The point of divergence into the mirror universe.

[coloradodem2005]

Star Trek is set to enter the Mirror universe for the first time since Deep Space Nine's "The Emperor's New Cloak" aired in 1999.

TrekToday sources today revealed the crew of the Enterprise NX-01 will have their first encounter with the alternate reality in the episode "In a Mirror, Darkly". Currently scheduled as the seventeenth instalment of the season, the episode is reportedly set to open in familiar surroundings: Bozeman, Montana, on April 5, 2063, the date of first contact between Earth and Vulcan.

However, this isn't your father's first contact. As the Vulcan ship lands and Zephram Cochrane prepares to greet the off-worlders, a somewhat disgruntled mob begins to mass in the area. When the ship's captain steps out and greets the humans with the immortal words, "Live long and prosper", one of members of the crowd produces his weapon and incites the others to attack the Vulcans. They rush together in a mob, overwhelming the stoic Vulcans with their show of brute force, and changing the course of human history forever.

The Mirror universe was first introduced in the original Star Trek's "Mirror, Mirror", in which a transporter malfunction sends Kirk, Scotty, Uhura and McCoy into the alternate reality where the Federation has been replaced by the Galactic Empire. The Mirror realm was also featured in several episodes of Deep Space Nine, including "Crossover" and "Through the Looking Glass".

In an interview last month, Enterprise executive producer Manny Coto promised great things for "In a Mirror, Darkly" (story). "We're really excited about that one. It'll be as if you changed the channel to Enterprise and you get the mirror universe version of the show. We're even going to change the title sequence. People will be wondering, what show is this?"
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http://www.trektoday.com/news/080105_01.shtml

[Ravenseye]

1. Is that the point of divergence though?

I mean I guess it could be but I'm thinking that it has to be something a little further back.

When they ran into Cochran he was a harmless drunk with a dream of making money and avoiding the remnants of the wars of the mid 21st century. So he builds a space ship. Then after he lands, an alien ship lands and everyone gathers.

Now imagine the normal ST universe and the guy they met in First Contact. Can you really picture that guy killing the vulcans and leading the rest to storm the ship? What about Lily? How would she have reacted to it?

I think showing that scene is interesting but I can't see it as a point of divergence. Maybe something earlier that made Cochrane a darker more evil person. Maybe Lily, his moral anchor lets say, died in the wars. Maybe his goals changed. He wasn't doing it so much for money, but for power...

So now, the aliens land, and he's already changed, he's evil. They take the ship, they take more, they conquer earth...Cochrane is the first emperor of the Earth Empire.

Still, as I said...the point of divergence had to be earlier.

[Orsino]

2. There is no 'point of divergence'!

Feddies of every era can cross over and meet their contemporaries, despite the alleged high attrition rate aboard ship. This means that none of the Mirror Universes we've seen has been the same. They can't be the same, and any single continuity would quickly break down. There would never be a Captain Kirk, or Spock, or McCoy, or if there were, you wouldn't find them serving together.

It may be that the act of crossing over somehow creates a Mirror Universe, custom-tailored to whoever's watching.