Episode 15: The Hollow Reflection
236 Words
The crew stared in horror.
There were two Commander Holts.
One stood beside Captain Voss, her chest rising and falling in shallow breaths, weapon clutched tightly. The other stood in the dim hallway, motionless. Its uniform, its stance—identical. But something about it was wrong.
Its eyes.
They weren’t alive. They weren’t human. They were empty, like something was looking out from behind them.
Voss raised his weapon. “Identify yourself.”
The second Holt tilted its head. The movement was off—too slow, like a machine imitating life. Then, it smiled.
A perfect replica. Too perfect.
Then it spoke.
“I told you… you do not understand.”
Holt took a step back, her pulse racing. “That’s my voice.”
Dr. Rao’s hands trembled over her console. “Captain… that thing isn’t just copying her appearance. It’s copying her mind.”
Ng whispered, “It knows everything she knows.”
The entity stepped forward. The sound of its boots against the floor was delayed, like an echo.
Voss gritted his teeth. “Stay where you are.”
The copy of Holt just smiled wider.
Then—its body convulsed.
Its form twisted, its flesh and uniform rippling like liquid.
A moment later, it wasn’t Holt anymore.
It was Voss.
His own face. His own eyes.
And then, it spoke with his voice.
“The Rift never lets go.”
To be continued…
- Writer
