****A
KNIGHT LEGACY****
by Sarah Stodola
PART
ONE -- COMING TOGETHER
Shouts and laughter resounded from the schoolyard as the
bell rang and kids poured out of the double doors, pushing and
shoving in their hurry to escape for the weekend. The school
bully was in his usual post by the flagpole, demanding smaller
kids' "protection" money, and the "in crowd" left for the mall in
one big, noisy group.
Inside the school building, in one classroom, a teacher was
putting away supplies and checking projects. Her young helper
came running up to her and gestured first towards a set of
paints, then to the open closet, her eyebrows raised
questioningly in a very mature expression, something strange to
see on the face of an eight-year-old.
The teacher smiled and nodded. "All right, Nikki.
You can
put those away. Just be careful."
The girl made an annoyed face, rolling her eyes toward the
ceiling, and walked over to carefully pick up the paints and
deposit them in their proper place. The teacher watched, smiling
a little sadly. It was such a pity that such a bright child --
she had been diagnosed as an actual genius -- was also a complete
mute. Nikki had never uttered a sound in her life.
She was so bright and cheerful, though. The teacher found
herself wondering yet again who the child's parents had been.
All she knew was that they had both been killed the same day that
Nikki had been born.
Nikki came back up to her, and cocked her head, glancing
toward the window. The teacher smiled, somewhat fondly. "All
right, you can go home if you want. You're the one who chose to
stay, remember?"
Nikki grinned impishly at her, tossing her brown hair back,
before launching her slender body into a dart out the door and
down the hall, snatching up her blue backpack on the way.
Nikki slowed and stopped when she saw the bully, Brent
Thatcher, waiting by the flagpole. He glanced her way, then said
something to his gang, and the bigger boys all came towards her.
She rolled her eyes. Was it going to be this again?
Any
sane boy would have decided by now that it wasn't a good idea to
pick on this girl. But not Brent. Oh, no. He wasn't that
smart.
"Hey stupid," one of the boys called as they came
closer.
Nikki sighed and dropped her backpack to the side, bracing
herself with legs slightly spread in a karate fighting stance.
Brent came up to her, obviously enjoying looking down at his
victim. "Okay, squirt, gimme your dough," he smirked.
Nikki shook her head, bright blue eyes flashing as they
narrowed. No one made her do something she didn't want.
Especially when that something was hand over her meager amount of
cash. No way! she thought.
Brent scowled, and shoved her. "I mean now, kid."
Nikki got her balance back, and suddenly spun on one foot,
hitting the bully hard in the stomach with the other. Her
slenderness wasn't fragile -- she was wiry and strong. As she
proved when she followed through with a quick warning jab of her
fists in the general direction of Brent's nose.
He just groaned and stumbled away, his gang right behind
him. Cowards, Nikki thought. She had to do this about once a
week, and, though she always won, she was getting a little tired
of it. She sighed and picked up her pack, slinging it over one
shoulder as she headed for home.
Home was a little house on the far outskirts of town, and
her Uncle Brian. As she burst through the door, she whistled
loudly. An answering whistle came from down the hall, and she
dropped her backpack on the floor to wander down to the source.
She stood in the open doorway, watching her uncle at work.
Quite a mess of papers and manuals was spread out around a PC
station, and a brown-haired man sat on the floor in a pile of
cables. She smiled and whistled her presence again, walking into
the room and agilely leaping over and around books and computer
parts.
Her uncle looked up at her and smiled, pulling off his
glasses. "Hello, honey. Looks like I've got a mess here, don't
I? Sure wish I had your mom here. She'd have this stuff in
order in no time flat, and then wonder why I was making such a
big deal about it." He grinned and winked.
Nikki giggled silently, then quickly sobered. Her uncle had
told her a lot about her mother, his sister. She had been a
genius like Nikki, a top computer expert with a penchant for
robotics. She had disappeared for some years, and her brother
Brian had had a search put out for her. He had finally found her
again, in a hospital, only to discover that she was half-dead
from a bullet that had gone through her lung and going into
premature labor besides. She had apparently been working for
some secret crimefighting organization. Nikki wished she could
have known her.
And her father. Her uncle had no idea who he had been,
though he had seen a wedding band on his sister's hand before she
died, and had later discovered that he had died as well. Nikki
wished she could have known him, too. So many things about her,
Brian told her, were like her mother. But there were other
things too, like her lean wiry strength, and her bright blue eyes
that no one could stare down, that she had obviously inherited
from her father.
Like her mother, Nikki *was* better at figuring out some
things than her uncle was, though. Like what cables went where.
She jumped over a last pile of papers and grasped a cable,
raising her eyebrows at her uncle. He nodded.
"Okay, Nik, go ahead."
She bent down, brushing her hair out of her face. She
studied the computer casing, then inserted the cable jack into a
hole on the box. The monitor lit up.
"Well, well." Her uncle grinned. "Just
like your mom, you
are."
Nikki flashed him a delighted grin, and he ruffled her hair
fondly. "I think I've done enough here for one day. How 'bout
we go down to the corner store and get sodas or somethin'?"
She sprang up in the air, laughing silently and nodding a
vigorous approval of the plan. She ran down the hall, and waited
by the door for Brian to get his shoes and jacket.
He was right behind her. "Hey, hold up, hon. I
can't run
as fast as you." She hopped from foot to foot while he got
ready, then burst through the door ahead of him like she was
jet-propelled. She waited at the foot of the short driveway, and
they walked together at a much more sedate pace down the street.
Jansen's Drug Store was like a scene from the past. It was
a '50's style establishment, complete with large black-and-white
tiles and soda counter over to one side. Nikki climbed agilely
up one of the tall stools, and situated herself on the red
vinyl-covered seat. Brian sat beside her and called out, "Hey,
Tom!"
Tom Jansen, proprietor, came out of the back room, white
hair mussed and thick eyebrows up in question. His face became
wreathed with smiles when he saw who his customers were. He
stepped over to the other side of the counter. "Hello, Brian.
The usual?" At Brian's nod, he turned toward the soda fountain,
but took the time to grin conspiratorially at Nikki. "How was
school, kiddo?"
She nodded an "okay" and glanced at her uncle, pointing
to
the straw dispenser beside him. Brian handed her a long
red-and-white striped plastic straw.
Tom came back with a pair of root beer floats, and Nikki
grinned thanks. She put the straw in hers and turned around to
look out the plate-glass window while she enjoyed her treat. Her
uncle and Tom were having some long boring conversation about
jobs, and she tuned them out, losing herself in her favorite
dream world.
This was the one where her parents had never died, and she
lived with them in a pretty little house in the country. Her
mom, like Brian had told her, had brown hair, and she imagined
her dad as having blond hair and blue eyes. That would be where
she got her eyes.
In the day-dream, they had a dog, and two cats. Nikki loved
animals. Maybe they would even have a horse. She sighed,
wishing with all her heart that it was real. Her mom, who had
been smart too, would teach her, and she would never have to put
up with bullies like Brent Thompson and his gang.
Tears leaked out, and she blinked them away, turning her
full attention to her drink. The dream world was so beautiful it
could never be true.
Suddenly, out of the corner of her eye, she saw a flash of
something, a little furry animal moving very fast. She turned
her head to see, but whatever it was had disappeared. Puzzled,
Nikki frowned, and put her soda on the counter, sliding down the
side of the stool. Her uncle and Tom were oblivious to the world
around them, and she took advantage of that fact to run over to
the window, pressing her hands against it. There was nothing
unusual there.
Sighing, she turned around, and headed back to the counter.
She climbed back up the stool. But she was innately curious,
sometimes too curious for her own good, her uncle said, and she
was strangely drawn to the challenge of finding out what could
move that fast. Somehow, she would find out.
*
*
*
"YAH!" David shouted as he ran across the line onto
home
plate, clenched fists held high in victory. His whole team
cheered loudly. The other team made faces and booed.
"Hey, David!" One of the boys on his team ran
over to him.
"Come on, guys! He's a hero!"
David grinned, pushing his overly-long dark hair out of his
eyes. He laughed as his teammates lifted him up on their
shoulders, and marched off the field. Thanks to his running
speed, they'd won their first ballgame.
But the other team stood between them and freedom. The
leader, a red-haired, freckled boy with an almost permanent
sneer, sauntered up slowly and exaggeratedly. David's friends
let him down, slowly backing off, leaving the smaller boy to face
off against the neighborhood bully.
"That game was ours, kid," the older boy snarled
slowly.
"Forget it, Harris," he spat out. "I'm
giving ya one chance
to get out before I decide t' rearrange your face!"
Harris sneered even more. "Says who? You?"
He laughed out
loud. "You're just a street urchin, kid. An orphan whose
parents didn't want him. Your mom and dad prob'ly weren't even
married!" His second bout of laughter ended abruptly when
David's small, hard fist caught him right in the jaw, and the
bigger boy stumbled back a step before regaining his balance.
"Fight! Fight!" chanted the circle of all the
neighborhood
boys. David didn't need any more encouragement. He leaped at
Harris, knocking him to the ground. Raising his fist again, he
almost made a second hit, but Harris moved aside too quickly, and
his blow struck only air.
But Harris wasn't done with him. "Get the
urchin!" he
shouted to his gang, half of whom were orphans themselves. They
moved in, unready to become targets of their leader's anger
themselves if they didn't do as he said.
David snarled. The cowards! He sprang suddenly up and
off
Harris' chest, straight at the mass of older boys. Just 'cause
he was only eight didn't mean he didn't have honor to uphold!
Very shortly, it disintegrated into an all-out brawl.
Everyone was hitting everyone, but David was ducking and dodging,
still trying to find Harris. He had a personal score to settle.
Suddenly a police whistle blew. "Scatter!"
somebody yelled,
and David gritted his teeth in anger. He'd have to find that
coward later.
He darted for cover, but a policeman suddenly grabbed his
arm. "Where're you from, boy?"
Making a quick decision, David stomped down hard on the
man's foot, causing him to loosen his grip. He twisted away and
ran with all his born sprinter's speed for the nearest large
crowd, several cops right behind him.
Being small sometimes had its advantages. He ducked around
and behind people, and the police gradually got farther and
farther away, until David halted in an alley, panting for breath.
He'd lost them! He grinned fiercely, and made a quick slash in
the air with his hand. One battle won! Just one more to go,
hopefully. He would have his revenge on Harris.
"David?"
He turned at a familiar voice.
The lady leaning on the wall raised both eyebrows.
"David,
someday you're going to get caught."
He shrugged. "Nah. I'll be fine, Michelle."
Michelle smirked a bit, and straightened, tossing her dark
curly hair back, sounding more like a proud street kid herself
than the lady charged with their care. "I hope so, for your
sake. When they catch you, it won't be pretty." She looked
him up and down. "I guess you aren't in too bad condition. Come
on, you'll miss dinner."
David came out of the alley, and as he walked down the
street beside the one adult he trusted, he let her take his hand
in hers. He loved Michelle, really he did. She was so wild
herself, she always understood.
"Hey!" The shout came from seemingly nowhere.
David
gasped.
"Mich, they found me!" He twisted to try to run
away, but
his friend stopped him with one word.
"Hold!" She smiled down at him, a fire in her
dark eyes.
"Don't worry, David. They won't get you."
The unarmed policeman came running up, puffing. "Thank
you,
madam! We've been after this boy for some time!"
Michelle gave him a sly look, then a slow, dangerous smile.
"I believe you are mistaken, sir," she said mock-sweetly. "This
boy is under my care, and he has done nothing wrong."
"Nothing..?" the man sputtered, reaching for David's
arm,
then came up short as Michelle flashed him just a glimpse of the
knife she kept hidden in an arm holster, that had somehow leapt
into her hand. He stepped back. "Wait a minute..."
"Life's tough, ain't it?" she grinned, showing her
teeth but
no mirth. "I think it's time you left. And oh, by the way,
don't tell anybody about," she flashed the blade again, "this."
The man gulped. "Yes, ma'am." He hurriedly
left, and David
burst out laughing in glee as Michelle slipped the knife back up
her sleeve.
"Ya got 'im there, Mich! He'll think twice before
comin'
back!"
"Hopefully." Her mouth twisted a bit.
"Some aren't too
bright, so we'd better scram."
David followed her through back alleys, and old basements,
taking the secret route to their hideout, an officially abandoned
hotel near the old tracks. No one ever came out this way
anymore. Except Michelle and their gang'.
When the pair came in, the eight other kids looked up, and
each and every one grinned in delight, leaping up from their
corners and tables to wrap their arms around Michelle.
She hugged each, then knelt down in front of Barry, the
blond four-year-old. "What you got, babe?" He was their master
thief. The little boy grinned and pulled out five silver spoons
and a wallet.
"Hey, babe, that's some haul!" she congratulated him.
"Those can be sold easy." She pulled the several ten-dollar
bills out of the otherwise empty leather wallet, and tucked both
sets of objects away in separate pockets of her coat. "Okay,
guys," she called out. "Whose turn is it to shop?"
"Mine, Michelle." A thin boy stepped forward, and
smiled
shyly. He was their newest family member. "It's my turn."
"Okay, Keith." She handed him the fistful of
cash, plus
some more of her own. Quite a bit, David noted; she was, after
all, a better pickpocket than any of the kids, no matter how good
they got. "You've watched the others; now it's your chance."
"I won't let 'ya down," Keith replied solemnly,
adjusting
his glasses on his nose before tucking away the money in his coat
and pulling it on. He left quickly and silently.
But Michelle seemed to worry. She tapped a pen against her
chin, then gestured quickly to the two oldest boys, Jim and Ian,
to follow him. David knew they would step in if Keith was
discovered as being one of them. Of course, they paid for their
food. They had to. That was why Michelle had taught them all
the ways of outlaws, in order for them to survive. The ten of
them were like a big family, and Michelle was mother to them all,
making sure they had good food and adequate clothing, whether her
means were legal or not.
David came out of his corner as she knelt on the floor,
speaking to each of the children separately, cheering at the
recounting of David's home run, and Kandi's swimming progress.
She hugged Fiona reassuringly when she heard of her being teased
by an older boy in the park, and helped Sammy with his spelling
lesson. She was not only provider, but caregiver and teacher to
all.
And they all loved her, and would fight fiercely for her and
for each other, for she had taught them honor to temper their
thievery.
That night, as David lay warm and well-fed in his bunk, he
looked out the window, up at the stars, and wished, despite the
home he had here with Michelle and the gang, that he had a real
family of his own. He wished on a single star, knowing it was a
foolish thing to do, that someday he'd find his family. For he
refused to believe that he had none. They were out there,
somewhere. He had only to find them.
*
*
*
The next day, Nikki woke early, and quietly got dressed.
She left a note for Brian on the table, saying she was going to
the park with friends, and walked out the door with a peanut
butter and jelly sandwich in her backpack.
Unsure at first of where to start, she stood at the bottom
of the driveway, then headed toward the open fields for lack of a
better place to go. Suddenly, out of the corner of her eye, she
saw a flash of movement just like the one she had seen yesterday,
and throwing caution to the wind, she sprinted after it.
The creature darted away, and she gave chase. It led her
far across the fields, and down the riverbank, but she knew she
was still on its trail by the flashes of gray fur she saw every
once in a while, just ahead of her. Finally she came to an old
building, looking almost like a cross between a barn and a
warehouse, sitting out in the middle of nowhere.
Nikki wondered why it would be out here all alone, but then
noticed the burnt boards and debris off to the side. It hadn't
been all alone. The other building had been burnt down. She
followed the animal across the farmyard, if that was what it had
been, until it darted through a hole in the bottom of the
barn-structure.
She stood uncertain for a moment, but then her curiosity
took over once more, and dropping her backpack on the ground, she
threw all the strength in her small, wiry body into opening the
huge door. It creaked a little, and she pulled again. The door
opened just enough for a slim eight-year-old to sqeeze through,
and she quickly did so.
She waited for a moment for her eyes to adjust to the dark,
then caught the sounds of little squeaks and yips. Puppies!
Grinning delightedly, she followed her ears to the source, behind
a large sheet-draped something-or-other. She pulled a cardboard
box away, and gasped, surprised.
The little animal hovering over the nest growled, baring
long, sharp teeth at the girl. Large eyes and ears were
obviously frightened. Nikki smiled. *It's okay, I'm not gonna
hurt you, mama fox.*
The gray fox drew a little away when she reached carefully
towrds the nest, yipping and growling, but too afraid to come
close to the girl. Nikki touched one of the babies lightly, then
pulled back, knowing that mama would give her own life for her
children, and that the fox would likely attack her should she
pick up the cub.
She leaned back against the large object, then frowned. She
stood up and turned around, cocking her head to study it. The
shape was that of a car. Who would hide a car in a barn?
Nikki touched the side of the car lightly, then walked all
the way around it. She came back to her starting place, smiling.
She'd never been very interested in cars, but this one, she could
tell even through the draping of the dusty sheet, was a beauty.
She stepped back, then looked over her shoulder, feeling
strangely furtive. Something felt almost hidden, secretive about
this place, and she suddenly knew she shouldn't be there.
Nikki ran back across the floor to the door, but just before
she slipped through, she heard a strange sound. She half-turned,
but there was nothing there. She started through the door again,
but once again the strange sound stopped her. Heart pounding,
Nikki put her back against the door and stared wide-eyed into the
interior. What was in here?
But now that she thought about it, it wasn't an animal
sound. More like mechanical. Suddenly curious all over again,
she quickly pulled her backpack inside, and walked carefully back
to the corner where she'd found the foxes. She stopped near the
car, and eyed it nervously. There was something strange about
it...
Suddenly the little girl narrowed her eyes, and, grasping
the dirty sheet firmly in both fists, she yanked, pulling the
cloth away.
Someone was there. No one should be. So who would be
roaming around out here? It didn't make sense. Of course, the
consciousness mused, much of the world didn't make sense.
Including how the block that had been holding his "mind" away
from his body was dissipating.
He reached out to touch pathways that had been closed to him
for years. There was still some resistance, but he pushed
through, until he could feel some parts of his body again. There
was a presence. He still couldn't see, but he could feel it. A
human warmth nearby. Suddenly a great loneliness rose up in him.
He had been alone, apart, for so long...
He concentrated all his will on the area where he could feel
the warmth. Systems were responding very sluggishly, but at
least they were responding. Slowly he became able to feel a
small weight resting low against his side. A child?
Yes, apparently. The weight suddenly shifted, and moved
away. A light touch, higher up but still too low for an adult,
confirmed his suspicions. What would a small child be doing all
alone out here? Unless it wasn't alone. The thought made him
shove harder to break the block holding the main stream of his
"self" away from the body that housed him. He had to know who
was out there, and how many. It would be danger to be found. Of
course, maybe he wanted to be found. He couldn't stand this
aloneness any longer...
The child moved away, circling him, and he pushed once more,
and finally touched the main part of his version of the humans'
five senses. He felt the scanner almost start working, then quit
on him again. No! If he were able, he would have shouted out
his frustration. He reached again. Again, he almost made it.
But his efforts had apparently shown through to the outside.
The human was leaving, scared; he heard the creak of the door. A
pang shot through him. He didn't want the company to leave, even
if it was only a child. He tried desperately to push through yet
again.
Then suddenly the sheet was gone. He could feel the human's
body heat on his bare surface, and he mentally shivered from the
feel of the air, suddenly unimpeded. This child hadn't run! The
thought was almost exhilarating.
He felt the young human move around to the front, and
suddenly, almost irrationally, he gave one more shove everything
he had. Just as suddenly, he could see. Startled, he would have
backed up a little had he had control of all his systems.
It was a child, staring right at his scanner from less than
two feet away. A girl, with brown hair and a quizzical look on
her face. But what startled him more than anything, even more
than her young age, and the feel of her, the way her confident,
strangely mature personality seemed to radiate, was something
that, if he'd been human, would have made his heart miss a beat.
She had Michael's eyes.
Nikki jumped backwards when the light bar she'd been
studying suddenly lit up, bright red. She scrambled to her feet,
ready to back up even more if neccessary. What was going on?!
The light dimmed, fading until it was just one facet of the
bar at a time lighting up, moving back and forth slowly. She had
the weird feeling that it was watching her. Like the car was
alive. She bit her lower lip, not sure what to do. Should she
run? But there seemed to be no danger; the only thing that had
changed was the light, scrolling faster and faster now, as though
it had been "warming up" after a long period of being off.
Nikki cocked her head at it, suddenly starting to grin.
Could the car really be alive? Not in the way that an animal or
human was, of course. But like a robot or something? Like in a
movie?
She slowly squatted down again in front of the black nose.
At least she was pretty sure the car was black; it was pretty
dirty. The red light slowed a little, as though it had become
agitated at her moving away. Did it not want her to leave?
She wasn't sure when she'd become sure that it could think,
but she was sure now. She reached out, slowly, and quickly
touched the light bar. The light held still for a moment, then
as she pulled her hand away, it resumed its journey.
Did it like that? Eyes widened, Nikki reached out again,
and touched the rapidly warming bar once more. The red light
slowed, and halted right under her fingertips. She breathed in,
starting to smile again.
She placed her palm flat against the heat, and the light
started up again, moving very slowly. She became aware of a soft
sweeping sound starting, moving in tandem with the light.
Totally fascinated by this creature, Nikki laughed softly,
silently. Suddenly, she wished she could talk. She wondered if
the car would be able to hear her.
She sighed, then moved her hand to pat the nose of the car,
above the light bar. The red light blinked, giving her the
feeling it was laughing lightly, then began moving again, almost
cheerfully now.
Nikki stood and twirled around like a ballerina, grinning,
knowing her eyes were shining with pure joy. Something was very
special about this creature. She didn't know really why, but she
wished she could stay here with it all day.
The young girl moved to walk all the way around the car,
keeping a hand on it as she went. It was a beautiful machine,
sleek and streamlined, but not in the same way as the modern cars
were, all curves. It almost felt like power. It was probably
very fast.
She came around to the front again, and slowly started to
walk away, toward her backpack, watching the red light. It sped
up a little, as though worried, but seemed to stay relatively
calm. She smiled at it, wondering if it could "see" her in some
way, and picked up her backpack. When she headed back for the
car, the red light slowed again, as if relieved that she hadn't
left.
Nikki thought for a moment, a crazy idea coming to her. She
came up to the car again, then gently placed her hand flat
against the top of the hood, and leaned some of her weight on it,
watching the light bar like she would a dog's tail or a horse's
ears, for any signs of agitation. It stayed calm, and she rested
the toe of one sneaker on the bumper.
No reaction, and she carefully shifted her weight, little
bit by little bit, until almost all of it was resting on the
bumper. She glanced down to make sure the car didn't mind. An
encouraging-sounding double sweep of the light bar seemed to tell
her to go on.
The girl knelt on the car's hood, then turned until she was
sitting, her legs half-under her. She put her backpack down
gently next to her and relaxed a little. She was rewarded with
another sweeping sound, and smiled, suddenly a little shy. The
car seemed to want her there.
Nikki rested there and ate her sandwich, wishing the whole
time that she could talk, that she could tell this magnificent
creature what her name was, how wonderful the car was, everything
about herself, even. She was thinking, though, too.
The only time she could remember a car that could think was
in that old Disney movie, "The Love Bug". That was one of her
favorites. Herbie could do things for himself, like open his
doors and drive around alone. She wondered if this car was like
Herbie. That would be so incredible!
Yawning, she realized she was getting sleepy after her hard
run after the fox. Maybe she would just rest a little...
Nikki lay down on her side on the strangely warm, since the
engine wasn't on, hood. She pillowed her head on her arms and
started to daydream.
He felt when the girl's body completely relaxed in sleep.
She was so young, really, he marvelled. Especially for the way
she acted, and the complex thoughts he could see in her eyes.
All this time, though, she hadn't said a word. Even when she
laughed, it was silently. Was the girl a mute? That would be a
terrible tragedy for a young child!
He couldn't speak, either, at the moment. But that would be
remedied soon. He'd gained more and more control over himself.
Soon, the block would be completely broken, and he would talk to
the girl.
He wondered how old she really was. She was small, but that
didn't mean all that much. Seven or eight, he finally decided.
And lightly-built, even for her height. He'd known another,
once, who had been built like that. Lean and wiry. But strong.
Pain lanced through him, almost physical, and if he'd been
capable, he'd have cried out with the intensity of it. That one
had died, just before he'd been shut down. And as a matter of
fact, that death had been the reason for his deactivation. He
hadn't even wanted to live after that. He'd tried to run off a
cliff that night, tried to destroy himself. But two of his other
human friends had stood in the way, and he'd had to halt to avoid
hurting them. Then he'd been blocked from his body so he
couldn't try again, and sent to be stored here.
A mental shudder ran through every circuit he possessed.
That death was still a burning ache inside him, and likely always
would be. At least now he was capable of thinking clearly. He
wouldn't try to kill himself again. But life without *him*...
The girl shifted slightly in her sleep, thankfully bringing
his thoughts back to the present, and a strange resemblance. The
way she'd looked at him, the smile that had just a hint of a
familiar lopsided grin... Could it be?! He quickly ran through
several sets of calculations, figuring out how long he had been
here. Yes, if she was eight, that would put it just about right!
A thrill coursed through him at the thought.
When she woke, he'd speak to her. Perhaps she could verify,
in some way, even if only by yes or no, his theory. A theory
that grew in credence the more he thought about it.
And if he was right, he did still have a purpose in the
world. Even if his friend was gone, he could take care of his
daughter. And he would, if this was so. With every last bit of
energy in him. For the first time since his partner's death,
anticipation danced through him.
Nikki blinked, trying to remember why she wasn't in bed.
Then she remembered; the fox, the barn, the car. She must have
gone to sleep in the middle of the day.
Sitting up, she yawned and stretched. She lightly patted
the black hood she'd been lying on, in greeting.
"Hello," a voice answered.
Nikki jumped, and scrambled to a crouched position up near
the car's windshield. For some weird reason, she felt as though
it would protect her. She peered nervously into the shadows.
Who'd come in while she'd slept?
A soft, strangely gentle laugh came, from around her.
"It's
all right, child, it's just me."
The girl's eyes widened, and she jumped off the hood and ran
around to the front. The red light swept over her, seeming to
smile. Somehow, it seemed to her that that would be this
creature's form of eyes, if it had any. She widened her eyes and
pointed to the car, being careful to stay within the light's
trajectory.
"Yes, it's me," the light tenor came again.
"And, by the
way, my forward scanner can operate in a one-eighty degree radius
around me; you can move around."
Nikki's jaw dropped, and she slowly grinned. Wow!
This car
not only thought, it talked! Not even Herbie could do that!
The car laughed softly again. "See? You have no
need to
fear me." The red light slowed a little. "You look so much like
your mother," it mused quietly.
Nikki stared, nearly crying because she couldn't ask it how
it knew about her mother. She finally gave in and sank to the
ground, tears of frustration streaking her cheeks.
A quick, yet quiet, whine-roar came from the car. It had
turned on its engine. It moved carefully toward her, nearly
poking its rounded nose into her chest before coming to a halt.
Nikki realized, through her tears, that it -- no, it had a male
voice, so, he -- was trying to offer comfort, in what way he
could. "Can't you speak?" the gentle voice asked.
She shook her head, moving back, and raised her fists,
slamming down on her legs. She was so frustrated, the hurt
seemed neccessary. She raised her fists again, but the black
nose pushed its way into her lap, keeping her from hitting
herself again.
"Shh, honey, it's all right. It's all right."
Quivering, Nikki finally leaned on the front of the car and
cried her heart out, sobbing in a way she had never let herself
before. The car kept talking to her, trying to calm her without
trying to make her stop. The thought that he knew exactly what
she felt she needed shocked her, but it made her feel very
special.
Suddenly the car backed off a little, and she reached out
for it, feeling a bit bereft. It backed up a little more, and
its driver's side door clicked open. "Why don't you come in?" he
offered.
Unsure, the girl bit her lower lip, but then took her
backpack off the hood and climbed inside. The door shut, and she
put her pack in the other seat, curling up in the sudden warmth
of the darkened interior.
The warmth, combined with his quiet, understanding voice,
finally managed to calm her. She reached out and carefully
touched the curved dashboard, pulling her fingers across the set
of red lights that came on as the car spoke. She was startled by
the very human sound of an indrawn breath of pleasure, and jumped
back.
"No, it's all right," her new friend was quick to
reassure
her. "It's just been so long since anyone *touched* me..."
Nikki brushed her hand lightly over the dashboard again,
then simply rested her palm against the flickering red lights.
She smiled a little, glad that she could make him feel better,
too.
"What's your name?"
The question surprised her, and she pulled her hand away,
thinking hard how to communicate with him. Finally she settled
for her meager ability at sign language -- the alphabet.
Carefully, in front of the little device that she'd decided was a
camera -- he did need to see inside, too, didn't he? -- she
signed N-I-K-K-I.
Apparently it was a camera, for he understood.
"Nikki?"
She nodded, and pointed at the dash.
He laughed softly. "My name is Kitt." In
case she hadn't
heard quite right, the letters came spelled out in red on one of
the two little TV-like screens set into the dash. K-I-T-T.
Nikki smiled, then decided that, even if it took forever,
she was going to ask this next question. Painstakingly, she
spelled out H-O-W D-O Y-O-U K-N-O-W W-H-O M-Y M-O-M
I-S?
His answer surprised her. "Because I worked with her
for
years, Nikki."
Eyes wide, she gestured for him to continue.
Kitt went into a tone of voice that seemed almost like he
was telling a story. "Her name was Bonnie, although you probably
know that. Don't you?"
The girl nodded, eyes wide. The car sighed in relief.
"Then I can be sure you are her daughter. She was my close
friend. She was one of the few who created me. She took care of
me, until the day I was deactivated. My partner, Michael, was
her best friend, and your father. Just over nine years ago now,
they were married. I was happy for them both, of course, since
they were my best friends.
"We all belonged to a very special, very secret organization
called the Foundation. They were crimefighters, much like in
books or movies. Are you following me so far?"
Nikki nodded again, her mouth open in astonishment.
He continued. "This next part may be hard for you to
hear.
Are you sure you want to know this?"
Nikki nodded, determined to find out about her parents, even
if it hurt.
Kitt sighed. "Very well, I suppose. Just under
eight years
ago, we were finally defeated. No one had been able to stand
up to our Team until then, but one group finally got together
military equipment and supplies, determined to take us out." His
voice became sad. "We didn't know that they were ready for us.
We went right into their trap. Michael was killed, but your
mother and I, together, managed to catch their leader, and hold
the troops back with him as hostage long enough for our
reinforcements to arrive..."
He trailed off, and Nikki wiped her eyes, which were filling
with tears again at hearing about the deaths of her parents, from
one who had been there.
Finally Kitt finished. "One of the men escaped, and
vowed
revenge. Later that same day, he shot Bonnie, in revenge. She
was dying, but was determined not to take the anesthetic for the
surgery that only might save her life. She didn't want you
harmed any more than you would already be, for she was going into
premature labor. Do you understand?"
She nodded.
His voice sounded as heartbroken as she felt. "You
finally
came, you and a twin brother, and she got to see you, and speak
to me, just before she was gone. Your mother died making sure
you had a chance at life, Nikki. And then... and then I was
taken away, left here. I never knew what had happened to you
two. I never even knew if either of you had survived."
Nikki felt tears coming again. Yet she felt strangely sure,
now, behind the grief. She now knew what had happened, even if
it was terrible. It was better than not knowing at all.
"Let me stay with you, Nikki," Kitt asked softly.
"For
your parents' sake, and for your own. I cared about them very
much, and I want to take care of you too."
In answer, Nikki wrapped her arms around the steering wheel
and hugged tight. Y-E-S, she signed. C-O-M-E W-I-T-H M-E. I
N-E-E-D Y-O-U K-I-T-T.
"Nikki," he whispered back, and a flood of warmth
filled the
car.
She sat up straight, having just thought of something.
W-H-A-T I-S M-Y R-E-A-L L-A-S-T N-A-M-E?
"You've been going by some other? Oh, I assumed you
knew...
Your last name is Knight." He wrote it out on the screen again,
Nicole Knight. "That was your father's name."
Nikki nodded, mouth open. Then she grinned. That was
a
neat name. She reached out and touched the screen. Kitt
laughed.
"I wish you'd known Michael. He could be a lot of fun.
He
always played around almost as though he were a child!"
Nikki wished so, too. The grin left her face, and she
sighed. A wave of warmth surrounded her again, like a hug, and
she smiled, just a little, at her new-found friend.
Painstakingly, she signed out one more, short sentence. I
L-O-V-E Y-O-U.
"I love you too, Nikki," was the soft answer.
"And I'll
always protect you. I promise."
*
*
*
"Everybody out!" Michelle yelled, running in the
door.
David and Fiona, the only two still in the building, looked up
with wide eyes.
"What is it?" David asked.
"We got trouble. Cops right outside. Now move
it!" The
brunette chased them out the back way, after hurriedly shoving
the evidence of the gang's residence into hidden compartments and
cupboards.
David and Fiona huddled down beside their protector, down in
the alley. They pressed into a doorway, behind a box, and hoped
the police were only making a routine inspection of the area.
Fiona squeezed David's hand, and he gripped back, trying not to
show how scared he was.
Michelle pulled both children up against her chest, both to
hide them and to give comfort. The three waited, barely daring
to breathe, until the call, "No gangs around here! No graffiti!"
rang out. Apparently the cops had been searching for teenage
gangs.
David breathed out, biting his lower lip, as the two police
sedans pulled away. He didn't move, though. Michelle had taught
them all a great deal of caution. It might be a trap, with one
or two men left behind.
Michelle moved away from the kids, slowly standing up to
look over the box. Then she moved carefully out into the alley,
and crept silently down toward their building.
David and Fiona stayed very still and quiet. Finally the
call, "All's clear!" came to their ears, and the two ran out from
their hiding place, back to their leader.
"You did very well," she told them, hugging both.
"Now, if
that had been a real raid, what would you have done?"
"We woulda hid," David spoke up. "And then
snuck out real
careful."
"And run to the other place down the street," Fiona
chimed
in.
Michelle studied both seriously, then smiled tightly as she
ruffled the little girl's red-blonde hair. "Yep. I guess you've
got it." She reached out and yanked David into a rough hug, then
tickled both children, who twisted away, giggling. The adult
stood. "Okay, guys, back in we go," she announced. "All safe
here."
Life would always be hard for Michelle and the gang. David
was happy for the most part, but sometimes he wished he had a
normal life... Oh, well. He didn't. So, he'd just live this one
the best he could.
*
*
*
Nikki's Uncle Brian was not happy to see her come home with
a black car on her heels.
"What is this?!" he roared. Nikki cuddled her new
baby, a
little fox cub that had apparently decided she was as nice as she
thought it was, and stepped back into the street. She wished she
could talk yet again. How was she going to explain?
Kitt solved the problem. His engine whined, and he shot
forward to place himself between the little girl and her angry
relative. "Listen to me!" he demanded.
Brian's mouth snapped shut with the sheer shock of being
ordered about by a car. Kitt seemed to take satisfaction in that
fact.
"Nikki is now under my personal protection. If you
want to
dispute this, perhaps we should speak in private." He paused.
"Truth is, I don't even know who you are. Tell me, please, what
reason would I have to trust you with her?"
Nikki, seeing that her uncle was no longer really mad, ran
to hug him. Gruffly, he returned the embrace, then sighed.
"Now," he said much more calmly, "what's going on?
How does
it," he gestured to Kitt, "talk? And what's it doing following
you around?"
Again Kitt answered for her. "I can speak because I am
a...
well, robot seems so crude, but to totally explain would take
forever. Very well, robot then. I knew her parents very
closely. I never even dreamed I'd meet her, but..." His voice
had the attitude of of a quick shrug. "And you are?"
Brian blinked a couple of times, then said, "You knew my
sister?"
"Bonnie was your sister?" The car sounded
surprised. "Oh,
then, you're Nikki's uncle. I see..."
"You know who her father was?" Brian demanded.
"Of course. You mean you don't?" He still
sounded
surprised.
Nikki's uncle shook his head. Nikki grinned.
"He was my partner. Nine years ago, he and your sister
were
married. We were all crimefighters. We were ambushed, and,"
grief came through in his voice once again, "both Nikki's parents
died."
"Oh." Brian looked unsure of what to say.
Nikki ran back
to Kitt, and patted him in the closest she could come to a
reassurance.
His whole manner softened. "I'm all right, Nikki.
I just
loved both of your parents very much."
Brian came a little closer. "Didn't you know about
Nikki?"
"I knew she was born, but I was deactivated soon after that.
I never got to see her, or find out her name. I wasn't even sure
she'd survived. Or her brother."
"Brother?" Brian's eyes widened.
"Yes. There were two of them. Twins."
Then he paused, as
if in surprise. "Speaking of which, didn't you know? Where's
Nikki's brother?"
Brian, apparently forgetting how weird it seemed to be
talking to a car, came up to them. "Nikki has a brother?"
"Yes! Or, at least she did. I told you they were
premature; I didn't even know if Nikki had survived. But since
she did, perhaps her brother did as well. I assumed that if one
was here, the other would be too..."
"I didn't know," Brian managed. "I didn't
even know who
Nikki's father was, much less anything else. All I knew was that
Nikki was my sister's child, and I wanted to keep her out of an
orphanage by taking her in."
Nikki bit her lower lip, hoping that her twin was alive,
wherever he was. She'd like to have a brother.
Her uncle suddenly noticed something else. He pointed,
shocked, at the cub she was carefully cradling in her arms.
"What is *that*?!"
Kitt sighed. "It's a fox. Or, more precisely, a
baby fox.
There was a litter of them in the building I'd been stored in,
and this one came up to her. I figured it wouldn't harm her to
keep it, since she implied she had no pets."
The baby wiggled, and Nikki stroked between its huge ears
gently. It squeaked and yawned widely, displaying a mouth full
of tiny needle teeth.
"Take it back," her uncle ordered.
Nikki looked up at him with wide, pleading blue eyes.
Brian shook his head. "We can't keep a fox, Nikki.
I
didn't know you wanted a pet that badly; we'll go get a kitten or
something."
The girl set her face stubbornly and turned a little away
from her uncle, shaking her head.
"I think she wants to keep the fox," Kitt offered
unneccessarily.
Brian sighed despairingly and squatted down on the driveway.
"I know that, but Nik, we can't have a pet fox."
Nikki glanced at Kitt frustratedly, automatically already
expecting him to help translate for her. He did so readily.
"The cub came to Nikki. It seems willing to stay. It won't harm
her; let her try to take care of it."
Her uncle frowned, but gave in. "All right, but only
for a
trial period of one month. If it doesn't work out, take it back
to the fields. Understand?" His stern tone allowed no
objections.
Nikki knew when not to push. She sighed and nodded, rubbing
her cheek against the top of the baby animal's furry head.
"This is where you live?" Kitt changed the subject.
Brian sighed. "Yeah. Come on, I guess."
He headed back to
the house, and Nikki, grinning, rubbed Kitt's side before running
to join her uncle. She heard the engine come fully alive again,
and the black car pulled up to the curb, easily slipping into a
space where it looked like he wouldn't fit.
Nikki waved once more, happily, from the doorway, then went
inside. She found her uncle in the kitchen, warming milk in a
pan. She questioned with her face.
"That baby of yours is still very young," he told her.
"He
or she will still need milk, although with those teeth, it should
be able to eat solid food too." He stopped stirring and came
over to his niece and took the foxling from her, carrying it back
to the stove.
She followed him, curious as to what he was going to do.
Brian held the cub up to the light, and studied it. "Well, you
are a fine young specimen." The fox yipped, and Nikki giggled
silently. Her uncle smiled at her, then put the cub down on the
counter, running his hands over its sides and body. "By the way,
it's a boy," he informed the girl.
He finished his inspection and sighed, nodding. "He
seems
healthy enough. We'll have to take him to the vet tomorrow,
though. Make sure he gets his puppy shots."
Nikki jumped into the air, grinning joyfully, and clapped
her hands. Then she took the baby back, carefully, and cuddled
him while her uncle readied an old baby bottle with warm milk.
The fox made a face at first, but then took hold of the
rubber nipple with a vengeance. Nikki giggled again, and held
her baby with a gentle protectiveness that she hoped was like a
mama fox's. She wanted to take good care of this little
creature.
*
*
*
*
*
*
**So much can happen in two years to some... yet, for
others, things stay much the same...
And some meetings..!**
David kicked a tin can out of his path as he wandered down
an old street. He'd finished his homework, he had twenty dollars
in his pocket, and the rest of his day was free time.
Free time that he didn't know what to do with.
Sighing, the ten-year-old boy went on, with no particular
destination. Somehow, he found himself in the nice part of town,
way in the outskirts of the city. He stopped at a park and
leaned over the fence wistfully, watching a laughing, shouting
schoolgroup running every which way.
Some of the boys looked like they were having the most fun.
They'd gotten together two teams, and were playing some sort of
game that David didn't recognize, which he thought they'd
probably made up. It seemed to incorporate elements of soccer,
basketball, and football, with an entirely new set of rules.
He laughed a little, and then suddenly wondered if maybe he
could play, too. He looked himself over carefully. He was as
well-dressed as any of them, and Michelle had recently cut his
hair into some semblance of order. Maybe he could fit in, just
for one afternoon.
The temptation was too great, and David climbed over the
fence, dropping lightly on the other side and running across the
grass. The other boys saw him, and waved him over.
They seemed to instantly accept him as just another boy, and
he quickly learned the rules of their game, then joined them in
their wild play. Wild he knew.
*
*
*
"Nikki!"
She rolled her eyes at the sky, and brushed back some of her
long brown hair to pick up her tools.
"Nikki!"
She wished she could yell, "Coming!", because then
Uncle
Brian would stop shouting. But she couldn't. Wiping dirty hands
on a paper towel, she dropped Kitt's hood, stepping back and
quickly signing, *Is that fine?*
"Yes, thank you, Nikki," her friend replied.
"I think your
uncle's calling you, though."
*I know,* she signed back with a grimace. Whistling for her
pet fox, Flit, to follow her, she ran outside the garage just as
Brian yelled again, "Nikki! Come here!"
The ten-year-old would-be mechanic ran up behind him, Flit
at her heels, and her uncle turned around.
"Oh, there you are. I was going into town; do you want
to
take Flit for a run at the park?"
Nikki nodded, but held up her hands.
The adult made a face. "You and machines.
Definitely, go
wash up before you get in my clean car. Where's Kitt?"
She pointed back at the garage, then ran into the house.
Flit, behind her, caught his tail in the screen door, and yipped
sharply, leaping forward into the house before sitting to lick
the injured member with an almost cat-like expression of wounded
dignity. Nikki stifled a grin, and headed for the kitchen sink.
Fifteen minutes later, they were almost at the park. Nikki
had to hold Flit in her lap, because she knew that once he
smelled the pond, he'd become a furry missile ricocheting off the
sides and ceiling. He'd done it before.
The gray fox licked his slender muzzle and whined, the sound
higher-pitched than a dog's, but similar. The girl held him up
off her bare legs before he had a chance to dig in his sharp
claws.
Brian pulled the car to a halt at the gate. "Okay,
here's
your stop," he announced like a bus driver. Nikki grinned at his
joke and opened the car door, letting Flit spring out onto the
ground. The fox bounded in a circle, then instantly set to work
digging at a squirrel hole.
Her uncle's hand rested on her shoulder, and she glanced at
him. "Be careful, honey," he said, then pulled his hand away.
"I have to be out tonight at a company dinner party, and I won't
be back until late, so I've asked Kitt to pick you up at
four-thirty, okay?"
She nodded her assent, then waved and followed her pet out
into the park, slamming the door behind her. Brian's new sedan
pulled away, and Nikki turned, running toward the playground and
leaving Flit happily sniffing a tree. There was a school group
playing there, though, and she halted, not sure she wanted to be
teased about being mute yet again.
She sighed and went to sit down on a picnic table. She
watched the boys playing some sort of game for a while, and tried
to figure out the rules. They seemed to change all the time; or,
were they just very complicated? She didn't know. She'd never
been very good at sports. She mostly loved doing things with
Kitt, and working with computers, a little, but mostly machinery.
She'd rather get her hands dirty than build a program, though she
was good at that, too. But her heart was in the machines.
Nikki lay down on her back on the metal table and looked up
at the sky, creating pictures out of the clouds. Suddenly,
something soared into the air, coming down straight at her. She
barely was able to scramble out of the way before the soccer ball
that the boys had been playing their game with bounced off the
table, right where her head had been. She winced at the thought
of it having hit her as it rolled down and under the table.
"Hey, Greg, that was a stupid throw!" one of the boys
jeered
at another, and most of them started yelling at each other. One
shook his head as if in disgust and headed for her table, as if
to retrieve the ball. Nikki leaned down under the table to pick
it up so she could give it back.
As she came back up, she hit her head on the underside,
hard, and was knocked dizzy for a moment, enough for her to fall
off the bench and under the table.
All she could think of for several seconds was her screaming
head, and she squeezed her eyes shut against tears. She felt a
pair of arms lift her up a little, and she opened her eyes to see
the boy that had been walking to get the ball gazing down
worriedly at her. Her mouth opened slightly, and she stared.
Even if she was capable of talking, she would have been
speechless. He had the same color eyes as she did, a bright blue
that she'd never seen on anyone else!
"You okay?" The boy cocked his head at her.
"You didn't
get too badly hurt, didja?"
She had to smile a little at his very unconventional
English. Despite his good clothes and clean hair, she was pretty
sure he wasn't from this side of the tracks.
The boy pulled her out from under the table and lifted her
up to a sitting position on the grass, quickly pulling his hands
away. "Hey, answer me. I sure hope you ain't really hurt."
Nikki shook her head, then quickly motioned with her hands,
imitating sign language in an effort to tell him she was a mute.
He wrinkled up his nose, but it was a look of understanding,
not pity. "Gosh, I can't read that hand stuff. You're okay
though?"
Nikki nodded, and pointed to the ball, then to him, with a
questioning look. He seemed to get the picture.
"Nah, the ball ain't mine. I'm just playing with those
other kids." He helped her stand, then stared at her eyes the
way she had at his. "Gee, I sure never met anybody else with
eyes like mine. I thought nobody had 'em but me."
Nikki pointed at herself, then made a face saying, "Me
too".
She looked around for a moment, then her eyes lit on a torn piece
of paper on the grass. A few seconds' hunting in the trash, the
boy hanging curiously over her shoulder, produced an almost-used
pen. Quickly, she wrote, in small print, *My name is Nikki
Knight, what's yours?*
"That's your name? Cool," said the boy.
"Mine's David. I
don't have no last name. I'm an orphan."
*So am I!* she wrote excitedly. *I live with my uncle.
He's my mom's brother.*
"Oh." David frowned. "What happened to
your folks? I
never even knew mine."
*They died the same day I was born.* She didn't want to say
more.
"Oh." David stuffed his hands into his
windbreaker pockets,
looking awkward. Flit chose that moment to bound over, sniffing
at the boy's shoes. He laughed. "Your fox?" At her nod, he
squatted down to scratch the animal's large ears. "He's cool."
Nikki smiled a thank you. She tilted her head, studying
this strange boy. His eyes were exactly like hers, and his face
was somewhat, though not totally, similar. It was really neat
how some people could look like each other. He could almost be
her brother.
Wait a minute. Nikki's eyes widened slowly. They'd
been
searching for her missing twin brother for two years, but hadn't
found anything. Could it be possible? David was a little taller
than she was, and where her hair was a smooth, somewhat wavy
brown, his was a dark messy thatch. But other than that, they
looked almost alike!
He seemed ready to leave, starting to turn away. "Nice
t'
meet you," he said over his shoulder.
Nikki leaped forward, putting a hand on his arm. David spun
around, raising his arms as if ready to fight. Hurriedly, she
shook her head. She grabbed for her piece of paper, but by the
time she'd turned around again, the boy was already halfway
across the park, and she had no hope of catching him.
She glared at the sky, thoroughly frustrated, and stomped a
foot, her fists clenched. She'd been so close...
But she at least knew he was alive, and in the same city,
for Nikki was firmly convinced that David was her missing twin.
She'd tell Uncle Brian, and Kitt, and between them, they'd find
the boy again. Her brother.
*
*
*
David ducked inside an alleyway, scanning the area for cops.
He'd been caught at his work, and a regular hue and cry had been
set up after the young thief. He grimaced to himself. If
Michelle found out about this, he'd be in for a major scolding.
And she likely would find out. She seemed to have ways of
knowing about things that none of the kids could figure out.
Besides, he couldn't go home and lead the cops to the gang's
hideout. But where could he go?
Unbidden and totally out of place, a memory suddenly popped
into his head. The mute girl he'd met in the park two weeks ago.
She'd been kind enough, and she couldn't tattle on him if she
found out. He'd go to the park again, hope to find her, and
follow her home. He didn't know why, but he had the strangest
feeling that she would understand.
David peeked out again. All was clear, for the moment at
least, and he darted out of the alley.
Then he realized his mistake. Shouts came from every
direction, and he froze as police stepped out from their numerous
hiding places, surrounding him.
"Put your hands up, and we won't hurt you," the leader
said.
He was obviously the chief, if his fancier uniform was anything
to go by. "Come on, son."
That son' was the last straw. David sprinted for the
opposite alley, sure that they wouldn't fire on a boy. Or would
they? He was answered in less than two seconds as a gunshot went
off, echoing in the inclosed space.
He was running for his life now, ducking and dodging around
obstacles, the police right behind him and gaining. He felt like
his chest and legs were about to give out on him, yet pushed
himself farther, harder.
Until he tripped over a stray cat, and went sprawling
headlong into an open courtyard. Hardly able to breathe, much
less move, he raised his head slowly to see the cops running for
him, guns trained and cocked. David shut his eyes. He was going
to die, he knew it.
He was never quite sure what exactly happened next. One
shot went off, coming dangerously close to his head, then an
incredibly loud whine-roar filled his ears, almost sounding
angry. A large black streak came from nowhere, zipping across
the courtyard in front of the boy, smashing into the wooden boxes
piled against that wall. The car, for he could see now that that
was what it was (though what vehicle could move that fast and
stop that suddenly?) pulled back, and the cascade of boxes fell,
temporarily blocking David from his pursuers.
He stared, mouth open in disbelief, as the car spun around
in a tight broadside manuever, and halted with its left side next
to him. The door flicked open, and David's jaw dropped even
lower, if that was possible, when he saw that there was no
driver. What was going on here? He stood, slowly, ready to run
some more, yet knowing that this machine could kill him in a
millisecond should it want to. But instead it was offering him a
way out!
A crash came from the pile of boxes, and he made a quick
decision, diving for the open door just as another shot rang out,
and another bullet whizzed past. He righted himself in the
driver's seat just enough so that he could close the door, which
the car did for him anyway. Then he hung onto his seat,
literally, as it reversed hard, spinning around again to blast
out of the courtyard at high speed.
David gulped, hoping that this machine would not be the
death of him as buildings and phone poles blurred by. Finally
the car reached the relative safety of a main street, and from
there quickly lost itself on a freeway, finally keeping to the
speed limit.
David swallowed hard again, trying to figure out where it
might be taking him. He eyed the dashboard distrustingly, not
knowing what half the blinking buttons and indicators meant, and
not totally sure he wanted to know.
"Well, I had enough of a time finding you, without having to
rescue you too!" griped a light tenor male voice. "Do you play
cat-and-mouse with the police on a regular basis, or was I just
lucky?"
David blinked at the sarcasm, surprised. "Who... where
are
you?"
"Right under your nose. And under you, as a matter of
fact." The sardonic tone hadn't changed, but the boy had
discovered where it came from. A set of crimson LEDs on a dark
panel set into the dash lit up in sync with the voice. The sound
itself though, seemed to have no particular origin, coming from
all around him.
"Uh..." he started.
"You're David? I'd hate to have gone through all that
for
the wrong boy." The car, for that was who he'd decided was
talking to him, was still sarcastic, but calming down quickly.
David stared for a moment, then shrugged fatalistically with
a little lopsided smile. "Yeah."
He hadn't expected the soft gasp. "David? Oh,
my... I
didn't realize you'd look *that* much like your father." The
speedster slowed, pulling off into the desert and halting some
distance from the highway.
"My dad?!" David sat bolt upright.
"You know my *dad*?!"
"Did, I'm afraid." There was sadness in the
voice. "He was
my friend. He died ten years ago, the day you were born."
David bit his lower lip. "Oh..." he said quietly.
"What's
your name?"
Pride shone just a little in the car's attitude. "You
can
call me Kitt. I am an artificial intelligance, the voice of the
Knight Industries Two Thousand, the car you are now sitting in.
Do you know who you are, David?"
He shook his head slowly. "What do you mean?"
"Your name is David Knight."
"Knight? Like in the industry thing that built
you?"
"Sort of..." Patience mixed with annoyance
filtered into
the calm words, and David stifled a grin. This creature was
hardly unemotional. "Not exactly. My partner, your father, took
the Knight name years ago when he started to work with me, but it
was not the one he was born with."
"You said I look like him?"
"Very much so... If for no other reason, I know you're
Michael's son because of that."
"Oh." He didn't know what else to say. Then
his customary
tough attitude returned. "Hey, why'd you save me? How'd you
know who I am, anyway, even if what you say's true?"
The answer was not what he'd been expecting, but he wasn't
really sure what he'd expected. "I've been looking for you, as
has your sister."
"Sister?!"
"Yes, you have a twin sister. Nikki." Kitt
sighed, a very
human sound. "Please believe me, David. I will not harm you.
I just want to, well, rescue Michael's children. An inner-city
life is not what you would have been born to! You're the Knight
heirs!"
"You mean, like we're rich, or something?"
"Or something."
"I don't believe you!" David suddenly wrenched
open his
door, darting out and away from the car, young lean-muscled body
tensing in case flight became necessary.
"David... trust me," Kitt simply asked. The car
stayed
still, a faceted crimson light tracking back and forth across the
nose as if watching him, with extreme patience. "I just want...
to know you." The sound in his voice was almost one of longing.
David stayed away for a few seconds, but the soft, gentle words
were strangely compelling. Slowly, the boy moved toward the car,
until one hand brushed the ebony surface.
He nearly jerked back in surprise. The car was warm!
As
though it were actually alive! He carefully flattened his hand
on the hood. "Wow," he whispered.
"Come with me, David," Kitt almost-whispered.
"I'm here to
protect you, not hurt you. Trust me."
Slowly, the most stubborn, cold, unemotional boy in
Michelle's gang knelt beside this strange creature that yet
inspired trust in him, and bowed his head forward. His forehead
leaned against the smooth black coat, and he let out one
shuddering sigh. "I trust you, Kitt," he finally whispered. "I
believe you, and I trust you."
The car was silent a moment, then said, "Should we go
now?"
David turned his head to look back at the city skyline, then
stood, brushing the sand off his jeans, and set his shoulders as
he deliberately turned away. "Yeah. Let's get out of here."
The car door, this time the passenger side, opened, and the
boy climbed inside. As the sleek, powerful machine pulled back
onto the road and headed for a suburb, David didn't look back at
the life he was leaving behind.
