Knight of the Unicorn (Part 1)
Sunset Shimmer's bike glided to a smooth stop in the driveway of Twilight Sparkle's home in the city. The two-car garage was closed; the family SUV and Shining Armor's convertible were parked in the driveway, which piqued Sunset's interest.
Kicking down the kickstand, Sunset stowed her helmet and smoothed out her clothes, then headed for the front door. Before she could even ring the bell, Twilight Velvet opened the door, giving her a wan, haggard smile. "She said you were coming," she said.
Sunset nodded. "What's going on?" she asked. "Twilight sounded, well...way hyper on the phone, and what's up with the garage?"
Velvet grimaced. "Twilight's...taken over the garage," she said. "Her new project needed room to breathe, or so she says." She sighed. "She's in the kitchen taking a break." She stepped aside to allow Sunset into the house.
Sunset headed for the kitchen, where she saw Twilight sitting on a bar stool at the counter. She was a complete mess. She was covered in soot and grime, and the loose coveralls she wore under her white lab coat were stained and greasy. Her hair was an absolute catastrophe. Presently, she was taking large gulps from a can of cola while frowning studiously at something on the tablet she held.
"Alright, Twilight, what's going on?" Sunset demanded. "We barely get a single text from you a day for the past week, you've put your family out of the garage, you're an absolute mess, and you honestly sounded like you were high on something when you called me." She folded her arms. "What's this all about?"
Twilight looked up, blinking dazedly. "Oh! Sunset, you're here. Good. Perfect timing." She finished off her cola and tossed the can into a cloth bag hanging from a peg on the wall, then stood up and stretched. "Come on out." She headed for the door connecting the kitchen to the garage. Sunset frowned and followed her.
What she saw inside gave her pause.
Three workbenches had been set up around the garage. One had a laptop sitting open, a multitude of schematics and diagrams on the display; circuitboards and bits of electronic detritus were scattered around it. Another had a high-end computer system with numerous patched-together cables running between it and a computer assembly that looked to be decades out of date. A third held a large 3D printer and an array of tools and rolled-up blueprints.
None of which held a candle to the floor of the garage, across which was scattered what looked to be half a car. Or at least, enough auto parts to build half a car. In one corner of the garage, two large cylindrical tanks with hazard warning stickers stood; a spray nozzle assembly and hose hung on the wall next to them.
Sunset looked around at everything, taking it all in with wide, shocked eyes. She let out a low whistle. "Twilight, what the heck are you working on here?"
"About twice a month I raid the e-waste reclamation center for anything I can use," Twilight said. "Well, some company just dumped a ton of really old tech from a warehouse that hasn't been opened in decades, and I thought it'd be neat to take a look at some retro computer components they had." She checked something on the computer, then nodded thoughtfully to herself. "Well, I ran into something I wasn't expecting." She snapped her fingers in front of the microphone on her laptop. "Are you awake?"
There was a long pause, followed by a drawn-out digital groan. "Still...sluggish," a heavily digitized voice said. "Bad...connection."
Twilight's face softened. "I know," she said. "It won't be much longer, I promise."
Sunset frowned. "You reprogrammed that annoying digital assistant thing?"
A multi-tone beep rang out as a window popped open on the screen. "I resent being called annoying," a synthesized female voice said.
"Shut up," Twilight said offhandedly. "And yeah, I tweaked her a little to make her less stupid, but that's not what that was."
The larger computer let out an alert beep; Twilight moved over to it and rapidly started working in several windows, her brow furrowed in concentration. "Damn," she whispered as she swiped the mouse around and began reconfiguring...whatever she was working on. The computer started processing; several seconds later, it let out a much more positive-sounding beep, and Twilight smiled. "There we go."
"Uhh, Twilight?" Sunset asked.
"Just a minute." Twilight adjusted her glasses as she rapidly typed a series of commands into the machine; once she stopped, she stepped away. "Okay, that should do it," she said. "Now I just have to wait for the boards to print." She stepped away, turned to Sunset, and let out a breath. "Sorry."
Sunset shook her head. "What is it you're working on, anyway?"
Twilight's eyes danced with excitement. "Sunset, I found something amazing," she said. "About thirty-five years ago, a group of electronics and engineering companies that were way ahead of their time worked together under the direction of a secret corporation to create something incredible. They developed a whole bunch of new technologies...technologies that they didn't share with the world. Some of what they developed has since been reinvented, improved upon, and is in wide use today, but there are parts of what they did that...well...they're still revolutionary, even today." She laid a loving hand on the retro computer assembly next to the more high-end computer. "A lot of it wasn't salvageable, but the most important part is right here."
Sunset tilted her head. "It's an old computer," she said.
Twilight laughed. "Sunset, this isn't just any old computer! This is the most advanced artificial intelligence ever developed!"
Sunset's eyes widened. "An A.I. from...from three decades ago?" She frowned. "Twilight, that's—"
"I know, but trust me! This is the real deal! Nothing we have today compares!" She sighed. "But his logic boards are a mess and his memory system is completely shot. Nothing I have is a permanent fix, and his hardware is incompatible with modern technology. That's what I've been back here doing. Well, part of it. I've been reverse-engineering his microprocessor to rebuild him with new parts and expanded memory."
Sunset frowned. "Umm...okay," she said slowly, "there's a lot of questions I have about all that, but I guess the most important one is...can't you just copy his software to your computer?"
Twilight shook her head. "His entire logic system is hardware-based," she said. "He can't function at the software level. Honestly, I'm not even sure transferring him to new hardware is going to take. Whoever designed him in the first place was an absolute genius, but they did things, well..." She made a face. "They did things a really strange way."
"Okay, so you're back here building a new CPU for an ancient A.I.," Sunset said. "I guess that makes...some sense." She swept her arm out to indicate the various car parts flooding the floor of the garage. "But what's all this crap?"
"Oh." Twilight bit her lip. "Well, you see, I was able to extract a lot of schematic data from his CPU," she said. "The assortment of bits and pieces I got confused the heck out of me once I knew I had an old A.I. unit, so I was able to ask some questions once I figured out how to connect his inputs to my laptop, and then I dug through his schematic files, and, well..." She laughed shakily. "It turns out this A.I.'s original purpose was to control a car."
Sunset stared at Twilight. "A car."
"Like, a super spy car," Twilight said with a firm nod. "I couldn't believe all the amazing stuff it was supposed to do."
Sunset's eyes narrowed as she folded her arms. "And you're rebuilding the car," she said.
"Well of course!" Twilight said, throwing her arms up and wide. "How can I not?"
"Of course," Sunset muttered, pinching the bridge of her nose. "You're crazy. You know that, right?" Twilight made a vague 'so-so' gesture with her hand and smiled sheepishly. Sunset rolled her eyes. "Okay, so...that explains the car guts all over the place." She glanced at the cylindrical tanks in the corner. "I'm almost afraid to ask, but..."
Twilight followed her gaze, and her eyes shone brightly. "That," she said proudly, "is the coolest part! I mean, the coolest part besides resurrecting the most advanced A.I. ever created. See, that super car? It was designed to be indestructible. There was a really complicated chemical formula that the entire car was sprayed with. Most of the actual car was long since gone, but I found just enough of it to reverse-engineer the formula."
Sunset stared at her. "Let me get this straight," she said. "You're building an artificially intelligent, indestructible super spy car."
"Correction. I'm rebuilding an artificially intelligent, indestructible super spy car."
"Uh-huh," Sunset said flatly. "And, what, you plan to drive around the city playing super spy in this thing?"
Twilight shook her head and adjusted her glasses. "Of course not. I don't even have a learner's permit and I hate driving."
Sunset blinked. "Then...why?"
Twilight smirked. "You're gonna drive it."
Sunset stared at her, irises shrinking to pinpricks. "Oh hell no."
"Why not?" Twilight asked lightly. "You're a good driver, you're one of the most responsible people I know, it's perfect!"
Sunset's stare intensified, her jaw dropping in disbelief. "You can't just—I mean—there's no way I—what are you thinking—I'm not—!" Sunset paced around the cluttered garage, gesticulating wildly as she ranted. "TWILIGHT! I am not driving around Canterlot in some...some super geek science experiment you're banging together in your parents' garage!"
Twilight pursed her lips in a mild pout. "Why not?"
"Because it's insane!" Sunset said. "Look, just..." She stopped pacing and sighed. "After all the crazy stuff we've been through lately, I'm looking forward to just being a normal straight-A high school student. I'm not..." She gestured vaguely. "Whatever this is, I...!"
Twilight scuffed a toe against the concrete floor. "But Sunset," She whined pitifully, "you're the only one I can turn to for this."
"Uhh..." Sunset began counting on her fingers. "Rainbow Dash? She'd love this kind of thing. Applejack? She can drive. Your brother? I know this'd be right up his alley."
"Yeah but Rainbow's a jock, AJ's got apples on the brain, and my brother's a dork," Twilight pointed out. "You're the only friend I have who's smart enough and cool enough for this!"
Sunset blinked, taken aback. "Umm..."
"Look, just...think about it, okay?" Twilight asked plaintively. She smiled. "Once you see what it is we've got here, I bet you won't be able to resist!"
Sunset sighed tiredly. "Alright, I'll think about it," she said.
"Yay" Twilight cheered.
Sunset chuckled. "So, uhh...anything I can do to help?"
Twilight adjusted her glasses. "Well, I'm gonna need a couple of gearheads to help with the big stuff." She frowned. "I mean, I'm kind of a ninety pound weakling. Building a car takes...y'know...muscle."
Sunset nodded. "Alright. I'll see who I can round up that knows a thing or two about cars."
* * * * *
Flash Sentry grunted as the slippery tire got away from him, bouncing across the garage and slamming into the wall with a loud thump. He lifted the safety mask he was wearing and wiped his face with a rag that was already nasty with sweat. His coveralls were stained and crusty, and sweat dripped from his hair. "Okay, seriously Twilight, why are we spraying every single part with this stinky stuff? It just makes it hard to handle everything!"
"You're not supposed to handle it once you spray it," Twilight said absently. "You're supposed to put it off to the side to dry for two hours while the formula bonds."
"Okay, yeah, you did tell us that and it's what we're doing, but why?"
"I'm kinda curious about that myself," Rainbow Dash said as she finished spraying down a piece of the drive train. Outside, in the driveway, Big Macintosh, Shining Armor, and Bulk Biceps were hard at work welding the frame, which sat on heavy cinder blocks. The family cars were now parked on the curb.
"Yeah, Twi, why all the secrecy?" Applejack asked as she wiped down and polished a hubcap. "An' if you want th' whole car sprayed with this stuff, why're we doin' it piecemeal like this?"
Twilight and Sunset looked at each other. Sunset shrugged and tilted her head. Twilight sighed. "Okay, I guess you need to know what you're working with," she said. "Go on, Sunset, show them."
Sunset nodded, walking over to the wall and selecting a large hammer from the tool rack. She walked out to where, just outside the garage, the windshield for the car lay against the wall. "This is why," she said. She drew back and slammed the hammer into the windshield.
"H-HEY, WAIT—" Rainbow cried. Everyone turned to look, bracing themselves for the inevitable crash of busted glass.
The hammer flew out of Sunset's hand. She winced, shaking her hand out and hissing. The glass was completely undamaged.
Everyone stared.
"Bullshit," Applejack breathed, eyes wide.
"Whoa, what the hell?" Flash exclaimed.
Big Macintosh scratched his head. "Huh."
"Once we've sprayed down a part with the compound, nothing will scratch it," Sunset said. "Not even a diamond tipped drill. That's why we're only spraying stuff that's already in final assembly stage. Everything else, we'll spray once it's actually on the car."
Rainbow blinked. "Wait, wait, whoa. You tellin' me we're makin' an armored car here?"
"Not armored," Twilight said. "Indestructible. The actual car will look like any other sports car on the road. The only way anybody will be able to tell it's special is if they try to smash it, shoot it, or blow it up."
Rainbow's jaw dropped. "You gotta be kiddin' me!"
"Okay, that's kind of awesome," Flash said.
"It certainly is," a new voice intruded. Everyone stopped.
"Who said that?" Shining Armor asked, blinking and looking around.
"I did," the voice said again. It was a male voice, rich and sonorous, faintly accented with just a tinge of superiority, and carried a faint electronic distortion.
Twilight's eyes widened. "You're online? You're functional?" All eyes turned to her, then to the enigmatic array of loose computer components she'd been fussing with ever since they'd all been roped into her crazy project by Sunset Shimmer. The centermost component was a gloss black LED panel; an array of red modulated lights lit up in sync with the voice as it spoke again.
"Indeed. I've been performing self diagnostics for the last six hours and testing my sensory inputs."
Rainbow blinked. "Buh?"
"He's been sitting there listening to us," Sunset translated.
"He?" Flash asked, tilting his head.
"I beg your pardon, allow me to introduce myself. This is the voice of the Knight Industries Two Thousand microprocessor control unit. KITT for short, if you prefer."
There was a long pause. All eyes turned to Twilight and Sunset, a thousand questions hanging unasked in the air.
"I seem to be...missing quite a few components," KITT continued. "Including, most embarrassingly, my body. Additionally, my memory systems seem to be in error. I am missing large quantities of data, and my available system memory check makes no sense."
"Yeah, about that," Twilight said, sitting down and turning to face KITT. "You've been offline for over three decades. I found what was left of you in a junkyard. We're working on rebuilding you." She pushed her glasses up her nose. "Your original memory systems were badly degraded. I salvaged as much data as I could when I transferred you to your new processor unit, but I can only do so much with incompatible equipment."
"Oh my," KITT said. "Thirty years, really? That is most distressing." He paused. "And the memory check that doesn't make sense?"
"Computer technology's come a long way since you were programmed," Twilight said. "Trust me, you have exactly as much memory as you think you do. And I haven't even finished installing your new hard drives yet."
"My word."
"Uhh...Twi? What...the heck...is that?" Rainbow asked shakily.
Twilight grinned. "It's the brains of the car we're building," she said. "A highly advanced computer intelligence, so far ahead of his time that he's still unique even thirty years after he was mothballed. I've been rebuilding his hardware and upgrading him to run the new car."
"Ooh, upgrades," KITT said. "I like you. What is your name, young lady?"
"Twilight Sparkle," Twilight said. "And this," she added, gesturing to Sunset, "is Sunset Shimmer. She'll be your new partner once we've got you back on four wheels."
"A pleasure to meet you both," KITT said. There was a pause. "Excuse me, Twilight," he said, "I do have one question of some urgency."
"Yes?"
"Why am I being rebuilt in a suburban garage by a group of teenagers?"
Twilight laughed. "Like I said, I found what was left of you in a junkyard. I don't exactly have the kind of facilities your original designers had. Just my parents' garage and some friends from school."
"I see." KITT paused pensively. "Then...if I might ask...what is the purpose of reconstructing me? If you've reverse-engineered my systems enough to rebuild my central processor, you should know what I was originally designed for."
"Yeah, I know," Twilight said.
"Then...what use could a bunch of teenagers possibly have for..." KITT paused. "If you're planning to use me for illicit purposes—"
"Nothing like that!" Twilight said hastily. "Honestly? This is, well..." She ducked her head sheepishly. "You know how people say they climb a mountain because it's there?"
There was a long pause. "Ah. I see," KITT said wryly. "Well, I suppose I shouldn't complain. Being some teenage prodigy's afterschool hobby is infinitely preferable to being a collection of decaying scrap."
"Uhh, Twiley?" Shining Armor piped up. "Question." He wiped his hands on a greasy rag as he ducked into the garage. "You're, umm...you're building an indestructible sports car that apparently has...some kind of super-smart robot brain? Is that...is that what's happening here?"
"That's right," Twilight said.
"Umm...so are we like, gonna market this, or...?"
Twilight shook her head. "No, this is...this isn't something we can mass-produce," she said. "KITT is one of a kind. I just...I really just wanted to see if I could get him working again."
"Well, you sure enough did that," Applejack said, scratching her head. "But uhh...whut're you gonna do with somethin' like this?"
Twilight shrugged. "I guess that'll be up to Sunset," she said. "I mean, I'm trusting her with KITT when we're done rebuilding him."
Rainbow's jaw dropped. "Oh, COME ON!" she cried. "You're gonna at least let the rest of us have a turn drivin' this thing, right?"
"We'll see."
"What did KITT mean about what he was originally designed for?" Flash asked curiously.
"Aheh..." Twilight scratched her right ear nervously. "Umm, well..." She coughed. "I don't know how much I should say—"
"It's alright, Twilight," KITT said. "If I was decommissioned, I can only assume the Foundation itself followed soon after. I was constructed for the express use of the Foundation for Law and Government as a special mobile investigation and tactical unit."
A round of confused blinks met that statement. "Huh?" Rainbow asked.
"This Foundation was apparently some kind of freelance investigation outfit," Twilight explained. "They investigated really high-level crime, the kind of thing where the criminals had the money, power, and connections to get away with anything. KITT and his driver were the Foundation's special operations team, going into the field and taking down criminals who were above the law."
"Whoa," Flash said. "So...super spy car?"
"Super spy car," Sunset confirmed with a nod.
Shining Armor shook his head. "Okay, that is...crazy, and yet..." He grinned excitedly. "Kind of awesome! Come on, guys, let's get back to work. We've got a super spy car to build!"
"YEAH!"
As the boys enthusiastically went back to work on the car and Rainbow and Applejack went back to cleaning and spraying labeled parts, KITT remarked, "Why do I have this sudden feeling of existential dread?"
"Because we're surrounded by idiots?" Sunset offered with a smirk.
"Indeed..."
* * * * *
Days turned into weeks. At any given time, a different group of Twilight's friends would come and go from the driveway and garage to work on the car, some hauling in truckloads of parts, others doing the actual body work. The project began attracting so much attention that Twilight's dad finally decided to put up a fumigation tent around the driveway to shield it from any prying eyes.
After eleven weeks of backbreaking work after school and on weekends, the tent came down, the garage was cleaned up, the cars returned to their proper place. A convoy of vehicles left the neighborhood where Twilight's family lived, headed for the abandoned drive-in theater on the west side of town, which had a large, empty parking lot. Along with Flash's muscle car, Big Mac's pickup, Bulk Biceps' truck, and Fluttershy's van, the center of the convoy was a large rented box van, in which Twilight sat with her dad. Sunset rode shotgun with Flash.
When the group arrived and parked in a corner of the lot, Twilight, Sunset, and Flash unlocked the back of the van and lowered the ramp. A high-pitched whine sounded from within as they all stepped aside.
A gloss-black, low-profile car rolled down the ramp, the taillights set beneath a flat black rear panel glowing. The license plate on the back read 'KNIGHT'. As the car fully emerged from the truck, it turned a quarter to the side; the driver's side door opened on its own, revealing a plush magenta interior and a dashboard festooned with lights, panels, buttons, switches, and screens.
"I'm not terribly thrilled with this upholstery," KITT said, his modulator pulsing from the center of the dash. "I distinctly recall having an all-leather interior in my original specifications. Also, I'm not sure this color is me."
"Yeah, well, I like the color. Besides, this was cheaper," Twilight said. "We had to cut corners on a lot of stuff. I mean, I'm still in high school and my parents aren't rich." She coughed. "Which brings me to the checklist. I've managed to more or less faithfully restore sixty percent of your original design capabilities. Some things, like the magnesium charges, the flamethrower, and the tear gas launcher, I had to leave out. A few other high-end systems that were impossible to recreate are missing, too. However, most of the essential functionality remains, and I've actually upgraded eighty percent of your existing systems from their original design specifications. A lot of your old systems have been reinvented, redesigned, and improved over time, after all."
"So I've noticed," KITT said. "During the trip here, I've been busy accessing the Internet. I've discovered that a lot of the things that made me special thirty years ago can be done on a teenager's phone now."
"Which is why I've upgraded everything I could upgrade," Twilight said, pushing her glasses up. "You're as cutting edge now as I can make you on a budget. And you still have the MBS, which is unique to you. And, well, your CPU."
"Well it's nice to know I'm still relevant," KITT said. "How do I look?"
"You look great," Sunset said. "I'm actually kind of excited to get behind the wheel now."
"By the way, Twilight," KITT said, "I noticed I'm fully electric now."
"That's right," Twilight said. "I've also installed microsolar panels throughout your shell. They'll reduce your maximum speed when deployed, so only use them when your system charge is low. I've given you the most energy-efficient engine I could design." She paused, then added, "Your Turbo Boost system still uses the original fuel configuration, so use it sparingly."
"Understood."
"Turbo Boost?" Flash asked.
"That was my former partner's favorite feature," KITT said wryly.
"And we're going to test it right now, among other things," Twilight said. "Sunset? Strap yourself in. It's time."
Sunset took a deep, nervous breath, slid into the driver's seat, buckled up, and wrapped her fingers around the wing-style "wheel".
"I feel I should warn you that my Passive Laser Restraint System does not appear to be a feature of the new model," KITT said. "Be sure to always wear your safety belt."
"Always do, it's the law," Sunset said.
"Good. Also, a secondary safety harness has been installed for Pursuit Mode to provide extra comfort and security." A thin belt sheath slid up from between Sunset's seat and the door, and the clip of a second safety belt emerged from it. "It buckles above your right shoulder," KITT supplied helpfully.
"Good to know," Sunset said. She decided to strap in the second belt to get the feel of it. "I feel like a fighter pilot," she muttered as she looked over the banks of controls. "Alright, I know I helped Twilight design all this, but I honestly only half understand what it all means in practice."
"It took my last partner a while to understand even half of my systems," KITT said. "Of course, he wasn't a technician. He was...hmm. How should I say it..."
"Meathead?" Sunset offered.
"Hardly," KITT said. "Let's just say he was more a man of action than a man of science."
Sunset grinned. "Hey, I love a little action," she said.
"Okay, if you two are ready," Twilight said a bit anxiously.
"Right," Sunset said. "Power systems?"
"All systems operational," KITT reported. A series of lights lit up along banks of buttons on the dashboard, each accompanied by a telltale beep. A light lit up that read "CRUISE MODE". At the front end of the car, a strip of red lights began slowly tracking back and forth, accompanied by a loud, ominous whooshing noise. The assorted spectators stood well back as KITT's engine hummed to life.
"Okay, let's start small. A couple laps around the parking lot." Gripping the wheel, Sunset hit the gas, and KITT smoothly rolled into a leisurely cruise.
Off on the sidelines, Rarity frowned. "It's a car," she observed. "I mean, it's quite a lovely car, but I don't honestly understand all the fuss."
"You haven't been around while we've been workin' on this thing," Rainbow said. "It's got all kinds of crazy stuff built in." She bit her lip. "But yeah, right now it doesn't look that awesome."
"Give it time," Twilight said. "This is a test run, after all." She checked something off on her tablet. "Okay, we can start the acceleration and speed tests now," she said into her phone.
KITT began driving faster, making tighter turns around the parking lot. Shining Armor held a radar gun and was calling out the speed. "Seventy...eighty...ninety...one oh-five...one-fifteen...one-thirty!"
"Oh my, that's...that's awfully fast," Fluttershy whispered, standing slightly behind Big Macintosh.
"Eeyup."
"Engaging Pursuit Mode," Sunset reported. The already-fast black blur speeding around the parking lot suddenly shot forth like a rocket, spraying dust and gravel everywhere.
"One-seventy!" Shining Armor reported. "One ninety-five! Two-ten! Two-twenty! Two thirty-five!"
"Holy crap," Rainbow breathed.
"How th' heck is she drivin' so tight goin' so fast?" Applejack wondered. "Sunset ain't secretly a race car driver, is she?"
"Actually, KITT's driving right now," Twilight said. "His advanced safety and reaction systems enable split-second control at speeds of up to three hundred fifty miles per hour."
"Oh my," Rarity said. "Why on earth would a car conceivably need to—"
"They just broke three hundred!" Shining Armor reported.
"Right," Twilight said. "Sunset? It's time. Hit the Turbo Boost."
Inside KITT, Sunset bit her lip, eyeing the glowing Turbo Boost button nervously. "Here goes," she said under her breath, reaching out and punching the button.
Everyone gasped in astonishment as KITT jumped into the air, clearing the width of six parking spaces before landing again. He spun back-to-front, kicking up gravel as he drifted into a skid, then came to a stop.
Sunset stared behind her, then ahead of her, eyes wide. "Whoa," she breathed. Her heart hammered in her chest. "Did that...did that just happen? Seriously?"
The onlookers were reacting in a similar manner.
"That. Was. AWESOME!" Rainbow cried.
"That was terrifying," Fluttershy whispered.
"That can't possibly be good for th' car or th' driver," Applejack said with a frown.
"Eenope," Big Mac agreed.
"Nah, we sprayed the whole car down with that shell stuff," Flash said. "If what Twilight told us about that stuff is right, she could park it on a stick of dynamite and it wouldn't even get scratched."
"And Sunset?" Fluttershy asked worriedly.
"Sunset? How're you doing in there?" Twilight asked into her phone. Everybody listened intently.
"THAT FREAKING ROCKED!" Sunset shouted excitedly. "I mean, I don't wanna do that every day or anything, but WOW!"
Fluttershy let out a sigh of relief. "Oh, thank goodness," she said. She turned to Twilight, her eyes narrowed and her eyebrows drawn together. "ARE YOU CRAZY?!" She crossed her arms and loomed over Twilight. "How could you put your best friend in that kind of danger?!"
Twilight recoiled. "C-calm down, Fluttershy!" she said, her glasses slipping down her nose. "I-I know what I'm doing, honest!"
"Do you? Do you really?"
"Hey, Shy, calm down, okay?" Sunset said over the phone. "It's okay, really. I trust Twilight and I've been right there with her the whole time, working on this."
Night Light frowned. "I don't know if it's a good idea for you kids to, uhh..." He coughed. "Have something like this and just run around unsupervised in it."
"Not to worry, sir," KITT's voice sounded from Twilight's phone. "My first directive is the preservation and protection of human life. No harm will come to any human being as a result of my actions or existence. Any person who rides inside me will be safer than if they were inside a bank vault."
Rarity frowned. "Alright, I suppose I should be the one to ask: what is the purpose of all this? You've all spent the last three months and who knows how much money creating this fast, jumping, talking, apparently indestructible car. And for what? What do you intend to do with it now that you've succeeded?"
A loud blast sounded on the road leading past the theater, followed by a squealing, screeching, scraping sound and the crunching of metal. Everyone turned, looking up the road.
A white van was swerving and skidding, sparks streaming as the driver struggled to keep it from crashing. Shreds of a blown tire flagged out behind it. The van slowed to a shaky stop. Curious, the group began making their way up to the scene. Sunset pulled KITT slowly up onto the road; KITT's scanners were already hard at work assessing the scene.
The driver got out, phone out and already talking rapidly. "—blowout," she was saying. "Out on 201 west of Canterlot, not much out here...I see some folks gathered around, looks like a bunch of kids, I'll see if I can get someone to drive me back into town—I know the clock's ticking, I'll see what the hospital has. Maybe there's a chopper—"
"What seems to be the trouble?" Night Light asked. As everyone approached, they could see the words "MEDICAL TRANSPORT" on the van.
The driver sighed. "Can you folks lend a hand?" she asked. "I've gotta get this heart to Fillydelphia by two this afternoon."
"You're carrying a...a heart?" Fluttershy squeaked, eyes wide.
"For a transplant operation, yeah," the driver said. "Since my van blew a tire, now I've gotta get to the hospital in Canterlot and pray they've got something fast."
The group of teens all looked at each other. "Something fast, huh...?" Shining Armor said, raising an eyebrow. Everyone turned to look at KITT, who had just parked in front of the van. Sunset got out.
"Hey, Sunset," Twilight yelled, waving. "We need—"
"Already heard the whole thing," Sunset said, jogging up to the driver. "Get what you need out of the van and get in."
"Huh? Oh, you're gonna drive me to the hospital? Great, thanks, I—"
"Nonono," Sunset said. "I'm gonna drive you to Fillydelphia."
The driver blinked again, looking from Sunset to the black car. "Umm. Look, miss, I appreciate it, but...I need to get there by two, and—"
"We'll get you there by one," Sunset said confidently. "Already got the fastest route mapped out."
The driver blinked. "That's...that's not possible..."
"Look, lady, it may not look like it, but this right here? Is the fastest car on the road. Now, you wanna save a life or not?"
The driver bit her lip, then nodded. "Alright. But I'm staying in contact with Canterlot General," she warned. "They've gotta have something they can send out to meet us that'll get there on time."
Sunset chuckled. "If they've got anything that can catch up to my car? I'll eat my boots."
The driver shook her head and snorted, then climbed into her van. A moment later she emerged with a large cooler and a covered tablet computer. Sunset got back into the car; the back seat opened. "Strap that thing in back there," Sunset said. "Passenger side seat has a built in adjustable baby seat, use that."
The driver tilted her head as the rear seat unfolded itself with a series of whirring motors, becoming a toddler's car seat with a ridiculous number of safety straps. Shaking her head, she buckled the cooler in. "Must be a new model," she muttered before climbing into the passenger seat. She stared, jaw slack, at the array of monitors and controls. "A really new model," she said listlessly.
"Buckle up," Sunset advised as she strapped herself in and buckled both belts. The van driver frowned, noticing the second strap, and found her side's matching one, mirroring Sunset's actions.
"Why the double belts?"
"You'll see," Sunset said. "Okay, Twilight? I'll keep in touch." She pulled onto the road. "Let's go, KITT. Pursuit mode."
"Pursuit huh? WHOA!" the van driver yelped as the black car shot down the road at bone-rattling speeds.
"And there they go," Twilight said as KITT receded to a shimmering speck in the distance. "Already saving a life."
* * * * *
"Keep an eye on that heart," Sunset said as she watched the road ahead.
"Already on it," KITT said. The van driver jerked at the unexpected voice. "It's been adequately packed for high speed transport. As long as we don't hit any sudden sharp shocks, it should be fine."
"Didn't catch your name," Sunset said idly.
"Silver Streak," the driver said, looking over the console in wonder.
"Well, Silver Streak, I'm Sunset Shimmer, and this is KITT."
"A pleasure," KITT said.
Silver Streak shook her head. "Your car's digital assistant sounds...way smarter than my phone's."
"I should hope so," KITT said. "These digital assistants they program into modern phones are merely pretending to be artificial intelligence. I on the other hand am the genuine article."
As KITT's speed ticked over three hundred, Silver Streak stared out at the blurring scenery. "Where'd you get this car?" she wondered. "I used to race professionally, I've never seen a car that can go this fast!"
Sunset chuckled. "It's a custom job," she said. "Actually, today's our first test run. We were actually out at that drive-in doing speed tests when you had your little blowout."
"How fortuitous for both of us," KITT said. "We were at the right place at the right time to help out, and you were at the right place at the right time to give us our first real workout."
"Wait, you mean..." Silver Streak blinked. "You and...and your friends back there...just built this thing?!"
"That's right," Sunset said.
"That...that bunch of kids back there? Built this?!"
"Unbelievable, I know," KITT said dryly.
Silver Streak shook her head. "I can't..." She blew on her bangs. "You realize this car is like, the exact opposite of street legal, right?"
"My good woman," KITT said in an affronted tone, "I can assure you that all of my...special additions and abilities...are designed only to be used in a time of need, and I am perfectly capable of driving at normal legal speeds at all times."
Silver Streak shook her head, then pulled out her phone. "Dispatch? I've secured alternate transportation to Fillydelphia University Hospital, please advise Fillydelphia of my updated ETA. We should be arriving at roughly one o'clock. Yes, you heard me. Also, put out word to all highway patrol officers between here and Fillydelphia that a black T-top will be passing along routes—" She paused; KITT rattled off a series of road numbers, and Silver Streak repeated them into her phone. "—at extremely high speeds. Advise that this vehicle is carrying a transplant organ and should not be pursued or stopped." She paused. "What was your license plate?"
"KNIGHT," Sunset said, spelling it out clearly into Silver Streak's phone.
"Copy that," Silver Streak said after she finished. "Black T-top, license plate K-N-I-G-H-T, transporting a donor heart to Fillydelphia University Hospital. We are currently doing three hun—" She paused, staring. "THREE HUNDRED?!"
"Any faster would risk damage to the organ," KITT advised.
Silver Streak shook her head. "We're currently doing 300MPH up Eastbound 83. Yes, you heard right." She laughed in disbelief. "Some kind of science project, hell if I know, all I know is the damn thing's fast and we're flying." She sat back in her seat, disconnecting the call. "This is crazy," she said.
Sunset laughed. "Tell me about it."
* * * * *
KITT weaved in and out of Fillydelphia traffic, blaring a synthesized ambulance siren. Ahead of his path, signal lights flashed yellow. Traffic stopped in every direction; KITT avoided hitting anything, car or pedestrian, and made tight, controlled turns at seemingly impossible speeds. When they arrived at the ambulance dock at the hospital, KITT coasted to a dead stop from fifty miles per hour in the time it took Silver Streak to blink. A team was already waiting; they carted the heart into the hospital. Silver Streak and Sunset Shimmer followed behind the transplant team.
"How the hell'd you get here so fast?" a paramedic asked. "We weren't expecting you for another hour!"
Silver Streak laughed. "I lucked out and ran into a good Samaritan with a really fast car," she said.
Sunset was quickly approached by two police officers who wanted a few words with her. She followed them into a quiet office and explained, in less than complete detail, how she came to have a car capable of the speeds KITT had been clocked at on their wild flight.
In the end, after much discussion and debate, the officers and their higher-ups were forced to admit that there were no actual laws on the books against owning a car that could sustain 300mph, and let Sunset go about her business with a warning to stick to the speed limit unless she was involved in another emergency. They also thanked her for her assistance and promised to give her contact information to the family of the transplant patient so they could thank her.
After that, Sunset called Twilight, grabbed a bite to eat in the hospital cafeteria, then began the long, slow drive back to Canterlot.
"You should probably call your family so they won't worry," KITT suggested.
"Don't have any family," Sunset said with a sigh. "Not here anyway," she added under her breath.
"I'm sorry to hear that," KITT said.
Sunset shrugged. "My friends are all the family I need. I wouldn't be the person I am today without them." She smiled. "We did good today," she added.
"That we did."
"Did you do this kind of thing back in the day?"
"I have no memory record of ever transporting a donor organ," KITT said. "But my memory records are incomplete. It's possible." A pause. "Most of the memory records I retain from my time in service to FLAG...involve more high-speed pursuits, breaking and entering, and gunfire."
"Yikes," Sunset said. "I...kinda hope we don't get mixed up in that kind of stuff."
"I am perfectly content with being utilized for humanitarian aid," KITT said. "Just because I'm bulletproof doesn't mean I enjoy being shot at."
A bullet pinged off the driver's side window.
"Me and my big voice synthesizer..."