“Let’s just get this over with,” Michael muttered as Kitt dialed the number. He crossed his arms and wore a sour expression, directed at the dashboard. “This probably isn’t even important.”

“You never know,” Kitt replied calmly. “I’m calling on video phone.”

“Alright, thanks.”

The television screen on Kitt’s front flickered and then the image of Devon Miles appeared on the screen. The head of FLAG was seated in his usual spot behind his desk, tea cup in hand as always.

“Ah, Michael,” Devon began cheerfully.

Michael started to reply, but noticed something. There were dark rims underneath Devon’s eyes and the older man seemed especially jittery. The tea cup was unsteady in his hands. Also, the man seemed tired. Not just tired…exhausted.

“Michael?” Devon asked, frowning as he noticed. “Are you alright?”

“Uh, yeah,” Michael replied quickly. He mimicked the look back at his boss. “I could ask you the same, Devon. You look terrible.”

“Thank you, Michael.”

“I’m serious! Everything okay over there?”

Devon laughed. It was weak, but sounded like the old Devon Michael knew. “Yes, yes, we’re all fine. Bonnie is a bit miffed over your rude dismissal that last time she called, of course.”

Michael scowled like a child would. “Hey! I’ve told you for the last nine years, Devon—vacation days are off limits!”

“I know, I know,” Devon said, shaking his head in exasperation. “I wouldn’t have insisted that you call unless it was important and it is.”

“Oh?” said Michael.

“In a way, it is. Kitt’s annual examination is due.”

“Ah,” Kitt said as if he had not been expecting that.

Michael stared at the screen, surprised. “Examination?” he repeated. He laughed but his expression remained incredulous. “You mean the status check-up? Devon, I know, you told me last month. I thought we were going to do this after we got back.”

“Yes, but we had to move up our schedules,” Devon replied. His voice was unnaturally grim and tight. “The new head chairman of Knight Industries wants to meet with the two of you for a personal interview. He has expressed interest in questioning Kitt himself.”

Michael felt a level of discomfort rise in him. “You don’t sound too happy about that.”

“You could say I have my doubts about the sincerity of said chairman.” Devon sighed and smiled again. “However, it’s nothing you two should be worried about. Bonnie will be leading the exam as usual and Michael, you are welcome to oversee the procedure.”

“Thanks, Devon,” Michael replied. He stretched slightly, feigning a yawn. “We don’t have to leave now, do we?”

Devon smiled knowingly. “No, Michael. Enjoy your vacation, but do hurry back.”

Michael nodded. “Thanks.”

“Is there anything else you needed to tell us?” Kitt asked.

“No, Kitt. You should be enjoying yourself, too.”

“I offered to introduce him to some babes at the pool, but he won’t have it,” Michael said, shrugging.

Devon made a sour expression and Michael laughed. Kitt would have rolled his eyes if he had any.

“We will seen you next week then,” the AI said.

“Yes. Have a good time.”

“Thank you, Devon.”

The transmission ended. Michael sighed and stretched again. "Looks like its the doctor's office for you, buddy," he joked.

“I do not like the examination,” Kitt said suddenly, surprising his driver. In the AI’s voice, there was a shrug. “I trust Bonnie, of course.”

“Me too, about both things,” Michael replied. He patted the wheel affectionately. “Don’t worry, buddy. I’ll stay with you and we’ll be done with it before you know it.”

This took Kitt by surprise. “You’ll stay? You never did before.”

“Yeah, this time is different.”

“What do you mean?”

Michael shrugged and pulled his jacket closer. “I don’t know. Something with Devon is off and I have a feeling its because of that chairman guy. I think we should all watch our backs for now.”

“Even on vacation?” Kitt asked dryly.

Michael laughed. “No, after. I got a date at twelve fifteen today, tomorrow and the next day and I plan on enjoying myself the whole time in between.”

Kitt sighed. “Pleasure before work is the moto you seem to follow religiously, Michael,” he said tiredly.

“Don’t be like that, buddy. I can see a real cute yellow Volkswagen from here that I think meets your tastes. I could hook you up.”

“Michael!”

& & &

Sometimes Karr wondered if the past seven years of sitting on a dust-ridden shelf had addled with his processors. That would explain why he bothered to put up with Bridget or allow her to promptly sweep him off the built in shelf that cloudy Saturday morning, dump him in the bed of a Radio Flyer wagon and then be hauled off down the street. It was not even six in the morning, which was a fact that immediately put Karr on edge. Bridget was behaving uncomfortably too brightly for such a non-morning person that she was.

“Why,” he began, his voice loud and revealing of his anger. “Did you cut me off from my only source of energy to have you pull me around in this manner without protection?”

Bridget, grinning brightly, didn’t look back at him as she worked hard to pull them both up the steep hill. “’Cause we got a surprise for you!” she said.

“Surprise?” he echoed with a neutral tone. He was secretly disturbed by this notion; a surprise to Bridget often meant discomfort for him later.

“Yup, surprise.”

A thought suddenly struck him. “And just WHO is we?” he demanded harshly.

“Micky. Who else?”

Ah, the silent boy. He was one of the few humans Karr had ever noted as intelligent. The boy knew what he was doing the majority of the time. For that, Karr trusted him to do remote repairs on him. Neither child knew exactly what they were dealing with concerning a system as complex and alien as Karr’s, but for the time being they had been relatively lucky. Bridget was trying to learn mechanics, but could never learn the electrical finesse Micky seemed to be naturally endowed with.

They reached their destination in good time. Micky lived only a few blocks from Bridget—as did everyone else in town. Orca was big enough for everyone not to know everyone, but close enough. The Lealands lived towards the more prestigious end of town and had a large house. Karr never asked Micky how his parents had acquired their wealth and lacking access to any Wi-Fi connections via his old applications, he could not look anything up. Also, he didn’t care.

Bridget huffed in exhaustion as she turned into the driveway.

“You are terribly out of shape when soccer is not is season,” Karr remarked in his usually flat voice. At least she had brought her purse with her and he felt safe enough to bait her about her breathing.

“Shut,” Bridget began to say, exhaling heavily. “Up.”

Micky was waiting for them half-way down the blacktop. He waved and Bridget repeated the gesture back, shifting her hands on the wagon’s handle to do so.

“Good morning, Bridget. Good morning, Karr,” Micky said as the two approached. He smiled calmly. “Are you excited?”

Bridget grinned in reply. “You bet we are.”

“Do I have to ask you again for an explanation for what we are so excited about?” Karr demanded, each letter dripping with sarcastic anger. “I would suggest that one of you starts speaking.”

“You’ll understand everything in just a little longer, Karr,” Micky soothed as they trudged up the driveway towards the open garage doors. “I promise.”

Karr grumbled darkly, but remained quiet as they approached the house. The garage was the only part of the Lealand’s home he had ever seen the inside of and while it was definitely better than some of the other places he had been kept over the years as KARR, he liked Bridget’s room a whole lot more.

The garage itself could fit two cars, maybe even three, if the one side full of tools and junk were removed. The cement floor was covered in wood shavings, dust and miscellaneous metal bits from one project or another. On the one side, opposite of where Micky’s workstation was, was a large mass covered by a tarp. From its shape, Karr figured it was a car. He did not care to investigate with his more precise scanners and focused his attentions on the two teenagers. They had looked around nervously before shutting the one door of the garage and made sure the smaller door that was led into the actual house was securely locked. Their secrecy was beginning to disturb him.

They placed him gingerly onto the wide worktable next to the one covered with three rolls of blueprint paper. Karr scanned the room warily. It was a relatively clean space above the grimy floor, but there were many tools lining the cork walls. Micky was wearing overalls and at his waist was an array of tools. They weren’t planning on working on him, were they?

“I ask again,” Karr began, a threat lingering in his words. “What is our purpose of being here?”

Micky smiled slightly. “We wanted it to be a surprise,” he explained carefully.

That did nothing to ease Karr’s nerves. “What to be a surprise?” he said, his voice rising.

Bridget and Micky exchanged grins. That was not a good sign. Karr sat with growing apprehension, knowing full well that he would not be able to resist any rogue experiment the children were planning. He would have no choice in what they did to him, but he complained anyway.

“I demand to know what you are planning to do to me,” he said, his voice crisp and cold. Even without a body, he was a menacing presence and he played on this when needed.

“We’re not doing anything to you,” Bridget replied, sitting down on a wooden stool next to the AI. She smiled comfortingly at him, even though she knew he would have glared back. “Not for a while, anyway. That’s later.”

Now extremely alarmed, Karr hissed. “Spit it out already!” he shouted, reverting to human slang. He picked up so many useless phrases from the child. “Why am I here?”

“To see this,” Micky replied.

The boy walked over to the other side of the garage where the covered mass was. Karr watched warily, not knowing what could be revealed underneath the tarp. Bridget leaned closer to him, still smiling. Micky grasped the edge of the tarp and pulled it away.

An audible gasp escaped Karr’s processors.

“Happy birthday!” Bridget cried with enthusiasm.

Micky rolled his eyes as he wrapped up the tarp and put it aside.

It was a car. It was a black car. It was a Ford Mustang model, sleek and eye catching. It’s paint job held obvious signs of wear and two of the tires were flat. Otherwise, the vehicle looked like it was in complete working condition. Karr stared at it with uncertainty.

“It took three years and two thousand dollars saved,” Bridget began, laughing slightly. “But we got you a black sports car, Karr.”

Him? They got it for him? Karr’s shock was slowly subsiding and was replaced with confusion. Why…?

“I have a cousin at the police impound over in Samson(1),” Micky explain carefully. He was still smiling. “This was taken in a drug bust operation and the owner had to give it to the police department as bail. They were going to sell it back to a dealership, but I managed to get them to sell directly to us.”

“We shanghaied the police department,” Bridget chirped.

Ignoring her completely, Karr focused on Micky. “And how does this relate to me?” he asked slowly. He had a hunch, but he didn’t dare voice it.

Both teenagers exchanged grins again. Karr growled warningly. He did not like their secretive attitude.

“Do you remember your wish you told me?” Bridget asked, looking at him with a soft look.

Karr hesitated. He remembered. He had wanted nothing more. It was his only desire.

Micky smiled gently. “Starting today, we’re going to give you that dream,” he said.

Give me…? Karr could not stop the rising anticipation building inside him. “How?” he finally asked.

In her usual fashion from grinning ear to ear, Bridget leaned in closely to him. “We,” she began, “are going to give you your body back.”

1. Samson is a neighboring city to Orca (where Bridget and Micky live.) It is much larger, but not a metropolis by any means.