Name: Shards Of Knight

Author: Miss T

Disclaimer: The characters Kitt, Michael, Devon, Bonnie all belong to Glen A. Larson, the rest belong exclusively to me. No profit has been made from this story.

Rated: NC-17

Warning: This story contains a scene of explicit sex m/f. (Michael and Jillian)

Authors Note: This story is the basis for a line of stories, all with the same theme. Shards of Knight is only the first, but it is important for setting the circumstances.

Shards of Knight
by Miss T

Devon walked into his office, a cup of tea in one hand and a newspaper in the other. It was early, he preferred to get a jump on the day. Surveying the stack of paperwork sitting in his inbox, he dropped the newspaper in the trash can; he would have no time for pleasure reading today. He sighed, sipped his tea and picked up the top file folder.

An hour and a half later, his tea cup was cold and empty, but his inbox was still more than half full. Devon rubbed his eyes. He began to seriously consider hiring an administrative assistant. He picked up the phone and ordered more tea. The next file in his box was in a red folder, which meant it was a report on a research project. He opened the file and top page read:

ALPHA 16
RESEARCH PROJECT
Virtual Reality Matrix
Knight Industries, Inc.

Research Team: Jackson Kane
Jillian Barrington

Purpose: To create a virtual matrix which, when directly linked to a human brain, will allow the user to have heightened mental and physical abilities.

Success to date: Matrix is fully developed and computer integrated.

Problems to date: Computer simulations repeatedly show that the human brain is unable to process and interpret the quantity of raw data that the matrix supplies. Simulations show the resulting data overload to the brain would be fatal to the test subject.

Primary Goal:

To find the means to either:

1. adjust the data stream to an acceptable level that the human brain can process
2. to artificially enhance the brain so that it can process and interpret the data the matrix currently supplies

The rest of the report was extremely technical. A knock at the door interrupted his thoughts. The door opened and in walked Bonnie with a cup of tea in one hand, and a mug of coffee in the other.

"I was in the kitchen getting some coffee when you called, so I told the staff I would bring it up, as I was on my way here anyway."

Devon smiled at her, "Thank you, dear girl, you are a life saver," he took a sip from the cup and sighed. He motioned to his paper laden desk, "Staying on top of FLAG business is a lot of work, but staying abreast of all the projects at Knight Industries" he threw up his hands, " I am afraid it is getting to be more than I can handle.

Bonnie smiled sympathetically and settled into one of the leather wingbacks in front of Devon's desk. "I have the results of the latest tests with Kitt."

He looked at her, "And ?" he prompted.

"Kitt's reaction time is not significantly higher.......I don't know what happened, I thought that the turbo chips we installed would have significant results."

Bonnie looked up and saw that Devon was staring at something in a red folder on top of the mountain of papers on his desk. "What's that ?" she asked.

The man did not answer her for almost a minute, "Do you have any plans for the rest of the morning ?" he asked.

She shook her head. "Then let's go," he said, grabbing the file and his coat and heading for the door.

Bonnie hurried after him, shaking her head.

Driving in Devon's impeccable Mercedes, they reached Knight Industries Research Facility #3 in record time. Bonnie had looked over the file, on the ride over, and she was starting to get concerned about what the Englishman had in mind.

"Devon, what are we doing here? You can't be serious about using Kitt as a test subject on some experimental research project !" Her heart was beating painfully in her chest, Kitt was like her child and she felt a fierce need to protect him. "Tell me your not serious."

Devon solicitously placed his hand on Bonnie's waist and hurried her along. "Let's just hear what the good doctors have to say, all right ?"

They were shown into the office of Dr. Kane. He asked them to be seated and then sat himself. Bonnie immediately noticed that the man was gorgeous........thick, straight black hair, bluish green eyes and a knockout smile. "What can I do for you, Mr. Miles, Dr. Barstow?" Devon handed him the file and he scanned it. "Yes, this is my project, what of it ? the man questioned.

"We would like a little bit more information about the capabilities .......and the problems" the Englishman said firmly.

Jack looked at the people sitting across from him. He knew who Devon Miles was, of course, he was the head honcho of Knight Industries and of FLAG. As for the delicious little Dr. Barstow, he had never heard of her before today. He wondered what they were really after and if they were friend or foe. He was a bit protective of the VRM project, he considered it his finest work.......if only he could make it work ! He took a deep breath.

"This project is classified. Now I know that Mr. Miles has the highest clearance, but what about you, Dr. Barstow ?"

Bonnie gave him a challenging look, "I have a security clearance of 9, what's yours ? she grinned, a little wickedly.

"Well, then, " he cleared his throat, "I guess we have no problem, come along to the lab."

Bonnie smiled to herself. She liked seeing Dr. Jack a little disconcerted; she had a feeling that it did not happen very often.

They followed the doctor into a computer lab the likes of which she had never seen. 'This set up made her lab look like a video arcade' she thought. In the center was a large monitor.....the largest she had ever seen, it must have been 46 inches across. On the screen was a grid pattern with the colors reversed, like a negative.

A pretty blond woman, with her hair in a ponytail, was typing on the console in front of the large monitor. She slumped, "I don't know what the hell to try next, Jack......nothing seems to work." She turned towards him and caught sight of the strangers and her face turned red. "I'm sorry, I did not realize we had guests" she shot an angry look at the handsome doctor and stepped over to Devon, offering her hand. "I am Doctor Jillian Barrington and you are Devon Miles, of course." She smiled a dazzling smile at the older man and then turned to Bonnie.

Bonnie shook her hand "I am Doctor Bonnie Barstow."

Jack walked over to the large screen and turned to face the others. "This is the Virtual Reality Matrix" he motioned to the big screen. What it can do, well, what we think it can do is to heighten the conscious sensitivity to a higher level, as well as speed up physical response time. The data collected in the matrix is refined and extended far further than anything our senses
and brain could collect. The virtual characteristics of the matrix is what allows the physical reactions to be heightened as well." He smiled icily at Dr. Barrington "Would you care to explain the problem ?"

She returned his chilly look and then turned to their guests "The problem is that the human brain cannot process the sheer quantity of information that the matrix provides. Computer simulations have shown time after time that hooking anyone up to this matrix would most certainly kill them." She shot Jack a defiant look.

"This is where the good Dr. Barrington and I disagree. She says it will kill them, but I say that we have no idea what the capacity of the human brain is, not really, and I say it would adapt. It might take a day or two, but it would adapt and survive." Jack said triumphantly.

"Jack, you have no idea what you are talking about; no data or test results to back up this theory.....it is pure rubbish." Jillian stated flatly. They glared at each other.

'This must be a fun place to work' Bonnie thought. She caught Devon's eye, "Can I speak to you privately for a moment ?"

They went out into the hall. "You cannot be serious about letting those two loose on Kitt" she said softly.

Devon smiled at her "I think we could very well be the answer to each others problems." He went back in the lab. "Do you two have some time to come with us to FLAG ? I think I may have the answer to your problem."

While the doctors were getting their coats, Devon called Michael on his cell phone and asked him to meet them in the FLAG garage with Kitt in 30 minutes.

"I don't like this" Bonnie murmured as they all walked out to the Mercedes.

Chapter Two

The doctors had been silent, in the car, once they figured out that no one was going to tell them anything until they arrived at FLAG. Once there, they followed Devon into a large garage with puzzled looks.

Once in the garage they saw the sleek, black Trans Am. "Wow" Jack whistled, his face wreathed in smiles "that is an awesome car." He started to walk toward it and Kitt's scanner came to life and began fanning back and forth.

"Thank you" Kitt said politely "I do not believe we have met, I am Kitt, which stands for Knight Industries Two Thousand."

The look of disbelief on Jack's face was comical. He turned to Bonnie "Did you program it to respond to vocal input ? How does it know which response to use ?"

Michael and Bonnie looked at each other. They knew how bad Kitt hated to be called "it."

The scanner moved faster, back and forth. "Excuse me" Kitt said in an irritated voice.

"Kitt," Michael said, putting his hand on his friend's fender "let me."

Michael walked over to the doctor. "I am Michael Knight, and you are ?" Michael had been curious as to what was going on ever since Devon had requested this meeting.

"Jack Kane," the man mumbled, his eyes still glued to the glossy black car.

"Dr. Jackson Kane," said the blond woman "and I am Dr. Jillian Barrington. We work for Knight Industries, too.

Michael smiled at the woman "Well, Doc, can you tell me what this is all about ? Devon, here, has been a little light on the details."

"Michael," Kitt warned, still irritated that they thought him a mere car.

"Okay, okay, Pal" Michael held his hands up in surrender. He looked at the Devon, who gave him an affirmative nod, and walked over to the beautiful machine. "My dear doctors," he said mock dramatically "Kitt is not an *it*, but a *he*, as he is not just a computer housed in an attractive car.........he is alive.......artificial intelligence."

"WHAT ?" Jack said incredulously. "Artificial intelligence ??? Where is the mainframe ? Where is the memory storage ? How did he become self aware ?" Question after question tumbled out of his mouth.

"Hold on there, Doc, you are asking the wrong person" Michael chuckled. "I just drive."

Jack looked at Devon, who promptly pointed at Bonnie. "Dr. Barstow" Jack flashed her a saucy smile, "I had no idea......" He walked over to Bonnie and took her arm, leading her closer to the shining car and talking nonstop in her ear.

Devon looked at Michael. "Bonnie and the doctors can explain the situation, I have to get back to my office." He walked out of the garage. Michael turned and looked at the remaining doctor "Do you think you could tell me what is going on now ?"

Michael could not believe his ears. "They want to use Kitt as a guinea pig ?"

Jillian tried to calm Michael down and explain what the VRM was; how it could help Kitt, but the explanation became too technical and he lost patience. "Just tell me one thing, Doc. Is there a chance that it could hurt him ? Even kill him ?"

Jillian looked at him and said honestly "I really don't know."

Bonnie and Jack were discussing how Kitt and the car were connected. "Kitt, would you please raise your hood ? Bonnie asked.

"Certainly, Bonnie" Kitt replied and the hood opened, rising up gently.

Jack's face broke out in a smile "Amazing" he breathed.

They were looking at the computer/engine configuration when Bonnie heard Michael exclaim loudly "They want to use Kitt as a guinea pig ??"

She immediately broke away from Jack and went over to him. "Calm down Michael. No one is going to do anything to hurt Kitt.....do you think I would let that happen ?" Bonnie looked hurt.

The angry man looked at her.

"They cannot guarantee that what they do will not hurt him." She looked back at him "Then they will not touch him until they *can* guarantee it.......you know we would never allow it."

Michael looked at her, his expression softening "I trust you to make sure of that." He walked over and sat in a chair next to his partner, possessively resting his hand on the fender.

Jillian looked at Bonnie questioningly. "Kitt and Michael are very close......best friends." Bonnie stated in a matter of fact tone and grinned at the started look on the other woman's face.

After much discussion and argument, they decided it was safe to install the VRM in the Trans Am. The CPU for the matrix would sit under the hood, right next to Kitt's CPU. Bonnie was finally satisfied that Kitt could handle the amount of data the matrix generated without a problem and she had convinced Michael that their was almost no danger of anything going wrong and damaging their friend.

The doctors had their equipment brought to the garage and began the long process of hooking the matrix into Kitt's systems. While they worked, they argued back and forth, as they had been for several weeks now.

"You need something to bridge the gap between the raw data collected by the matrix and the brain itself" Jillian insisted

"If we could find something that would process and filter the data into manageable bits the brain could handle, the problem would be solved." Jack scoffed at her. "The brain would learn to do
it on its own, given the time to learn."

Jill looked at him with exasperation, "Yeah, well, according to the simulations, the brain would crash and burn long before it could learn a damn thing."

Jack sighed "This argument is getting repetitive. I left some of my notes back at the lab, I am going to run over and get them, I could use some fresh air." He got up, took off his lab coat and strode out of the garage.

"Dr. Barrington ?" Kitt inquired.

She jumped, it was hard to get used to a talking car.

"Yes, Kitt ?" she said softly.

"Dr. Kane would not really hook this matrix up to a human as it is now, would he ? It would most certainly be fatal."

The doctor shook her head negatively "No, Kitt, Dr. Kane may talk a good game, but even if given the opportunity, which he will not be, I do not think he would do it........not with the way the matrix is now. She grinned as she caught herself stroking Kitt's dashboard as they talked.

"Good, because it would be a terrible mistake" Kitt said quietly.

She shivered, remembering Jack's military background and prayed what she told Kitt was the truth.

Michael sauntered into the garage. "Hey, Kitt" he smiled at his partner.

Jillian leaned up, peering over the dashboard "Michael... hello" she smiled, thinking what a babe he was.

"Hey, Jillian, are you still here? Michael said with surprise, "your buddy take off and leave you to do all the work ?"

He laughed when she wrinkled her nose "He is hardly my 'buddy'.........more like an albatross around my neck."

Michael perked up "Well, if that is the case, how would you like going out to dinner with me?"

"Mr. Knight," she winked at him "it's a date."

Jack physically and mentally unwound as he flew down the road to the lab. He always enjoyed driving his Corvette, the feel of the power beneath him was almost sexual. He stepped harder on the gas and saw the speedometer break 100. He smiled as he felt himself getting aroused. He would certainly like to have some power over Dr. Barstow..........Bonnie, she had asked him to call her. He imagined her naked and moaning beneath him and groaned. This was not helping. He stopped the erotic thoughts as he pulled into the parking lot of the laboratory building. How am I going to get through the lobby with this ? He looked down at the front of his pants and saw the evidence of his earlier hot thoughts. He sighed and reached into the console
of the car and took out a crumpled pack of cigarettes. He had given up smoking, for the most part, he only did it now in moments of stress. He climbed out of the car and sat himself comfortably on the long hood and lit his smoke. By the time he was done, his little "problem" was gone.

He was getting ready to go in when his friend Martin pulled up in the space next to him. He got out of his PT Cruiser and walked over to Jack. "What are you doing here so late ?, he grinned at the man sitting on the Corvette.

"I forgot some stuff, so I came back to get it." Jack replied "Why are you ?"

Martin's eyes were shining with excitement. "You have to promise not to tell anyone quite yet." Jack nodded and put his two fingers up in a mock Boy Scout pledge. "Okay" his friend said and motioned Jack to follow him, "come on, I will show you."

They hurried across the parking lot and into the lobby. They flashed their security passes to Ray, the security guard, who was half asleep behind his desk, and ran up the stairs, ignoring the
elevator. Martin unlocked his lab and walked over to his work station. He picked up one of a dozen small, metal boxes and handed it to Jack. It was empty, as far as he could tell when he opened it. Martin was practically shaking with excitement. He reached over and flipped on a desktop computer but when the monitor came on, all that was on the screen was gibberish. He
reached over and pulled some tape off the top of the CPU case uncovering a hole that had been drilled in it.

"This computer has been infected with the most technologically advanced virus I could find. Under normal circumstances it would be junk. But watch......"

His friend picked up the open metal box and sat it on the CPU case, right next to the hole. Jack thought he saw something sparkle, but it was gone so quickly, he thought he must have imagined it. Martin then went to his main computer terminal and typed in 'execute QES' and hit enter. A few minutes later, the computer screen began to clear. A scan disk came up and it showed corrupted data bunches being repaired with record speed.

"What the hell ?" Jack mumbled as he peered into the hole in the CPU case, but saw nothing.

Within ten minutes, the computer was good as new. "Ok, Martin, what kind of bullshit is this ? What's in the box ??" Jack ask, irritated at what he thought was a joke.

"Quantum Energy Shards, my man !' Martin laughed, "Just a little something I whipped up here in my lab."

Jack looked at him with confusion "Quantum Energy Shards ? What the hell is that ? What do they do?"

Martin looked so pleased with himself, Jack wanted to slap him. "They do whatever I tell them to......program them to that is" his friend crowed.

Jack looked at him "Martin........WHAT are they ? What are they made of ?"

Martin winked at him, "They are made of Quantum Energy.....hence the name. He grinned at Jack. "Okay, okay, don't get your knickers in a knot, have a seat and I will tell you all about it." Jack settled in and waited.

Martin gave him a quick rundown of how he had discovered that quantum energy could be fragmented and after it was, the pieces all could be programmed to work together electrically to accomplish a task. "You mean to tell me that they form an interconnected network, that will follow any program you write ?" Jack began to get an idea. 'This may be exactly what I have been looking for' he thought.

"So Martin, how do you program them ?" Jack asked genially.

"It's easy, they understand the language of zero's and one's, so any rudimentary binary programming language can be used" Martin smiled.

Jack could not believe his good luck. He pounded his friend on the back. "Congratulations, man ! You might get the Nobel Prize for this !" He saw Martin's eyes get big.

"You really think so ?"

Jack smiled at his friend, his mind quickly making plans. "Of course, my friend, of course.......why don't you go down to the vending machine and get us some soft drinks to celebrate ?" He flipped a couple of dollar bills to his friend and was relieved to see him hurry off
down the hall.

He quickly took an empty metal box and opened it. He strode to the main computer and started typing. He placed the box next to the hole in the CPU. He had no idea how long it would take, he waited until he heard Martin coming down the hall then he snatched up the box and stuffed it in his pocket. He stayed for ten more minutes, stroking his friend's ego and then begged off, saying he had to get back to work.

He quickly ran to his office, scooped up his paperwork and then ran for the Corvette. Halfway back to FLAG, he pulled over in an oak grove.

"What was he doing ? What was he going to do ?" All he had was some half baked idea about using these QES's to bridge the gap between the VRM and the brain. He felt the idea was valid, but he knew he would never get permission to try it, especially since the shards themselves were brand new technology. He considered using himself as a test subject but discarded that idea because someone needed to monitor the experiment from the outside, and he had no one he could trust, he certainly could not trust Jillian.

Then there was also the problem that the VR matrix was more than 70% installed in the Trans Am and hooked into Kitt's systems. How could he privately try to access the matrix, through the energy shard's network, if it was running around town in a sports car ? He rubbed his eyes and looked at his watch. It was 12:43 am. He yawned; he would sleep on it, he still had a day or two before they were done with the installation. Something would come to him, he was sure. He pulled out of the grove and headed back to the FLAG mansion and his nice warm bed.

Michael was tossing and turning in his bed, unable to sleep. He and Jillian had hit it off wonderfully, and had a great time. He wondered if it had been a mistake not to invite her up to his room when they got back. He had definitely gotten the impression she was interested, but he wondered about her relationship with Jack Kane. There was more going on there than met the
eye, he would bet money on it. He had tried to get her to talk about him, but she seemed strangely reluctant, only saying that she had known him for years and then changing the subject. Yes, Dr. Barrington was somewhat of a mystery.......a mystery he hoped he had the opportunity to solve.

Chapter Three

The next morning Michael took his coffee to the garage. He wanted to talk to Kitt about this virtual matrix thing. He still was not comfortable with it and he wanted to discuss it. He padded into the garage in nothing but blue jeans, a T-shirt and bare feet, sipping from a large mug.

"Hey, Pal" Michael greeted his friend.

Good Morning, Michael" the AI replied, "you are up early."

"Well, I wanted to talk to you" Michael began and then stopped, not knowing exactly how to proceed.

"You are uncomfortable with what Dr. Kane and Dr. Barrington are doing, aren't you ?" Kitt asked.

"Yeah, Partner, I sure am." Michael confirmed. "I don't like the thought of them fooling around with your, your........brain" Michael finished lamely. He pulled his chair closer to the car and laid his hand on the fender, stroking the beautiful black finish. "It scares me to think that they could do something that would..........damage you. You know how I feel about you." he whispered.

Kitt felt like he was glowing at Michael's words. His scanner flashed brilliantly. He knew that Michael cared about him, but they rarely discussed it and Kitt loved to hear the words. He had never felt so good in his life as he did the time that Michael had whispered 'I love ya, Pal,' one night after they had accomplished a particularly difficult mission in which Kitt had saved his life.

"Michael, you know I feel the same and I promise you......nothing is going to happen. Everything will be fine. Perhaps you would feel more comfortable if I were to explain exactly what they are doing and how it will help us" Kitt suggested.

"Help us ?" echoed Michael.

"Yes" replied Kitt "if they are successful it will greatly expand my sensor capabilities and my reaction time. I can react quicker to protect you."

The man shook his head with wonder as he softly stroked his friend's glossy paint "Is that why you are doing this ? Because you think it will help you to protect me better ?"

Kitt's scanner swooped back and forth, "Of course" he said softly "there is no better reason."

Michael tried to swallow past the huge lump in his throat and wished for the millionth time that he had a way of hugging his friend. 'It's tough to show affection, when your best friend is a car' he thought wryly. Kitt couldn't even really "feel" it when Michael stroked his body. He knew that his exterior was being touched, but past that......no real feelings. Michael stroked the sleek black body because *he* liked the way it felt more than he was doing it for Kitt. He laid his head down on the shiny hood and sat there, content to just be with his friend.

An hour later, Jillian and Jack walked into the garage, to find Michael asleep, partially in a chair and partially sprawled on Kitt. Jillian smiled, thinking how cute they looked together. Jack had an odd look on his face and said "Gee, why doesn't he just get a big bed so they can sleep together ?"

Jillian smacked him softly on the back of the head "Stop being a jerk" she replied.

He turned to her with a dangerous look in his eye "It gives you great joy to know you are the only one that can get away with doing that type of shit, doesn't it ?"

She looked back at him calmly "It's a good thing someone can, otherwise you would never know what a boor you are." She looked at him mockingly and walked away to wake Michael.

He watched Jillian try to rouse Michael and suddenly he was thunderstruck ! Michael was the perfect candidate for the experiment ! He already spent most of his time with the vehicle and since they were putting the VRM in the car, Michael would always be close to it and in the best position to see if access to the matrix could be gained via the QES. If they both could access the matrix, it would be twice as useful.......who knows what they could do. But how could he introduce the shards into Michael's brain? It had to be done non intrusively. Perhaps through the ear ? Jack shrugged into his lab coat and went to work, still making plans.

Kitt was starting to get tired of being fussed over all the time. He longed to be out on the open road, flying down the pavement with Michael. Jillian was inside the cockpit, making some adjustments to his new VRM monitor.

"Dr.Barrington ?" Kitt inquired.

"Yes, Kitt ?" she answered.

"How much longer will the installation take ?"

Jillian had to smile.......the AI sounded like a little child asking 'Are we almost there ?'

"We should be done by midmorning tomorrow. I know you are tired of sitting here having us climb all over you."

Kitt was silent for a moment "Well, yes, I am, but I will miss you when you return to Knight Industries."

Jillian blushed with pleasure, "Why thank you Kitt, you are very sweet, I will miss you too" she
patted his dashboard.

The work continued all afternoon and into the evening. At 9:00 PM Jack offered to fetch coffee for everyone. He slipped a sedative in Michael's. Around 10:00 PM Jack asked Jillian to go to town to pick them up some Chinese for dinner. As soon as she left, Jack began typing binary command sequences into the computer mainframe. Each line was encrypted to look like normal
line code. He was done in about fifteen minutes and he left the garage, going into the mansion to look for Michael. He found him in the TV room, asleep on the couch. Shaking his shoulder did not wake him, so Jack hoisted Michael over his shoulder and took him upstairs to his room. He laid him on his bed and took out the small metal box and a handheld computer. He opened the box and set it on the pillow next to the drugged man's head. He fired up the tiny computer and touched 'enable.' Jack watched closely for ten minutes, but he did not see anything. He did not know how long to wait, so he waited another ten and then grabbed the metal box and went back to the garage.

Jack was working around the front of the Trans Am. "Kitt, will you open your hood ?" he asked in a normal tone.

"Sure, Dr. Kane" Kitt said agreeably.

The hood gently rose and Jack bent over, taking out the metal box and little computer. He placed the open box near the vents on the side of the newer CPU and hit 'enable' once again. Fifteen minutes later, he heard Jillian drive up in his Corvette. Irritation washed over him. He hated it when other people drove his car. He snatched up the metal box and shoved it in his
pocket. "You can close the hood, Kitt" he said sullenly.

Jillian walked in the garage carrying two big bags of food. "Hope your hungry, big boy" she quipped.

"Damn you, Jillian" Jack grated "I have told you over and over not to drive my car, why don't you drive your own ?"

She looked at him wickedly, not a bit ruffled, "Because yours is more fun." She began to unpack the food, distributing rice, soy sauce, chopsticks and hot mustard. "Where is Michael ?" she asked "I got him some War Shu Gai."

Jack looked at her casually "He came by while you were in town, to say he was tired and was going to bed. He told me to tell you he'd see you tomorrow."

She sighed, "Well I hope you are hungry, there is enough food here for an army."

During the night, the quantum energy shards multiplied and spread throughout the body of the car, linking as they spread. They integrated themselves into the computer systems so seamlessly, Kitt did not "feel" a thing.

Michael woke the next morning to the ringing of the phone. He felt groggy as he grabbed the receiver "Lo" he mumbled.

"Michael, are you still sleeping ?" he heard Devon's voice chiding him "Get down here, the VRM is ready to go online in less than an hour."

Michael stared at the phone like he had never seen it before. His head felt full of cotton and it was hard to think. He stumbled into the bathroom and turned on the shower. Ten minutes later he got out, feeling much improved, but still with a slight headache. He threw on black jeans, a black shirt, and black boots and hurried down the stairs. He had to get some coffee if he was to stay conscious.

They were preparing to go online about the time that Michael walked in the garage. Devon and Bonnie waved him over and Devon said "Michael, are you all right ? You look tired."

Michael rubbed his face with one hand "I woke up feeling pretty out of it, I guess I must have slept really hard, but I am feeling okay now." He sipped his coffee and sighed "Thank goodness for coffee."

"Okay, everyone, here we go" Jack said excitedly. "Now Kitt, don't try to access anything right away. Just stay quiet until the systems adjust to each other and your CPU starts receiving the data from the matrix. When in virtual mode, the world will look different, but don't panic, it is just a "mind place."

Kitt's scanner lit up briefly "What is a 'mind place' Dr. Kane ?" Kitt questioned.

"A mind place is a virtual reality, in the mind, not a physical place. In a mind place you have ultimate control over your environment. Now just try to relax and stay calm." Jack looked over at the computer screen, his heart pounding with excitement, and typed 'system go' and hit enter.

For ten seconds nothing happened, then Kitt's scanner flared brightly and Michael screamed in pain and crumpled to the floor, unconscious. Bonnie ran to him yelling "Call the medical wing, tell them to send an ambulance." She checked Michael's pulse and found it strong, but he would not open his eyes.

Though deeply unconscious, he still groaned and clutched his head in pain.

"Kitt, are you all right ? Bonnie called as she covered Michael with a blanket.

"Yes, I'm fine, Bonnie, what is wrong with Michael ? Is he injured ?" Kitt sounded worried. "I don't know, I do not see any injuries but he is unconscious and in pain......I don't know why." Bonnie's voice was thick with emotion.

The ambulance arrived almost immediately and the paramedics loaded Michael on a gurney and took off for the FLAG medical wing. While all this was going on, Jillian made her way over to Jack and took his arm, her fingernails digging into his flesh. "What did you do ?" she hissed.

Jack jerked his arm away from her claws, "I don't know what you are talking about" he said in a deadly tone "And I suggest you keep your suspicions to yourself.......trust me, you would regret doing otherwise." He walked away to check the VRM.

Jillian stared after him, her eyes wide. 'Oh my god' she thought 'what did he do ?'

Kitt was extremely worried about his partner, but a part of him was also curious about the VRM. It had been online for almost fifteen minutes and he had not felt anything different. Maybe it didn't work. He heard Devon telling Bonnie that he was going to go to the medical wing and check on Michael's condition. Kitt wondered how Michael was. Suddenly Kitt's perception blinked and changed. His field of vision consisted only of a black field with a bright green grid. Suddenly, data started rolling across the grid. Kitt looked at the information and did a double take.......it was Michael's vital signs ! Heart rate 83, BP 155/96, Temperature 101 degrees and so on. The AI was flabbergasted, where did that come from ?

"Excuse me, Dr. Kane ?" Kitt called nervously.

Jack hurried over to the TA "Yes, Kitt, did something happen ?"

The scanner swooped back and forth with dizzying speed "Yes, I see a black field with a green grid. And Doctor, it has data on it with Michael's vital signs. What is this ?"

The man whooped with joy, "It is the virtual reality matrix !" he shouted "its working ! You
must have been thinking of Michael's condition, and the matrix found him within range and scanned him and gave you the data." Jack's eyes were sparkling with excitement.

"So this data is correct and current ?" Kitt inquired.

"You betcha" responded the smiling doctor.

"Michael is not doing very well" the AI said anxiously "Do you know what is wrong with him, Dr. Kane ?"

Jack snuck a glance at Jillian and found her glaring at him, "I have no idea, my friend" Jack lied smoothly, "I am sure he will be fine in a day or two, the body is very resilient."

Bonnie sat by Michael's bed. He was still unconscious, mumbling and moaning and clutching his head. His vital signs were high.....all of them elevated, temperature, BP, heart rate. She wondered, for the hundredth time, what going on inside his head. What had caused this ? Did this have something to do with the VRM or was the timing just a coincidence ? She knew Michael was in good health.

The door suddenly opened and Devon walked in, "How is he ?" he said anxiously "the doctors have no idea what is causing this."

Bonnie picked up the unconscious man's hand and held it against her cheek. "His vital signs show that his body is under stress, but what is causing the stress is a mystery.......there is no injury or trauma, no disease, nothing
!
What is causing this ??" Bonnie's voice sounded strangled. Devon pulled up a chair and they both sat there in worried silence.

Chapter Four

Kitt doing a bit of exploring in the VRM, trying to find out what its capabilities were. Both the doctors had taken off, Jillian to go see Michael and Jack to get some lunch, so he was alone in the garage. The wind was blowing through the open overhead doors and whipping down the length of the garage interior. All of the sudden, with no warning, the wind toppled a ladder which had been set up next to the Trans Am to get to a power source in the ceiling. The ladder fell directly on Kitt's hood.

"Owww !" Kitt exclaimed after it hit and slid off the sloped nose. A few seconds later Kitt realized what had happened. He was stunned......the ladder had struck his body and he had felt it !! He actually felt it strike, felt the pain.......what was going on ? How could this be ? This was not a part of the VRM experiment, it was not even in the realm of possibilities that he had talked about with Dr. Kane. The AI was frightened, but also excited. This was like a dream come true; to be able to feel his body........to be able to feel it when someone touched him........to feel it when *Michael* touched him !!!

Michael opened bleary eyes. He had a splitting headache. He reached up with his hands to make sure that his skull was still intact and groaned at the pain when he touched his hair. His head had never hurt this bad in his life, not even the time he drank a fifth of tequila and ate the worm. He saw Bonnie sleeping in a chair, next to his bed and smiled, wincing at the pain it caused.

"Bonnie ?" he whispered.

Her eyes opened, "Michael" she exclaimed "you're awake !"

Michael fought a wave of pain and dizziness brought about by the noise of the woman speaking. "Please" he croaked "shhhhh" he hissed and clutched his head.

"Oh Michael, I'm sorry" Bonnie whispered.

The pain wracked man nodded. "Do you have anything for the pain ?" he moaned softly.

"I'll get the doctor" she said softly and ran out of the room.

Jillian pulled up in the parking lot of the garage and killed the engine.

She rested her forehead on the steering wheel. 'What am I going to do ?' she thought. After visiting Michael, she had gone to KI and gone through everything in their lab and in Jack's private office hoping she might find a clue as to what he was up to. She had found nothing. She sighed heavily and got out of the Expedition, slamming the door.

Walking into the garage, she noticed the ladder laying on it's side in front of the modified TA. "Kitt ? " she called, "are you all right ?" She looked around.

"Yes, of course, Dr. Barrington," Kitt replied.

"Can't you call me Jillian ?" she teased.

"Somehow, it just doesn't seem very respectful. How about Dr. Jillian ?" he suggested.

"Deal" she smiled and stroked his sleek flank. 'Funny' she thought as she ran her hand across the flawless finish, 'he feels warm, just like human flesh, I never noticed that before.' She continued to stroke him, marveling at his warm black skin.

Finally, finding it difficult to bear the pleasurable sensation of being touched, he started to tremble.

Jillian immediately felt the quivering in the vehicle's exterior. "Kitt ?" she asked, concerned, "Why are you trembling, is something wrong with the VRM ?"

It was a long time before Kitt ventured an answer. He finally softly replied, "No, nothing's wrong, I just like it when you touch me." He shivered again.

Jillian was shocked. "Kitt, you can feel the sensation when someone touches you ?" she asked, her eyes wide with disbelief. The AI remained silent, not sure he should tell anyone what he had realized this afternoon. "Kitt, please......you can talk to me" she said cajolingly, "how long have you had this ability ?"

Kitt felt a strong need to leave the garage. He did not want to have this conversation, he was still too unused to the subject and it kind of freaked him out. He needed to get away and spend some time alone, thinking. He powered up his engine and blacked out the windows. "Dr. Jillian, you will have to excuse me, I need some fresh air." Kitt rolled out of the garage and burned rubber getting out of the parking lot.

Jillian watched until the taillights of the TA could no longer be seen. She did not know what to think. What was going on here ?? What had changed Kitt ? How is it that he could all the sudden *feel* his exterior body ? She rested her chin on her hands trying to come up with a logical answer. First Michael's illness and now this change in Kitt. What was happening..and who was responsible ? Suddenly she sat bolt upright and her eyes narrowed. "Jack" she breathed. She got up and headed for the mansion.

She found him in his room, typing on his laptop computer and talking on his cell phone. She stalked over to him and snatched the phone out of his hand and threw it against the wall so hard it shattered. Jack was out of his chair instantly. He spun around and caught her by the arms and pinned her up against the wall, one hand around her throat, his face an inch from hers.

"One of these days, you are going to go too far, Jillian" he growled.

She looked at him balefully and brought her knee up, hitting him squarely in the balls. He gave a strangled scream and collapsed on the bed, moaning in pain.

"I think you already have gone too far, soldierboy." She leaned down, her face now an inch from his "I want to know what the hell you did to Kitt, and I want to know RIGHT NOW."

Jack sat gingerly on the edge of the bed, cradling his bruised package. "I don't know what you are talking about" he spat, "I told you, I did not do anything to Kitt, other than to give him my greatest life's work." He fell back on the bed, holding his crotch. "I think I may be permanently damaged."

Jillian shrugged, "No great loss."

Jack looked at her with barely contained rage "You think that you can say or do whatever you want when it comes to me..........just because you are the mother of my child. Please be advised that my patience is wearing extremely thin with you, you may not be as safe as you think."

Jillian looked at him with disgust "Save the threats for someone who cares, Jack, I've known you too long"

He glared at her from the bed.

Jillian walked over and sat down next to him. "I know damn well you did something to Kitt, so don't deny it."

He closed his eyes "And how exactly do you know this ?" he replied.

"Well, when I was in the garage just now, I stroked his fender, he told me he could feel it. Not just awareness that something was touching his exterior, he said he liked the way it felt." She looked into Jack's beautiful eyes "How is that possible ?" She reached over and touched
his arm "How did you do it ?"

Jack sighed. He knew he would regret this, but he simply could not resist her. "Okay, I will tell you, but you have to promise to keep your knees to yourself, if you do not like what you hear."

She nodded, making a crossing motion over her chest. He told her about the QES. He described what they were and how they worked. The only part he did not tell her was that he had put them in Michael Knight's head. He did tell her about putting them in the VRM's CPU.

When he was done, she just sat there, silent and thinking. "You took a big chance" she stated flatly "and for no reason. Kitt's brain has more than the capacity needed to handle the data supplied by the matrix without something to bridge the gap, so why were the QES necessary ? "

Jack looked at her as if she were stupid "Because I wanted to see how they worked with the VRM, so I could make a case to use them to link my VRM to a human brain."

She looked at him like he was a bug under a microscope "You really are a disgusting creature, you know that ? You have no regard for anyone, not even an innocent like Kitt" and with those words, she got up and walked out the door.

He followed her to the door "Jillian, come on....." he shouted after her, but she ignored him and continued down the hall. He slammed the door; why did it always have to be this way between them ?

Kitt pulled off the road and parked by the lake. It felt so weird, to be able to actually feel the wind as it whipped around his body when he was driving down the road. Just like he felt the soft lake breeze now, caressing his body. He had been driving around for an hour, and he was no closer to understanding the situation now than he was when he left the garage. He wished he could talk to Michael, he needed advice, answers, sympathy.........all things that his partner usually had in abundance. He accessed the VRM and checked on Michael's vital signs. They were almost back to normal. He was so glad; maybe he would be able to talk to him tomorrow.
He powered up and headed back to the garage. There was not much he could do right now, but wait and see what happened.

Jillian sat in the kitchen sipping hot tea. It could work, she decided. If the QES had multiplied and spread throughout the body of the car, linking electrically and forming a neural network, she could see how the data the network collected could be interpreted by the shards and fed to Kitt as sensation. It was incredible, but plausible. She put down the cup and got up. She knew she had to tell Michael.

Michael was laying in bed, watching TV, when Jillian knocked on the door.

"Come" he said, and flipped off the television with the remote. He smiled when he saw the pretty doctor walk into his room. "Hi, Jillian."

She sat down in the chair next to his bed and looked at him closely, "How do you feel?" she asked.

"I am a bit fuzzy in the head and I have a bit of a headache, but other than that, I am okay" he said softly. "You, however, do not look as if you are.........is something wrong ?"

She looked everywhere but his eyes "Michael, I have some things to tell you" she began uncertainly, looking down at the floor.

He reached out and took her hand "Then tell me" he said quietly.

She found herself telling him everything. Not just everything about Kitt and the QES, but also a bit about her past with Jack.........the child they had, and how he had never forgiven her for refusing to marry him and give the child his name, back when he had been in the military. She couldn't marry him, she explained to Michael, she knew he was a cold blooded killer, even if
he did do it in the name of the United States of America. She finally stopped talking and just sat there, looking down at her lap.

Michael, who was still a little fuzzy, also sat there quietly, trying to make sense out of all she had said. Kitt could feel ? He had little electric particles in him that caused him to have feelings ? He could make no sense of it in his present state. He could feel his headache getting worse and his
eyes became heavy.

Jillian looked at Michael and could see that all she had told him was overwhelming him. She got up and kissed him on the cheek and told him to get some sleep and they could talk in the morning. He was asleep before she shut the door. Three hours later, his eyes popped open and he was wide awake.

His prior feelings of fuzziness and headache were completely gone, his mind felt as clear and sharp as a tack. He got out of bed and walked to the windowseat. He sat down and stared out into the darkness. He remembered his conversation with Jillian, just as clear as if it had just happened. He considered what she had said about Kitt. It was incredible ! He rose and got dressed, he had to go see his partner.

Michael stopped off in the kitchen to fix a pot of coffee and he brought the whole pot to the garage with him. He flipped on the light and walked over to his friend. "Morning, Partner" he said softly as he poured himself some coffee and set the pot on the floor next to his chair and sat down.

"Michael, it's so good to see you !" Kitt was overjoyed to see his friend.

"I have missed you too, Pal" the man smiled.

"What are you doing up in the middle of the night?" Kitt asked.

"I came to see you, Kitt. Jillian told me what happened this afternoon and I came down to try to explain to you how we think it happened."

The scanner flared brilliantly, "You know how this happened ? "Kitt said, amazed.

"We think so" Michael replied "at least the theory seems pretty plausible."

Michael explained to Kitt about the QES and how they thought the neural network was able to feed him the data he could interpret as 'feelings.' "I cannot give you the more technical info, I am not a scientist, Pal" Michael grinned.

"Maybe I can get that data myself" Kitt said, eager to show off his new capabilities. He accessed the VRM and asked for data on any particles within his body that had a quantum signature. The data immediately started rolling across the grid. "Wow, Michael, these QES are quite remarkable."

His partner smiled and reached out to lay his hand on the glossy black fender. The minute his hand touched the paint, a large jolt of electricity shot from Kitt to Michael and he lost consciousness, his coffee mug slipping out of his hand and shattering on the floor.

"Michael ? MICHAEL ?" Kitt shouted. 'What happened ?' he thought. He accessed the VRM and checked Michael's condition. His heart rate was abnormally high, but even as he watched, the number started to fall back toward normal."

Michael groaned and opened his eyes. All he could see around him were black walls, covered by a green grid. "What the hell ?" he mumbled and rubbed his eyes. The grid was still there. Michael got up and tried to walk over to it, but no matter how far he walked, it always stayed
the same distance from him. Kitt softly called his name.

~Michael~

The frightened man jumped and spun around when he heard his name. The Trans Am was sitting behind him, his scanner softly fanning back and forth.

~Kitt, where are we ? What the hell is this ?~

Michael was close to panic, Kitt could feel it and his own anxiety rose, reflecting back on his partner and making the situation worse.

~Michael, this is the VRM.......or at least where we are is how I perceive the VRM when I access it~

~What ? VRM ? That is a computer program, what are you talking about ? Where am I ? What is this place ? How did I get here ?~

Michael was losing his battle with fear and Kitt was being overwhelmed by the emotions that were pouring from his partner. It was time to exit the VRM and try to figure this out.

It was like the world blinked, and suddenly Michael was back in the garage, slumped in his chair, his coffee mug broken on the floor. He quickly looked around, he was alone, except for Kitt. He jumped out of his chair and walked behind it, keeping the chair between them. He looked uncertainly at the black car.

"Michael....." Kitt began and stopped, not really sure what to say. He could still feel his partners fear and anxiety. How could this be happening ? How could he know how Michael was feeling ? No, not just know, he FELT what Michael was feeling !

Michael kept staring at him, his anxiety level rising by the second. The silence was deafening.

Suddenly, Michael said "I need to go, Partner" and he scooted out of the garage towards the mansion.

"Michael, wait !" Kitt shouted "We need to talk about this !"

Michael totally ignored him and kept going. Kitt could feel how frightened he was and it hurt him to see his friend so distressed.

Chapter Five

Michael ran like the hounds of hell were at his heels. His heart was pounding so hard, he thought it would burst. What was that place ? How had he gotten there AND how had he gotten back ??? He could not understand it, why had Kitt been there too ? If it was a hallucination, why had it seemed so real ? He reached the mansion and sat down on the steps. He needed answers. What was it Kitt had said ? 'This is the VRM.......or at least where we are is how I perceive the VRM when I access it.'

Michael sat there, his thoughts whirling fast and furious around him. If this had something to do with the VRM, he knew who to go to. He rose and walked into the house and up the stairs to Jillian's room. He knocked lightly on the door.

"Yes ?" he heard a sleepy voice say.

Michael checked his watch; it was five o'clock in the morning ! He opened the door, sliding
in and closing it behind him. Moonlight was shining brightly through the window, so he did not bother to turn on the light. "Jillian, it's Michael" he said softly.

"Michael....what ? What's wrong ? Did something happen ?" She sat up, the moonlight revealing the curve of her breast through her sheer nightie. She pulled the blanket up under her arms to cover herself. "Michael, what are you doing here ?"

He perched on the foot of her bed and looked at her with wide, anxious eyes. He told her what happened when he touched Kitt and what occurred afterward.

She looked at him with disbelief "That's not possible !" she exclaimed.

"Listen, doctor, I am telling you the truth, that is *exactly* what happened." Michael insisted, thinking she did not believe him.

"No, no" she assured him "I believe you, it is just so strange.......you were in the virtual reality matrix !"

The man shook his head "How could I be in a computer program ? There has to be another explanation" his distress was heart wrenching.

Jillian leaned over put her arms around him and gave him a hug. "We'll figure it out, Michael, don't you worry."

Kitt sat in the garage. Part of him was worrying about his partner, but part of him was marveling at the fact that he could feel Michael's emotions. He felt his fear, his disbelief, his anxiety and confusion. He analyzed each feeling, noting the differences, and timbre of each. Underneath the
distress, he ran across a feeling he did not recognize. He tried analyzing it but it was no use. It defied description; the closest he could come was.......longing and need. Kitt was puzzled and continued to explore it.

Michael hugged Jillian back. He felt really shaky, the experience with Kitt had deeply frightened him.....a feeling he was not used to and one that made him feel vulnerable. He looked into Jillian's eyes and before he knew it, he was kissing her.........passion igniting instantly between them. They rolled over on the bed, hungrily kissing and touching each other. Michael pushed down the strap of her nightie and trailed kisses down her neck, nibbling on her shoulder. Jillian moaned and threw her head back, offering him her throat. He buried his head in it and kissed and licked the tender flesh till she was whimpering and moving against him. He crushed her mouth to his, sliding his tongue deeply within.

Kitt was trembling. He had no idea how to process the feelings he was receiving from his partner. The AI moaned to himself.......what was Michael doing.......god, it felt wonderful. The excitement, the pleasure, it was mind blowing.........he could not stop it, and he wouldn't if he could. He felt like he was in heaven.

Michael and Jillian laid on the bed, wrapped in each others arms. She sighed in pure contentment and snuggled against him. "Mmmmmmm" she purred softly and looked up at Michael.

He looked into her baby blue eyes and smiled wickedly. "That was some prescription for what ailed me, doctor."

She looked at him lasciviously "How about a refill ?" she trailed her tongue down his chest and across his belly and engulfed the head of his cock in her warm, wet mouth.

Kitt was shaking like a leaf. He felt like he was going to blow a fuse. The pleasurable sensations kept coursing through his body causing him to whimper and tremble with an unrecognizable need. There was nothing he could do but hold on for the ride.

Michael thought he had died and gone to heaven. Jillian's hot mouth caressed his cock and her tongue stroked him, causing him to moan with pleasure. He had never felt such pleasure as he had felt tonight, though he had made love many other times. Tonight was different, almost as if his pleasure was being mirrored back at him, driving him to greater heights. It was driving him
totally crazy. Michael growled low in his throat and pulled Jillian on top of him, thrusting up into her in one stroke. "Ohhhhhhh" they both moaned at the sensation. She began to ride him, slowly at first, then faster and faster.

Kitt was trying to hang on. Tremors wracked his body and he whimpered constantly. He had no idea what was happening, he was totally lost in feeling and sensation. His excitement was mounting, the pleasure peaking higher and higher. He felt like he was going to explode in a million pieces.

Michael moaned loudly as he lost it and the climax claimed him. He felt like he was coming apart.......he had never known such pleasure, it seemed to feed on itself, driving him higher than he had ever been before. He was lost in it for quite a while. When he finally came back down, he opened his eyes and found Jillian looking at him; she practically glowed with satisfaction. "Are you always so........passionate ?" she asked. He shrugged and smiled.

Kitt was almost unconscious. He was floating on a cloud of pure bliss; he had never felt this good, and he wanted it to go on forever. Every part of him was singing with satisfaction. He felt deep contentment wash over him and he drifted off to sleep.

A couple hours later, Michael woke up. Jillian was still sound asleep and he cuddled her warm body as he, once again, started examining the facts around what had happened in the garage. He was sure that it had something to do with the VRM, but he was equally sure that Jillian was telling him the truth when she said she did not know what was happening or why. That left only one person who would know the answer: Jackson Kane. He slid out of the bed, grabbed his clothes and hurried back to his room. He grabbed a quick shower and some clean clothes and walked down the hall to Jack's room. It was empty, all of his stuff was gone. Michael went downstairs to the kitchen and found Devon, sipping tea and talking to the cook.

"Have you seen Kane ?" he asked Devon.

"Good Morning, Michael, yes, Dr. Kane left about twenty minutes ago" Devon replied.

"Where did he go ?" Michael asked tensely.

Devon looked at him strangely "He went back to Knight Industries, what's this about ?"

The younger man headed to the door, "I'll tell you all about it later." Michael ran outside and headed to the garage and then stopped suddenly. He simply was not up to facing Kitt right now,
not so soon after yesterday. He needed wheels. He went back into the mansion and literally ran into Bonnie, almost knocking her down.

"Whoa, boy, watch where you are going !" she exclaimed in surprise.

"Can I borrow your car, Bon ?' he asked in a rush.

"Sure, Michael, but why ? Is something wrong with Kitt ?" Bonnie looked at him strangely; he almost never drove any car but the TA.

"Kitt's fine" he replied, praying it was true, "I have something I need to do, and I would rather not involve Kitt."

She reached in her pocket and handed him the keys.

"Thanks, Bon" he kissed her cheek and ran out the door.

Bonnie went straight to the garage to check on Kitt. She had spend most of her time, the last few days, studying the virtual reality matrix. She understood the theory, and now she wanted to discuss the reality with Kitt. She walked into the garage; it was deserted except for Kitt who was silent and still. She walked over to him, wondering why he had not greeted her when his sensors told him she was there. "Kitt ?" she inquired.

It was almost 30 seconds before the scanner glowed softly and Kitt dreamily said "Hello,
Bonnie."

Bonnie looked at the black machine, she could swear he was glowing ! His black skin seemed to give off a soft inner glow.

"What the heck is going on around here ?' she thought. She walked over to her friend "Are you
OK ?" she asked. She ran her hand along the TA's front fender and Kitt gave a corresponding "Mmmmmm" and shiver.

Bonnie stepped back, her eyes wide. The AI was acting like he could "feel" her touch him ! More than that, he seemed to like it ! She stepped back up to the vehicle and stroked her hand back and forth across the hood.

"Mmmmm.....feels nice" Kitt murmured.

Bonnie's mouth fell open in surprise.

"He can feel you touch him" Jillian said.

Bonnie turned around and glared at the other woman "And how would you know that ?"

Jillian smiled at the petite woman, "Please Bonnie, I am not your enemy."

Bonnie regarded her "Then tell me what is going on. How is Kitt getting sensory input ?"

Jillian sat down in a chair and told Bonnie about the QES and about Michael's recent trip into the VRM.

Bonnie was fuming. How dare Jackson Kane experiment on Kitt ! They had never agreed to let him inoculate Kitt's body with quantum particles. Quantum energy was a brand new discovery, little was known about it........anything could have happened ! And the thing with Michael and the VRM.......what in heaven's name was that all about ?

Bonnie looked at Jillian with ill concealed fury "Where is Jack ?"

Jillian shrugged, "He was not in his room and his stuff is gone."

"Well, I am going to find the son of a bitch, he has some things to answer for" Bonnie said angrily and stalked out of the garage.

Michael sped down the road to Knight Industries. Bonnie's Viper was nice; fast and responsive, but quiet. He missed having Kitt to talk to. He still could not believe that Kane had secretly experimented on the gentle AI. The man obviously had NO scruples. Rage flowed through him and he stomped harder on the gas petal. He was eager to get his hands on Jack Kane.

Kitt was still a little hazy from his experience the night before. He barely heard Bonnie and Jillian's conversation or noticed when they left. A few minutes later, Bonnie returned alone. Suddenly, he was swamped by feelings of anger that were not his own. He gasped. Wherever Michael was, he was enraged about something.

Bonnie heard Kitt gasp and she walked over to him. "Is something wrong " she asked anxiously.

"Anger" The AI said softly. "Michael is angry."

Bonnie looked at the vehicle with a puzzled expression "How do you know Michael is angry, Kitt ?"

The scanner was zipping back and forth, "Ever since the incident in the garage, I have been able to feel him......feel what he is feeling. It is really quite overwhelming sometimes." Kitt said
breathlessly, thinking of last night.

Bonnie stared at the Trans Am. This situation was getting weirder and weirder.

Michael stormed into Jackson Kane's office without bothering to knock. Jack looked up from his paperwork "What do you want, Knight ? You ever heard of knocking ?" he growled.

Michael glared at him "I'd like to know just what the hell you thought you were doing experimenting on an innocent lifeform, you heartless bastard" he snarled.

Kane sneered, "I should have known I could never trust Jillian to keep her mouth shut, the stupid bitch."

That was all it took for Michael to launch himself over the desk at the man. He hit him and his chair went over backward and they both crashed to the floor. Michael got a choke hold on the doctor "What did you do, Kane ? What did you do to me ? I've been inside the VR matrix...... and I want to know how that is fucking possible !!"

Kane wriggled out of his grasp and punched him in the stomach before moving around to the other side of the desk. "You were inside the matrix ?" he panted.

"Yes," Michael gasped, holding his midsection, "I was right there with Kitt in that black hell with the green grid. I know you're responsible." He faked a lunge to the right side of the desk and then threw himself on the man when he swerved left. He punched him several times in the side and pushed him up against the wall by his throat.

"Tell me what you did, or I will choke the life out of you, you fucking maniac." The look in Michael's eye left little doubt that he meant what he said.

"The quantum energy shards........did Jillian tell you about them ?" Jack wheezed.

Michael nodded.

"Well, the VRM CPU in the Trans Am was not the only place I put them" the doctor gasped.

Michael looked at him, confused. What did he mean that Kitt's body was not the only place he put them ? Realization finally dawned on him and he looked at the other man in horror. "You put them in me ? You put them in MY BODY ?" Michael shouted.

Jack stomped Michael's foot and punched him in the jaw, knocking him down. "I didn't put them in your body, old buddy" he said maliciously, "I put them in your *brain* and now I know they work. Thanks !" He grabbed his coat and left, slamming the door.

Michael lay on the floor of the office, where he had fallen. His eyes were round and wide and he was shaking. His mind kept endlessly looping the same thought:

'heputtheminmybrainheputtheminmybrainheputtheminmybrain.'

He was very close to completely losing it, he could feel himself teetering on the edge.

Kitt was shaking. He had never felt such violent anger. He was afraid that Michael would kill someone if he did not calm down soon. He had to help him ! "Bonnie, we have to go to Michael....right now ! He is at Knight Industries. " He powered up his engine and his passenger door clicked open.

Bonnie jumped in and the gleaming black car streaked out of the garage.

Kitt explained the situation to her as best he could. He felt that Michael was in terrible danger. He flew down the road, his speedometer reading triple digits all the way.

They screeched to a halt in the parking lot and Bonnie jumped out and ran in the building. Quickly checking the directory, she ran down the hall to Jack's office and flung open the door.

Michael was sitting on the floor with his hands over his face, shaking.

She went to him and knelt down next to him "Michael, what happened ? What's wrong ? Are you all right ?"

Michael just kept silently shaking his head, his hands covering his face.

Further questioning got the same results. Finally she grabbed him by the shoulders and shook him, hard. "Michael, talk to me !" she shouted, overwrought.

He looked at Bonnie with tortured eyes "He put them in me.......oh god, Bonnie....he put those electric shard things in my brain !"

She put her arms around him, silently holding him. She did not know what to say.......she
simply hugged him tight and rocked him.

Kitt was relieved when the anger stopped bombarding him. Unfortunately, fear and sorrow soon followed. Michael was terrified.....almost paralyzed with fear. What could be scaring him so bad ? The AI was frightened for his partner and powerless to help him.

"Michael, we have to go" Bonnie said soothingly. "I think you need to go to Kitt. He is the only one that knows what you are going through and he may be able to help you." She urged him to his feet and slipped her arm around his waist walking close to him out to the parking lot.

When he caught sight of Kitt, he stopped dead in his tracks, refusing to go any closer, despite
Bonnie's urging.

Part 6 - Final

"Michael, you need to be with Kitt, don't shut him out ! Please ! He's been feeling your emotions since you were in the VRM together; he is scared and confused and worried to death about you. He needs you and I believe you need him."

Michael sank down on the grass and shook his head "I'm afraid....what if I end up back in that..........that place ?" he whispered.

She wrapped her arms around him and held him. She looked at Kitt, over Michael's shoulder and signaled him to come closer. He rolled silently onto the grass.

Michael started shaking when Kitt came near and this caused Kitt to tremble too. "Kitt," Bonnie said very softly "Dr. Kane put the QES in Michael's.......brain. I think that is how he was able to be in the VRM with you. Please do not access the VRM, under any circumstances, you may
accidentally drag Michael in with you."

The scanner tracked back and forth, slowly, "I understand, Bonnie......... Michael, please come with me, we really need to talk." Kitt said gently. The driver's door clicked open.

Bonnie looked into Michael's eyes "You know Kitt would never hurt you.......he would die to protect you. Don't be afraid."

Michael nodded, and got to his feet. He slowly walked over and sat in the driver's seat.
The door closed, the windows went dark, the engine powered up and the car pulled out of the parking lot. Bonnie watched till it was out of sight. She said a silent prayer for both of them.

Michael leaned back in the seat, letting Kitt drive. He was at a loss as to what to do. He was no scientist....what exactly was someone supposed to do when they had strange particles running around in their head ? He was so afraid.... what if they controlled him ? What if they allowed that maniac Kane to control him ? What if they forced him to do things he did not want to do ? His heart was pounding so hard, it felt as if it might burst.

"Michael, please try to calm yourself, your heart is beating much too fast" Kitt said softly.

Michael said nothing, a lone tear trickled down his cheek.

Kitt drove to a secluded grove on the lake and parked. He lowered the windows so he could feel the breeze blowing through his interior. 'Dr. Kane released quantum energy shards in your brain.......you are sure of this, Michael ? Kitt asked.

"Yes, I'm sure, he told me himself" Michael said bitterly. "Looks like he used us both as guinea pigs, Pal." Michael felt a flash of anger pass through him that was not his own and remembered what Bonnie had said about Kitt feeling his emotions. Apparently it was not a one way street.

"Are you able to access the VRM ?" Kitt asked him.

"Not that I know of, at least I have not been back since I was there with you, thank god" Michael
said, his voice trembling.

The AI felt bad for him, wishing he could do something to comfort him. "Michael, you needn't be afraid of the VR matrix. It really is just a mind place, like Dr. Kane said. What you saw that day in the garage was just the data shell. The matrix can have any appearance you want it to and the same goes for your own appearance. You can be whatever you want to be, in virtual reality and it feels every bit as real as the real thing. Will you let me show you ?"

"No" the man said quickly. "I am not ready for that, Kitt, please !"

The AI could have kicked himself, for being so stupid "Of course, Michael, no problem."

They sat in silence for a while, but soon Michael, again, began to think about what was in his head and started to have another panic attack; his heart pounding and his mind playing out terrible scenarios.

"Michael, please !" Kitt begged as he began to tremble "sometimes I have a difficult time handling your emotions, especially when they are so overwhelmingly strong."

Michael reached up and patted the dashboard "I'm sorry, Pal, I will try to keep it in check.

Michael opened the door and climbed out, sitting on the hood, leaning back against the windshield. He saw the scanner flicker

"What is it that scares you so deeply about the QES, Michael ? Kitt asked gently.

Michael stared out across the water and thought a long time before answering. "I am afraid that those things in my head, will stop me from being me." Michael's voice reflected his fear and distress.

"Oh Michael, you just do not understand the nature of the QES. They are like tiny computers; they gather and process data and pass it on to the proper receptor. They are not alive ! They simply follow their programing." Kitt explained.

"Then there is no way they could control me ?" Michael asked, a spark of hope in his voice.

"No, Michael, there is absolutely no way they can control you." Kitt assured the man.

Michael sat there for a long time, thinking. Finally he said "Thanks. Pal. I feel better about the situation. As frightening as all this is, it is comforting to know that we will face it and deal with it together." He reached down and began to softly caress his partner's beautiful black skin, stroking and petting him.

Kitt practically purred with pleasure and those feelings were reflected back on Michael, giving him pleasure as well. They stayed like that for a long time; partners facing their future........ together.

finis