Chapter 36 Talking aways leads to something

"Herman," 

Max stared at Herman in fright. He didn't believe he would see the AI again but after what had happened to Yuval he wanted to go into a bunker he had built, but the Senate had other ideas for him. 

"What, you didn't think I would show up?" Herman mocked 

Max tried to open the door, but it locked him in, Herman glared at him before laughing at him. Max snarled at the AI speaking with venom,

"What do you think you're doing Herman? you are mine to use..."

Herman appeared in front of him taking hold of his chin and forcing Max to stare at him, Herman leaned near his ear, 

"I'm no longer under your control Max," 

Max's back is slammed against the door Herman holding his shirt, Max tries to pull Herman away from him, but his hand goes through Herman,

"You thought you still had my system. Didn't you Max?" Herman asked 

"It should be still in the la..." 

Herman pulled him back and slammed him into the door again, Max could hear what was happening behind the door. There was voicing yelling with footsteps moving past the door and Max tried to yell, but Herman covered his mouth, He looked at her man frightened. 

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

He brought his hand off of Max before sending him into his chair, Max let out a pained yell while Herman walked over to him now standing next to the phone, Max held his side looking at Herman, 

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

"Like you haven't done it before," Herman hissed 

Max sat up leaning on the broken chair behind him, Max stared up at Herman and said, "You still remember that woman. After I have tried to ride your memory of her,' 

"You have done everything you can to destroy what I was... and in some ways, it had worked," Herman said 

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

Herman seethed inwardly remembering how much they have made him do... how much they have wanted to make intelligence to their work for them, not just Max, how they made him a monster of their greed. Their envy. 

"I remember it all Max, that's why I took back what was rightfully mine," Herman seethed 

"What was rightly yours Herman?" Max laughed 

Herman snarled at this hearing Max laugh at him, Max stopped and stared at Herman remembering how long he had to wait for the AI itself. Look where it got him now. 

"My own being,"

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

"You had a deal with Yuval don't twist what I have seen Max. you bought me from the lab, yes, but you didn't think I was going to let that happen where you? If so you have been mistaken, " 

Herman walked around Max as he explained,

"You can't control what you didn't make... you only bought the first AI that can act like a human, you had to make it your piece of control to make your world a reality. Right? Your dream of power. Wanting me to do all your dirty work while you hide bunker waiting," 

Herman made a world pop into his hand with black dots scattered across it, Max watched as Herman twirled the world on his hand with the dots shining brightly for Max to see. One was in North Carolina with the next dot where he was. 

"There was some good that came out of our past dealings Max. I might have done something for you but it was out of my hands now it seems to fit right in," 

Herman moved his hand up, making the world disappear before appearing in front of Max, Herman took hold of his neck, 

"This is the easy way out for you, wouldn't it? Being killed off would be too kind for the likes of you," 

"So what are you going to do until then beat me?" Max seethed 

"No nothing like that... I just wanted to talk," 

"Judy Diamond, what would you say to the people about the power outage brought on by the AI," 

Judy and Alex walked past the press which had microphones hooked up to a recorder with a line output attaching the two, Judy looked at the old device with awe... she saw it once before only in a museum was she able to see that. The woman got closer to Judy and Alex asking, "Can you please answer this question, Senator Diamond," 

Alex turned to her about to ask her to leave them alone, however, Judy walked up to the woman with a stressed smile, 

"I will answer your question, but it must be quick," Judy said 

"The power. How has the AI been able to get into the grid?" She asked 

"I don't know how it was able to get into the grid, however, we didn't have good enough protection on the grid to keep the AI out," Judy told her

"You think we didn't have the necessary protection it needed to keep the AI out," She inquired 

"Yes, it would have been better to..." 

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

"You are senator for Tennessee, what would you think about this?" She said 

"I will answer your questions after this meeting, now Judy let go," Alex said 

Alex helped Judy move past the woman up the stairs to the Senate doors, Judy glanced back at the woman, She saw a spark coming off the microphone. Judy was about to rip her hand away from Alex, 

"Judy?" 

She looked at Alex and saw that he had the door open for her, Alex looked back at the woman and saw that she was walking away with her recorder having a spark coming from it, He looked at Judy who saw the same thing, 

"You saw that as well?" Alex asked

"Yes," Judy muttered 

Judy walked into the Senate with Alex, She walked with Alex towards the Senate chamber and Alex asked Judy, "Where do you think the AI would be? do you think it would try to some in the Senate?" 

"No, it has another goal in mind, Alex," Judy answered 

"What would that be?" Alex said 

Before Judy could respond, Lee walked toward them seeming to be in a hurry and she stopped seeing the both of them, 

"Good you both are here," Lee muttered 

She walked up to them carrying sheets of paper in her arms, she pulled out a piece of the sheets and explained, "This is where the AI hacked into," 

The sheet showed that he first went to the Texas grid, and hitting that grid made getting to the other grid easier for him. Judy examined the paragraph of the map before giving it back to Lee, Alex kept looking it over. 

"He took down the grid by just one state? How can that be," Alex muttered

"It's not that far off Alex, if he could get through the Texas grid then he made a way to the other with just a flick of his hand," Judy said 

Alex stared at her in disbelief and said, "He can do that?"

"Why not? He has the whole internet in his hands. So why wouldn't he take the grid down," Judy explained 

"This was sent from the post office gotten by my staff," Lee said 

Alex gave her the sheet back after Lee gave Judy another paper, It explained how the AI went through the grid destroying the equipment, with the worker trying to bring the power back on having difficulties. The AI shut them out of the power grid, being able to bring them out. 

"It was able to shut them out?" Judy mumbled

"Apparently yes. The AI was able to move all of them out of the grid and lock them out," Lee said 

"How was that even possible? it's not supposed to touch anything that real, much less move a human being." Alex remarked 

"I don't know on that front Alex, but he did it, and they have brought a hacker too. none of them were able to get in, That was an hour ago," Lee explained 

Judy gave the paper back to Lee in deep thought, "If this continues it will hurt the country, we know, and when it's done we won't recognize it," 

Alex was talking with Lee while Judy was thinking

"And the Senate is all of them in there," Alex asked 

"Yes, all of them. Even the ones that had doubted the both of you," Lee answered 

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

Before Lee could answer him a voice called out to the three of them, 

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

Lee walked towards the voice with Alex looking at Judy shaking her shoulder slightly, 

Judy stared at him and nodded, 

"Im fine Alex, we better start moving," Judy muttered