Tell me
your troubles by Sam KW
"No, No! Don't do this to me, baby. Not now. Not here," Starsky muttered as the Torino slowed down, sputtered and rumbled. "Damn it!" Starsky tightened his grip around the steering wheel. "Why, WHY?" he yelled. Starsky pulled over to the side of the highway, immediately, knowing what was coming next.
This was all Hutch's fault. He was the reason Starsky was on this goddamn road to nowhere, in the scorching sun. Starsky killed the engine and got out of the car. He knew what the problem was. In this heat, with the air conditioner running at full blast, he should've anticipated this problem. However, the Torino had gotten a clean bill of health from Merle after her last physical.
Starsky watched the steam coming from underneath the hood. What the heck was wrong this time? A leak in the cooling system? Water pump damaged? Low oil?
Starsky sighed. It was time to think of getting another car, but he wasn't ready to give up on his beloved Torino. She had saved Hutch's life, and taken bullets meant for Starsky when Gunther's thugs attacked them three years ago. He could never sell her. There was too much history among the three of them; scars, bullets and everything, all in one package.
He got out of the car and walked around to the back. Opening the trunk, Starsky reached for his baseball cap. He pulled it onto his head snug and tight. The sun was too strong, and he would be lucky if anyone stopped to give him a ride in this deserted stretch of road on I-15. He'd be lucky if he could even come across another traveler on this road strip.
Leaning against the trunk, Starsky stared at the empty road. He had driven for five hours yesterday before settling in for the night at a motel in Spring Valley, near Las Vegas. He had finally decided to go back to Bay City today, but the Torino just gave up. Starsky checked the time. It was close to 3 o'clock in the afternoon.
He squinted against the sun and frowned. Something was coming towards him at an alarming speed, and kicking up a cloud of dust. Damn it! After all these years, was a sand storm hitting this part of Nevada today?
Starsky opened the door to get back in the car, keeping an eye on what was travelling towards him so fast. He noticed something black in the middle of the sandstorm and realized it was another car, probably travelling at a speed of…
It whizzed pass him within seconds. What the heck?
"Hey!" Starsky yelled. This wasn't his jurisdiction, and he wasn't the sheriff, anyway. Even if he were, his Torino was out of commission.
The dust ball stopped a couple of hundred yards away from him. The black car backed up rapidly and stopped right beside Starsky. The driver’s side window came down and a man with curly brown hair poked his head out. "Need a ride?" he asked. "I'm heading to… well… a couple of places; Los Angeles, Bay City, Long Beach, and Venice."
It didn’t even take half a second for Starsky to like this man with bright blue twinkling eyes. He was sure that had nothing to do with the sleek, sexy, shiny black Pontiac Trans AM Thunderbird the guy was driving.
"No kidding!" Starsky replied, smiling. "I was driving away from Bay City, but I better get back there. She needs to be taken care of," Starsky said, patting the Torino. "David Starsky. Bay City Police department." He extended his arm.
"Michael Knight. No department. You aren't, by chance, planning on giving me a ticket for speeding. Right, officer?"
"You are helping the law, Mr. Knight!" Starsky flashed a quick smile and winked. "Gimme a minute," he said, reaching into the Torino and getting his car registration, insurance, and other documents. He tore a page out of his note pad and scribbled a "stalled vehicle- going for help"-note and stuck it on the dashboard. Dumping all important items into his duffel bag, Starsky locked the Torino.
"You don't have to do that," said Michael. "We can tow your car."
"Michael, we can't!" came a voice of another man from inside the car. "Remember what happened to my Alpha-unit the last time you ignored my instructions?"
"Oh, come on. Bonnie fixed it. Didn't she?" Michael asked.
Starsky tried to take a look at the passenger riding with Michel but didn’t see anyone. Guessing he must be sitting in the back, Starsky went around the black car, admiring the striped red light in the front that moved from left to right and back again.
Feeling he was just getting a free ride to heaven, Starsky got into the Thunderbird and closed the door. "Whoa!" he exclaimed eyeing the various screens and controls in front. "Hoy Shit! She's beautiful!"
"That, as they say, is an oxymoron, and if I may add, Mr. Starsky, I am not a she," said the same voice Starsky heard before. A screen on the dashboard lit up in red as the words were spoken.
"Who said that?" Starsky sat straight automatically. "What is this? A spaceship?" he asked, looking all around. There weren't any passengers in the back seat, either.
Wait a minute! Was it the car that spoke?
Starsky looked at Michael. He was clearly enjoying everything that was going on. "Meet KITT," said Michael.
"What kid? Yours? I don't see anyone." Starsky took a good look around again. "Are you hiding someone in the trunk?"
Michael laughed. "Thank God, he's not my kid. I meant KITT. K-I-T-T."
"That's me," said the voice, as the panel lit up again. "And I would like to add that we are NOT going to tow your car, Mr. Starsky. I have not been conditioned to take upon duties of a draft horse."
"Jesus! It does talk! The car talks! What is this? I ain't seen anything like this before."
"Oh, you haven't seen anything, yet, Detective," said Michael.
"And I sincerely hope you wouldn't have to, either, Mr. Starsky," said the red screen.
"KITT, I know you like to show-off." Michael chuckled.
"Don't you think you are forgetting something here, Michael? Like the fact that we should be on our way, five minutes ago?"
"Ohhh, all right."
"I'd suggest you put me on Auto-mode, so that you could have a conversation with our guest, while I take care of the more important activities."
"You mean like towing the Torino?" Michael grinned, evilly.
"I have already expressed my concerns about it, Michael. I'm sure Mr. Starsky wouldn't mind -"
"No. Not at all, KITT," Starsky said hurriedly. Who the heck would want to tow a car with an angel like this? Even if his Torino meant so much to him, Starsky knew what a machine should and shouldn't do, no matter what its, his, capabilities are. "You don't have to explain yourself to me. I can get a tow truck to pick my car in the first town we stop at."
"Thank you, Mr. Starsky," KITT replied.
"Call me just Starsky."
"Thank you, Just Starsky! I'm glad we have a good understanding."
"You can remove the just part, too," said Starsky, wondering whether he was seeing things, or in this case, hearing stuff.
"The indecisive nature of humans is quite amusing. You took one minute and twelve point thirty-four seconds to decide what I should be calling you, Starsky," KITT said, haughtily.
Starsky turned towards Michael. "Where did you get him? How can he talk? What is he?" Was he going nuts? Like Hutch always yelled at him, was he just plain crazy having a conversation with a car?
"All in good time, Starsky" said Michael, pressing a button that displayed 'Auto mode'. He glanced sideways and winked at Starsky. "If you are into games, we can play together while he drives."
"He? – You mean KITT can drive by himself without you doing anythin'?" Starsky asked suspiciously. Talking was one thing, but surely, a car couldn't drive by itself.
"Yep." grinned Michael.
Starsky felt his jaw drop. He hang on to the seat tightly as KITT went from zero to sixty in two seconds flat and kept on going past two hundred and twenty-one, still counting.
"Show off!" Michael laughed quite happily.
Starsky knew he had died and gone to heaven, somewhere after the Torino had stopped and he got out of her.
***
Starsky indulged in a game of Highway Race with Michael while KITT did all the driving.
"Stop giving instructions while we play," Michael warned KITT.
"But I always have your best interest at heart."
"I can do without, KITT, and thank you for caring. But will you just be quiet."
"Certainly, Michael," said KITT.
Starsky wouldn't have minded listening to KITT. He had a ton of questions about every little detail of him. But Michael seemed to be interested in playing games, and Starsky gave in.
"Arrrrrrrhg!" Michael groaned, frustrated after losing three games out of four.
"Sorry, Michael. That makes it one hundred and fifty-six to-eleven-to-three, my favor," KITT announced cheerfully.
"You’ve only won eleven games until now?" asked Starsky.
"These computer things are just a waste of time." Michael shrugged his shoulders.
"So you say, every time you lose," KITT said. "And Michael, we are approaching Rancho Cucamonga."
"All right, KITT. We have to make a stop here, Starsky."
Rancho Cucamonga? They were already in California? The car was one hell of a speed demon.
"I'll be able to call in a tow truck." Starsky wasn't quite sure whether he really wanted to cut short this once in a life time tour with a talking car. But he had to get his Torino. She would always come first.
KITT took the exit to Glen Helen parkway off I-15.
"I need to make a stop at Windrows Park, first. We'll go to town after that, if you don't mind," said Michael.
After another couple of right and left turns across neighborhoods, KITT stopped at a small parking lot in the park.
"I need to talk to one of the park rangers, here. It'd take some time. Do you think you'd be all right with KITT, or do you want me to-"
"Oh, I'll be fine," Starsky assured Michael. "I'm sure I can have a chat with KITT until you come."
"I'm sure you will." Grinning rather mischievously, Michael stepped out of the vehicle. "Take care of Starsky, now, KITT. Don't do anything wild."
"You are the one who abuses my systems, Michael. Everybody knows that," KITT said as Michael walked away.
Leaning forward, Starsky gently touched the red panel that came alive when KITT talked. "KITT?"
"Yes, Starsky?"
Starsky brushed his fingers over the various controls on the dashboard. "You wanna tell me about yourself?"
"I thought you would never ask," KITT replied. "Have you heard of Knight Industries?"
"I don't think I have."
"Well- that's quite surprising. You seem to be very ignorant despite the work you do."
Starsky rolled his eyes. KITT had quite an ego. "Are they based in California?"
"Of course they are. They built this advanced supercomputer on wheels- that's me by the way. My cybernetic logic module is equipped with the Knight 2000 microprocessor-"
"Logic module." Starsky snapped his fingers. "That's what allows you to think, learn, communicate, talk, make decisions, advice and function all by yourself!" Starsky completed KITT's sentence.
"That's correct. My main control system consists of a number of circuits that allows me to drive, speak fluently in many languages, play music run in different modes-"
"Modes? You mean there are more than your auto piloting?"
"I would appreciate it very much if you refrain from using pilot in reference to my Auto mode."
"Sorry. You were saying-?"
"Yes, my modes. I can run on normal cruise or auto. I have a pursuit mode, and my engineers are currently working on a super pursuit mode. I could also run silently if Michael needs to sneak in somewhere, and most importantly I have a surveillance mode. I don't think I have to explain its functions or should I, considering your lack of higher education-"
"Oh, great! You sound just like Hutch."
"Hutch? Are you comparing me to a piece of furniture?"
"No, no. Hutch is my partner."
KITT remained silent.
"I am a detective, remember?"
"How can I forget?" KITT sneered.
"Well, then. You should also know all about partners."
"Partners. Definitions. One. A person associated with another as a principal or a contributor of capital in a joint venture, sharing its risks and profits. Two. A person who is associated with another in some endeavor. Three. Either of two people who dance together. Four. The person with whom one shares an intimate or romantic relationship. Five. Spouse. Six. All of the above. Which one applies to you, Starsky?"
Starsky leaned against the seat and sighed heavily. Hutch! How can he explain to a computer what Hutch means to him? They weren't married, so of course he wasn't Starsky's spouse, but…
God, he missed Hutch! Starsky had left suddenly, after arguing with Hutch. They seemed to do that a lot these days, about almost everything they could think of. Not wanting to listen to Hutch justifying his actions, Starsky had walked out of the house yesterday evening. Hutch must be worried sick, now. Starsky should've called him.
"Did I say something wrong, Starsky? Your biological signals indicate you are emotionally distressed. Your heart rate increased, muscles tightened, and blood pressure has risen. Quite frankly, your senses are heightened, and you are ready to fight or flee from the danger at hand, which, as of now, is a situation created within your mind."
Starsky rubbed his palms over his face. What had he gotten himself into? Was this all a joke? A figment of his imagination? Was he really having a conversation with a machine?
"I'm not distressed. It's complicated."
"I'm a good listener, Starsky. Why don’t you explain?"
"I had a fight with Hutch," Starsky said, brushing his right hand over the rings on his left pinky. He had acted like a brat. Ever since the day they had moved into the house together, Starsky had never spent the night away from Hutch. He could've just spent a couple of hours at Huggy's and gone back, but instead, he had driven away from Bay City, and California, altogether. Hutch must have contacted every one of Starsky’s acquaintances by now.
"I'm still confused about this partner of yours."
"That makes two of us," Starsky grunted. He was so ready to give up trying to get Hutch to talk about what has been bothering him for the past couple of months. Hutch had been moody and unreachable. Tired and too much work were his favorite excuses.
"But you know this Hutch person, personally."
"Yeah. For about fourteen years now. His name’s Ken Hutchinson. We met at the police academy. He was my roommate. We became police officers. Later on, after passing the detectives exam, we became partners." From the first day their eyes met, Hutch became Starsky’s constant, as Starsky was Hutch’s.
"Ah. I see. So you work together. You solve crimes, together. Definition number two."
"You are a quick learner." Starsky gave KITT a thumbs-up sign.
"Thank you, Starsky. Now, if we may get back to our conversation, why did you fight with Hutch?"
"Hutch and I… we are more than just work partners." How could he put their relationship into words? "He's also my friend. My family. My… everything."
"Are you suggesting that you are romantically involved with him?"
"Not really."
"Not really? Does that translate into yes, maybe?”
"What I mean is… we do live in the same house. It happened after I was shot by-"
"James Gunther's hired assassins on May 15th 1979. You took three bullets in the chest. Massive damage. You, as they say, kicked-ass, and made a full recovery. Reinstated to your job nine months later. Kenneth Hutchinson, your partner, took down Gunther enterprises and brought justice to you and many others who had suffered under James Gunther."
"Wait a minute." Starsky scrambled to recover from the bombshell KITT had just dropped. "How the hell did you know all of that?"
"It took me a while to extract information from these computer bureaucrats, you know."
Starsky raised his eyebrows. He wasn't sure whether he really wanted to know, but he asked anyway. "Would you care to explain?"
"I'm unable to get my hands on data, so to speak, without giving them incentives. They are all eager in securing more power."
"Incentives? You mean you bribe the computers?"
"I'd rather not discuss my unconventional methods of data retrieval with you, Starsky. I wouldn't want to implicate myself."
Starsky shook his head, smiling to himself. KITT was no different from them, after all. "You'd need to find some trustworthy snitch-computers, KITT."
"I have stored that piece of information in my memory, Starsky. I will look into that. Now… back to you and Hutch-"
"Yes. Well- so like I said, after I was released from the hospital, Hutch nursed me back to health. Of course, I went to physical therapists. Visited shrinks, and the whole nine yards." Hutch had stood by him through all of that.
"Why did you have to shrink yourself?" asked KITT.
"Oh, for God's sake, I didn't shrink myself. A shrink is a doctor- a psychiatrist."
"Understood, Mr. Starsky. And this doctor lived nine yards away from you?"
"Are you pulling my leg?" Starsky asked, slightly annoyed having to explain each and every term to KITT.
"You know I have no such appendages to poke you with, Starsky."
"Ok, ok. Sorry." Starsky raised his arms. "Whole nine yards means doing everything and all that I had to do to get back to what I was before. Didn't they feed these phrases into your system?"
"Not all information has been downloaded to my CPU, Starsky. I will talk to the home office about it."
"Right! You do that."
"I just did!"
"What?" Having a conversation with KITT seemed to be impossible at this point.
"I contacted them four point eighty-three seconds ago. I can communicate with them any time."
"You make my head hurt, KITT" Starsky groaned, cradling his head between his palms.
"I'm sorry, Starsky. Do you want me to call in for medical attention?"
"No," Starsky yelled. "No. I'm fine."
"Can we get back to your Hutch?" KITT asked, very politely.
"Wait." Starsky narrowed his eyes. "You asked me whether you should call for medical attention. So you have capabilities to make phone calls?"
KITT remained silent.
"You could've called for a tow truck, right there, when you picked me up without waiting to come all this way. Is that right?"
"My lips are sealed."
"You don't have appendages, KITT. Answer me." If this was one of their suspects of a crime, Starsky would've already shoved him against the dashboard. KITT is the dashboard, damn it!
"I already did that, too, Starsky."
"Did what?"
"Your Torino is en-route to Merle in Bay City, to be specific."
"Merle? How do you- No. Don't answer that. I've had it. What the hell are you playing at?"
"Calm down, Starsky. Your vital signs are-"
"Don't you dare say a word about my pressure or heartbeat."
"Yes, Starsky. But may I suggest you take deep breaths to prevent an oncoming panic attack?"
Starsky inhaled deeply, counted to ten and exhaled in a huff. He tried opening the door but it was locked.
"Let me out," Starsky threatened. "Let me out of here or else-"
"Calm down, Starsky. I'm not your enemy. I always have the-"
"Best of my interests. You better learn another line, KITT."
"No, you are wrong. I always have the best interest of Michael at heart. I am programmed to protect him by all means, but… I can make exceptions, if deemed necessary, and right now, I am protecting you, too, Starsky, from yourself. So please… take some deep breaths. I will increase the oxygen flow."
Starsky leaned against the seat and closed his eyes. He wished he could punch KITT in the face.
"Do you want me to call Hutch?" KITT asked.
"No!" Starsky almost jumped out of the car. Damn KITT. He glared at the red screen angrily. In a matter of few hours, KITT knew exactly what buttons to push. "I will talk to him, by myself, when I get home."
"What if I already did?"
"Goddamn it, KITT, if you –" Stopping for a second, Starsky took a deep breath. "What did you say to him?"
"It was only a what-if question, Starsky. I assure you, I did not have a conversation with your partner."
Starsky leaned closer to the red panel. "Now, please… just shut up. I need some peace and quiet."
"Yes, Mr. Starsky."
***
"Starsky?" KITT called out.
Starsky ignored the voice.
"You have been quiet for twelve minutes and twenty-seven seconds. I am kind of lonely here." KITT sounded hurt.
Starsky opened one eye. "I thought you had a pretty thick skin."
"It's a bullet proof alloy, Starsky. A Tri-Helical Plasteel 1000, molecular bonded shell plating called Knight Compound that can withstand any kind of gun fire and explosives."
That got Starsky’s full attention. "Can you take a direct hit? I mean from heavy artillery or a rocket attack?"
"I prefer not to find out. Right now, I'd appreciate it very much if you would finish the story about you and your partner."
"What's Michael doing? Why is he taking this long?" Starsky asked, ignoring KITT's request. He felt as if he was on a stakeout with no purpose.
"He will come back, when he's finished with his business. Do you want me to open the sunroof? I sense you are uncomfortable."
"How about letting me outt'a here?"
"I can, but if you try to run away, I'd have to follow and confine you, Starsky, and you wouldn’t want that. You are putting me in a rock and hard place, as they say. Michael asked me to take care of you, and I follow orders to a T, as they also say."
"All right, already! Open the damn sunroof," Starsky agreed. "And I will stay put, as they say!"
"Are you pouting, Starsky? I promise I will take you to Bay City within 56 to 61 minutes, depending on traffic, abiding by legal speed limits," said KITT once the roof top was opened. "Your Hutch must be a very patient man to put up with your attitude."
"My attitude? You think he has to put up with me?" Only if KITT knew what Starsky had to endure every day. "He's the most arrogant, intolerable, impossible, and a moody pain in the butt I've ever come across. And in case you are wondering, a pain in the butt means-"
"I know what it means, Starsky. So if he's that bad, why are you still living with him?"
"Because…" Starsky paused and thought for a while. "Because he's my best friend and the only man I trust my life with in this whole world. No one loves me or cares about me the way he does. He is the one person who'd die for me."
"Yet you are the one who stood and drew the gun fire onto yourself to save him."
Starsky's eyes widened. "How do you know that? It's not something a report would carry. How did you know that?"
"I have a mind of my own, Starsky. I can make observations for myself, and deduce a lot from what's available. Are my conclusions correct?"
Starsky avoided looking at the red panel, which he had come to consider as KITT's face. "I didn't have time to think. It was all over in a split second. I had nowhere to go, anyway. I couldn't even draw my gun."
"You and Hutch moved to a house because it was easy for Hutch to take care of you. Then what made you two to remain in the same house after you had fully recovered?" KITT asked.
"We… we had gotten used to living together." Starsky looked out of the window. They had never talked about moving out, until yesterday. "Neither one of us wanted to be away from the other." Starsky’s heart felt heavy. He didn’t want to live away from Hutch.
"So what's the problem now? Do you want to move out? Is that what the fight was about?"
"Not really."
Hutch had gotten mad at Starsky, asking him to mind his own business, just because Starsky suggested Hutch should go out more often. "If you need to waste your time with women, Starsky, you're welcome to do so. And if you ask me to stay away from the house while you are at it I can do that, too." Hutch's words had cut into Starsky, deeply. It wasn't about what Starsky wanted. He just hated to see Hutch depressed.
"Hutch has not had a date during all these years. And he doesn't wanna to discuss it."
"A date. Definitions. One. A day of the week. Two. Two people getting together for an activity when the possibility of romance between them has been broached but not ruled out. Three. An activity between two mutually attracted people which very often ends in one or both leaving sexually frustrated."
Starsky burst out in a laugh. "You got that right."
"I really don't see anything funny in that, Starsky," KITT said as matter-of-factly. "If Hutch doesn't want to go on a date, obviously, he doesn't want to get sexually frustrated. Can you blame him? You call yourself his friend. So why would you want him in a situation which could end quite unsatisfactorily? "
Starsky didn’t want to admit it, but he could really get used to KITT.
"You are right, KITT. I made a grave mistake." Starsky wiped the tears off his eyes. "I shouldn't have tried to get Hutch hooked up with a woman."
"Why does it sound like I'm the one who has made the mistake? And if I may ask, have you had a date, during this time?"
"That's not the point."
"Well… shouldn't you be concerned about yourself? Or are you trying to get Hutch to go on a date, so that you can do the same?"
"Are you nuts?" Starsky shot back. "I-I don't have time for dates."
"But you believe Hutch has. And for the record, Mr. Starsky, I do have a number of nuts and bolts."
"Hutch is a handsome man, but he has been devoting his time for me, all these years, forgetting about his wants and needs. I want him to go have fun. I want him to be happy."
"Don't you think Hutch is capable of making that decision for himself?"
"Whose side are you taking here, KITT?"
"I am not taking any sides, Starsky. I am merely trying to make a point."
"And that is-?"
"You have been living together for about three years now. Right?"
"Well, yes, but it's not like we are together-together, you know?" Starsky squirmed in his seat. He needed to stretch his legs.
"No. I don't know what that means. But allow me to continue. During this three year period, neither one of you got romantically involved with another person?"
"Uh huh!"
"And you don't want to go out with a woman, but you want your partner to?"
"Well… it's kind of complicated, KITT. I-"
"A simple yes or a no would do, Starsky."
"Ok! Yes."
"Do you love this Hutch of yours?"
Hutch of yours. Hadn’t Starsky always considered Hutch was his? But he suggested Hutch should see women. Told him he should get back to the dating scene. No wonder Hutch got mad.
"Of course I love him. He's my best friend, my buddy. It's not like I love him-love him, you know?"
"No, I really don't know the meaning of your doublets, Starsky. But from what I've gathered up to now, you love your partner. Whether it's loving him or loving-loving him, is for you to decide. If neither one of you want to go out with another person, man or woman, but also want to keep on living with each other, then may I suggest the two of you consider on making it permanent?"
"Permanent?"
"I think you should marry him."
"Marry him?" Starsky gasped. "I can't marry Hutch. He's a man. What's the matter with you, KITT? You forgot to check definitions?"
"You don't have to go all conservative on me, Starsky. There's more than one way to make a partnership permanent."
"There is?"
"You are a detective. Aren't you?"
"You think that's what Hutch wants me to do?"
"I don't think, Starsky. I analyze and provide answers."
"Yeah, right!"
"You really do love him-love him. Don't you?" KITT asked in an amused tone. "Didn’t bat an eye, literally, when I said you should marry Hutch."
"You know I can't truly marry him, KITT."
"You, of all people should know that you really don't have to marry him-marry him, Starsky."
"For a computerized car, KITT, you ain't bad at all."
"You aren’t bad yourself, Starsky."
Starsky stretched his back to work out the kinks. "Can you let me out for a while?"
"The restrooms are located to the north of the parking lot," said KITT, unlocking the doors instantly.
Starsky grit his teeth. "Are you measuring my bladder pressure?"
"Didn't have to, Starsky. That was quite elementary. You look pretty full."
***
When Starsky got back from the bathroom, Michael had returned as well.
"Ready to hit the road?" Michael asked as Starsky slipped into the passenger seat.
"Yes, I am," Starsky replied. He was more than ready to go home, apologize to Hutch, and then… tell him all about KITT.
According to KITT, he had about an hour before they get to Bay City, hence the time to get to know more about his new friends.
"So Michael… how did you end up with KITT, and what do you do with him?" asked Starsky, securing his seat belt.
"Well, Starsky," Michael began. "This is how it all started…"
***
"Is that your house?" Michael asked as Starsky got out of the car. KITT had taken fifty-nine minutes to get to Starsky and Hutch's house in Bay City.
Hutch had found this little ranch-style house, with a huge backyard and a white picket fence, close to the beach, while Starsky was still at the hospital. It was love at first sight for Starsky, too. The owner was in a hurry to sell the place, because he was moving to Arizona to be with his children. Starsky and Hutch had struck a deal with him to rent-to-own the place.
"Pretty neat," said Michael. "Well… we should get going, Starsky. It was nice meeting you. Give some thought to my proposition, and discuss it with your partner. We'll be in touch."
'"I sure will." Starsky gave Michael a military style salute.
"Before we leave, may I ask you a question, Michael?" KITT asked, right when Starsky turned towards the house.
Starsky stopped and glanced sideways, curiously.
"Yes, KITT?"
"One. Given the fact that you spend, on an average, eighty-six point seventeen percent of your waking time together-together with me, and two, because we are also associated with each other in making a difference in the world, again, together-together, am I correct to assume that we are partners?"
"Yyyyyes!'" answered Michel. "You can say that."
"Do you trust me with your life?"
"Of course I do." Michael smiled.
"Do you care about me?"
Starsky already knew where the conversation was heading. Oh, KITT was good. Michael had no idea the trap he was walking into.
Michael narrowed his eyes. "Well… yes."
"Am I your everything?" KITT continued.
"What?"
An energy was building up in Starsky's belly, his muscles tightening.
"It is a very simple way of emphasizing a fact, and a term commonly used among some humans, Michael. You are human, aren’t you?"
Starsky couldn't stop the deep rooted belly laugh even if his life depended on it.
Michael turned his head in slow motion, glaring at Starsky. "What have you taught him?" he asked.
"Starsky did not teach me anything," KITT said quickly. "I learn from my own experiences, Michael. Just answer my question."
"Yes. All right. You are my everything. Now, can we get going, please?" Michael asked, exasperated.
"One more question, Michael. Do you love me-love me?"
Laughing, Starsky quickly walked away from the car. It was time to leave the partners alone. After all, he had to plan a way to deliver his own proposal, to his partner, his everything.
***
"No, No! Don't do this to me, baby. Not now. Not here," Starsky muttered as the Torino slowed down, sputtered and rumbled. "Damn it!" Starsky tightened his grip around the steering wheel. "Why, WHY?" he yelled. Starsky pulled over to the side of the highway, immediately, knowing what was coming next.
This was all Hutch's fault. He was the reason Starsky was on this goddamn road to nowhere, in the scorching sun. Starsky killed the engine and got out of the car. He knew what the problem was. In this heat, with the air conditioner running at full blast, he should've anticipated this problem. However, the Torino had gotten a clean bill of health from Merle after her last physical.
Starsky watched the steam coming from underneath the hood. What the heck was wrong this time? A leak in the cooling system? Water pump damaged? Low oil?
Starsky sighed. It was time to think of getting another car, but he wasn't ready to give up on his beloved Torino. She had saved Hutch's life, and taken bullets meant for Starsky when Gunther's thugs attacked them three years ago. He could never sell her. There was too much history among the three of them; scars, bullets and everything, all in one package.
He got out of the car and walked around to the back. Opening the trunk, Starsky reached for his baseball cap. He pulled it onto his head snug and tight. The sun was too strong, and he would be lucky if anyone stopped to give him a ride in this deserted stretch of road on I-15. He'd be lucky if he could even come across another traveler on this road strip.
Leaning against the trunk, Starsky stared at the empty road. He had driven for five hours yesterday before settling in for the night at a motel in Spring Valley, near Las Vegas. He had finally decided to go back to Bay City today, but the Torino just gave up. Starsky checked the time. It was close to 3 o'clock in the afternoon.
He squinted against the sun and frowned. Something was coming towards him at an alarming speed, and kicking up a cloud of dust. Damn it! After all these years, was a sand storm hitting this part of Nevada today?
Starsky opened the door to get back in the car, keeping an eye on what was travelling towards him so fast. He noticed something black in the middle of the sandstorm and realized it was another car, probably travelling at a speed of…
It whizzed pass him within seconds. What the heck?
"Hey!" Starsky yelled. This wasn't his jurisdiction, and he wasn't the sheriff, anyway. Even if he were, his Torino was out of commission.
The dust ball stopped a couple of hundred yards away from him. The black car backed up rapidly and stopped right beside Starsky. The driver’s side window came down and a man with curly brown hair poked his head out. "Need a ride?" he asked. "I'm heading to… well… a couple of places; Los Angeles, Bay City, Long Beach, and Venice."
It didn’t even take half a second for Starsky to like this man with bright blue twinkling eyes. He was sure that had nothing to do with the sleek, sexy, shiny black Pontiac Trans AM Thunderbird the guy was driving.
"No kidding!" Starsky replied, smiling. "I was driving away from Bay City, but I better get back there. She needs to be taken care of," Starsky said, patting the Torino. "David Starsky. Bay City Police department." He extended his arm.
"Michael Knight. No department. You aren't, by chance, planning on giving me a ticket for speeding. Right, officer?"
"You are helping the law, Mr. Knight!" Starsky flashed a quick smile and winked. "Gimme a minute," he said, reaching into the Torino and getting his car registration, insurance, and other documents. He tore a page out of his note pad and scribbled a "stalled vehicle- going for help"-note and stuck it on the dashboard. Dumping all important items into his duffel bag, Starsky locked the Torino.
"You don't have to do that," said Michael. "We can tow your car."
"Michael, we can't!" came a voice of another man from inside the car. "Remember what happened to my Alpha-unit the last time you ignored my instructions?"
"Oh, come on. Bonnie fixed it. Didn't she?" Michael asked.
Starsky tried to take a look at the passenger riding with Michel but didn’t see anyone. Guessing he must be sitting in the back, Starsky went around the black car, admiring the striped red light in the front that moved from left to right and back again.
Feeling he was just getting a free ride to heaven, Starsky got into the Thunderbird and closed the door. "Whoa!" he exclaimed eyeing the various screens and controls in front. "Hoy Shit! She's beautiful!"
"That, as they say, is an oxymoron, and if I may add, Mr. Starsky, I am not a she," said the same voice Starsky heard before. A screen on the dashboard lit up in red as the words were spoken.
"Who said that?" Starsky sat straight automatically. "What is this? A spaceship?" he asked, looking all around. There weren't any passengers in the back seat, either.
Wait a minute! Was it the car that spoke?
Starsky looked at Michael. He was clearly enjoying everything that was going on. "Meet KITT," said Michael.
"What kid? Yours? I don't see anyone." Starsky took a good look around again. "Are you hiding someone in the trunk?"
Michael laughed. "Thank God, he's not my kid. I meant KITT. K-I-T-T."
"That's me," said the voice, as the panel lit up again. "And I would like to add that we are NOT going to tow your car, Mr. Starsky. I have not been conditioned to take upon duties of a draft horse."
"Jesus! It does talk! The car talks! What is this? I ain't seen anything like this before."
"Oh, you haven't seen anything, yet, Detective," said Michael.
"And I sincerely hope you wouldn't have to, either, Mr. Starsky," said the red screen.
"KITT, I know you like to show-off." Michael chuckled.
"Don't you think you are forgetting something here, Michael? Like the fact that we should be on our way, five minutes ago?"
"Ohhh, all right."
"I'd suggest you put me on Auto-mode, so that you could have a conversation with our guest, while I take care of the more important activities."
"You mean like towing the Torino?" Michael grinned, evilly.
"I have already expressed my concerns about it, Michael. I'm sure Mr. Starsky wouldn't mind -"
"No. Not at all, KITT," Starsky said hurriedly. Who the heck would want to tow a car with an angel like this? Even if his Torino meant so much to him, Starsky knew what a machine should and shouldn't do, no matter what its, his, capabilities are. "You don't have to explain yourself to me. I can get a tow truck to pick my car in the first town we stop at."
"Thank you, Mr. Starsky," KITT replied.
"Call me just Starsky."
"Thank you, Just Starsky! I'm glad we have a good understanding."
"You can remove the just part, too," said Starsky, wondering whether he was seeing things, or in this case, hearing stuff.
"The indecisive nature of humans is quite amusing. You took one minute and twelve point thirty-four seconds to decide what I should be calling you, Starsky," KITT said, haughtily.
Starsky turned towards Michael. "Where did you get him? How can he talk? What is he?" Was he going nuts? Like Hutch always yelled at him, was he just plain crazy having a conversation with a car?
"All in good time, Starsky" said Michael, pressing a button that displayed 'Auto mode'. He glanced sideways and winked at Starsky. "If you are into games, we can play together while he drives."
"He? – You mean KITT can drive by himself without you doing anythin'?" Starsky asked suspiciously. Talking was one thing, but surely, a car couldn't drive by itself.
"Yep." grinned Michael.
Starsky felt his jaw drop. He hang on to the seat tightly as KITT went from zero to sixty in two seconds flat and kept on going past two hundred and twenty-one, still counting.
"Show off!" Michael laughed quite happily.
Starsky knew he had died and gone to heaven, somewhere after the Torino had stopped and he got out of her.
***
Starsky indulged in a game of Highway Race with Michael while KITT did all the driving.
"Stop giving instructions while we play," Michael warned KITT.
"But I always have your best interest at heart."
"I can do without, KITT, and thank you for caring. But will you just be quiet."
"Certainly, Michael," said KITT.
Starsky wouldn't have minded listening to KITT. He had a ton of questions about every little detail of him. But Michael seemed to be interested in playing games, and Starsky gave in.
"Arrrrrrrhg!" Michael groaned, frustrated after losing three games out of four.
"Sorry, Michael. That makes it one hundred and fifty-six to-eleven-to-three, my favor," KITT announced cheerfully.
"You’ve only won eleven games until now?" asked Starsky.
"These computer things are just a waste of time." Michael shrugged his shoulders.
"So you say, every time you lose," KITT said. "And Michael, we are approaching Rancho Cucamonga."
"All right, KITT. We have to make a stop here, Starsky."
Rancho Cucamonga? They were already in California? The car was one hell of a speed demon.
"I'll be able to call in a tow truck." Starsky wasn't quite sure whether he really wanted to cut short this once in a life time tour with a talking car. But he had to get his Torino. She would always come first.
KITT took the exit to Glen Helen parkway off I-15.
"I need to make a stop at Windrows Park, first. We'll go to town after that, if you don't mind," said Michael.
After another couple of right and left turns across neighborhoods, KITT stopped at a small parking lot in the park.
"I need to talk to one of the park rangers, here. It'd take some time. Do you think you'd be all right with KITT, or do you want me to-"
"Oh, I'll be fine," Starsky assured Michael. "I'm sure I can have a chat with KITT until you come."
"I'm sure you will." Grinning rather mischievously, Michael stepped out of the vehicle. "Take care of Starsky, now, KITT. Don't do anything wild."
"You are the one who abuses my systems, Michael. Everybody knows that," KITT said as Michael walked away.
Leaning forward, Starsky gently touched the red panel that came alive when KITT talked. "KITT?"
"Yes, Starsky?"
Starsky brushed his fingers over the various controls on the dashboard. "You wanna tell me about yourself?"
"I thought you would never ask," KITT replied. "Have you heard of Knight Industries?"
"I don't think I have."
"Well- that's quite surprising. You seem to be very ignorant despite the work you do."
Starsky rolled his eyes. KITT had quite an ego. "Are they based in California?"
"Of course they are. They built this advanced supercomputer on wheels- that's me by the way. My cybernetic logic module is equipped with the Knight 2000 microprocessor-"
"Logic module." Starsky snapped his fingers. "That's what allows you to think, learn, communicate, talk, make decisions, advice and function all by yourself!" Starsky completed KITT's sentence.
"That's correct. My main control system consists of a number of circuits that allows me to drive, speak fluently in many languages, play music run in different modes-"
"Modes? You mean there are more than your auto piloting?"
"I would appreciate it very much if you refrain from using pilot in reference to my Auto mode."
"Sorry. You were saying-?"
"Yes, my modes. I can run on normal cruise or auto. I have a pursuit mode, and my engineers are currently working on a super pursuit mode. I could also run silently if Michael needs to sneak in somewhere, and most importantly I have a surveillance mode. I don't think I have to explain its functions or should I, considering your lack of higher education-"
"Oh, great! You sound just like Hutch."
"Hutch? Are you comparing me to a piece of furniture?"
"No, no. Hutch is my partner."
KITT remained silent.
"I am a detective, remember?"
"How can I forget?" KITT sneered.
"Well, then. You should also know all about partners."
"Partners. Definitions. One. A person associated with another as a principal or a contributor of capital in a joint venture, sharing its risks and profits. Two. A person who is associated with another in some endeavor. Three. Either of two people who dance together. Four. The person with whom one shares an intimate or romantic relationship. Five. Spouse. Six. All of the above. Which one applies to you, Starsky?"
Starsky leaned against the seat and sighed heavily. Hutch! How can he explain to a computer what Hutch means to him? They weren't married, so of course he wasn't Starsky's spouse, but…
God, he missed Hutch! Starsky had left suddenly, after arguing with Hutch. They seemed to do that a lot these days, about almost everything they could think of. Not wanting to listen to Hutch justifying his actions, Starsky had walked out of the house yesterday evening. Hutch must be worried sick, now. Starsky should've called him.
"Did I say something wrong, Starsky? Your biological signals indicate you are emotionally distressed. Your heart rate increased, muscles tightened, and blood pressure has risen. Quite frankly, your senses are heightened, and you are ready to fight or flee from the danger at hand, which, as of now, is a situation created within your mind."
Starsky rubbed his palms over his face. What had he gotten himself into? Was this all a joke? A figment of his imagination? Was he really having a conversation with a machine?
"I'm not distressed. It's complicated."
"I'm a good listener, Starsky. Why don’t you explain?"
"I had a fight with Hutch," Starsky said, brushing his right hand over the rings on his left pinky. He had acted like a brat. Ever since the day they had moved into the house together, Starsky had never spent the night away from Hutch. He could've just spent a couple of hours at Huggy's and gone back, but instead, he had driven away from Bay City, and California, altogether. Hutch must have contacted every one of Starsky’s acquaintances by now.
"I'm still confused about this partner of yours."
"That makes two of us," Starsky grunted. He was so ready to give up trying to get Hutch to talk about what has been bothering him for the past couple of months. Hutch had been moody and unreachable. Tired and too much work were his favorite excuses.
"But you know this Hutch person, personally."
"Yeah. For about fourteen years now. His name’s Ken Hutchinson. We met at the police academy. He was my roommate. We became police officers. Later on, after passing the detectives exam, we became partners." From the first day their eyes met, Hutch became Starsky’s constant, as Starsky was Hutch’s.
"Ah. I see. So you work together. You solve crimes, together. Definition number two."
"You are a quick learner." Starsky gave KITT a thumbs-up sign.
"Thank you, Starsky. Now, if we may get back to our conversation, why did you fight with Hutch?"
"Hutch and I… we are more than just work partners." How could he put their relationship into words? "He's also my friend. My family. My… everything."
"Are you suggesting that you are romantically involved with him?"
"Not really."
"Not really? Does that translate into yes, maybe?”
"What I mean is… we do live in the same house. It happened after I was shot by-"
"James Gunther's hired assassins on May 15th 1979. You took three bullets in the chest. Massive damage. You, as they say, kicked-ass, and made a full recovery. Reinstated to your job nine months later. Kenneth Hutchinson, your partner, took down Gunther enterprises and brought justice to you and many others who had suffered under James Gunther."
"Wait a minute." Starsky scrambled to recover from the bombshell KITT had just dropped. "How the hell did you know all of that?"
"It took me a while to extract information from these computer bureaucrats, you know."
Starsky raised his eyebrows. He wasn't sure whether he really wanted to know, but he asked anyway. "Would you care to explain?"
"I'm unable to get my hands on data, so to speak, without giving them incentives. They are all eager in securing more power."
"Incentives? You mean you bribe the computers?"
"I'd rather not discuss my unconventional methods of data retrieval with you, Starsky. I wouldn't want to implicate myself."
Starsky shook his head, smiling to himself. KITT was no different from them, after all. "You'd need to find some trustworthy snitch-computers, KITT."
"I have stored that piece of information in my memory, Starsky. I will look into that. Now… back to you and Hutch-"
"Yes. Well- so like I said, after I was released from the hospital, Hutch nursed me back to health. Of course, I went to physical therapists. Visited shrinks, and the whole nine yards." Hutch had stood by him through all of that.
"Why did you have to shrink yourself?" asked KITT.
"Oh, for God's sake, I didn't shrink myself. A shrink is a doctor- a psychiatrist."
"Understood, Mr. Starsky. And this doctor lived nine yards away from you?"
"Are you pulling my leg?" Starsky asked, slightly annoyed having to explain each and every term to KITT.
"You know I have no such appendages to poke you with, Starsky."
"Ok, ok. Sorry." Starsky raised his arms. "Whole nine yards means doing everything and all that I had to do to get back to what I was before. Didn't they feed these phrases into your system?"
"Not all information has been downloaded to my CPU, Starsky. I will talk to the home office about it."
"Right! You do that."
"I just did!"
"What?" Having a conversation with KITT seemed to be impossible at this point.
"I contacted them four point eighty-three seconds ago. I can communicate with them any time."
"You make my head hurt, KITT" Starsky groaned, cradling his head between his palms.
"I'm sorry, Starsky. Do you want me to call in for medical attention?"
"No," Starsky yelled. "No. I'm fine."
"Can we get back to your Hutch?" KITT asked, very politely.
"Wait." Starsky narrowed his eyes. "You asked me whether you should call for medical attention. So you have capabilities to make phone calls?"
KITT remained silent.
"You could've called for a tow truck, right there, when you picked me up without waiting to come all this way. Is that right?"
"My lips are sealed."
"You don't have appendages, KITT. Answer me." If this was one of their suspects of a crime, Starsky would've already shoved him against the dashboard. KITT is the dashboard, damn it!
"I already did that, too, Starsky."
"Did what?"
"Your Torino is en-route to Merle in Bay City, to be specific."
"Merle? How do you- No. Don't answer that. I've had it. What the hell are you playing at?"
"Calm down, Starsky. Your vital signs are-"
"Don't you dare say a word about my pressure or heartbeat."
"Yes, Starsky. But may I suggest you take deep breaths to prevent an oncoming panic attack?"
Starsky inhaled deeply, counted to ten and exhaled in a huff. He tried opening the door but it was locked.
"Let me out," Starsky threatened. "Let me out of here or else-"
"Calm down, Starsky. I'm not your enemy. I always have the-"
"Best of my interests. You better learn another line, KITT."
"No, you are wrong. I always have the best interest of Michael at heart. I am programmed to protect him by all means, but… I can make exceptions, if deemed necessary, and right now, I am protecting you, too, Starsky, from yourself. So please… take some deep breaths. I will increase the oxygen flow."
Starsky leaned against the seat and closed his eyes. He wished he could punch KITT in the face.
"Do you want me to call Hutch?" KITT asked.
"No!" Starsky almost jumped out of the car. Damn KITT. He glared at the red screen angrily. In a matter of few hours, KITT knew exactly what buttons to push. "I will talk to him, by myself, when I get home."
"What if I already did?"
"Goddamn it, KITT, if you –" Stopping for a second, Starsky took a deep breath. "What did you say to him?"
"It was only a what-if question, Starsky. I assure you, I did not have a conversation with your partner."
Starsky leaned closer to the red panel. "Now, please… just shut up. I need some peace and quiet."
"Yes, Mr. Starsky."
***
"Starsky?" KITT called out.
Starsky ignored the voice.
"You have been quiet for twelve minutes and twenty-seven seconds. I am kind of lonely here." KITT sounded hurt.
Starsky opened one eye. "I thought you had a pretty thick skin."
"It's a bullet proof alloy, Starsky. A Tri-Helical Plasteel 1000, molecular bonded shell plating called Knight Compound that can withstand any kind of gun fire and explosives."
That got Starsky’s full attention. "Can you take a direct hit? I mean from heavy artillery or a rocket attack?"
"I prefer not to find out. Right now, I'd appreciate it very much if you would finish the story about you and your partner."
"What's Michael doing? Why is he taking this long?" Starsky asked, ignoring KITT's request. He felt as if he was on a stakeout with no purpose.
"He will come back, when he's finished with his business. Do you want me to open the sunroof? I sense you are uncomfortable."
"How about letting me outt'a here?"
"I can, but if you try to run away, I'd have to follow and confine you, Starsky, and you wouldn’t want that. You are putting me in a rock and hard place, as they say. Michael asked me to take care of you, and I follow orders to a T, as they also say."
"All right, already! Open the damn sunroof," Starsky agreed. "And I will stay put, as they say!"
"Are you pouting, Starsky? I promise I will take you to Bay City within 56 to 61 minutes, depending on traffic, abiding by legal speed limits," said KITT once the roof top was opened. "Your Hutch must be a very patient man to put up with your attitude."
"My attitude? You think he has to put up with me?" Only if KITT knew what Starsky had to endure every day. "He's the most arrogant, intolerable, impossible, and a moody pain in the butt I've ever come across. And in case you are wondering, a pain in the butt means-"
"I know what it means, Starsky. So if he's that bad, why are you still living with him?"
"Because…" Starsky paused and thought for a while. "Because he's my best friend and the only man I trust my life with in this whole world. No one loves me or cares about me the way he does. He is the one person who'd die for me."
"Yet you are the one who stood and drew the gun fire onto yourself to save him."
Starsky's eyes widened. "How do you know that? It's not something a report would carry. How did you know that?"
"I have a mind of my own, Starsky. I can make observations for myself, and deduce a lot from what's available. Are my conclusions correct?"
Starsky avoided looking at the red panel, which he had come to consider as KITT's face. "I didn't have time to think. It was all over in a split second. I had nowhere to go, anyway. I couldn't even draw my gun."
"You and Hutch moved to a house because it was easy for Hutch to take care of you. Then what made you two to remain in the same house after you had fully recovered?" KITT asked.
"We… we had gotten used to living together." Starsky looked out of the window. They had never talked about moving out, until yesterday. "Neither one of us wanted to be away from the other." Starsky’s heart felt heavy. He didn’t want to live away from Hutch.
"So what's the problem now? Do you want to move out? Is that what the fight was about?"
"Not really."
Hutch had gotten mad at Starsky, asking him to mind his own business, just because Starsky suggested Hutch should go out more often. "If you need to waste your time with women, Starsky, you're welcome to do so. And if you ask me to stay away from the house while you are at it I can do that, too." Hutch's words had cut into Starsky, deeply. It wasn't about what Starsky wanted. He just hated to see Hutch depressed.
"Hutch has not had a date during all these years. And he doesn't wanna to discuss it."
"A date. Definitions. One. A day of the week. Two. Two people getting together for an activity when the possibility of romance between them has been broached but not ruled out. Three. An activity between two mutually attracted people which very often ends in one or both leaving sexually frustrated."
Starsky burst out in a laugh. "You got that right."
"I really don't see anything funny in that, Starsky," KITT said as matter-of-factly. "If Hutch doesn't want to go on a date, obviously, he doesn't want to get sexually frustrated. Can you blame him? You call yourself his friend. So why would you want him in a situation which could end quite unsatisfactorily? "
Starsky didn’t want to admit it, but he could really get used to KITT.
"You are right, KITT. I made a grave mistake." Starsky wiped the tears off his eyes. "I shouldn't have tried to get Hutch hooked up with a woman."
"Why does it sound like I'm the one who has made the mistake? And if I may ask, have you had a date, during this time?"
"That's not the point."
"Well… shouldn't you be concerned about yourself? Or are you trying to get Hutch to go on a date, so that you can do the same?"
"Are you nuts?" Starsky shot back. "I-I don't have time for dates."
"But you believe Hutch has. And for the record, Mr. Starsky, I do have a number of nuts and bolts."
"Hutch is a handsome man, but he has been devoting his time for me, all these years, forgetting about his wants and needs. I want him to go have fun. I want him to be happy."
"Don't you think Hutch is capable of making that decision for himself?"
"Whose side are you taking here, KITT?"
"I am not taking any sides, Starsky. I am merely trying to make a point."
"And that is-?"
"You have been living together for about three years now. Right?"
"Well, yes, but it's not like we are together-together, you know?" Starsky squirmed in his seat. He needed to stretch his legs.
"No. I don't know what that means. But allow me to continue. During this three year period, neither one of you got romantically involved with another person?"
"Uh huh!"
"And you don't want to go out with a woman, but you want your partner to?"
"Well… it's kind of complicated, KITT. I-"
"A simple yes or a no would do, Starsky."
"Ok! Yes."
"Do you love this Hutch of yours?"
Hutch of yours. Hadn’t Starsky always considered Hutch was his? But he suggested Hutch should see women. Told him he should get back to the dating scene. No wonder Hutch got mad.
"Of course I love him. He's my best friend, my buddy. It's not like I love him-love him, you know?"
"No, I really don't know the meaning of your doublets, Starsky. But from what I've gathered up to now, you love your partner. Whether it's loving him or loving-loving him, is for you to decide. If neither one of you want to go out with another person, man or woman, but also want to keep on living with each other, then may I suggest the two of you consider on making it permanent?"
"Permanent?"
"I think you should marry him."
"Marry him?" Starsky gasped. "I can't marry Hutch. He's a man. What's the matter with you, KITT? You forgot to check definitions?"
"You don't have to go all conservative on me, Starsky. There's more than one way to make a partnership permanent."
"There is?"
"You are a detective. Aren't you?"
"You think that's what Hutch wants me to do?"
"I don't think, Starsky. I analyze and provide answers."
"Yeah, right!"
"You really do love him-love him. Don't you?" KITT asked in an amused tone. "Didn’t bat an eye, literally, when I said you should marry Hutch."
"You know I can't truly marry him, KITT."
"You, of all people should know that you really don't have to marry him-marry him, Starsky."
"For a computerized car, KITT, you ain't bad at all."
"You aren’t bad yourself, Starsky."
Starsky stretched his back to work out the kinks. "Can you let me out for a while?"
"The restrooms are located to the north of the parking lot," said KITT, unlocking the doors instantly.
Starsky grit his teeth. "Are you measuring my bladder pressure?"
"Didn't have to, Starsky. That was quite elementary. You look pretty full."
***
When Starsky got back from the bathroom, Michael had returned as well.
"Ready to hit the road?" Michael asked as Starsky slipped into the passenger seat.
"Yes, I am," Starsky replied. He was more than ready to go home, apologize to Hutch, and then… tell him all about KITT.
According to KITT, he had about an hour before they get to Bay City, hence the time to get to know more about his new friends.
"So Michael… how did you end up with KITT, and what do you do with him?" asked Starsky, securing his seat belt.
"Well, Starsky," Michael began. "This is how it all started…"
***
"Is that your house?" Michael asked as Starsky got out of the car. KITT had taken fifty-nine minutes to get to Starsky and Hutch's house in Bay City.
Hutch had found this little ranch-style house, with a huge backyard and a white picket fence, close to the beach, while Starsky was still at the hospital. It was love at first sight for Starsky, too. The owner was in a hurry to sell the place, because he was moving to Arizona to be with his children. Starsky and Hutch had struck a deal with him to rent-to-own the place.
"Pretty neat," said Michael. "Well… we should get going, Starsky. It was nice meeting you. Give some thought to my proposition, and discuss it with your partner. We'll be in touch."
'"I sure will." Starsky gave Michael a military style salute.
"Before we leave, may I ask you a question, Michael?" KITT asked, right when Starsky turned towards the house.
Starsky stopped and glanced sideways, curiously.
"Yes, KITT?"
"One. Given the fact that you spend, on an average, eighty-six point seventeen percent of your waking time together-together with me, and two, because we are also associated with each other in making a difference in the world, again, together-together, am I correct to assume that we are partners?"
"Yyyyyes!'" answered Michel. "You can say that."
"Do you trust me with your life?"
"Of course I do." Michael smiled.
"Do you care about me?"
Starsky already knew where the conversation was heading. Oh, KITT was good. Michael had no idea the trap he was walking into.
Michael narrowed his eyes. "Well… yes."
"Am I your everything?" KITT continued.
"What?"
An energy was building up in Starsky's belly, his muscles tightening.
"It is a very simple way of emphasizing a fact, and a term commonly used among some humans, Michael. You are human, aren’t you?"
Starsky couldn't stop the deep rooted belly laugh even if his life depended on it.
Michael turned his head in slow motion, glaring at Starsky. "What have you taught him?" he asked.
"Starsky did not teach me anything," KITT said quickly. "I learn from my own experiences, Michael. Just answer my question."
"Yes. All right. You are my everything. Now, can we get going, please?" Michael asked, exasperated.
"One more question, Michael. Do you love me-love me?"
Laughing, Starsky quickly walked away from the car. It was time to leave the partners alone. After all, he had to plan a way to deliver his own proposal, to his partner, his everything.
***