Mirror Universe

The characters of the Mirror Universe, in general, are the same as their counterparts in the main universe of Star Trek, but they are more aggressive, distrustful and adventurous. While the Star Trek universe typically describes an optimistic future, where peace and understanding are highly valued, the series taking place in the Mirror Universe show its complete opposite with ongoing wars, where kindness and condescension are considered signs of weakness. Military uniforms are often seductive, especially women’s.

Although most of this universe is darker and more brutal than the normal Star Trek universe, some mirror characters turn out to be friendlier and more peaceful than their “normal” counterparts. For example, Mirror Quark risks his life trying to help slave slaves escape. Also, despite the fact that the “normal” Brant is selfish and power-hungry, his mirror double is soft and friendly ferengi .

As indicated in the Parallels series, there are an infinite number of parallel universes in the Star Trek world. But the Mirror Universe is apparently special, as it is somehow partially connected with the “normal” Star Trek universe, which explains the simplicity with which different characters travel between them. Also, many characters in the series have doubles in the Mirror Universe, despite the insignificant chances of this due to the different stories of these two universes. Also, in the Parallels series, the Mirror Universe was not shown. The mirror universe was shown in one episode of the Original Series , in five episodes of Deep Space 9 and in two episodes of Enterprise , as well as in several novels, games, and fan films and series based on the main series of Star Trek (in Star Trek: Shattered Universe , for example, everything happens exclusively in the Mirror Universe).

Not every “normal” character has a mirror double: since the mirror versions of Benjamin and Jennifer Sisko diverged before conceiving a child, there is no Jake Sisko double in the Mirror Universe. In addition, since the symbiont Dax in the mirror universe was never connected to Ezri Teagan, there is no exact copy of Ezri Dax in this universe (Ezri Teagan exists, but as a separate person). Some mirror counterparts of the main characters also died during the series, while their “normal” versions survived.

It should be mentioned that characters from these universes never call their doubles “mirror”, but only “parallel” or “alternative”.

Enterprise

A two-part series entitled “ In the Dark Mirror ” presents early events in the Mirror Universe.

On April 5, 2063, Zephram Cochrane made the first warp flight in the history of mankind, attracting the attention of a flying Vulcan ship, which happened the same way as in the “normal” universe in the movie Star Trek: First Contact . But when the Vulcans made a peaceful landing and introduced themselves, the "mirror" Cochrane reached for the hidden shotgun and killed the captain of the ship and then led the inhabitants of the town to board the alien ship. Although the exact purpose of the ship in the Mirror Universe was not established, the version was officially accepted that the Vulcans were preparing an invasion of the Earth and that people delivered a preemptive strike. (The version is controversial, because by all indications the "mirror" Vulcans did not differ from the "normal".)

A special screensaver of this series summarizes and summarizes the history of mankind as a series of wars and interstellar conquests of the Earth Empire , instead of the usual screensaver describing the history of peaceful exploration and space exploration. One of these scenes also shows how a soldier in a more perfect spacesuit sets the flag of the Empire on the Moon . (Perhaps there was no Apollo program in this universe.)

The triumphal expansion of the Empire was made possible by technology captured from the Vulcans and, possibly, from other enslaved races. Thus, the Earth Starfleet of the Mirror Universe is slightly more advanced than its “normal” counterpart. By 2155 , the Earth Empire had already enslaved the Vulcans, Andorians , Orions and Tellarites , and also successfully resisted the Klingons and Zindi . But the crew of the mirror Enterprise , also known as the ISS Enterprise , is much more racially diverse than its "normal" counterpart, as you can see Vulcans, Tellarites among the crew. The mirrored version of T'pol , for example, is a trusted and influential person, as in the "normal" universe, the Denobulan Phlox is a ship's doctor, albeit a little sadistic. The Mirror Soval serves as assistant science captain aboard the ISS Avenger, which is also served by the Andorians and Orions.

In January 2155, mirrored Jonathan Archer hijacks USS Defiant , a starship from the “normal” universe of the Original Series, missing in the Tolian Network series, from mirrored Tolians (more aggressive than their “normal” counterparts), but then dies from the hand of her mistress, Hoshi Sato , who then declares herself Empress of the Earth Empire (the success of her adventure in the series is not shown).

Discovery

In the 2250s, the empire was ruled by Emperor Philippe Giorgiu Augusta of Japan Centaurus, usually traveling in his starship palace, the Charon. By that time, the empire had conquered many planets, including Vulcan, Andoria and Khonosh, most likely due to the study of more advanced Defiant technologies. However, many races still united to counter the tyranny of earthlings led by a Klingon nicknamed the Fiery Wolf (he is Wok's twin from the "normal" universe).

After the death of her parents, Michael Burnham was adopted by Philip Georgiou. When Michael matured, the emperor allowed Captain Gabriel Lorca to become her mentor, not suspecting that Lorca was planning to seduce Burnham and take advantage of her help to overthrow Georgiou and become emperor himself. The attempt failed, and Burnham was listed as missing (possibly died), while Lorca somehow teleported to the “normal” universe and took the place of his double - the captain of the spaceship “Buran”.

When the Discovery starship hit the mirror universe, Lorca had a second chance to seize power in the Empire. He almost succeeds, but Georgiou interacts with Burnham from the "normal" universe and kills the traitor. Subsequently, the imperial flagship is destroyed, and the emperor finds himself in the “normal” universe, where Section 31 recruits it.

Original Series

The existence of alternative realities was first established in the “ Alternative Factor ” series. In this series, the Enterprise crew meets a man named Lazarus, who is apparently experiencing a radical shift in behavior. After a while, the crew finds out that they actually saw two people: one from the alternative, anti-matter universe that was calm and rational, and the other from our universe that was irrational. Both Lazarus had a ship capable of moving people to another universe. Alternative Lazarus stated that there is a so-called corridor between the two universes, in which he and his double can meet in safety. If they met outside the corridor, then the contact of matter and antimatter would lead to the annihilation of both universes. Alternative Lazarus set up everything so that, together with Captain Kirk, leave both Lazarus in the corridor forever, destroying his ship. At the same time, that Lazarus set up the explosion of his own ship (perhaps not without the help of mirror Kirk). Thus, both people remained in the corridor forever, constantly fighting with each other.

The mirror universe first appeared on the screen in the series “My Light, Mirror”. The series revealed that in the Mirror Universe, the counterpart of the United Federation of Planets is the brutal Earth Empire, which is controlled by people and their Vulcan allies. In this universe, instead of the word "man", many use the word "earthling" (or "terranin", from the Latin. Terra - Earth). Mirror Kirk was a killer who took command of the Enterprise, killing his captain Christopher Pike .

In the Earth Empire, officers receive promotions by killing the highest rank, and order is maintained through the "agonizer", a device that generates acute pain. In especially serious situations, the use of an “agony booth” was permitted. Aesthetic differences between universes include: mirror crew uniforms are more ostentatious, officers also wear ceremonial daggers . Mirrored Sulu is the political officer of the ship with an ugly scar on his face and the habits of the Gestapo . Mirror Spock has a goatee (after this series, many comedy series or shows used the idea that "evil doubles" must have a goatee, including the "evil" Eric Cartman , a character in the animated series " South Park "). The emblem of the Federation, based on the emblem of the UN , is replaced by the emblem of the Empire, consisting of an image of the Earth with a sword behind.

During this contact, Captain Kirk, Dr. McCoy , Lieutenant Uhura and Chief Engineer Scott try to make a deal with the peace-loving Halkans. The ion storm creates problems when teleporting to the ship, and these four crew members fall on the mirror Enterprise, while their mirror counterparts fall on the "normal" Enterprise.

Kirk tries to save the mirrored chalkans from extermination - a standard imperial doctrine in the resistance of the local population. And, of course, an attempt is made on him.

Both Spock learn about the "exchange" of officers and try to return them to their places for a certain period of time.

Before leaving the Mirror Universe, Kirk makes a passionate speech before Spock that, since the Empire (according to Mirror Spock) is destined to die a few centuries later, it is illogical, and Spock himself is illogical, as he supports the Empire. He asks mirror Spock to begin the process of change, to which he replies that he will think.

About a year after the first displacement, Kirk through ignorance again finds himself connected with the Mirror Universe. In the Tolian Network series, the Enterprise discovers a damaged Defiant starship, which is constantly shifting into and out of reality due to a local space anomaly. Kirk leads a team of researchers aboard and discovers that all crew members are dead due to the detrimental effects of the anomaly on the brain. When the Defiant again begins to shift from reality, the group teleports aboard the Enterprise, but Kirk does not have time and gets stuck between the realities. The Tolians claim that this territory belongs to them and are trying to capture the Enterprise in their energy network, but the Enterprise, under the command of Spock, manages to avoid being captured by the Tolians and rescue Kirk from his state.

But Kirk did not know that, as shown in the series “In the Mirror of Black”, “Defiant” disappeared due to the fact that the mirror Tolians (and not “normal” ones, and moreover from the mirror past) opened an interdimensional hole, hoping to steal technology from others realities. Unknowingly, their hole also turned out to be intertemporal, connecting with an alternative universe after 110 years. Mirrored Tolians sent a distress signal and lured the Defiant into their trap, eventually drawing it completely into the mirror universe. Tolians did not even bother to remove the bodies of the dead crew members, wanting to quickly learn technological innovations.

Deep Space 9

A series of "Deep Space 9" called " Transition " began a side storyline that continues until the end of the series. On average, each season had one series about the Mirror Universe.

In Deep Space 9, which takes place 100 years after initial contact with the Mirror Universe, it is revealed that that universe has undergone radical changes. Ironically, this was precisely due to the intervention of the “normal” Kirk. Because of Kirk's words, Mirror Spock decided to change the Empire. How he did this is unknown, but in the end, Spock became the head of the Empire and carried out many popular reforms that ended the brutal rule of the Earth Empire, including a major demilitarization program. Unfortunately, these reforms turned out to be inappropriate.

Soon after the demilitarization program was established, the Empire met with the Cardassians , who united with the Klingons under a single Alliance banner. The Alliance succeeded in making the weakened Empire a semi vassal , and quite a large part of the Imperial Provinces was completely annexed. Earthlings became pariahs in the Alliance, and a significant part of them became a race of slaves.

The alliance does not have invisibility technologies, but at least one terrestrial ship in the XXII century had a similar device (captured from the Suliban). (Obviously, the Earth Empire is secretly improving the technology of invisibility.)

The role of the Romulans in the Mirror Universe is unknown, but it is known that they exist. When Sisko pretended to be a mirror Sisko, he told the mirror Jennifer Sisko that he was leaving to meet with the Romulans in order to try to persuade them to fight together against the Alliance. This indicates that the Romulans also have an independent empire in this reality. It also means that, unlike many other races, the Romulans managed to confront the Earth empire. Given the properties of the Mirror Universe, it can be assumed that the “Mirror” Romulans are similar to the “Normal” Vulcans (These races were originally conceived as “Mirrors” of each other).

The Bajorans of the Mirror Universe were enslaved by the Earth Empire, but later rebelled and joined the Alliance and became masters of the earth slaves in the Bajor region of the Alliance. Among them, the prominent personality is the quartermaster of Kira, a mirror version of Kira Neris . Quartermaster Kira is a ruthless sadist and hedonist . She was openly bisexual and sexually aggressive — these characteristics are more pronounced among women in the Mirror Universe than among women in the “normal” universe. She maintained her power in the sector from Terok Nor Station, a mirrored copy of Deep Space 9 .

When Deep Space 9 officers Julian Bashir and Kira Neris accidentally entered the Mirror Universe, they launched an uprising among the Earth slaves led by mirror Sisko and mirror O'Brien . Earth revolt lasts at least another five years, but its end is not visible. Although, in the end, Regent Worf himself was captured by the rebels.

Клингонская империя «нормальной» вселенной на самом деле не имела императора на протяжении 300 лет, и возглавлялась канцлером и Верховным советом . Но в Зеркальной вселенной Клингоно-Кардасианской Империей правят императоры. Зеркальной императорской семьей является Дом Дурас . На самом деле троном правит жестокий и безжалостный регент Ворф — Зеркальный двойник «нормального» Ворфа.

Другие персонажи Зеркальной вселенной:

• Элим Гарак — бывший помощник-заместитель интендента Киры.
• Одо — жестокий прораб , надзирающий над землянами-рабами на станции «Терок Нор». Убит «нормальным» Баширом.
• Benjamin Sisko is a former pirate who organized an Earth revolt, but later died.
• Tuvok - is still in the Alpha Quadrant and is a member of the resistance.
• Quark and Rum are sympathizers of the rebels killed by Quartermaster Kira.
• Nog and Brant are also killed by Quartermaster Kira (apparently, the death of one mirror ferengi became the unwritten rule for each series about the Mirror Universe).
• Julian Bashir is an uncultured, unshaven, and aggressive member of the resistance, although still quite faithful. It is not known whether he was ever genetically improved.
• Jadzia Dax , Mirror Sisko's lover, allegedly died at about the same time as her double.
• Ezri (without the Dax symbiont) is the double agent of Quartermaster Kira, showing the characteristics of a bisexual woman of easy virtue.
• Lita is a member of resistance, also of easy virtue.
• Jake Sisko - does not exist in this reality.
• Miles O'Brien - suffers a little depression , for which mirror Sisko called him "Smiley" ("Merry Fellow"). This nickname remains to distinguish it from the “normal” O'Brien. Veselchak is not married and has no children, but, in the end, he became one of the leaders of the resistance.
• Barail Antos is still alive, but has never been a vedek (spiritual leader). Mirrored Barail is a petty thief and rogue.
• Vic Fontaine - Unlike the “normal” Vic, the mirrored Vic is a person, not a hologram . Killed by Bashir immediately after appearing.

In the end, the resistance takes over Terok Nor and sets up its headquarters there. Also, having stolen the full Defiant project from the “normal” universe, the rebels built their version of this ship.

In the game " Star Trek: Voyager Elite Force ", the spaceship " Voyager " falls into an anomaly-trap in which ships of various races have already fallen. One of these ships is the ship of the times of the "Original Series", but with the emblems of the Earth Empire. Inside, the Hazard Team discovers the citizens of the Empire. The game does not reveal how this ship got into the "normal" universe. According to the state and outdated design of the ship, it can be judged that this happened long before the events of the game, maybe even more than a century has passed, and the current crew are the descendants of the original crew. It should be noted that the Imperials do not use phasers , possibly due to the lack of additional batteries. Instead, they use a local, coarser, weapon that uses energy crystals-batteries.

South Park

In the “ Spookyfish ” series of the animated series “South Park,” the guys meet with an “evil” version of Eric Cartman, who, despite being a child, already has a goatee. But since the “normal” Cartman is already a scoundrel and a villain, his mirror-like counterpart, on the contrary, is a sweet and friendly character. Later, mirror versions of Stan Marsh and Kyle Broflovsky also emerge from the spatial hole, which, in essence, are the “Cartman” of the mirror universe and also have goatee beards. According to Mirror Cartman, the "evil" analogue of the Chef is a white seller of insurance. Also, all the animals of that universe are intelligent and deadly. For example, a goldfish presented to Stan every night brutally kills people, one of whom was Kenny McCormick .

Star Wreck

Star Wreck (lit. "Star Wreck") shows a parody version of the Mirror Universe. In particular, in this reality, the Star Fleet flotilla, led by the Emperor himself, penetrates the reality of Babylon 5, and already there it came to a battle with the military-space forces of the Interstellar Alliance , represented by the Earth Alliance space fleet and the Ranger fleet.

• Article on Mirror Universe on Memory Alpha
• Timeline of the Mirror Universe
• Hypothetical series of events