September Challenge: Mirror Mirror

[Dulak]

OK, here goes, I didn't know ahead of time that winning would give the the privilege of picking the next months challenge, otherwise, I might not have tried as hard. Kidding.

Mirror Mirror

The September challenge is to write a trek story from the perspective of the mirror universe, shown in TOS and DS-9.

The story can be any episode from cannon shows or movies, or part from a fan fiction series posted here (with permission of the author, of course).

What could be simpler?

Size limit: As big as you think will be read in a monthly contest.

Deadline: September 28th, 2007

Good Luck

 

[Starkers]

Dulak said:

Size limit: As big as you think will be read in a monthly contest.

Oh boy!

 

[Goliath]

Dulak said:
The September challenge is to write a trek story from the perspective of the mirror universe, shown in TOS and DS-9.

The story can be any episode from cannon shows or movies, or part from a fan fiction series posted here (with permission of the author, of course).

I'm a little confused about this.

Do you want us to write an original story set in the Mirror Universe? Or do you want us to re-write an existing story, Mirror-Universe style? What you say there could be interpreted both ways.

 

[Dulak]

Camelopard, and probably others.

Sorry for any ambiguity. What I meant was a rewrite of either an episode from one of the Trek series or movies...or a rewrite of an episode or story posted here as fan fiction. The story should be re-writen as if happening in the mirror universe.

 

[Dulak]

One more thing, I suppose in the interest of allowing those who wish to enter, but write less than a full novel-length manuscript, the entry may be as little as a single scene from an episode or story.

Please bear with me, it's my first time..

 

[Goliath]

Dulak said:
Sorry for any ambiguity. What I meant was a rewrite of either an episode from one of the Trek series or movies...or a rewrite of an episode or story posted here as fan fiction. The story should be re-writen as if happening in the mirror universe.

Hmm.

Now that is an interesting--and unusual--challenge.

 

[Whoa Nellie]

Dulak said:
Camelopard, and probably others.

Sorry for any ambiguity. What I meant was a rewrite of either an episode from one of the Trek series or movies...or a rewrite of an episode or story posted here as fan fiction. The story should be re-writen as if happening in the mirror universe.

I agree this is a very intriguing idea. In fact, I beat everyone to it by almost exactly one year. For the August/September 06 monthly Challenge: Alternate Universes, my submission was a story called "Captain's Desire" a mirror version of Captain's Holiday. My apologies to Dulak, being new to the board there is no real way he could have known because I'm sure the story has been pruned by now. I'm reposting it to the forum. Of course, there is a slightly longer, spiced up version on the Picard/Vash Romance Fanfiction website. Interestingly enough this is the same story of mine another author (with my permission) over on fanfiction.net has just started a sequel for.

edited to add: This is not an entry because it was written for the monthly challenge a year ago but here is the link to the BBS repost of the story. Captain's Desire

Warmest Wishes,
Whoa Nellie

Whoa Nellie's Picard/Vash Romance Fanfiction website:
http://www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/Galaxy/7926/

Whoa Nellie's Sci-Fi Romance Fan Fiction Website is at:
http://www.geocities.com/whoa_nellies2000

 

[Kegek]

I hope my "The Big Bad Goodbye", a kind-of reworking of "The Big Goodbye", falls under the requirements. Yep, it's brief, but in prose I favour brusque, short stories - as you might notice, my style is meandering enough as it is...

Anyway, enjoy.

 

[K-Star]

Dammit! I know NOTHING about the mirror universe, having not ever watched TOS and watched very little DS9!

So much for me participating this month...

 

[captcalhoun]

read up then.

memory alpha, memory beta and wikipedia all have articles on the MU.

it's easy to write a Terran Empire MU story from TOS or ENT: have the character be complete and total bastards who do the nastiest things instead of the nicest.

dibs on MU-"Amok Time"!!!!

 

[Kegek]

K-Star said:
Dammit! I know NOTHING about the mirror universe, having not ever watched TOS and watched very little DS9!

So much for me participating this month...

Did you watch ENT? The "In A Mirror Darkly" two-parter where they're all scheming to kill each other? That's also the Mirror Universe. Basically, that's what it's like in ENT and TOS... an evil Terran Empire with our heroes in then Imperial Starfleet.

In DS9, and by consequence all of the other 24th century shows, the Empire has fallen and been replaced by a Klingon-Cardassian Alliance, eventually challenged by a Terran Rebellion. Think Star Wars, only really campy, and the Terrans still being just a little mean, and you've got the general idea...

 

[Dulak]

Question: Mirror Mirror

Starkers brought up an interesting question in reference to a story posted from a previous contest. It concerned divergence from the Mirror Universe as depicted in DS-9. I responded;

re:
Interesting point Starkers....and also brings up something I hadn't thought about in my initial challenge. It seems that many people, myself included didn't watch the Mirror Universe story line in DS-9 as closely, or if they did, they disagreed with it.

I'd be willing to entertain a quick poll about either making the challenge about Mirror Universes, more loosely...although there was a challenge about alternates in the past apparently. Or possible just basing it on the TOS depiction with extrapolation from there.

in short, question, should this contest be more or less restrictive? As in, should authors have a lot of leeway in their interpretations of Mirror Universe...like Klingons being a 'good' civilization...which is an interesting concept, but not what was depicted in DS-9, Mirror.

I for one, would vote for more freedom in depiction of Mirror, as long as it doesn't get really wierd, like United Federation of Lizardia or some such.

 

[Kegek]

Re: Question: Mirror Mirror

Well, I personally liked having to work within the restrictions of the DS9 universe to explain why a slave would get holodeck time... but, on the other hand, my first fanfiction ('twas it really six years ago?) was all about ignoring the DS9 MU and giving VOY the TOS treatment.

So I think that, yeah, the writer should have the option to discount the DS9 MU, but that the 24th century MU they write should probably be a lot like the ENT/TOS MU... as opposed to a blank check to make the universe as alternate as one wants. (Though a random AU story contest would be interesting, it's a different kind of story.)

 

[TheLoneRedshirt]

Re: Question: Mirror Mirror

In the Star Trek milieu, there seem to be an infinite number of 'verses, not just one mirror. I would suggest allowing the flexibility to have a TNG/DS-9 era "mirror" more in keeping with the mirror universe of ENT/TOS.

In other words, when Mirror Spock says to Kirk, "I shall consider your words," he then reappears on his own ship to finish the thought - "Naaah!"

I had considered a Mirror Bluefin entry, but that won't work if we keep the "fall of the Empire" scenario.

My two cents.

 

[RevdKathy]

Re: Question: Mirror Mirror

You could always follow a Stargate sort of line on the MU, based on the principle of an infinite number of possibilities leading to an infinite number of universes with varying degrees of similarity to our own (Which has some scienctific support). On that basis, the MU can be as evil or just 'slightly off' as you like.

 

[Starkers]

Re: Question: Mirror Mirror

So the entire crux of the challenge has changed?

People scoff at the one word challenges, but they don't throw up the questions that more involved ones do!

 

[Goliath]

Re: Question: Mirror Mirror

TheLoneRedshirt said:
In the Star Trek milieu, there seem to be an infinite number of 'verses, not just one mirror. I would suggest allowing the flexibility to have a TNG/DS-9 era "mirror" more in keeping with the mirror universe of ENT/TOS.

I agree. Let a hundred flowers bloom, I say.

Remember that Diane Duane actually published a TNG novel set in the ENT/TOS mirror-universe, The Dark Mirror. It even featured Beverly Crusher as the "Captain's Woman".

So, I think at least those two options should be open.

 

[Whoa Nellie]

Re: Question: Mirror Mirror

RevdKathy said:
You could always follow a Stargate sort of line on the MU, based on the principle of an infinite number of possibilities leading to an infinite number of universes with varying degrees of similarity to our own (Which has some scienctific support). On that basis, the MU can be as evil or just 'slightly off' as you like.

:thumbsup: It can be argued that the use of the real Dr. Richard Feynmann theory of the 'Sum over histories' in the TNG episode "Paralles" stating that a particle would not have a single history or path in space-time, but would instead follow every possible path, meant that the Mirror universe shown to us in TOS would have branched out into many different universes with many different outcomes some where the Empire fell and some where it didn't.

As far as the actual rules for this month, Dulak, that is up to you.

The August/September 06 monthly challenge was simply Alternate Universes and I had hit upon the idea of writing a mirror version of an episode as my submission that month. To see that idea issued as the monthly challenge almost exactly one year later just amazed and delighted me.

Warmest Wishes,
Whoa Nellie


Whoa Nellie's Picard/Vash Romance Fanfiction website:
http://www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/Galaxy/7926/

Whoa Nellie's Sci-Fi Romance Fan Fiction Website is at:
http://www.geocities.com/whoa_nellies2000

 

[Starkers]

Re: Question: Mirror Mirror

Camelopard said:

TheLoneRedshirt said:
In the Star Trek milieu, there seem to be an infinite number of 'verses, not just one mirror. I would suggest allowing the flexibility to have a TNG/DS-9 era "mirror" more in keeping with the mirror universe of ENT/TOS.

I agree. Let a hundred flowers bloom, I say.

Remember that Diane Duane actually published a TNG novel set in the ENT/TOS mirror-universe, The Dark Mirror. It even featured Beverly Crusher as the "Captain's Woman".

So, I think at least those two options should be open.

I'm pretty sure that novel was written before DS9 went anywhere near the mirror universe.

 

[Goliath]

Re: Question: Mirror Mirror

Starkers said:

Camelopard said:

TheLoneRedshirt said:
In the Star Trek milieu, there seem to be an infinite number of 'verses, not just one mirror. I would suggest allowing the flexibility to have a TNG/DS-9 era "mirror" more in keeping with the mirror universe of ENT/TOS.

I agree. Let a hundred flowers bloom, I say.

Remember that Diane Duane actually published a TNG novel set in the ENT/TOS mirror-universe, The Dark Mirror. It even featured Beverly Crusher as the "Captain's Woman".

So, I think at least those two options should be open.

I'm pretty sure that novel was written before DS9 went anywhere near the mirror universe.

Yes. It was first published in December 1993. DS9 "Crossover" aired in May 1994. And the latter, of course, is canonical, while The Dark Mirror is not.

All I'm saying is that the book exists, and that its setting resembles the sort of MU shown in ENT and TOS. I don't see why both settings shouldn't be available to fanfic writers.