FC, ENT, and the Mirrorverse

[Vger23]

I have been contemplating something after watching FC recently.

Is it possible that we were "living" in the Mirror Universe right up until First Contact day in 2063? What I mean by that is....is it possible that the interactions of the Enterprise-E crew with Cochrane and the town's people actually created a new timeline going forward that is the one that we call the "prime" universe, while the "mirror" universe is what happened in the prologue to ENT "In A Mirror Darkly?"

In ENT, we see everything plays out the same was as it does in the FC movie, until Cochrane reaches into his coat, pulls out a shotgun, and kills the Vulcans, with the rest of the townspeople storming the ship. It is entirely possible that is how events would have unfolded if Cochrane and Lily hadn't learned of the future from Riker and company.

Think about it. Earth had been through a devastating war. Trust levels were at zero (think about how Lily greeted Picard and Data, and her behavior aboard the Enterprise when she wakes up). Violence and murder are a way of life, according to Lily. It is entirely possible that without any knowledge or context from the Enterprise landing party, that Cochrane would have overrun the Vulcan ship just as is seen in ENT. He would have done so out of fear and survival instincts having lived through a nuclear war and all the horrors that came with being a survivor.

The fact that the Enterprise crew proves to Cochrane and company that there is a future for humanity, and gives them foreknowledge of what is to come MAY be the point at which the two universes diverge (much like Nero's incursion into the mid-23rd century created the Kelvin Universe). What we know as the "Prime Universe" was only made possible by the fact that Cochrane's reaction to the landing was peaceful and controlled given his knowledge of the future. Otherwise, he was running and gunning with the rest of the town.

Thoughts?

 

[The Wormhole]

Enterprise also carries the implication the Mirror Universe was different before First Contact as well. The opening credits show Mirror Neil Armstrong planting the flag of the Terran Empire on the Moon, and in the episode Mirror Phlox notes that classical literature between the two universes is so different. With the exception of Shakespeare, who is apparently the same in both universes.

 

[drt]

Lily's aggression in FC may have arisen from the fact that the area had just been bombed to hell and all of her colleagues on the Phoenix project killed.

 

[Vger23]

Lily's aggression in FC may have arisen from the fact that the area had just been bombed to hell and all of her colleagues on the Phoenix project killed.

Agreed…good point.

 

[Oddish]

Mirror Phlox notes that classical literature between the two universes is so different. With the exception of Shakespeare, who is apparently the same in both universes.

Maybe Mirror Shakespeare plagiarized actual Shakespeare. Or maybe both Shakespeares somehow met each other and shared their work... Titus Andronicus and the Scottish Play were probably Mirror Shakespeare's contribution.

 

[Vger23]

I didn’t realize that the ENT “In A Mirror Darkly” opening montage showed the Apollo astronauts planting an Empire flag on the moon. I guess that kills my interesting theory?

 

[Oddish]

I didn’t realize that the ENT “In A Mirror Darkly” opening montage showed the Apollo astronauts planting an Empire flag on the moon. I guess that kills my interesting

One does wonder where the split point is, actually. Maybe in the Mirror Universe, the Roman Empire never fell, but rather spread. First across the planet, then out among the stars.

 

[XCV330]

Lily's aggression in FC may have arisen from the fact that the area had just been bombed to hell and all of her colleagues on the Phoenix project killed.

I do maintain my own fan hypothesis that Lily's aggression coupled with the fact she knows in the future there's a Starfleet that has to fight alien threats leads to a semi-militarized starfleet. Cochraine did not see as much of that, and maybe he fell into the role of idealist leader he knew he had to fulfill later on. By the time of the beginning of ENT, there's already been conflicts with the Kzin and with Nausicaan pirates.

 

[Tosk]

One does wonder where the split point is, actually.

If there ever was one. For all we know it's just two different universes created at the exact same moment, caught in an unusual lockstep for general details.

 

[Shawnster]

One does wonder where the split point is, actually

DISCO established there is a physical, biological difference between humans from the Prime Universe and the MU. The PU is actually brighter in the literal sense to the point Mirror Lorca required injections so he tolerate the light.

Of course, this seemed to be quickly ignored.

Still, it appears there is more at work than a divergent moment in history. It's not treated as a different timeline.

 

[Farscape One]

TNG's "Parallels" sets the precedent. All possibilities that can occur, DO occur in alternate realities. It's just the Mirror Universe seems tethered to the Prime Universe for whatever reason.

Maybe Rome never fell, as suggested, as expanded. Maybe a different empire was created and grew to become what we saw as the Terran empire.

It should be noted that the humans of the Mirror Universe refer to themselves as Terrans, not humans. Clearly, they embrace the idea of terror, not humanity.

 

[Markonian]

I do maintain my own fan hypothesis that Lily's aggression coupled with the fact she knows in the future there's a Starfleet that has to fight alien threats leads to a semi-militarized starfleet.

That's what happens in the Shatnerverse novels. Cochrane considers whether to warn the Vulcans about the Borg. He flips a coin to decide. In the mirror universe, he informs the Vulcans and a military alliance is formed that becomes the Terran Empire.

 

[The Wormhole]

There is the animated graphic of the Terran Empire logo seen in the credits of the Enterprise episodes which depicts the globe spinning in the opposite direction of how Earth spins in the Prime Universe, meaning in the MU the sun rises in the west and sets in the east. Which could mean that the morality of humanity was contingent due to a tribe of cavemen who made a critical decision based on the direction of the sun.

Curiously, Disco had a different but also similar approach. When we see the animated graphic of the Terran Empire on computer screens there, it spins in the proper direction though the continents of Earth are depicted as being inverted so that the shape of the east and west coasts have switched sides. Meaning either way, the sun rises in San Francisco before it does in New York in the MU.

And yes, I know both interpretations are not scientifically plausible, but this is Star Trek after all. Star Trek and scientifically plausible aren't terms noted to co-exist anyway.

 

[fireproof78]

It should be noted that the humans of the Mirror Universe refer to themselves as Terrans, not humans. Clearly, they embrace the idea of terror, not humanity.

Hmmm...

terran (adj.)
"of or pertaining to the planet Earth," 1881, in science fiction writing, from Latin terra "earth" (from PIE root *ters- "to dry"). Also used as a noun meaning "inhabitant of the Earth" (1953). An earlier form, terrene was used in Middle English in sense of "belonging to this world, earthly, secular, temporal" (c. 1300), later, "of the Earth as a planet" (1630s).

Source.

And apologies if I ruined the joke. Inner word nerd was activated.

 

[gweeps]

I wanted more of the Confederation timeline. It was as close to a TNG Mirror Universe episode as we ever got. Too bad Beltran didn't want to play Seven's evil husband.

 

[Unicron]

One does wonder where the split point is, actually. Maybe in the Mirror Universe, the Roman Empire never fell, but rather spread. First across the planet, then out among the stars.

For what it's worth, the MU seen in DC's Mirror Universe Saga arc (written as a then-contemporary sequel to "Mirror, Mirror") has the split being in the Romulan War. The mirror Earth lost against the Empire rather poorly and was annexed as a territory, then a resistance movement spent a decade (+) forcing the Romulans off. Not too unlike the Bajoran resistance in ways. But after they finally freed Earth, the resistance evolved into a political party which became the basis for the Terran Empire. They vowed that to protect Earth, they'd never allow it to be conquered again. Instead, it was humans and a few allies (chiefly Vulcans) who would become conquerors.

 

[Farscape One]

Hmmm...

Source.

And apologies if I ruined the joke. Inner word nerd was activated.

I was very well aware that terra means earth, and therefore Terrans.

There was an element of humor in what I was saying, but my point was that if they never embraced the word 'human' then it's not a surprise they didn't embrace 'humanity', which is usually linked with kindness, decency, and politeness.

Words have a lot of power, both good and bad. Depending on which ones you embrace can very well depend on which way you swing... dark or light.

 

[fireproof78]

I was very well aware that terra means earth, and therefore Terrans.

There was an element of humor in what I was saying, but my point was that if they never embraced the word 'human' then it's not a surprise they didn't embrace 'humanity', which is usually linked with kindness, decency, and politeness.

Words have a lot of power, both good and bad. Depending on which ones you embrace can very well depend on which way you swing... dark or light.

Well, Spock did call them "the very flower of humanity. "

 

[Tuskin38]

I didn’t realize that the ENT “In A Mirror Darkly” opening montage showed the Apollo astronauts planting an Empire flag on the moon.

They're wearing ENT era Spacesuits.

It's possible they were meant to be 20th century astronauts but just didn't have the budget to model a new spacesuit for the scene.

Maybe in the Mirror Universe, the Roman Empire never fell, but rather spread. First across the planet, then out among the stars.

Emperor Georgiou does have 'Augustus' in her full name, which was a name and title Roman Emperors after Julius Caesar adopted.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Augustus_(title)

I believe the writer of the episode said that was just Terran Emperors trying to claim to be a continuation of the old Roman Empire.

 

[somebuddyX]

My opinion is that the universe didn't split but it's just similar events happening in different ways in different universes. I don't usually like intelligent design or even some nebulous destiny force directing things, but I think if you want some in-universe explanation for why things turn out similarly then there has to be something like this at work. It's also how we get the similarities in stuff like "Yesterday's Enterprise," the Kelvin Timeline, the Confederation of Earth and the Myriad Universes.