Mirror Universe Star Trek: Encyclopedia II - Mirror Universe Star Trek - Chronology

Mirror Universe Star Trek - Chronology

Mirror Universe Star Trek - Enterprise

A two-part episode of Star Trek: Enterprise, entitled "In a Mirror, Darkly", expands further upon the divergent history of the Mirror Universe.

On April 5, 2063, Zefram Cochrane conducted his warp flight, drawing the attention of a passing Vulcan ship, as per the events shown in the standard Star Trek universe in Star Trek: First Contact. When the Vulcans landed and made their peaceful introduction, however, Cochrane killed the leader with a concealed weapon, then led the townspeople in commandeering the Vulcan ship. "In a Mirror, Darkly" implies that the Vulcan vessel, in the Mirror Universe, either was, or was interpreted to be by humans, the vanguard of an invasion fleet. This is implied to be the point that the history of the Mirror Universe diverges from the standard Star Trek Universe, although it seems that most non-human races have similar backgrounds in the Mirror Universe and that human history differs before that time; in "In a Mirror, Darkly," Mirror-Phlox comments that classical literature features weaker characters in the Star Trek Universe, with the possible exception of the works of William Shakespeare.

Terran domination was made possible by technology taken from the Vulcans and presumably from other defeated races; thus, the Starfleet of the Mirror Universe was somewhat more advanced than its regular counterpart. By 2155, the Terran Empire had already enslaved the Vulcans, Andorians, Orions and Tellarites and launched successful attacks against the Klingons and the Xindi (as seen in the opening montage). However, the Mirror Universe crew of Enterprise, also known as the I.S.S. Enterprise, is actually more racially diverse than its real universe counterpart, with numerous Vulcans and Tellarites actually serving as crewmembers, and the Mirror version of T'Pol, in particular, holding a position of trusted authority; as in the "real" universe, a Denobulan, Phlox, serves as Enterprise's physician. The Mirror version of Soval is seen to be an enlisted science crewman aboard the ISS Avenger, another Starfleet vessel which is also seen to include Andorian and Orion crewmembers.

During the episode's stated date of January 2155, Archer steals the U.S.S. Defiant from the Tholians (who are more agressive than their non-Mirror counterparts), but is later apparently killed by Hoshi Sato, who subsequently declares herself Empress of the Terran Empire (though whether she succeeds in this gambit is not revealed). During the episode, future events are implied, such as the fall of the Terran Empire after several centuries (as seen in the Deep Space Nine storyline described below).

The title sequence of the "In a Mirror, Darkly" episodes chronicles the history of human warfare and interstellar domination of the Terran Empire, as opposed to the regular opening sequence depicting peaceful exploration. One of the more notable scenes is a Terran Empire flag being planted on the moon; this may or may not be in 1969.

Mirror Universe Star Trek - The Original Series

The existence of alternate realities was first established in the original Star Trek series episode "The Alternative Factor." In this episode, the crew encounter a man named Lazarus who appeared to undergo extreme shifts in behavior. After a time, it was discovered that there were two men, one from an alternative anti-matter universe who was calm and rational, and another from our universe who was irrational. Both men had a ship that had the ability to send people into the other's universe. The Lazarus from the alternative reality said that there was a corridor of sorts between the universes where he and his counterpart could safely meet. If they met outside the corridor, both universes would be annihilated due to the contact between matter and anti-matter. Lazarus arranged with Captain Kirk to trap both him and the other Lazarus in the corridor forever by having Kirk destroy the ship, and at the same time, the ship in the other universe was destroyed as well. Both men were trapped forever in the corridor, one sane, and one not.

The Mirror Universe was first introduced in the original Star Trek episode "Mirror, Mirror." It was established that in the Mirror Universe the United Federation of Planets counterpart was the brutal Terran Empire, run by humans and their Vulcan allies. In the Mirror Universe, the term "Terran" is predominantly used for humans. The Mirror-Captain Kirk of the Imperial Starship Enterprise was a mass-murderer, who had been promoted to Captain by assassinating Captain Christopher Pike.

In the Terran Empire, officers were promoted for assassinating their superiors and order was kept by use of the "Agonizer" pain-giving devices. In some serious cases, the "Agony Booth" could also be used. Aesthetic differences included: the Mirror-crew's uniforms were flamboyant and somewhat robe-like, with ceremonial daggers for the officers; Mirror-Sulu was a Gestapo-like political officer with a disfiguring facial scar; Mirror-Spock had a goatee; the "United Nations" emblem of the Federation was replaced in the Terran Empire symbol, which was a vertical sword of conquest savagely thrusted through the Earth.

In this original encounter, Captain Kirk, Dr. McCoy, Lieutenant Uhura, and Chief Engineer Scott were on a mission to Halkan to see if the Halkans would agree to give the Federation the right to mine their dilithium crystals. The Halkans refused because they were worried about the crystals being used for aggressive reasons. The crew were transported into the Mirror Universe as the result of a transporter accident when they tried to beam up from the Halkan planet during an ion storm, which also was affecting the Enterprise as well. Their counterparts in the Mirror Universe were beaming up at the same time from Halkan. The storm caused the crew to switch places with their Mirror-Universe counterparts.

The four crew members had to learn how to adapt to survive long enough in this universe until they could find a way home without being detected. Captain Kirk also tried to prevent the genocide of the Halkans - which violated the Mirror-Starfleet's orders. As a result, Kirk suffered several assassination attempts during his time in the Mirror Universe. Mirror-Starfleet ordered Mirror-Spock to give Kirk until planet dawn over their primary target to complete the mission.

The crew did find a way home, but had to move fast because the field density between the two universes was collapsing. At the last minute, Mirror-Spock found out about the four crew members. He decided to return the crew to our universe.

In a happy coincidence, the regular Spock easily determined the true nature of the Mirror-Kirk and the Mirror-versions of the other officers and promptly slapped them in the Enterprise brig while he worked on his side of the return exchange.

Before leaving the Mirror Universe, Kirk gave an impassioned speech in which he told Mirror-Spock that because the Empire would die in a few hundred years, that it was illogical, and Mirror-Spock was illogical for supporting the Empire. He asked Mirror-Spock to work for change, and Mirror-Spock replied that he would consider Kirk's proposal.

Mirror Universe Star Trek - Deep Space Nine

The Mirror Universe was later revisited in the Deep Space Nine episode "Crossover", and turned into a story-arc that spanned into the final season, with roughly one Mirror Universe episode a season.

On Deep Space Nine, which takes place over 100 years after the original contact with the Mirror Universe, it was revealed that drastic changes had occurred in the Mirror Universe, ironically, because of the interference of the regular universe's Kirk. Before he left the Mirror Universe, James T. Kirk planted seeds of doubt in the Mirror-Spock's mind about the Terran Empire's brutal tactics. Kirk noted that Spock was a man of honor in both universes, and the Mirror-Spock listened to Kirk's urging for reform. Mirror-Spock's future role on Enterprise, and the fate of Mirror-Kirk is unclear, though some have suggested that Mirror-Kirk was assassinated. Mirror-Spock then went on to become Chief of State of the Terran Empire. Mirror-Spock introduced many popular reforms that largely ended the iron-fisted rule of the Terran Empire, especially a vast demilitarization program. However, these reforms were very ill-timed.

Not long after Mirror-Spock's demilitarization drive, the Terran Empire encountered the Alliance. In the Mirror Universe, the Alliance is a unified government of the Klingons and the Cardassians, presumably ruled by the Klingon Emperor. The Alliance conquered the ill-prepared Terran Empire, and enslaved the Terrans and Vulcans. Terrans became pariahs and a slave race, often subjected to mass forced physical labor.

The Alliance does not have cloaking device technology, (although a ship was seen decloaking in an earlier episode, an episode in the seventh season established that the Mirror Universe does not have cloaking devices, and the earlier appearance was retconed out as a graphical error). However, cloak technology did exist in the 22nd century on at least one Terran ship (who in turn took it from the Suliban).

It is unknown what role the Romulans play in the Mirror Universe. However, there is evidence of their existence. When Sisko was finished impersonating Mirror-Sisko, he told Mirror-Jennifer Sisko he was leaving to see the Romulans. Also, in the normal universe, the Earth-Romulan War was fought 100 years before Kirk visited the Mirror Universe, and if the Terran Empire also encountered the Romulans at this time, they may have eradicated them rather than concluding an armistice with them as normal Earth did. This remains to be explained.

The Bajorans of the Mirror Universe were ruled by the Terran Empire, but later sided with the Alliance and became masters of Terran slave forces. Notable among them was Intendant Kira, the counterpart to the normal universe's Kira Nerys. Intendant Kira was a ruthless, sadistic hedonist; she was outwardly bisexual and sexually aggressive - characteristics apparently more common in Mirror Universe females than in normal universe ones. She maintained power in her sector of the Alliance from Terok Nor, the counterpart of Deep Space Nine.

When Deep Space Nine officers Julian Bashir and Kira Nerys visited the Mirror Universe, they sparked a rebellion among the Terran slaves led by the Mirror-Sisko and Mirror-O'Brien. Over the next five years, the Terran Rebellion would drag on and was not conclusively finished. However, Regent Worf was eventually taken as a prisoner of war by the rebellion.

The Klingon Empire of the normal Star Trek universe hasn't actually had an Emperor in 300 years; they were replaced by the Chancellor and the High Council. But in the Mirror-Klingon Empire there are still ruling Emperors. The Mirror-Imperial Family is House Duras, who were deposed in disgrace in the normal Trek universe. However, during Deep Space Nine, a Regent currently ruled as the true power behind the throne: the brutal Regent Worf.

Other characters in the Mirror Universe: Garak was Intendant Kira's first officer; Mirror-Odo was the cruel foreman of the human slaves on Terok Nor, and was killed by the Dr. Bashir of the normal universe; Mirror-Sisko was something of a shady pirate, but later started the Terran Rebellion, although he was later killed; Tuvok never got lost in the Delta Quadrant and was a member of the Resistance; Quark and Rom were both Rebel-sympathizers and were killed by Intendant Kira; Mirror-Nog and Brunt were also later killed by Intendant Kira (it almost seemed to be a rule that one mirror-Ferengi had to be killed in each Mirror Universe episode).

Sisko's wife Jennifer never died at the hands of the Borg in the Mirror Universe, and she had to be convinced to join the Resistance, she was later killed by the Mirror-Kira; Mirror-Julian Bashir was an uncouth, unshaven and aggressive member of the Resistance, although he was quite loyal; Mirror-Jadzia Dax was the lover of Mirror-Sisko, although she later died (roughly the same time her counterpart in the normal universe died); Mirror-Ezri (who did not have the Dax symbiote) was a double-agent working both sides, a bit of a tramp and bisexual; Mirror-Leeta was a member of the Resistance, also a bit trampy, and "debriefed" Ezri (they almost definitely had sex), Jake Sisko was never born in this reality; Mirror-O'Brien was a somewhat depressed character, so Mirror-Sisko dubbed him "Smiley" as a play on his first name 'Miles', and the name stuck to distinguish him from the normal O'Brien, he never married or had children but eventually became a high ranking cell leader in the Terran Resistance, and after Mirror-Sisko's death, perhaps the leader. Bareil Antos's Mirror Universe counterpart is also still alive, but he never became a Vedek (religious leader). Vic Fontaine also makes an appearance, working alongside the mirror-Ezri. In this universe, he is an android rather than a hologram like in the normal universe, he is killed shortly after his character appears.

Eventually, the Terran Resistance captured Mirror-Terok Nor and used it as a base of operations, and built a Mirror-Defiant using plans stolen from the normal universe.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Chronology", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki