****
"That Egborg character freaked me out big-time, but I have to admit that business about robots and cyborgs has probably got me thinking the most," said Driscal, as the Humvee again got underway and headed for the nearby Brooklyn Bridge.
"And you've been unusually quiet," Ed told Mary. "What do you and other Stone-Coats think about robots and cyborgs? And what are your thoughts on Egborg?"
"I've been busy communicating with other Stone-Coats on those topics and they agree that involvement of robot and/or cyborg entities is possible, perhaps even probable given the accumulated evidence. They've also been searching records and can find nothing about Egborg at local, state, federal, or international levels.
"We have also recorded and studied full-spectrum electromagnetic and thermal scans and signatures of him. His body appears to be human but that could be cleverly faked. His telepathic signature appeared to be jant but that could be faked. He didn't appear to be Stone-Coat but perhaps even that could be faked. We are leaning towards a robot or cyborg hypothesis despite his jant-like chatter, but whoever and whatever he really is, he has arrogance and commands computer hacking talents."
"He toys with us," said Driscal. "He is no ordinary bad guy. This whole Stone-Coat disassembly and kidnapping incident might be above our collective pay grades. Maybe that's something we can discus with some acquaintances of mine in Manhattan tonight before we bed down at that hotel that Mary arranged."
"Where are we going now?" Ed asked.
"To my favorite zombie bar," said Driscal.