Why was the Mirror Universe classified?

[Eric Cheung]

When they explained why the MU was classified, it reminded me of the themes in the movie Another Earth.

There, another Earth appears, visible to the naked eye to people on Earth. The planets are identical, and have identical histories. The divergent point happens when the two Earths notice each other. For example, the main character is distracted by the sight of the other Earth and crashes her car into another, killing the other driver's pregnant wife and son. Years later, she gets released from prison and once contact is established with the other Earth, she enters a contest to visit the other planet. Presumably, her other self didn't kill anyone. Just as in our universe, there's a desire among some to see if there's a living version of people who died on our Earth in the four years since the divergence.

That drive is why Starfleet classified the MU, even if there isn't nearly the same level of guarantee that there is an MU counterpart to their lost loved ones.

 

[lawman]

But that just boils down to curiosity. Generally speaking, that's something the Federation values and promotes, not something it discourages.

Granted, the MU is a pretty dangerous place. Of course, that's also true for lots of star systems the Federation is aware of. No doubt it has information systems to warn people about such places, and rules to regulate travel there. That's not the same as keeping such places completely secret, though.

I just bridle at the notion (and it's one we're liable to see more of in DSC given the constraints on what a prequel can do) that the Federation has the kind of power structure that defaults to keeping things secret on the proposition that the public just can't handle the knowledge. IMHO that's an all too commonplace attitude in the world today — and one routinely used to paper over government or corporate misconduct — but the Federation is supposed to be closer to our ideal of an open society. It should treat its citizens as worthy of trust.

 

[fireproof78]

Perhaps the Federation, but perhaps not Starfleet. I certainly never felt like the Federation was a fully open society in terms of information.

Also, as belabored in this thread, the MU posese numerous threats that would require assessment, as well as reveal potentially classified technology in the spore drive. Why not classify the MU for now and do more research? Is that that far fetched?

 

[Greg Cox]

Perhaps the Federation, but perhaps not Starfleet. I certainly never felt like the Federation was a fully open society in terms of information.

Also, as belabored in this thread, the MU posese numerous threats that would require assessment, as well as reveal potentially classified technology in the spore drive. Why not classify the MU for now and do more research? Is that that far fetched?

Exactly. When did STAR TREK ever suggest that Starfleet didn't keep secrets or exercise caution, especially back in the TOS era? Pike's encounter with the Talosians was so top-secret that even Kirk didn't know about it. Heck, Starfleet was so determined to keep that hushed up that any contact with the planet carried a death sentence. Also kept secret: the Genesis Project, the continued existence of Zefram Cochrane, Khan's exile on Ceti Alpha V, etc.

And as for people getting irrationally attached to duplicates of dead loved ones, let me just point out that the very first STAR TREK episode ever aired, "Mantrap," featured a man trying to protect an alien creature that had taken the place of his wife . . . .

Maybe there's a parallel universe out there in which there's an even more idealistic version of STAR TREK in which Starfleet never keeps secrets and people are too sensible to think that the MU versions of their loved ones are the same people, but that's not the STAR TREK we've been watching for the last half-century or so.

 

[lawman]

Interesting point about "The Man Trap." Although in fairness, it's worth pointing out that the salt vampire creature had a sense-altering and somewhat hypnotic power over the minds of people around it.

 

[MakeshiftPython]

Maybe there's a parallel universe out there in which there's an even more idealistic version of STAR TREK in which Starfleet never keeps secrets and people are too sensible to think that the MU versions of their loved ones are the same people, but that's not the STAR TREK we've been watching for the last half-century or so.

I wouldn't be surprised if in that parallel universe you mention that DISCO replicates the 60s sets right down to the random blinking lights and knobs that doesn't look user friendly.

 

[cultcross]

Because they’re poor writers and that was the only think they can think of to avoid continuity errors. Obviously it was no big deal when Kirk discovered it properly.

Actually we have no idea whether it was classified after that - we only know it had been declassified sometime prior to DS9's second season. It's quite possible that Kirk and co's sojourn to the MU was classified - like most of their plots, it was never mentioned again on the show.

 

[fireproof78]

Maybe there's a parallel universe out there in which there's an even more idealistic version of STAR TREK in which Starfleet never keeps secrets and people are too sensible to think that the MU versions of their loved ones are the same people, but that's not the STAR TREK we've been watching for the last half-century or so.

Next book?

 

[Amasov]

Because they’re poor writers and that was the only think they can think of to avoid continuity errors. Obviously it was no big deal when Kirk discovered it properly.

How is it a continuity error if it was never firmly established that it was classified to begin with? You also seem to make the great assumption that every single ship in Starfleet is aware of everything every other starship has done. Unless the moment Kirk returned to his universe and went on Facebook and posted, "Just got back from some twisted parallel universe where there were evil versions of everyone in this universe. WTF??"

Just because it happened to Kirk and the Enterprise crew doesn't mean that it's broadcast to every single officer in Starfleet.

 

[saladdays]

Some have mentioned it here, but the fact that the spore drive involved, and assuming the spore drive is kept classified like it figures to, that pretty much ends the argument there, doesn't it? Startfleet isn't going to talk about the MU if the way they got there is classified.

 

[fireproof78]

Some have mentioned it here, but the fact that the spore drive involved, and assuming the spore drive is kept classified like it figures to, that pretty much ends the argument there, doesn't it? Startfleet isn't going to talk about the MU if the way they got there is classified.

Way to simple of a solution. We have to make it more complicated than even the writers intended!!!

 

[MakeshiftPython]

Some have mentioned it here, but the fact that the spore drive involved, and assuming the spore drive is kept classified like it figures to, that pretty much ends the argument there, doesn't it? Startfleet isn't going to talk about the MU if the way they got there is classified.

BUT I NEED MORE REASONS TO HATE THIS SHOW! DON'T DEPRIVE ME OF THAT!!!

 

[Crazy Eddie]

Because they’re poor writers and that was the only think they can think of to avoid continuity errors. Obviously it was no big deal when Kirk discovered it properly.

What do you mean "obviously?" It was probably classified when Kirk discovered it too. All we know is that Bashir and a few others knew about it A HUNDRED YEARS LATER. That doesn't mean it was immediately declassified, it means that Bashir and the others EVENTUALLY heard about it.

 

[Greg Cox]

What do you mean "obviously?" It was probably classified when Kirk discovered it too. All we know is that Bashir and a few others knew about it A HUNDRED YEARS LATER. That doesn't mean it was immediately declassified, it means that Bashir and the others EVENTUALLY heard about it.

Good point. We never saw Starfleet's reaction to the mission in "Mirror, Mirror," and we never saw the aftermath simply because episodic 1960s TV shows typically didn't deal with that kind of thing. For all we know, the whole mission was deemed classified two days later, until it was unclassified decades later.

Ditto for the fact that transporters can split you into your good and evil halves, that giant space amoebas exist, and that explorers from Earth accidentally created a gangster planet. Were those treated as big deals by Starfleet? One assumes so, but you wouldn't know it from just watching TOS. It seems reasonable to me that the re-discovery of the MU did have repercussions. Heck, maybe that's what inspired Starfleet to finally come clean about the DISCOVERY's first encounter with the MU.

 

[Ronald Held]

Exactly. When did STAR TREK ever suggest that Starfleet didn't keep secrets or exercise caution, especially back in the TOS era? Pike's encounter with the Talosians was so top-secret that even Kirk didn't know about it. Heck, Starfleet was so determined to keep that hushed up that any contact with the planet carried a death sentence. Also kept secret: the Genesis Project, the continued existence of Zefram Cochrane, Khan's exile on Ceti Alpha V, etc.

And as for people getting irrationally attached to duplicates of dead loved ones, let me just point out that the very first STAR TREK episode ever aired, "Mantrap," featured a man trying to protect an alien creature that had taken the place of his wife . . . .

Maybe there's a parallel universe out there in which there's an even more idealistic version of STAR TREK in which Starfleet never keeps secrets and people are too sensible to think that the MU versions of their loved ones are the same people, but that's not the STAR TREK we've been watching for the last half-century or so.

No doubt there is that universe,but highly unlikely we will see it in movies or television.

 

[Crazy Eddie]

Good point. We never saw Starfleet's reaction to the mission in "Mirror, Mirror," and we never saw the aftermath simply because episodic 1960s TV shows typically didn't deal with that kind of thing. For all we know, the whole mission was deemed classified two days later, until it was unclassified decades later.

Ditto for the fact that transporters can split you into your good and evil halves, that giant space amoebas exist, and that explorers from Earth accidentally created a gangster planet. Were those treated as big deals by Starfleet? One assumes so, but you wouldn't know it from just watching TOS. It seems reasonable to me that the re-discovery of the MU did have repercussions. Heck, maybe that's what inspired Starfleet to finally come clean about the DISCOVERY's first encounter with the MU.

Another interesting question is why the equations and the technique for time warp are not more widely used among Starfleet. It's apparently easy enough to do, just point your starship at a large enough gravitational source and punch the warp drive super hard, then break away and slide into time warp. Kirk did this four different times, and two of those were ACCIDENTS.

Frankly, I'd be amazed if half of the shit that happened to the Enterprise wasn't classified top secret.

 

[fireproof78]

Good point. We never saw Starfleet's reaction to the mission in "Mirror, Mirror," and we never saw the aftermath simply because episodic 1960s TV shows typically didn't deal with that kind of thing. For all we know, the whole mission was deemed classified two days later, until it was unclassified decades later.

Ditto for the fact that transporters can split you into your good and evil halves, that giant space amoebas exist, and that explorers from Earth accidentally created a gangster planet. Were those treated as big deals by Starfleet? One assumes so, but you wouldn't know it from just watching TOS. It seems reasonable to me that the re-discovery of the MU did have repercussions. Heck, maybe that's what inspired Starfleet to finally come clean about the DISCOVERY's first encounter with the MU.

Actually, most of Kirk's 5 year mission was classified until everyone had passed away. Captain Montgomery Scott's was very concerning to this effort. Also, Scott's "disappearance" was arranged as was Spock's.

 

[Greg Cox]

Frankly, I'd be amazed if half of the shit that happened to the Enterprise wasn't classified top secret.

Like the fact that flying through the Galactic Barrier can possibly turn you into a god? Especially if you test positive for ESP?

Yeah, probably don't want that to become common knowledge.

 

[Vger23]

When they explained why the MU was classified, it reminded me of the themes in the movie Another Earth.

There, another Earth appears, visible to the naked eye to people on Earth. The planets are identical, and have identical histories. The divergent point happens when the two Earths notice each other. For example, the main character is distracted by the sight of the other Earth and crashes her car into another, killing the other driver's pregnant wife and son. Years later, she gets released from prison and once contact is established with the other Earth, she enters a contest to visit the other planet. Presumably, her other self didn't kill anyone. Just as in our universe, there's a desire among some to see if there's a living version of people who died on our Earth in the four years since the divergence.

That drive is why Starfleet classified the MU, even if there isn't nearly the same level of guarantee that there is an MU counterpart to their lost loved ones.

I very much agree with the "Another Earth" analogy. That is exactly where my mind went.

Exactly. When did STAR TREK ever suggest that Starfleet didn't keep secrets or exercise caution, especially back in the TOS era? Pike's encounter with the Talosians was so top-secret that even Kirk didn't know about it. Heck, Starfleet was so determined to keep that hushed up that any contact with the planet carried a death sentence. Also kept secret: the Genesis Project, the continued existence of Zefram Cochrane, Khan's exile on Ceti Alpha V, etc.

And as for people getting irrationally attached to duplicates of dead loved ones, let me just point out that the very first STAR TREK episode ever aired, "Mantrap," featured a man trying to protect an alien creature that had taken the place of his wife . . . .

Maybe there's a parallel universe out there in which there's an even more idealistic version of STAR TREK in which Starfleet never keeps secrets and people are too sensible to think that the MU versions of their loved ones are the same people, but that's not the STAR TREK we've been watching for the last half-century or so.

Definitely agree. Star Trek is full of examples of knowledge being classified or withheld. The most obvious example is Project Genesis. But, there are plenty of examples. I doubt the Guardian of Forever became a tourist attraction, and I'm quite sure the slingshot effect was not being taught in Junior High Schools across the Federation.

 

[Discofan]

Good point. We never saw Starfleet's reaction to the mission in "Mirror, Mirror," and we never saw the aftermath simply because episodic 1960s TV shows typically didn't deal with that kind of thing. For all we know, the whole mission was deemed classified two days later, until it was unclassified decades later.

Ditto for the fact that transporters can split you into your good and evil halves, that giant space amoebas exist, and that explorers from Earth accidentally created a gangster planet. Were those treated as big deals by Starfleet? One assumes so, but you wouldn't know it from just watching TOS. It seems reasonable to me that the re-discovery of the MU did have repercussions. Heck, maybe that's what inspired Starfleet to finally come clean about the DISCOVERY's first encounter with the MU.

I wonder why in Picard/Sisko's time there aren't any Gangster/Nazi/Earthlike (with American flags and all or with a 20th century Roman Empire for example) planets left!
What happened in the meantime? Did Star Fleet decide to clean up all that mess?