Echoes in the Mirror
Posted on Tue Jul 7th, 2026 @ 5:02am by Lieutenant JG Katie Kellerman & Senior Chief Petty Officer Jadizon Enor
Mission:
Die Hard: Chimera Edition
Location: Planet > The Celestial Meridian Resort
Enor stood over the sink in the luxurious hotel suite bathroom, cold water running over his hands as he splashed it across his face again and again. The suite itself looked like something reserved for diplomats and admirals, polished metallic architecture softened by warm ambient lighting, massive windows overlooking the glowing city below, soft orchestral music barely audible through hidden speakers. None of it helped.
His reflection stared back through the droplets streaking the mirror: strong jaw clenched, blond hair damp and falling out of place, blue-green eyes that usually carried confidence now looking tired and haunted. Water ran through the short beard along his jaw and dripped steadily from his chin onto the pristine counter beneath him.
Four hours earlier, he had shoved the leave PADD into Draven’s chest and walked out of the docking bay before anyone could stop him, ask questions, or see the crack forming beneath the armor. Since then he had descended to the planet’s surface, checked into the luxury suite with Katie, forced smiles through lobby greetings and bell attendants, all while trying to ignore the cold feeling lingering in the back of his mind.
Now he was here, alone, or at least he wanted to be.
“You’re frightened of me now,” her voice whispered softly behind him.
Jadizon froze and slowly lifted his eyes toward the mirror.
She stood there, clear as anything.
Dark hair spilled over pale shoulders while calm black eyes remained fixed on him with unsettling affection. Beautiful in the worst possible way, like something crafted specifically to lower every defense he had ever built. The soft gold lighting of the suite wrapped around her pale skin almost warmly, making her look less like a nightmare and more like temptation.
“You are not real,” he muttered quietly.
A faint smile touched her lips.
Her hands settled against his shoulders.
Cold.
Not physical cold. Something deeper.
“You felt me,” she whispered near his ear. “When you died, you welcomed me.”
Jadizon shut his eyes tightly. “No.”
Her fingertips slowly slid upward along his neck and jawline, gentle enough to make his stomach tighten despite himself. She leaned closer behind him, lips nearly brushing the edge of his ear as she spoke.
“You are tired, Jadizon. You carry everyone. The crew. The Captain. Kally. Katie. Draven. Always carrying. Always protecting.”
Her voice wrapped around him like silk.
“And who carries you?”
His breathing deepened despite himself, and he hated that immediately.
In the mirror, she rested lightly against him, one hand slowly tracing across the center of his chest over the soaked uniform while her dark eyes never left his reflection.
“You came back wrong,” she whispered softly. “Part of you stayed with me.”
Jadizon gripped the sink tighter.
“You do not have to fight me,” she murmured. “You are exhausted. Let me take that weight from you.”
Her fingers brushed slowly beneath his jaw, tilting his head ever so slightly toward her touch.
For one dangerous second, he did not pull away.
Then Jadizon turned sharply.
Nobody there.
Only the luxurious suite bathroom, the low ambient hum of the city beyond the windows, and the sink still running endlessly.
He looked back toward the mirror, then down at himself, realizing his command-red jacket and undershirt were completely soaked through from repeatedly splashing cold water across his face without noticing. Damp blond hair clung to his forehead now.
“Damn it…” he muttered under his breath.
For a long moment he simply stared at himself in the mirror. Not broken. Not beaten.
But unsettled in a way Jadizon Enor had never experienced before.
Then softly, almost lovingly, her voice whispered one last time from somewhere behind him.
“You cannot wash me away.”
Katie had changed into a skirt, tshirt and flats, and was ready for a comfortable evening. She knocked on the bathroom door. "Jadizon? You okay?" When no response was forthcoming, she checked the door. It was unlocked and she opened it carefully, then stared in shock. "What....happened?" she said.
Water was all over the floor, Jadizon was soaked, and he looked like he'd just run a marathon. "What happened?" Katie said, again, immediately moving in to check on him, feeling his pulse and looking into his eyes. "Hey, you; come back to me," she said, tapping his face.
Jadizon snapped back at the tap of Katie’s fingers, eyes sharpening like a man coming out of combat instead of a trance. His breathing was heavy beneath the soaked command-red uniform while water dripped steadily from his jaw and sleeves.
“I’m here,” he said low and rough. “She was here again.” His eyes cut toward the mirror, missing Katie's frown.
Empty now. “She got close. Too close. Tried to crawl into my head, tried to make me believe I still belonged to her because I died.” His jaw tightened hard. “But I fought her.... even though it was as if she was touching me." The words sounded ridiculous out loud, and he knew it, but the look in his eyes made it painfully obvious he believed every second of it.
Only after speaking about it did he seem to fully notice the state he was in. He glanced down at himself, blinking once at the soaked uniform clinging to his chest before looking around at the bathroom floor covered with water reflecting the warm suite lights.
A tired breath escaped him. “…Damn.”
Jadizon rubbed a wet hand down his face before looking back toward the mirror again, jaw tightening. “By the blood of Enor,” he muttered quietly, almost like a prayer, “my mind remains my own, You are not welcome in my thoughts, I am the master of my mind.”
His eyes hardened slightly. “She didn’t win...... I'm ok”
Katie raised an eyebrow. "Okay." She regarded him. "What were you thinking and doing when it happened?"
“Honestly?” he muttered. “I was thinking about how badly I wanted to shut my brain off for a night.”
His eyes drifted briefly toward the mirror again.
“I kept replaying the docking bay. Hearing her voice. Wondering if I was losing my mind or if this thing is actually attached to me.” A tired breath escaped him. “Then I started thinking about everything waiting for me when we get back to the ship. Crew problems. Department heads. Draven learning the ropes. You. Kally. All of it at once.”
A faint humorless laugh escaped him.
“And somewhere in there I apparently decided splashing cold water on myself like a dramatic holovid character was a solid coping mechanism.”
"Mm hm, Katie said, thinking. "Kally thinks you weaken due to stress, fatigue, et cetera, and that lets 'her' in. She's treating it as a medical issue, that's why she had you take more time off. But what that's not what's going on? What if this thing isn't so much a physical virus as a computer virus? Trying to get into the software in there." She tapped his temple. "If that's the case, we might be able to hinder her progress."
Jadizon looked at her for a long moment, water still dripping from the edge of his sleeve onto the floor.
“A psychic virus,” he muttered thoughtfully. “Would explain why she feels… invasive.”
His eyes narrowed slightly as he thought it through.
“Betazoids already exchange emotions and thoughts naturally. If something latched onto me while I was dead, maybe stress lowers whatever mental defenses I normally have.”
A faint humorless smirk crossed his face. “Great. So now I’m haunted and medically fascinating.” Then his expression settled again, more serious this time.
“But if you’re right… then that means she can be fought.”
"And potentially we can overwrite her," Katie said. "Or maybe figure out a way to firewall your brain. Something to keep her from continuing to access...well...you."
Jadizon let out a short laugh, shaking his head as he leaned back against the counter.
“A psychic virus,” he repeated. “That sounds like something a Starfleet science officer says right before the ship explodes.”
He rubbed a hand through his damp hair and exhaled slowly.
“Maybe you’re right. Or maybe my brain’s just playing tricks on me after dying for a few minutes.” His eyes flicked toward the mirror again before settling back on her. “Wouldn’t exactly be the first officer to come back from the dead with baggage.”
"True," Katie said. "I hear the stories, the whispered tales, and, God knows, Kally goes on about some effing Koala," she rolled her eyes, "but either way, this doesn't feel like it's something your brain just 'made up.'"
A faint smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth, though it didn’t fully reach his eyes.
“But if it is something real… then I’d rather treat it like an enemy than sit around afraid of it.”
Katie smiled that same, patient, loving smile she always kept at the ready. "That's my hero," she said, grinning. She kissed him carefully, but slipped back when he tried to put his arms around her. "Oh no no. You are changing and drying off and we are going out. We are going to do something a-typical and go see a sight. There's a fantastic museum back at the station and we should go spend some time walking around. We'll get a change of scenery and help clear your mind. Then, we'll grab some dinner, and if you're tired by that point, we'll come back here and I'll make sure you sleep well tonight. Deal?" She grinned up at him.
Jadizon looked down at himself and groaned softly at the sight of the soaked uniform and water covering the floor.
“Fantastic,” he muttered. “Nothing says relaxing shore leave like a psychological breakdown followed by a museum.” He started peeling the drenched jacket off his shoulders with visible annoyance before tugging at the soaked undershirt sticking to his chest. “For educational purposes, I hate museums,” he grumbled. “Right now I want to do the exact opposite of everything I spent the last four hours telling enlisted personnel not to do.”
"All the more reason," she said.
A faint smirk finally pulled at the corner of his mouth as he glanced toward her. “Honestly, I’m about two bad decisions away from finding whatever passes for whiskey on this planet and nuking my brain for the evening.” He tossed the wet shirt aside and sighed. “But fine. Museum. Dinner. Productive emotional processing.” Then he pointed toward the suite bedroom with two fingers. “Grab me something dry before I traumatize the hotel staff.”
Katie chuckled and went back into the bedroom and pulled out a clean, dry outfit for him. She laid it out on the bed, sitting back as he came out, dry and clean. "Doing something opposite of what you'd expect is probably healthy for you. Shaking things up upstairs is potentially a way to keep you grounded and her at bay."
Jadizon stepped out of the bathroom a few minutes later, towel around his neck and damp blond hair pushed back loosely from his face. Without the uniform, the strain looked more human on him. Broad shoulders, old faded scars crossing muscle built from years of starship life rather than vanity.
“See?” he said dryly while pulling on the off-duty shirt Katie had laid out. “This is why I keep you around.” He dressed quickly, tugging the dark shirt into place before stepping into the pants and adjusting the cuff at his wrist.
"Oh, that's the reason?" she said, sassing him back. "And here I thought it was because I baked you cupcakes." She took his arm and stood on tiptoe to kiss his cheek.
“So your official medical opinion is less responsibility and more chaos even though your an Engineer?” A faint smirk crossed his face. “Dangerous advice.” Still, his eyes drifted toward the glowing city outside the suite window. “…You might be right.”
"Been known to happen," she said.
Before motioning that they should head for the door, Jadizon reached toward the side table, grabbed his Type-I phaser, and slid it discreetly into his jacket pocket out of pure instinct.
Then he looked back toward Katie. “Alright, My Love. Let’s go see this museum before I change my mind and find the nearest bar.”
Katie held his arm and patted his shoulder. "Be a good boy and stop grumbling and we can hit the bar on the way back," she promised, leading him out away from the ghost in the room.
