Uncle eyed them carefully under heavy brows as he tended to her hurt, not saying anything in response to her questions at first. Instead, he watched how the interaction between Cassie and Toni played out. His face still calm and collected, he only began to speak when asked about the tests.

"First tests are already run," he admitted casually. Uncle gestured towards Cassie absently while putting away the medical kit. "While we were away, she didn't attempt to break the ropes and cause damage. She also did not attempt to destroy Liana; all robots and their Androids are programmed to automatically eliminate rogue artificial intelligences without question. In this case, it doesn't look like that programming even engaged." Wiping his hands on a convenient rag, he turned back around to face the siblings. "She also gave indications that she felt pain while I was working on her... without anesthetic. The pain tolerance is increased from what we would expect in a normal human, but not totally absent as it is in the Androids we've observed. This tells me that either the chip implant was poorly done, that she has some natural resistance to the implant or some combination of both. The robots and their Androids have never shown themselves to have the capabilities of understanding the subtleties of emotions enough to create spies or covert agents. Liana's scans will no doubt tell us more." He scowled in annoyance at the table with his laundry. "Once she finishes her damned diagnostic routines, at any rate."

He leans back against that same table to look upon Cassie, chin raised and eyes mild. "Now, to your questions. To my knowledge, you and Pony were friends. Perhaps not the best of friends, no, but the two of you certainly enjoyed each other's time together. Not too surprising seeing as how there aren't many women the same age as you two. Pony is... simple. Tricky, but simple. She is very affectionate in her way, although her ways can be rather... strange. Lucien is another matter altogether-" He cut off to glare at Toni, "Am I hope, young man, you will allow me to finish before interrupting?"

"Lucien and you were to be wed, yes. He was the one who had originally discovered you and brought you to the Colony when you were both very young, and separating the pair of you for any reason at all generally resulted in a lot of moping and whining on both your parts. It was to be a great time of celebration for everyone in the Colony as all marriages are." He sniffed. "I even wrote a rather nice poem to recite for you two."

"Three days before the event, you sacrificed yourself during a mission to save the others that were with you, Lucien included. He and Toni led several attempts to try and find you but to no avail. The amount of time and resources being diverted to the project became to great, and I regretfully had to declare you lost. Your brother... took it well enough. He grieved, as did we all, but was able to move on while cherishing your memory. Lucien... did not take it so well. To his credit, he was the last to lose hope. To his detriment, the loss of that hope made Lucien somewhat... irrational. Pony's... ah... intervention managed to turn him from being a liability back into an asset, albeit less of a one than he had been before."

"For yourself, you were captured by what most of us simply call 'the robots.' It's a rather generic appellation, as the mechanical entities who are bent on the extermination of the human species are specifically rooted in the Hare Cybernetics Industries robots, or as I like to call them: 'Bunnies.' They are the most advanced artificial intelligences of our time and continue to improve both their programming and their physical constructs; all other robot entities have either been slaved to them or destroyed by them. Like us, Liana here is a survivor, one dangerous to the Hare Cybernetic line as her programming can not be over-ridden by them. In fact, it can't be over-ridden by anyone except her. Not even I can rewrite her core, not if she does not wish it. To continue, at some point the Bunnies began to take humans and convert them into what amounts to being organic robots; it was a less resource taxing method of increasing their numbers. Skeletons were replaced, certain aspects of the physiognomy were enhanced and the brain? The brain wiped clear of all but the basics needed to survive. And even much of that was supplanted by the chip."

At this, Uncle's eyes narrow in thought. "But not in your case. You, Pretty, are something of a first. And where there is a first, there can be a second."

He snapped his head up to look at Toni, a no nonsense stare that brooked no argument. "Before we get to any of the medical experiments, I think we should see what happens when we leave her and Lucien alone together." He then gave a soft smile, belying his stern command. "After you and your sister have some time together. For now, I must insist that she remain in the lab, though, at least until after the rest of the tests are over with."