Tomorrow Knight (Knight Rider fanfiction)

Making Progress

The overhead light in the garage timed out and grew dark. Crystal watched the videos of KITT's memory play for hours, at first sitting quietly for the most part with her legs crossed, arms wrapped around her backpack, and her chin resting on top of it. She made frequent expressions and occasionally commented or questioned what was happening exactly, which he was happy to answer.

He had started from the beginning, explaining his relationships with Bonnie Barstow, Michael Knight, Devon Miles, and, to a lesser extent, April Curtis. Michael of course was his partner and friend, Bonnie was something of a mother to him, April was his acting technician while Bonnie went back to further her studies in school, and Devon was....whatever he had really been. A friend at the time, perhaps. Otherwise, a colleague of sorts.

As the videos continued to play Crystal became more and more talkative, becoming quite the curious chatterbox. Especially once the memory of his first encounter with a stunt show came up. Slammin' Sammy's wasn't the most pleasant experience, but looking back on it now he realized those were days he missed. Before Michael retired and left him to the Foundation.

Being assigned mission after mission, catching villains, meeting new people and friends, each unique experience, the speed, the adventure, the rush, the thrill.... One could only wonder what was going to become of all that. No one in the past knew where he was, nor anyone in this future what he was capable of, and technically he shouldn't even exist anymore based on what he was told. And Crystal didn't seem to work for anyone, having done all of this on her own accord. If that was indeed the case, what did that mean for him? What purpose did he have if not doing what he was programmed for? KITT really wasn't sure, and the flow of thoughts perplexed him. It was an unusual feeling he didn't recognize.

Perhaps this is what it felt like for a human child to be lost in the middle of nowhere. And he didn't know enough about his situation to make a solid conclusion about it, good or bad.

"You know," Crystal started, her thoughtful yet silly tone distracting the AI from his thoughts. "All those silver stars Michael put on you kinda make me want to call you 'Stickers.'"

He mentally paused at the somewhat random comment. "Stickers?" he scoffed lightly. She merely shrugged in response. "I can't say that sounds very dignified." KITT's tone seemed to imply he wasn't very amused, but he would have been lying to himself to say he wasn't at least a little. From the short time they had spent in each other's company so far, he realized that despite her age Crystal still had the tendency to act like a child as if it were still in her nature. She didn't seem much like any of the other adults he had met or worked with before, and though he hadn't come to a decision on whether that was a good or bad thing he had to admit to himself it was refreshing. The few children he met in his time were always bright-eyed and open-minded, and their curiosity and fascination with him were never clouded by greed or desire for power.

If Crystal really was anything like them underneath her evident knowledge, skill, and underlying seriousness, then perhaps he really was safe with her for the time being.

Well, despite her....apparent naivety concerning KARR. He hadn't forgotten the presence of the violent AI for so much as a moment. The fact he was even in the same garage space was baffling and unnerving.

At least he was dormant. But at the same time it still felt as if he was watching somehow. It was highly unsettling.

Suddenly there was a faint knock at the front door of the house, and KITT picked up the presence of a man on his scanner as well as some sort of unmarked delivery truck. He had been so preoccupied in his thoughts that he completely missed noticing the vehicle drive into the yard. Pausing the current video he asked, "Crystal, there is a uniformed man at the door with some sort of package. Were you expecting anything?"