- For the CCG expansion, please see CCG: In a Mirror, Darkly.
In the mirror universe, Commander Archer mutinies against Captain Forrest in order to capture a future Earth ship found in Tholian space. (Part 1 of 2)
Summary
April 5th, 2063 – From beyond Earth's atmosphere, a Vulcan ship descends and lands in Bozeman, Montana. A member of the Vulcan crew disembarks and walks up to Zefram Cochrane. Holding out his hand, the alien performs a Vulcan salute and recites a Vulcan salutation: "Live long and prosper". Cochrane also holds out his hand and tries to copy the Vulcan's salute. After an unsuccessful attempt, he lowers his hand and, instead of holding it for a handshake (which is what happened in a similar parallel universe), he reaches into his jacket and pulls out a shotgun. He kills the Vulcan and a bearded man in the crowd tells everyone to board the alien ship and take everything they can. Then the crowd storms the Vulcan craft, carrying shotguns as they run.
Act One
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The ISS Enterprise continues through space at warp speed
Enterprise's agony booth, a new invention
- "Captain's starlog - January 13, 2155. We've left Gorlan Station and have set a course to rendezvous with our assault fleet. Major Reed and the doctor have asked for a few minutes to show me their latest project."
On board the ISS Enterprise, a Tellarite officer named Terev is tortured in Enterprise's agony booth, a new invention created by Major Reed and Phlox. Captain Maximilian Forrest, First Officer Jonathan Archer, Reed and Phlox stand and watch as the Tellarite suffers. Reed comments that the agony booth will be much more effective than any of the previous disciplinary methods which have been tried on Enterprise. Phlox seems pleased at the invention's capability to produce pain and comments that a synaptic scan calibrates the agony booth for each species. Archer seems less accepting of the torture device, although Captain Forrest remarks that there are particular advantages to a "good, old-fashioned flogging". Reed comments that the agony booth is exceptional because it doesn't overwhelm a subject's nervous system like traditional forms of punishment can. He explains that traditional torture methods could sometimes make the brain feel nothing. However, Phlox adds that the agony booth's sensors keep the subject in a constant state of agony. When Archer asks why Terev is being punished, Reed states that he is uncertain but believes the Tellarite was late for a duty shift. He also opines that all Tellarites should be punished, as all members of their species are guilty of something. When Captain Forrest exits the room, Archer follows close behind.
While they walk through a corridor, the first officer reminds Forrest of a proposal he made to venture into Tholian space. Archer has been informed of technology there which would give the Terran Empire a tactical advantage over the Tholians. However, the captain insists that Enterprise will carry out its orders to rendezvous with the Terran Empire assault fleet. Forrest argues that the Empire is attempting to crush a rebellion and Starfleet has no time to deal with the Tholians. Although Archer thinks that the Terran Empire could use the technology in Tholian space to win their war, Captain Forrest believes that Archer only wants to be seen as a hero. The first officer claims that he is not seeking glory and that his only concern is to save the Empire. When Forrest orders Archer to resume his station on the bridge, the first officer doesn't comply. Instead, he shouts that Captain Forrest is making a mistake. Seriously angered by Archer's behavior, the captain threatens his first officer that he will be thrown into the agony booth if his misconduct continues. However, Archer restrains himself, so Forrest soon leaves.
The bridge of the ISS Enterprise
In the captain's quarters, Forrest tells Hoshi Sato that he is reviewing status reports. Sato implies that the captain's quarters were primarily meant to be used for pleasure, not business. While Forrest sits at his desk, Sato falls into his arms and kisses him. When the captain raises the point that Sato is the one person aboard he doesn't mind surrendering to, she replies that she is probably the only person on the ship who doesn't want to kill him. Removing herself from Forrest's grasp, Sato reveals that she has heard rumors that the battle at Tau Ceti was successful. She informs the captain that the crew believe the war against the rebellion will soon be over. She imagines that she may soon return to teaching students in Brazil and believes it is likely that Forrest will be assigned to Starfleet Headquarters upon return to Earth. However, Sato is surprised to hear that the confrontation was not as successful as she first thought. Forrest tells her that the Terran Empire lost twelve ships in the Tau Ceti star system. He informs Sato that she has been listening to propaganda and fears what will happen if the crew discover the truth. Interrupting Forrest, Sato advises him to forget about the war. She leans forward and kisses him again.
As Enterprise continues through space at warp speed, Captain Forrest marches through a corridor, closely followed by a MACO. Opening a turbolift door for the captain, the MACO is shot by Malcolm Reed. When Forrest removes a weapon from his belt, Commander Archer rounds a corner and advises the captain to surrender. Archer is followed by Travis Mayweather and they each hold a phase pistol. Mayweather steps forward to remove Forrest's weapon from the captain's grasp and returns to his previous position. When Forrest angrily states that Archer will hang for his mutinous actions, the commander orders the MACOs to lock Forrest in the brig. Reed asks for permission to give the captain a quick and quiet death in the cargo bay, but Archer prefers that Forrest stays alive. As Major Reed begins to escort the captain to the brig, he indicates that he is still thinking of killing Forrest on the way there. Archer rushes forward and pins Reed against a bulkhead, aiming his phase pistol at the MACO. The commander warns that if Forrest is harmed in any way, Archer intends to personally kill Major Reed. When the MACO replies that he understands Archer's orders, the commander releases him. Reed shoves Forrest further through the corridor, as a Vulcan engineer stands nearby and watches.
Archer takes control of the bridge
On the bridge, T'Pol slouches in the command chair. From a turbolift at the back of the room, Archer, Travis and a MACO enter. T'Pol moves from the chair and assumes a standing position. While Travis aims a weapon at the Vulcan, Archer tells her to stand aside. T'Pol asks where Forrest is located but Archer does not respond. Realizing that the commander is staging a mutiny, T'Pol turns to a security officer and orders him to contact security. With Archer's encouragement, Travis fires his weapon at the security officer, who falls to the ground. Archer gazes threateningly at T'Pol as he steps towards the command chair. Using a control on the arm of the chair, the commander initiates a ship-wide communication.
As Hoshi Sato reads a PADD in the captain's quarters, she listens to Archer's voice. The commander reports that Starfleet has ordered him to relieve Forrest of duty and take command of Enterprise.
In sickbay, Phlox is studying dissected alien organisms when he hears Archer. The commander states that he has been instructed to take the starship on a vital mission into Tholian space. Archer also reveals that he has been prohibited from disclosing any further details of the mission.
However, as Commander Tucker listens in Main engineering, Archer claims that the rebellion against the Terran Empire will finally be crushed if Enterprise is successful.
On the bridge, Archer admits that Enterprise's crew has more combat experience than any other crew in Starfleet. The commander continues to build morale by stating that he has confidence in the crew and is certain that they will be victorious again. When he performs a salute, every officer on the bridge returns the gesture. As the officers return to their duties, T'Pol ensures that she and Archer are not being watched. The commander nods to a crew member at the communications station, who closes the shipwide comm channel. T'Pol approaches Archer and maintains that Enterprise has not received orders from Starfleet. Archer follows T'Pol to the science station and responds that his orders were sent on a private channel. The Vulcan continues to doubt Archer and asks to see his orders. The commander agrees to eventually allow her that request and instructs the helmsman to follow a new heading at maximum warp. He then turns to the MACO who accompanied him to the bridge and orders her to escort T'Pol to cargo bay two. Archer notifies the Vulcan that she will find a Suliban cloaking device there. In order to complete Enterprise's mission, T'Pol will be required to help Commander Tucker install the cloaking device in Main engineering. Once she leaves with the MACO, Archer assumes a comfortable sitting position in the command chair.
- "Enterprise starlog, Captain Jonathan Archer. The crew has accepted the change of command without incident. Chief Engineer Tucker reports we'll have cloaking capability within six hours."
The new captain asserts his command
In his ready room, Archer examines a shotgun while T'Pol looks over his instructions from Starfleet. She comments that the orders appear to be authentic, but Archer seems to believe that whether they are or not is irrelevant. He claims that all he needs from T'Pol is her loyalty. Reluctantly, the Vulcan accepts Archer's leadership. The captain shows her the shotgun that he has been studying and informs her that Zefram Cochrane used it to kill the first Vulcan who walked on Earth. Archer wonders how history would have happened if Cochrane had not defeated the Vulcan invasion force. He theorizes that Humans may have become slaves to the Vulcans, the opposite of the current relationship between the two species. When T'Pol argues that she is not a slave, Archer reminds her that she is Vulcan, a fact that he tells her to always remember. Although the captain asks when Enterprise will reach Tholian space, T'Pol replies that the starship has probably already entered a star system that the Tholians have annexed. Archer shows her a piece of technology that carries an encoded warp signature. He orders T'Pol to analyze the signature and to notify him when she finds it in space. The Vulcan attempts to leave in a hurry, but Archer stops her. When he reveals his intention to promote T'Pol to first officer, she mentions that Reed is due to be promoted to that position. The captain replies that Reed is an overly ambitious officer who has trouble following orders. However, the Vulcan recalls that Archer has made no effort to hide his dislike of her species. The captain explains that T'Pol's promotion is an acknowledgment that Vulcans and their technology have helped the Terran Empire. The captain dismisses his new first officer and returns Zefram Cochrane's weapon to its display.
Later, Archer briefs Travis Mayweather. As the captain's personal guard, Mayweather will have his own quarters and better food. Archer also states that his personal guard will take orders from him and no-one else. Mayweather begins to congratulate Archer on his brilliant tactical planning. However, the captain tells Travis that he will lose his promotion if he is not quiet. When Mayweather hears a growling noise, he looks down to see Porthos lying on the floor. Archer mentions that the dog hasn't eaten its dinner yet. The door to the captain's quarters signals and Hoshi Sato enters. After Mayweather leaves to resume his post outside the door, Sato accuses Archer of lying. She appears to be sure that the captain did not receive any orders from Starfleet. When Sato states that she thought a mutiny was beyond Archer's capabilities, the captain takes the remark as a compliment. Archer claims that Forrest is safe, but Sato believes that the captain may have thrown him out of an airlock. To prove Forrest's safety, Archer permits Sato to view a live video transmission that shows him in the brig. Archer warns that Forrest will be executed if Sato causes any problems. The captain then asks for her allegiance and expertise. Sato attempts to seduce Archer, but she soon realizes that the captain has never forgiven her for leaving him and apologizes for ending their relationship. She opines that Archer should have been in command of Enterprise since the starship left spacedock and recalls that several Starfleet admirals conspired against him receiving the promotion he deserved. She reminds the new captain that, in accordance with tradition, everything that Forrest once had now belongs to Archer, including the captain's woman.
Sato attacks Archer
As they embrace in a passionate kiss, Sato removes a knife from under her uniform. She raises the weapon, but Archer stops her from stabbing him. When the captain hears T'Pol hailing him, he tells Sato that he thinks their relationship should be nothing more than professional. Pushing Sato onto his bed, he finally responds to T'Pol's hails. The Vulcan reports that Enterprise is approaching the warp signature. Archer replies that he will soon be on the bridge and deactivates the comm channel. Stepping towards Sato, he threatens her with the knife she tried to attack him with. Archer warns her to be in a better mood when he returns to his quarters later and walks out the door.
As Enterprise drops out of warp, Reed announces Archer's presence on the bridge. T'Pol relinquishes command to Archer and notifies him that the vessel is nearing its target: a Tholian starship. Major Reed reports that the enemy craft is being piloted by a single Tholian. Archer orders Reed to activate the tractor emitters, but the Tholian vessel detects Enterprise and its weapon systems come on-line. When the bridge trembles, Archer instructs Reed to disable the Tholian ship without harming the vessel's occupant.
In space, Enterprise fires a volley of photonic torpedoes as it continues to pursue the enemy craft.
The Tholian starship explodes
However, on the bridge of the Starfleet ship, T'Pol informs the captain of an overload in the Tholian vessel's reactor. Archer shouts at Reed, blaming him for the incident, but the major denies responsibility. T'Pol explains that the Tholian pilot may be attempting to destroy his own ship. Archer tells T'Pol to beam the Tholian into Enterprise's decon chamber, shortly before the alien craft explodes. When Archer becomes concerned, T'Pol relieves his stress by confirming that the Tholian is now aboard Enterprise. The captain uses the command chair to contact sickbay and directs Phlox to modify the atmosphere in the decon chamber.
The Denobulan doctor leaves his study of a dissected Cardassian vole to operate a control station. Monitoring the Decon chamber, Phlox begins to adjust its temperature. He smiles as the Tholian prisoner screams in extreme agony.
Act Two
The Tholian prisoner
Outside the decon chamber, Archer, Mayweather and T'Pol meet with Phlox, Hoshi Sato and Major Reed. The Tholian is securely imprisoned within the chamber. When the captain asks about the alien's condition, Phlox mentions that Tholians are an hermaphroditic species, with characteristics of both sexes. In response to Archer's question, the doctor replies that the Tholian prisoner's biosigns seem to be stable. The captain then asks Sato whether the alien will understand him if he speaks to it. After consulting a device, Sato nods. Archer opens a comm channel to the interior of the decon chamber and prepares to talk with the Tholian. Phlox, Reed, Archer and Sato peer through a window and into the chamber beyond, but the Tholian is hidden from sight. Suddenly, the alien jumps into clear view, directly behind the window. Archer and Sato are shocked by the Tholian's sudden appearance. The captain angrily looks at Phlox before he turns back to the window and informs the alien of its situation. Archer warns the Tholian that if it does not respond to his questions, it will be harmed. When it begins to respond in its own language – a mixture of high-pitched squeaks and squeals – Sato translates that the Tholian is demanding to be released. The captain asks where the Tholians are holding the Terran ship that they captured, but the alien responds that its people will destroy the vessel when they find it. To make the Tholian more cooperative, Phlox suggests altering the life support in the decon chamber. Archer steps back to allow the doctor access to a control panel below the window. Phlox comments that he is decreasing the temperature inside the chamber by fifty degrees, shortly before he makes the modification. The Tholian reacts in pain and discomfort, screeching as it steps back from the window. When the captain demands that the alien answers his question, the Tholian insults Archer. Consequently, the captain orders Phlox to lower the temperature by another fifty degrees. As the alien begins to shake, Phlox explains that its exoskeleton is starting to fracture. Finally, the Tholian agrees to help Archer. After the captain indicates for Phlox to raise the chamber's temperature, the alien reveals that the Terran vessel is in the Vintaak system. When Archer hears a strange noise, T'Pol reports that the Tholian is attempting to send a short-range transmission. Eventually, the officers determine that the Tholian is using its crystalline structure to transmit a distress call. Major Reed advises the captain to immediately transport the alien into space, but Archer wants the Tholian kept alive until its information can be verified. The captain orders Phlox to find a method of rendering the alien unconscious. Accompanying T'Pol and Mayweather, Archer leaves Phlox, Sato and Reed to study the Tholian.
T'Pol and Tucker work on adapting the Suliban cloaking device
The cloaking device overloads, electrocuting Tucker
In main engineering, T'Pol works on adapting the Suliban cloaking device to operate with Enterprise's systems. Tucker stops her when he notices that she has forgotten to wear a radiation meter, a safety precaution that he believes is vital. Tucker subsequently orders Crewman Biggs to provide the Vulcan with one so that she does not suffer the adverse effects of delta radiation exposure, an experience that scarred Tucker for life. T'Pol ignores Trip's warnings, but wears the radiation meter anyway, and asks for a flux coupler. According to Tucker, a year's exposure to delta radiation shortens a person's life by an estimated ten years. He adds that if the calculation is correct, he will probably be dead by the following week. When T'Pol suggests that he could ask the captain for a promotion, Tucker wonders if the Vulcan could ask, as she is now Archer's first officer. Tucker implies that she owes him a favor, as he once relieved her when she was suffering from pon farr. He adds that he found the experience enjoyable and wonders when T'Pol is due to be affected by the pon farr again. Hearing an electrical buzzing noise, Tucker looks around to see a spark of energy moving through a cable from the warp drive to the cloaking device. Moving quickly, he tries to disconnect the cable from the cloaking device and shouts at the other engineers, telling them to pull the matrix converters. Suddenly, the cloaking device explodes while Tucker holds onto it. The chief engineer flies back from the device and lands on the deck beside it.
Later, Archer, Phlox and Reed are in engineering with Tucker and T'Pol. As the doctor attends to an injury on Tucker's hand, the engineer tells Archer that the cloaking device will take at least a day to repair. However, the captain only gives him six hours to fix the device. Reed conspiratorially approaches Archer. The major is puzzled that, although there are dozens of EPS feeds on the same deck, the only one to overload is connected to the cloaking device. Tucker reports that the power surge disabled other systems, including internal sensors and gravity plating on Enterprise's G Deck. Archer orders the engineer to concentrate on repairing the cloaking device. Convinced that someone on board Enterprise is responsible for the incident, the captain tells Reed to find the saboteur. However, Tucker offers the investigative skills of his own engineering staff, stating that security officers and MACOs are not welcome in Main engineering. The captain repeats his order for Tucker to repair the cloaking device. As Archer leaves, Tucker and Reed exchange threatening glances.
In the brig, Archer demands that Forrest tell him the identity of the saboteur, but the prisoner claims to be ignorant of the incident. Archer persists, believing that Admiral Black, a high-ranking officer stationed on Earth, has planted a spy on board Enterprise. The new captain also believes that Forrest knows the spy's identity and that the spy sabotaged the cloaking device. When Forrest claims otherwise, Archer instructs Mayweather to go to the captain's quarters and look for messages from Starfleet in Forrest's personal files. Forrest warns Mayweather that if he follows Archer's orders, he will be executed as a co-conspirator, but Travis still complies with Archer's instructions. After the MACO leaves, Forrest reveals that he has trusted Archer for many years because he thinks the commander has no ambition, which was why Archer's mutiny surprised Forrest. The new captain enters the cell where Forrest is imprisoned and wanders beside him. Suddenly, Archer assaults the prisoner, shouting that Forrest's impression was obviously wrong, as he is now in the brig. With a tight grasp around his throat, Forrest promises Archer a quick death if the captain releases him. Archer pulls a knife from Forrest's belt and threatens him with it. When Forrest notes that Hoshi will never forgive Archer if the captain kills him, Archer reluctantly lets Forrest go and slowly exits the brig. Forrest stares after the captain, watching through the clear walls of his prison.
In the situation room on the bridge, Reed tells Archer the findings of his investigation. Apparently, the saboteur entered a junction that the crew are forbidden from using, but the intruder alarms in that section were disabled. According to Reed, the only way to disable the alarms is to run a high-level diagnostic scan. The major has learned that Tucker initiated a scan half an hour before the saboteur overloaded the EPS waveguide in the junction.
Later, Tucker is punished for his act of treachery in the starship's agony booth. When Archer demands to know who the engineer was working for, Tucker promises that he was not the person who sabotaged the cloaking device. However, Archer responds that he has found evidence that Trip became chief engineer with Admiral Black's recommendation and insistence. This fact has led the captain to believe that Tucker is a spy, but Tucker states that Archer is mistaken. Major Reed seems to enjoy torturing Tucker and raises the pain level in the agony booth. The engineer continues to plead that he has only ever been loyal to Archer, but the captain orders Reed to use the agony booth until Trip becomes completely honest. Tucker shakes in excruciating agony as Archer leaves the room.
In the captain's quarters, Archer and Sato lie in bed, their bodies drenched in sweat. The captain frowns and asks whether Sato transmitted important data that he gave to her previously. Saton replies that the fleet admiral received the data. When she asks why it was so important, the captain answers that it was an "insurance policy". Frowning, he sits up and puts on some pants. He has realized that, given Tucker's engineering expertise, the damage to the cloaking device would have been more severe if Tucker had sabotaged the device. When Sato reminds Archer that Tucker was under T'Pol's observation, making the task of damaging the cloaking device harder, the captain thinks of his Vulcan first officer. He goes to a desktop monitor and asks the ship's computer to locate T'Pol. However, the computer replies that it cannot find her because the internal sensors are not functioning. Archer recalls that the sensors were damaged when the incident occurred, leading him to further suspect T'Pol. He puts on a shirt, arms himself with a phase pistol and leaves the room, telling Hoshi to stay in his quarters. As the door closes behind him, a serious expression crosses over Sato's face.
T'Pol leads a rescue attempt to free Captain Forrest
Meanwhile, T'Pol and two Vulcan security officers march through a corridor, carrying phase rifles.
In the brig, two Starfleet guards hear the sound of weapons fire outside. When they open the door to the brig, a projectile weapon is thrown inside and quickly explodes. Once the guards are rendered unconsciousness, T'Pol and her Vulcan officers step into the brig. The first officer works on opening the cell where Forrest is imprisoned.
In a corridor outside, Archer accompanies a MACO around a corner. Suddenly, the captain sees the two Vulcans at the other end. A battle ensues, but the MACO is hit and falls to the ground. Archer safely makes his way to a turbolift that he activates, escaping to another deck.
In the brig, Forrest has been freed. When he asks T'Pol what took her so long to help him escape, she answers that she needed time to find assistance. The Vulcan also informs Forrest that she disabled the com system and the internal sensors, explaining why no alarm was triggered when Forrest finally escaped. Together, T'Pol and Forrest head for the bridge, followed by the two Vulcan officers outside.
Seizing control of the bridge, T'Pol and Forrest try to alter the starship's heading and exit Tholian space. However, T'Pol soon discovers that the helm station is not responding. A turbolift door slides open and Archer exits with his hands visibly raised in a surrendering position. He lowers them as he exits the turbolift and steps on to the bridge. He notifies Forrest and T'Pol that he has set auto-navigation to be released only when Enterprise arrives at the coordinates he has set. Forrest orders him to restore the controls, but Archer replies that they have been encrypted with a random code that even he wouldn't be able to break. When Forrest asks T'Pol if she can override the helm, she answers that the process of breaking the encryption code will take several days. Archer informs Forrest that Enterprise will reach its destination long before the code can be broken. Archer then sarcastically turns command of the ship back to Captain Forrest.
Act Three
Later, Archer is tortured in the ship's agony booth. When Captain Forrest arrives, Doctor Phlox reports that Archer has spent the last ten hours in the punishment chamber, a feat that the Denobulan finds impressive. The captain tells Phlox to remove Archer from the booth and the doctor complies. Freed from the torture area, Archer stumbles to the floor in extreme pain. Forrest announces his intention to torture Major Reed in the agony booth and sends Phlox to bring Reed to the chamber. Lying on the floor, Archer wonders whether Forrest will either shoot him now or wait until his court martial. However, Forrest is under orders from Fleet Admiral Gardner to release Archer. The admiral was intrigued when he received the data that Archer sent to him. Since Enterprise has been locked on a set course towards a mysterious ship in Tholian space, Gardener has ordered Forrest to investigate the vessel. As Archer smiles faintly, the captain rushes forward and pulls Archer up by his shirt. Forrest recalls that Archer betrayed him, a fact that the captain is unlikely to forget. The captain throws Archer back to the floor and orders him to get cleaned up, since Archer is due to brief the senior staff in one hour.
In the briefing room, T'Pol disputes Archer's claim that a parallel universe exists. She states that, according to the Vulcan Science Directorate, alternate realities do not exist, but Archer responds that the Tholians are more open to extreme possibilities than the Vulcans are. Continuing with the briefing, Archer shows the senior officers a diagram of an area in space. One part of the image is void of stars. Referring to the map, Archer states that the Tholians detonated a tri-cobalt warhead inside the gravity well of a dead star. The resulting explosion created an interphasic rift between Tholian space and another universe. Unable to explore the rift due to its unstable nature, the Tholians sent a distress call through to the other side. This drew the USS Defiant of 2268 to the rift; she became trapped, and her crew succumbed to the pernicious effects of interphase. The Defiant was eventually ejected from the rift into the mirror universe of 2155, where she was recovered for study by the Tholians. When Sato asks how Archer knows so much about the ship from the future, he explains that he bribed one of the humanoid laborers that the Tholians use. He then shows the officers several images that his contact transmitted to him and adds that, according to some theories, everything that exists in the universe that the crew are familiar with is duplicated in the alternate universe. Archer excitedly muses that, since the ship is from the future, the crew of Enterprise may be able to retrieve advanced engines and bio-weapons, and new tactical systems from the ship. T'Pol indicates her belief that the evidence is not genuine and becomes hostile towards Archer, telling Forrest that the commander is guilty of assault and mutiny. Captain Forrest tells the Vulcan to be quiet, but she continues her comments. Eventually, Forrest interrupts and informs T'Pol of his firm decision to investigate the future starship. Preparing to leave the room, Forrest instructs Tucker to repair the cloaking device. As the captain exits, Archer looks down at T'Pol and smiles.
Later, Tucker is attempting to fix the cloaking device when T'Pol enters main engineering. She notifies Tucker that Forrest is expecting a progress report. Tucker answers that he requires a minute to set the field converters. He walks away but soon turns back to T'Pol, shouting that he spent four hours in the agony booth due to her. The Vulcan suggests to Tucker that he direct his frustration at Archer. Although Tucker blames T'Pol for disabling the intruder alarms in the service junction and implicating that he was responsible, the Vulcan claims that he is mistaken. Eventually, she explains that she lured Tucker into her quarters, initiated a mind meld with him and implanted a telepathic suggestion to sabotage the cloaking device. After he returned to T'Pol's quarters, she conducted another mind meld with him and altered his memory of what he had done. Tucker angrily snarls that T'Pol will regret her actions. Forcing her against a wall, he slams his fist against a com panel and contacts the bridge. When Captain Forrest answers, Tucker tells him that the cloaking device is ready.
As Commander Archer paces behind the captain's chair, Forrest hears Tucker add that the device will require all of the ship's energy, except for auxiliary power. Forrest soon responds, ordering Trip to engage the cloaking device. The lights in main engineering and on the bridge momentarily darken as the device becomes active.
The ISS Enterprise cloaks
In space, the craft shimmers as it disappears from sight.
Later, T'Pol reports on the bridge that Enterprise has arrived at its destination. When Forrest orders Sato to display an image of the ship's location on the main viewscreen, the officers view a large, green gas giant surrounded by several moons and meteoroids. Complying with a request from Commander Archer, Sato brings up a closer view of one of the moons. The commander turns to Captain Forrest when the viewscreen displays a clear view of the ship he has been searching for: the USS Defiant.
In a drydock built into the moon, Tholian vessels fly past the Template:ShipClass Federation starship.
Act Four
In the situation room, T'Pol briefs Archer, Tucker, Reed and Forrest. Apparently, all power aboard the Defiant is deactivated. Although life support is also off-line, thirteen alien biosigns have been detected aboard the ship, including one reptilian. All of the aliens are located within a section of the secondary hull. Reed theorizes that the crew were probably executed, as no Human lifeforms have been detected. Tucker seems impressed by the size of the starship's warp coils and believes it likely that the Defiant could reach warp 7. Forrest begins to organize an assault team under Archer's command. He tells the commander to download as much information from the ship's database as he can and then to destroy the vessel, a suggestion that Archer finds alarming. He argues that the crew need to take the Defiant with them, but Forrest reminds him that they are deep in Tholian space and believes that Archer's plan is too dangerous. Ultimately, Archer reluctantly accepts Forrest's orders. The captain dismisses Archer, Tucker and Reed and waits for them to leave before he talks to T'Pol. He tells her to join the assault team but ensure that Archer does not return.
Aboard the Defiant, the team, including Sergeant Mayweather, beam into a corridor wearing environmental suits. T'Pol and Archer learn that the Tholians are stripping the Defiant of components. As the officers wander through the corridor, they discover a phaser lying discarded beside the body of a dead Human Lieutenant, a member of the Defiant's crew. Reed offers to hold the phaser, but Archer chooses to carry the weapon himself and leads the officers away from the dead body.
Aboard Enterprise, outside the decon chamber, Phlox realizes that the Tholian prisoner is awake. Using a control panel, he tries to render the alien unconscious again, but the sedative does not work.
On the bridge of the Terran Empire vessel, Sato reports that a distress call is being transmitted from the decon chamber. Using a control on his chair, Forrest contacts Phlox.
Outside the decon chamber, the Denobulan informs Forrest of the situation. As a solution, the captain instructs Phlox to kill the Tholian. Phlox's expression grows serious as the alien begins to scream in agony.
On the bridge, Sato reports that three Tholian vessels are approaching Enterprise. Forrest grows desperate and demands to know what is happening.
Phlox reports that the Tholian will be dead in a few seconds. He impatiently asks the alien to die. Inside the chamber, the Tholian shatters into minuscule pieces. The doctor contacts Forrest and tells him that the alien will no longer be able to cause trouble.
On the bridge, Forrest smiles when he hears the news. However, Sato tells him that one of the Tholian ships is attempting to contact Enterprise.
Together, Reed and Tucker force the doors to the Defiant's darkened bridge open. On the other side, the Enterprise officers find two dead men lying on the floor beside the command chair. One of the men, who Archer believes is the captain of the Defiant, wears a command division Starfleet uniform. T'Pol notifies Archer that the man's neck is broken. When Trip states that the officers should be able to overload the Defiant's warp reactor from the bridge, Archer tells him to begin the work. Subsequently, the engineer starts to remove equipment from a case.
Aboard Enterprise, Sato informs Forrest that four more Tholian vessels have joined the other three. The captain orders her to tell Archer that the mission is over and instructs the helmsman to prepare a course away from the Tholian ships. At her station, Hoshi reports that the alien vessels are jamming her transmission.
The Tholians create a gigantic web to ensnare Enterprise
In close proximity to the gas giant, the Tholian starships emit a massive energy web that surrounds and entraps Enterprise.
On the bridge, Forrest orders the tactical officer to fire at the closest Tholian vessel. Although Enterprise causes no damage to the Tholian ship, Forrest persists. He instructs the tactical officer to use Enterprise's torpedo launchers to attack.
In space, the starship fires several torpedoes that illuminate the energy web, but the web remains intact. The Tholians respond by opening fire on the starship.
As the bridge trembles around her, Sato confirms that the Tholians have detected Enterprise. Forrest tells the helmsman to maneuver the ship away from the Tholian vessels. Contacting main engineering, he orders a crewman to deactivate the cloaking device and to concentrate all power on the starship's engines. However, the crewman replies that the cloak is not responding.
Aboard the Defiant, Archer grows impatient with Tucker. Eventually, the engineer successfully restores power to the ship's systems, and the lights and consoles on the bridge become active. When a console beeps, T'Pol learns from the science station viewer that Enterprise is being attacked.
Meanwhile, the Terran Empire starship is taking heavy damage. The ship has lost hull plating and the warp containment fields are failing. Three minutes before the ship is expected to explode due to a warp core breach, Forrest orders the crew, including the officers on the bridge, to abandon the ship in escape pods. Most of the bridge officers leave their stations, but the captain remains behind and goes to the helm. Sato, still on the bridge, rushes to Forrest and demands an explanation to why he hasn't left. He answers that he intends to delay the ship's destruction for as long as he can and tells Hoshi to leave Enterprise.
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Archer and an assault team on the Defiant bridge
On the Defiant's bridge, the officers have removed their helmets, since life support came on-line when power was restored. When T'Pol notifies Archer that Enterprise is taking heavy damage, the commander asks Tucker whether he can activate the Defiant's weapons and engines. Although the engineer is unsure, he sets to work on those systems. Archer tells Mayweather and Reed to help him remove the dead bodies from in front of the command chair and they start to lift the two men.
Surrounded by flames and fire, the bridge of Enterprise shudders as the Tholian vessels continue their assault.
The starship begins to launch escape pods, but some of the small capsules are destroyed by the Tholian ships' weapons, or when they collide with the energy web's structural supports.
Archer watches as Enterprise explodes
Almost completely engulfed by fire, Enterprise's bridge rocks violently as Captain Forrest holds on to the helm station of his dying ship.
On the Defiant's bridge, Archer looks through the helm station viewer while Reed attempts to operate the navigation console. When T'Pol alerts Archer's attention to the viewscreen, the commander watches helplessly as Enterprise explodes.
Memorable Quotes
- (Zefram Cochrane shoots the Vulcan Captain, killing him)
"Board their ship! Take everything you can!"
- - The Vulcan Captain and the Grizzled Man, on first contact between Humans and Vulcans in the mirror universe
"The Booth will be far more effective than our previous disciplinary methods."
"It can stimulate the pain center of virtually any Humanoid. A synaptic scan calibrates it for each species."
"They call this progress!"
"There's something to be said for a good, old-fashioned flogging."
- - Major Reed, Dr. Phlox, Commander Archer, and Captain Forrest, discussing the virtues of the latest in torture technology
"Something about... your 'maternal ancestor.' "
- - Lieutenant Hoshi Sato, translating a Tholian insult hurled at "Captain" Archer
"You don’t want to end up like me, do you? I’ve absorbed enough delta rays to guarantee my grandchildren glow in the dark."
- - Commander Tucker, to Lt. Commander T'Pol, on the dangers of delta radiation
"I did you a favor once."
"We agreed never to discuss that."
"And I haven't."
"I'd hardly call it a favor, you enjoyed yourself."
"Several times as I recall. So, how many years is it 'til your pon farr comes around again?"
- - Tucker and T'Pol
"This isn't like you, Jonathan. You never lusted for power and glory. That's why I trusted you at my side all these years – because you have no ambition!"
- - Captain Forrest, to Commander Archer
"You gonna sh... shoot me now, or... wait for... court martial?"
- - Commander Archer, to Captain Forrest
"Will you kindly die?"
- - Dr. Phlox, to his Tholian prisoner
Background Information
- This is the seven hundredth live action episode of Star Trek.
- There is a long-running and oft-parodied pop culture debate on how many episodes there were in Star Trek: The Original Series, depending on whether one counts "The Menagerie" as one episode or two (Memory Alpha considers it two). The two-part "In a Mirror, Darkly" story, perhaps not coincidentally, synchs up in such a way that even if "The Menagerie" is counted as a single episode, that would make the second half of "In a Mirror, Darkly" the 700th live-action episode (as opposed to part I), so either way, the combined "In a Mirror, Darkly" story is the "700th episode".
Story and Script
- The title of this episode comes from a passage in the Bible (1 Corinthians 13:12 from the American Standard Version): "For now we see in a mirror, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know fully even as also I was fully known." The same verse (in the King James Bible, the relevant text reads "For now we see through a glass, darkly") is quoted by Captain Picard in Star Trek Nemesis.
- Although VOY: "Living Witness" was the first of any Star Trek series in which none of the regular characters appear, "In a Mirror, Darkly" was the first Mirror Universe episode in which only the characters' mirror counterparts are seen. This differed from the mirror universe episodes of TOS and DS9, in which "Federation Universe" characters traveled to the parallel universe (and vice versa). Both ENT episodes take place entirely in the mirror universe with no crossover of any regular characters (although the USS Defiant does itself cross over).
- The fate of USS Defiant from TOS: "The Tholian Web" is made known in this episode.
- This episode was a sequel to TOS: "The Tholian Web" and a prequel to TOS: "Mirror, Mirror".
- For the first time in the series, escape pods are used by the Enterprise crew. These pods are ejected through removable panels around the saucer.
- It is also the first to depict a Tholian "in the flesh" since the 1968 Original Series episode "The Tholian Web", where only the head of a Tholian was shown. The species is revealed here to be six-legged and crystalline in nature.
- While trapped in the Tholian web, the Enterprise is able to fire weapons through their cloak. However, the cloak does appear to momentarily fail a few seconds after Enterprise launched torpedoes, perhaps indicating that the ship had insufficient power for simultaneous use of weapons and cloak.
- The web created by the Tholians is different in this episode. In the TOS episode, two Tholian ships connected by reversing into each other, and then moving away. In this episode, the beam is emitted from the fore of the vessels. Whilst it took several hours for the Tholians to "spin" their web in the first instance, here it takes a matter of seconds. However, like the Terrans, it could be assumed that the Tholians of this universe are more advanced technologically in this time period.
New Credits
"Star Trek: Enterprise" in black letters
- This episode, along with "In a Mirror, Darkly, Part II", features a completely revised opening credits sequence that chronicles the history of Human warfare and interstellar domination of the Terran Empire. Prolific Star Trek composer Dennis McCarthy (along with composer Kevin Kiner) wrote a brand new militaristic theme file info for the revised title sequence.
- The new credits depict World War II American troops marching into Paris, a squadron of Stukas, a hydrogen bomb exploding, aerial carpet bombings, a submarine firing a torpedo, a different moon landing, a T-90 tank, an F-15 Eagle, the destruction of a Klingon Bird-of-Prey, and a battle between Enterprise and the Xindi.
- To help deliver the message that we're "not in Kansas anymore," the words "Star Trek: Enterprise" in the opening titles change from white to black.
- The opening credits include scenes from other Paramount Pictures media, notably the television series Call to Glory and the feature film The Hunt for Red October. The image of a Boeing B-1B Lancer seen in one of these shots was used at the start of the 2005 film, The Jacket. The image of an energy weapon blasting through a building is repurposed from the Voyager episode "Dragon's Teeth".
- When CBS/Paramount syndicated the series to local stations starting in late 2005, McCarthy's bombastic "mirror theme" was frequently heard in the promos for several other episodes in addition to the two mirror universe episodes.
- The Altered Credits can be viewed: HERE
Cast and Characters
- James Cromwell and Cully Fredricksen both appear, courtesy of footage from Star Trek: First Contact, as alternate versions of their First Contact characters, Zefram Cochrane and the unnamed Vulcan captain who made first contact with Humanity on April 5, 2063 (respectively).
- This episode marks the final appearance of Vaughn Armstrong on the series.
- According to behind-the-scenes interviews on the 4th season DVD release of the show, the cast and crew joked that the mirror universe "put the Ho back in Hoshi."
Production
- The agony booth's plastic enclosure is a reuse of the quarantine chamber set piece from ENT: "Cold Station 12".
Dead Defiant lieutenant; note the angled ship insignia (and the red shirt)
- Even though the original series producers neglected to create an assignment patch for Defiant – probably for time and budget reasons – one was designed for this episode. It is an angled insignia similar to one glimpsed on the registry pennant of TOS starships and in the background of various starbases.
The Defiant Bridge set standing on Paramount's Stage 9 in 2005.
- Although small sections of the TOS bridge had been recreated for TNG: "Relics" and DS9: "Trials and Tribble-ations", this is the first time a full three-quarters version of the famous set stood on a Paramount soundstage since 1969.
- The Defiant helm console and captain's chair had been previously built for a museum attraction. Unlike the command chair on Kirk's bridge, the Defiant captain's chair does not swivel. (It should be noted that the Enterprise's command chair didn't swivel in "The Cage","Where No Man Has Gone Before", or during some of the earliest episodes of the first season.
- The producers paid an amazing amount of attention to detail in this episode, even positioning the bodies of the Defiant's captain and the redshirt who died strangling him exactly where they appeared in TOS: "The Tholian Web". Even T'Pol's diagnosis of his broken neck was accurate.
- Production designer Herman Zimmerman and his art department made a few modifications to the Defiant bridge. The segmented red railing seen in TOS is now perfectly curved. Also, two removable panels are now visible on opposite sides of the main viewscreen. These were added because in an early draft, Archer and his assault team accessed the Bridge by climbing through one of these hatches. The writer later decided to have the team enter through the turbolift, although it is unclear how they got to the bridge since the power was off.
- This episode marks the first appearance of a phaser pistol in the Enterprise series. The prop was an off-the-shelf toy manufactured by Art Asylum, modified with a strip of velcro to allow it to adhere to Scott Bakula's trousers.
- The Suliban cloaking device Commander Tucker is working on is a reuse of the phase cannon model seen in ENT: "Silent Enemy".
- Tucker's appearance in this episode, where he is disfigured by delta radiation, is an homage to the disfigurement Fleet Captain Christopher Pike exhibited in the "The Menagerie, Part I" (but less severe, as Pike was flooded with the radiation while Tucker only receives small amounts of it). (ENT Season 4 DVD commentary)
- Phlox is performing a vivisection on what appears to be Cardassian vole in one scene, perhaps suggesting the Terran Empire had already encroached on Cardassian space.
- The control interfaces for the agony booth of the Enterprise was auctioned off in the It's A Wrap! sale and auction.
Reception
- The readers of Star Trek Magazine voted "In a Mirror, Darkly" the best episode of Star Trek: Enterprise in their 40th anniversary reader poll, published in January, 2006. Cinefantastique magazine also named it – and the second part "In a Mirror, Darkly, Part II") – as one of the top 10 television episodes of 2005.
- The television critic for the The New York Daily News called the two-parter "the best hours of Enterprise yet."
- This episode was nominated for an Emmy Award in the Outstanding Hairstyling For A Series category.
- Some of this background information was contributed by episode writer/producer Mike Sussman.
DVD releases
- As part of the ENT Season 4 DVD.
- As part of the Star Trek: Fan Collective - Alternate Realities collection.
Links and References
Main Cast
- Scott Bakula as Commander Jonathan Archer (mirror)
- John Billingsley as Doctor Phlox (mirror)
- Jolene Blalock as Lieutenant Commander T'Pol (mirror)
- Dominic Keating as Major Malcolm Reed (mirror)
- Anthony Montgomery as MACO Sergeant Travis Mayweather (mirror)
- Linda Park as Lieutenant Hoshi Sato (mirror)
- Connor Trinneer as Commander Charles Tucker III (mirror)
Guest stars
Uncredited co-stars
- David Anderson as the Tholian prisoner
- Craig Baxley, Jr. as the ISS Enterprise tactical officer
- Mickey Cassidy as Private M. Romero
- James Cromwell as Zefram Cochrane (mirror) (archive footage)
- Shawn Crowder as an ISS Enterprise MACO
- Cully Fredricksen as the Vulcan captain (archive footage)
- Glen Hambly as an ISS Enterprise Vulcan officer
- Scott Hill as an ISS Enterprise Vulcan officer
- Yoshio Iizuka as V. Brown
- Bevin Kaye as a stunt Vulcan
- Larry Krask as Defiant lieutenant [1]
- Ricky Lomax as W. Woods
- Andrew MacBeth as E. Hamboyan
- Rife David Sibley as a MACO
- James Ward as Defiant officer [2]
- Eric Warfield as the Defiant captain [3]
- Curtis Wong as a Defiant ops division lieutenant [4]
- Unknown performers as
References
2063, 2155, 2268; agonizer; agony booth; Biggs (mirror); Black; Black, C.; bomber; Brazil; brig; cloaking device; Defiant, USS; delta radiation; emperor; Enterprise, ISS; escape pods; Fleet Admiral; flux coupler; Gardner (mirror); gas giant; Gorlan Station (Gorlan); gravity well; Major; MACO; mirror universe; mutiny; Palmer, T.; pon farr; Porthos (mirror); sergeant; shotgun; Suliban; Tau Ceti system; Tellarites; Terrans; Terran Empire; Terran salute; Terev; Tholians; Tholian web; tri-cobalt warhead; Vintaak system; Vulcans; Vulcan mind meld; Vulcan Science Directorate
Opening theme references
2K16 Kub; Project 705
| Mirror universe-related episodes | |
|---|---|
| ENT: | "In a Mirror, Darkly" • "In a Mirror, Darkly, Part II" |
| DIS: | "Into the Forest I Go" • "Despite Yourself" • "The Wolf Inside" • "Vaulting Ambition" • "What's Past Is Prologue" • "Terra Firma, Part 1" • "Terra Firma, Part 2" |
| TOS: | "Mirror, Mirror" • "The Tholian Web" |
| DS9: | "Crossover" • "Through the Looking Glass" • "Shattered Mirror" • "Resurrection" • "The Emperor's New Cloak" |
Revision ID missing! • Date missing! • Blurb
| Previous episode: "Bound" |
Star Trek: Enterprise Season 4 |
Next episode: "In a Mirror, Darkly, Part II" |