Deep Dive

Posted on Sun Aug 23rd, 2026 @ 10:25pm by Commander Jennifer Baldric & Lieutenant Sarah Wilson & Commander Dean House & Lieutenant Commander Aurora Vali & Lieutenant JG Olivia Voight

2,405 words; about a 12 minute read

Mission: Pirates!
Location: Sickbay
Timeline: Before the attack.

Jennifer Baldric sat by a lake within the safe confines of her own mental creation. This place had provided sanctuary, a place her mind could retreat to when she needed to escape the torture. Now, she wasn't sure if she was still detained - things were muddled, unclear. Her feet dangled into the crystal clear water, the small movements sending ripples through the surface.

"Damn right we're going to bring her home." Dean took a long breath and tried again like he did with Batel. Opening his eyes to see a form sitting with her feet in the water of the lake. Moving close to her but not to close, announcing his presence. "Jennifer."

She felt him before she heard him, an interesting concept considering they were inside her mind. "Hey Dean" she said simply, eyes still on the ripples expanding in the water. "Wanna sit?"

"I do, though I brought a friend, is it okay if they join us as well?" Dean moved to her and for now sit cross-legged instead of taking his boots off and feet in the water. "I miss you."

Jennifer seemed confused by the comment. "I'm here though, I haven't gone anywhere. It's safe in here" she looked around at the beautiful vista she had designed around them.

If there was anything he learned by now, it was to keep that opening about missing her were it was for not. Dreamscapes could be fun, but also terrifying. "It certainly looks safe. You seem comfortable, at peace."

"There were bad things, horrible things. I like it in here though, they can't hurt me anymore in here" Jennifer kept her eyes on the ripples.

Aurora arrived a few moments later, taking a little longer to find her way to Jennifer. “Hello Jennifer” she smiled warmly giving Dean a smile as well. “We came to help you find your way back to us, that’s if you’re willing?”

Dean held a hand up to Aurora and shook his head, trying to indicate for her to not mention the situation yet. Little late, but he can swing it if necessary.

"Aurora? Wanna sit? Come and enjoy the view. It's lovely and peaceful and quiet" Jennifer smiled, not unperturbed that there were visitors into her sanctuary. A gentle breeze caressed the long golden grass, bending it ever so slightly in complex shapes and patterns as it passed, always changing.

Aurora moved around to take a seat, simply taking in the view. “It is a lovely view.”

There was a pause and then Dean looked from Aurora and back to Jennifer. He took a breath. Since Aurora already opened the door, maybe a little early, might as well go for it, just slowly. "It is a pretty view, not as much as you are, however."

"Flattering will get you everywhere" Jennifer smiled as the gentle breeze moved her dark hair. Over the horizon a storm began to brew - the tops of its high clouds and echo of distant thunder a herald to the incoming tempest. "I don't understand... why is there a storm here? Nothing should be able to hurt me here"

Aurora looked towards Dean, this wasn’t a good sign. “Your mind is slowly closing down Jennifer, you feel safe here but out there you’re not doing so well. We need you to come out, and I know that’s frightening.”

"But there are people who will hurt me out there" Jennifer looked towards the storm fearfully. "They did it before, twice. Forced their way into my mind, this is the only safe space left"

“Jennifer there’s no one out there that’s going to hurt you now” Aurora added calmly. “You’re safe with us, back aboard the real Sunfire. You don’t need to be afraid anymore, we’re not going to let anyone hurt you anymore.”

"Where am I?" Jennifer asked cautiously, wondering if she were still held captive on the Mirror ship and this was some figment of her protective mental state.

“You’re on the Sunfire, the REAL Sunfire and we need you.” Aurora added. “You know us, you know we wouldn’t hurt you Jennifer.”

"Jennifer, look at me," Dean turned a little more at the waist while still sitting there next to her. "I pulled us in here for a reason. We're dealing with the Mirrors. MU T'Lar saved you. She brought you back and is cooperating with intel. You're now in this state. Staying here so I tried what I did with Batel. It seems to have worked. We, I can't lose you."

Aurora smiled it was obvious Dean cared for Jennifer, she just hoped his plea would help encourage Jennifer’s return.

Olivia watched the monitors in hopes that things would eventually work out and everyone would come back together and without any issues.

Jennifer's face warmed at Dean's words, taking Aurora's to heart. The storm tumbled closer and a series of images appeared on the surface, flashbacks of her time on the Mirror Sunfire and the horrors that occured there. The agony chamber, the mind meld and the moment where she revealed that Dean had been augmented with Batel's DNA. Tears descended "I betrayed you all"

“You have betrayed no one!” Aurora added with reassurance. “You couldn’t fight a mind meld Jennifer, if you had it would have torn your mind to shreds. They forced this on you, it wasn’t you at all"

"But now they're gonna hunt him down and hurt him until he does what they want" Jennifer lamented. "I put a target on his back and they wont stop until they have him" the reflections on the lake shifted to the bridge of the Bristol, where Captain Bozeman had requested one of his Vulcan crew probe her mind to prove her innocence. Jennifer shook physically at the memory, the final straw that had caused her mind to create and rest in this constructed memory.

“Now we know that we can be on the alert, and Dean knows now too thanks to your warning.” Aurora added trying to be reassuring. “Please come back to us, I’ll be right there with you and so will Dean.”

"Are you 'my' people? Cos the Mirror people look just like us - just twisted and evil and nasty. I'm scared" Jennifer looked at Aurora with tears in her eyes. "I don't want to go back there"

"They may try. I and we've been through worse, just like we'll get through this." Dean shifted enough he could pull Jennifer into his lap and wrap his arms around her protectively.

"I don't know what that must have felt like, either of what happened. I know enough of other things I can imagine similar. I survived, it wasn't easy." He pressed a kiss to her temple, "So did you. That's what is important. You're far stronger than you give yourself credit. Even if you don't see it. Let me handle that if the time comes. You're what's important right now."

"I need to go back out there don't I?" Jennifer said quietly, the question more rhetorical than anything else. She allowed the warmth of Dean's arms to sooth her, before looking up at the still building storm. "That's my body shutting down isn't it, I can't stay here forever"

"I don't know what it is, it could be that. It might be your mind closing in from the fear. Either way, I'm here and I can push that storm away, but only to help you finish it." Meaning he could use his own body and mind to help her wounds, the mental part was going to be all on Jennifer for the rest of the way. Dean was only a guide with Aurora's help.

She looked at Aurora with fear in her expression, the winds picking up and the rain starting to fall. She looked back at Dean. "What do I need to do? I don't want you to die in here with me if it all turns to pot."

Once simple phrase from Dean, "You have to face your fears. We will be here to help."

Aurora nodded in agreement. “We’ll be right beside you, and no matter what we won’t judge you. We’ll be right by your side.”

Jennifer nodded, grasping both their hands "Let's go home"

A long corridor appeared before them, a series of doors along each side. There was no single option to return to the conscious world, more a labyrinth that would require navigation.

“Well this is going to be fun” Aurora looked to Jennifer. “This is your mind Jennifer, show us the way. You should be able to find your way through this.”

Closing her eyes for a moment, Baldric took a deep breath, trying to quell the fear that bubbled up within. There was no descriptors on the doors, just plain white doors. She walked up to the first one, paused, then opened it. Revealing a large open meadow.

"It's not this one...." She closed the door and moved to the next one, opening it to reveal the vastness of space beyond. "Not this one either."

It was a slow process, each door revealing a serene space, until one revealed the Sunfire - which would normally be ok - bar the Mirror counterpart that was approaching an image of herself.

Beyond - far in the distance beyond this door - was another door. To get out they had to go through.

Dean just waited a moment looking at the doors. This was going to be interesting. For the most part he simply followed along. Keeping an eye out for anything that could potentially be her mind trying to fight against her from them getting out.

Once they got to the Mirror Universe Jennifer version, he stopped half way in front of his Jennifer. "You know you're going to have to face her right? Neither Aurora or I can intervene unless absolutely necessary. If your mind, darling." Turning his head with a grin, "Know what the best thing about it being your mind is?"

Jennifer gave Dean an odd look for a moment, "What?"

"Just that, it's yours. You can do anything you want to do, including just dismissing that image or if you need to get it out, kicking her ass." Dean moved out of the way.

She gave a small smile, with a courage she didn't feel. Her friends were here to help her. With a deep breath, she stepped through the door and into the scene before them. More an observer than a participant.

Dean watched Jennifer go through the 'door.' He also lifted an arm out to stop Aurora from following. "That's her space. She has to deal with whatever is in there on her own. We're here as observers. For the moment. Doesn't mean you can't push and read what is going on in her head."

Jennifer felt the fear and vulnerability creep back in again - she wished for her friends, but this journey was hers to walk, they could only guide. She took a deep breath, stepping forward towards the scene and standing as she watched it play out before her. Somehow - it was like she needed to accept what had happened, to process rather than fight it. There was no pain, not physically as she observed. Only an anguish that would take months of therapy to cope with.

Once she accepted that it couldn't hurt her again the scene changed to the agonizer both on the MU Sunfire, then to the bridge of the Bristol. All time's she had suffered at the hands of others deliberately. The door at the end opened, revealing a white nothingness beyond. Jennifer looked back towards Aurora and Dean and beckoned them forward.

Aurora let out a breath she didn’t realise she was holding as she looked to Dean before she moved forward to join Jennifer. “You’re doing brilliantly Jennifer, you’re stronger than you realise.”

"I dunno about that, let's go home. I'm assuming this leads us back to the real world.. whatever that is" Baldric shrugged. "All I know is that we can't stay here"

“Good point” Aurora nodded. “We have little choice in the matter.”

They stepped towards the door and through, into the bright light that overtook everything.

Back in sickbay Sarah noticed the change almost immediately. Baldric's lifesigns were beginning to improve, marching from the red back towards the green within a relatively short period of time. Whilst far from out of the woods it was definitely positive progress. She noticed Aurora and Dean were beginning to wake on their own, and hoped Jennifer would do so shortly as well.

"No, darling, we can't." Dean paused, "Technically we could, forever, but that would be a good idea. I should like to keep holding you in the real world." Smiling lightly and following Jennifer through.

Taking a longer breath for a moment before he opened his eyes. Looking first for Jennifer and then Aurora to make sure they were okay before himself. "Okay, good they are here and okay. Good. I'm going to go night night now." Just as soon as Dean's head hit the pillow again, he was out. Physically fine, mentally however, he was exhausted and worn out.

" Looks like they had a rough time in there" Sarah commented to Olivia, who was still assisting and supporting the three of them. " I feel the worst is behind them. We just need to wait for Aurora and Jennifer to wake, then we can breathe again"

Aurora opened her eyes, lifting her head but immediately regretting it as she did so. Her head was pounding, and she too was worn out from the connection. “Ohh my poor head.” She offered a brief smile.

Olivia grabbed a tricorder and did a few scans to double check things. “Just take it easy,” Olivia said. “Don’t need you over doing it any right now.”

“No chance of that” Aurora offered a brief smile before closing her eyes to rest.

Some time later Jennifer awoke, only briefly, before settling into a restorable slumber, allowing her mind to rest from the efforts of escaping itself. Sarah breathed a sigh of relief, informing the senior staff, then making both herself and Olivia a strong cup of coffee. It had been one heck of a day.

 

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