(no subject)

[gone_byebye]

A door opens in the side of the old Hook and Ladder No. 8 building, and Ray stepped through. Holding the door open, he gestured for the others to follow him into the alley.

Comments

[not-a-surgeon.livejournal.com]

"And contact us if you need us," Bonnie nodded.

"Take care," added Kitt, and Bonnie made her way over to her own Karr's driver's side door.

[gone_byebye]

"Trust me, I don't like the idea of spending any more time with the boys from Nonesuch than I absolutely have to," Michelle said. She paused for waves to the others, including Dr. Stantz, and then swung into the driver's seat with the door shutting behind her.


"Well," said Ray, who had settled in with Kitt. "That adds an entirely new dimension to my world that I hadn't anticipated. Funky."

[prototype-karr.livejournal.com]

Michelle's KARR backed up and turned, his scanner flahsing rapidly from side to side. "I think once we find somewhere safe, I am going to go hide for awhile."

Bonnie's KARR opened the door, his scanner moving steadily as he thought. "I think this cures any curiousity I might've had about alternate universes."

[not-a-surgeon.livejournal.com]

"It's... very interesting," Kitt agreed, though he was still a bit bruised at the idea of Michelle instead of Michael. He wanted his own partner back.

Bonnie nodded. "I think I agree," she said and climbed in, seating herself. Then, over the shared channel between the cars she asked, "Are you ready to head back, Ray?"

[gone_byebye]

"Yup," Ray said. "Let's head on out."

[prototype-karr.livejournal.com]

"Good. Let's get back to Milliways, then. I think drinking to the point of forgetfulness might be a good idea." He turned and began to drive off, his scanner still moving steadily.

[Are you going to be all right?]

[not-a-surgeon.livejournal.com]

Kitt turned to follow and was otherwise very quiet - except in saying, [I'm not sure,] to his brother. [Maybe after I speak to Michael.]

"It's been wild, Ray," said Bonnie.

[gone_byebye]

Ray smiled. "Sorry for any of the distress I might've contributed to," he said. "But I'm glad you guys got to settle that question- and to think I actually live in a world where AI, real, self-aware AI is genuinely possible! Wow! Thank you for getting me into this..."

Ray, it has been noted, has a tendency to latch onto one aspect of a situation at times.

[prototype-karr.livejournal.com]

[I'd suggest youa pproahc the subject carefully. That was bizarre.]

"Do you think you'll be running into them again?"

[not-a-surgeon.livejournal.com]

[I don't think I'll approach the subject at all,] admitted Kitt. [I think I may just... be near him for a while to settle my mind.]

"That's a question all of us are asking," Bonnie murmured.

[gone_byebye]

"I wouldn't be too surprised," Ray said. "Stranger things happen in my world every single day."

[not-a-surgeon.livejournal.com]

"I worry about the Kitt here," said Bonnie with an audible sigh. "I really do."

[prototype-karr.livejournal.com]

[Won't he eventually bring it up?]

"I worry about him and the alternate me. I'd hate to think of how that other KARR reacts to those stranger things. If just seeing Kitt change hurt him, then...well, it's probably best if he avoids ghosts."

[gone_byebye]

"If he and Michelle run into any kind of spectral trouble, I'll do whatever I can to help them stabilize things until I can get back to Milliways and get hold of you guys," Ray promised. "I'm no programmer, but I can at least provide viable scientific backing for the worst of it, if that helps at all."

[not-a-surgeon.livejournal.com]

"You also have a CPU in Ecto that he can be directed to tap into for support if he needs it," said Bonnie. "That is, if Ecto's not using it."

[prototype-karr.livejournal.com]

"Any updates on that, by the way? You haven't mentioned anything lately about her."

[gone_byebye]

Ray stared out of Kitt's windshield for a while.

"I haven't felt anything temperature-wise," he said at last. "But she's been... I don't know how to describe it. Lately, I think she's been anticipating my moves, as if she knew exactly how I was going to steer or which way I would need her to go- and the last few times I'm almost certain I hadn't started to make those adjustments myself. I didn't want to say anything, because I wasn't sure- and nothing ruins a good mood like jumping to conclusions about stuff like that."

"But for all that I used to say she was taking good care of me... I really think she is, now. I can't quite prove it, not just yet, but I think we've got something going on."

[not-a-surgeon.livejournal.com]

"Be careful of just how much of ... of a something that is," said Bonnie quietly. "I don't know what kind of partnership drive she'd have, if any, but I know these boys have it strong."

"Don't we ever," Kitt muttered.

[prototype-karr.livejournal.com]

"Blame the programmers, Kitt. Although I don't think they were expecting us to be this strongly bonded...or to have the cascade failure problem."

[gone_byebye]

"As far as I'm concerned, she's practically family anyway," Ray said firmly. "I'll deal with whatever happens.

[not-a-surgeon.livejournal.com]

"Thank you, Ray," said Kitt. "It's a terrible fear that we have to deal with, even when we know it's practically an impossibility."

Bonnie smiled just faintly. "And it most always happens with the best of intentions."

[prototype-karr.livejournal.com]

KARR chuckled quietly, his scanner flicking. "Isn't that what the road to hell is paved with?"

[gone_byebye]

"Actually, I've been to Hell. At least to the outer vestibule," Ray said. "Unfortunately I didn't get to see the road in. It was sort of a teleportation incident. But still."

[prototype-karr.livejournal.com]

"So what's it like? I think I'm probably going there; I might as well get an idea for the real estate..."

[gone_byebye]

"Bring a really strong deodorizer or twelve," Ray suggested. "It smells. Feel free to run over the imps; the stronger demons don't generally like them anyway. The vestibule looks like it was designed by the people at the Division of Motor Vehicles when they all had migraines..."