All at once, his eyes enlarged and he got a scared look on his face. Instead of teasing Todd about staying out alone again he said, “Shit!” He qui...kly turned his head forward and floored his accelerator. He threw dirt, grass and gravel from under the spinning wheels as he barreled onto the road and took off.Todd laughed and yelled, “Good one, asshole. It didn’t work though.”Todd stood with a grin on his face as he watched the tail lights disappear. All at once, he noticed a glow in the air and. "We are the Black Guard, not 'Slinks', and we could've wiped out your operation anytime we wished. You show us some respect, because, there is still time to stake you and your people out in the desert for the vultures to fight over." Don't threaten me or my men," he yelled back. "I've no intention of staying any longer in your baking hot sandpit than I have to. Just give us a week and we'll be out of your way and we can get back among civilised people." Who do you work for?" George demanded.. I know you gentlemen have a lot to do, so I won’t keep you any longer. I look forward to taking everyone to dinner when I come out there. Be sure to call me if you have any more questions. Have a great day. Goodbye.”The line went dead and everyone was looking at me and Greg. Tim said, “I just knew you were going to be late yesterday, Greg. Now I find out you’re a HERO?”“I’m not really a hero, that was mostly Charlie and Bob. I was really just there for moral support.”“BULLSHIT. My humble. ’ He identified with his hardware in a way other AIs that I have encountered have not. And he loved his new body.These two quirks fed into each other. You know how, in the old cowboy movies, the character facing amputation begs the doctor, “Don’t cut off my leg, Doc! I won’t be half a man! I’ll die first!” Well, Eddie would be happy to die first. I mean, I think he kind of looked forward to it.I don’t know what Confederacy ethics guided the whole “reprogram Eddie” project. I mean, are AIs seen.