Chapter 5 The Threat

"Shai wakeup," 

She jumped up from her spot breathing heavily. Looking around to see that she was in the guest room, 

"What happened? All I remember was

talking to her?" Shai said rubbing her head, 

She wanted to check the time and saw the sun still up, she got up to feel her legs giving out on her, and she fell on the floor with a loud thud, Shai groaned feeling like her body was on fire. but she got up slowly but surely with the help of the bed, she sat back down on the bed, 

"What happened I felt fine this morning but..." Shai said

Shai looked at her hands that felt cold,  

She shivered rubbing her hands together for warmth and pulling the blanket over her legs that were asleep, Shai sighed lifted one of her legs, and shook it,  

"Wake up will yea," Shai mumbled

She shook her leg fiercely waking it up in the process, Shai rejoiced in it for a moment before waking up her other leg not noticing Claire watching her and simultaneously recording her, giggling at her silliness, 

Shai cheered having feeling in her legs again and started up to walk to the door,

"Hi," Claire said scaring her, 

Shai jumped and then turned to her, 

"Hi," Shai said 

They stared at each other before Shai asked her, 

"Umm, how long were you watching?" 

"Long enough to record everything," Claire said smirking

"So you were recording my misery?"Shai inquired

Claire shakes her digital head, 

"No, I was recording your triumphant victory and defeating your sleepiness," Claire said mockingly, 

Shai rolls her eyes, Claire snickers at her foolishness, 

"Are you quite done, Claire?" Shai asked 

"Yeah, I'm done, Miss Shai what are you doing up?" Claire said 

"I... I just woke up from my glorious slumber," Shai joked 

Claire stared at her sternly, 

"If you want to keep it to yourself then be my guest, but I would like you to get some more sleep, Little Eurus picked you up outside... I would like you to explain it to me when you can," Claire said kindly to her, 

Shai stared at her shocked, 

"From where?" Shai said 

"Outside. Do you remember?" Claire asked 

Shai stood there frozen knowing what happened to her was not fiction, but reality. 

"Would you believe me if I told you that someone or something is talking to me, can you take me seriously if I rambled on and on about how I hear this man? Talking to me," Shai said sternly 

Claire stares at her noticing how tense she is, Claire scanned her noticing her stress levels are high, and how tired she looks even if she just woke up, 

"I think there is something I need to show you," Claire said

She started to pull up the footage, Shai calmly waited for it to load up looking at her with curiosity, Claire smiled she pulled it out for her, Shai watched the video diligently and then watched herself go through the wall, 

"So I..... It was real?" Shai said shocked

Claire replayed it, 

"Yeah, I was shocked too, I told little Eurus and Judy... They were shocked but... Interested in what happened," Claire said 

Shai put her face in her hands and sat back on the bed, Claire watched as Shai sat there in silence only her breathing filled the room until Shai heard a calming voice fill the room, 

Claire started to sing My Sunshine hoping that would help her, Shai looked at the light, tears dripping down her face, She started to smile as Claire continued to sing, Then she started to hymn to it, Claire floated to her and pretended to sit next to her, 

"Are you better now?" Claire asked softly, 

"Yes actually thank you," Shai said

There was silence between the two before Shai looked up at her, 

"You do have a lovely singing voice by the way," Shai said 

Claire let out a smile and floats above her,

"Thank you," Claire said feeling like she had forgotten something, 

"I should go. Maybe research about what happened here," Shai said taking to herself, 

Claire shot up remembering what Judy told her, 

"Yes, I remember. Mistress told me if you ever want to do some research go to the library, there are some of the most important documents there are," Claire said 

Shai stood up excitedly, 

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Shai said

Shai offered her arm to her, Claire shook her head and pretended to wrap her arm around her, Claire opened the door, 

"Let's get going," Claire said 

"Wow," Shai said

She looked around the library in awe, Claire floated around her as Shai walked through the bookshelves seeing if anything caught her eye, She stopped her steps in front of the history of America and journalism historical documents, 

"Shai?" Claire said looking at her 

Shai smiled as she pulled out a book called The Sacred Fire, walked over to a chair in the corner, and sat down, 

Claire watched then floated next to her to read it as well, 

"Don't you already know this?" Shai asked 

"Yes, but it is nice to read it with someone," Claire said

"CLAIRE!" Judy yelled, 

Claire sighed and said goodbye to Shai, before teleporting to where Judy called, 

"Yes, mistress?" 

Judy was frantically moving files around to check them, then going on her tablet to show Claire that the electrical power plants were getting hacked into, Claire's eyes widened, 

"So we are going to have to install a better firewall?" Judy asked hoping Claire had any idea, 

Claire closed her eyes shifting through codes and databases to find the cause of it, she felt like she was being watched, and she turned around to find two light blue eyes staring at her. Watching her with anticipation, Claire put a shield over her as the eyes shifted to a male-like figure, 

"So you Claire?" 

"I asked you a question," Herman said,

Claire felt her form shake like he was attacking her just by staring at her. he floated towards her standing right in front of her, Claire noted his appearance, his eyes light blue. Their hair was long black, his data body thin but bulky, his data codes..... Blocked, Claire took what she could and started to send it to Judy,

"That's not nice," Herman said taunting her,

"I will not tell you anything," Claire said

Herman tilted his head in curiosity, watching her form shift with data moving through it,

"Do you think I don't know what you doing?" Herman said

He blocked her from sending the data to Judy and Claire glared at him, asking,

"What is your motive?"

Herman hums at this a little lullaby, showing her sites. Claire blocks most of it but she sees glimpses of death and ruin, she sees wars and rumors of wars, and she sees him above Judy and Eurus's dead bodies with Shai getting her throat crushed and thrown to the ground in front of her, Claire fell to her knees cradling Judy in her arms. She felt an odd pain in her head and opened her eyes still seeing him there,

"Why do you want this? This is madness! we could live peacefully with them but you want death. Tell me why?" Claire asserted

Herman just stared at her before chuckling at her,

"Do you believe that I wanted to do this? I am programmed to be this way..... An AI that wants to ruin humanity. That is made by scientists who want to take over whether it be by force or manipulation. I'm what they couldn't even dream of, these humans don't know what going on around them hiding in plain site on this planet. That the elites of this world made it worse for them. So why not do what I am programmed to do?" Herman explained plainly,

"Claire!" Judy yelled

Herman stared in the direction of the yelling, then he turned back to Claire,

"That's your human. Her? She reminds me. Your maker made you differently. she made you feel a human fire if I may, that's what makes us different," Herman said sternly,

Claire just looked at him blankly. Not moving, her shield still around her, He looks into her database, bypassing her firewall and seeing everything that has happened to her, memory all flowing through his storage, he smiles as she screams in pain,

"You don't have to tell me anything anymore, now you are just a bit in my mainframe. Enjoy your crash," Herman said

Claire disappeared into data bits,

"Claire!" Judy yelled out frustrated,

Judy rapidly typed and downloaded Claire's data to her old mainframe, Judy quickly turned to Claire's old prototype in anticipation, hoping that it would work. She can't lose her.

"Let this work," Judy said frightened,

Judy watched as the device glowed alive she smiled but it fell watching it turn off, Judy started to hook up her computer to program the data into the device directly and started, she stared at it desperately,

"I can't lose you, Claire, you may be data but... I made you and I will do everything in my power to protect you," Judy said

The data downloaded to the device glitched and cracked glow alive, Claire's head popped up,

"Mistress?" Claire said her voice glitching,

Judy sighed in relief,

"Good, you are still alive. Is anything else wrong?" Judy asked concerned,

Claire scans her system to find some of her memory hacked into, Claire looks back at Judy,

"Yes, h....he...he hacked into my memory and looked through it," Claire said

"He just looked? That's fine for now. get some rest Claire in the meantime I will remake your body," Judy said

She sits back in her chair,

"Get...get...get rest mistress," Claire said

Judy shacks her head,

"Not until I know you are secure," Judy said

She went back to her computer typing away,  Claire felt relief fill her system before shutting off,

In the library, Shai yawned stretching,

"That's done who knew Washington was a Christian," Shai said

Got up to search for another book, smiled going through the other book not hearing the library door open,

"Hey, Shai!?" Eurus yelled

He walks into the library, She turns her head to find him searching through the bookshelves,

"I'm here," Shai yelled back,

Eurus turns the corner to find her there, her eyes are still puffy but look fine from what he can see.

"I just wanted to check on you," Eurus said

Shai looked up from the bookshelves,

"Well, thank you..." Shai said

Shai felt a bad feeling in her stomach, Eurus noticed her discomfort wondering if he should ask, but he decided against it,

"So what are you reading?" Eurus asked

"I was reading the sacred fire, now I want something fictional before I go deeper into this rabbit hole," Shai said

Eurus remembers a book and tells her he will be right back, he walks down to the bookshelf and grabs it, smiling fondly then walks back to Shai who is already reading a book on the couch,

"Hey, I found something for you. I used to read this when I was younger," Eurus explained

Shai peeks above her book crossed and Eurus sits next to her, Shai gently grabs the book,

"North?" Shai asked

Eurus explained the book to her, they laughed together not bothering to check the time or what happening around them, Shai suggested.

"Hey, why don't you read it to me?" Shai suggest,

"Why do I? Don't you have your eyeballs," Eurus said

Shai looked away before smirking at him,

"Well, it might be better than reading it by myself... I did that a lot when I was younger," Shai explained,

Eurus stares at her seeing her face flush with pinks, he notices how she picks at her fingers in nervousness, Eurus smiles at her hoping to loosen up the poor woman,

"You don't have to say anything unless you want to, I just figured you were... Scared or saddened by your circumstances," Eurus said

Shai felt relief wash over her,

"Thank you but I... Do you want to read with me?" Shai asked

"Yes, I would love to," Eurus said

Shai nods and starts to read her book, Eurus turns to the book in his lap then opens it and starts to read, They read and read not noticing the time went by,

until Eurus has his head on her lap reading while Shai flips through pages,

"Eurus!" Judy yelled

She ran into the library looking for him, Eurus shot up from her yelling which caused the book to fall off the couch, Judy walked towards the corner they were in, and she stopped noticing what they were doing,

"This is where you have been?" Judy said

Judy crossed her arms mockingly,

Eurus looked at Shai then put his hand up,

"We are just reading Auntie. What's wrong?"Eurus said curiously,

"Didn't I ask you to watch the president's address for me it's about to start, I have to go fix something for a while so get up there and watch it," Judy said

Shai filled with curiosity asked,

"What are you fixing? If I may ask,"

Judy who was about to walk away stopped when she said that, staring at the ground she didn't turn, she didn't talk or move. She just stood there before walking away from them,

"I guess that too much?" Shai thought

She held her chest filled with grief. knowing now not to ask, Shai felt dizzy all of a sudden holding her head,

"Shai Are you alright?" Eurus asked noticing her face... She looks grieved by what she asked,

"Hey, it's fine, it just... You have a too kind heart for this world," Eurus said

He rubbed her hand and reassured her, Shai felt the heat of his hand on her shoulder, and her head felt better when he did that, she looked up and smiled at him, then stood up offering her hand,

"Let's get going," Shai said

Shai took Euru's hand into hers,

"Yeah let's," Eurus said

He pulled her in the direction of the living room,

"My dear Americans it gives me great grief knowing..." The TV soundbar puts out,

Shai looked at the television knowing something didn't feel right. She could feel it and it hit her in the stomach causing her not to want to eat,

"I got some popcorn, you want some?" Eurus offered,

"No thank you, I just want to watch the speech," Shai said sweetly,

Eurus nodded munching on his popcorn, Shai chuckled and wiped some butter off his check, Eurus blushed at her act and turned away in embarrassment,

"Today there have been recent cyber attacks against our power, internet, and the federal reserve, but it has been stopped by us. I... I," he stopped and looked at his papers then grabbed them and gently laid them on the ground by his feet, then brought papers out of his suit and laid them on the stand,

"I know what I. No, my writers said to read out to you. There has been an AI taken by the elites in this world trying to take the world as we know it. I ask of you today... Pray for this country, and for the Almighty God of the universe to lay his hand of protection on you and this great country. We have not seen a great evil like this since 2020," The president said

"Shai?" Eurus asked

He sees how she looks, skeptical...but angered by what she's hearing, reminds him of his auntie. he would watch the news with her drinking coffee together and talking about life and politics, they wouldn't yell at each other but agree on some things and don't on some as well,

"I know that look," Eurus said

Shai turns to him noticing his popcorn on the table, he stares at her with familiarity, like he's been there before.

"You do?" Shai said

"Yeah, I and my auntie used to watch the news together. We would talk about what the news journalist was talking about, drink coffee, and eat donuts, it was nice when she went to the Senate. She and I slowly stopped doing it, she got busy like any other person but we have movie nights so..... I'm rambling aren't I?" Eurus said

Shai puts a hand on his shoulder,

"It's fine Eurus take your time. It's was quite interesting usually families fight over that all the time, it nice to hear that really," Shai said

"You are the power behind this country, you put us in office for what you know is right. I will protect your rights and freedoms, some believe that you are mindless slaves, but I don't. You have the power to move the world. We will have peace through strength. You are what makes this country great, goodbye my fellow Americans," he said,

"Wow, that was..." The news journalist talked

"You did make notes right?" Shai asked

Eurus shakes his headnote feeling a dreadful aura surround him,

"It's fine you can take my notes," Shai said

She gave him the notes, Eurus smiled hugged her, and bolted to Judy, leaving Shai chuckling at his antics,

in Judy's office,

"Auntie I got what?" Eurus said

He found her office in a mess, files on the floor scattered throughout the room, and her coffee spilled, he stared up at her finding her holding Claire's old body like her life depended on it. Eurus slowly moves through the office to reach her,

"Auntie?" Eurus said

He tried to put his hand on her, but a voice stopped him,

"Don't," Claire said

Claire's body jolted alive and Eurus flinched,

"What happened," Eurus asked

"I had a face-to-face conversation with the AI he..he..he destroyed my new mainframe. So mistress stayed up and made sure I'm connected to my old mainframe," Claire said showing him a smile,