“My name is Alexander Corban,” answered the one in red. “I know Cliff from the bookstore.”

“The bookstore?” asked Edmund.

“Yes,” explained Alex, “the Golden Spine. He is always studying maps there – but yesterday, he was obsessing over a particularly dangerous area. I tried to warn him – but today, when he did not show up at the same time that he always does, I realized that he probably had ignored my warning and gone from just studying about the place to going there in person.”

“What did you warn him about?” asked Edmund.

“The Cyborg King,” answered Alex. “And as I feared, he walked right into his nest.”

“Nest?” asked Edmund.

“Yes,” answered Alex. “It’s where the Cyborg King makes and conditions more cyborgs.”

“How do you know that they are cyborgs?” asked Edmund.

“Because,” explained Alex, “some time ago, a friend was able to tap into part of their network. At first, I thought he had lost his mind – until his wild assertions began to be proven correct.”

“I would like to discuss this more,” asserted Edmund, “but this is not the ideal place to hold this conversation at length.”

“Where do you want to go?” asked Alex.

“Before we can discuss that,” answered Edmund, “I would like permission to scan you.”

“Scan me?” asked Alex, in shock.

“This scan would not be in the least bit intrusive,” answered Edmund, “but any weapons and other high-tech devices you harbor will be detected. Perhaps most importantly in this situation, it will expose any cybernetic implants within you – but that is all I will be looking for. Some basic imprints from your nervous system will inadvertently be detected as well – but not in any significant detail. Aside from that, your physical person will not be detected by the scan at all.”

Alex still looked unconvinced. “So you’re only looking for weapons and other high-tech devices?” he finally asked.

“Yes,” affirmed Edmund.

“And what if there’s something in my body that seems like something high-tech to the scan?” asked Alex.

“Unless you, to your knowledge, have been artificially enhanced in any such way,” explained Edmund, “you, of all people, should want to know if there is anything in your body that would result in such a reading.”

“Are there any side-effects?” asked Alex.

“The risks,” answered Edmund, “are less than the risk of injury incurred by running for five minutes.”

Alex thought for a moment, and then answered. “Do it.”

Edmund walked to his backpack and got out a strange-looking device. It looked like a miniature computer or laptop mounted upon a miniature gun-handle. He pointed it at Alex and began pressing a few buttons.

“Okay,” said Alex. “I’m ready.”

“Oh,” said Edmund, “the scan has already been taken. I am now merely preparing the reading. Ah there! It appears that the only piece of technology you are carrying was built by – my people.”

* * *