Converse Symmetry

Star Trek DS9 Fanfiction
Title:	Converse Symmetry
Author(s):	Terri Drummonds
Date(s):	Aug 1997
Length:
Genre:	m/m
Fandom:	Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
External Links:	Converse Symmetry, Archived version
Click here for related articles on Fanlore.

"Converse Symmetry" is a Star Trek: DS9 Garak/Bashir story by Terri Drummonds.

"SUMMARY: A subspace anomaly causes the crew of the USS Defiant from an alternate universe to cross over into DS9's universe. Led by Captain O'Brien, Ambassador Bashir, and Dukat, these alternates possess technology which could give Ben Sisko's Federation the edge in the fight against the Dominion. However, there are the small matters of the Prime Directive, lost lovers, treason and collaborators.

TIMELINE: This story takes place in the latter part of the fourth season, specifically after "For the Cause" where Eddington was revealed as a traitor and Garak and Ziyal first began associating with one another. It occurs before "To the Death" where the DS9 crew embarks on a joint mission with the Jem'Hadar to destroy the Iconian time gateway in the Gamma Quadrant. Other events to note: Odo still has his ability to shapeshift and Dukat is still hunting down Klingons."

Reactions and Reviews

I'd have to say that any G/B'er should read Terrie Drummonds 'Converse Symmetry'. It's proof positive that fanfiction and slash can both be on par with professional writing.

This is a great story of a Defiant from an alternate universe arriving in DS9's universe. All the familiar characters are there, but in different roles and the pleasure in the story is seeing how they interact with the originals.

Garak/Bashir was the first slash pairing I read about, and the acknowledgments at the start of this story read like a Who's Who of G/B writing, so there's certainly a nostalgic element to this rec. I re-read it with some trepidation before reccing it, worried that it wouldn't be so good as my rose-tinted memories made it.

But I was soon involved in the story, and delighting in the character interaction. And all the characters get a good showing. In fact, you could take the G/B out of this story and still have a well-plotted, moving, intriguing piece about DS9. Not that you'd actually want to, since the sex is great <g>

(The only thing about the story that shows its age is slightly erratic formatting, which seems to be the same in all the current online versions.)

There is a multitude of Trek stories that mesh different realities, even in canon. In the 'Converse Symmetry' Series, Terrie H. Drummonds introduces us to the crew of a USS Defiant from one such reality and does a great job of fleshing out these quantum alternates. They are not mere copies or evil (i.e. 'mirror') versions of the characters in the regular universe, but complex characters that are still very much recognizable and different enough to be interesting.

One of the things I really like about this series is that it explores one of my favorite tangents present in DS9: that the future presented in the Trek Universe might be better in certain aspects, but it is far from perfect and the the Federation is not the paragon of virtue it tries to seem.

The writing and the plot elements in the fic are also very compelling, so much so in fact that I'm reccing it despite the fact that it has one element which I usually dislike very much in cross-dimensional fics: character A (in this case Garak) hooking up with Alt!character B (Ambassador Bashir) despite the fact that character B (Doctor Bashir) is still very much in the picture. Terrie worked around my usual objections to the plot, showing the rationale behind Garak and the Ambassador's actions and the fact that their encounters is much more about longing for someone you can't have than about sex with a person that looks like someone you're in love with.

Though the first story is my favorite among them all (as it is the one that contains the Alt!Defiant and its crew), the other stories of the series are also quite well written and show the evolution of Garak and Bashir's relationship in the aftermath of the events of the first fic. In "Asymetrical" we see the repercussions of the events of CS, as Garak and Bashir's friendship breaks and slowly starts to be put together again. "One Man's Dying" goes on to show us the aftermath of the events of "In Purgatory's Shadow/By Inferno's Light" in the CS-verse, while "The Tangents of Or" shows how the events of "Doctor Bashir, I Presume" bring Garak and Julian together. The last part of the series, "Diametric" shows O'Brien coping with his worry for his best friend's new relationship. It is my least favorite part of the series, to be honest, because it leaves things feeling a bit unresolved, but once you get into this universe you'll most likely become so engrossed that you will follow it till the end.

All in all, this series provides a long, satisfying read that shall keep you entertained for hours.

converse symmetry, by terrie drummonds, is the most ambitious story in this fandom i have encountered. g/b, nc-17. it is a novel in which alternate universe versions of some station personnel are briefly marooned at ds9, and so much more. it moves effortlessly between multiple povs; uses the contrast of the universes expertly for shrewd, perfet, bewitching character studies; and deftly develops an exciting plot. it is truly stunning--excellent and satisfying in a variety of ways--and reminded me strongly of science fiction by some of my favourite authors. 1-4, 5-8, 9-12, 13-16, 17-21. [there are sequels which i almost didn't include here--i feel their quality is much lower as the writer goes from the incredibly original creation of the novel to trying to fit her creation into (and otherwise make sense of) a canon that's frankly nonsensical and inconsistent. the results are uneven and left me unsatisfied, but the latter two both have strong merits--startling insights and powerful scenes. assymetrical (pg); one man's dying (pg); and tangents of or (r; the series' first time story, highly emotional).]

So, ever since I got into ds9 I’ve been seeking out the ancient texts and this GORGEOUS novel-length fic is such a joy. The OCs are fully fleshed out, the relationships are believable, and the plot is expansive and engaging. I love reccing old lost gems like this! They deserve all the love in the world.