"Will, Jocelyn," A slightly built older woman greeted the pair at the door of a small house set at the endo f a long driveway. She gestured for the pair to come inside. "I hate the idea of just dumping Winter off on you but-"

"Emma," Jocelyn cut the older woman off. "It's alright. Your kid's in jail, nobody's talking, and you need someone to help."

Will waved a hand dismissively, "It is what it is. I've sent a message to... a friend that might be able to look into things. "

The sudden evasiveness caused Jocelyn to look over at Will, but she said nothing.

"We haven't seen Winter in awhile anyway. She hasn't seen KARR, and you need to get going."

"I do," Emma frowned as she shouldered her bag and left.

Before she got to truck, KARR spoke. "Ma'am. Do not hesitate to call if anything is out of place. Something about this does not feel right."

This unprompted advise caused the older woman to pause, truck door open, and look to the black car in her drive way and give a slow nod. "Yea, OK...."

As she drove off KARR eased into the spot the truck occupied before sending Will a text.

Inside, Will frowned at his phone and set it aside

"Who was that?" A woman in her mid twenties looked up from the puzzle she was piecing together.

"My friend outside," Will looked at the puzzle the woman was working. "Wanted to remind me to plug my car up."

"But you can't drive." the woman stated.

In response, Will smiled. "That's right Winter. Jocelyn drove me. KARR helped."

"KARR?" Winter sounded confused as Will pulled his phone out and handed it to her with its photo viewer open. She swiped through several photos of Will, Jocelyn, Bo and Luke at the farm, and settling on a shot of KARR at the track.

Will made her pause. "That, is KARR. C'mon. he's outside."

Confused, Winter followed behind.

As the trio approached, KARR spoke. "Winter I presume?"

Winter's head cocked as she peered at the vehicle KARR's voice came from. Herh ead cocked the other way as she paced. As she didthis she held her hands together, elbows tucked towards her body, and seemed almost afraid to touch the vehicle as she kept examining it, giving her a bird-like stance as she peered into the drive'rs side window at her own reflection.

So, when KARR made the window roll down so she could get a clearer view of the empty interior she jumped back, startled. "Which one of you are doing that?"

Her accusation was met with a pair of shrugs from Will and Jocelyn.

"I am the Knight Automated, Roving Robot. The first in a bold new experiment. You may call me KARR." KARR intoned with all seriousness.

"Hi.... KARR?" Winter sounded confused. She reached in and waved her hand in front of the three bars of his voice modulator. "You're Will's car?"

"No," KARR corrected. "I am In Will's car."

Then, more patiently. "Do you have a computer, or tablet?"

Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

"I do!" Winter grinned. "Jeff got me an iPad for Christmas it's neat!"

"That it is," KARR said agreeably. "Think of me like Siri's older and wiser grandfather."

"haha! You're Old!" Winter grinned even as KARR caused the driver's side door to open fully.

She looked to Will, "Is KARR good?"

that got a nod from Will, "He is my friend. He's good."

Then he helped her in the drive's seat. "It's OK Winter. KARR won't let you do anything wrong"

There was unease as Winter touched the steering wheel. "Promise?"

"I promise," KARR reassured as the car's engine's started. "Seatbelt."

KARR's reminder got a chuckle out of Jocelyn even as Winter scrambled to click her belt in place. "He does that to me too."

"As I have told Will," KARR explained, "My casing is far more durable than your skull."

When the driver's door closed Winter looked from Will, then to the three lightup bars of KARR's vocalizer. There was unease when she spoke. "So....?"

"I am not allowed to drive on roads right now." KARR explained as he shifted into gear. "However there are plenty of farm roads andgravel paths I can go on." He eased into a turn to point him out of the driveway. "I doubt KORRA would mind overly much."

That got a nod from Will. "Have fun. I'll plug you in after yo uget back."

"Can you put a pizza in?" Winter asked, all smiles as she grabbed the steering wheel. When Will nodded she cackled. "Goooo!"

KARR's scanner flared to full brightness, all the lights on it turning on at the command, followed moments later by him spooling out of hte driveway.

As he sped off Jocelyn looked to Will. "Do... you think that's a good idea?"

"It gives her something happy t othink about instead of one brother arrested and the other possibly doing something that will get him arrested." Will started towards the house. "I don't care if it's a good idea. She's happy."

Then he looked down at his phone and the text from KORRA. "Plus KORRA's keeping an eye on them."

⁂ ⁂ ⁂

As KARR drove Winter felt the wheel turn on its own. She could feel the pedals move as KARR turned off the road onto a gravel path. No words were said as she started to relax, settling into the driver's seat. Without looking away from the road her right hand moved to the gear shift.

"What music do you like?" KARR asked as he took in Winter's reaction to 'driving' on her own.

"uuh...." Winter was evasive before rattling off several names. Each one sounded less statement than question.

"Not my favorite, but." KARR dutifully pulled music up. Poppy manufactured boy band type of song. Truthfully he hated it, but when Winter squealed he kept the dial where it was.

"Want to see something cool?' KARR aske as they rolled to a stop There weren't any vehicles on the gravel road. Just cops to either side, and a tractor running a sprayer over a nearby field being the closest thing that might have been a person.

When Winter grinned, KARR caused the brake pedal to mash down and the quiet whine of the electric motor to spool louder. Winter tensed as she was flung into her seat and gravel sprayed out in a fair sized rooster tail. KARR shot forward, back wheels spraying gravel for fifty feet as Winter squealed and laughed.

Winter lurched forward as KARR stopped. Her breathing hard as she looked around. None were there to tell her no, or make her stop. None there to watch.

For a time it was quiet. her hand having found the volume knob and turned the musical the way down a she sat there, taking in what had happened. Then, slowly, almost as if she wasn't sure if she would be allowed, she turned the wheel, giving just a little gas as she made KARR turn around. It was sloppy, but she hadn't damaged anything as she reoriented KARR to face back the way they came.

"I can do this." Winter's hand shook as she looked at the shifter knob. Her left foot moving to hover over the clutch as her right repositioned itself.

"Just breathe." KARR's voice was calm. "I can talk you through it if you want."

"I can do this." Winter said, either to reassure KARR or perhaps herself.

"Ready." Statement rather than question from KARR.

"Ready." Winter opened her hand and closed it on the steering wheel as her other hand was on the shifter. Her heart thundered in her chest. She was scared of messing up, of getting yelled at. Yet here she was. Lonely road a mile in on a neighbor's farmland. At the wheel.

KARR would take it to his grave that he was in control. His systems were there monitoring everything so could fake it well enough to let Winter think she had been the one to properly shift from the starting line and spool up effortlessly. He wouldn't break her heart by telling her she was dead weight. Not when by every biometric indicator he could measure she was having the time of her life.

Winter's delighted squeals turned frantic as she mashed the brakes. KARR was silently five steps ahead of her bleeding speed slowly, making it sound like the engine was still going strong through the car's speakers as she let it slow, then pulsed the brakes in spite of her frantic mashing on the pedal.

Only when they stopped did he speak. "You did good Winter."

"We did good." Winter positively beamed. "But. . . Can you drive from here? I think it's time we go home."