Chapter Text
The flashes had stopped, but still, the two children kept going. They moved swiftly as possible through the jungle without looking back. Both of them knew it was only a matter of time before The Thing returned to swallow them whole. Cindy had said, “No matter what, keep going until you reach safety.” They trusted Cindy, the one who had watched over them since those very first days back on the Beach, and who had continued to watch out for them, by ensuring they escaped from Them, the ones who had kidnapped and imprisoned them both in a different section of the Island.
Emma wasn’t sure exactly how long they’d been traveling, but she knew it had been days. She was tired and hungry and thirsty. Her younger brother, Zack, was even worse, having suffered nosebleeds after the flashes. The sudden bursts of light had seemed to come without warning, encompassing everything in their path and temporarily blinding them. Cindy had been with them for the first several flashes—but then, somehow, in the next flash, she was gone—and they were alone, lost in the jungle, without a compass or a map. Emma was terrified but she tried not to show it. She was the older one, and Zack was even more scared than she was. She had to be a “good example” (her mother had always told her to do so).
Emma tried not to think about their mother, who was supposed to have received them when they arrived in Los Angeles. Now her mother—as well as their father—probably thought they were dead, and if she thought about it, it made Emma want to cry. She didn’t mention either one of their parents, because Zack would start crying about them again, if she did. She tried to pretend, instead, that she was an adventurer who had come to the Island on purpose, and that all of this was part of her grand plan, she was going to discover treasure in the Jungle and they would go home rich, safe and sound. Her parents would welcome them with open arms, crying tears of joy, and her parents would make up and get married again.
She wondered what they would think of them now, dirty and tired and hungry and at the mercy of any kind of jungle animal in their midst, including the mysterious smoke-like Thing that was a constant threat to their very existence. She looked down at Zack, who was walking beside her. He’d been unusually quiet the past hour or so, and she feared he might be giving up hope of ever finding Cindy, or help of any kind. She feared he already had given up hope of ever getting off the Island. She didn’t know how long they’d been on the Island itself, but it had to have been a long, long time, because she’d grown taller and her hair was longer. She was developing into a young woman, and Zack was getting taller too. She wondered if her parents would even recognize them.
“Not much longer, Zack,” she told him (even though they both knew it was a lie).
“I’m tired,” Zack pouted. His lip was sticking out like it always did when he was pouting, reminding Emma that he’d only been six when the plane had crashed. The experience of the plane crashing and stranding them on an island in the middle of nowhere had been traumatizing enough, but the kidnapping was worse and had done nothing for his psychological development; she was often secretly amused that he still acted like a six-year-old, even now. They were three years apart; she’d been 9 when it happened and sometimes found herself forgetting her own birthday. His was sometime in April; hers was in July, which meant it was probably soon (or had it already passed? There was no way to know). Time moved differently now. She didn’t know how many years they’d been stuck here. (Would she be a teenager next month?) She wished she could know how long they’d been away. She wished she could remember her mother’s face, her father’s smile. She was starting to forget and it terrified her.
“I know you’re tired, Zack.” She squeezed his hand, “it won’t be much longer. Oh—Look!” She quickened her pace as she pulled him forward, rushing them both towards the open clearing. It was a danger to be in open space, but still she ran. There was no telling what dangers there were to behold—but the clearing meant an opening; it meant an escape; it meant that they were getting somewhere, and perhaps that someplace was safer than staying in the jungle, where everything was so dense she was beginning to feel almost claustrophobic.
“What is it?” Zack looked about breathlessly. Before she could answer him, they had burst through the underbrush and had emerged finally into the clearing itself—which revealed itself as a wide open space, a great expanse of rolling grassy hills and knolls.
“Come on!” Emma yanked Zack’s hand excitedly, running faster.
“But what about the—” Zack couldn’t finish the sentence as he was pulled along against his will.
“It’s a valley!” Emma spun around in wonder. “Maybe there’s a lake,” she encouraged Zack who was looking wary, “We can get some drinking water,” she added for clarification.
Zack surveyed the land and frowned. “I don’t see a lake anywhere here, Emma.”
“Stop being such a party pooper!” Emma snatched his hand and they were off again, darting through the field of grass and grain. She could see a forest approaching them, and there was some kind of structure looming in the distance—it appeared man-made, she realized suddenly, and the thought terrified her—whose land was she trespassing on? Was it Theirs? She made an abrupt halt.
“Holy Smokes, Emma—!” Zack was catching his breath. “Can you warn me next time—”
“Shhh!” Emma turned and pointed towards the pointed structures. “Look!” she instructed.
Zack followed the path of her finger. His eyes grew wide. “What is—”
He didn’t get a chance to finish his sentence. Just as soon as he spoke, they heard it: the Sound—the one that meant Trouble was in their midst—it was a horrifying sound, one that made every hair on Emma’s neck stand on end. It was like a squealing machine, and the machine was coming to get them—and if they didn’t move, righ then—
“GO!” Emma shoved Zack forward, and they both began to run, running as fast as their legs would allow them, running through the grassy fields and trying not to trip over stray roots. They ran without even thinking about where they were going and suddenly they were standing in front of the man-made structures. It was a gate of some kind, Emma realized, but it didn’t appear to be connected; she had no time to wonder what its purpose could be, because The Thing was almost there, it was almost upon them, and if they didn’t keep going they would be gone for good. “RUN!” Emma screamed, and Zack did just that, pumping his legs as fast as he could. “Keep running!” Emma shrieked as the sound grew louder, it sounded like a mixture of machinery and broken glass and squealing pigs all rolled into one, and it made her run even faster, faster than she’d ever run before—
ZAP.
Only about half a yard away, Zack dropped to the ground—and, as Emma watched with horror, his whole body began to writhe and shake.
“ZACK!” Emma shrieked. She darted in his direction, only to halt a few steps away: because there was a humming sound, a sound she recognized as electricity. It was everywhere—the air was electrified with it—she could feel the ground vibrating. “ZACK!” Emma screamed.
Her brother remained on the ground where he’d fallen, still and silent, no longer moving, and her heart began to race; she knew she couldn’t proceed, because whatever had zapped him would zap her, too—and then, even more terrifying, came the sound from behind her: that strange horn-like sound accompanying the electrified hum in her ears, followed by a blood-curdling sound that was akin to a growl.
It was here: and Emma knew: this was it. She was done for….
Emma remained where she stood, willing every muscle in her body to grow still. It was the only way, she’d learned, to make the monster go away ... .to pretend you weren’t there ... .maybe it wouldn’t even see her at all. Maybe she could become invisible.
She closed her eyes and prayed, silently, whispering in her mind, ‘Go away, go away, go away,’ until, finally, the scary sounds faded, and the sun broke through the clouds. Emma let a breath of air escape, filled with relief: she was free….
…but her brother….He wasn’t moving…
“ZACK!” Emma screamed, terrified to move. She wanted to run to his side, but she dared not, knowing what could happen if she did; and so she dropped to her knees, sobbing, tears streaming. “Zack—oh, Zack—” She would not conceive of losing him too. “Zack please wake up, Zack!” He did not stir. “HELP!” Emma screamed, for anyone who could hear her. “PLEASE HELP US! SOMEBODY—ANYBODY! HELP—” She fell to the ground, delirious with fatigue and grief. “Don’t leave me!” she cried to her brother. If he heard her, he made no indication that he had.
She was completely and utterly alone.
* * *
Little did Emma know that she was not far from civilization.
This civilization was the same that had created the high-frequency sonar fence that now divided her from her brother. It was a community of scientists and wayshowers, schemers and dreamers. They lived in a community known as “The DHARMA Initiative”, the organization that had come to investigate the Island. Their home was the Barracks, a group of houses that looked as though it were from the 1950s. In truth it was the year 1974, and nobody had any idea that a rift in time had been created, because it hadn’t happened yet.
On this particular day, Miles Straume was at his usual post in the DHARMA Security Station. His job was supposed to be surveying the surveillance cameras that gave him access to key points throughout the Island. On this particular day, Miles was not viewing the cameras, but was instead fiddling determinedly with a Rubik's cube. He’d almost succeeded in completing the puzzle halfway when the alarm sounded and Miles shot up out of his seat: The Pylons. They had been activated. (This was never a good thing.)
His attention drew to the Pylons cam: and Miles blinked with surprise. Children ? What were two children doing out by the Pylons??? The young girl was on one side of the fence, and the younger boy wasn’t moving; Miles knew what that meant: he’d gotten zapped. There was no telling how much damage had been done. There was no telling how dangerous this was, as Miles did not even recognize these children….but the island was full of surprises, and not all of them were good.
This was a mission for LaFleur.
Miles grabbed the Walky-Talky. “LaFleur, come in, LaFleur.” They had a system that allowed private signals in case of an emergency and he used it now, because the last thing he wanted was for this news to be broadcast all over the community without his boss LaFleur even finding out first. “Jim—we’ve got Code 42! I repeat: Code 42!” Code 42 meant that there was an intruder in their midst.
“Where?” came a grumbling voice demanding from the other end.
Finally Miles could breath: LaFleur always had his back. “The Pylons,” he instructed, “there’s–it’s weird—two kids out there, Jim—one of them’s unconscious.”
“Shit.”
“They don’t look like they’re from around here,” Miles added. “They might not even be Dharma members.”
“Great.”
“One got zapped, I think,” Miles continued, his voice grim, “he’s unconscious, and the girl’s hysterical so…” He took a deep breath. “Proceed with caution.”
“On it!” LaFleur replied, and Miles was relieved, because the gears had started turning. “Where’s Jin?”
Miles struggled to think. “Last I heard he was out on the perimeters scouting.”
“Where’s Juliet?”
“Motor pool.” Miles moved to another switchboard. “Where should I tell her to meet you?”
“Don’t bother,” returned LaFleur, “I’m bringing the Bus with supplies; I’ll pick her up on the way. If anyone comes down there just turn the camera off and claim there’s a malfunction with the switchboard. Got it?”
Miles nodded with understanding. “Got it.”
There was a staticky pause where Miles thought the call had been lost, but then his boss added, “Thanks Miles,” and signed off. Which was odd—because usually LaFleur called him by some strange nickname like “Enos” (which was supposed to be the name of a sidekick from some old classic TV show he’d never even seen).
It was a nice change of pace to hear his boss call him by his first name…if not also a little unsettling.
Miles returned to the Rubik's Cube, content to file it in the back of his mind under “Things To Bring Up Later”.
0 0 0
“They’re children ?” Juliet Burke was mystified. “But—why would two children have gone wandering alone out by the Pylons?”
She was riding in the passenger seat of the bus driven by the Head of Security, Jim LaFleur. She knew him as “James”, the true name he disclosed to those he trusted and knew him well; others, the nickname “Sawyer” by those who he did not.
“Dunno,” shrugged James as he drove the bus along the rugged road from the Barracks, “but they’re there, right now, and we gotta figure out what to do with them before someone else finds out! And it’s an emergency,” he added urgently, “the younger one’s unconscious.”
Juliet was quiet for a moment, thinking, before she turned to look at him with pale blue eyes, “What if it’s a trap?”
James didn’t answer, but his brow furrowed deep in thought for a moment before he turned to look at her, his expression softened. “They’re just a couple of kids, Juliet,” he stated, in a voice much calmer than she had expected, “they deserve at least a chance.”
Juliet couldn’t argue with that. Finally, the van had slowed to a stop on the edge of the forest. They were facing the Pylons.
0 0 0
Emma stood at once as soon as the van came barreling out of the jungle. It looked like an old-fashioned bus, one that she’d never seen before, and it was slowing down. They’d been spotted—and Emma’s heart began to race. Her eyes darted fearfully towards Zack, who still hadn’t moved or made a sound, lying still in the grass. Suddenly she wanted to run, but she couldn’t leave him.
She watched, terrified, as two people immediately exited the van, one of them grabbing something she couldn’t see from the back. It was a man and a woman, both of whom were middle-aged. They didn’t look threatening, but she could never be sure. The woman’s hair was blonde like her mother’s. The man’s hair was dirty blonde like her father’s, but it was a different style, and he was wearing what appeared to be—sideburns??? (Who wore sideburns anymore???) They were both wearing the same light brown jumpsuits, which made them look like janitors. They weren’t carrying weapons that she could see, but still, she was afraid and began to back away.
“Don’t run,” the man said, his voice low, “we’re not gonna hurt you.” He had a gentle voice, and she wanted to believe him. “I’m Jim, and this is Juliet. Who are you?”
Emma hesitated. She knew he could be pretending to be nice. It could all be a trap. She had no choice but to take a chance. “I’m Emma…” She was trying hard not to cry but the tears came anyway.
“Please don’t cry—” He stepped towards her but she grew rigid, backing away, and he stopped only a few feet from where Zack lay. “We’re the good guys,” he told her, “and we’re gonna help you.” He pointed at Zack, “What’s his name?” he questioned in the same soft, gentle tone that made her heart stop thrumming, “What happened to him?”
“Zack,” she answered tearfully, “he’s—my brother. He was running and—and he just fell, and—and started shaking and—and—” A sob choked the rest of her words.
“I know you’re scared.” The woman was speaking now. “But you can trust us.”
“Where did you—come from?”
“We live in a community only a short way from here,” the blonde woman named Juliet answered, “it’s an organization of researchers called ‘The DHARMA Initiative’. Where are you from?”
Emma blinked, trying to figure out how to answer. She’d never heard of ‘The DHARMA Initiative’, and couldn’t imagine there were more people living on the Island than the ones who had kidnapped her. “Are they—good people?”
“Yes, sweetheart.” The man named Jim was crouching down towards Zack, examining him as he spoke. “Like I said: we’re the Good Guys,” he told her with such sincerity and compassion, that somehow, she believed him. “How long has he been out like this?”
Fresh tears began to fall in spite of her trying to hold them back. “I don’t know—” She fought back a sob.
“Listen Emma.” Juliet was standing by the Pylon structure. “I’m going to enter a code and turn off the electricity. Then you can walk through. I will tell you when you can. Okay?”
Emma could feel her entire body trembling, but she nodded. “Okay.”
“Good girl,” said Juliet, and began to punch in the code.
Emma watched as the man named Jim lifted her brother’s arm, taking his pulse. “His heartbeat’s a little fast but it’s slowing down to normal,” he announced. He had a First Aid box on the ground beside him. “We’ve got smelling salts which should wake him.”
Emma held her breath as Juliet finished punching the code. A beep resounded, and the forest was silent once again. The hum was gone. Her body began to relax, but she could not fully relax until she knew Zack would be okay. She couldn’t move. “Is he going to be okay?” she whispered.
Jim nodded. “He should be.” He was watching her curiously, and she could make out the name “LaFleur” on his jumpsuit. “What were you running from?”
Emma tried to answer but her mouth bobbed like a fish out of water.
“Don’t worry about that right now,” Juliet said, coming slowly towards her. “Take my hand.”
She took a step back, her breath quickening, resisting the urge to make a break for it.
“We won’t hurt you,” said Juliet, “I promise.”
Emma looked at Jim, who nodded, but his face was etched with deep concern. “Okay,” she nodded gravely. “You can wake him.”
“Can you come over here and hold his arms?”
“Sure.” Emma knelt down on the grass, gently taking hold of Zack’s wrists. She watched as Jim retrieved the smelling salts. He broke one open and held it under the boy’s nose.
Zack gasped, inhaling air, his eyes snapping open to see Emma looking back at him. His eyes were wide and filled with terror, and he was still gasping as though he couldn’t breathe. When he saw Jim, his eyes grew wider, and he began to scream. “Zack calm down!” Emma was trying to keep him still. “They’re trying to help, they’re good people—”
“Em—” Zack was struggling to speak. “Wh-what—”
“Don’t talk.” Juliet crouched down beside him. “You’ve had a shock to your system.” Seemingly from out of nowhere she produced a water bottle and holded it towards Zack’s lips. “Drink this,” she instructed.
“B-b-but—” Zack was trembling, “wh-wh-what is it—”
“It’s water, Zack.” Emma’s heart ached, because she knew why he was so afraid. She calmly stroked his forehead, which was covered in sweat but she didn’t mind. “You’re going to be OK.” She smiled at Juliet, “Maybe we both will be,” she added, “thanks to you.”