8. Miranda
"There are times when I find myself questioning the Ilusive Man's judgement in assigning certain personnel to this mission. The yeoman being a case in point. I fail to see the reason for her to be assigned to the Normandy. An off the shelf VI personality could easily handle her clerical and admin duties and as for her qualifications as a psychologist, I simply cannot see myself opening up to her. Chakwas perhaps or maybe even Shepard. But Chambers? There's something...not right about the way she all but fawns over Shepard. I'd almost call it a school-girl crush but the woman is in her twenties for Godsake and Shepard has never shown and inclination towards lesbianism - the encounter between her and Dr T'soni notwithstanding."
"I often wonder what would have happened if Cerberus had been able to recruit Shepard at a younger age. Her often-times frustrating idealism and seemingly counter-productive determination to help as many people as she can aside, she is a valuable asset. Even before the Lazarus Project rebuilt her, Shepard possessed a highly-tuned physique. And all without the benefits of any form of in-utero genetic upgrades. Her mother must have led an exceedingly charmed life, surviving an exposure to eezo and being able to carry the pregnancy to term. That Shepard was born with no abnormalities was a stroke of good fortune. Some might even say her birth was a pre-determined matter of fate or destiny. An...interesting concept, I admit. Not one I put any stock in, of course. Shepard as some latter day messiah, here to save us all from our sins? It wouldmake for an interesting vid, I suppose. Certainly far more so than Blasto. The drell called it a...gross misrepresentation of the hanar people. I find myself agreeing with him on that score."
"Shepard's integration with the Cerberus crew has gone far more smoothly than I could have anticipated or hoped for. The fact that so many of the crew are former Alliance personnel has helped enormously. A fact I was careful to point out to the Illusive Man. I am not above manipulating the crew's former ties to the Alliance for the sake of the mission. Still, I find it...concerning that Shepard has spent so much of her time recently in the company of the aliens. Vakarian and Solus in particular. The turian was a part of Shepard's team during the geth invasion and the two share an unspoken trust and loyalty. Her apparent closeness with the salarian I put down simply him not being Cerberus and therefore less offensive to her sensibilities than myself."
"I just hope that, when the time comes, Shepard's loyalty to her own species supersedes any bonds she may have formed with our non-human allies. For all our sakes."
9. Jacob
"Man, I hate talking into these things. Feels like I'm talkin' to a robot. Or worse, an AI."
"Your continued antipathy towards me is counter-productive, Operative Taylor."
"...At least voice recorders don't talk back until you tell them to."
"OK. Cerberus Operative Jacob Taylor. Formerly Systems Alliance Marine Corps Lieutenant Jacob Taylor. Jesus, the brass love their titles. Stripped away of all the bullshit and doublespeak, I was grunt in charge of a unit of other grunts. I played my part, did my job like a good little soldier. For my sins, I was sidelined after Eden Prime. Got a little too...vocal with how the higher-ups were handling the situation. Or weren't handling it, rather. Ended up on the Citadel working alongside a woman with...flexible morals. Miranda Lawson, senior operative in charge of the Lazarus Project for the record. We prevented a terrorist attack on the Council. Bastards never heard about it either. That's Cerberus in a nutshell - we don't exist. If an operation is compromised, a cleaning crew is sent in to sanitise the situation. Would it be too cynical of me to question whether the sanitation team is also sanitised? Probably. Not even Cerberus is that hard core."
"I"m part of the Lazarus Project team. What's left of it, anyway. Damn Wilson. What the hell did he think he was accomplishing? None of that matters now, I suppose. Wilson's dead. No surprise that it was Miranda who shot him. Distinct lack of emotional connection to her colleagues, that woman. In the two years we've worked together, the only time I ever saw her smile was the first time Shepard began breathing on her own. I suppose being as high up in the Cerberus hierarchy makes a person close them self off from too much human contact. Cerberus' stated aim is the preservation and advancement of humanity. Yet, is it worth sacrificing our own humanity to accomplish our goals?"
"Should probably erase that part. Hell, with all the bugs on this ship, the Illusive Man probably already heard it. Ah well. I've never made any secret that I don't entirely trust him."
"But this mission is too important not to commit myself fully. Whatever questionable things the Illusive Man has done in the past, he's in the right this time. I just wish we had more backup out here. A single ship, even one as advance as the Normandyup against the Collectors and Reapers? Shepard's great at what she does but the woman's not a miracle worker. I don't expect any of us will come out the other side of this. Except maybe for EDI. That'd be interesting to see - a ship full of corpses with the AI left in charge."
"I will do all I can to ensure that eventuality does not occur, Operative Taylor."
"Yeah, not a ringing endorsement."