One More Knight Please

Chapter 4: The Knight We Found You

I drove back to the hotel, behind Kitt and Micheal. I was very unnerved about that roach being on my shirt. I felt in a way that it was still there. Every other minute I shuddered at the thought of it. It almost led me to wreck. I didn't know why I was so frazzled by just a stupid roach, but let me tell you, I am so glad that Kitt ran over that thing. When he did so, it popped, like a water balloon, its guts were green and gooey. I can't even think about it anymore, I think I'm going to be sick. But then a different thought hit me, Kitt has been living in that for about 40 years, well not really living, but still. I wondered if they had taken a toll on his systems, and if I would have to fix him. I'm not a mechanic, but I did know some things from my grandmother. She always was doing maintenance on her own car, maybe to fill the void in her heart the Kitt had left.
We finally pulled into the hotel parking lot after what felt like an eternity. I parked the rental next to where Michael parked Kitt. I got out and Micheal had walked over to me.
"I'll go return the car, you can keep Kitt company."He said as he took the keys out of my hand.
He took off pretty quickly too, like he was trying to get away.
"Susan?" Kitt said from behind me.
"Yeah?" I replied.
"Why does everything look so... different?" He said.
"Since the 80s?"
"Yes."
"Well, global warming has certainly been part of it." I said.
"That makes sense, but I'm referring to the Foundation, I should have been more clear." He said.
"Well since Devon died-"
"Devon Died!?" KItt interrupted. "I'm sorry Susan, that was rude of me, continue." He corrected himself.
"There was another you." I said.
"A replacement?" He said.
"Yes, and he was in service longer than you. From 2008 to 2014." I said.
"Has he become outdated too?" Kitt inferred.
"Not quite." I said.
"Would you mind if I asked what happened?" He said.
"Not at all, We think it was a malfunction, but we aren't 100% sure. He was in his designated garage spot, then he just went mad. He busted through the wall, killed two of his mechanics, and injured several others. Luckily he was caught and decommissioned." I said.
"That's impossible." Kitt said.
"How?" I asked.
"The main program, preservation of human life" He said.
"His prototype had the same thing happen to him with the same program, we thought it was a virus, so we gave him better virus protection" I said.
"A virus doesn't work that way." Kitt answered.
"We didn't know, we still don't know, that's why we stopped farting around with advanced technology we didn't know about." I said.
"Wasn't Bonnie there?" He asked.
"No." I said.
"Why?"
"She retired in 2002." I said.
"Oh." Kitt said.
"You wouldn't happen to have any damage retained from being in that hell of storage until you would." I asked.
Kitt was quite a moment before he answered, most likely scanning himself for damages.
"No, but I have found some... rodent feces.. In my chassis." He said.
"Gross," I replied.
"I didn't want to tell Micheal before he drove off with me.. But he found out quickly." He said.
"I'm sure he did," I joked.
"Susan, you do remind me a lot of your grandmother, at least, the data I have stored of her in my memory banks." He said.
I never really thought about that. Was I like Bonnie? I hadn't thought I was.
"You know, when you were powered off, Bonnie started working on her own car, like she was trying to fill the void inside of her heart that you had left." I said.
"Did she really like me that much? I thought she only talked to me because she had nothing better to do.''He said.
"She talks about you alot, she always told me and my sister stories of you and Micheal."
"Now I feel old." Kitt said.
"Did you just try to tell a joke?" I said.
"Micheal told me humor was a good way to brush off emotions." Kitt said.
"You listen to Micheal?" I said.
"Now you really sound like Bonnie," Kitt said.
I laughed. He might not have been trying to be funny, but he was. I already liked him, at least now I know that the ride home with him and Micheal wasn't going to be torture.
"I'm glad we are getting along, Susan." Kitt said.
"Isn't Micheal your friend.''I said.
"He is, but he doesn't listen to me very often." Kitt replied.
"I can see that- Wait, how does he intend to get back from the rental car place?" I said.
"I'll go pick him up," Kitt said.
"We'll go, someone has to clean you up." I said.
I got in Kitt and he started to drive to the rental place, but I made him stop at a gas station along the way to vacuum out all of the mouse crap that had been building up inside of him for a long time. He pulled up to the vacuum, I got out and put some spare change I had in the machine and got to work.
"Susan, you really don't have to do this." Kitt said.
"I do, it smells terrible, and I am a little bit of a clean freak." I said.
"I thought you would be, especially with your reaction to that cockroach." Kitt said.
"Don't talk about the roach." I said.
"Why not?"
"They are gross, I hate them." I said.
"Are you afraid of cockroaches?" Kitt said.
Just then, a roach came out of the space between the seat and the floor. I put the vacuum down instantly, and jumped back. It wasn't just fear, it was disgust too, i felt sick, like i was going to throw up. I took a few big steps away from Kitt and tried to catch my breath. I went back and sucked up the roach in the vacuum.
"Well done." Kitt said.
"I hope there's not anymore,"I said. I cleaned out the rest of Kitt, there aren't any more roaches, thank god.
When I finished I put the vacuum back in its place and got back inside Kitt. I drove him to the front of the gas station, then made him park again. I couldn't stand the stench of the car, so I went inside the little convenience store and picked up a Little Trees to try and mask it. I returned back to Kitt after paying for the air freshener. He must have seen it in my hand because he instantly protested.
"Susan, you are not vandalizing me with that thing."
"I don't have much of a choice, you stink, no offense," I said.
After a bit of protest, he let me string it around his mirror, but he wasn't happy about it at all.
"Susan, it makes me look like I should be owned by an old man." He objected.
"Well, you are owned by an old man, so get over it."
He stayed quiet for a while after that.
"When did you start to fear cockroaches?" Kitt asked as we pulled out of the gas station and continued on our route to the car rental place.
"I don't really know, it just came out of the blue, I know I had feared them for a long time even though they are relatively harmless." I said.
When we got to the rental place, by no surprise, Micheal was sitting at a bus stop.
He got in and said nothing.
"Remember when you told me you liked to dive into things without a plan." I said teasingly.
"Susan, now isn't the time." He said. He had his head way down low.
"Micheal.." Kitt said
"Hey, did you get cleaned out? It doesn't smell like rat crap in here." Micheal said, changing the subject.
"All courtesy of Susan of course." Kitt said.
"Is that why you took so long?" Micheal said.
"No, there was another fat roach." I said.
"What is with you and roaches?" Micheal said.
"I just don't like them." I said.
"So, When we get back to the hotel, I had only planned on staying there for one night, so we can get our stuff and head back to Chicago tomorrow," Micheal said as we hit the road once more.
"Chicago? I don't remember being told of this plan." Kitt interjected.
"There was a reason for that." Micheal said.
"Micheal, I have several mechanics that can be damaged in the process of a long road trip, I don't think that is a very good idea." Kitt protested.
"How else are we going to get you to Chicago?" Micheal asked.
"Why do we even have to go to Chicago?" Kitt asked.
"That is where the Foundation moved." Micheal answered.
"And where Bonnie lives." I added.
"Fine," Kitt said, unenthusiastically.
We parked at the hotel. Then we went up to our rooms and settled in for the afternoon.