Justric

Found Alive

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."

Found Alive

Well, she wants Lucien, but she'll take Cassie as part of the bargain. Which, come to think of it, would still probably leave Cassie uncomfortable!

Found Alive

I didn't think Cassie would share, actually. If she did, it would take some of the drama out of the story.

I think Pony prefers women over boys but is not exclusive. It's probably a good thing, however, that there isn't a third sex. More importantly, I'm glad I made you laugh!

Found Alive

Hm. Pony wants to keep Lucien, yes. She might be willing to share if she must, but she will not give him up willingly. Hassle could be an ally if push comes to shove, although either way Pony is far more likely to try and manipulate... well... everyone, including Hassle.

Found Alive

The blonde girl gave a bright, happy smile. "Oh, it is you, Cassie!" she bubbled in air headed elation. "Don't you remember me? It's me. Pony! We used to cook food together, remember? And we made jewelry out of whatever bits that Toni and Uncle threw away. Look! I still have the pendant you made me, the one that plays music!" Reaching under her sweater, she pulled forth a leather cord upon which hung a strange but artful combination of clockwork gears, micro-transisters and a tiny red LED light. "It stopped working," she pouted as she dangled it in front of Cassie, "and Uncle and Toni don't want to waste time with it."

Then her eyes lit up again. "But you're back now! You can fix it for me and it'll be just like before!"

Pony then pulled herself up onto the table and curled close up against the Android, her voice sweet and dreamy. A hand touched Cassie's cheek lovingly as she spoke in even softer whispers that held a strange sincerity within them. "I missed you so much, Cassie." Then she giggled with a naughty look on her face. "You never wanted to play my little games. You or Lucien. And now you're all tied up anyway. It's kind of funny."

Suddenly the bright look fell from her face as something she mentioned brought forth another concern. "Lucien," she sighed sadly. "He missed you terribly, Cassie. When Uncle declared that it was pointless to keep searching, Lucien... changed. He and Toni had a big falling out, right in front of everyone! It was a while before Uncle let Lucien out of the Colony again. He blames himself, you see, Cassie? He tried not to give up on you, tried for months and months after everyone else had grieved and moved on, but it was too much for him. You know how sensitive he's always been. And now? You're back. And he's going to feel as though he betrayed you. He wont't admit it, of course. Lucien's always been stubborn."

Pony moved her hand to Cassie's hip to draw her into a loving embrace, side by side. She spoke in sad tones then, her simple words carrying more weight for the bittersweet emotions behind them. "Lucien's been nesting with me for the past couple of months, Cassie. I tried to help him as best as I could, but I'm not too bright so I did the only thing I knew how to. He needed someone, and I was the only one who could get close to him. Only somewhere along the line, I fell in love with him. And I don't want to give him up. I'm sorry, Cassie."

Her mood mercurial as always, the petite girl was suddenly cheerful again and beamed down at Cassie's recumbent form as she sat up a little. "But maybe we can work something out! I know I always teased-"

The sound of boots in the hallway interrupted her. Pony's head snapped towards the entrance in alarm, then turned hurried back towards Cassie. Kissing her brow lightly, she slid from the table and into the shadows, saying, "We'll talk more later. Don't say anything for now, okay?" Then impulsively, Pony darted out of the shadows to give Cassie a fierce hug before diving back into the gloom. "I'm so happy you're back..." came the whisper again.

Uncle stomped back through the entrance, his eyes glancing towards Castille to ensure she was secured before heading over to the second table where Liana lay. "Liana? Liana!" The old man grumbled to himself and bent over the table, and so did not see Pony slip from the shadows and down the corridor before anyone else saw her. "Damn diagnostic routine," he grumbled, "I knew I should never have set it to random intervals. She'll be tied up for hours now."

With a weary but calm face, he turned back towards where Cassie lay upon her slab. Pursing his lips, he ran gnarled fingers through his thick beard as he regarded her. It was a puzzle, he seemed to decide. Uncle liked puzzles. Loved solving them better. And if what he suspected was true... Finally he moved over towards Cassie and leaned against the table with his hip, arms crossed. "So, Pretty. You don't remember me calling you that, I bet. I wonder how much you do remember."

He gave an indolent wave towards her bound hands. "Let's cut the pretenses, Pretty. I know you can snap those ropes like thread; I was part of the design team that came up with your skeleton. It was supposed to be used for the replacement of individual bones, not the whole body. Still, the improved ligaments and tendons connecting everything give you a lot more strength, don't they? Still amazing how they managed to reconstruct your skull so perfectly, though. We never managed to get that part quite right, facial transplant patients always ending up looking like... well, someone else. At any rate, why don't you sit up and I'll see to your injuries. Your brother... that's Toni... will be bringing you some lunch shortly. I don't know how much better for you it'll be than that nutri-paste crap the robots give their Androids, but I'm certain it'll taste better."

Uncle then turned away from her to rummage through a drawer, pulling out a medical kit and preparing to clean and suture her wounds. "Bet you've got a lot of questions, hm?" he asked with his back turned towards her. "Now's as good a time as any to ask. Later oh, it'll be my turn to ask you questions. And run a few tests. Nothing too intrusive, of course, but you may not feel like talking through some of them."

Found Alive

Another round of clicking noises emanated from the obscuring pile of cloth. "Identification subsequence activated. Condensed synopsis built from extrapolation of existing data, individuals most likely to have been encountered recently." The unit promptly began to recite a listing of relevant individuals for the woman.

"Antonio. Also known as 'Toni.' Serving multiple roles including but not limited to: Salvage and Recovery Specialist, Research and Development, Defense and Recon. Husband of Jodie. Father of Jacob. Brother to Castille."

"Dr. <NAME REDACTED>. Also known as 'Uncle.' <INFORMATION REDACTED>. No additional information available."

"Lucien. Serving as Salvage and Recovery Specialist, Mortuary Services. Formerly engaged to Castille. Currently co-habitating with Pony." There was a pause. "Warning. Psychological profile indicates possible mental instability. Evidence of self-destructive behavior and reckless endangerment. Possible Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Survivor Guilt. Addendum added 278 days from current date: case file scheduled for further review pending acquisition of certified counselor or psychologist."

"Castille. Last listed as terminated/captured during Salvage and Recovery mission 397 days from current date. Formerly serving in Salvage and Recovery, Research and Development. Sister to Antonio, engaged to Lucien. Addendum added 307 days from current date: Multiple attempts to recover were unsuccessful. Subject declared Lost."

A profound silence followed the recitation, the information provided hanging in the air. More clicking sounds filled the air then, whatever mysterious mechanicals that made up the robot working quickly and efficiently as it processed or retrieved additional information. It was then followed by: "I am happy. You have asked me to sing. I shall now sing." Most of what followed were wordless vocalizations that, while certainly mechanical in nature, held a mournful tone to them. More over, the singing almost seemed to be spontaneous. These were not pre recorded songs that Liana sang, but works of her own creation invented spontaneously then and there! Not that all of her songs were such. The robot seemed to know a good many tunes that would have been long forgotten to humanity if not for her knowledge of them, ballads of day long gone by that told tales of elves and magicians and knights and maidens and days in May... Liana's version of 'A Maid In Bedlam' held a peculiar poignancy to it. "...For I love my love, I love my love, for I know my love loves me..."

The singing suddenly stopped. There had been the slightest of movements at the lab's entrance, a small shadow that slipped in furtively as though half afraid to be there and yet half afraid to be discovered. It was Pony. The tiny young woman crept in carefully, her bright eyes scanning about the cavern nervously as though expecting alarms to go off at any minute. She was light on her feet though and stepped easily around the assorted piles of debris and technology awaiting sorting and use, until she came to the laundry strewn table. Every now and then, she glanced over at Cassie's bound form to ensure that she was still there. Then, carefully removing the clothing, she uncovered Liana's face. The robotic entity blinked several times at Pony with her large, expressive eyes before Pony whispered to her: "Liana? Shutdown sequence Five-B, Diagnostic. Over ride code: Tunafish."

The clicking and variable hums came to an abrupt halt, the thrumming of the various computers around the room settling into one atonal hum that was far softer than before. Liana's eyes closed at the same time, and her plasti-flesh face was stilled.

Nodding to herself, Pony crept over to the table where Cassie lay. Her eyes roved over the ropes to ensure they were intact before she leaned forward close to the Android. In a child-like, vacant voice Pony whispered to her. "Cassie? Are you really in there somewhere? Cause if you are, we need to talk. Cassie?"

Found Alive

Ah! That makes more sense!

(Laughing) Maybe you should name the male character Hassle!

Found Alive

Wait. Hassle? I think I missed something, who's Hassle?

Found Alive

Hm. That was longer in my head. Oh, well. I figure Liana would be a going neutral party in helping Cassie get caught up with events.

Found Alive

Uncle had led the way back to his lab, his face betraying no opinion or emotion at all. Lucien followed after with a scowl that clearly indicated exactly what his opinion on the matter was: it was a mistake. This wasn't his Castille, not his Cassie. It couldn't be her so it had to be a trap of some sort that the robots had sent in after them, some sort of saboteur or secret agent or... whatever. The type of warfare they waged against the mechanical overlords of the world was far more of a guerrilla action than anything else and the realm of spying and infiltration was outside Lucien's experience. All the same, it made sense. He wanted to protest right then and there even as Toni hefted the... thing... over his shoulder to carry it away, only Pony had grabbed his hand again and given a small shake of her head. Now was not the time. Silently, reluctantly, he conceded and contented himself with following along instead. Pony retreated back to their nest with her eyes downcast and biting her lower lip in thought.

As Toni rummaged about the lab checking equipment and running scans and doing whatever the hell it was the tech types did, Lucien leaned against the wall nearest the single entrance and glowered at them all. Ever since that fateful mission, both men blamed themselves and each other for the loss of Cassie and had fallen out with one another. Before, they had been good friends! If asked, Lucien would have said that Toni was everything he could have asked for in a brother-in-law and companion. Now? Lucien spoke to as few people as possible, and Toni the least of them all. There were too many memories that stirred whenever he saw him, too many reminders of his own failures and loss to permit any of the former feelings of good will the two men had once shared. It annoyed and frustrated Lucien how they were deluding themselves that the thing on the lab table could possibly still have any part of Cassie still inside of it. Secretly, he was also afraid. If this was Cassie... if she had survived or could be restored...

Uncle calmly reviewed the provided data and listened to Toni's arguments dispassionately. Several significant moments of silence followed after her brother concluded until the old man finally pursed his lips and spoke. "The blood crusted underneath her fingernails could be hers. If so, it would be further evidence that she dug the tracker out herself. And I agree. Her actions so far could be an indicator that there's something of her memories left in there, some residual remains of her personality." He quirked an eyebrow at Toni as though in warning. "That may be all there is, Antonio, lad. Just remnants of who she was. Even if she is somehow over-riding what they did to her, I doubt she'll be the same person that she was. I'll also take this time to remind you that while we found evidence of robots attempting to over-ride their own programming, we've never actually encountered one that did so successfully and survived. Thankfully, we've seen nothing like the robots' auto self-destruct protocols in the Androids themselves. Regardless.... regardless to any of that, I don't think we should pass up the opportunity to study her. We've never gotten a chance to capture a 'live' Android before. It's an opportunity not to be wasted. And if we can discover a way to reverse at least the mental conditioning of Androids, so much the better. It would mean we could salvage others in the future. Eventually."

Falling silent again, Uncle took a deep breath as his mind worked quickly over the possibilities. His musing were interrupted by Lucien's snort of disgust. "Will you listen to yourselves? That," and he jabbed an accusing finger towards the tied up girl, "is not your sister, Toni. It is not Cassie. It's a fucking meat puppet. It's a goddamn robot wearing a Cassie suit."

"Lucien!" Uncle barked sternly. "Unproductive!" Shaking his head, the old man leaned over and flipped a few switches on a panel half buried in wires and parts. A low hum began to fill the room. "Leave her where she is for now," he commanded them both, "It's almost lunch time, lads, and I want some of Anna's boiled cave lobster chowder. Let us think on this while we fill our bellies and cool off, yes? Hm? Now out! Get!" Ushering the two boys out, he followed behind with a quick glance and smirk at where the Android had been laid out with limbs bound. "Not like she's going anywhere."

Cassie had been left alone in the cavern, still bound atop the lab table. The hum in the air changed pitches a few times, but other than that the place remained quiet and still as the grave. There was no telling how long she lay there undisturbed. Abruptly, the humming stopped. A faint ticking sound echoed through the lab, followed by a clicking that was only slightly louder. Out of nowhere there suddenly came a high, feminine voice.

"Sirius Circuitry Prototype GPP Mk IV, designation Liana, in now online. Optical sensors obscured, reverting to external sensors." Another series of sharp clicks snapped into the air and the voice continued in its peculiar staccato rhythm. "Greetings, Miss Castille. I am surprised; provided data indicated that you no longer existed. I am curious; scans indicate you are strong enough to break the ropes binding you, but you do not. I am concerned; you have been injured. I am relieved; I have someone to talk to."

More clicking sounds, which came from another debris strewn table several feet away. "I am... irked; Dr <NAME REDACTED> appears to have left his laundry on top of my face. Again." Pause. "May I be of assistance? Would you like me to sing you a song, Miss Castille?"