A shadowy flight into the dangerous world of a man...
... who does not exist.
Michael Knight, a young loner on a crusade to champion the cause of the innocent, the helpless, the powerless...
... in the world of criminals who operate above the law.
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The Story
It was the dream of one man, Wilton Knight, aging, dying millionaire, which brought about the bane of criminals for years to come. His idea, that one man could make a difference, would live on in the form of a loner, a vigilante. The Knight Rider.
First came the man.
Michael Long, an LSF special forces veteran of the Nomad Wars turned domestic police officer, found himself betrayed by members of his own precinct when he ran across a conspiracy that was never meant to be uncovered. Fatally shot in the head, he was left on the street to die, but fate had other plans.
A metal plate in his skull deflected the bullet into his face, permanently destroying his identity. Doctors tried to save him, but were approached by a shadowy organization and were forced to leave him in their care. The organization grafted him a new face, a miracle operation that left the police officer a new man. A man who did not exist.
The organization which made this possible was none other than Knight Industries, lead by its dying namesake and his partner, Devon Miles.
For a time, Michael had been more than hesitant to accept the realities of his position: for all intents and purposes, "Michael Long" was dead, and in his place was a man named Michael Knight. He would never go back to his old life, to his old friends, his old loves.
But then he understood that this afforded him an opportunity like no other. Indeed, it was a chance to strike at those he pledged himself against with the added benefit of anonymity and surprise. Yet, being only one man, he needed an edge.
Then came the machine.
Wilton Knight had shifted the entirety of his company's resources towards his dream. Knight Industries nearly bankrupted itself in the process, but the result was beyond worthwhile. A marvel of modern technology and ingenuity, the Knight Industries Two Thousand was born.
A space fighter with the best equipment and then some, with quite literally a mind of its own, "Kitt" would be the black steed which Michael would charge head-first into the dangerous world of criminals who worked above the law.
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The Means
Knight Industries was the brainchild of Wilton Knight, but no corporation would willingly submit itself to endeavors which were against its best interests: profits and success. A philanthropic drive to champion the cause of the innocent would have to be undertaken by a more legitimate front, backed by Knight Industries' substantial resources.
Thus The Foundation for Law and Government was formed.
"F.L.A.G" was designed as an organization independent of politics and the police; while based in the town of Argyle on Planet Cambridge, it was in no way associated with the Bretonian Police Authority, or any other law enforcement agency for that matter.
Its fundamental objective is simple: to protect the interests of the innocent across Sirius.
While negotiations and the like were always preferable, Wilton Knight understood that sometimes force would be required, hence the "Pilot Program." One man, with one highly advanced machine, would be in the best position to infiltrate, disrupt, and dismantle the operations of the less-than-pleasant politicians, business executives, and criminal masterminds whom the Foundation was pledged to defeat. The "Pilot" became Michael Knight, the "machine," Kitt.
Officially, neither Michael Knight nor Kitt exist; the secrecy of the program was so tight that only four individuals were aware of it: Devon Miles, F.L.A.G CEO, Michael Knight, the late Wilton Knight, and Bonnie Barstow, Kitt's only maintenance crew. As such, Michael is allowed to undertake operations without the oversight of the authorities, provided he can get away with it.
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The Ship
The Knight Industries Two Thousand, K.I.T.T., or "Kitt" if one prefers, was the crowning achievement of Wilton's life, and the means by which Michael is even remotely capable of undertaking the dangerous missions he's tasked with.
Outwardly, Kitt is a standard "Virage"-class fighter, with a civilian armament. This simple exterior conceals perhaps the most advanced ship ever built by human hands.
While Kitt can be modified as time goes on, thereby making its capabilities unpredictable, a few of its many advantages are as follows:
Advanced Artificial Intelligence - Kitt could probably be considered the closest mankind has ever come to duplicating his own brain in computer format; the ship has a "brain" that bests any known AI in use today, making Kitt more of a person than a machine. It allows for rapid, intelligent analyses of complex situations, and drafts solutions to the very same, making it an indispensible asset.
Molecular Bonded Shell - Kitt's chassis is surrounded by a nearly indestructible alloy, mostly impact resistant, called the "MBS". While lasers are still a potent threat, missiles, solid objects, and other contact-based weapons bounce off without so much as a scratch.
Pyroclastic Lamination - A thin heat shield applied underneath the MBS allows Kitt's chassis to withstand temperatures as high as four thousand degrees Celsius. This allows Kitt to "skip" across the surfaces of small stars, although this cannot be maintained indefinitely.
Anharmonic Synthesizer - A "voicebox" capable of generating virtually any human voice imaginable, including its own "default" setting, the Synthesizer allows Kitt to talk to Michael and others, in whichever voice is required. It also permits the projection of a wide variety of other sounds, and can even project frequencies which mute engine and system noises, depending on the target's own method of hearing.
Anamorphic Equalizer - A highly sensitive scanning suite mounted on the nose of the ship, capable of detecting almost all radiation wavelengths possible, the Equalizer rivals that of expensive equipment mounted in science vessels, making Kitt a miniature laboratory.
Etymotic Equalizer - This equalizer is used to pick up soundwaves in a large range of frequencies. Sensors are mounted on the interior and exterior.
Olfactory Sensor - Kitt even includes an atmospheric sampling device capable of "smelling" the environment, turning the ship into the most expensive Bloodhound ever bred.
Grappling Hook - For occasions in which tractor beams are not suitable or are otherwise unavailable, Kitt is equipped with a hook and winch system strong enough to pull the entire fighter along the length of the cable.
Gas Projector - A handy device, the projector can spray clouds of smoke, tear gas, and other chemicals depending on the mission. The projector can also be reworked with flammable gasses to create a flamethrower.
Sonic Disruptor - A highly-specialized analogue of the Anharmonic Synthesizer, the Disruptor allows Kitt to project ultra-high frequency bolts of sound, enough to stun the average human at a distance of fifty meters.
Hypercomlink - Unlike ordinary communication suites, the "hypercom" is able to beg, borrow, and steal other nearby communication systems in order to send a message wherever and whenever. Thus far the method is relatively fullproof and untraceable. Michael's watch acts as a second uplink, allowing him to use Kitt as a router whenever necessary.
Microwave Jammer - Essentially an EMP generator, Kitt is capable of overpowering most lightly-shielded electronics within a short radius and rendering them inoperable. Only the highest grade of military shielding is capable of thwarting such an attack.
Advanced Fuel Processor - While Kitt, like any other spacecraft, has an ideal fuel medium, it is also capable of processing a wide variety of combustible gasses in order to power the engine under severe circumstances, at the price of decreased performance.