Reflexive Contemplations - Mike
Aug 15, 2010 0:45:24 GMT -9
Post by Leathurkatt on Aug 15, 2010 0:45:24 GMT -9
Sometimes I look in the mirror and wonder who I am anymore. Am I Mike Traceur or Mike Knight? Who are these guys anyway? I used to think I knew who I was, but over the last twelve years doubts have come up. There’s holes in my memory, things I can’t remember yet I went places, did things, met people, and I remember none of it. Except…
KARR, I get flashes, vague recollections of that monster standing over me, fire and destruction all around us, people dead. I remember screaming at him “What did you do?” I remember feeling hurt and betrayed, I trusted him and he turned on me. When Charles died and those people tore the SSC apart, it felt like part of me had died with him. Taking KI3T away and yanking out his AI, it was like hearing a friend had died. He’s not just a car, not just a fancy computer, he’s my friend and I trust him with my life. KARR tried to kill KI3T, apparently possessive over me, though I don’t understand why. He was a machine, a murderer, and destroying him felt like I had been set free from a nightmare. In the years since then we rebuilt the SSC, restarted FLAG, got Knight Industries and Knight Research & Development going again under our control, mine and Sara’s.
Sara… Oh god I love her so much. I never should have left her, she ended up hating me for it. But what could I do? Three years of my life are gone and I have tried so hard to remember. I had thought she and I were from two completely different worlds and would end up staying that way. But she is right, look at where we ended up, we’re together now, and after twelve years, I’m not going anywhere. We’re building more AI vehicles like KI3T, using him and Charles’ information to do it right. KI3T seems to like the idea of having a brother, which is kind of funny when you think about it.
But the nightmare seems to have come back. About four years ago we started picking up rumors of a transforming car. At first we wondered if they were talking about KI3T, but the locations, dates, and times don’t match up to anywhere we’ve been and when. My first thought was of KARR, but KI3T and I destroyed him. Somehow he survived and someone found what was left of him and put him back together again. We have to find him and put him down once and for all before he goes on a rampage and ends up killing more than just seven people this time. So far we’ve been lucky, glimpses of him and random sightings here and there. All he’s done is stolen fuel, so far, and we’re damned lucky no one has been hurt yet. Four years he’s been out there hiding and running. It makes me wonder what’s really going on in that twisted processor of his.
KI3T seems a bit put off knowing KARR is back. After what happened last time that thing was brought back to life, I don’t blame him. With Sara’s help we’ve managed to piece together the history of her father’s work, KARR, the original KI2T who we found in her father’s workshop at his house, deactivated and somewhat in pieces. Apparently his AI computer components gave out and he died of natural causes. My father was his driver for years and the two retired together until KI2T went off line permanently. I was able to talk to my father about the original KI2T and the way he spoke of him was like he was talking about a real person and very close friend. He talked about Devon Miles and Bonnie, and all the good times they had together. When he spoke of the day KI2T died it was like he had lost a brother. I can kind of understand that feeling; KI3T and I have gotten pretty close over the years and I honestly have a hard time imagining my life without him in it now.
Billy and Zoe have stayed through it all, for which I am immensely glad of. They’re not just team mates, they’re friends, and with the addition of my buddy Dylan to the team we've become something of a family. Even the diagnostic robots Katie and Lisa are like family to us. Sara wishes Hank could have been recovered from the plane crash, the girls seem to miss their ‘brother’. I suggested that we try and build more of them though since we’re building more of the cars, I mean, why not? We’ll need them to help out anyway, and the central chamber of the SSC is being redesigned a bit to house up to four cars like KI3T. They’ll each have their own special spot to park, taking advantage of the turntable in the middle to give access from their spots to the outside and allowing all of them to be checked over as needed. I may not understand a lot of the techno-babble, but I do know that even an AI super car like KI3T needs maintenance sometimes.
Our little family will be growing soon since we’re taking on new people. It’s a big job and I thought of trying to get Cira in on the deal. We’re not related but she’s my sister, my father adopted her some years ago. I hope she joins us, I think she’d like it here. I haven’t had much contact with her, though I hope to change that. She’s pretty outgoing from what I remember of her, maybe she’d like to help recruit some people. And then there’s that one guy, Kane. Met him a couple years ago when I got into a bar fight. Nice guy, hell of a mechanic. I’ve had Zoe check up on him, he’s been through some rough times. We could certainly use a guy like him here though, to help build and work on the cars, test driving them and such. It’d be right up his alley I think. From his history he seems to do best when he’s working with or on cars. I’d like to get him here and Sara is amiable to the idea. Once I find Cira, I’ll take her with me to meet up and talk to him about it.
