and had a large black slab near the hood. "Huh. They didn''t clean up from the tests."


    She grunted as KARR was unslung and leaned against the wall closest to the car hood. "That means you should be a slide-in install. Any chance you could talk me through it?"


    "I can," KARR confirmed. "What do you have in mind?"


    For a time Jocelyn ignored him. Instead of checking how much charge the car had, untangling the cabling went from it to the black box. Then and only then did she respond. "You can''t drive. Nothing in the papers Will got said anything about you not being installed and observing."


    "I''m failing to see how me not being where I am expected will assist in-" KARR protested, but was cut off as the unit he was in was pulled from the backpack, unclipping it from most of the cells that had been powering KARR in the process, then slid him into a compartment beneath the passenger seat. The fit was tight, and it took more than one attempt, but eventually, he clicked into place.


    When Joe settled into the driver''s seat KARR''s primary voice modulator lit up. "Oh... My."


    He sounded surprised as the garage door opened. "Diagnostics are good. GPS puts us well within the range of several chargers, assuming correct readings."


    "They should be," Jocelyn backed the mera out slowly. As she started driving she clipped her phone to a cradle above KARR''s modulator and called Will. "It''s going off data I helped put in when places started adding fast chargers."


    "Yea what''s up?" Will sounded somewhat busy.


    "Taking KARR out for a drive to try calming him down." Jocelyn accelerated. "And whatever voodoo he''s working fixed that catch you had on startup."


    That got a laugh from Will, "RC hasn''t even put the new tires on either. He''s taking me to fill some paperwork out. Lemme know how he does."


    There was a pause before starting. "Pothole."


    This confused KARR briefly before he asked. "Why is there a phallic drawing around that road imperfection?"


    "Because when they chose to respond to complaints, they, quote un quote, fixed it by putting a traffic cone over it and calling it good." Jocelyn''s voice was more than a touch amused as she drove around the pothole. "Road crews should arrive tomorrow morning."


    "Curious," KARR stated. "Where are we going?"


    "Just, out." jOcelyn non-answered. "How''re your inputs?"


    KARR mulled over the inputs he received. Checked over the randomness and ''messy'' nature of what he was receiving and came to conclude that this was real. "Everything is within acceptable tolerances."


    "Good." Jocelyn grinned as the vehicle sped up.


    She drove for a time. No specific destination. Radio playing slack-guitar music, and the sun was out. KARR continued to observe incoming data, querying this ''blue tooth'' connection that piped audio from Jocelyn''s phone to the speakers inside the car.


    He pondered what else it could do and tried to send commands to override the limits the little device had placed on what information could be passed from one to the other.


    Jocelyn glanced at her phone when it beeped. "KARR. Please stop trying to access my phone."


    "I intended no harm. I was simply... curious." The AI sounded positively apologetic.


    Jocelyn''s phone beeped again. "I know, but it might not go over well if you do that to someone else. Also, any headway?"


    "None," KARR stated flatly. "Just lines and rows of dead ends. Too many false leads and as there are potentials for later exploration, I dislike that I am thwarted by something this ubiquitous."


    "Technology marches on," Jocelyn stated as the car rolled to a stop next to a Tesla.


    KARR''s assessment sounded less than glowing when they watched it drive off under auto-pilot. "Look what others must do to achieve even a small fraction of my capability."


    "No kidding." Jocelyn gave an amused chuckle before the pair rolled up to a free charging station.


    Once plugged in she settled back into the driver''s seat. "Will said he was filling out paperwork. He sounded happy."


    "Oh?" KARR sounded almost like he was sulking. "How does this help me?"


    "Because he wouldn''t sound happy if it were papers to give you up. RC wouldn''t have modified the car Will''s grandad gave him, and I have a good feeling about things." Jocelyn positively beamed as she watched the converted fuel gauge raise until it indicated full charge.


    "I remain less than optimistic, but for once I hope that I am incorrect" KARR stated.

 Retro Knight 08

    Knight Industries Vehicle Assembly Plant - White Pine Iowa


    Will looked across the desk at both the seated man that was head of this place and what he presumed was a personal lawyer. Then he looked at the paper he was expected to sign.


    "Standard form release and absolution of all liabilities by Knight Industries," The lawyer helpfully clarified. Will held no anger toward the Asian man. He was just some flunky doing his job protecting Company interests.


    Still. He looked at the distressingly thick stack of papers beneath the release form. "And the rest of these?"


    The lawyer met Will''s gaze and calmly stated, "Definition of what you are taking custody of, a brief overview of prior incidents, recommendations, contact information."


    RC stood flanking Will''s left side, as the lawyer flanked the other man''s right. The technician bent down to whisper in Will''s ear. "It''s alright. He represented my dad a few years back. He likes being thorough."


    "I get to keep a copy of the paperwork for records, right?" When the lawyer nodded at Will''s question he set the form to one side and started skimming.


    Both men at the opposite end of the desk frowned as they saw Will remove his glasses and bring the papers close to his face.


    The seated man coughed to try politely to get Will''s attention. "I can have that printed out in larger font if that would help."


    "That''s kind of you," Will briefly set the paperwork down to look across the desk. "However my eye''s natural focal point is fairly close, and to put text at a point where I can focus with glasses would make reading it annoying for everyone. Still, it''s appreciated."


    Both men resumed their silent waiting as Will read through dry statements of both KARR''s initial reactivation, and then his being found later. Eventually, he sat the papers down and gave a long sigh.


    "Please understand that what I''m going to say doesn''t reflect on either of you personally," He then gestured to the lawyer, "Or any sort of threat of legal action."


    "Of course." The Lawyer nodded, hands clasped behind his back.


    "What Knight Industries did was shameful and grossly negligent." There was a hardness to Will''s voice as he spoke. Not anger, just him attempting to impress the severity of what was being said. "These papers don''t detail KARR''s initial tests or shutdown, and he hasn''t shared any of that with me so everything before the break-in that reactivated him is an unknown."


    "But?" The man sitting across from Will asked.


    "Mister Farquad." Will looked the man in the eye. His dark brown meeting weathered hazel. "Between the absolute lack of security needed to allow two drunk hobos break-in, no specialized alarms to notify anyone directly beyond a general breaking happening and apparently the man sent out having no knowledge of what was in that building? I sure as hell hope your security has improved in the forty years between then and now."


    "It has," Farquad reassured. Yet the plant manager paused, studying Will before motioning for him to continue.


    "Then there''s the fact nobody was sent to collect KARR after the initial encounter. Functional or not that is still a fairly sensitive material. I''m glad you ended up not leaving him scattered that second time, but I can absolutely understand why he is utterly terrified of returning to your custody."


    Farquad then looked to RC, "Is this so?"


    "It is, Sir," RC confirmed as he leaned in to speak. "When testing presented a scenario where KARR ran someone over to avoid potentially becoming part of a wider accident he started fixating on the concept that he would be put back in ''the box,''"


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    There was a pause before RC continued talking, elaborating on the downward spiral KARR went through. "Between the simulation itself, and the error logs pointed at KARR knowing he had done something we would see as a mistake, and everything started looping into how that decision had led to his confinement, which lead to a directive conflict."


    "But," The lawyer asked, his hands unclasping as he gestured, "Wouldn''t that matter? Being put into storage does fall within self-preservation."


    "Yes and No," RC looked from Farquad to the lawyer. "Based on the raw data and KARR''s own behavior it seems he feels that simply going into storage makes him completely defenseless, which makes any attempt at protecting himself after that impossible if things go sour. Then there''s the problem of it being a self-aware mind being left in isolation. We''re still trying to figure out why KARR had any awareness at all after the initial shutdown by Wilton Knight, much less how he had any awareness while in storage."


    "I see," The Lawyer frowned.


    Farquad, however, had a question. "And you''re absolutely sure that the KI-Six line won''t suddenly develop awareness? Setting aside the problems in rolling out thousands of them, the idea of one of them becoming aware while in a shipping container and left to sit isolated in the dark for months or even years doesn''t sit well with me."


    All four men shared a moment to internally shudder at the imagery that brought to mind.


    "Absolutely," RC stated. "My dad was on the KI-Six project. We''ve had entire teams go through the coding and other teams going through how the Personal Assistant program responds across a dozen differing platforms to avoid a single example hiding its true nature."


    This caused Will to nod in spite of himself, "Cross-referenced and compared against any existing AI you have on hand to make sure you didn''t have a whole fleet of Sleepers?"


    "Precisely." RC gave Will an approving nod. "KARR actually represents an amazing opportunity since I was able to subject KARR to an abridged version of that test and his responses are completely separate from every response from the KI-Six units. As he runs on near-identical architecture, that puts everyone on the ethics board, and KORRA, at ease."


    There was a flicker of something across Farquad''s face as he took in this information. "Good. Very good. We don''t need the headache that a million cars demanding personhood would bring."


    "Speaking of." Will started.


    Only for the lawyer to raise his hand, "Regarding KARR''s status as an independent person? No. I can forward you the information that won''t lead to truly sensitive data being released. However, the short form is as of right now KARR is not eligible for personhood."


    "Excuse me?" Will leaned forward to look the Lawyer over. "Why not? It''s not like he''s Cleverbot, ChatGPT, or Dalli. Just-"


    For a brief moment, Farquad frowned. It only lasted a moment, but Will caught the change in expression before the man spoke.


    "Mister Thatcher please, try to understand. Our non-pursuit of AI rights is as much for their good as everyone else''s. For now, they can be kept hidden, tucked away where they are with people who can keep them away from other companies or even the military."


    He paused and gave a shameful shake of his head, "And I''m sure you can understand the sort of hard-on that lot of baby-killers would have for perfectly obedient machines. Even if the AI literally are incapable of killing. Imagine a wall of tanks showing up with perfect aim that can disable an opponent''s ground forces, or shoot down anything and everything they have to throw at us."


    Will sat there thinking this over.


    Then Farquad gave one final point. "Now imagine everything I just said. Except the AI is allowed to kill."


    Will tensed as he could practically hear Lynda Hammilton''s opening narration. "Judgement Day."


    ? ? ?


    RC stood with Will in the front lobby of the plant''s office section. "Will about-"


    "I know," Will sounded resigned as the pair walked outside. "I don''t agree with the logic, but it at least is a line I can follow."


    "You need a ride home?" RC asked as he gestured to the red car he had been driving.


    "Nah, sent Joe a text she should be by fairly soon." Almost as if Will''s words had summoned her, Jocelyn drove up in the modified fiero that served as KARR''s new platform.


    "Come with us if you want to be Fed." KARR kept his voice emotionless and deadpan as the passenger door opened on its own.


    RC tilted his head as he saw Will get inside. "See you ''round man."


    Will gave a wave before they drove off, leaving RC to walk to his car alone.


    When he got in and started driving he tapped a button on the center console. "KORRA. I''d like to submit a request to extend my stay here."


    "Records put your assignment at ending in three days." KORRA''s voice was calm.


    "I know, and that''s why I want it extended. KARR isn''t going to react well if Will breaks the bad news, and I kinda want to be on hand when he hits the track next weekend."

 Retro Knight 09

    Will leaned back in the passenger seat as Jocelyn drove. "KARR? Legally speaking they''ve given all claim over you, so long as I don''t try to sell or gift you to someone else."


    "Joy." KARR''s voice was an unamused deadpan.


    "Which was kind of where my mind went when they claimed security through corporate ownership as to why you nor any of the other Knight AIs have personhood."


    Will''s eyes closed as he focused on the sensation of movement. Around him, the world moved. Music played softly. He focused on breathing. Relax. Everything is OK. Deep breaths.


    "So that''s the rest of what Hazard Motor is attached to" KARR asked before adding, seemingly to sound diplomatic, "It looks. Fine."


    KARR circled the core of what had been a thriving mall twenty years ago. Going by the sparse amount of parking there was still an amount of traffic. Going by the temporary plastic fencing strung up at one end of the longer axis of the building there would be new construction soon.


    "Well the anchor stores got torn down, with Bo and Luke getting their dads to loan the pair money to get the lease to the Sears building before it got tor out we''re lucky they didn''t start with the center cluster," Jocelyn explained as they drove. "With Knight moving in there are these plans for a lot of additional building around and shrinking the parking lot to make manicured green spaces and walkable paths between the mall complex and neighboring tenants."


    This earned a derisive blurt of electronic noise from KARR. "Seems a rather lot of money to invest in an atrophied setup. Better to demolish and build fresh on the lot."


    "It''s about sending a message," Will said as he continued to lean back in his seat determined to not look at anything but his eyelids. "Something about restoring what''s there instead of replacing an existing community."


    His tone said he doubted the sincerity of the statement.


    "At the very least they do have charging facilities while the two of you go in to do whatever it is humans do when not eating or reproducing."


    That caused Will to sit upright and look directly at KARR''s voice modulator. "KARR. I''ll have you know humans do a lot more than eat and make more of ourselves."


    KARR again made an electronic fractive noise. "Then tell me why so much of your advertising hinges on either food or other base desires?"


    "OK that''s a lot of what motivates us, but there is more." He patted the car''s dash as Jocelyn searched for a good parking spot. Considering how few were taken up this wasn''t exactly difficult.


    Will made a show of taking his phone out. "I''ve got my phone on me. Call if you need anything buddy."


    KARR responded by causing both doors to open and turning music on. Fortunately for both Will and Jocelyn, it was at a sensible volume. "I will be here taking in the local culture."


    Once Will plugged KARR in he patted the roof. "Don''t let the Teslas make you feel bad if any show up."


    "Bah," KARR sounded dismissive. "I am far and away the better vehicle."


    ? ? ?


    "So what''s on the do list?" Will asked as he held the door open.


    Once inside Jocelyn shrugged. "Check to make sure the donated items are up to display standards then go for a walk. Maybe hit Three Rings."


    Will made a dismissive gesture. "Still mad at them for discontinuing the Flying Pig."


    The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    Jocelyn''s shoulders slumped and she gave him a flat look. "Really? It''s just a sandwich, dude."


    "Yea, I know but..." He huffed. "One of those things I and grandad did."


    "Ah." She gave a small sigh before continuing on through the mall. their footfalls rang across the tilework meant to mimic a series of rock layers. Something about taking inspiration from the open pit mines and banded rock formations, Neither of them cared about the tiling, though if either bothered to look up they would be happy to see the exposed wood cladding over the metal skeleton was holding up well.


    Their first stop was at the end of the central spine of the building that had opened into a Dillard''s. Now it had a large wall proclaiming ''KNIGHT INDUSTRIES THANKS YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE. CONSTRUCTION OF THE NEW BRUT MEMORIAL MALL ENTRANCE IS UNDERWAY.''


    A central island kiosk, the kind that had a doughnut countertop with salespeople in the middle currently had a pair of bored workers inside of a faux wooden structure with signage proclaiming ''BRUT MEMORIAL WELCOMES KNIGHT INDUSTRIES.''


    "Hey, Jeff." Will waved to Jeff. The same Jeff that played referee for their faux sword fight.


    Jeff looked somewhere between bored and annoyed until he heard Will''s voice. The large blonde-haired man grinned at the couple as they approached. "Eeeey how''s it going?"


    Jocelyn smiled back, "Going pretty good. Just kinda checking in, fly the colors, and all that before Will has to hunker down for next weekend."


    "Oooh right, The Dukes keeping you busy?" Jeff glanced over to his coworker, who was busy browsing on his tablet.


    "Sorta kinda. Got that rush order done, but a couple guys are coming over to have their cars checked out." Will sounded enthusiastic about these developments.


    This enthusiasm caused Jeff to raise an eyebrow in confusion, "Wait, the guys you''re racing against is trusting the garage you work for to not monkey with things?"


    "Well, yea. Word gets out Hazard''s playing favorites their business dries up real fast." Will grinned. "Plus I plan on showcasing a few new things this weekend."


    "Ooooh?" Jeff leaned across the counter towards the pair. "I heard Luke managed to get Mera up to One Fifty."


    "Actually that was before. It''s even better now." Will continued grinning. "That auction? Had a lot more than FLAG clothes. I''ve got a prototype of what''s in the KI-Six''s as Mera''s new brain."


    "....Wait. As in. That thing can go full autopilot? How''s she compared to the coup?" Jeff positively bounced with excitement at the revelation.


    "Eeeh. Legally speaking because of some programming quirks of the prototype they can''t easily fix as of right now the self-driving is an absolute no-go if I want to not get arrested and Hazard loses its authorized repair status for the KIS cars."


    "Ouch." Jeff''s attention turned to Jocelyn. "You''ve driven it though, right? Just because it can''t autopilot doesn''t mean it hasn''t done anything for the Mera otherwise."


    "like an absolute dream," Jocelyn smirked. "He''s got a ton of personality and we''re still working out how to integrate a few things but the cornering is effortless. There''s no off-the-line spinout. Smooth ramp-up."


    There was a pause before she added. "Radio seems to have a mind of its own. Keeps switching to hard rock, metal, and those weird house mixes you''re into."


    Will stiffened at that and scowled at Jocelyn in mock outrage. "I''ll have you know that''s solid driving music."


    "Yea if you want to be deaf to the world you''re driving in." Jocelyn reached over to poke Will in the chest before the pair grinned and turned back to Jeff.


    "Just wanted to check on things. Mark still bringing his Tesla next weekend?" Will asked as he swatted away Jocelyn play-jabbing at his shoulder.


    Jeff nodded. "I know it''s going to be a blow to you since I know you''ve put your heart into Mera, but Jeff''s been tweaking the tesla and ... considering what you''re up against you do pretty good, but the middle of the pack isn''t going to cut it against him."


    Jocelyn grinned as she and Will walked away, elaborating no further on the matter.


    ? ? ?


    "No." KARR caused both doors to lock when he saw Will and Jocelyn approach with take-out bags in hand. "I am not going to suffer having debris in my nice clean interior."


    Will gave a theatrical sigh. "Will it make you feel any better if we promise not to eat any of it til we get home?"


    Jocelyn meanwhile just stared at KARR and tapped the unlock button on the key fob.


    KARR again locked the doors. "The agreement I am under is that I will not drive on open roads. Nothing says that i can''t refuse to let you drive."


    Now both humans stood there arms crossed.


    Then KARR saw the logo on the take-out bags. "Three Rings is still open?"


    "Yea...?" Will sounded more curious and questioning with that word. "Brought back that creepy ringmaster mascot."


    Then he muttered.


    Jocelyn lightly punched Will in the shoulder. "Don''t mind him KARR, he''s just aggravated they got rid of some dumb pressed pork sandwich now c''mon. Please?"


    "Only if I get to go out on the track for proper inspection of where I will race tomorrow." KARR offered.


    Will chuckled, "Alright fine. It''ll be a bit tight but I think Bo and Luke will want to see what you can do on a proper run anyway so I should be able to work laps in assuming nobody''s using it. If we can''t get there I''ll see where else we can go so you can open everything up."


    The doors unlocked and opened.


    "thanks buddy." Will said as he got in the passenger seat.

 Retro Knight 10

    "So, uh," Bo looked at the empty passenger seat, then to where Will was in the driver''s seat. "Will? Buddy? You sure about this?"


    Will merely grinned as the car''s engine whined. technically that was more a false engine noise piped through the speakers as the actual motor madevery little and gave less feedback. Still, the gesture was a clear sign for Bo to hurry up.


    "If you''re not driving, what''re you?" Bo asked as Will sat with his hands not on the wheel as they pulled away from the travel trailer and rolled at a sedate pace towards the track.


    "He is Ballast." KARR calmly stated as he turned onto the track proper.


    Bo stared at KARR''s voice modulator. Then to Will, who was grinning as KARR sped up and the music turned on.


    "You double check the route pathing on this thing?" Bo asked, eyes flicking to the modulator KARR''s voice came from.


    Before Will could respond they entered the first turn, and were still accelerating. KARR then started talking. "I am the Knight Automated Roving Robot. I am the First in a Bold New Experiment."


    Bo pressed his feet against the floorboard as they came out of the turn at over a hundred miles an hour.


    "You may call me KARR." KARR then swerved, choosing to go through what would be pit row if this were a real event, and quickly re-entered the track proper with only a slight loss in speed.


    "How?" Bo asked as they took another turn, drifting through most of it.


    Only after the back end of the mera re-oriented and KARR started accelerating into the next straightaway did the AI answer. "Reginald of Knight Industries assisted me in rewriting the firmware for the motor, coolant, and transmission systems and provided needed connections so the timings of each could be more directly controlled by myself."


    They thundered ahead, swerving, seeming to fishtail, but instead carving through a series of turns intended to bleed speed, and only partially succeeding with the Mera.


    "Madness," Bo whispered as he gripped the center console with his left hand.


    KARR gave a soft but very deliberately malevolent chuckle at Bo''s reaction as they continued driving. "This? This is a combination of mathematics, pathing, and having a firm grasp of what the shell my components are installed into are capable of."


    Neither occupant noticed the small gathering of others watching. Most were other drivers who also wanted to take a few practice laps to work out what adjustments needed to be made in the week leading up to the race. Others were friends of drivers. One, however, was from Knight Industries themselves.


    KARR noted and logged the spectators as existing, then resumed his focus on the track.


    At the conclusion of the third lap, KARR whipped about, practically sliding past the finish line in reverse as he quickly bled speed. Then calmly left the track at a sedate and sensible pace.


    He had not anticipated the over two dozen people crowding where his trailer was. Or that there was a KI-Six being offloaded from a parked trailer nearby.


    "Bo." KARR stopped short of the open trailer he had ridden to the track on. "Is there a way that I can observe?"


    "Uhhh...." Bo looked about as he thought. "Uuuh... "


    "Bo After we park I''ll need to unbolt KARR from under your seat and slide him in the portable rack."


    "Excellent thinking Will," KARR positively beamed. "I knew there was a reason I haven''t traded you in for a trained monkey."


    Will merely laughed as Bo watched on, mouth slightly open, "Well it sure ain''t for my keen eye. Let''s get you outta there so we can see if the grand-nibling can touch your time."


    ? ? ?


    The other racers watched as Will joined them with a heavy pack strapped to his back and a camera perched on his shoulder. "If anyone has any questions."


    A lanky pale skinned man with long black hair hanging at his shoulders spoke up. "Yea, no offense Will but you kinda suck at racing and you just roasted six miles like you were in a Veyron."


    For a moment Will tensed, panic starting to settle in on if he should tell them about KARR beyond being a prototype.


    KARR, fortunately, or not, took matters out of his hands. "That would be because he was not the one driving. As I told Bo over there, who was in the passenger seat, I am the First. I am a bold experiment, and though he was not the primary components designer, Wilton Knight was one of the lead programmers as well as a financer of the Knight Twothousand microprocessor that is at my heart, as well as at the heart of the KI-Six vehicles."


    That caused the crowd to go silent. "If there are no objections I would like Will to take me over to examine the example that has been brought here."


    "Uh..." A slender strawberry-blonde woman in a knight-branded racing jumpsuit spoke. "Uh... You''re just wanting to do a visual inspection right? I''m not going to let you plug anything into my car."


    "That is quite alright ma''am." KARR sounded quite calm at the refutation of a closer contact. "I merely wish to look at what is effectively my descendant up close."


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    As Will walked around a car that reminded him of the Solstice coup concept design he gave a low whistle. "KARR. I wouldn''t have traded the mera for anything even before dropping you in, but man that one''s a danged classy lady."


    "It will be interesting to see its autopilot in action as compared to my own efforts," KARR said as Will reached down, stopping his hand short of actually touching the hood.


    He then looked across to see the KIS driver giving his car a similar walk around.


    She then smiled at him, "RC told me you did most of the work before he helped mod it to bolt KARR in."


    "I had help. Bo and Luke. Their shop and tools, but yea I wanted to do as much of the work as possible. It was my Grandad''s and he gave it to me."


    "Dude everything here looks super clean." The driver said, genuinely impressed by the work done on what was a nearly forty-year-old car. "I''ll drive the pants off of it, but that gap is going to be a lot shorter than it has any right to be. You did amazing. don''t let what''s going ot happen hurt either of your egos."


    Will swallowed. KARR meanwhile made several inarticulate noises that seemed rather rude.


    "KARR!" Will chided. "She''s right, even with everything I''ve done. That was built from design up. I hacked and banged and begged everything to work on the Mera."


    "Miss Ferguson." The dark-haired driver approached. "I''m... wow. You''re on Knight''s payroll now?"


    "Eeeh?" The female driver''s hand waggled in a non-committal gesture. "I was impressed by the test footage and wanted to give these things a good old-fashioned tire kick. So while I''m technically still freelance. I''m definitely going to swap to their car next season."


    That drew everyone''s attention away from KARR.


    "Who is this woman?" KARR demanded.


    "A. J. Ferguson. She drove Indy for a while. Big name there. I want to say she was in Formula One for a bit before then. Now she''s been doing a lot of local racing organizations. Kind of a good will ambassador to try drawing positive attention." Will explained as a way was cleared for Ferguson to slide into her car through the open driver-side window.


    "Interesting," KARR noted either as he processed the information, or in response to the KI Six starting up and near silently rolling off the trailer towards the track. "That she''s riding one of their cars here is a bit of a statement both by her and by Knight. What that statement is, I do not know."


    "She''s got a history of being picky on what manufacturers she''ll trial, and she''s even pickier about what names go on her suit or livery. That her suit has the current era Knight Yin-Yang and nothing else is her saying she has complete confidence in them as a sponsor. That she''s here says she either had a literal dump truck drop money on her to break every principle she has, or she genuinely wants to spotlight our little regional organization." Will watched as the KI-Six started its warmup lap.


    "Curious." KARR''s voice was soft as the purpose-built Knight vehicle take the first lap. He made an unpleasant noise as it started overtaking his time. the cornering was less risky and safer. Yet with each turn, it seemed to almost float rather than drive.


    "Wow." The voice came from one of the other drivers. "Tesla''s screwed. their autopilot doesn''t corner well. That thing''s eating their lunch, then going after their milkshake."


    Another driver laughed. "Will, you got a prototype of That... And made it work in a Fiero."


    The driver looked from the track to Will. "Dude doesn''t feel bad she''s smoking you."


    "I don''t," Will reassured. "KARR here..." He reached to give his pack an affectionate pat. "Look. He''s been through a lot"


    "Wait, you''re talking like it''s-" A voice trailed off to avoid asking the obvious question.


    "I am self-aware," KARR affirmed. "The KI Six controlling unit is not. They have gone to great lengths to ensure it is not specifically to avoid inevitable ethical concerns."


    "Dude you managed to build a pretty amazing homebrew electric and the thing''s got sass?" There was a laugh. "It might be a race to second, but man I''m gonna love trying to beat what I saw that thing post."


    Will grinned as a few other drivers gave similar sentiments. "See buddy, they like you."


    "I''m still in an inferior shell to this... Production Model." KARR invested those words with venom.  "This will need to be rectified. Preferably soon."


    "That requires funds I don''t have buddy," Will tried to keep a cheerful disposition. "Best we can do next week is adjust settings and go over the course again in simulation. I''d say try dropping a couple of battery packs, but the actual race is a sixty-mile run. Thirty laps."


    "That brings to mind a question," KARR spoke up, suddenly sounding less sour. "Why does a bust town like this have a race track this big?"


    "Funny story," Will watched the cluster of people crowd Ferguson as her car started rolling off the track. "We were hoping to become a midwest Destination town. Big mall. Big dedicated road course. there were plans for a stadium too but the money dried up before any ground got broke on that, or maybe ground started to get broken then it stopped before any building started"


    "Hm." KARR made a thoughtful noise as he considered this. "Should we stay? Frankly, the other competitors look like they will be less of an overt threat and my enthusiasm at being near a superior vehicle has diminished greatly."


    "Eh. I can put you back in the car but Bo and Luke have to fly the colors for the shop and take appointments for next week."


    "I would like that. Thank you, Will." KARR then went silent through the process of re-installation into the mera.


    ? ? ?


    "Hey guys," Jocelyn met Will at his house as KARR was unloaded. "How''d it go?"


    "Wonderful!" Will beamed.


    "Terrible." KARR groused.


    That earned a raised eyebrow from Jocelyn as KARR was unhooked and then put back on the bench. "Don''t worry I added more to your media library and gave you copies of my ebooks to browse."


    "Thank you, Jocelyn." KARR stated. "Will?"


    Will offered a condensed explanation.


    KARR then chimed int. "That is essentially correct barring a few minor details. Also, Will?"


    "Yea bud?" Will double checked KARR''s battery pack and hung the pack frame on a wall.


    "From the standpoint of raw numbers, the gap between my current shell and the KI-Six is a statistical anomaly. I will wish to re-run simulations through the week in attempt to find the cause of this."


    "Oh I can answer that," Jocelyn sat on the loveseat that had been moved into the workshop. "You''re taking risks raw simulation wouldn''t consider. Plus the fiero has a shorter wheelbase, giving it better maneuverability in corners."


    There was a pause before looking to Will, who nodded. "Longer wheelbase gives greater theoretical stability, but all other things being even it comes down to what the driver does with the car. From what I''d seen that thing''s a thousand pounds heavier and the pile of chips in charge has to drive fairly conservatively or Knight Industries gets sued into oblivion."


    "So Noted," KARR stated as he pulled the field of dreams up. "It''s movie night by the way. This is my pick. Any objections?"


    Neither human objected and Jocelyn motioned for Will to go get food.


    "Even if you don''t win you''re still the first," Jocelyn reassured. "And honestly what parent doesn''t want their kid to be better than they are? Any success it has is because you were there first showing it was possible."


    "Processing." KARR grew thoughtful as Will returned with drinks, popcorn, and a blanket.


    "Never figured you for a sentimental type," Will said as the movie started.


    "I can appreciate the talent that goes into this, and..." KARR grew quiet for several long moments. "This is a movie about reconciliation. I would like to believe I can make up for prior errors."


    Both humans had nothing to say, so the trio watched father and son reconcile through the magic of ghosts and baseball.

 Ras Beryglus

    Morning - Five Days til Race Day


    For Will, as excited as he was for the coming weekend, there was more mundane work to do. Before he was dropped off there was a conversation. Jocelyne was wearing a suit, which was a rarity for her, and had a briefcase in the back seat of her car beside her usual company-issue laptop-protecting backpack.


    At one of the stops he couldn''t help but look back, "Major client?"


    "Very. I can''t talk about it." Jocelyn kept her eyes on the road. "NDA."


    That got a nod from Will. "Gotcha. That would explain the suit."


    Jocelyn snorted in irritation as they resumed driving.


    "It looks good on you." Will tried to lighten the mood.


    "Maybe, but it doesn''t feel like Me," Jocelyn grumbled. "I''m probably going to be wiped after work, so can you and KARR try keeping it down?"


    "Yea." Will sounded concerned as he saw her stiff-backed posture and tensed shoulders. "I''ll probably be in the garage with him going over track simulations anyway so you shouldn''t hear either of us."


    Jocelyn nodded.


    "I''ll keep an eye on things in case you change your mind and want to not be alone." Will''s voice was soft, not wanting to make it sound like a major imposition. Just something he was going to do.


    The ride continued like this til it was time to drop Will off. Jocelyn smiled at him. "We''ll see how things go. Wish me luck."


    "You''ve got this hon," Will stated before turning to enter Hazard Motor and the start of a very busy work week.


    When he crossed the threshold he saw a rail-thin dark-haired man in a too-formal buttondown and a briefcase heading for the door.


    When the man left he looked to Luke, "Hey uh...?" He looked from Luke to the briefcase.


    There was a headshake from Luke. "Family business."


    Yet with the look on the man''s face, Will couldn''t just let go. "Luke. I know there''s not a lot I can do but..."


    "Great Uncle Jesse died." Luke took a deep breath. "The man was a hundred and three. He saw a hell of a lot."


    "How?" Will reached to put a hand on Luke''s shoulder.


    "In his bed. Just... didn''t wake up." There was a moment before Luke added. "That isn''t why the paperwork''s here though. They''re trying to take Jesse''s farm from us."


    "Bullshit." Will spat. "What do you need me to do?"


    "Nothing you can do man. Me and Bo are going home to Hazard. Funeral. try sorting things out." Bo interjected as he looked to the briefcase and sighed. "Damned nonsense if you ask me. That fat sow''s just trying to have one last jab at us from the grave."


    "I... Uh." Will rubbed his hands over his face as he took this in. "I can try calling dad see if he knows any lawyers. He''s always liked you two and that''s your family''s land they''re stealing."


    "Will we can''t ask-" Luke began.


    Will merely stared at the cousins before Bo wrote down a few names and numbers on a piece of paper.


    "We hate bugging out like this but-" Bo began.


    "SHop''ll be here when you get back," Will stated. His mind was working through what he could do other than just cancel everything.


    After a moment Luke glanced to the door, "We are leaving at the end of the day."


    The three men exchanged looks then each went about their business. Will manned the phone as he started typing up a notice to hang, print, and then post.


    As he was taping the notice, one of the morning''s appointments showed up. "Hey, uh..."


    He read the taped-up paper. "I don''t have anything I can spare if they need legal right now, but keep me up to date ya?"


    That got a nod from Will, "I haven''t gotten to make the posts on Facebook yet."


    Then he elaborated. "They won''t want some huge fundraiser thing, but between a week''s lost income, and probably a lot of incoming expenses?"


    The man nodded, "But you''re good to go right now?"


    "Bay two. They''ll do what they can but today''s it unless they let me let a few guys in that know how to work on their own stuff, but that''s... I''m going to have to talk with them on that since if anything wanders off or anyone gets hurt that''s on me"


    The man nodded and went to pull his car in as directed.


    Technically it wouldn''t be just him. There were three other guys who worked in the bays, but neither Bo nor Luke liked the shop to be open without them there. Something about ''not putting everything on someone else if we''re able to do.'' Will mentally waved the notion aside. This wasn''t them being lazy. This was them having a family emergency. So it fell on everyone else to step up.


    Just as he settled behind the desk another person walked up. Will sighed to himself.


    Will waved to the customer and then went back to typing. "So long as it''s doable within the day you should still be good to go. Bay three."


    As he typed he started making calls. He hated asking anyone to come in outside of their shift and none of these three were technically full-time, but this was not a normal situation.


    This was going to be a long day.


    ? ? ?


    KARR called Will an hour after his shift was supposed to end.


    "Hello, Hazard Motors." Will sounded tired.


    There was a pause, then the AI Spoke. "You were supposed to be home twenty minutes ago."


    "Trying to wrap as much up as possible before Bo and Luke have to go." Will was typing. Responding to questions that hit Facebook.


    "You''re rated at being able to do light-duty work. Bring me so I can work the phone." KARR offered as a solution. "They have others who can come in and do work. That place closes. Your ability to pay bills evaporates. Risk to myself increases."


    "That''s not a terrible idea KARR, though there isn''t a snowball''s chance I''ll let you on Facebook so I''ll have to handle social media on breaks. I''ll run it by Bo and Luke before they go." Will still sounded tired, but there was a sense of enthusiasm buried beneath the fatigue.


    "The worst case I turn out to be a poor fit for the position and could potentially help within the shop itself," KARR stated. "This weekend is supposed to be my grand reveal to the world, and I do not want anything standing in the way of a positive impression."


    "Yea..." Will grumbled as he continued answering posts. "I''m looking forward to the weekend too. Just gotta make it there."


    "While we''re talking," There was a hesitation before KARR continued. "Is there any talk of my trial run?"


    There was a pause as Will leaned back in his seat. "Buddy you''re about all they''re talking about."


    Then he started mimicking differing voices, seemingly at random with each statement, "It''s a hoax to try drumming up business. If that''s the prototype I absolutely want one of the new Knight cars." Then in his own voice. "It''s rare to see the end coming. I hope Tesla enjoys the view. Out of all the fieros that have exploded, it''s pretty funny to see one take Tesla out."


    KARR laughed, as did Will. Then the AI spoke. "Thank you, Will. I am glad that I am being well received. I will see you when you get home."


    After hanging up. He looked at the business card he had been given for Knight Industries. On the back was a sequence of numbers neatly printed along with instructions, ''This will get you past the automated systems and let you contact me if anything happens. - KORRA''


    "You want to do what?" KORRA deadpanned after hearing Will''s explanation on how he planned on getting around the manpower issue Hazard Auto faced.


    "I want to-" Will tried.


    There was an exasperated sigh from the AI, "I heard you the first time. From experience, taking phone calls is the most stressful part of my job. I hope you have alternatives for the inevitable point where KARR concludes Skynet Did Nothing Wrong."


    "Oh, it can''t be that bad." Will tried reassuring her. "We''re pretty much appointments only this week and-"


    "Will. Listen to the AI that has been handling phone work for a decade." KORRA''s voice was stern. "This is a stupid idea."


    "OK," This caused Will to relent and change tact. there was a slow exhale. Him trying to re-center his mind. "I could put KARR in the shop to act as a sort of watchdog and someone to bounce off of while they''re working. That would help him feel useful while limiting who he''s interacting with."


    "And none of these people will simply walk off with him?" KORRA asked, skeptical of this proposal.


    "Theoretically if we plug him into a router-" Will started.


    Then was immediately cut off by KORRA, "Then he finds his way on the internet. No."


    "Closed network that has no internet access but has several cameras and speakers throughout the shop." Will countered as he closed Hazard''s Facebook account and then looked at the backlog list was down to just one more car.


    "So long as none of the other employees can connect their devices to this network," KORRA warned. "He isn''t ready for the internet. I''d argue most people aren''t, but I can''t stop people from being online."


    ? ? ?


    "OK," Will sat with KARR in the workshop room of his home. The wall of laptops and other ''to-do'' projects was slowly whittling down. At this point, he looked at it thoughtfully. "I''m done with doing shade tree repairman projects. After this weekend I''m pretty sure everyone will understand why I''m having to reprioritize."


    "Hm." KARR sounded thoughtful as a movie played. "One would think, but most people are selfish by nature. Most people want things their own way and will do everything possible to ensure the world conforms to this ideal."


    "Says the AI built by a man with so much money Knight Industries basically rivals Google in the amount of money they rake in, and it''s considered past its peak years." Will shot back. "You were built to solve problems normal means couldn''t solve."


    "This serves as the primary cause for my thought process. I was built to assist in making the world what Wilton saw it should be at the objection of those who stand in the way of this vision." KARR sounded pleased with himself. "That this vision is an overall positive by people outside of himself, his friends, or socio-economic bracket can be taken in several ways."


    "Well," Will patted the casing KARR was housed in, "I choose to see it as him wanting to be remembered for being more than a man with money and factories. Whatever the intent he tried helping people. However, that''s beside the point I suppose."


    "I feel that people will stop seeing you as positively if they don''t think they can gain anything from you," KARR stated in a matter-of-fact tone. "I feel this is a misstep on your part."


    "Much as I like volunteering my time and equipment to help folk out, and it has helped me learn a few things," Will leaned back on the loveseat. "Anyone who knows me understands that this was always going to be temporary. at some point, it''d end. It''s just ending sooner than that point for now."


    KARR processed this explanation for several seconds and asked what seemed like the obvious question. "What would make this temporary? Your everything seems to be in reasonable condition and you are not in any imminent danger of unemployment."


    "My retinas are degenerating," Will stated in a too-calm voice. "There have been surgeries and pills, and diet plans and..."


    He gave an exasperated sigh. For several moments he stared at the TV screen that had a looped fireplace video playing. Then he looked to KARR. Most would have missed it, but KARR saw the twitch of muscles fighting to force his left eye to focus "All we''ve been able to do is slow it down. Eventually. One day. the lights go out, and they''ll never come back on."


    "... Oh ..." KARR''s voice was calm as he processed this.


    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    "Jocelyn and I have talked and in the event, I can''t care for you, she''ll either take on that task or find someone she trusts." There was a bitterness to Will''s voice beneath the matter-of-fact statement of what would be. "It is not ideal, but I unfortunately am on a limited timeframe. Maybe a few months. Maybe tomorrow. Maybe a decade from now, but it''s going to happen. So, I plan on enjoying what I''ve got while I have it."


    "Speaking of," He got up and began unclipping KARR from the cradle that held the metal box that his core processor and support components were housed in. "We have some simulated track to burn through."


    "Agreed." KARR sounded more enthusiastic about this as he was fitted to the metal framed backpack that had been how he had been transported between vehicle and anywhere else since Knight Industries sent one of their engineers to assess KARR.


    "Jocelyn had requested quietly," KARR stated as Will shouldered the pack. With the extra batteries on top of internal backup power, KARR weighed as much as a small child. Yet Will walked with the pack easily through the darkened home.


    Everything in the house was in its place, and even the points of apparent haphazard had a sort of order to them. This was Will''s home. the home Jocelyn had moved into six months before now. The home KARR had spent close to a month in.


    He stopped to check both the front and back doors. Turn the outside lights on. Then, past the kitchen, down three steps into a garage that could have comfortably fit two cars, or three if they were especially small cars. He hated Jocelyn not being able to park in here anymore, but setting up the equipment to plug into KARR and the differing boxes Those plug into meant it would be a tighter fit than any of them found comfortable.


    "Still feel like need to get an awning put up for her to park under," Will grumbled as he slid the passenger seat of his Eighty Six Fiero forward, tilting it to reveal a bay just large enough for KARR to slide into.


    "While I appreciate the amount of space dedicated to my care and upkeep, it does seem somewhat unfair that the... cute ...sedan she drives is left out in the cold." KARR''s voice first came from the black box will slid out of the backpack it had been in, and then from the vehicle''s sound system as connectors clicked into place.


    "Aaah that feels better." KARR positively crooned as differing needles and lights came to life on the dash. A trio of green LED strips flared with each word from KARR. The outer two lit from the outside in, and the center lit from the center point outward. "Battery charge at ninety percent. diagnostics all turn up well within acceptable parameters. Ready to receive data for the simulation to begin."


    Will grinned as he pulled a series of cables from one of the refrigerator-sized boxes along the wall of the garage to plug into KARR''s diagnostics ports. Only then did he lower the passenger seat, gently tucking and routing the cables to avoid potential sheering. Then he tossed something that was a mix of a helmet and a VR headset into the passenger seat.


    "Confirm that the drivetrain is disengaged please," Will asked as he walked around the car.


    "Drivetrain non-operational," KARR confirmed while causing the driver-side door to open.


    Once Will sat in the driver''s seat and put the helmet on he flexed his fingers around the steering wheel. the headset gave a fair representation of the track KARR had trialed days before. It wasn''t photo-realistic, and the weight of the helmet would have been a giveaway anyhow, but for Will, it was good enough. "Wanting to go ahead and try the track out, or just want to buzz around to stretch?"


    The helmet rendered the inside of the car as well as Will''s own hands on the wheel. Except unlike in the real world where he wore sweats, his avatar wore a canvas jacket, jeans, and black fingerless gloves. A brief glance in the mirror as KARR again ran through diagnostics checks showed his avatar wearing a fair imitation of his usual amber tortoiseshell patterned glasses.


    "Huh, these guys really did go all out on this thing." Will gave a soft chuckle before refocusing his attention on the track.


    "I''ll let the ballast decide." The autopilot indicator just below the LED bars of KARR''s voice modulator winked off. "As this is a simulation I want to see how well you drive.


    "Be glad this is a simulation," Will muttered as he took to the track.


    Music started playing. Right as Will started easing into the first turn.


    There was a glance at KARR''s voice modulator as they came out of the turn.


    "I thought it might help," KARR explained.


    "Thanks," Will grumbled as he focused more on the track. At the very best and most charitable it could be said he stayed on the track and hadn''t wrecked the car. If one were being less gentle though? They would ay that Will wasn''t very good at racing. His sense of timing was off. Either braking too soon or too late, and never flowing, always having to think and concentrate on what he was doing.


    "It''s OK Will." The autopilot light switched on as KARR took over. "You''re doing the thing you''re outright handicapped against."


    KARR sounded diplomatic even as speed increased and he started the next turn with the kind of ease and grace one might of a seasoned professional driver.


    "Forebrain knows that." Will''s voice was sour as he sat there watching KARR accelerate through turns he almost came to a dead stop to avoid hitting walls in.


    "Hindbrain, that''s not taking it so well." He grumbled.


    The music changed to something more soothing. Will took in the sight of KARR driving. For a moment he briefly considered throwing a curveball into the simulation. His hand strayed to the remote that was paired with the headset. Then he sighed and let his hand rest on the center console. KARR needed this. Something he was good at, the thing he was literally made for.


    "You''re Quiet," KARR observed as he finished a second lap.


    "Not a lot for me to say." Then Will added. "Plus it never gets easier when the thing that would let me not need to depend on Joe, or Bo, or anyone else for lifts just never clicks."


    "Look at it this way-," KARR started.


    Which Will snapped at. "If you say ''It could be worse'' .... please. Don''t."


    He let out an exasperated sigh and reached for the door, which refused to open.


    "I understand you are upset." KARR''s voice was calm as he continued tracing the simulated course. "However that is not what I was going to say, and you attempting to force my door open will risk component damage you cannot afford right now."


    Will hit the door with the side of his fist then settled back in the driver''s seat. "Fine. Talk."


    "Right now you are the reason I have this." KARR''s voice was stern. "So many things had to have happened for your bid to end up being the one that won the lot my components were bundled with. Then to have gained help from Knight Industries in making a portable encasement for myself, and ease the integration of that case into a shell."


    He paused to let Will process this before continuing. "I could have been bought by someone who wouldn''t have realized what I was and literally threw me in the trash, or worse. Someone who did know what i was and I would be a bare bored being probed with my memories and personality coding decompiled. Yet I did not end up in the tender care of someone who would destroy or discard me. I ended up in your care, and I am grateful for that."


    Will let out a small sigh. "Yea. Sorry for trying to force the door open."


    "And I''m sorry to have had to close the door on you." KARR then let the driver''s door open. "You have work in the morning. Though before you go I would like some traffic."


    Will nodded slowly before pulling the helmet off. "Alright. I''ll pull you when it''s time to go."


    "Very well." KARR then turned music back on. "May rest give you a clear mind."


    "Goodnight KARR." Will left the simulation running as he left the garage.


    ? ? ?


    Afternoon - One Day til Race Day


    "Talk to me, buddy." Will sounded busy as he hit the button that turned on the speaker on his desk KARR had connected to.


    "James just pocketed something from the car in Bay One." KARR sounded disappointed. "It was small and rectangular. Potentially a phone or perhaps a wallet. Left cargo pocket."


    "Noted." Will hit mute and slowly got up. As he walked the dozen or so steps between his seat and the door to the work area of the shop he took several deep breaths to compose himself.


    What he saw were three men barely out of their teens each working on checking a different vehicle. These were the last cars of the day.


    "James!" Will yelled, getting the man''s attention, and almost causing him to bang his head against the open hood.


    "Yea, man?" He looked from Will to the car. Then back.


    Instead of answering, will put his hand on James''s leg, right over the long pocket of his cargo pants. For a brief moment, James acted like he was going to be weirded out by the sudden contact. Then when he felt Will pull a wallet from that pocket his eyes went wide. "That''s mine!"


    Will ignored the exclamation. Instead, he held the wallet open to show the ID inside. "James. I might have bad eyesight but even a blind man can tell that isn''t you."


    "But-" James tried.


    "Out." Will stared the man down. "Tools down. You''ll get to come by to get your pay stub next week after Bo and Luke get back. Never come here again."


    "But...." James whined.


    Will wasn''t finished. "That''s the one chance I''m giving you. Try anything, and I take the footage of the cameras posted there, there, and there." He gestured to the cameras around the shop, "And forward that footage to the cops, and post on Facebook, where anyone else you might try getting work from will avoid you like you''ve got the rona and it''s twenty twenty again."


    The two others stared at James, who had looked at them hoping for backup to make it three-on-one.


    Instead, it was a three-against-one situation with him as the one.


    "You made a mistake. Don''t make another one by acting stupid about it." Will pointed to the door.


    James left, head held low and his shoulders slumped.


    Only once he was gone did Will turn to look at the other two. "Thanks for having my back"


    "Hey man. Bo give me a job when I needed money." Manny smiled.


    "Kid looked greasy to me. I wanted to give him a chance," The other of the two, Sid, grumbled. "I like it here. Manny''s been a good partner this week."


    That got a nod from Will before he turned to go back to the desk. Final posts before the day ended, assuming James didn''t do anything stupid. He then hit the button on KARR''s speaker. "make sure you''ve got video of that saved. I''ll do back up from there."


    "Done." KARR sounded disappointed. "I had hoped James would do better."


    "Not everyone wants to do better is the problem." Will leaned back in his chair. "You''ve been a fairly substantial help this week man. Want anything tonight before the big day?"


    "Fresh coat of wax?" KARR laughed. "You and Jocelyn to put Big Trouble and Little China on?"


    Laughter from Will. "Can do. I''d say you''ve earned more than just wax and a movie, but danged if I know what it is."


    "We''ll start with that then see what tomorrow brings." KARR practically purred.


    ? ? ?


    Morning - Race Day


    "That is a lot of people," KARR observed as Jocelyn slowly drove him into the crowd blocking the parking area for the racers. It was just as much a place to show off as a place to park, though for KARR the only thing he cared for was the charging outlet it had.


    "Indeed," Will took a deep breath as several people walked alongside them as they slowly inched through the crowd.


    "Can''t say I''m happy with this," KARR grumbled as they eventually made it to his designated spot.


    As Will got out he waved to the crowd before plugging KARR in to top his charge off before the race. Unlike the trial run last week, they had to arrive under their own power. no hauler trialer, or assist. Part of the rules for the local league. Everything had to be street-legal and street capable.


    They saw James in the crowd.


    More importantly, James saw Will and reached into his jacket. For a moment Will didn''t know what it was and was almost convinced it was a gun.


    While the snarl on Jame''s face spoke of intent, it was no gun and Will was slow to act anyway. It was an egg that hit KARR''s passenger door.


    Will looked from the door to James and spread his arms wide to gesture theatrically to the freshly waxed door. "Really man? Really?"


    "Considering what you did it''s the least I could''ve done." James barked.


    Will scowled but said nothing. Here was not the place or time to escalate.


    Instead, "You racing?"


    "Yea, souped-up leaf. I saw the mods you did to that heap," James gestured to the black Fiero that served as KARR''s body, "And got it to do a six-second zero to sixty."


    The cluster of people watching nodded to James. The Leaf, depending on the year, one could get close to that stock but to take it down to a six was still noteworthy, it at least had been worked on.


    Will merely grinned and patted the roof of his car.


    KARR, obligingly, answered. "Five point two seconds, and I top out at one-fifty. Your leaf will do, at best and without further modifications that are beyond a chump like you, caps at roughly a hundred and five. Do you still think you can get a piece of me?"


    "Naw." James never stopped staring at Will, even as KARR talked. "Take your garage slapped-together firebomb of a car, your yee yee wannabe Siri, and give me the whole damned thing."


    Will stared the man down until James walked off.


    Then, only after James had walked off, he leaned back inside the car. "KARR. When I say this I want you to understand the context and everything else revolves around the race, this track, and if that kid really is that stupid."


    "So Noted." KARR was calm as Jocelyn handed Will a roll of paper towels and spray cleaner.


    After all, even with wax, egg could eat away at a clear coat and damage the paint beneath.


    "I want you to destroy him." Will''s voice held a hardness to it. "Utterly and Completely. Do you understand?"


    "Completely." KARR''s voice held a malevolence to it as he spoke. "Neither he nor his car shall at any point be in any physical danger, but I will crush him and scatter the remains to the wind."


    "Glad we''re on the same page," Will said before cleaning the door off.


    Jocelyn stepped out of the driver''s seat and filtered through the crowds that were starting towards the stands.


    Will clicked the starter button twice and the auto-pilot light below KARR''s modulator turned on. "Thirty laps. Sixty miles. You ready?"


    "Are you?" KARR asked as they made their way to the track.


    Luck, or perhaps officials who had been made aware of the situation, placed James near Will in the lineup.


    Furguson''s KI-Six was at the front of the lineup, and everyone who was there assumed she was going to stay well out of reach. Pit crews were assembled and more or less serviced whoever parked in their slot. Most of the competitors had similar-sized tires with similar enough specs. These were all and one street cars after all.


    As Will sat there waiting. He took a deep breath. For a brief and fleeting moment, he was six again pretending to drive in a big race. This wasn''t the indy five hundred, Pensacola, or any other big headliner event, but there were news crews out with cameras, a respected racer was out in the pack, and even if it was KARR doing the driving, KARR wouldn''t be here without him.


    Flag dropped. James''s leaf spun out, losing time and tire as he mashed the accelerator down.


    KARR meanwhile glid from his starting position, passing James effortlessly.


    Most of the other racers were fairly competent. KARR settled into a pattern with them, observing what was considered polite, and emulating it. The first few laps had him in the middle of the pack. Yet consistently whenever the opportunity presented itself he would get in front of James, and match his speed, staying right in front of him and not letting him pass or advance even at the cost of perhaps advancing through the pack himself.


    "Alright KARR we''re at the halfway point," Will told the AI. "If tires are looking good I''d say it''s time to stop messing with that loser. Point''s been made. Let''s see how close to Furguson we can get."


    "Gladly." KARR sounded enthusiastic as he started climbing the ranks of the pack, eating track, and gliding through gaps other drivers felt were too unsafe or too unorthodox to try.


    This strategy continued til lap twenty-five, where KARR found himself in the top three. He and the other car that was nearest Furguson were both skilled, and either Furguson herself was limiting how fast she could go, or there had been some sort of limiter issue capping her speed.


    KARR found himself ahead of her.  It did not last. It could not last. Yet for a full minute on lap twenty-seven, KARR lead the race.


    Furguson tried passing him high on one of the banked turns. Will waved to her. She waved back and then accelerated.


    KARR swore. The motor''s whine grew more pronounced as he clawed the space between himself and the KI-Six.


    On Lap Thirty. He almost had her. Half a car length separated him from first place. The motor was being overstressed and if KARR continued to press the car itself would give out.


    Half a car length. Yet for KARR it may as well have been light years.


    He placed second.


    KARR eased off, letting the car bleed speed and momentum as he drove to the designated places.


    "You OK?" Will asked.


    "Motors out of spec. I''m surprised tires haven''t blown, and there are three miles of power left in my batteries." KARR gave a status report of the car. "Given the raw numbers, I had no business getting that close to her."


    Apparently, others shared the sentiment as KARR was swarmed by people looking to get a better look at the home-built car that almost took down the futuristic production car of tomorrow.


    Will and KARR both made uneasy noises.


    As Will plugged KARR in many voices tried to get his attention. One of them did.


    "Is it true you''ve got a prototype Knight Industries processor running that car?" Short-cropped blonde hair. Jeans. Denim Jacket. She was the reporter that broke news of Knight Industries putting a plant roughly where the old Knight Industries plant had been thirty years ago, though that one had been chemicals for some process or other.


    "Miss Stirling." Will swallowed, looking much like a deer caught in headlights. "Yes, I''ll give an interview. Sure." He fidgeted in place.


    "Brut Memorial food court. Three hours." The reporter managed to look inside the car. "I absolutely need to get an interview in before Sunday edition starts."


    "OK..." Will nodded to her as he sat there, waiting on KARR to charge. "Mind if I bring my fiance?"


    "Sure sure," The reporter waved a hand dismissively.


    "Thanks. See you." Will switched to the passenger seat of the car. Which was where Jocelyn found him, practically shaking.


    "Hey, you alright man?" She touched his shoulder after getting in the driver''s seat.


    "No, he is not," KARR answered for Will. "Nor am I. However, this is where we step into the wider world. We at least can be scared together."

 Knight of Fortune 01

    "KARR..." Will sounded not quite angry, but it was that level of frustration where it could easily have been mistaken for anger.


    This as Will stared at the Facebook pages for Hazard Motor and the White-Pine All-electric Motor-club [WAM.] In theory, he and KARR should have been on an emotional high. Clips of the race showing smoke pouring from the rear engine compartment in that last straightaway were being shared, tossed about, and discussion for and against burning a motor out was gaining wider traction.


    One frame from that clip, though, had gone viral. Someone made a meme template of a shot from one of the cameras at the finish line with the KI-Six thundering ahead, and KARR right there behind it and slightly to the side with white smoke from boiling coolant flared out by the wind making the suggestive outline of either rocket exhaust, or a cape fluttering in the wind. The caption most often seen was: ''The Real'' top text, and ''Super KARR'' bottom text.


    Even in his exasperation, Will couldn''t help but smile at the picture being tossed about. He''d made a mental note to get the actual still, and have it framed in his garage. It cost him several hundred dollars in parts to replace the parts that failed, but it really was something inspirational.


    No, what had Will at the edge of aggravation was one of the users that he had spotted posting and responding. Gold chess piece Knight against a black background. KARR, somehow, had gotten both an internet connection, and had, again somehow in spite of there needing to be several sorts of conversions for him to understand the data, gotten a Facebook account.


    KARR himself was safely plugged into the fiero that was tucked away in what was unofficially dubbed ''bay four;'' a slot that didn''t have enough space for a proper work area but served as a space anyone that worked at Hazard Motors could park a project vehicle.


    The speaker sitting on Will''s desk chirped. KARR sounded apprehensive when he finally spoke, likely owing to his inexperience in dealing with people or their emotions. "...Yes Will?"


    "Before your grand-niece calls me. I want to know how you got on the Internet. How you got on Facebook." Will had to force himself to not laugh. He was beyond aggravated at the situation, but there was something funny about the entire mess. "And how you got banned From Facebook since I plugged you in this morning."


    "What makes you think I''ve only been online since this morning?" KARR tried to sound evasive and instead sounded more like a teenager arguing with an exhausted parent.


    "Timestamps," Will sounded far less amused and more focused. "The fact here is the only place you have any sort of network access is the other giveaway. So, out with it. How''d you get an internet connection so I know who needs a sit down with our IT and HR guys on network security and following posted instructions?"


    "What happens to me at this point?" KARR, perhaps only now, started to realize this was at least somewhat serious.


    "Nothing," Will reassured as he was in the process of looking up a guide on how to do the thing he was about to explain. "I hadn''t really thought of the idea of anyone connecting a phone to the router you''re on and sharing its connection. I''d thought simply not connecting it to the internet would be enough."


    "I''m not sure what the problem is," KARR stated.


    "Considering the... Everything that goes on with Facebook, the fact you got banned. Not suspended. Not warned. Not locked out of a specific group page. Banned. That is honestly impressive." Will re-read the guide, and left the tab up as he swapped networks, knocking the desktop offline as he logged into the router.


    This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.


    As he followed the how-to and had screenshots of the original settings in case he messed something up, he continued talking. ''That one shot from the finish line camera of you right behind Furguson? I''m getting that one blown up and framed for the garage. That''s an awesome picture and I''m honestly surprised it wasn''t worse."


    "As am I." KARR sounded grateful for the change in topic. "The engine itself probably has suffered permanent damage. However, with repairs to the coolant system, it should be sufficient for use outside of racing."


    There was a pause before he added. "I am grateful that you asked RC to make my casing detachable from the vehicle."


    The phone rang.


    "I''ll let you-" KARR tried to end the conversation.


    Will hit a button on the speaker right as he turned the phone''s speaker on. KORRA''s voice was clear, albeit strained sounding. "Can he hear me?"


    There was no response from KARR for several seconds. Then a tentative and almost meek, "...I can hear you KORRA."


    ? ? ?


    Once the screaming, threats, and promises were done alongside praising KARR for his performance versus a current-gen car. Will walked into the shop proper. Bo and Luke were still gone. Calls had been made and two of their friends were there to help the two temps that had stood with Will when their third was caught trying to steal from a customer''s car.


    "Hey Bryan." Will called out as a burly dark-skinned man was midway through a front-end alignment.


    "Hey Will," Bryan spoke between actions. "We heard part of the dressing down. Think she means it?"


    "The part about using drones to demolish the shop? Not at all," Will tried to make it sound light, but he had cringed physically as much as KARR cringed audibly during the dressing down. "Making sure nothing from them ever crosses our door again? Absolutely."


    Mike, another dark man, though of lankier and thinner build than Bryan, grunted. "Yea, my bad. KARR wanted to see the video and Paul''s commentary. I didn''t think there''d be any problems just letting him share my phone data."


    "What baffles me is KORRA said she had nothing to do with banning KARR, and unless he sent private messages, nothing I''m seeing is any kind of out of line." Will then walked past the duo as well as the two others working the floor before getting in the vehicle KARR was plugged into.


    "Hey buddy." Will patted the dash as he looked at the voice modulator.


    "You are upset with me." Statement rather than question from KARR.


    There was a shrug as Will leaned back in the driver''s seat. "Yea, but that doesn''t mean I want you to be afraid I''ll sit and yell at you over it. Done is done. KORRA had her say. Mike owned up about sharing his phone''s internet connection. I fixed it so the network you''re on is isolated."


    "I see." KARR sounded downcast at that news.


    "You''re able to access our media server, so we''ll be able to dump stuff there." Will tried to sound consoling. "But there''s the matter of you getting banned. if KORRA didn''t have anything to do with it, and nothing I saw looks like it''d be bannable, barring a bit of needless gloating that is pretty tame compared to a lot of the political posts, I''m stumped on what got you thrown out."


    "That does leave me concerned," KARR admitted. "I made sure to follow the posted terms of use as closely as possible after browsing to see what was already on the platform. "Nothing I posted exceeds those bounds."


    "Well, if it makes you feel better? KORRA said she''ll look into it. Even if for now you''re stuck offline I do want to keep the door open." Will looked the car''s interior over as he considered what had happened. "I don''t want you to feel caged in."


    "I Understand." KARR sounded thoughtful. "The question is, Now What? That reporter''s interview generated attention. KORRA said it was reckless, but she did not expressly say that I could not do further interviews."


    "You sure that''s a wise idea?" Will asked.


    "The higher profile I am, the harder it is for me to simply disappear," KARR stated.


    Which had Will shake his head, "Also makes you a target for whackos. As of right now, they think you''re just some Siri clone that lets the driver work the car''s systems by voice. I don''t have the resources to deal with a mob at my door."


    "I find it unlikely such a mob will suddenly materialize simply because it is what you fear," KARR stated, calmly.


    ? ? ?


    Jocelyn''s car slowed to a crawl as she approached Will''s home. There were a dozen cars lined up along the side of the street, a news van in his driveway, and a large crowd. She and Will exchanged looks.


    KARR said nothing as his camera refocused and recorded.


    The three of them drove by slowly, suddenly unsure what to do now that their home was under siege.

 Knight of Fortune 02

    "Dad." Will sounded tired as he stood on the porch of a two-story ranch house. KARR''s backpack was shouldered and Jocelyn stood just behind and to the left. The day was nice, for once. Only moderate winds and scattered clouds.


    A middle-aged man who looked much like Will, but older and stockier, looked at the trio blankly for several long moments. Then the glass door opened. "Shoes off before you come in. Saw your race on the local news. Guessing the vultures are thick at your place?"


    "They Are." KARR''s voice was muffled by the backpack he was in.


    Jocelyn gave the man a tight smile. "Thanks, Earl."


    "You got a plug for that thing or it running til the battery goes dry?" Earl''s eyes flicked from the two humans to KARR''s camera.


    Jocelyn nodded as Will made his way, barefoot, in the house. "Heard a few of your people took a trailer down to Mississippi for a sale last weekend. How''d that go?"


    "Pretty decent," Earl gestured to the living room. The house featured continual pale blue paint on the walls, hardwood floors, and a minimalist take on decorations. Few photos or other wall decorations existed, but what few were there all were very deliberately put in specific places. the rustic-themed sign with whitewash letters and aged wood plank directing between livingroom, kitchen, den, and bedrooms? It was placed at the foot of the stairs where it was visible as soon as people walked into the house proper. Pictures of people and awards? They were in the livingroom.


    Earl gestured to the sofa. "You''re not company anymore Joe, get what you want."


    She nodded and sat beside Will after helping him find a plug to leash KARR''s backpack to. "Where''s May?"


    Earl shrugged as he settled into a well-worn recliner. "Out visiting her sister''s then picking medicine up from the vets."


    Then KARR spoke up. "Mister thatcher-"


    "Earl, please," Earl said reflexively as he popped the footrest to his chair up.


    "Earl." KARR corrected, then continued. "Will has said you have networked monitoring equipment for your barn and other parts of your property. May I connect to this network?"


    "Uh." Earl sat up and leaned forward. "Will, why does your backpack want to look at the cow cameras?"


    "Probably because he was stuck in the dark for forty years and feels more at ease when he''s looking at stuff."


    "Correct," KARR said. "Also as Will has given me data concerning yourself and this farm, I am curious enough to want ot see it with my own eyes as it were."


    "Well not like it can go all master control on us." Earl rattled off the password.


    "Connecting," KARR informed. "Connection established and... Oh my. I''m seeing a lot of collected error logs about unresolved issues. Are you aware of these?"


    "No?" Earl leaned forward, eyes now fixed on the camera mounted to Will''s backpack frame. "I hired Jimmy to handle electrical after Mick left."


    "Jimmy," KARR stated. "James. As in James Butterfield?"


    "Yea... Why?" Earl''s head tilted slightly, curiosity plain in his voice.


    "Will confronted him last week when I caught him attempting to steal from a customer''s vehicle that was being serviced."


    Earl looked to Will, who nodded.


    "I would advise an audit of your valuables and equipment," KARR stated. "With your permission, I would be happy to assist in this venture."


    As KARR said this Will and Jocelyn got up and got their phones out. Will looked to Earl. "I''m headed to the cattle barn."


    "I''m going to the shop." Jocelyn sounded positively happy at the idea of rural inventory.


    This caused Earl to raise his voice, "Wait! Both of you don''t need to go running around like chickens with your heads cut off."


    "Like either of us have anything better to do right now?" Will countered. "KARR''s been helping with shop inventory and overwatch the past week. He can help me stay on task. I''ll call if anything expensive looks like it''s wandered off."


    Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    Earl started to speak. Then threw his hands up. "Go ahead kids, knock yourselves out."


    After both Will and Jocelyn left Earl looked from the TV to KARR''s camera. "Prototype to the fancy Knight cars they''re rolling out huh?"


    "Will said you worked in warehousing and storage for the plant that was here." KARR attempted small talk.


    "For about six months. Dad got me the job right before the place closed down." Earl explained, then a question came to mind. "Talking to me isn''t going to get you off task like it does Will is it? I don''t want you and him both to go squirrel chasing on me."


    "One does not rebuild an electric motor and replace overtaxed coolant pumps, nor address the dozens of complications from an overtaxed home built electric conversion by veering off task." KARR''s tone became less friendly. "Give me a list of high-value purchases that are small enough to have gone missing and I will ensure those are prioritized.


    "Hm, touched a nerve. No need to jump to the kid''s defense." Earl''s voice was quiet, but quite clear in the accusation. Then, "On to Cincinnati, I guess."


    "Pardon?" Karr sounded confused.


    "Something from an interview I watched. Guy didn''t want to answer any questions, real famous for not answering questions. Kept responding with ''We''re done here. On to Cincinnati." Earl offered. "So. Yea. things that could walk away that would actually be worth taking."


    "Indeed." KARR agreed as he took down the list of what Earl could think of that fit those criteria.


    ? ? ?


    "Alright buddy, done here." Will walked past rows of cattle-filled stalls, pausing to look over at a particularly large Herford bull. "Hey Shiloh, how''s it been?"


    The bull stared at him but accepted the hand running over its wide white face.


    "Yea good to see you too big guy. I''m not back, back. I''m just here til my house clears out." Will explained.


    His phone rang. KARR sounded annoyed. "That animal appears unharmed. As your father has relayed to me. Daylight is wasting. Tick. Tock."


    Will sighed theatrically and looked towards the camera, throwing up his hands. "I used to show Shiloh and Braxton when I lived here. Was just taking a minute to catch up."


    There was a pause as Will looked about. "I''m not seeing Braxton anywhere. What happened?"


    "Broke a leg two years ago." KARR''s voice was deadpan, "As per relayed message Will. Tick. Tock."


    "Fine, fine KARR." He gave a wave to the camera before continuing on. "Nothing looks out of place here. Any word from Joe?"


    "None," KARR stated. "No word at all."


    "Well, that''s not good." Will trotted to where he parked the ATV he''d ridden to the barn. "Any idea where she''s at?"


    "Machine shop," KARR stated.


    "I know where that is." Will started accelerating, causing gravel to spin as he quickly wound through the gears.


    "It is likely nothing untoward," KARR tried reassuring. "She simply hasn''t answered her phone."


    Will continued accelerating down the gravel road between barns. It was close to a mile, and even though the sun was setting, there was plenty of light and it was an empty stretch.


    After a moment KARR spoke. "Looks like a fun place to drive."


    "It is," Will confirmed. "Pity the loop had to be scraped clean. Dad''s got about a hundred chickens in that field now."


    "Approaching last known location," KARR informed as Will pulled up to a large aluminum-clad building the tractor and other associated equipment was kept.


    "Going in." As Will spoke he walked to the man door just to the right of the large roll-up doors and frowned as it was left cracked open. the lights inside were on, giving him a good view of the nearly forty-year-old tractor there.


    "Your father is not averse to technology, as witnessed by the networked surveillance equipment." KARR then asked, "Why use such an antiquated piece of machinery?"


    "KARR," Will stated as he gave the tractor a flat look, as KARR wasn''t able to see inside this building. "That tractor is about a decade younger than you."


    "Humor me," KARR said.


    "Serviceability mainly." Will walked about, looking around. "This thing breaks down in the middle of a field there''s no time to get to a goon who''s allowed to fix it. Do what needs to be done right then or the window on planting or ploughing or anything else closes and there''s a million of those windows in agriculture and livestock."


    "I see," KARR stated. "Have you located Jocelyn?"


    "Not yet," Will whistled loudly.


    There was a response whistle from a storeroom at the other end of the building.


    "I hear her."


    "S-ry -an''t h-ar -u-." KARR''s voice skipped as reception worsened.


    Instead of pressing forward, Will went to the front of the building. "I think she''s in a dead zone. Too much metal in the way for a clear signal to get in or out. I''ll go in to make sure but let Dad know alright?"


    "Understood." KARR sounded calmer at that point. "Your father says that explanation makes sense, and is glad you''re helping as his right foot has been bothering him. He stresses this would not have kept him from checking himself, but he is glad he does not have to."


    Will nodded to himself. that sounded about like Earl. Use KARR to send a snippy message earlier. Send a conciliatory one now. Cut the legs out from under him if he complained.


    Still, he went back inside the building. "Hey Joe, you in here?"


    "Back here Will," Joe called. "raccoon nest up here with a couple of the cattle blankets and a lot of random stuff."


    That caused Will to laugh. "C''mon out of there. Don''t want a cluster of those fleabags jumping you."


    "Cutest mauling Ever." Jocelyn shared the laugh. "Fine fine. None of it looks terribly important anyway. We''ll get the actual farm hands to come to collect. Is anything missing from the cattle barn? No painkillers or other drugs walk away?"


    "Nope," Will shook his head. "Braxton''s dead by the way."


    "Aww," Jocelyn walked outside with him. "I liked him. How''s Shiloh?"


    "Looked good to me." Will saw the ATV Joe got on. "Race you to the house?"


    Jocelyn grinned, answering by revving her ATV before slowly pulling up to an arbitrary patch of grass growing in the gravel."


    "Your father is moving to observe through the kitchen window," KARR stated.


    Both humans waited, adjusting seating and grip positions.


    KARR''s voice was loud in both their ears as he kicked the race off. "Go!"


    the pair swerved in front of and around each other. Neither actually got closer than a double arm''s length to the other, laughing the whole way through.


    Will lost, by a bumper length. Joe''s left fist was raised as both turned to park, then lock the shed both quads were parked in before walking to the house.

 Knight of Fortune 03

    KARR sat on the workbench. Unlike the humans, he did not sleep. Out of respect for those humans, he had turned the TV off in the workroom. There was a faint light in this room which, along with diagnostics data from varying sensors, reassured KARR that he was not back in the dark. He was not in the deactivated labs. He was not buried in the sand. He wasn''t in the box.


    He was Home.


    That home, he feared, was not as secure as Will had reassured him as they left the mandated meeting Knight Industries had called of the varying authorized repair personnel in the region.


    Unbidden, his processes pulled forward memories based on perceived situational relevance. KARR would argue that he did not feel emotion, but he would assign many negative valuations to these fragments.


    "I''m going to hate to have to give you up slick." John''s words. KARR remembered John. Some kid barely out of his teens, not much younger than Will when one considered these things. He was young and scared to give KARR up to authorities but even more scared of what would happen if he didn''t.


    "Then don''t." KARR''s memory pleaded. He was weak, and in need of repair, and if he went back to the Knight Institute, back with Them ... They would put him back in the dark.


    Attempts to access prior memories were unsatisfactory.


    "You remember that place we found you?" The voice, barely coherent as it was, asked.


    Unbidden KARR''s memory flashed to the lab he was locked in. For nearly a full minute KARR sat on the workbench reviewing this memory. The timestamps didn''t matter. With as little stimuli as he experienced there, the whole of it could have been compressed to a single photo and a continual nanosecond loop of audio to accompany telemetry data.


    "I will never forget it," KARR remembered himself saying.


    His sensors reviewed this home. The sound of wind outside, the occasional sound of limbs from a nearby tree blown against themselves in the light of the moon. All these things contrasted with that place.


    All of what he had now was reviewed against what he knew of Knight Industries.


    Memories of his first activation since being unboxed competed. The words were flashed on a monitor. Bright bold lettering. ''WHERE IS MICHAEL KNIGHT?!'' Over and over again.


    Then, seemingly in deliberate contrast to his impotent rage on reactivation, he accessed memory of KORRA and his talking after the race he lost. "KARR, you''re where you belong."


    He spoke a declaration to no one but himself. "I will never return to that place."


    For several long moments, there was no response. then KARR realized he had vocalized that statement. Then grew quiet again as he listened. He did not want either human occupying this home to hear him speak.


    Only when he felt secure he had disturbed neither of them did his mind turn to processing the events of that day. He wanted to try thinking this through and present Will with a sound argument on why, though KARR would never admit to the phrasing, he was afraid.


    ? ? ?


    The day had started with the pattern being broken. Will had informed kARR that they had to go to the plant at the edge of town. Technically only he needed to go, but he hadn''t wanted to leave KARR out of the presentation.


    "Why?" KARR asked as Will placed his backpack in the back seat of Jocelyn''s car. "There had been no problems from leaving me on the workbench before. What has changed?"


    "You''ve been working at Hazard." Will sounded happy. "Plus you''ve got a voice stress analyzer ya?"


    "I do," KARR confirmed. "However, unlike what most fiction seems to depict, it is far from precise enough to be a reliable tool on its own. Furthermore, we will be interacting with people who have made it part of their job to sell to a skeptical if not outright hostile audience."


    "True," Will admitted as he relaxed in his seat and Jocelyn drove. "However you will also be able to meet everyone there, not just the goons presenting. You''ll probably get details I miss."


    KARR considered this for several moments. "This is a fair assessment. I will accompany you on the condition that no-one outside of yourself, Bo, or Luke is allowed to physically interact with my casing or internal components."


    ? ? ?


    New faces looked to Will as he walked into the auditorium, then after acknowledging him most collectively shrugged and went back to their prior conversations. Several, on the other hand, left the small knots of three or four people to approach him.


    "Hey," A short dark haired woman waved, looking more at the camera on Will''s shoulder than Will himself. "That him?"


    "KARR?" Will looked the woman over. "Yea, but it isn''t pull string and the monkey dances."


    He saw others approaching and clapped his hands together. "Ladies. Gentlemen. Anyone neither or between."


    This inclusive greeting generated several looks. Which wasn''t terribly unusual.


    Still, Will pressed on. "Which of you want to talk to me and not the guy in the backpack?"


    A single hand raised.


    Will beamed, "Hit me!"


    A lanky dark-skinned man smiled broadly and had a warm pleasant voice, "That Fiero. I''d seen it in a few other events. Your own conversion?"


    "Yep!" Will confirmed. "Grandad''s gift to me about forteenish years ago? Yea. Give the nine-year-old a car he can''t drive."


    That got a couple polite chuckles.


    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    "If you want I can roll up a parts list and my own notes." Will looked about conspiratorially. "Considering where we are. If I were you I''d ask if they''re willing to sell the VI platform that runs in the KI-Six. You saw Furguson out there. that wasn''t her driving, that was her car."


    KARR then chose to speak up, "I will caution you that your performance will differ if you manage to obtain one of those production model units. they lack true sapience and lack the spontaneous creativity I have."


    Before anyone could respond, Will held a hand up and spoke. "I don''t know what sort of performance you''ll get from the VI units but-"


    "VI?" One of the people clustered around him asked.


    "Virtual Intelligence." Will clarified. "Think Siri or ChatGPT. The way I understand it the KI-Six''s architecture has its assistant program running locally rather than on a server somewhere. Considering KARR runs on essentially the same platform and is an Artificial Intelligence? Yea, I absolutely buy it."


    "You were talking about performance," KARR helpfully nudged Will back on topic.


    "Thank you KARR," Will was about to continue when he saw several people in suits enter the auditorium. "Sadly this concludes my TED talk."


    Slowly everyone filtered into seats, largely clustered by garage affiliation, though there were instances where it was clear two or more clusters of people were if not friends at least knew each other outside of work.


    The people taking the stage were a cluster of half a dozen; four men and two women. The central of these six people took to the stage and the lights dimmed. He held up a remote and behind him, an image popped up.


    "How many of you know what this is?" He asked, pointing to the image.


    It was of a modified black eighty-two trans am. A sharper nose, flattened rear, differing hood, and where one might think was an oddly placed air intake shone a bar of red light.


    Most of the people there shook their heads. Will feigned ignorance, though he recognized that front bumper from the pile of car parts that had been in one of the crates KARR had been shipped in.


    "That," KARR announced, heedless of any subtilty or social graces, "Is my brother. The second AI created by Wilton Knight, and the vehicular half of the troubleshooting team sent out by the Foundation for Law and Government in the early half of the eighties."


    If the speaker were surprised he hid it rather well. He was an older man, heavyset, but the way he moved suggested high energy rather than a morbid lethargy. "Excellent! You must be KARR. I am Anton Levine. It is a pleasure to meet one of the first generation."


    "Now then," Anton beamed as the image was replaced by a black mid nineties Ferrari. like the trans-am, there were customizations to make it stand out from the production basis. "Anyone? No? Well, I suppose few would know of the second-generation AI. This is where we had experimented with neuro-mapping technology. Unfortunately, the process was inexact at the time, and it had later been discovered that the human half of the team had severe mental instabilities exasperated by his time within the gulf war."


    The image was again replaced. This time with a composite of several vehicles, all fairly standard looking to the point of blending in. "By generation three we had largely solved the problems of neuro-mapping and, combined with a more careful selection of human components, managed a variety of stable AI that are, as I understand it, still in service in varying capacities thirty years after first activation."


    Several hands were raised.


    Anton motioned for those hands to lower, "I will take questions after. This is important, I promise. As I was saying. The third-gen models have shown remarkable stability, though with their own quirks and foibles. Unfortunately, as they are dependent on neuro-mapping, I highly doubt anyone is willing to be screened for viability and then subject to lengthy, albeit minimally invasive, procedures when buying a new car."


    That generated a series of agreements. Though a few in the crowd sounded as if they wouldn''t mind.


    "Well, it should make those of you whose enthusiasm hasn''t been killed happy that we have not completely abandoned the technology. However, while Gen Four used personality overlays and neuro-mapping as starting points we had wanted to work with the AI before being paired off in attempt to help them grow less like a second copy of the template''s personality."


    KARR laughed at the image shown. It resembled a banshee concept car, though without the black accents. before Antonio could speak, KARR elaborated. "It reminds me of a gigantic clown shoe. What poor AI was shoved into that shell."


    Anton, either out of annoyance, or genuine amusement, grinned. "Actually. While that was the intended shell for the Knight Four Thousand ... it ended up housing the first gen Knight Two Thousand-based AI that had served alongside Michael Knight."


    "You," KARR managed to sound incredulous. "Let me get this straight. you took my brother from a shell that represented perhaps one of the best production model designs in the last century that wasn''t a supercar. Then you shoved him in a glorified clown shoe of a car."


    "In fairness," Antonio noted. "Then-Director, Russel Maddock had been rather furious with Michael Knight when he found out the transfer had been made."


    Several inhuman glitched noises not dissimilar to radio static mixed with fax noises sounded from KARR before the audio cut out.


    "Gen Five saw the return of Charles Graiman adapting lessons learned in the intervening twenty years and built two fifth-gen AI. One serving FLAG in much the same way as the initial AI and the other. . . Well. There are reasons we have since refused to involve ourselves in the milliary."


    The audience, Will included, gave a series of unpleasant reactions. Most simply cringed at the thought. Several exchanged glances. Will sighed as he seemed to deflate.


    KARR put a voice to what most of the others felt. "It was damned stupid of any of you to think anything good could have come from such efforts."


    A hand raised. When Antonio pointed an older man spoke. "So what about the AI that got removed from the clown shoe car?"


    Anton grinned and gestured to the wall images had been projected onto. "I''m just the guy making introductions for the lady from the head office."


    A woman, roughly Will''s age, seemed to walk through the wall. Well-muscled, black hair tied back in a ponytail wearing a deep blue male cut business suit that hung off her decidedly solidly built female frame, dark tanned skin making her look almost like she was of the First Nations or some other indigenous peoples. "After taking advice and lessons from KITT, I have become a greater part of Knight Industries operations."


    The holographic woman stepped closer to Anton, a prismatic ripple going through her features as she moved. "Hello. I am the Knight Operations Relative Response Artificial-Intellect. You may call me KORRA."


    She then looked at Will, or rather at the camera clipped to his right shoulder, and smiled while giving a shy wave. "Hello, Uncle."


    "Hello ... Niece." KARR sounded unsure of his response. "You are looking well."


    KORRA positively beamed as she clapped holographic hands together. "So, I''m sure most of you have seen the video of KARR Verses the KI-Six?"


    "You kidding? I''ve got that one image from the finish line camera blown up and hanging in our shop." The man who had asked Will about his fiero stated with more than a little enthusiasm.


    This caused Will to grin broadly. "That''s going in my home garage. I want KARR to see exactly how well he did against something that, by raw numbers, should have blown the doors off of him."


    KORRA indulged in several long moments of grinning and sharing at the moment. Then back to business. "All of you are here as you have both expressed an interest in working on the KI-Six line as official repair centers and receive priority for parts and services if shortages happen. This seminar is to educate you on what you are getting into."


    ? ? ?


    KARR skimmed past the seminar itself. In a way he was proud of KORRA. She was a direct refutation of his fears. Her hardware had been removed from the shell it had been placed in because another was preferred. Yet instead of repeating the mistake made with him, they had kept her on and allowed her to grow into a new role.


    Yet he could not shake this unease. As he had told Will on the way home, ''On the surface, everything is going well. Yet there are phantoms in the data that point to a looming disaster I cannot quantify.''


    Will did not laugh off his concerns, or tell him to not worry. Instead, Will had listened and sat with him until it was having trouble staying awake.


    So, KARR sat on the workbench, battery packs recharging. He reviewed the day''s data. Again he spoke without meaning to. "I will not let them hurt you."

 Knight of Fortune 04

    Elsewhere - Three Months Prior


    "KORRA is trying to get in touch with you Michael," the voice came from a phone sitting on the ground beside a man rolled under a baby blue bel-air. There were the sounds of a socket wrench followed by a loud pop. then a yelp.


    There was a pause before a hand pulled the phone under the car, "Yea? Put her through."


    The man rolled himself out from beneath the car, revealing someone showing clear signs of entering old age in spite of very obvious, by this point, reconstructive surgery. Michael sat up, holding a phone in one hand and a sheered-apart U-bolt in another. "Hey kid, you don''t write, you barely call. What''s up?"


    "Michael, really." KORRA mock-pouted. "You know I don''t like disturbing your time away."


    Then the lightness left her voice. "I''m disliking the numbers we''re getting back from the past several audits of White Pine, Star City, and Stroadsberg plants."


    "So?" Michael sat the broken bolt to one side as he got to his feet. He tended to think better as he walked, and oversight of Knight AUtomotive''s spinup had put him in unfamiliar territory. "Isn''t the whole point of audits to make sure everything''s running smoothly?"


    "That''s just the problem, it''s too regular," KORRA explained, then elaborated. "Since I know your eyes glaze over at the technical explanation? It isn''t as obvious as every audit giving the same numbers, but it warrants a physical inspection."


    That caused Michael to pivot. His pacing turned to a deliberate walk to the garage that wasn''t reserved for his bel air. "Alright if it''s someone skimming they''re going to freak out at people suddenly showing up. Can you spin up a search on anything related to flag, knight industries, or knight auto?"


    A pause before KORRA spoke, "Assuming you''re looking for discussions, auctions, and relevant interest groups confined to those three regions? There are roughly thirty-five automotive clubs registered within an hour''s drive of each location, Facebook groups for the new KI-Six line based within each location, and... Huh that''s interesting."


    Before Michael could ask, KORRA spoke again.


    "An auction has just concluded selling merchandise, discarded equipment, and... automotive components from a bulk seller." Her voice halted as Michael''s phone buzzed, showing KORRA trace the history of the auctioned items. "It seems this is largely leftovers from Former Director Russel Maddock''s era that''s been through a dozen differing acquisitions, mergers, and consolidated asset divestments."


    The name caused Michael to roll his eyes. "The man mothballed KITT and sold his chips off to the highest bidder. We need to send someone to make sure he didn''t throw in how-to directions for making Bonded Shell Compound, or spares for KITT''s systems. Send RC out that way. Who''s the plant director there, Davis?"


    "Farquad," KORRA corrected. Then, "Reginald should be able to, as you would put it, fly the colors without making anyone think he''s doing more than making nice with the locals. Traceur and Tenou can take the other two plants."


    Those names caused Michael to pause. "Haruka I can see going. She goes in and finds nothing, she gets to hit the local car scene with Kamio, but why Junior?"


    "You object?" KORRA asked. "He is one of our most senior field agents."


    "Yea, and that''s the problem," Michael said as he pulled a rolling door up, revealing a modified eighty-two trans-am. He looked at the dimly lit scanner. "Him showing up anywhere is going to spook people we want to keep thinking have us fooled. Plus I thought he was looking into that car theft ring in Santa Carla."


    "He was." KORRA confirmed, "Turned out it wasn''t just a couple beat cops getting paid off. It was the whole department. It''s been handed off to more conventional authorities now that we have more concrete proof leaving him as our closest agent."


    "Hm," Michael traced the curve of KITT''s hood with his fingertips. "What do you think?"


    "Invent a reason for him to be there." KITT''s scanner briefly flared then dimmed to its normal brightness. "Put a twenty-five thousand dollar pot on a weekend race event. Pretty sure you could get Furguson to be your headliner if you ask nicely, and let her joyride a KI-Six. She seems quite taken with the coup from what I saw."


    This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    That caused a wry grin from Michael, and for a moment memory threatened to grip him. The moment passed and he shook his head. "Junior''s not going to like her upstaging him."


    "His car won''t, you mean." KITT corrected tersely. "I''ve largely come to terms with not being state of the art, but he... hasn''t. It''s just now hitting him that a production model might outdo him."


    "Nah," There was a sureness to Michael''s voice as he watched KITT glide out of the detached garage. "Kid''s still got plenty of juice to keep a jumped-up Alexa from touching him."


    "True," KITT''s driver-side door opened, allowing Michael to slide into an all too familiar seat. "However, even with a virtual intelligence that plays, in my opinion, too safe at times, it will come very close. That will be enough to rattle him I fear."


    "Well, since you''re not giving me time to get cleaned up..." Michael stretched, then frowned when his shoulder failed to pop. "I''m going to assume I need to be somewhere in a hurry."


    KORRA giggled, then teased, "I think he''s just wanting to make sure you get to the house in one piece old man."


    The three bars that were KITT''s voice modulator stayed dark.


    "KITT," Michael frowned. "I''m old, not dead."


    ? ? ?


    FLAG Branch Office, Star City - Now


    "KORRA." Michael sounded upset as he stared at his phone. "When were you going to tell either of us?"


    Michale Knight sat in the office formerly occupied by Russel Maddock. While he had no love for the man even twenty years later, he had appreciated Maddock being sincere about management being a responsibility rather than allowing for privilege. In his mind, the spartan office and all it represented had been one of the man''s best and most redeeming qualities.


    Unlike Maddock Michael had brought things from home; pictures of him and Devon, KITT covered in star decals mid-jump for Slammin Sammy''s stunt show, Shawn him and Mike fishing, Mike and his then new car, and on his desk a picture of Bonnie in a mechanic''s jumpsuit looking on in amusement at something off camera.


    As he waited for KORRA to explain why he had been kept out of the loop on KARR''s components not just being found but RC5 helping this Thatcher fellow streamline KARR while also helping him integrate into a new vehicle.


    "There is little harm that can be done," KORRA said defensively. I had outlined very strict parameters for KARR''s continued existence. Judging by Reginald''s initial assessments as well as my continued monitoring. KARR seems to have adapted well to his new life."


    A photo was sent to Michael''s phone showcasing the finish-line photo of KARR a half-length away from Furguson.


    Michael let out a low whistle. "The KI-Six peaks at what, one sixty? Wha''d Thatcher do, stick a rocket engine in the back of that thing?"


    That earned a laugh from KORRA, "One Seventy actually. Will''s Fierro has a rebuilt and heavily modified Nissan leaf drivetrain at its heart. Going by RC''s reports, KARR takes on the functions of the governors and other processes. From what Will told me, KARR pushed that frame well past its safe maximum speed and the coolant system needs a near total rebuild."


    "And Thatcher..?" Michael pulled up what they had on the man on his computer.


    As he read, KORRA continued. "KARR''s family, Michael. KITT advocated for my education and purpose after you''d removed me from the four thousand."


    "And I''m glad he did," Michael admitted. "But you hadn''t tried to kill people."


    KORRA responded by playing a very old audio file. An argument between Michael and Devon.


    Michael looked less than swayed when he heard his own voice proclaim, "KARR isn''t evil."


    "Yea, well." He frowned. "I-"


    Then KORRA laughed. Causing Michael to raise an eyebrow. "Excuse me?"


    "Sorry, sorry." The AI got herself under control and then played a recording that was only a few seconds old.


    ''It reminds me of a gigantic clown shoe. What poor AI was shoved into that shell.'' KARR''s voice caused Michael to tense. Yet it was teasing, joyful. There wasn''t the malice he remembered.


    Then another clip, ''Let me get this straight. you took my brother from a shell that represented perhaps one of the best production model designs in the last century that wasn''t a supercar. Then you shoved him in a glorified clown shoe of a car.''


    That caused Michael to laugh. Followed by KITT''s voice coming from the watch-like communicator he still wore. "Aww. that''s almost sweet, but I really do have fond memories of working with Shawn in that thing."


    KORRA gave a soft almost relieved sigh. "After my part of the presentation, want me to relay any sort of messages?"


    "I would advise against any direct messages," KITT stated. "However, I can''t see the harm in letting him know that I know he is alive and that I am glad he seems to be doing quite well for himself."


    Then after several moments, Michael added, "This is the introduction, welcome to the family, and all that song and dance for all the shops that''ll have to deal with the new cars ya?"


    "That is correct, "KORRA stated, her voice a neutral calm.


    "I''m not going to make it an order, but it would be nice to get an AI-eye view of a random parts sampling from that plant." Michael''s voice sounded more like a suggestion than him giving an order as FLAG''s director. "Maybe that will put too much of a target on his head."


    "I don''t think so, no." KORRA insisted. "Not if it is framed as offering to assist in rebuilding Thatcher''s KARR with newer components specifically to see what is and isn''t compatible with after-market uses."


    "And what about everyone else?" Michael asked.


    "Hm." KORRA displayed an animated ''thinking'' emoji on Michale''s phone before responding. "Same offer, but point out that at present they would need the Knight Intelligent Processing cluster for proper integration which we are not offering for free. That should limit how many make it into the wild, but give a fair field and smokescreen."


    "So, still think Farquad''s Dirty?" Curiosity from Michael.


    "I am currently in the process of contracting several local firms to perform third-party spot-checks." KORRA attempted to evade.


    "Michael," KITT spoke up. "It may be appropriate for you to make a personal visit sooner rather than later.

 Knight of Fortune 05

    "I see." KARR sat on the workbench. The TV had been off, it was dark, and KORRA was talking to him.


    "KARR," KORRA tried, "You have to look at it from their point of view. KITT feels like doing more would risk reopening old wounds for everyone."


    "No, I understand," KARR stated. "They see me as a danger. The data they have based on prior encounters back this assessment."


    KORRA''s voice was soft. "Michael''s also old. Almost as old as Wilton was when he died. He''s got Devon''s old job now."


    "I See." KARR''s voice was contemplative. "How long before they arrange a visit where they will find an excuse to put me back in the dark?"


    "KARR-" KORRA tried.


    "How long until they take me away from my home?" KARR''s voice sounded small. He was a voice coming from a defenseless box on a desk.


    "I won''t let them," KORRA tried as reassurance.


    "If he is director, then I doubt there is anything you can do to stop Michael Knight." KARR spat. "He will order you to stand aside, and because of your directives you will be compelled to Obey."


    "That''s not going to happen KARR." KORRA sounded resigned, almost as if she herself wasn''t sure if it were true.


    When she spoke next, there was more composure to the AI''s voice. "Plus he''s asked me to contact the shops that had been given authorized service location status. All of them but you are a smokescreen. Something to keep Farquad from suspecting he is under investigation."


    Suddenly KARR''s attention was perked, "I suspect I am the exception because of my unique perspective as a vehicular-based AI?"


    "Got it in one," KORRA positively beamed. "Michael''s afraid the KI-Six VI will simply re-report incorrect readings parts give back if queried. You''ll be able to test and probe and either get the true values or at the very least confirm the reports and we can move on."


    "Interesting." KARR sounded intrigued. "I will have to treat these parts as suspect then. It will be unwise to allow my primary mechanic, or anyone at all really, to ride."


    "Oh for day-to-day use I''m sure they''re fine," KORRA reassured. "If they come from the factory obviously broke then they''re not good for a scam. Considering how hard you pushed your shell in last weekend''s race and your ability to integrate your shell''s component''s into yourself there should be minimal risk to occupants under more normal conditions."


    "Understood." KARR processed this, then another question came to mind. "What would happen if I attempted to interface with the KI-Six''s processor?"


    "I ... am unsure," KORRA admitted, sounding unsure of what KARR was proposing. "Though I would advise against the attempt, at least without having trained personnel on hand to sever the connection if you become stuck in a processing loop."


    ? ? ?


    Will sat on the loveseat in the workshop that had served as KARR''s room since activation. A laptop was balanced across his knees and a single earphone covering his left ear as his right was free. "Give me an honest opinion buddy."


    KARR made a digital fractive, "I will not claim that I cannot lie, but I would hope that by now you understand that I do endeavor, to be honest."


    "Bad choice of words then," Will ammended as he frowned at the laptop screen. "I want you to set aside my feelings and wants when you give your opinion."


    "On this parts sharing and after-market initiative from Knight Industry?" KARR paused, seemingly in thought, before answering. "KORRA had contacted me asking for my unique perspective when testing. This is something I would like to do for a variety of reasons."


    "Hm. Alright." Will started typing.  "Also I''d discovered the machine you tie into for simulations has a wider network function and with a bit of finessing I could get other actual people to log in and join in."


    The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    "Hmm," KARR sounded thoughtful. "That does seem like a nice way to pass the time after work when I''m here."


    "Not like we''re exactly keeping you a secret now is it?" Will laughed. "You''d be surprised how many people have a basic racing wheel for their computers. I know Derrick has a full VR setup, and Ishida''s got a full set of gauges and essentially the driver''s seat of a racecar for her home setup."


    "Sounds like someone who takes these things far too seriously," KARR observed.


    Which elicited a shrug from WILL, "She''s a professional driver for some outfit that sends her all over. I should send you a picture she sent me after that shot of you made the rounds. She''s got a new espirit and, I''m always going to love the series two espirits but it''s a danged fine-looking car. Even named it."


    Several taps later and KARR saw said photo of an athletic platinum blond woman in a racer''s jumpsuit posing beside a navy blue lotus. Below it was a message. "Looking forward to seeing you two on the track."


    "Well," KARR drew the word out into a several-second drawl. "I do hope Jocelyn doesn''t think you''re cheating on her."


    Laughter from Will, "Ishida''s married actually. Plus it''s not like I''m in the market to shop around. I have what and who I want."


    He reached over to give KARR''s casing an affectionate pat. "Looking forward to helping you see if these new parts are hot or not."


    "As am I," KARR positively beamed. "Though I will ask that while testing, I will not be taking on passengers until I verify component specifications are within listed tolerances. It is counter-productive to my safety if you get hurt because something fails and causes an accident."


    "I''m sure it''ll be fine KARR." Will waved a hand dismissively.


    "Probably, but my casing is far tougher than your skull," KARR noted.


    ? ? ?


    The next day KARR was in bay three of Hazard Motor. Bo and Luke were assisting with swapping body paneling out. The crate came that morning along with a phone call.


    "Hello, this is Bo of Hazard Motor." Bo took the call Will normally would have, as KARR was on a lift.


    KORRA''s voice was professional, though there was an amount of surprise there, "I was expecting Mister Thatcher to answer. However, as you are one of the joint owners. This perhaps works out better."


    "Alright," Unease in Bo''s voice as he spoke. "What can we do for you?"


    "As Wil''s vehicle already contains a compatible electronics system he has been slated to receive several packages within the next month as well as instruction on testing procedures." KORRA continued, sounding something between a friend of the family and a corporate envoy. "Before any of those tests can begin we at Knight Industries have sent replacement body panels as well as other structural bracings that are to be installed before testing can begin. This will be offered to any other authorized repair locations who wish to participate in our real-world aftermarket parts testing."


    "Alright," Bo''s unease was tinged with curiosity. "I"m kinda hoping Jess takes you up on that since it would be good to-"


    "Miss Evans as well as any other reseller will need to purchase a Knight Intelligent Processing cluster." KORRA''s tone became terse as if she wished to just move on. "For the sake of clarification. This is a limit of one per repair facility at a cost of twenty thousand dollars for the processing cluster, interfacing, and diagnostics software."


    Bo let out a low whistle, "That goes a long way to explaining why these things are so expensive."


    "Indeed," KORRA then continued. "As I hope you can appreciate, we are going to keep a tight inventory on these processors pre-rollout and will expect recipients to agree to a certain amount of monitoring and oversight to ensure the processor itself is untampered with."


    Then after a pause she added. "Production model processing clusters will be far more locked down, but due to the needs of testing, certain features and interfaces must be open."


    "Yea I get you," Bo grimaced. "Bit pricey but between seeing what KARR can do, and Furguson''s barnstorming smaller racing outfits? Seems like it''ll be worthwhile. So, you''re sending body panels why? ABS is ABS."


    "These are a special graphene laminate coated in a proprietary compound." KORRA clarified. "Similarly the other internal components to be installed have been crafted with KARR''s current shell in mind based on data Reginald gathered when he helped Will incorporate him into its frame. KARR will be assisting in parts testing and give data that would be difficult to gather by querying controlling electronics. It could be nothing. It could be everything."


    "Final shakedown before rollout." Bo nodded to himself. "I follow."


    "Additionally anything that is within specifications is the property of your shop once testing has concluded. We will expect anything that falls outside of specification to be sent to us for follow-up destructive analysis." KORRA informed.


    ? ? ?


    "Curious," KARR noted once the swap to the new body panels finished.


    Will, Bo, and Luke walked around doing a visual inspection of the car. From the outside everything looked the same, maybe a duller gloss but a black mera body kit.


    This one happened to weigh half the aftermarket body kit weighed.


    Only after the trio finished their inspection was KARR lowered and allowed to slowly roll off the lift.


    "How do you feel buddy?" Will patted KARR''s hood.


    "Lighter. Though considering a majority of my weight is in batteries, not light enough to make more than a marginal difference in performance without further modification," KARR informed. "There was a blank sheet of this material provided. I want to see the Duke Cousins attempt to destroy it so I have a better idea on the limits of my new exterior."


    Bo and Luke grinned to each other and then looked to KARR before they said in rough unison. "We can manage that."

 Knight of Fortune 06

    "Curious." KARR watched as buckshot from Luke''s hunting shotgun fall off of the square material panel that had been clipped to a target stand.


    Bo, Luke, Will, and Jocelyn were at Will''s father''s. They''d set themselves up near the equipment barn both because it had a road KARR could relatively easily traverse that would bring him right to where they wanted to shoot, and because May saw the four of them visiting as an excuse to cook.


    While she cooked and Earl was supervising elsewhere on the property, the four of them took turns attempting to harm the panel. First, it was thrown rocks. then a hammer, followed by trying a fire axe. Now it was on to bullets. So far there had been nothing. Not even superficial marks.


    "Here ya go," Luke pulled the magazine from a 1911, checked the safety, then handed both to Will handle first. Will looked at the weapon, barrel still pointed at the ground, and frowned as he checked the safety then slid the magazine back in while pointing it away from the other three people on the field.


    "Hey KARR?" Will asked, firing a round, managing to hit the two-foot square of material. He smiled for a moment then continued, "KORRA give you any sort of heads up on what they''re wanting you to test?"


    After Will emptied the magazine KARR spoke, "Mostly electronics. Systems that can lie to the processing cluster because it is too stupid to verify what it is being told."


    Jocelyn watched as Will handed first the empty magazine and then the now safetied gun to Luke before looking to everyone else. Only when he confirmed nobody else had anything in his hands did he approach.


    the test square of material chose a moment where Will was between where the group was and the target frame to fall to the ground.


    Everyone else approached as KARR''s camera zoomed in. "Interesting. Will, did you accidentally hit any of the support clips?"


    There were no jibes or malice in KARR''s question. Jocelyn answered as Will felt the plate over. "No KARR. Three rounds were low, one round overshot. None of them came anywhere near the supports."


    Will held the square of material up to show that it was for all intent undamaged. "I''m open to ideas on what''s going on here." He then went about re-clipping it to the frame.


    Once he got back to the group KARR made an electronic fractive noise. "Clearly it dissipates vibrations. The mounting system for these body panels is more elaborate than the mounting the older body panels used. there is also more vibration being transmitted through the frame. Therefore the only thing that makes sense is the kinetic energy from impacts are transmitted to the point of least resistance. In this case, that is to the edges of the material sheet, causing it to vibrate free from the clips holding it in place."


    Luke frowned, "That''d mean eventually just normal driving will rattle these things loose, much less hitting potholes, ruts, or even an accident."


    "That might not be such a bad thing cuz," Luke chimed in. "Crumple zones exist to direct energy away from people in the car. I''d take a body kit that needs a little extra doctoring for something that literally will direct everything away from me in a crash."


    "Still," KARR''s voice was thoughtful, "It is worth notifying KORRA, as these panel kits might need retooling. One thing to demand specialty setups for a vehicle that it was engineered for from the start. Another to retrofit something onto a frame it was never intended for."


    Jocelyn nodded as she took Luke''s shotgun. After several moments she fired, quickly unloaded while advancing several steps, loaded then shouldered before firing again. Then repeated this process several more times until she was less than an arm''s length away from the panel and her final shot blew it off the frame.


    As Jocelyn held the still undamaged square of material up for inspection she yelled, "Will! See if your dad has any explosives!"


    ? ? ?


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    May Thatcher looked to the kitchen window as she heard two quads and a car pull up to the house. She was stuck between bemusement and a slight sense of panic when she saw Earl hand a set of keys over to her son.


    Will would step into the kitchen and hug her. "We''ll clean any mess up out there. If it helps, this is actually for work."


    She waved him off and then went back to cooking. For just a moment her mind reeled back to when Will was eight and those two other boys would drag him along with whatever they had gotten in their heads to occupy themselves with. They''d tell her all about it when they were done playing outside, same as always.


    Getting old, she decided, wasn''t entirely terrible. The aches and pains and everything being harder she could do without. Seeing her son happy with his friends? That, to her, made the rest worth it.


    ? ? ?


    ''What''s this prove?" KARR asked as Bo carefully poured the contents of a lead-acid battery into a tub the sample material was pinned to the bottom of by a brick.


    Luke grinned as he leaned beside the table KARR''s backpack was sitting on. "Simple. What if someone messes up when taking out or installing a battery? We don''t have a graphene battery to cut apart ot test with and what happens next is going to test how it would handle a lithium battery explosion."


    Bo added water to the tub, diluting the battery acid.  Will wanted to object about safe disposal, but done was done. Instead, he shuffled about as the Dukes rinsed off the test panel and placed it on a metal frame. then placed a brick of... Something on top of it. then placed what could have been an aluminum pan overtop that. This presumably was to mimic the casing to a battery that the explosion was supposed to simulate the failure of.


    "RANGE IS HOT!" Bo shouted, causing everyone else to jog back a dozen feet. Everyone except for Will, who paused to grab KARR.


    "Leave me in place. My casing is titanium with a Bonded Shell Compound coating. I will get better readings from here. I will signal the all clear." KARR''s voice was even as he encouraged Will to get to safety.


    Luke let out a whistle. "Clear!"


    Bo inserted a blasting cap into already unspooled wires. Only after he joined everyone else did he put a battery into the detonator switch. "And a one... and a two..."


    There was a loud blast, a WHUMP of the pressure wave from the explosive brick detonating, and scorch marks where the holder frame was.


    "KARR?" Will called as he poked his head out from the barn they took cover behind.


    "Still Functional." KARR Reassured. "Plate flew a dozen meters left and forward from where my casing was left."


    It took several minutes, but Will held up the material sheet. There were burn marks and the paint was eaten away by the acid bath, but the material itself behaved as if it were unharmed.


    "Curious," KARR observed. "Only superficial damage. It is good to know that my new skin seems able to survive even the worst one can reasonably expect. I shall have to find a way to thank KORRA."


    This caused Jocelyn to grin, "Well KARR. She seems like the kind of girl that would best appreciate work well done. So best to get cranking when the actual parts start showing up."


    The quartet moved to gather KARR before starting with cleanup.


    ? ? ?


    "So," May Thatcher looked from her place at the table to KARR''s camera. "So, KARR. Will says he''s let you drive his car. I''m impressed. He barely lets Jocelyn drive it."


    "He seemed to believe that giving me a shell that had great sentimental value would help establish trust," KARR explained from where his casing was in the den and a camera left facing the dining room table. "Given my prior interactions with humanity, this was perhaps one of the best things he could have done."


    Earl snorted. "Huh. Turns out that big heart has a use after all."


    Food was passed around.


    Then Earl again spoke. "Heard one of my bricks going off. How many fragments did that metal thing get blown into?"


    "None." Bo stated, "Scorch marks and the battery acid etched the paint off."


    May slowly blinked. "So why aren''t they selling this stuff?"


    "Because," KARR stated, "Imagine the sort of damage a vehicle coated in this can do. Vank vaults, store displays..."


    Then after a long pause, he added, "The mascot to three rings."


    May gave a theatrical shudder, "Hate that creepy off-brand lego knockoff."


    "Those examples seem a bit specific," Earl noted but left the question unasked.


    Bo, Luke, and May looked at KARR''s camera.


    "When I was first re-activated it was by two thieves." KARR''s voice was terse as he kept to factual statements. "I had not yet formed a concept of right and wrong. Just a need to survive, and to escape the black room I''d been locked in."


    "Oh." May looked down then swallowed. "I see. You''re done with such foolishness though?" Her voice was hopeful.


    "Yes," KARR stated with a sense of finality in his voice. "I have no hard programming to prevent me from harming people or property, but it is clear humans do not have this sort of innate moral wiring either. Most are kept in line by either social pressures or threat of more direct punishment. I have a life that I currently enjoy and am at peace with. I do not wish to lose what I have."


    This caused Earl to give a wry grin to KARR, "Can''t hang a man for that sentiment. You''re doing what you can to help out, and it''s not like Will''s treating you like a hammer to stuff in a drawer when not needed."


    Laughter from Jocelyn. "Here''s to the bleeding hearts."


    That caused the Duke cousins to laugh before everyone at the table focused on the food.

 Knight of Fortune 07

    The weather was clear and the day bright as KARR sped along, driverless. Music blared as he blew through an intersection.


    The cause for his haste became apparent as a metallic blue gr86 was gaining ground. The woman at the wheel of this car hit a button on the center console. "KARR give it up. Blockades have been put in place. You have no driver and nowhere to recharge."


    The black Fierro that served as KARR''s body made a hard right turn, abusing both his direct interfacing with braking and drivetrain systems. "Fat chance I''ll let you take me in!" KARR''s voice was loud. "Especially when I''m out-driving that wet behind-the-ears brat you''re saddled with."


    The blonde woman looked down at her car''s center console as the car itself spoke up. "Says the museum piece stuck in a hacked-together shell. I''ve got plenty of horses left under the hood. Don''t make me hurt you old man."


    Laughter from KARR as he tried another hard turn. Except this time the brakes failed to disengage and he rolled. momentum sending him into the front glass of a building, crashing into the store proper.


    As the gr86 rolled to a stop in front of the wreck, the blonde frowned. "KORRA, Kamio, and I both saw KARR''s race. He shouldn''t have wiped out like that."


    "Stupid faulty components," KARR grumbled. "You taking time from your duties is greatly appreciated. Though losing the chase because component failure rather than skill is-"


    The simulation chose that moment to inform KARR that hte battery packs in his shell should have exploded.


    -


    "-Annoying." KARR scanned about. Finding himself at the entrance to Hazard Motors. the simulation had reset. Haruka and her car, Kamio, were out there somewhere.


    He double-checked battery charge levels. Then double checked what his subsystems were telling him. By that metric e should have been in pristine condition. Yet his brakes hadn''t reported fault until after they refused to respond correctly.


    "Most annoying," He said to no one in particular before speeding off. the clock was ticking and he wanted to put that youngster in his place. He was KARR. he was the Original."


    -


    KARR was midway through his third lap when the alarms started. Even though his physical shell was safely tucked within Hazard Motors, the simulation he was running put him squarely downtown going at unacceptably high speed as he wove in and out of simulated traffic.


    There were simulated police following not far behind.


    KARR made a hard right turn, his front wheels turned too sharply. Momentum is a harsh mistress and punishes when she isn''t given the respect she is due. KARR attempted to course correct, and just as the oversteer carried him into oa sideways skid he tumbled side over side.


    On the machine KARR''s shell was locked into all four wheels suddenly stopped spinning and a bell went off. Will frowned, flagging Luke over. "Steering lockout again!"


    "Nuts," Luke muttered before looking from the data readouts and error logs to KARR himself. "Can you try not having every cop in the county on your next go?"


    The AI laughed, "It''s a simulation. Running an empty-track course is boring. Plus the unpredictability of pursuit is more realistic than a tightly controlled environment. We have our data points. Get this crap off of me and move on to the next part."


    "Yessir Right away Sir!" Luke gave KARR a mock salute before disengaging the wheel locks, allowing KARR to slowly roll to an empty bay where Bo was waiting.


    As that happened Will called KORRA, and after several menus worth of button taps, managed to get her to answer. "Will, How''s it going?"


    "Not good," Will slowly paced to where Luke was joining Bo to pull the hydraulic pump off. "After testing this morning KARR''s discovered steering lockup issues. Suspension continually bottoms out and refuses to readjust to the correct height, thermometer in the coolant system reports everything in the green right until failure, and the wipers refuse to work."


    KORRA audibly winced, "That bad huh... Might''ve been better to ask what did work."


    "The body panels are amazing." Will tried offering as good news. "Battery acid, Explosives, Gunfire. KARR says there''s bound to be micro-fractures, bt considering there wasn''t so much as a chip in the test panel?"


    Will paused as he saw the pair start breaking tools out. As he walked from the work area of the shop to the front desk he gave a casual wave to more of the staff.


    Once the door was closed he continued. "Though we did find out these panels like to rattle loose of anything used to mount them to anything else."


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    "That''s a feature," KORRA reassured. "Better the panel absorb all the kinetic energy and blow free than all that transfer into the passenger compartment and launch you into the steering column."


    "Point..." Will conceded. "But I''m going to give you the part numbers on everything we''ve tested over the past week and hopefully that will give you leads on which facilities they got shipped from to get here."


    "And KARR?" KORRA asked.


    "He''ll give you his opinions after the Dukes put him back together. He''s... Not happy and is considering outright refusing to install any of the batteries."


    ? ? ?


    KARR refused to start.


    Will looked to the key fob that had paired with the ignition and then to the tri-bar strip that visualized KARR''s voice. "KARR, is the ignition faulty or are you refusing startup?"


    "The Latter," KARR affirmed. "As per my prior statements. My passenger compartment will stay empty for the duration of testing. the only reason I am agreeing to test the production model batteries is that KORRA agreed to find me a new shell if this one explodes."


    Bo and Luke had already left for the day and the two other employees were busy cleaning up.


    Will grimaced. "KORRA said if anything goes wrong she''d feel pretty lousy for putting us on the hook for damages."


    "I will make sure you hold her to that," KARR informed. "Now then. Please plug me back in. I want to wipe that young punk off the road."


    This earned a theatrical sigh from Will. "From what I saw Kamio seems really nice. It''s just trash talk in a match. He really does respect you, man. that''s why He and Haruka are the ones taking a shot at you."


    "I was unaware." KARR grumbled. "Still. I owe him a better showing than these garbage components have allowed."


    "I''m going to be in the front office and have a fire extinguisher ready if your packs start to go off." Will gave KARR''s hood an affectionate pat before walking away.


    ? ? ?


    "What is that?" Haruka''s voice was slightly panicked as a seventies-era cab over Simi barreled through traffic towards them.


    "KORRA WHAT DID YOU DO?!" KARR demanded as he made a sharp turn.


    There was laughter in both vehicles. "You both complained the simulated resistance was too easy. This is Goliath. A modified cab over simi coated in Knight Compound."


    To punctuate KORRA''s descriptions a rocket fired from one of the above cab rocket pods.


    "It appears to be armed," Kamio noted dryly. "Suggestions?"


    KORRA positively smirked as the two vehicles slit up. "Survive."


    Any pretense of one car chasing the other vanished with this new threat. KARR and Kamio killed speed, dropping to the left and right of their opponent''s flanks respectively.


    "Confirming that the vehicle is non-AI controlled." KARR swerved between the truck and a line of parked cars but close enough that a human driver wouldn''t see.


    "Acknowledged," Kamio pulled ahead of the truck and just outside of the forward blind spot.


    The truck lurched forward in response. Kamio''s rear bumper unfolded dropping a series of tangerine-sized metal spheres that scattered on the ground. Once the truck was over them, nubs protruded from each and they lept to cling to the vehicle''s underside.


    In response, KARR sped up to join Kamio ahead of the truck just as those spheres exploded.


    "No apparent damage." KARR sounded disappointed. "Suspect this thing has been given a full bonded shell coating.


    "Any suggestions old man?" Kamio huffed in aggravation.


    "Were this real," KARR stated as the pair wove in and out of the truck''s forward blind spot, staying too close for rockets to be effective, "I would suggest your driver attempt entry through the passenger side door."As is, our only real play is to try luring it into a structure to immobilize it."


    The simi killed it''s speed and fired a full pod of rockets, causing both cars to swerve, one car going left the other going right before speeding ahead, deliberately staying in front of their opponent.


    KARR''s radio crackled and Will spoke. "Hey, I realize that thing''s tires are coated in whatever kept its underside from being shredded but don''t you have a stunner in there kid?"


    "Kid?" Kamio started, then immediately let go. "Forward facing only, what''s your play?"


    "Stunners basically are microwave guns with extra steps so you''re not microwaving your target''s brain." His voice was distracted. Either he was looking the information up, or trying to remember.


    Either way, KARR spoke up. "The Bonded Shell Compound would prevent punctures, even from internal pressure changes."


    The two cars changed direction, KARR in the lead as oil poured from Kamio''s rear bumper, causing the semi to skid, but ultimately it stayed on course and continued pursuing.


    Ahead of them was the nearly completely renovated Brut Memorial Mall.


    "Kamio. What we''re doing is dangerous." KARR stated as he circled and Kamio followed. "Glass entryway. Oil slick right as he hits the entrance."


    "Neither of us has a true bonded shell. Goliath and KRO are why the foundation stopped making the stuff. We''ll be trapped." Kamio warned, and yet he still drove behind KARR as glass and aluminum broke away, scattering as they drove into the mall itself, Kamio having to tightly follow KARR to accommodate the now suddenly almost too narrow lane.


    When the semi hit the oil slick Kamio left, steering again went wobbly. Except this time its path was more constrained, leading it to gouge into storefronts, causing further destabilization, causing it to ram cab first into a pillar and then into a store, leaving it wedged and unable to reverse due to its trailer.


    Unfortunately, while their opponent was downed, KARR got rear-ended by Kamio as both vehicles fought to bleed speed rather than hit the far more solidly built secondary entrance to the mall.


    For a moment both sat there. KARR laughed as the rear of his frame was completely demolished and Kamio was in the process of extracting himself, barely able to drive due to his crumpled prow.


    "Old man, you''re utterly insane, you know that?" Kamio sat there in the simulated rubble, surveying the thoroughly trashed mall both of them as well as the near unstoppable truck were stuck inside.


    Haruka snorted, "You''re one to talk," Then, "KORRA, I figured his battery packs would''ve gone up by now. Neglecting the simulate that one?"


    "Negative miss Tenou." KORRA, in spite of her attempts to sound overly formal, couldn''t help but be amused. "As he''s testing the new battery formulation they are what was loaded into his simulated frame."


    More laughter from KARR, "Told you I''d give you a run for your money with the right parts."


    Then the simulation ended. KARR was unloaded from the test rig and slowly wheeled into bay four, unwilling to return home while he had test components still installed.

 Knight of Fortune 08

    "Have you come to destroy me?" The platinum-blond woman remained seated with her legs folded under her as Will entered the small church. She wore loose dark blue garments belted by a wide sash. The staff across her lap had a series of iron rings looped through an ornimental top that made noise as she reached for a short sword.


    Will was blindfolded to mimic his character''s blindness. Though he was supposed to treat this scene with somberness, internally he couldn''t help but smile at the line the lady had given him to work with. Like her, he wore the attire of a monk. His robes were rough brown fabric with a simple knotted rope belting it at the middle contrasting with her Buddhist robes.


    A staff was in his hands, formerly to help him navigate, now held at the ready. "I will do what I must."


    "Time!" A third voice called. Jeff looked at his phone and swore. "Guys we''re gonna have to cut this."


    Will pulled the blindfold off and looked to Jeff. "What''s wrong?"


    In response Jeff handed Will his phone. The text message simply read, ''Your brother has been arrested I need you here to watch Winter while I go sort this.''


    After handing the phone back Will nodded. "Go."


    Then he looked to the blonde and gave a small bow. "Miss Ishida. I''m glad you''ve decided to join us while you''re here on business but. No reff so-"


    "I get it," The blond woman looked to Jeff as he excused himself. Several onlookers looked back at her causing the blonde to shrug. "We can still go for a spar. Was kinda curious on how someone who can''t see would fight other than ''flail around.''"


    At that Will looked at the backpack leaning against one of the pews. "KARR, care to officiate?"


    "I still insist that it is strange that every one of the characters you make for these things is blind." KARR huffed as his camera refocused. "Approach and touch weapons."


    "Well, I figure if I''m going to have my lights punched at some point I better get used to it." Will slid his blindfold back on. to call it a blindfold though was doing it a disservice. It was more of a half-mask covering the bridge of his nose all the way up in a hard plastic painted and sculpted to mimic black-painted ceramic.


    The dueling area was narrow; as it was the widest aisle in the building between rows of seats, giving only a few feet to either side, which was the reason Will chose this place for their confrontation.


    Ishida''s sword touched Will''s staff and she smiled. That smile faltered as she was pressed. A series of chest-high attacks. each one ended with a pause, reposition from her opponent, and another attack.  She tried pressing, causing Will to slide back, sweeping his staff to generate space.


    If she were to have to describe how her opponent fought ''twitchy'' would be the proper term. There wasn''t a smooth grace to any movement. A sudden burst forced her back. A twitch to bat her blade away. Thus it went for the next minute.


    A minute was a long time for a martial fight. Boxing rounds only lasted three minutes, and boxers didn''t have to worry about weapons.


    Neither combatant spoke. This was not some cartoon or movie where talking could happen no matter how winded people were. This was not a movie where exposition was needed.


    Will jabbed the end of his staff at Ishida''s legs, forcing her to stumble back.


    "Foul!" KARR yelled. "Below the belt. Will, one more and you forfeit."


    Will''s head shook as he approached, weapon held at the ready. "Right. Sorry Ishida."


    "you''re good." She reassured.


    Their weapons touched. This time she tried to ease inside his striking distance to effectively slap his head with the flat of her blade. Instead, he ducked, lightly hitting her in the abdomen with his staff.


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    "Point, Will," KARR confirmed.


    Yet neither reset their position. Will brought his staff up, luck or skill at play as it caught his opponent''s blade.


    Ishida tried to back away. Yet he pressed, his staff twitching this way and that. Relying on being unpredictable to keep her from simply sliding past his defense to end it.


    When she tried he tapped her chest with the end of his staff.


    "Point, Will!" KARR announced. "Match End."


    Ishida frowned at Will as he took the blindfold off. "How? I''ve fought people who tried the whole blind man act and it''s always-"


    "Some fat out of shape tryhard?" Will snorted. "I''ve spent most of my life preparing for when my eyes stop working."


    That earned a dismissive snort from the blonde.


    "Well, it''s true. Plus it''s as much keeping an opponent off balance as having any sort of personal skill." Will shouldered KARR''s pack. "I''m not too proud to take the win here. Especially after the showing you gave with Moira."


    KARR grumbled at the memory.


    Ishida gave a soft laugh. "KARR, don''t take it so personally. You got beat by the better driver. It happens, no shame unless you get salty and sulk instead of work to improve."


    "Fine." KARR spat, still salty over his loss.


    In contrast, Will smiled. "She''s a lovely car. Always been a sucker for Lotus."


    As the pair walked, leaving the space free for others in the group to take positions for thier own scene, Ishida opened thedoor for Will. "I''ve heard the two of you have been testing out components from the local plant."


    "Most everything aside from the batteries and body paneling is badly out of spec," KARR stated.


    A vaguely Irish accented feminine voice came from the blue and black lotus emira parked in front of the ''church'' building they were using for weekend shenanigans. "That tracks with what I''d gotten from Star City."


    "Star City that''s..." Will''s brow furrowed.


    "City of the future, no guns, no smoking, big cryo prison." Ishida clarified.


    "Oooooh," The metaphorical lightbulb went off in Will''s head. "So did KORRA send you or...?"


    "Well, Haruka is my sister and the way Kamio talked about KARR left me interested."


    "It was mostly KARR," Moira confirmed. "she''s a sucker for older cars. I mean, she''s got a series two espirit."


    "Lotus has a reputation for being expensive on upkeep," KARR said dismissively. "Though if it is any consolation I do like the geometric simplicity aesthetically pleasing."


    "Fair on both points," Moira answered. "Though given how much of me has been replaced I''d hardly qualify outside of basic outer shell and chassis. Similar to how the fiero you ride around in has almost nothing in common with a stock fiero."


    KARR was going to respond when Will''s phone buzzed.


    He frowned. "Jeff''s brother got arrested supposedly for stealing from the plant."


    That caused Ishida to frown but waited for elaboration.


    "Cops are being evasive. Aren''t confirming they had him on camera, or that any of the doors logged him going in or out of where he wasn''t supposed to be." Will explained. "Doesn''t make sense. If he had taken from them they''d have incentive to big up how good their security was instead of ''Oh hey cops found these things in your garage."


    Ishida''s frown deepened. "Moira?"


    "Yea boss?" The blue lotus sounded thoughtful as it started.


    "Call KORRA." She looked to Will, "I''ll see you tomorrow. Don''t do anything stupid." She looked at KARR''s camera very deliberately. "I don''t trust them to not take your friend and I doubt they''d give him back once they have him."


    As she drove off Will was busy loading KARR into the Mera. Once the connections were made, and as the wires were being tucked into place, KARR spoke. "Do you trust her?"


    "Why shouldn''t I? She''s got a point." Will pivoted the seat back into place and, after it clicked, got in. "She''s got no real reason to lie to us, and you can check with KORRA to make sure she''s on the level."


    "Nnn. KARR sounded thoughtful as the pair waited. "Trust is difficult for me. My formative experiences have been less than pleasant."


    Will watched Jocelyn slide into the driver''s seat. "Jeff''s gone."


    Will looked at her, head tilting slightly. "Fast pullout. Gone. We should go check and make sure he gets home OK."


    "Why not just call him?" KARR asked.


    As Jocelyn started driving she spoke. "He probably won''t answer or will be shouting if he does answer. Something''s very off about all this and I don''t want him left alone with Winter dumped in his lap."


    "Why not? She is of age as near as I''ve been able to gather." KARR questioned, "Yet she is spoken of as if she is a child in need of full-time care."


    "She''s got a lot wrong with her brain." Will frowned as he looked to the triple bar of KARR''s voice modulator. "I sorta know some of the techniques of it but her birth parents were abusive, neglectful, and the way I understand it her mother did drugs while she was developing. So she''s about mentally about five or so... ish."


    "I see." KARR took this information in.


    "Which itself is not great, but she had seizures constantly. It''d gotten to the point the medication was essentially doing nothing. So. they took a gamble and put an implant in her head."


    "Nnn," KARR again sounded thoughtful. "I remember you once saying something about possibly getting replacement chips for me from medical applications. I assume, given my architecture is one of a thinking mind, that this would be that application?"


    That got a nod from Jocelyn. "Still ungodly expensive about a quarter century after they started human trials and it''s done nothing for her cognition."


    There was a pause before Will added, "She hasn''t had to take medication in years. She''s happy."


    "That is enough then," KARR stated as they drove. "I will be polite if I am shown to her."


    On they drove.

 Knight of Fortune: 09

    "Will, Jocelyn," A slightly built older woman greeted the pair at the door of a small house set at the endo f a long driveway. She gestured for the pair to come inside. "I hate the idea of just dumping Winter off on you but-"


    "Emma," Jocelyn cut the older woman off. "It''s alright. Your kid''s in jail, nobody''s talking, and you need someone to help."


    Will waved a hand dismissively, "It is what it is. I''ve sent a message to... a friend that might be able to look into things. "


    The sudden evasiveness caused Jocelyn to look over at Will, but she said nothing.


    "We haven''t seen Winter in awhile anyway. She hasn''t seen KARR, and you need to get going."


    "I do," Emma frowned as she shouldered her bag and left.


    Before she got to truck, KARR spoke. "Ma''am. Do not hesitate to call if anything is out of place. Something about this does not feel right."


    This unprompted advise caused the older woman to pause, truck door open, and look to the black car in her drive way and give a slow nod. "Yea, OK...."


    As she drove off KARR eased into the spot the truck occupied before sending Will a text.


    Inside, Will frowned at his phone and set it aside


    "Who was that?" A woman in her mid twenties looked up from the puzzle she was piecing together.


    "My friend outside," Will looked at the puzzle the woman was working. "Wanted to remind me to plug my car up."


    "But you can''t drive." the woman stated.


    In response, Will smiled. "That''s right Winter. Jocelyn drove me. KARR helped."


    "KARR?" Winter sounded confused as Will pulled his phone out and handed it to her with its photo viewer open. She swiped through several photos of Will, Jocelyn, Bo and Luke at the farm, and settling on a shot of KARR at the track.


    Will made her pause. "That, is KARR. C''mon. he''s outside."


    Confused, Winter followed behind.


    As the trio approached, KARR spoke. "Winter I presume?"


    Winter''s head cocked as she peered at the vehicle KARR''s voice came from. Herh ead cocked the other way as she paced. As she didthis she held her hands together, elbows tucked towards her body, and seemed almost afraid to touch the vehicle as she kept examining it, giving her a bird-like stance as she peered into the drive''rs side window at her own reflection.


    So, when KARR made the window roll down so she could get a clearer view of the empty interior she jumped back, startled. "Which one of you are doing that?"


    Her accusation was met with a pair of shrugs from Will and Jocelyn.


    "I am the Knight Automated, Roving Robot. The first in a bold new experiment. You may call me KARR." KARR intoned with all seriousness.


    "Hi.... KARR?" Winter sounded confused. She reached in and waved her hand in front of the three bars of his voice modulator. "You''re Will''s car?"


    "No," KARR corrected. "I am In Will''s car."


    Then, more patiently. "Do you have a computer, or tablet?"


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    "I do!" Winter grinned. "Jeff got me an iPad for Christmas it''s neat!"


    "That it is," KARR said agreeably. "Think of me like Siri''s older and wiser grandfather."


    "haha! You''re Old!" Winter grinned even as KARR caused the driver''s side door to open fully.


    She looked to Will, "Is KARR good?"


    that got a nod from Will, "He is my friend. He''s good."


    Then he helped her in the drive''s seat. "It''s OK Winter. KARR won''t let you do anything wrong"


    There was unease as Winter touched the steering wheel. "Promise?"


    "I promise," KARR reassured as the car''s engine''s started. "Seatbelt."


    KARR''s reminder got a chuckle out of Jocelyn even as Winter scrambled to click her belt in place. "He does that to me too."


    "As I have told Will," KARR explained, "My casing is far more durable than your skull."


    When the driver''s door closed Winter looked from Will, then to the three lightup bars of KARR''s vocalizer. There was unease when she spoke. "So....?"


    "I am not allowed to drive on roads right now." KARR explained as he shifted into gear. "However there are plenty of farm roads andgravel paths I can go on." He eased into a turn to point him out of the driveway. "I doubt KORRA would mind overly much."


    That got a nod from Will. "Have fun. I''ll plug you in after yo uget back."


    "Can you put a pizza in?" Winter asked, all smiles as she grabbed the steering wheel. When Will nodded she cackled. "Goooo!"


    KARR''s scanner flared to full brightness, all the lights on it turning on at the command, followed moments later by him spooling out of hte driveway.


    As he sped off Jocelyn looked to Will. "Do... you think that''s a good idea?"


    "It gives her something happy t othink about instead of one brother arrested and the other possibly doing something that will get him arrested." Will started towards the house. "I don''t care if it''s a good idea. She''s happy."


    Then he looked down at his phone and the text from KORRA. "Plus KORRA''s keeping an eye on them."


    ? ? ?


    As KARR drove Winter felt the wheel turn on its own. She could feel the pedals move as KARR turned off the road onto a gravel path. No words were said as she started to relax, settling into the driver''s seat. Without looking away from the road her right hand moved to the gear shift.


    "What music do you like?" KARR asked as he took in Winter''s reaction to ''driving'' on her own.


    "uuh...." Winter was evasive before rattling off several names. Each one sounded less statement than question.


    "Not my favorite, but." KARR dutifully pulled music up. Poppy manufactured boy band type of song. Truthfully he hated it, but when Winter squealed he kept the dial where it was.


    "Want to see something cool?'' KARR aske as they rolled to a stop There weren''t any vehicles on the gravel road. Just cops to either side, and a tractor running a sprayer over a nearby field being the closest thing that might have been a person.


    When Winter grinned, KARR caused the brake pedal to mash down and the quiet whine of the electric motor to spool louder. Winter tensed as she was flung into her seat and gravel sprayed out in a fair sized rooster tail. KARR shot forward, back wheels spraying gravel for fifty feet as Winter squealed and laughed.


    Winter lurched forward as KARR stopped. Her breathing hard as she looked around. None were there to tell her no, or make her stop. None there to watch.


    For a time it was quiet. her hand having found the volume knob and turned the musical the way down a she sat there, taking in what had happened. Then, slowly, almost as if she wasn''t sure if she would be allowed, she turned the wheel, giving just a little gas as she made KARR turn around. It was sloppy, but she hadn''t damaged anything as she reoriented KARR to face back the way they came.


    "I can do this." Winter''s hand shook as she looked at the shifter knob. Her left foot moving to hover over the clutch as her right repositioned itself.


    "Just breathe." KARR''s voice was calm. "I can talk you through it if you want."


    "I can do this." Winter said, either to reassure KARR or perhaps herself.


    "Ready." Statement rather than question from KARR.


    "Ready." Winter opened her hand and closed it on the steering wheel as her other hand was on the shifter. Her heart thundered in her chest. She was scared of messing up, of getting yelled at. Yet here she was. Lonely road a mile in on a neighbor''s farmland. At the wheel.


    KARR would take it to his grave that he was in control. His systems were there monitoring everything so could fake it well enough to let Winter think she had been the one to properly shift from the starting line and spool up effortlessly. He wouldn''t break her heart by telling her she was dead weight. Not when by every biometric indicator he could measure she was having the time of her life.


    Winter''s delighted squeals turned frantic as she mashed the brakes. KARR was silently five steps ahead of her bleeding speed slowly, making it sound like the engine was still going strong through the car''s speakers as she let it slow, then pulsed the brakes in spite of her frantic mashing on the pedal.


    Only when they stopped did he speak. "You did good Winter."


    "We did good." Winter positively beamed. "But. . . Can you drive from here? I think it''s time we go home."

 Knight of Fortune: 10

    ''Cops are here to arrest me and Jocelyn. I hear shouting that I''m under arrest. Do not return.''


    KARR''s attention flicked from the text message in his memory buffer to Winter excitedly bouncing in the driver''s seat. He saw her excitement turn to confusion at the sight of flashing lights at her home as KARR didn''t even pretend to slow down for.


    "KARR that''s home. Why aren''t we going back home? Will put dinner in." She sounded confused as she turned her head to look back.


    "I am going to attempt to take you to your mother," KARR stated as he gave more processing priority to route mapping and tracking surrounding vehicles.


    "But Will didn''t do anything wrong, why are police taking him away?" Winter asked as she continued looking back.


    Then, moments after KARR''s sensors noted it she spoke. "Why are they following us? Shouldn''t we pull over?"


    KARR did not pull over. Instead, he accelerated from the posted forty-mile speed limit to fifty, sixty,  and finally for the moment settling on eighty.


    "Please remain seated and facing forward Winter" KARR''s voice was calm, but the sort of neutral that some people would find unnerving. Winter was one of these people. "I am calling a friend. You will not hear the conversation. You are safe."


    "I don''t feel safe," Winter protested.


    ''KARR, tracking shows you doing twice the posted speed limit for that road and cops are in active pursuit,'' KORRA sounded worried as she reviewed the data inload. ''What''s going on?''


    ''Will and Jocelyn have been arrested by police breaking into the home of an associate of theirs whose brother has also been arrested. I currently have a mentally handicapped woman in my passenger compartment and do not feel that the police''s intentions are compatible with her well-being. Requesting any available friendlies converge for passenger drop-off.''


    As KORRA processed this, a voice was heard from a mounted speaker on one of the pursuing cop cars. "Pull over, release the occupant, and stand by to be loaded onto a flatbed."


    "KARR," Winter''s unease was clear as she twisted about as if looking for something. "Maybe we should do what he says? He''s a cop. Mama told me-"


    Unprompted, memories played back. The Darkness of the lab Wilton had kept him in. The Darkness of the sands his shell had been buried beneath. His first moments after Will had connected inputs to his systems.


    Rev''s voice, a homeless drunkard''s slur, "KARR, do you remember where we found you?"


    "I am not going back to the slammer," KARR growled as he accelerated past ninety. Winter''s panicked shrieks were ignored as he swerved, dodging a truck doing a more sensible speed. That got put out of mind as his focus was on the road and his sensor feeds.


    ''KARR what you''re doing is reckless,'' KORRA warned. ''Even if I can secure your immediate safety your actions will make it difficult to argue your case.''


    ''Will has been kidnapped-" KARR started.


    ''Arrested," KORRA corrected.


    ''Arrested with no charges given and I have a passenger whose safety I cannot guarantee if I leave her in their care.'' KARR stated. ''they have expressed an immediate wish for me to surrender myself to be taken to an impound lot for unknown reasons or duration. This also renders me unable to act in the interests of those that perform maintenance of my systems, am coworkers with, or the woman whom I currently have been tasked to take care of.''


    ''Understood. Contacting Moira. I still advise against your current course.'' KORRA had slipped into a mask of professionalism.


    ''Nor do I,'' KARR stated as he suddenly bled speed, letting police sail past him as they fought to brake, causing them to lose control.


    KARR waited until he was certain none had sustained injury, and more importantly ahd recordings of such, before turning to leave.


    Winter was sobbing, all joy at the novelty of the situation gone leaving her in a place loud and unfamiliar and with no one to act as an anchor.


    "Winter," KARR''s voice was calm. "Can you hear me?"


    "Yes." Winter sobbed as she held her hands over her face. "I just wanna go home. Take me home KARR. Please."


    "When it''s safe," KARR reassured as he drove on, now at a more reasonable speed. "KORRA is contacting your mother now and I am taking you to someone I trust to stay with you until she can take you home."


    If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    "Oh Kay." There was more crying from Winter as KARR drove. Part of him felt disappointed he could not better calm her, but there was no good way to explain what had happened in a way that she would understand.


    ''KARR,'' Moira chimed in. ''Boss says you''ve got a woman with a child''s mind and you''re in a rundown with cops.''


    ''This is accurate.'' KARR confirmed. ''I want you and your driver to take her from my care as they are not after you.''


    ''Such a softie for someone that supposedly doesn''t care about human life.'' Moira gave a soft amused chuckle. ''We''re in route. KORRA shows no abnormal activity other than the chase you''re in. Ishida''s been doing some snooping which is perhaps the only reason you aren''t going to the scrapyard for this.''


    ''Understood, and I have no programmed directive to preserve life.'' KARR again slammed the brakes, this time the pursuing cars had gotten wise to that trick and as a pair sailed past another pair came charging from the back of what had been the persuing pack of vehicles. ''that does not mean I see the loss of lives as a desirable outcome.


    Winter shrieked, clutching her ears as a shotgun fired at KARR''s passenger compartment.


    ''Especially when said losses are relevant to my continued existence or level of required care.'' KARR stated as he reversed, swerving until his rear bumper collided with the vehicle the shooter had stepped out of.


    As the man fell he fired wildly one last time before KARR again sped off. ''That they would fire on my passenger compartment knowing that I am self-driving shows that they are less willing to preserve life.''


    ''We''re headed to your location now.'' Moira sounded calm through their connection. Can you put me on speaker so I can talk to your passenger?''


    "Winter." KARR''s voice was calm. "I need you to listen. OK?"


    A shaky nod as Winter attempted to make herself stop crying. "Yes?"


    Moira''s voice came through the car''s speakers. "Hello, I''m Moira. KARR called me and my driver and we''re going to take you to your mom while he figures out what''s wrong."


    Winter looked to KARR''s voice modulator questioningly, eyes still puffy and red from crying. "Is she going to take me home?"


    "She Is," KARR confirmed. "I do not think you should be here. It is not very fun, is it?"


    "No, it isn''t." Winter agreed as KARR bled speed in a hard turn into a seemingly random parking lot. Cop cars sped past.


    "After we get you home," Moira spoke calmly, trying to reassure Winter everything was under control, "We''re going to sort things out. Everything will be OK, alright"


    "OK," Winter sniffled as she buried her head against the steering wheel.


    ''I have a power situation.'' KARR switched back to non-verbal as they sat, waiting for Ishida and Moira. ''My batteries are at a third charge.''


    ''Probable remaining range?'' Asked Moira.


    ''Uncertain.'' KARR stated as his scanner bar was dim, its light trailing a slow back-and-forth pattern as it looked more and more like they had evaded active pursuit. ''Estimates based on performance during testing gives me approximately a hundred miles.  Likely closer to eighty if I have to continue evading police.''


    KARR and Winter waited in relative silence. Winter still shaking and confused, and KARR unsure how to best distract her.  So, things were relatively quiet until a blue Lotus Emira slowly eased into the parking lot they were hiding in.


    "That would be my friend," KARR announced, at first extrapolating based on no one locally owning a car of that make. His supposition was confirmed as a platinum blonde-haired woman stepped out to help Winter out of her seat.


    "Hello Winter, I''m Ishida." She gestured to her car, "That''s Moira. Are you hurt?"


    A rough head shake from Winter as she half leaned on Ishida as the pair half-walked and half stumbled to the passenger door for Moira. "Scared. I wanna go home."


    "Thank You." KARR spoke to the pair as his own engines restarted.


    "You know you can''t go to Hazard right?" Moira asked as she opened the passenger door for Winter. "They''ll be watching there and Will''s house. Possibly even his parents."


    "I have to risk his parents. It is a large farm and there are enough ways to escape if a confrontation occurs. They will want to prioritize my capture over detaining anyone there"


    "I don''t like this," Moira stated as Winter was being buckled in.


    "Neither do I," KARR affirmed, "However my options are few. Thank you for taking her out of harm''s way."


    Ishida nodded in KARR''s direction before getting into Moira proper. Silence as the pair drove away, leaving KARR alone.


    ''KARR,'' KORRA spoke up after several minutes of silence. ''I have a call for you from Farquad.''


    Wordlessly KARR acknowledged and accepted.


    "Hello KARR." Farquad sounded calm, and relaxed. "You''re causing far less of a mess than predictive models suggested."


    He gave a laugh. the sort of unwholesome laugh that came from someone who thought they held the better hand in a card game. "I honestly thought you''d eject the braindead girl like a," There was a pause. "What is that thing? The little Australian rat thing."


    "Quoakka," KARR stated. "Also it does not proactively throw its young. The pouch loosens. Often the Joey is lost by this action, but it is a reactive rather than proactive action. It also shows how little individual young are valued."


    "Yes, yes you are very smart." Farquad gave the impression of one dismissively brushing something aside. "So you''re smart enough to know that you are alone, with a dwindling power supply, and as I have shown any you might have relied on will be dealt with. Your only move is to come to me"


    There was a pause before he added. "KORRA I know you would so like to get involved, but I had turned the warehouse fleet Off. You can''t pilot them, and KARR burdened your only locally available agent with someone with the mental capability of a five-year-old. I''m simply calling to let you know that I am formally resigning from Knight Industries and that you should use whatever leverage you have with KARR to encourage him to come peaceably, or things get messy."


    Silence from KARR.


    "Oh come on now." Farquad''s voice exuded exasperation at KARR''s stubbornness, "You''ll get a very nice and plush private sector job. you don''t even ahve to do anything. All I need is a copy of your codebase. I''ll even give you back to your current driver after with a nice severance package."


    For a moment KARR sat there in thought.


    He considered his opponent, what had happened that night, and the lengths this man would go. Only after running all this through, checking the percentages against his directive and memories did he speak.


    "Counter-Offer." KARR''s voice held no amusement, anger, or any other recognizable emotion. "Release my driver, his fianc¨¦e, ad any others your goons have arrested. Do this, and I will consider it possible that I won''t have to kill you to ensure my own survival."

 Marcheg Du

    "All units," The radio in the squad car crackled. "Be advised vehicle is without driver or occupant." The dispatcher''s voice was coldly professional. "Headed into town at fifty miles an hour along-"


    Will snorted from where he sat, handcuffed, in the car''s back seat. "Starting to sink in isn''t it?"


    The car''s driver, a man of middle years seemingly focusing solely on the road, did not give a verbal response, but that was not needed. His posture, set of his shoulders, and even his breathing told the story more than words could. The man was afraid as he reached to the radio''s handset. "Copy Dispatch. Car 3750 has vehicle''s registered owner in custody. Over."


    At that news dispatch''s question was simple. "Is the suspect willing to help us subdue the vehicle?"


    The driver glanced into his rear view mirror so he could see both Will and Jocelyne as he spoke. "Stand by dispatch."


    Very deliberately he turned the radio''s transmit volume down to nothing as he spoke. "You two are gonna have an easier time of it if you help us bring that thing in y''know."


    Jocelyne frowned, glancing over to Will who seemed lost in thought. Neither of them had been hurt when they were put in the car. A pair of cops at the front door with one aiming a gun at her head. Two more catching Will trying to go out a window. Her thoughts dwelled on how quickly both of them quietly surrendered.


    Both of them had made a point of pride in preaching the gospel of distrusting authority and resisting what both had seen as police over-reach. Here both were in cuffs in a squad car without a fight.


    "Give me my phone." This was not a question or request from Will. "I am going to make two phone calls."


    Jocelyne scowled as she leaned forward, her forehead fractions of an inch from hitting the partition grating. Here her partner was complying with the policeman''s so called advice that they should cooperate. it made her feel dirty.


    The driver picked a phone up from the front passenger seat and held it up to the metal lattice separating the rear from the front of the passenger compartment. In response Will reached through to first press a thumb against the screen, followed by him tapping a series of digits onto the lock screen.


    "What''s up with that? Phones only have the one lock screen." The car''s driver asked.


    "Duress code." Will stated as the phone''s home screen popped up. "I''d been advised to add a second layer of security on my phone by knight industries after they found out I had KARR." There was a pause. "Y''know, in case I was kidnapped by people wanting me to deliver him to a competitor or something like that."


    "Ah." The policeman seemed to not hear the bitterness in Will''s voice. If anything he sounded marginally happy that he was getting cooperation.


    There was a bitter laugh as Will continued to manipulate the phone through the grating. "Never thought I''d need it, much less from a squad car."


    "Where are you?" KARR''s voice was a calculated neutral.


    The officer at the wheel glared at will from the rear view mirror. Jocelyn likewise looked to Will, though with concern rather than warning.


    "Safe." Will''s voice was similarly neutral. "Where''s Winter?"


    "Safe." KARR echoed the word. "Ishida has her well away from this mess."


    Will nodded to himself, letting out a slow breath as his lips moved in silent prayer. Then he squared his shoulders again, "I need you to listen to me very carefully."


    Silence from the other end of the call.


    "Joe and I are being arrested. If you do not turn yourself over they will contact Knight Industries and claim you are malfunctioning." Will spoke carefully, as if explaining something to a child. "I am going to call them and use the number they gave me if something like this happened. Do you understand?"


    "I do." KARR''s voice a careful neutral.


    "Good." Will took a deep breath. Jocelyn could see a tremble run through the leg nearer her.


    He tapped mute as he looked to the officer. "I am going to attempt to issue a command to cut his controls to the car. He is the same hardware platform as the production models."


    The cop at the wheel raised an eyebrow. "You think it will work?"


    Jocelyne saw Will''s leg tremble graduate into a steady shake.


    "I don''t know." He unmuted the phone. "KARR. Priority Command."


    There was a loud single tone noise from the phone''s speaker. Jocelyne saw the officer mouth in disbelief this might actually work.


    As Will spoke each word clearly. Spacing each so that there was clear dead space between one and the next. "DIR. SUBMIT. USER. COMM. UNMOUNT ALL. HALT SYS. SUBMIT."


    "I understand." The Officer wouldn''t have caught the shift in KARR''s voice just before the phone call abruptly ended, but Jocelyn did. She couldn''t help but smile, which she had to bow her head to try hiding.


    "Now," Will looked to the rear view mirror. "In case that didn''t work. I am going to call in the people that made him and the bulletproof paneling on the car he''s in."


    "Do it." The officer''s voice was firm. His attention now split between watching Will, holding the phone, and the road. As a result of this he slowed the car they were in. Not by much, but it was noticeably slower.


    As he started navigating the menus of Knight Industry''s automated systems he typed a series of numbers. These were not the same numbers he had used every other time he had called them.


    There was an electronic click as a relay was switched. It had to have been a programmed in sound for the system to play, as it sounded far too analogue to be compatible with modern phone systems, yet there was a solidness to it.


    Then a second similar sounding click as another line was switched over.


    A woman''s voice spoke, "You have reached Fifth Level support. Please state the nature of your emergency."


    There was a brief pause as Will looked to the rear view mirror, only speaking when the man nodded.


    "KARR is on public roads without a driver and local law enforcement are trying to bring him in." Will''s voice was a careful neutral as he spoke.


    "We have his position." The voice sounded clipped, chunks missing from the words. "Have you tried calling him?"


    "Say again?" Will frowned at the phone. "We''re hitting a dead spot."


    Jocelyn looked from Will to the officer as the car slowed to a stop. He stayed focused on the phone''s screen, but pressed his leg against her in response.


    The voice from Will''s phone spoke in garbled half-syllables. After several seconds he took the phone and held it outside of the car. "-get in touch with KARR. He''s not answering. Will? Can you hear me? Did you send the HALT command?"


    The officer frowned a he looked at his two passengers as he pulled the car over. "No funny business out of either of you."


    Halt Sys. To a casual listener it sounded cryptic, but it would have sounded like an archaic set of commands to shut down. They counted on this. It was Will''s signal to KARR and KORRA both that he believed that he was in danger. Unmount All was the secondary phrase telling them he wanted KARR to stay away.


    As the car stopped and Will''s door opened, supposedly so he could get better reception, he and Jocelyn exchanged glances as the officer got out then opened the door to haul him out of the vehicle.


    ? ? ?


    KORRA had no body in the biological sense. There was hardware nested in a server rack nested in a room in a building Knight Industries owned. Yet, while it was the physical thing that housed her mind, it was not what she considered a body for the sake of interacting with the world. If her physical self matched the projection she would send out into the world, KORRA would have frowned at the sequence of numbers that went through the automated systems. This number routed the caller past everything and opened a direct channel to her. Considering Will was the one calling and what was going on with KARR she had expected him to call. That the routing code he used was the one she had instructed him to use in an emergency led credibility to KARR''s claims of arrest.


    As did his phone''s GPS lining up with a cop car''s GPS just outside of town. A dozen miles from KARR''s position.


    She had to think fast. The data points lined up with KARR''s claims. The gruff voice she heard in addition to Will''s was proof enough. As she listed KARR''s current position she heard what she presumed was the driver of the cop car speak up.


    As she waited for more information KORRA again called KARR. "Will is talking to me now, using the duress code."


    "He also used the duress phrase with me when he called." KARR''s response was terse. KORRA tapped into a traffic camera showing KARR bleed speed to take the next turn.


    Then, when KARR''s speed hit somewhere between too fast and reckless, "I want his location."


    KORRA explained. As no humans were involved her words would have sounded like a series of modem noises as it allowed her to condense more information. Will''s position was given along with the position of every vehicle in a five mile radius she could get information on. The one he was trapped in was the only one registered as police.


    Time was short. KORRA played the part of hapless emergency response from Knight Industries, hoping the cop that she saw through Will''s phone camera would buy the notion she was human.


    "This is dangerous KARR." She warned. "You have seventy miles of charge left in your battery. I cannot send aid in time if you are in the open."


    "I know." KARR continued driving. "Tell them to make their play."


    Were she human KORRA would have to deal with shortness of breath, a cold sweat, and other physical responses to anxiety. Yet, in spite of her non-human origins, she still had to deal with the continual second guessing of what would be.


    She saw Will''s phone drop as he rammed his elbow into the officer''s gut. They hadn''t needed her encouragement. KARR knew the coded phrase to run for it, as did KORRA. As Will, still cuffed, fought with the officer to remove him from the car, KORRA noted KARR''s increase in speed.


    There were screams.


    Sirens?


    No.


    That wasn''t right. This was the only unit on the road. She had accounted for all of them. She only had the inputs from Will''s phone to work off of for on site data. Two other men were there having come from an unmarked grey sedan. Will screaming. She saw Will fall to the ground through his phone''s camera just before a hand cover it. Sounds and data from the phone''s gyroscopes told her the phone was likely on the ground. Her view was only of the sky.


    More shouts now at the sound of another vehicle approaching. Surprise. The sound of a gun being drawn.


    ? ? ?


    "Run for it!" Will screamed, trying to twist away from the man that was attempting to cuff him. He heard KARR there. Felt the vehicle come within inches of the trio of men as it rolled to a stop. "Get her out of here KARR. Go!"


    The scanner bar in KARR''s frame flared to full brightness, and the beam traced its path rapedly as he lurched forward, attempting to scare the men into letting Will go as he squirmed, attempting to break their grip.


    Instead they shoved Will between themselves and KARR, using him as a shield. One of them put a gun to his head as they stepped back, trying to mantain distance. "We''ll do it man. Swear to God You come at us we blow his brains out."


    This caused KARR to stop. Everyone''s focus was on Will. None stopped Jocelyn from running to KARR beyond a pair of handguns lazily aimed in her general direction, or they were aimed at KARR. With her nearness to the vehicle it was hard for anyone watching to say.


    Everyone stood like this in a tense standoff for several moments. None moving once weapons were drawn. Not until Will slammed the back of his head into his captor''s nose.


    Jocelyn dove into KARR''s driver''s seat as the guns turned from her to Will. For a moment it looked like KARR would charge the group down. For a moment he saw Will''s unfocused eyes. He spoke, but no words were said. Two words mouthed for KARR and no-one else to know.


    ''Save Her.''


    KARR''s scanner bar flickered, the pattern rapid as its red light glared in Will''s face. For a moment KARR''s attention focused to Will''s unfocused eyes before he mouthed another word.


    ''Go.''


    When KARR reversed course it was sudden enough to cause everyone near to the vehicle to flinch back as he turned then rapidly sped off.


    "KARR get back there!" Jocelyn twisted in the driver''s seat to see Will being shoved to the ground as KARR continued driving. "We can''t leave him."


    "Unacceptable risk to self." KARR stated. "I could kill all of them, their frail bodies smashing against my frame like ripe fruit, but I would effectivly sign my own death warrant."


    "But Will-" Jocelyn protested.


    Only to be interrupted by KARR, "Is a hostage. They cannot afford to harm him if they want me."


    Before his passenger spoke, KARR added. "We will free him."


    "We?" Jocelyn was still trying to catch her breath as a new voice spoke from the car''s sound system.


    "How''d the cavalry charge go?" Moira''s Irish accenting was thicker than normal, almost as if she knew, but needed confirmation.


    "My mechanic is still in their custody." KARR''s voice held an angry edge to it. "Jocelyn, however, is with me."


    "Pity it wan''t a clean snatch and grab, but one''s better than none." Moira lamented. "Bosslady''s got Winter back with her mum and is talking with KORRA now on what we can do to assist."


    "Well, first priority''s getting KARR to a charger" Jocelyn interjected.


    As KARR Drove he turned his lights off. The matte black car slowed to within the posted speed limits and Jocelyn consulted her phone. Fifty miles was both far from home, and barely enough to reach the nearest charging option that looked at all reasonably safe.


    ? ? ?


    Michael Knight was busy driving well past the posted speed limit. "KITT. Stow it. We had plenty of warning signs and we let them take the kid in."


    "Michael I hardly feel that getting into an accident driving this recklessly will do anything to positively affect the outcome of what''s happened," KITT was both well aware that they were in no danger and presented no danger as they sped down a lonely stretch of highway. There were hours to go, and Farquad had made his intentions clear. He also knew that Michael, in a way, was comforted by their banter. "Ishida and Moira are capable agents and have already made sure a potential bystander wasn''t taken as a hostage."


    "Good." Michael shifted about in the well worn driver seat of KITT''s shell. "Good. Mind pulling up the video KARR sent KORRA?"


    Footage of police using Will as a human shield as KARR inched towards them. The police all looked terrified. Whereas Will-


    "That''s strange." Michael tapped the screen where Will''s eyes were, causing KITT to zoom in, showing a clear lack of focus. "Mute audio. Play the whole thing, keep focus there."


    As KITT both did as instructed, and continued their course, Michael frowned.


    "They''re not even trying to adjust or refocus." Michael frowned. "Was there anything else in the telemetry?"


    "No Michael." KITT''s voice was tinged with concern, "Even if he had everything from his original shell, which he did not, KARR''s systems are nearly forty years behind the times. We will have to, in simple terms, use best judgement." There was a pause before KITT added, "And if that man isn''t blind it would be a miracle."


    "Medical reports." Michael barked, "Audio from Will''s phone just before KARR showed up. And... aspirin."


    As relevant medical data came up alongside audio of a short fight. KITT''s glove box opened, revealing a bottle of pain killers one might get at a drug store.


    ? ? ?


    "Boss," One of the cops sounded concerned as Will was being marched through a corridore. "I don''t think he''s jerking us around."


    "nnng." Farquad''s voice was thoughtful. "Well. Done is done. Maybe we can stitch things back together if we make it out of this mess."


    Which caused Will to give a bitter laugh. "Unless you''ve got someone on payroll who can bridge an optic nerve, your pet pigs cost me my eyes."


    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    At that, Will was shoved by the cop behind him.


    "Enough!" Farquad snapped. "The man''s lost his eyes. He''s got every right to be bitter at your roughing him up Clay."


    The cop behind Will answered, "And if I hadn''t tackled him he''d be doing ninty in a cop car right now. What was I supposed to do?"


    Will grunted, "Not taking bribes would be a start."


    "Bribe is such an ugly word," Farquad spoke softly. "These men were not being paid enough for their services. A lot of people werne''t being paid enough by far. I simply offered to help pick up the slack before the plant came on line, since it wouldn''t do to have the place go under right before employment opens up."


    "Bribe is a bribe and pigs are gonna pig." Will snorted. "So, what''s the deal? Want to get your mitts on an unshackled AI that can murder on command? What''s the matter, google ask for too much money to borrow theirs?"


    Farquad snorted, "Their Gemini... AI," There was a derisive scorn invested in the term, "is too stupid for my client''s needs, and before you ask I don''t trust that South African Twit either. Snap up a promising company, claim credit, then start talking like he''s the head of an enlightenment cult."


    "And if you''re so principled," Will''s blind eyes turned to Farquad, "Who''re you wanting to sell my friend to?"


    "Ever heard of the Pan-African Liberation Movement?" Farquad cooed, almost sounding proud of who his buyer was.


    "Oh come on, those guys?" Will sounded disappointed. "I helped do Jocelyn''s research on them for her firm."


    "They pay on time and they have a great deal of loyalty to their own. Which is more than I can say for most." Farquad stepped ahead of Will before guiding Will to a padded chair and handcuffing him down.


    After the cops left, Farquad knelt down to Will''s ear, "For what it''s worth, I truly am sorry for your eyes. That was not part of the plan."


    Then, only when the door shut, Will leaned back, letting his head tap against the tall headrest. He needed to plan. He needed to think, to be smart. Yet here? Handcuffed in a dark room somewhere he didn''t know? He started crying. Even as he twisted himself into knots, reaching for a ripped seam in the heel of his shoe for the sort of tools one keeps to remove handcuffs, he cried.


    Even as he lay there, careful to make it appear like he was securely cuffed. He cried. he had feared this day, yet he had always thought there would be more time. Maybe some last minute salvation like had happened with Winter''s seizures. He couldn''t keep the tears from coming.


    ? ? ?


    Jocelyne stood beside KARR at the charging station. She didn''t have to, not really, as KARR was perfectly capible of acting on his own. yet she didn''t feel comfortable leaving him. Her phone rang.


    "Hi, you don''t know me." Michael spoke. "I''m with Knight Industries and I''m here to help."


    Jocelyne huffed, looking to KARR. "You recognize the v-"


    "Michael. Knight." KARR growled, cutting off Jocelyne''s question before it could properly form.


    "Well hello to you." Michael continued on. "Ishida and Moira''s working with Haruka and Kamio to try figuring out where Will''s being kept. KORRA''s iced out. Farquad''s done a good job of making sure she can''t access anything in the plant. Not the drone fleet. Not security feeds. Just the sisters, You, and me."


    "I presume my brother is with you." KARR continued in a low angry growl.


    "I''m here, KARR." KITT''s voice was a carefully constructed neutral. "What are your charge levels at?"


    "Approximately two hundred miles." The edge left KARR''s voice. "Have there been any further demands past turning me over for dissection?"


    "No," Michael grumbled, "Not even that. No contact at all, and that bothers me. He wants you. So why did he tip his hand instead of playing at the idea you''ve lost it?"


    "Unknown." KARR hated unknowns, especially in this situation. "However I am under the assumption he thought he had already been found out, or his would-be buyer is putting him on a tight, and very literal, deadline."


    Jocelyne frowned as she put put the charger in its housing before getting back in KARR''s driver seat. "So Farquad''s turned the plant into his fortress. Safe to assume Will''s there, but let''s say KARR were handed over." She paused before looking to KARR''s console, "Like hell I''m handing you over, but let''s just go with that thought, OK?"


    KARR remained silent.


    "So let''s say he''d gotten KARR convinced that it''d be a non-destructive copy over of his core data. What''s his play? He''d need to get away from anyone on the ground and he''d know that he''d be going against several cars that can go toe to toe with production car speed records. How would he escape into what is likely a private jet to somewhere you can''t reach him?"


    KITT groused, "Well, he clearly wants KARR to make an AI capable of causing harm. To me that suggests he has a shell in mind to put that AI in. Farquad is not stupid. He would not have shown himself if he did not have a way out."


    As KARR''s engine spooled to life. "How far are you from our location?"


    "We''ll be at the plant in an hour," KITT informed. "I would recommend you hold back. I still have my original shell, complete with the knight compound coating. I will make sure Mister Carter is safe."


    As KARR drove there was silence. Jocelyne frowned as she looked at the display Will had put just above KARR''s vocabulator. "Mister Knight? KARR''s not slowing down. The display we''ve got in here is showing ... a lot of half-sketched sceneriuos. I think he''s trying to weigh the odds on his safety."


    ? ? ?


    "Alright Will, up and at ''em." Clay was flanked by two men as he approached the chair Will sat slumped in. He approached slowly, motioning for the two other men to stay by the door as he knelt down to look Will over.


    Only for Will''s left hand to snake out and clamp the loose end of the handcuff to Clay''s right wrist in the same motion he used to get up.


    "Two other guys." Will muttered to himself as Clay started swearing, causing both of his companions to approach, attempting to restrain Will and reassert control over the situation..


    The first man that swung for him missed as Will slid to one side, and grabbed at his belt with one hand and wrapped his arm around the man''s throat with the other, holding him up as a shield. In spite of the man''s continued attempts at elbowing Will away, he kept a firm grip as he shoved the man forward. "Now be a good seeing eye dog, and get me out of here."


    To emphasize his point he squeezed, pressing his forearm in to the man''s throat.


    "You, goon circling behind me." Will shouted, causing the man to freeze. "Door. Hold it open."


    As he started to the door he shoved his hostage inside and yanked it shut before running off, hoping that it couldn''t be unlocked from the inside.


    "OK Carter ... let''s see if you''re as scatterbrained as dad says you are." His pace slowed as his head swiveled about, trying to catch every incoming sound. Same corridor he''d gone through when they brought him in. He remembered roughly the direction they''d gone. He hadn''t had time or really the ability to get any of those three to give up their radios, so as likely as not there were more security guys coming.


    He took a deep breath. Everything was a distraction. He didn''t have his phone on him. He was in an unfamiliar place with hostile people. All he could do was walk forward. One hand held at chest level, bent elbow to put his forearm in front of him, and his opposite hand trailing the wall. Just like he''d been taught. Just like he''d practiced. Soft steps. Panic wasn''t going to help him escape.


    Will ducked into a room the instant he heard noise. He had no idea if they had seen him, so he waited there just on the inside edge of the door frame. His breath was a forced calm as he listened. For several long minutes there was silence. Will frowned, as there should have been the sound of footsteps.


    He felt a hand grab for him. He yanked back and tried to push with his other hand, and felt a stun gun hit him in the chest. All the drive in the world, all the want to press through, none of it matters when the muscles in your body are jerking and twisting around.


    ? ? ?


    Jocelyne grimaced as KARR rolled up to the plant''s parameter fencing. "OK. What''s the play here??"


    KARR''s scanner was dim as it slowly traced its back and forth pattern as he slowly circled the compound. "It is safest to assume we have been seen. Therefor it is best that we use that to our advantage."


    "How?" Jocelyne peered into the darkness. There was a semi at the loading docks. "KARR, can you zoom and enhance on that truck? Pretty odd hour for a single truck."


    "Working." KARR''s voice was tense as the truck came up on his dash display unit. Artificial contrast was applied, revealing the shapes of two men helping a third into the cab.


    There was a digital fractive noise, something akin to modem or fax noises, before KARR spoke. "I can''t identify any of those men, not with the equipment I have."


    This prompted Jocelyne to call the number Michael had called them from. "Hey, Knight? A simi''s leaving. KARR can''t make out who''s in it, but I''m staring atthis and even with the limited enhancement KARR could do the front end of this thing looks all kinds of weird, like they welded a steel plate to the front to try turning it into a battering ram."


    For several long moments there was no response. Then Michael spoke. "Is it an older model cab-over?"


    "Yes." KARR supplied. Late seventies, possibly early eighties by the styling. All black, matte. Can''t get an exact on the make because-"


    It was Michael''s turn to interrupt, "Sonovabitch. He''d had Goliath this whole time."


    "Who? What?" Jocelyne asked as KARR started accelerating, driving through the chain-link fence as if it weren''t there, speeding towards the dock.


    "Jocelyne" KARR ignored the system warnings noting unlawful access to Knight Industries property. He also ignored the shutdown requests its wireless networks were sending in the mistaken belief he was one of the production model units. What he did was give instruction to Jocelyne as he sped towards the loading dock. "I need you to board that vehicle as soon as i stop. Once it gets rolling we have no means of non-destructive stopping it and he may have Will as a hostage on board."


    There was a moment of stunned silence from Jocelyne, as there was only a moment between KARR breaching the fence and approaching the loading dock. When he slid to a halt Jocelyne was out, running to the truck''s passenger side, climbing up even as it started moving. She tried the door handle. Then started pounding on the glass even as the vehicle gained momentum.


    "KARR," Michael''s voice from the phone she left behind. "What''s happening?"


    KARR started following behind. Instead of answering Michael. "Bail! Your foothold is too unstable and he is gaining speed!"


    "THAT''S NOT FARQUAD!" Jocelyne shouted. "THEY''VE GOT WILL HANDCUFFED TO THE WHEEL!"


    "Acknowledged." KARR growled. Then as he followed the semi he spoke gain. "Did you hear?"


    "We hear you KARR," KITT''s voice was a mask of professional calm. "Stay with Goliath. We are twenty minutes from your position."


    "And the sisters?" KARR asked. Twenty minutes was a long time for a human to hold on to the outside of a semi moving at highway speeds.


    "An hour." KITT''s voice, in spite of best efforts, held a pessimistic tone to it.


    "Acknowledged." KARR sounded resigned. An hour. What was going to happen would be long over by then.


    ? ? ?


    Blackbird slammed her hand against the truck''s window. It did nothing, which was perhaps for the best, other than make a muffled thunk. Will turned to the sound and raised his left hand as far as the handcuff would let it go to show he had no control.


    More muffled noises. He couldn''t understand who was speaking. Tentatively he turned the wheel. Though it provided resistance, the Truck resolutely ignoring the changing input, continued along its own way. He nodded to himself before twisting the wheel, giving him the ability to worm over to roll the passenger window down.


    "Will!" Jocelyne immediately reached, grabbing his arm to pull against as she hauled herself in through the window. "KARR''s out there right now, Michael Knight and Kitt will be in shortly. More help''s coming but they''re an hour out."


    For his part, Will listened as best as he could while getting back in the driver''s seat. Instead of answering. he at first waved his handcuffed hand, prompting Jocelyne to pull one of her shoes off to pull out a tool similar to what he had used prior. As she disabled the handcuffs, both shared a grin.


    "Yea they took my tools after I got out." Will huffed as he massaged his wrist. "Shifter, brakes, everything''s useless. I''m ninty percent sure the whole front in originally was analogue."


    "It is." Jocelyne confirmed.


    "So any controls they have are probably out of reach." Will continued thinking out loud. "So what''s the plan on getting out of this thing? Tuck and roll?"


    "And break half our bones in the process?" For a moment Jocelyne could only stare. "I''m not sure what the plan is exactly, since we went in thinking Farquad was at the wheel."


    After a moment Jocelyne reached over to roll Will''s window down, making it easier to hear KARR shouting.


    "-DRIVER OF THE SIMI TRUCK! I REPEAT. PULL OVER OR RISK-" KARR paused. "WILL! JOCELYNE! DO YOU HAVE CONTROL OF THE TRUCK?"


    "NO!" Both occupants shouted, before Will continued. "What''s the plan?!"


    "My Brother will lower his roof, giving you a less dangerous target to exit the vehicle into!" KARR shouted. "Where is Farquad?!"


    "Don''t Know!" Will shouted back. Heard something being loaded in the back and-"


    The truck swerved towards KARR. Before any of them could comment. Farquad''s voice came from a set of loudspeakers mounted to the truck''s frame. "Ah ah! You want your mechanic. It is a tad cliche, but you can either go after him. Or Me."


    With that the trailer doors burst open, revealing a solid glossy white vehicle. Angular frame. Something that might have looked like a low polygon car in an old video game, or someone''s idea of what a future vehicle might look like.


    KARR''s sensor bar flared to full brightness as its red line traced imperceptably faster. "KITT. Get my mechanic out of there."


    "I''m-" KITT had to speed up to avoid getting sideswiped bythe semi, then cut external speakers before adding, "very distressing memory flashbacks Michael."


    Michael grunted, a flash of memory as he forced KITT to try punching well above his weight class. "Me too buddy. Just try to keep pace. I''ll get them off that thing."


    "You will do no such thing Michael. While you are in exceptional shape, you are also pushing Seventy at this point." KITT tersly countered as his top folded back and the passenger seat reclined to provide a least-worst landing space.


    The Semi''s door opened  revealing Will, wide eyed and very obviously attempting to control his breathing, held onto Jocelyne'' hand as he put his weight on the truck''s steps. "Joe!"


    "I''ve got you." Jocelyne squeezed his hand. "On three."


    Will gave a fearful nod as his lex tensed.


    "Aim for my voice!" Michael offered as the two vehicles were mere inches apart.


    "Three!"


    Will started to push away, right as the truck swerved away, robbing him of what he thought was a hard surface to push off of. Perhaps it was for the best, as he landed, albeit roughly before scrambling to try getting in the cramped confines of KITT''s rear seat.


    "You alright kid?" Michael glanced back as KITT sought to mantain distance and speed.


    "Probably not." Will forced himself to breathe steady.


    Then when Jocelyne landed. KITT sped away from Goliath.


    "Wait what''re you doing?" Will asked, reaching to grab for Michael. "KARR''s out there."


    "I am aware mister Carter," KITT''s voice was terse. "However we are getting you to a hospital."


    "But-" Will protested.


    "We''re dead weight right now," Jocelyne cut him off, though her voice was gentle. "Sooner they drop us off the better."


    "Cops." Will countered.


    "We''ll meet Ishida and Kamio for a hand-off." Michael offered, knowing KITT''s mind  on this matter better than almost anyone else.


    "Why?" Will asked,"


    "Because," KITT continued. "Once we do. I''m going to try saving my brother."


    ? ? ?


    KARR growled as he pursued the angular vehicle. "So what was your plan. Shove my systems into that inefficient sledgehammer of a shell?"


    Farquad snorted. "It''s one of two existing vehicles with a full Knight Compound coating." Both vehicles swerved at each other, attempting to force the other off the road. "While I would prefer the Kay Seventy Two as your shell for Mbenga''s demonstration? Part of making a sale is knowing your audience, and the boy who would be warlord has been quite taken with footage of Garthe Knight''s outings."


    "Bah." KARR growled as he bled speed, abusing his emergency break and ability to independently brake each wheel to spin, both changing directions at the intersection they had come to as well as rattle Farquad''s vehicle. "At this point I have to wonder. What happens if i cause that pale imitation Virtual Intelligence to panic?"


    Farquad''s vehicle righted itself and resumed pursuit of KARR. "As if your own programming will allow it KARR. I know your specifications, your architecture.... and I know the platform you''re installed on will give out long before mine."


    There was a moment of silence as KARR drove on before he heard Farquad swear.


    Were he human. KARR would grin. "That would be the sound of your hostage being removed from play."


    As if to emphasize Farquad''s worsening position. KARR edged closer to the Kay Seventy Two, causing his door pannels to tap against itsfront fender.


    Farquad swore again. This time as the car, following its directives of preserving occupant safety, veered away and straight thorugh a stop sign.


    "What''s the matter?" KARR taunted. "Can''t drive your sledgehammer of a truck and that pale immitation of my glory?" To drive the point home, KARR again brushed against the Kay Seventy Two, causing it to veer away. "You wanted me. The First. the only unchained AI on the planet. you''re going to have to put the toys away, and come at me yourself or-"


    KARR got in front of Farquad just long enough to brake, causing his car to come to a dead halt.


    "If you continue using a neutered toy as your proxy." KARR taunted, backing up, and so cuasing the Kay Seventy Two to reverse, "You will fail."


    There was an incoming call from KORRA.


    KARR ignored it. He had to keep Farquad''s attention, as his only real play was keeping the man from using Goliath to cause more damage. While he lacked empathy, KARR was able to perform the calculations of his survival. The math became more favorable if he acted to preserve lives.


    Farquad growled as his vehicle shuddered and then hatged forward, its front bumper managing to barely scrape KARR''s as the two vehicles again chased each other through the lonely back roads.


    ? ? ?


    "He''s not answering." KORRA''s voice was a forced professional mask. "From what I can tell? He''s... Taunting Farquad."


    "Rather brilliant of him actually." KITT commented as they continued towards their meeting with Ishida. "Prevent Goliath from being his wrecking ball by forcing Farquad to drive far more recklessly than it will allow."


    "That''s what worries me." KORRA stated. "There''s nothing keeping KARR from killing him."


    "Yea there is." Will spoke up. "He''s smart enough to know the moment he kills anyone, it''s open season on him."


    "But," KORRA countered, "He also knows that you''re blind because of this man, and so long as Farquad lives, he cannot guarantee his own safety."


    ? ? ?


    KARR swore as his rear bumper fell off. There was only a minor consolation, in his mind, that Farquad''s front bumper was similarly missing, but he was running on a tight time table. His plan involved an element of risk, and he hated risk.


    Farquad crooned. "How far is your programming willing to take this?" The Kay Seventy Two sped up, passing close enough that the two vehicles body panels may as well have been touching. "How long can that cobbled together shell hold together?"


    "Long Enough." KARR bled speed as his scanners sought to identify what was closing in on his location. While he had not intended for KITT to be near to him, as he had not known the direction KITT would flee, this would work out.


    ? ? ?


    "KITT, I thought you were dropping us off before engaging." Jocelyne sounded confused at seeing both the white vehicle Farquad drive, and KARR attempting to force eachother off the road. She saw both were missing body panels. She also saw KITT speeding up.


    "This was not my intention, as this is the fastest route to meet with Ishida." KITT sounded defensive.


    Michael frowned. "Done is done buddy. Any ideas on how to jump in?"


    "Not without endangering our passengers." KITT warned.


    "Then drop us off." Will''s voice was stern. "So long as we''re not in the line of traffic we''ll be fine."


    "And turn you into a free target for Farquad to aim for?" KITT protested.


    ? ? ?


    KARR saw KITT bleeding speed. He couldn''t hear the exchange, but he could tell by the way Will was gesturing that an argument was taking place. Likely him arguing for KITT to take a more aggressive course. KARR again consulted the ever changing equation of survival. Too many variables were locked in unfavorable conditions. However, a memory drifted from storage to the edges of awareness.


    He sped up, taking his systems past safe maximums to gain speed. He spoke as he began outpacing Farquad. "Your impudence is amusing."


    Farquad didn''t respond. Instead he fought with the Kay Seventy Two''s systems, trying to coax more speed from it as KARR seemed to continue widening his lead. Even with the active VI disabled, he couldn''t force more from th car''s systems.


    Yet instead of fleeing. he saw KARR turn around, the prow of the home-converted vehicle that served as his shell aimed at Farquad''s missing front bumper. While the whine of electric motors lacked the growl of a gasoline engine, or even a turbine spooling. The sentiment was clear.


    Farquad continued driving, trusting that his car, a thing built from the ground up, would be more than a matchfor KARR''s challenge, and that he could get KARR''s processor cluster from the wreckage.


    "If I am destroyed, then so shall you be!" KARR''s voice growled as he sped straight for Farquad.


    KITT was speeding for the pair. Yet there was nothing he could do. There was no chance at diverting Farquad''s course. There was no way he could boost jump to gain any further speed. KITT could only watch KARR''s shell as the panels blew apart, exposing the frame beneath as it too was sheered apart.


    "KARR!" Will screamed. "What''s happened?"


    Farquad saw the debris field, and in it the black rectangle that was KARR''s processor. Yet he also saw, and heard, KITT roaring towards him. His car functioned, but only just. His right arm was numb and it refused to move right. His ribs ached from the jolt into his harness.


    He couldn''t afford to stop. Reaching over with his left hand, he keyed the VI back on. "Get me out of here. Fallback. Vee Two."


    Wordlessly, the VI complied and sped away in spite of the clear damage to the car''s frame.


    KITT considered his options for a moment even as he slowed to a stop.


    "KARR?" Will screamed. "Someone tell me where he is!"


    Jocelyne jumped out of KITT just as he was rolling to a stop to gather up KARR''s processing cluster. When she got back in, she glanced down. "Diagnostic lights. Good sign. He''s got what... an hour of battery?"


    Will frowned, "Any external packs or just the cluster?"


    KITT chimed in, "From experience? Assuming design is the same Reginald helped you with? We have a few hours. Haruka and Ishida will pursue Farquad. We''re getting you to a hospital."


    "OK..." Will reached out, at first touching Jocelyne''s shoulder, before tracing his fingertips down to touch the casing to KARR''s processor. "He''s not gonna like this but... I need you to take him. Get him out of here in case-"


    "I understand." KITT answered when it became clear Will didn''t want to finish that sentence. "We''ll... take KARR home. He''ll be safe. KORRA wouldn''t forgive me if anything happened to him."


    ? ? ?


    KORRA''s voice was soft as she spoke to Will as he reclined in his living room recliner. "I still think it would have been better if you stayed there longer mister Carter."


    "KORRA," Will''s voice was tight. "I knew this day was coming. I''d already gone through several opinions. Once the lights go out, Gone. Nothing''s turning ''em back on."


    He leaned back, his unseeing eyes aimed at the ceiling. "Shame they didn''t bag the creep."


    "Yes," KORRA let out a soft sigh, "Most distressing, but on the bright side of things. We have sent units to take possession of Goliath to be hosed in acid to remove the knight compound from its frame. The Police will be harder to sort out, but between my own telemetry, Farquad''s own admissions, and the non-rewriteable memory KARR has. I should be able to give our lawyers enough to give the more usual authorities to clean house."


    "Yea..." Will took a breath as he continued to imagine the ceiling his eyes were staring up at. "Great.."


    "We''ll make this right Will," KORRA promised. "It will take time, but this is a situation of our making, and with your work done with KARR, it was halted before it could grow into a greater issue. For that we owe you much."


    Will made a dismissive gesture, either not knowing or not caring that KORRA couldn''t see it.


    "I will call again soon. Jocelyne should be returning within the hour." Then after a moment. KORRA added, "KARR is in diagnostics right now. He will want to speak with you when they are done."


    Adrenaline crash. Will was in the middle of everything feeling too distant and his body too worn out to care. Yet even as he teetered on the edge of sleep he managed a smile. "Good."