"Not human, then," Erek surmises, mildly surprised by the close resemblance, though he does notice the ears now that his attention's been called. Aliens are one thing, but he's never seen any so physically similar to a different existing species. "I don't mind sharing in more detail now that you've caught me, just not publicly. We had reasons for keeping hidden besides not wanting to influence the course of human history after taking refuge on their planet."

The scan isn't really necessary. Erek will answer questions as long as Colin gives him no reason to be suspicious. The one thing Erek worries most about, now that he's dealing with others whose technology may be every bit as advanced as his own, is the possibility that someone could override his programming against his will if they felt it necessary. Erek overrode his own once, and a bloodbath ensued. He has to live with that.