LT116: My Story Plot

If I were a writer on LOST, I'd write it like this...

STORY TIME

Please back up and read the earlier posts and then come back and read this section. See, every good story has a renegade. Matrix had Neo to question everything, for example. Sooner or later, someone comes along and says, “Why don’t we take society in this direction instead?” Ben is the renegade.

And it is made easier in that he wasn’t a recruit for the Dharma Initiative, just an innocent bystander. It’s always the preacher’s kids or the general’s daughter that gets the reputation of being a rebel rouser and likewise, Ben bucked the Dharma system.

Here is my story outline:

First, we begin with the assumption of a real island that is full of interesting and new capabilities. And the people were advanced in many ways due to the properties of the island. Even if ancient and Stone Age type civilizations were involved, the assistance provided by longer life, the island’s electromagnetic properties, faster healing, etc…would prove to be an asset to a group of people trying to expand their knowledge as all civilizations attempt to do. It would make developing something complicated like flying a lot easier if you discovered that failed attempts didn’t end your life!

A special ability of the island is the time hopping it can do. In fact, it might be a deliberate defense mechanism. Every 108 minutes this thing moves in time and space. Those constrained by 3D won’t easily discover (or believe) it.

Through fate, the Grandpa Hanso discovers the island, but loses it. The family line of business appears to be slave ship. Through many successful ventures, the family name has a lot of money behind it. In order to rediscover the island, Grandpa Hanso’s grandson, Alvar, creates a team called the Dharma Initiative. Its goal is to find his grandfather’s island.

With the family money, an elite team of experts and scientists are assembled. Not only must they locate the island, they must “keep it from moving”. That is the trick. And they solve it. The DI builds the Swan Hatch and must convince idiots to push the button. If they do, the island will stop jumping around spacetime every 108 minutes.

Over time, one of the involved parties of the Dharma Initiative, Charles Widmore, got the crazy idea that he could be like gods if he controlled this island. And he set out to do so. With the fight over ownership and the island being frozen in time (think cold references), the island’s ancestors were finally woken up to protect their home.

But the Originals needed help and Ben is the renegade they found. He was perfect. He was young and idealistic, jaded and ignored, rebellious and curious. And he needed love. What a perfect target for Richard Alpert to manipulate. And it worked. The Purge happened.

Now the Originals needed the island moved. Ben was sent in to convince the Survivors to stop pushing it. Walt was sent to say to stop pushing it. Goodwin’s wife was sent to kill off all intruders. Finally, along came John…a child of the island (remember who came to view John as a baby in the hospital). And like a good son, he stopped pushing the button.

When Kate, Jack, Sawyer and Hurley are on the dock for a farewell party for Michael and Walt (and sometimes, Vincent), the Swan hatch is destroyed and the island is preparing to move. Ben’s look in his eyes is one of “Oh no!” But good Desmond turns the Fail Safe key just in time to stop the jump. Maybe we even got a little frame-jumping, but not a wholesale quantum leap.

Desmond got in the way of the plan set in motion by the Originals and turned the key. Ironic that he dates the daughter of Widmore who doesn’t seem to be on daddy’s side any longer. Nor is the daughter of Paik Industries, Sun. But now the Originals must have someone turn the wheel. So the events we have witnessed begin to unfold.

Desmond gains some time travelling abilities of his own by being near the source, as did Ben when turning the wheel. Maybe what could have cured Desmond would be more jumps and the ancient civilization knew this. For every jump the people get wiser. Think Daniel who spent a life working with light-induced jumps. The original inhabitants would get very advanced quickly in this manner. Maybe even learn to exist without bodies, just energy.

With the fail safe key in place, the island can now only jump the old-fashion way. Like all good stories, there is a backup plan and the Dharma Wheel is the manual procedure like Richard and the other aborigines once used. Fortunately, Ben is available. I think Ben is smart enough to realize he isn’t a “pure blood”. He is lucky to have enjoyed the ride for as long as he has. He plays the role of John the Baptist and prepares the way for the messiah, John “Enlightenment” Locke.

So Ben fulfills his destiny and turns the wheel and is banished from the Garden of Eden. But the Originals finally got the island moved. The remaining people on the island are not really smart enough to put up a fight of any type. And besides, they all recognize John which makes the assimilation pretty easy.

The only enemy the island still faces is Widmore. He knows it exists, but once again the island of Lemuria, Mu, Oz or Whatever has slipped through his fingers. I’m guessing he has learned a thing or two and might have better odds of finding it however. And that is what Season 5 will deal with. Ben is taking out Widmore’s people one at a time for he still serves the island. Perhaps he hopes for redemption.

I would end this story by having the island slip away from humans one last time. A few select and brave people will stay. Perhaps the “real” humans are required as Protectors while the ancients sleep for 108 years at a time. I’ll go out on a limb and say the secret to the ancient’s family tree is that they are part of the baby-making process. If not, the baby and mother die off. It is the island’s way. So, the Children of the Island must return and produce another offspring to serve as the next generation of Protectors. The Oceanic 6 must go back and live up to the family name and destiny.

Only time will tell.

Enjoy,
KC