dear_mun | Pacific Rim/Knight Rider crossover.

One can never have too much backstory.

[He knows that voice.]

Phoenix. It is a relief to hear from you - though you are...

Small.

I'm sorry. I don't know anyone named Phoenix. Perhaps you are mistaking me for someone else?

Small? I'm the size I've always been.

[Perhaps it was a lesson not to take things for granted. Such as that the owner of a voice was not necessarily the one he'd known all his life.]

My apologies. Your voice is identical to that of my eldest brother, Phoenix Knight.

...

Knight? I was constructed by a man with the last name of Knight. Amazing coincidence.

My brothers and I were constructed at the direction of a man named Wilton Knight. We are all saddened by his recent passing.

I'm afraid that isn't possible. I was constructed by Wilton Knight, and other than my predecessor KARR, I am the only one. Also, Wilton Knight passed away before I was activated.

[Confirmation. Charger nodded slowly, the jaeger's head making the motion look almost natural.] It appears that we are denizens of different universes along the quantum probability string.

[Ahhhh, of course. That would make sense, wouldn't it? It's not something KITT hasn't encountered before. His tone changes]

Fascinating. Please, tell me of yourself - and your brothers? [A pause] And Wilton Knight, if you would be so kind. What sort of man was he?

[He had been remiss in introducing himself, it was true, but now he was considering. This, then, had to be an alternate of Phoenix. He had no knowledge of a "KARR," however. Perhaps that was an alternate of Alpha or Beta.

He could, however, introduce himself. He had given interviews before, and this wasn't so different.]

I am Charger Knight. My brothers are Phoenix Knight and Corvus Knight. We were constructed to fight the kaiju threat along with the Pan-Pacific Defense Corps jaegers, which are unfortunately mindless. There is little I can tell you about Wilton Knight, however, as I did not know him for very long. He passed away just hours after I was proven a success in the water.

Oh. I am sorry to hear about your Wilton Knight. From what I understand, much the same happened with me. I never knew him.

If I understand correctly, this 'Phoenix' is an alternate of me? But I can't imagine who Corvus might be. You'll have to forgive me as well - I have no idea what a 'kaiju' is, much less a 'jaeger'. I'm afraid my universe seems to be much more run of the mill than yours.

I do believe Phoenix is an alternate of you. Corvus may be unique to my universe, though, if you have no knowledge of him. Likewise, I have no knowledge of a "KARR," but I believe he may be an alternate of Knight Alpha or Knight Beta, both of whom failed and killed their pilots.

[Charger did not tend to move more than his head as he spoke, not gesturing or "speaking with his hands" as some humans did. Stillness was an asset in the Dome, as the floors could not be constructed to hold their weight if they did more than stand still.]

Good grief. Either of them sounds very much like KARR indeed. His programming was that of self-preservation rather than the protection of human life, and he too was considered a failure. I had a couple of run-ins with him, but my driver and I finally finished him off.

[While KITT was used to speaking with humans, and had become rather adept at reading their body language, he was finding Charger to be altogether different, and difficult. It was a refreshing challenge, having to listen to what he said instead of picking up on external cues. He could attempt to scan Charger, but he suspected his efforts would be easily rebuffed]

It was Beta's catastrophic failure that prompted my creation. One of my pilots also piloted Beta. He was the only survivor. His memories of Beta are still uncertain, but he did not seem to think that Beta was the catalyst of his own destruction, though his possessive reaction was a factor in the ultimate outcome. I have often wondered about Alpha's failure as we know how it happened but we are uncertain of the initial flaw.

One of your pilots? How many do you have? Can you fly, or is that a general term for you operator?

That pilot must have been badly injured if his memories are uncertain. Was Beta possessive over your pilot?

Alpha sounds more like KARR. I never knew him to be possessive of anyone. He used humans to his own ends.

All jaegers have two pilots. None can fly. We are, as a whole, too heavy. The two pilots are needed for the neural load of most jaegers as the interface through the Pons system developed by Doctor Caitlin Lightcap is too heavy for a single-pilot system. In short, we are networked mind to mind. When my pilots move, my body follows, one pilot for each hemisphere. However, as I am a Knight jaeger, I can operate independently, while the PPDC jaegers cannot.

[He lifted one arm in demonstration, flexing his hand, tipping his wrist to deploy the hook-blades, and then retracting them.]

As I understand, Beta was possessive of both of his pilots, but Alexander Torres was not fully honest inside the Drift. He blocked much of his memory. Mike believes that it was his secretive nature that spurred the conflict alongside Beta's possessiveness.

What if pilots are at odds with each other? I can imagine that would lead to tremendous difficulty. I'm sure there is a large amount of trust that must be nurtured in order for everyone to function properly.

[He sighs, a peculiar electronic sound]

I shudder to think what it would have been like to be linked mind-to-mind with Michael. I've been told I've been corrupted enough without that sort of direct interference.

[KITT studies the jaeger, and the demonstration]

Impressive armory. The other jaegers do not have fully functioning AIs? Somehow, this doesn't surprise me. Do you work in concert with these other jaegers and their pilots?

The Drift - the mind link? Ah, you're answering one of my questions already. I feel... sorry, for Beta. An AI can be a fragile being when confronted with the whims and greed of humans.

PPDC jaegers have what has been referred to in my presence as "dumb AIs." They are intelligent enough to respond, but they cannot do more than respond. They cannot initiate. They cannot speak other than in preprogrammed responses. They are...

[Well, in all honesty.]

Depressing.

But you mention Michael. Would he be Michael Long or Mike Traceur? The latter is one of my pilots. The former is one of Phoenix's pilots.

'Dumb AIs'. I dislike that term. I myself was muzzled after the failure of KARR, but not in so extreme a fashion. Depressing indeed.

Michael Long, who became Michael Knight. I've not heard of Mike Traceur. Interesting.

Mike is his son. Michael was unaware of him until Mike was an adult and was brought in by Charles Graiman to pilot Knight Beta.

If Michael has a son in my timeline, I am also unaware of it. Though I can't say it would surprise me.

You mention Charles Graiman - is there a Bonnie Barstow in your universe?

Yes. She is Phoenix's other pilot, as well as his chief designer and programmer, and mine.

I am gratified to hear it. I can't imagine she and Michael working quite so closely together, but it gives me hope. She is my head technician, and almost like a mother to me.

They did not believe it possible, but Phoenix chose well. Though she and Michael are not as close as Martin and Shawn, Corvus's pilots.

He got to choose his own? They weren't chosen for him? I can scarcely imagine. I was constructed and programmed specifically for Michael Knight.

More names I don't recognize, but I don't suppose it matters.

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