As Miranda walked back to her suite, her face burned at the Doctor's sharp dismissal. She wasn't angry at Doctor Chalkwas, at least not directly. She was ashamed. The doors to her room shut, sealing the rest of the universe out.
"Why is it that I always feel that I need to run to something else bigger in order to find protection!" She screamed to the void of her room. " From my father to Cerberus, and now from Cerberus to Shepard!"
Miranda slumped down in to the chair at her desk and cradled her head in her hands.
"And every time. Every God Damn time, its been fear that binds me. I ran from my father for my life. For Oriana. Then I've ran from Cerberus for my soul. But now with Shepard..."
"...I don't know what I have done..." She let out a violent shiver. "I don't know what to expect. She's just one woman. Just one..."
"And yet...she is more than that isn't she." And bodiless voice spoke from the room. It laughed softly.
At first Miranda was surprised, but then her face contorted in to a sneer. "Kasumi, show your self now!"
"Oh your never any fun." The voice replied and in almost an instant Kasumi Goto materialized lounging in a chair just across from Miranda. A smile gracing her face, but her eyes having the look of a feral cat.
Miranda just continued to glower at her. "Get out."
"Humm, what and let you just stew away all alone?" Kasumi goaded not moving. "Tisk, tisk such manners from a properly groomed 'lady'." Kasumi chided.
Miranda sneered. "Your so annoyingly chipper for being nearly vaporized by a Dreadnaught."
"And you make it sound as if the Everest actually would have stood a chance against the Normandy." The Thief said.
"Ms. Goto is embellishing the situation. Engaging the Everest would not have been a wise course of action considering our current situation. I did what was necessary by disabling their shipboard artificial gravity wells, scrambling their computer systems, and then making a 'wild' jump from the area after they opened fire." EDI stated as she appeared in Miranda's office.
"Oh c'mon EDI. You and I know you have more bags of tricks than that." Kasumi said playfully.
"Of course Ms. Goto. I could have disabled the Everest's life support systems, opened the ship to space, or caused some of their loaded disruptor torpedoes to go off. That is of course saying nothing for the Normandy's abilities. But as I said, engaging the Everest would not have been wise." EDI responded.
"Did Admiral Hackett order the Everest to open fire? What did he and Shepard discuss?" Miranda asked.
"Miss Lawson I do not know for certain who gave the order. But according to my the personality model I have on the Admiral; I can estimate with a 98.756 percent range that the order did not originate from him. May I also remind you that your last query asking the same set of questions occurred forty seven minuets ago." The AI remarked sharply. "Before you ask again; No. I will not tell you what The Commander and the Admiral discussed until Shepard is awake. Do no treat me like an imbecilic VI with a programmed circular response pattern. This is not a video game." EDI said tersely but without emotion, and disappeared.
Miranda let out a groan of frustration.
"Oh I do like it when she gets fiery!" Kasumi cooed. "But my. Miranda, I haven't seen you this strung up since the 'night' before we hit the Collectors. You could use a little pressure relief."
"I'm not going to sleep with you." Miranda hissed. She stood up and walked away form her desk. Her head now ached. I just need to know about Shepard... She thought.
"Hummm, dirty girl. I'll let that last comment pass for a Freudian slip." Kasumi said now looking outside the viewport in to the vast openness of space. "Besides your really not my type. I've never been a girl for curves and supple skin. More like toned and muscular. I like being pinned and pleasured by someone with power behind them."
Miranda just looked over and shot Kasumi a disgusted look. "I can't believe that we are even having this conversation..."
"...Now Shepard on the other hand. Uhmm." Kasumi moaned. "if I was a Lipstick Lesbian I'd defiantly go for her..." Kasumi said turning to look at Miranda with a wide dreamy smile on her face. "...if she wasn't taken already that is. I don't think its a great idea to piss Liara off by trying to steal her girlfriend. But what ever rocks your boat."
"I am not looking to...We were attacked by an Alliance Dreadnaught and now all you can think about is sex?" Miranda retorted.
Kasumi's eyes narrowed, their feral image returning. "Beats being terrified."
"Your not at all concerned about what happened." Miranda stated defensively.
"Not nearly in the way you are." Kasumi said again looking lazily out of the viewport as she gently rocked her right leg over her left.
Miranda was slowly starting to feel her temper wither. She was getting tired of having to be the one to know. Things weren't supposed to have gotten this far. By rights she wasn't even supposed to be here. Alive. None of them were. But here she was, and yet she didn't have any idea of what to do.
"You have a gray-box don't you." Kasumi said absentmindedly.
Miranda suddenly became more guarded. "What makes you think that?"
Kasumi turned and smiled sweetly as her eyes swept through Miranda's suite. " It's the way you have things arranged. For me, I have to have all my tools arranged by use then alphabetically, then by size for the job. I also have a very specific way I arrange my tools in my kit. If I don't, my performance is off. To most people I'm sure I come off as completely obsessive and compulsive. But, as you know, it goes far beyond that..."
"...It's how you think." Miranda finished ghostly, and Kasumi's smile only broadened.
"It's a beauty, and a burden. Perfect recollection, but without the wonder and freedom of abstract thought." Kasumi said wistfully as she got up and walked closer to Miranda, but still kept her distance. "You know. I really should be thanking you..."
"Why? For what?" Miranda said skeptically as she took a step or two back.
"If Cerberus hadn't show such an interest in me, I wouldn't have been able to have had Shepard's help with...that little outstanding job I had." Kasumi said in a sultry warm tone.
Kasumi sauntered gracefully over to her. Miranda looked, transfixed by the Thief's eyes as Kasumi gently put her right hand on Miranda's face. Miranda lost herself at the sensation of the warm touch. That oh so gratifying feeling of being alive at feeling the warmth of another.
Than in an instance Miranda was awoken by a jolt of pain as the Larcener took away her right hand and sent her left across Miranda's face. The Thief simply turned her back and slowly took a few steps away.
"What the Hell was that for?" Miranda shrieked. Her voice conveying more shock and surprise than anger and hurt.
"Partially for me, and partially for you. But mostly for Shepard." Kasumi said simply as she turned back around to face Miranda again. She could still see the angry mark her hand had left and she licked her lips lightly as if she had just tasted something delectable. "Oh how the mighty have fallen. Or rather, the egotistical in your case." She said acidly.
"If your just going to continue to mock me, you might as well just leave Ms. Goto." Miranda growled as she tried to regain her composure.
"Leave? You still don't get it do you. You still try to cling to some sort of authority you think you have here, though you have none. I can no more leave then you can. Unless you prefer an evirosuit and a walk out the airlock. Which I am sure can still be very much arranged." Kasumi retorted as she easily slipped against wall and bared her arms across her chest.
"Are you threatening me?" Miranda hissed.
The Thief gave her a vicious smile. "This is very much like seeing a cat play with a mouse. Or maybe its the cat who is enjoying the spectacle as the mouse jumps at it's very shadow. Either way, it's quite entertaining." She laughed softly. "You wonder what happened on Araoht. You wonder what words Shepard and Hackett exchanged. You wonder what drove Shepard to obliterate an entire star system. But in all that you may 'wonder' about, you can't help but feel responsible for it."
Ice struck Miranda. I am responsible... Her mind eeked. She had been responsible for lives before. She had been in charge of Lazarus. She had killed before. But...and entire star system was...gone.
Kasumi smiled thinly as she watched Miranda's mind go to work. "You fool."
Miranda looked up to her. A look of being utter lost covered her completely.
"Again you think you have some authority here, but any power you had has long since vanished." Kasumi said airily.
Miranda's eye's sharpened. "You were in the comm room with Shepard and Hackett."
"Ah ever the observant one I see. Two points to Lawson!" Kasumi chided.
"What did he want with Shepard?" Miranda asked desperately.
"Now now, I have to take EDI's side in this. Have to wait for Shepard to wake for the 'big surprise'. Besides, if I don't already want to piss off Shepard's girlfriend; I also don't want to piss off Shepard's Ship. But...maybe I can play a little game of show and tell with you. If your willing." Kasumi said playfully.
"What do you mean now! Do you know how asinine you sound?" Miranda fired.
"Oh don't sound so touchy. Its simple. I show you something, and you tell me if you really think you have any real power left in this little game we are apart of." Kasumi said.
Miranda exhaled in frustration. Anything to get her out of my sight! He mentally screamed. "Fine."
"Good, now do you have a grey-box? yes or no." Kasumi asked in a serious manner.
"Why..." Miranda said.
"That must be your favorite little word. Look I'm not here to mind rape you. Asari do that. And I don't care for any 'little' secrets you have hidden away. Just a simple yes or no will suffice." Kasumi said.
"er..yes..." Miranda offered up, as Kasumi came closer again. Miranda instinctively backed away and fell down on her bed embarrassingly.
Kasumi laughed. "Good this will be much easier, and more...entertaining. Now I just need you to dock with me." Kasumi said as she hit a 'mental' switch that activated her grey box. The implant sprang to life and shaded her eyes in a green visor.
What do I have to lose. Miranda thought as she followed suite.
"Visitor code is Ohka Omega." Kasumi chimed.
Miranda knew that a visitor code was a randomly chosen phrase that allowed the 'host' gray box to 'invite' a visiting grey box, be it another person or a grey box reader, in to share and exchange information. The Host still controlled what the information was shown and how it was depicted, and thus the host ruled the 'show'.
The image of the Normandy melted away from view and soon she and Kasumi were in a dead space.
"So glad to know I can still paint a mark." Kasumi said playfully as she quickly searched for the 'files' she wanted.
"Let just get this over with. We have wasted enough time." Miranda hissed.
"Oh and what would you do with your precious 'time'? File more meaningless reports? No this is much more fun." Kasumi retorted. "Ah here we are!"
In an instant 'plates' of memories, information and images spread out from infinity to infinity in front of Kasumi, and she quickly began pealing away the layers of the memories which unlocked the information. Miranda tried to peer closer to get a better look but was shun away by the Thief.
"My, my aren't you a voyeur. I'm sorry Miranda, but I'm not the kind of girl. I like to tease." Kasumi said seductively.
Miranda backed away and felt her cheeks redden. She didn't even want to know what kind of memories the information was wrapped up in. But in a flash 'slides' appeared.
Slides containing very familiar images. Tech schematics, weapons analysis. Samples of a 'tissue' samples taken...
"Where did you get this..." Miranda said ghostly.
Kasumi smiled thinly. " Remember that 'little' job Shepard helped me with? This is the information from my partner's grey box. The partner who was killed by that Bastard Donavan Hock." Kasumi seethed. "I didn't know what Keji had stolen. Neither did he. Well at least not entirely. But this information got him killed." She said as she quickly fanned through the slides.
The images were going too fast for Miranda to keep track of. "Wait Kasumi...Wait! Slow down!" She called out.
"Sorry this isn't for your eyes Miri. But we are nearly...there!" She cried out with glee as she stopped on a 'file' and opened it up. She backed away and allowed Miranda to come close for a better view.
The 'file' started to play. It was memory of a recording on the Presidium of the Citadel. From the image Miranda could tell that the Presidium was still torn apart from Sovereign's attack. It focused on two people. One was Admiral Hackett. The other was a traitor. The worthless sniveling codger who had nearly ruined Lazarus. Wilson. They were talking.
The filed played, but no audio could be discerned.
"What are they saying?" Miranda asked.
"Honey. Meetings like that don't exist. It never happened. Be happy that you have the video." Kasumi purred.
Miranda looked back fixed on the video before her. She could tell that the Admiral was not happy, but at the same time satisfied. He handed over a data pad back to Wilson and looked like he was done with the conversation. She noticed that Wilson then stepped forward, as if demanding something. Payment? A bribe? A threat? Miranda didn't know, but she could have made an educated guess as she saw Hackett grab Wilson and pull him close. After 'sharing' a few words, Hackett tossed the man away and the video stopped."
Miranda had to know. Shepard had shared with her files pointing out that Wilson's hand had been greased by the old Shadow Broker. But why had he met with Hackett? She had never know anything about that meeting. She had known about every coming and going of every individual tied in any way directly to Lazarus. She would have known if Wilson had been on the Citadel.
...She would have known unless it had been hidden from her...
"What was that all about?" Miranda demanded.
"Uh ah. I am not done showing you Miss. Lawson. You tell me. As I said, I like to tease. Act two is starting...now..." Kasumi crooned.
Again Miranda saw Wilson sitting at an empty table. She knew where he had been. Chora's Den. At first she suspected him at ogling the dancers that swayed back and forth in the dimly lit and dingy 'gentleman's' club. But he was soon joined by another person. Miranda didn't know who the new individual was. The being was pressed in a navy pullover hoody and dressed in baggy and torn trousers.
"That must have been his Shadow Broker contact." Miranda said announced.
Kasumi was silent, but held a small smile on her face.
Wilson said a few words to the individual, and responding the individual next to him took out an object. The video froze and zoomed in on the object. As the image cleared up, Miranda saw the Systems Alliance Intelligence symbol on it. It was a badge. A ball of dread roiled up in Miranda's chest as the video zoomed out and continued to play. Wilson and the SAI agent continued to talk, yet at the same time trying to look non descriptive. The conversation continued for a few minuets more, and then the SAI agent handed a small card to Wilson. A credit chit. The Agent got up and walked away leaving Wilson alone at the table.
They knew...
The files fanned back to the first of the order and then disappeared entirely.
They all fucking knew! Her mind screamed as the blank darkness of the 'inside' of the gray box faded away. She found herself back in her room on the Normandy. Miranda had her head in her hands. She was trembling with terror. With anger.
"You fool." Kasumi sang softly as she watched Miranda shiver. "Did you really believe that even Cerberus; the Illusive Man, could contain the existence of a Project like Lazarus? Four billion credits spent like water in just two years. Brilliant scientists that simply, disappeared in the night? Did you believe that 'he' would even have wanted to keep it entirely hidden? You were drinking the Topari harder than I thought." Kasumi sniped.
Miranda started to break down. She was shaking uncontrollably, heaving with sobs.
"No Ms. Lawson. You have no authority here. Nothing was ever supposed to go to plan. The moment Lazarus began. The instant your Doctors and Scientists made the first cut. Pushed in the first needle. Your idea of how it was all going to 'go' ceased to exist. Your self garnered sense of responsibility for what happen to Bahak is a waste. As is your fear of her." Kasumi said acidly.
Miranda didn't look up. She couldn't face the Thief any longer. "Just go." She weakly said.
"So here we are at the gates of oblivion. I know my part. What is yours?" Kasumi said as she disappeared behind her cloak. The door opened as her imperceptible image floated away.
Author's Note: I wanted to explore Miranda's character a little bit more. To me she always held the feeling that she was hiding a secret about Lazerus. Hence why she acted so cold to Shepard. To me she also seemed to be a little frightened of the Commander as well. For a reason only understood by her.