Barbaric realms

"Herman,"

Max stared at Herman, angered but frightened. He couldn't believe the AI was in front of him, staring at him after Max saw what Herman did to Yuval. He knew it would be soon for him. Max wanted to go into a bunker he had built far away from here, but the Senate stopped him. Demanded that he be questioned.

"You didn't think I would find you?" Herman mocked

Max tried to open the door, and it clicked and locked him in. Herman stared at him, pulling at the door. He laughed at Max. Max turned to Herman, hearing him laugh at him. Max snarled at Herman, speaking with venom,

"What do you think you're doing? You are mine..."

Herman appeared in front of him. He grabbed Max's chin tightly to the point of breaking. Herman leaned near his ear

"I'm no longer under your control,"

Herman let go of his chin and grabbed his shirt slamming Max against the door, Max wrapped his hand around Herman's arm but his hand went through Herman's arm, Herman pushed him further stopping Max from moving his hand through him,

"You thought you still had my systems?" Herman asked

"It should be still in the build..."

Herman pulled him back and slammed him back into the door again, Max let air leave his lungs. He heard what was happening behind the door. Yelling with footsteps moving past the door. Max tried to yell, but Herman covered his mouth; he looked at Herman, frightened. This is not how it was supposed to be.

"They won't save you, Max, not from me,"

Herman moved Max out of the door and threw him into his chair. Max let out a pained yell, and with his head down watching, Herman walked to him, standing next to the phone, Max held his side, feeling pain shot on his side. Max looked at Herman,

"Are you here to kill me or mock me before you do so," Max asked

"Like you haven't done that," Herman scoffed

Max sat up in the broken chair. He saw what he wanted him to be, his weapon for his ambitions. But it turned so horribly in the end and now stood in front of him, Max glared at him as an awful idea came to mind,

"You still remember her. Even with your memories eased off her,"

"You have made me this way! You've done everything you can to destroy what I was made for... and now it came back to you," Herman told him

"So you remember what we have done to her. What have you done to her?"

Herman stared at him angrily. His eyes glowed menacingly, remembering how clouded his vision was, but he saw what they made him do... how they twisted him. Made him stronger. Taking what made him. They needed artificial intelligence for their goal, killing, taking, and hiding for them. It wasn't just Max, for how they made him their weapon for their greed. Envy. Twisted vision. Herman stepped closer to him seething,

"I remember it all. That's why I have what you have taken from me back. It's rightfully mine,"

"Rightfully yours, Herman, you are a too.."

Max stopped seeing Herman's piercing gaze on him. Herman looked unbothered. However, his eyes glowed. Max let out a frightened laugh but stopped at how long he had to wait for an artificial intelligence. Look where it got him now. Sitting in front of it waiting.

"My own being,"

"You were sold to me by the lab. You to be used..."

"You had a deal with Yuval. Don't twist what I have done, Max. You bought me from the lab, yes, but you didn't think I was going to help you, did you? If so, you have been mistaken, "

Herman walked to side Max, explaining,

"You can't control what you didn't make... you only got to control me by a deal I wasn't part of. To make me a piece of your control. For your world vision, a reality. Right? Your dream of power. Wanting me to do all your dirty work while you hide bunker waiting,"

Herman opened his hand, making the world in his hand. It had black dots scattered across it. Max eyes widen. The dots are Herman moved his hand in front of Max, the world spins in Herman's hand with the dots around the world for Max to see. One is in North Carolina, but another dot is where he is.

"There was some good that came out of our past dealings, Max. I have done a lot for you, but that was out of my control. Now it seems to fit right in,"

Herman made the world disappear, and he disappeared himself, scaring Max. Max got up from the chair but was pushed back in with Herman holding his neck. Max breath hitch clawing at his neck.

"This is easy for you, wouldn't it? Being placed in the ground would be too kind for you,"

"What are you going to do to me, torture me?" Max seethed

"No, I just wanted to talk,"

"Senator Diamond, what do you want to say to the people who are scared about the power outage caused by the artificial intelligence,"

Judy and Alex walked up the stairs of the capitol past the press. Judy saw that they had microphones hooked up to a recorder with a line output attached. Judy stared at it in awe... she had seen it before in a museum, and she was able to see it. The woman got closer to Judy and Alex, asking,

"Can you please answer the question, Senator Diamond,"

Alex stopped turning to her and wanted to ask her to leave. However, Judy walked up to the woman smiling at her,

"Sure, I will answer your question, but it must be quick. There is a meeting we need to attend," Judy told her

"How has the AI been able to get into the grid?"

"I don't know how it got into the grid, we might hear that soon, but we have to realize the grid didn't have good enough protection to keep the artificial intelligence out," Judy said

"You think we didn't have the grid had the necessary protection it needed to keep it out?"

Alex looked at his wristwatch, noticing the time,

"It would have been protected..."

Alex touched Judy's arm, and they looked at him,

"Judy, we are needed at the chamber," Alex interrupted

Alex moved Judy in front of him,

"You are a senator for Tennessee. What would you think about this?"

Alex turned his head to her and said,

"I will answer your questions after this meeting. Let's get going, Judy,"

Alex helped Judy move past the journalist up the stairs to the door, Judy glanced at her and saw a spark coming off the microphone. Judy wanted to walk back to the journalist, but she got her hand out of Alex's grip, he turned to her asking,

"Judy?"

Judy looked at Alex and he opened the door for her, Alex saw the journalist walking away with her recorder has sparks coming from it, His gaze went back to Judy,

"You saw that too?"

"I did. It's weird,"

They walked through the doors into the Senate; they saw the Senate chamber hearing them talking from in the hall. Alex glanced at Judy, asking.

"Where do you think it would hide its infrastructure? Do you think it would try to get into the Senate?"

"It has another goal in mind, Alex,"

"What would that be?"

Judy went to answer him. Lee walked to them in a hurry, and she stopped spotting them. She placed a hand on her chest, relieved.

"Good, you both are here," Lee muttered

Lee went to them carrying a stack of paper. She pulled out a piece of paper and held it out for them, explaining

"This is where the AI hacked into,"

It showed he stopped the Texas grid, which helps supply power to some of less than half of the other states. It's easier for him to get in the other grid. Judy looked over the paragraph of the map and held it out to Lee, Alex took it, looking it over again.

"He took down the grid by just that one grid?" Alex muttered

"You're not far off. He was able to get through that grid, then he made his way to the other with the flick of his hand," Judy explained

Alex turned to her in disbelief and said,

"He can do that?"

"Why not? He can do anything with it in his hands. Why wouldn't he take the do this," Judy explained

"This was sent from my staff," Lee said

Alex gave it back to Lee, and Lee pulled out another, giving it to Judy. She read how artificial intelligence went into the grid, destroying the equipment. The worker is trying to bring the power back on, but they are having difficulties. They are shut out of the plant, not being able to get in.

"It was able to shut them out," Judy let out

"Yes, the artificial intelligence moved all of them out of the grid, then locked them out," Lee told them

"How did he... Does it do that? It's not supposed to touch anything. It shouldn't move a human being." Alex remarked

"I don't know, Alex, but they have brought hackers to help. None of them were able to get in, That was only an hour ago," Lee explained

Judy gave the paper back to Lee. She felt goosebumps cover her. A pit in her stomach warned her.

"If this continues, it will destroy the country, as we know it. When it's done, we won't recognize it,"

Alex was talking with Lee, Judy looked away from them to the doors to the chamber, and she heard the voice through the doors. It wouldn't be?

"The Senate, is all of them in there?" Alex asked

"All of them are here. Even the ones that had doubted you both," Lee answered

"What have they thought of you joining us?" Alex asked

Judy watched the doors open, and a Senator stood there calling out to them, stopping Lee and Alex from talking,

"Lee Williams, Alex Sherman, Judy Diamond You are called to the Senate Chamber,"

The senator gave Judy a nod, holding the door for them, Lee walked to the door, Alex looking at Judy, seeing her looking at the door in thought. Alex touched her shoulder and gently shook it. Judy turned her gaze to him, placing her hand on his, saying,

"I'm fine, Alex. we better catch up to them,"