Uncle didn't even look over his shoulder at Toni as they headed towards the lab. "It's actually a simple enough matter," he was saying, "But if the other found out about it, it could cause panic. So I'm leaving it to you to handle it."

Once in the lab, Uncle sat at one of the table to stare at the young man candidly. With a gesture towards a pile of printouts that teetered precariously nearby, he continued. "There's been evidence that the robots are exploring other possible uses of humans. Or rather, human bodies. Having exhausted their supply of experimental stock, they are taking whatever they can get and may not be converting them immediately. If fact, there is the possibility that they are becoming more interested in the possibilities of using humans who are recently deceased. So your job is very simple. Do not leave anyone killed behind. I know it has not been our standard operating procedure to retrieve our fallen, but in the interest of denying the robots that additional edge we must change that standard. If you can not bring the body or bodies home, then see to it that they are as unrecoverable as possible, but I would rather the whole body be returned to us." 

Uncle then gave Toni a pointed stare. "That includes Lucien, Toni. [i]Especially[/i] Lucien, I should say. It would be in the best long term interests of the Colony and the best interests of you sister. I am expressly [i]not[/i] telling you to do anything untold. But should he prove as reckless as he has in the past and should he die by whatever means, make sure the body is returned." The old man then gave Toni a wide grin. "But then again, Hassle assures us that this should be a piece of cake run. So there really shouldn't be any need to be overly concerned about it., should there?"

***

The meeting with Lucien was far more disciplinary, with Uncle firmly reprimanding the young man for his past foolhardy actions during missions. The dressing down was as good as any army sergeant might have given. Lucien could only stand there, nearly at attention, while the Colony's leader berated him for his actions and the chaos he was causing in the Colony itself. It only took a few minutes, but it felt like hours. Finally, Uncle wound down.

"Now on this mission, you have a unique role. In addition to helping with salvage, foraging and recovery, I need you to place a piece of equipment in the highest place outside that you can find once you get to the target zone. It's a very specific type of sensor." The piece of equipment in question was a small metallic box with a number of wires running in and out of it thickly. Two silvery toggle switches stuck out. Each switch had a wad of what looked like chewing gum placed underneath to keep them from being switched in the other direction. Two small cylinders were attached with thin copper tubing to the other side. All in all, the package was a little large than a man's hand. "It has an adhesive backing. Plant it, switch both toggles and then just leave it alone. It will broadcast its findings on shortwave bursts that will make it difficult for the robots to even notice it, much less find it."

He clasped his hands and rested his elbows on the table to stare at him much the same way as he just as had looked at Toni. "The readings this sensor will provide will give me better insights as to the Androids. The scans Liana was able to perform on Cassie answered many questions and left several others in their place. But if I am right, this will help me find a way to enable more of Cassie's memory. Behave yourself. Do your job, Lucien. And I will... try and help smooth the way between you and Cassie. Understand?"