I know that these books were not universally well-received. So let me preface by saying that overall I enjoyed them. But I have read through both of them twice and there is one plot element that either just does not make sense or I missed something both times. Hopefully some of you can help me figure out whether it's the former or the latter.
In the opening of Fearful Symmetry, as I recall the scene where Sisko is using the Orb of Souls, the other Siskos tell him in so many words that his MU counterpart did not die like we all thought he did as of DS9 season 3. So Sisko sends Vaughn along with Kira to the MU, presumeably because Vaughn is supposed to find Sisko. Then in Soul Key, Opaka reveals (can't remember if it was to Vaughn or Kira) that Sisko did in fact die, evidently sometime later than we were lead to believe in season 3 of DS9, but nonetheless it had happened quite awhile ago. Everyone in the MU believes that Iliana is supposed to be the emissary. But after Vaughn encounters his mirror self, he apparently concludes that he is supposed to be the emissary, as evidenced by his irate conversation with Sisko at the end of Soul Key.
So this is what I don't get:
1) Fearful Symmetry and Soul Key take place over a relatively short period of time (aside from Iliana's backstory, which is neither here nor there). Why did all the alternate Siskos imply that MU Sisko was still living when they should have known that he was not? Even if he escaped the death that supposedly happened off-screen in season 3, his real death in Soul Key is still implied to have happened a long time ago. Were they somehow actually referring to Vaughn or Iliana and I just didn't get that part?
2) I'll buy that the Prophets would accept a substitute for Sisko as the emissary, since they basically tell Iliana "you're not the Sisko, but you'll do." That comes with it's own logical problems, such as how the Prophets are implied to have arranged the birth of every Sisko in every universe and then guided him to them (even the Borg one), and therefore should have protected him long enough for him to find his way to them. I think that the alternate Siskos imply that MU Sisko rejected his role as emissary which is why they directed prime Sisko to find him, and if he rejected his role perhaps the Prophets would turn elsewhere.
But what I don't understand is how Vaughn got caught up in all this. It seemed to me that he came to the realization of why Sisko truly sent him to the MU while he was interacting with his MU counterpart. He doesn't explain any of that until the very end of the book during his confrontation of Sisko. What made Vaughn think that Sisko sent him to the MU to take the mantle of emissary for that universe? And what about his encounter with MU Vaughn caused him to come to that conclusion? For that matter, what made Sisko think Vaughn was supposed to be the emissary? From his conversation with Vaughn at the end, it seems as though he knew that his MU self was in fact dead which is why he orchestrated the whole thing from the start. But again, if that was ever implied during his encounter with the Orb of Souls, I didn't catch it. And even so, what gave him the idea that Vaughn was supposed to take his place, as opposed to Iliana whom he also personally interacted with?
So this is what I don't get:
1) Fearful Symmetry and Soul Key take place over a relatively short period of time (aside from Iliana's backstory, which is neither here nor there). Why did all the alternate Siskos imply that MU Sisko was still living when they should have known that he was not? Even if he escaped the death that supposedly happened off-screen in season 3, his real death in Soul Key is still implied to have happened a long time ago. Were they somehow actually referring to Vaughn or Iliana and I just didn't get that part?
2) I'll buy that the Prophets would accept a substitute for Sisko as the emissary, since they basically tell Iliana "you're not the Sisko, but you'll do." That comes with it's own logical problems, such as how the Prophets are implied to have arranged the birth of every Sisko in every universe and then guided him to them (even the Borg one), and therefore should have protected him long enough for him to find his way to them. I think that the alternate Siskos imply that MU Sisko rejected his role as emissary which is why they directed prime Sisko to find him, and if he rejected his role perhaps the Prophets would turn elsewhere.
But what I don't understand is how Vaughn got caught up in all this. It seemed to me that he came to the realization of why Sisko truly sent him to the MU while he was interacting with his MU counterpart. He doesn't explain any of that until the very end of the book during his confrontation of Sisko. What made Vaughn think that Sisko sent him to the MU to take the mantle of emissary for that universe? And what about his encounter with MU Vaughn caused him to come to that conclusion? For that matter, what made Sisko think Vaughn was supposed to be the emissary? From his conversation with Vaughn at the end, it seems as though he knew that his MU self was in fact dead which is why he orchestrated the whole thing from the start. But again, if that was ever implied during his encounter with the Orb of Souls, I didn't catch it. And even so, what gave him the idea that Vaughn was supposed to take his place, as opposed to Iliana whom he also personally interacted with?
