The Mirror Universe

[finarvyn]

"Mirror, Mirror" is still one of my all-time favorite TOS episodes and I think it would be awesome as a ROG campaign setting.

I was thinking about this more recently when I saw that there is a new book called Star Trek Mirror Universe: The Sorrows of Empire{/b] by David Mack. While I haven't read it yet, it looks good. It seems to take place right after the "Mirror, Mirror" episode and has a focus on mirror-Spock taking charge as Kirk suggested.

Here's what is posted on Amazon.com:

One man can shape the future...but at what cost?

"In every revolution, there is one man with a vision."

Captain James T. Kirk of the United Federation of Planets spoke those prophetic words to Commander Spock of the Terran Empire, hoping to inspire change. He could not have imagined the impact his counsel would have.

Armed with a secret weapon of terrifying power and a vision of the alternate universe's noble Federation, Spock seizes control of the Terran Empire and commits it to the greatest gamble in its history: democratic reform.

Rivals within the empire try to stop him; enemies outside unite to destroy it.

Only a few people suspect the shocking truth: Spock is knowingly arranging his empire's downfall. But why? Have the burdens of imperial rule driven him mad? Or is this the coldly logical scheme of a man who realizes that freedom must always be paid for in blood?

Spock alone knows that the fall of the empire will be the catalyst for a political chain reaction -- one that will alter the fate of his universe forever.

I'd be curious to see what others have done with role playing in the Mirror universe.

[Falconer]

I would be inclined to create my own Mirror universe rather than use “the” Mirror universe from the episode. What if Gary Mitchell became Emperor and exiled Spock to Ceti Alpha V, that sort of thing. Make it appropriate to the PCs. Clue in half of the players beforehand that they are going to be playing Mirror versions of their character, and then transport the other half of the party in and see what happens. Yeah, lots of excellent opportunities.

[Grendelwulf]

The Mirror Universe should be just that...a Mirror!
Not the way later ST series handled it with the big bad Terran Empire enslaving everyone & then getting overthrown, etc. The other races didn't seem to be mirrors of themselves; just the Federation was.

Gary Mitchell super-evolved to an Organian-like being. Evil Kirk certainly had to stop this abomination from spreading peace and unity throughout the galaxy!

The Klingons should be honourable defenders of all other races.

The Romulans escaped Vulcan as it fell under the violent warlike philosophies of Surak the Destroyer. They clung to the ways of logic and science to better themselves and others.

The Andorians should be as beligerent as Tellerites with a more violent barbaric attitude rather than a formal, militaristic one.

Tellerites should be the quiet, humble, helpful but cunning ambassadors that help assimulate newly conquered worlds to the Empire.

Orion slave women should have the effect of Omicron Seti III spores. Omicron Seti III spores have the effect of Orion slave women!

Think of all the twisted posibilities...

Ciao!
Grendelwulf

[My Name is Mudd]

Jan 17, 2010 20:14:00 GMT -5 Grendelwulf said:

The Mirror Universe should be just that...a Mirror!

Lets not forget Harcourt Fenton Mudd: Philanthropist, humanitarian, moral crusader. Wanted by the Empire for his acts of goodness!

Good Mudd: "Come on! I was only rendering medical treatment to some refugee."

Goatee Spock: "He is wanted for aiding and abetting escaped slaves, and for interfering with official Imperial duties."

Good Mudd: "But they where getting butchered!"

Goatee Spock: "They chose their fate. You should have chosen yours better."

Mudd Mudd: "It was terrible! I could not stand by, as they where trying to kill every last one of them!"

Goatee Spock: "If not not you, they would have. If you would have not interfered, you would not share in their fate."

Hysterical Evil Kirk: "I... had ENOUGH... of THIS! Youuu... MAKE me... SICK! Your... undermining OF... authority... HAS... come to.. and END! MUDDDDDDDDD!!!!!"

[Grendelwulf]

As the Great Bird of Paradise.
He comes, the bold and saintly man.
To do us all the good he can ;
Let tribbles chirp his praises.
And flamegems dance like blazes,
Let leaves in gladness flutter,
And winds his virtues mutter,
Let Rigel's Will-o'-the-Wisp his goodness lisp,
And Deneb's Devils glad croakings utter ;
Let sunbeams laugh and billows roar.
And roll in gladness o'er and o'er.
Oh, let us all be glad,
And pipe away like mad,
His saintship to adore ;
And still this song outpour —
100,000,000 welcomes !
And 1,000,000,000 more !

--excerpts from Volume III of "Sir Mudd of the Heavenly Heart",
by his late, beloved wife Stella Mudd, who only wanted everyone to share the love she had known with this great man.

Ciao!
Grendelwulf

[vulcanridr]

Jan 17, 2010 20:14:00 GMT -5 Grendelwulf said:

The Mirror Universe should be just that...a Mirror!
Not the way later ST series handled it with the big bad Terran Empire enslaving everyone & then getting overthrown, etc. The other races didn't seem to be mirrors of themselves; just the Federation was.

Actually, I think liked the way that the mirror universe was in the episode. Evil Spock was evil in as mellow a way as good Spock was good. It was like a pendulum swing. Kirk, OTOH, who was high-strung, emotional and passionate, was quite the opposite in the other world, what little you saw of him. Much more overt than Spock.

And, not knowing how many of you are TOS only, there is a canon of alternate universe lore. The four episodes in Deep Space 9 ("Crossover," "Through the Looking Glass," "Shattered Mirror," "Resurrection," and "The Emperor's New Cloak"; two TOS episodes, "Mirror, Mirror" and "The Tholian Web" and two Enterprise episodes, "In a Mirror, Darkly" parts 1 and 2. The interesting part is the deviation of not only the characters, but the universe itself.

Edit: Changed TNG to TOS. Sorry, was really tired last night when I posted it.

[Falconer]

I don’t think many of us are TNG only. ;-)

[Grendelwulf]

Jan 27, 2010 20:26:55 GMT -5 vulcanridr said:

Actually, I think liked the way that the mirror universe was in the episode. Evil Spock was evil in as mellow a way as good Spock was good. It was like a pendulum swing. Kirk, OTOH, who was high-strung, emotional and passionate, was quite the opposite in the other world, what little you saw of him. Much more overt than Spock.

That was fine, I agree.
Maybe I should have been more precise...I didn't mean the Mirror Universe should be a complete polar opposite, black = white, etc.

Things should look as much the same, but with a mirrored twist. Familiar yet undeniably opposite. Mirror Kirk's actions could be seen as a pendulum swing to our Kirk.

Our Kirk made his Kirky-speech..."One man can make a difference..be that man, etc"

M-Kirk with similar intensity, "What do you want, Spock? Power. I can get that for you..."

Of course, M-Kirk was locked in a brig, so it could also be considered he was trying to antagonize Spock into opening the brig. Not too unlike our Kirk's antagonizing our Spock with "Does she know what she's getting, Spock? A carcass full of memory banks who should be squatting on a mushroom? Instead of passing himself off as a man? You belong in the circus, Spock, not a starship. Right next to the dog face boy!"

I just think the later series went abit more askew than needed. They were more of a fun-house Mirror Universe. TNG was good in its own way, not to be directly compared to TOS. Its like comparing Tribbles and Spican Flame Gems...

Ciao!
Grendelwulf

[finarvyn]

Just started readin Sorrows of Empire by David Mack, which is a mirror universe book that starts out just after the end of the Mirror, Mirror episode.

It's a good read so far, and has a lot of references to classic TOS episodes and characters. (I don't want to spoil anything so I won't say much, but I'm enjoying it so far.)

[finarvyn]

Finally finished reading SORROWS OF EMPIRE. It's an interesting plotline, spanning about 30 years of the mirror-Trek universe. This can be good or bad, since Mack really hurries through some stuff that would be fun to dwell on for a while, but overall I enjoyed how the book flowed from start to finish.

[michaeltaylor]

www.revolutionsf.com/article.php?id=3084

[blackbat242]

Jan 27, 2010 20:35:35 GMT -5 Falconer said:

I don’t think many of us are TNG only. ;-)

I can't believe I missed this the first time around!


"Give me a TNG, Checkov. One TNG only, please."


And yes - Grendelwulf & My Name is Mudd have the perfect set-up!