Through the Looking Glass the twentieth episode of Star Trek: USS Enterprise
“Captain’s Log Mission Date 3976.2 I am beaming down to Rigel Four to confer with Admiral Wesley about the current situation with the Klingons. Spock is worried as an Ion Storm is approaching. Hopefully I will be back and everything “Bolted down” before it arrives.”
The Ion Storm arrives sooner than predicted and hits whilst Hunter is beaming back. He materialises and sees that the Transporter Room is changed. Everything is glassier, less substantial, the sounds of the equipment are different. He is greeted by Spock, Drake, and Piper. Hunter knows that things are not right when Spock mentions that "the war is going badly."
Hunter quickly makes his way to his quarters which show a definite feminine touch. He showers, then as he comes out, he is greeted by Carol (Cathy Lee Crosby), his wife in this universe. Hunter is able to wing a conversation with his wife, then retreats to his sanctum and makes a computer inquiry. Everything is wrong, different, tilted. He learns that the war started only hours ago when hitherto friendly aliens attacked. These aliens, the Romulans, under the leadership of a warlord, had secretly produced many small battleships, superior in speed and armament to the Federation. Now they threaten the very heart of the Federation.
The computer senses something is amiss in Hunter's line of questioning, and begins to question him, question his authority. Hunter is able to give it the correct clearance code--some things are the same in both universes, luckily. Spock calls from the bridge, the situation is grim. Admiral Wesley is waiting on sub-space. Hunter gets lost on the way to the bridge, and some crewmen are openly puzzled.
On the bridge, Admiral Wesley (James Arness) informs Hunter that the Federation stands no chance against the Romulans, and will surrender. Hunter is ordered to rendezvous with a part of the Romulan fleet and surrender the Enterprise to them. The Enterprise has been named by the Romulans to serve as their flagship. Hunter will ferry the Romulan ruler, Sejanus, to Star Base Alpha where he will dictate his terms. Hunter is ordered not to commit any hostile actions.
Hunter continually make little mistakes ( for example the controls on his chair are different and he addresses Rand as "Lieutenant," until he sees that she is a Lieutenant Commander in this universe). Piper wants to examine Hunter. Hunter puts him off, fearful an exam might reveal his true status.
While searching through reports on Ion Storms, Hunter experiences momentary dizziness and weakness. Piper insists he at least retire to his quarters and rest. Hunter is quite willing to do this, needs time to think. After he leaves the bridge, the crew's expressions are grim. But we don't know why. In Hunter's quarters, Carol is tender and concerned, "makes advances." Hunter dodges her overtures, goes to his sanctum and consults the computer. He learns that it is theoretically possible for transport-beams to create a momentary interdimensional-doorway into a parallel universe.
Now Hunter knows where he is. He goes to the observation deck and looks out at this strange Universe. Will he ever get home? He is struck by the dizziness again, then sees dark enemy vessels, about ten in all, drawing alongside. On the bridge, Hunter learns that the enemy's screens are standard defence against lasers, such as the Federation used 50 years ago. Hunter idly says that one phaser barrage could wipe them out. How did the enemy manage to win?
Spock is puzzled: "Phaser, Captain? what's a phaser?
Hunter stares at him, comprehending.
The Enterprise is escorted by the ten vessels to the main Romulan fleet. Hunter realises that by using "the phaser principle," he might be able to turn the tables on the conquerors. He studies schematics of the ship's circuitry, etc., to determine if he can use materials on hand to develop a phaser. He can build a phaser! But will it work after all he is not an engineer? Through this, he continues to suffer dizzy spells.
They rendezvous with the Romulan fleet, and several Romulan are beamed over in advance of their leader Sejanus. The Romulans look like paler skinned Vulcanians. With the Romulan is a big human (Tom Skerrit). He says nothing, and a Romulan does all the talking.
In the Conference Room, Hunter formally surrenders -- "marking time looking for cues, coldly wondering who the damned human traitor is." Also beamed over with the Romulan is Anderson, a captured starship captain, sole survivor of his ship, shattered mentally. He wanders about, tragically, reliving the destruction of his ship, and is seen throughout, muttering to himself in corners.
Romulans now patrol the ship, two are always on the Bridge, several in Engineering to guard against the humans attempting to destroy the ship to take out Sejanus. Satisfied with their security, Sejanus comes aboard. Hunter and a skeleton crew will take Sejanus to Star Base Alpha. The rest of the crew of the Enterprise is beamed to a Romulan ship, held as prisoners. The Romulan assure Hunter the prisoners will be treated well. The Romulan are not malevolent, just determined, and are not cruel rulers unless resistance occurs.
The big bearded man says if it was left up to him, he would hold no prisoners--he would kill all of the nonessential Enterprise personnel. Hunter stares at him, controls his fury. The man grins
"You still don't recognize me, Jim... well, I'm not surprised -- it's been twenty years."
Hunter looks at him sharply.
"I said I'd be back."
Hunter finally recognizes him as Sam Loder, an academy-mate who was busted for a major breach of Academy academic rules, Hunter was largely responsible for Loder's downfall. In Hunter’s universe, Loder swore vengeance, but died in exile. But here, he is alive, working for the Romulans, Sejanus's right-hand man. Loder reveals that it was he, a weapons expert that improved the Romulan lasers to defeat the Federation.
Hunter and Loder eventually come to blows, but they are separated by Romulan guards. As the guards hold Hunter, Loder beats him until he is unconscious. Loder visits Sejanus in the ruler's quarters on the Enterprise. Sejanus is not seen clearly, only in the shadows. Sejanus orders Loder to have the ship's course changed. Loder objects, and they seem to be having a recurring disagreement.
Sejanus reveals that he must go to Romulus, the birthplace of the Romulan race. "I must expose myself to the prophecy," Sejanus declares. Loder scoffs, and Sejanus's Romulan companions glare at him.
Hunter wakes up in his quarters, bloody, sore and aching. Carol soothes him, kisses him. Suddenly she presses a knife against his throat. In a cold voice she says,
"Now we will see who, or what, you are..."
Spock performs a mindmeld on Hunter. We learn that he has told them he is from a parallel universe, but was not believed. As Piper, Kutuzov, Rand and Carol look on, Spock tells them that Hunter is telling the truth. Until now, the others have believed that Hunter was really a Romulan in disguise, which is why they have been giving him the odd looks. Carol is at first angry that this Hunter pretended to be hers, but softens, and says that he must be lonely in his universe.
Spock and the other senior officers tell Hunter that they hope to capture Sejanus, in defiance of Wesley's orders for no hostile actions. The Romulan society is a monarchy--if the leaders falls, it's over. In this universe, Spock is more forceful and savage; closer to the Vulcans of old.
Hunter informs them of the phaser. They plot to gather materials to build one. Again, Hunter has a dizzy spell, worse than any before.
Sam Loder calls Hunter's cabin, orders a course change. Spock consults the computer, learns that this course will lead them to Romulus, the Romulans’ birthplace. He also learns of the prophecy -- "someday a strong ruler will come along and lead the race to great conquest; but then the ruler must return to little home planet to face a peril. More than that, the computer doesn't know."
The Enterprise and its escort of Romulan ships sail onward toward Romulus. Various components are smuggled to Spock's quarters where Hunter works on the homemade phaser, one which will tie into the Engineering computers and be as powerful as a ship's phaser is back in his universe. It is a large bulky affair, the size of a breadboard.
In his quarters, Sejanus, still not seen clearly, meditates on the prophecy. Loder is displeased, practical, tells Sejanus that the power does not exist to destroy an entire planet. He wishes for Sejanus to stop jeopardizing the Romulan victory due to a silly prophecy. Sejanus replies that as a Romulan, honour and tradition compel him, he cannot proceed without risking the prophecy.
Sejanus has Loder bring Hunter to his quarters. They play Romulan chess, though Hunter does not see his opponent. Hunter is charming, and Sejanus admires him, but after he is gone, admits to Loder that he is indeed a dangerous man.
The ships reach Romulus. Sejanus looks on from orbit, ready to fulfil the prophecy.
The phaser is completed. Hunter has also made a few crude hand-phasers. He, Spock, Piper, Sulu and Rand confer on strategy. The tattered, deranged Anderson is suddenly there, listening. He removes his human disguise. He is a Romulan, and he has a weapon trained on them!
Kutuzov clobbers the Anderson/Romulan, but is shot by him. Hunter has another dizzy spell as he kneels over Kutuzov, this time he is in agony, momentarily overwhelmed. Spock helps him up, they proceed to Engineering with the big phaser, use the hand-phasers to overpower the guards there.
In Engineering, Hunter and Drake work to integrate the phaser into the ship's power. Spock and the others hold off the Romulan as they work. Hunter readies the phaser, and programs into the computer a firing pattern. He tries it... the phaser draws enormous power from the entire ship... but doesn't work!
In Sejanus's quarters, he and Loder note the power drain. Loder ascertains that the drain originated in Engineering, and attempts to call the Romulan stationed there. When there is no answer, he dashes out, leaving Sejanus philosophically waiting. Hunter works desperately, fixes the problem in the phaser. Loder charges in. Spock allows him to approach Hunter, as Hunter has asked for Loder's blood, "to Spock, such a request is sacred; Spock vents by plugging three running Romulans, with a shocking war whoop."
Hunter and Loder fight; Loder's weapon spins away. Hunter yells for Drake to activate the phaser. Drake does so--great power drain, sparks fly, then the planet below is destroyed cataclysmically. The firing program set by Hunter also targets all of the Romulan vessels, destroys them.
Sejanus calmly watches this, then walks from his quarters.
Hunter "smears" Loder in brutal combat.
Hunter, et al., confront Sejanus (John Travolta) in a corridor. We finally see that he is but a youth of nineteen or so, with great dignity and bearing. Hunter is amazed that such a youth lead the Romulan to so great a conquest. Sejanus asks for Hunter to step forward, tells him, "We are destined to meet." The weak, dizzy Hunter steps before Sejanus.
An aide to Sejanus quotes the old prophecy: "A ruler will appear and lead the Romulans to great conquest -- but a stranger will appear, a man with no past and no future, with an unknown power in his grasp... he will destroy the birthplace of the Romulans, and turn victory to ruin."
Sejanus then asks that Hunter kill him. Hunter declines to do so, tells him,
"You will instruct your forces to retreat -- to surrender to Earth's."
Sejanus reveals that he has already instructed his forces to do.
"Now I am destroyed," he says, and slumps, dead.
The aide tells Hunter that his refusal to kill Sejanus was a deathblow in itself -- honour demanded suicide, which a Romulan can achieve with a thought.
Hunter has the worst attack of dizziness yet, faints.
Spock and Drake program the Transporter to reproduce the conditions it would operate under in an Ion Storm, hope to return Hunter to his universe. Hunter presses Carol's hand warmly for a moment, then is beamed away.
He materialises back in his universe.
Hunter queries Spock briskly. They were beaming him down to Alpha Seven Medical Facility for R & R. The other Hunter collapsed, he learns, immediately upon arrival (no doubt from tension, despair, and the shock of transposition) and has been under sedation.
Hunter keeps story to himself. Spock attributes his temporary flip to overwork plus effects of beaming during Ion Storm -- Hunter will leave it at that.
The storm caused casualties -- many are still hospitalised aboard ship.
Hunter asks anxiously "How is Kutuzov?"
Spock replies that Kutuzov has broken both legs but is now in a stable condition after Piper operated on him.
"How did you know he was badly injured?"
Hunter happily accepts prospects of a month's shore leave -- and the pretty nurse who comes in, is Carol. Hunter grins: "I wondered if we'd meet in this universe..."
She's puzzled, as Hunter starts to charm her -- and Spock looks sharply at Hunter, as logic tells him something... but what?
NOTE: This episode more closely resembles one of Jerome Bixby's original drafts than the episode "Mirror, Mirror" as broadcast OTL.