Jacob finishes his story, and Flight 815 departs with a few changes.

Jacob continued his tale. Walt would have stood transfixed even if he hadn't been locked in place with his hands still chained high over his head.

"Young Tomba was forced to adopt his master's last name, and a line of Dawsons was started. He was a small child during the American Civil War, four years old when it began and eight when it ended. He then grew up in an orphanage, and lived to marry and have a son named Joseph in 1890. Joseph grew up, married, and in 1923 became the father of Walter. I trust you can take it from there?"

The reason why Jacob looked like an aged Michael to Walt had become clear. He twisted his arms and legs all he could, trying to alleviate the increasing ache, before responding, "Walter Dawson married a woman named Noreen, and they had a boy Michael, and he had a son with Susan Lloyd, though they never married so the son got the mother's last name."

"Very good, Walt."

"So … you're my … great-great-great-grandfather? That's why you're so interested in me?"

"That, and the fact that you are the last of my line. After Lucifer sold Tomba, Wyuna could never have another child. More than anything else I wanted revenge on Lucifer, who kept us as his personal slaves. He was usually busy trying to exploit the fantastic energy source by the Orchid, and brought in scientists to try to figure it out. Lucifer always kept the approach and departure angles secret so no one else could find this Island.

One day some experiment revealed a way to harness the fantastic energy. However, it was somewhat out of control, and there was a big explosion, knocking all the scientists out. Fortunately for me, it broke the chain that had been securing me a tree. I took my chance, and jumped Lucifer. In the ensuing fight he got a shot off, which shot off the little toe on my left foot. But that only increased my rage, and I strangled him with my bare hands. I threw him down a shaft, propped him up against the donkey wheel, and gave it a big push. He disappeared, and the world was a better place for it.

When I got back out, I had to face Richard. I didn't know what to expect, but he was amazingly calm. He realized how important it was to keep the Island's secret safe from the wrong hands. Consequently we and Wyuna stayed on, and Richard occasionally brought in people he found he could trust on visits to civilization.

In 1882 Wyuna passed away, and I couldn't go on. The only thing I wanted to was lie next to her for all eternity, and on this Island that was quite possible. I selected a secluded spot in a cave for our burial site. With nothing to live for, I volunteered for a dangerous experiment Richard had devised. Some black smoke had been leaking from a crack down in the Orchid. I took a torch down to investigate, and before I knew it there was another big explosion. Just before I died the particles somehow got in my brain, and absorbed my conscious thoughts. Richard was nearby, and the explosion had quite an amazing affect on him. He reported that he was swarmed by the smoke, but when it cleared, the aging process had completely disappeared from his system. He has remained on this Island most of the time since."

Jacob finally stopped, and let Walt take the information in.

"So … our Richard now is the same as that one? You mean he's … 167 years old?"

"Yes, that is correct. It is he who has been the Island's Guardian since my death, but it is time for a new one. Once one is chosen, he can begin to age normally, and have a normal life. He dared not get involved and love anyone, as they would grow old while he wouldn't, but would like the chance. Also, now do you see why he recognized you?"

Walt hesitated, not quite reasoning it out. "He still had never seen me."

"Perhaps this will help. This is how I looked at your age. Fourteen years and a month, I believe."

Walt's jaw dropped as Jacob's form morphed into one that could be Walt's twin, though this Jacob had neither a loincloth nor shackles on. Walt then turned his face away. Jacob then changed back into the old version.

"Do not be alarmed; when I was your age I had been constantly naked for six years, and would have two more to go. But the important thing is that blood lines run very thick in this family."

"Uh, yeah, sure. So that's why Richard reacted like he did. But … you said you were buried in a cave? Was that …?"

"Yes, those were Wyuna's and my skeletons that you found during your walkabout. Richard put us in more contemporary clothes, before laying us side by side forevermore."

Walt remembered something else. "That statue … with four toes. What was that about?"

"After I was gone, I communicated with Richard as a test. I instructed him to have the Island's occupants build a statue of me, the way I appeared when I died for historical accuracy."

Walt realized something else. "That walkabout … was that so that I would experience something she did?"

Jacob nodded again. "That is correct. You underwent many of my experiences, so it was only fitting that you undergo one of her important experiences, under the same conditions."

"You mean walking around all over the place in the nude alone for forty-two days? It felt weird at first, but then it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. It does help me understand my heritage. It also feels great to have passed those tests. Uh … what would have happened if I didn't?"

Jacob's face took a more serious tone. "The world has not developed as it should since I died. There are still wars, corruption, and hatred everywhere. In the years since I passed on I found that I can do all sorts of incredible things in the black smoke form. Among them are accelerating the demise of the planet. I decided that if the last of my line was unworthy, then mankind didn't deserve to live on the earth. There shall not be an earth with none of my descendants walking upon it."

Shocked, Walt recoiled all he could. "Isn't that a big overreaction? Sure there are problems, but it's not that bad."

"It's not that good. I believe a future civilization could appreciate the planet more than the current one."

"Does that mean … you helped things go bad in the world I came from? In 2008?"

"As I said before, I merely accelerated things. That world is falling apart as we speak. But because of you, mankind may get another chance."

June 18, 2008: In separate buildings, Charles Widmore and Eloise Hawking woke to the worst earthquake in history. A magnitude eleven quake shook the San Andreas Fault, and a large chunk of California fell into the Pacific Ocean, taking them with it. Much of Greenland, Antarctica, and the snows of Kilimanjaro melted. Brush fires raged out of control in the Amazon and Siberia. A tsunami swept across the western Pacific, devastating Polynesia, Micronesia, Melanesia, and Indonesia. Vesuvius erupted, spewing thick ash over much of Europe. Several nuclear power plants worldwide malfunctioned, some shutting down, but others releasing deadly radiation into the atmosphere. Communication satellites fell out of orbit, and power grids were knocked out all over the globe. Pandemonium broke out everywhere in what could be man's last day on Earth.

September 22, 2004: Walt was so awestruck by Jacob's story he forgot where he was. After another minute the aching in his arms reminded him. He craned his neck upward to look at his manacled hands, and then back to Jacob. "My arms are getting pretty sore. How long do I have to stay in these?"

Jacob took a slow look at his prisoner. "That depends. Are you sure you do not wish to remain here and be the Guardian of the Island?"

Walt looked exasperated. "Yes, I'm sure."

"Then you have to remain here until your plane arrives."

Walt did not want to spend the rest of his life on the island, but knew someone who would. "I'm sorry if I'm disappointing you, but I have another life now. The perfect person for that is John Locke. I know he's dead, but what about the one that's coming here on the plane today? How does that work?"

Jacob paced back and forth.

"Again, it depends on how strongly you and your friends care about each other. If the connections are strong enough, then their essences from 2008 may migrate into their bodies of 2004. "

"What does that mean? The last four years will be wiped out?"

"No, all of your and their memories will remain intact, although it will take a little time for you all to remember them. They will remember things up to their present, or to the date of their death, for those who perished after the flight."

"So … if this works, my mind goes back into my ten-year-old body? I don't like the sound of that."

"In your case, you had better appreciate that. I suppose your associates failed to inform you that your current body will succumb to radiation poisoning in a matter of weeks?"

Walt shook his head, finding it hard to believe things could get worse. "What?! No, they didn't tell me. Hey, can you cure me?"

"I could, provided you live out your life here."

"No, I got to try this. So, what is going to happen if this works?"

"If the transfer process is successful, then someone must still turn the donkey wheel in order to protect the Island. The only possibilities are yourself and John Locke.
This must be done within forty-two hours of the arrival of your plane."

"I'll do it then. Can I take someone with me?"

Jacob regarded Walt with more admiration on this occasion.

"You are indeed endowed with a noble spirit. There are those who do not truly belong on this Island. You may take them along, but they have to be touching you as you turn the wheel. I presume you are referring to Alex, Karl, and Juliet?"

"Yes … and Danielle. Can you also restore her sanity?"

Jacob showed surprise. "You wish to bring along the woman who kept you in chains for several weeks?"

Walt stood his ground. "Yes, I do. It wasn't her fault, and she deserves to know her daughter. I forgive her. And besides, you're doing the same thing keeping me in chains." Walt rattled the shackles a little.

Jacob frowned, considered, and then his face took on a more neutral expression.

"If you keep your end of the bargain, it shall be done. Now, when you have assembled your friends at the Orchid, you must give the wheel one complete turn, so that the Island will be sent far into the future."

"How far?"

"We shall see. Perhaps up to 108 years."

"That should keep it safe for a long time."

Walt and Jacob stood in silence for a minute, and then Walt asked,

"So what should I do now? Did you tell me something about delaying the flight as much as possible, so that the radiation levels could fall enough?"

"You wait for your plane to arrive. And do all you can do to delay it."

Jacob began to dissolve into a cloud of black smoke. Walt protested,

"Come on, can't you unchain me now? What more can I do? And after all, I am your great-great-great-grandson."

"You must remain there, in a stressful position. It is the only way you can help now. Try to contact your friends who flew with you in 2008. They are the only ones who might make contact with those they know in 2004. One cannot make contact with oneself in this manner, but only with someone they knew before the departure."

Walt remembered something. "I remember, something Ben said that Locke said that a guy named Daniel told him, about constants."

"That is correct. I must leave; I have work to do. Good luck."

The black smoke seeped through cracks in the timbers of the hull of the Black Rock, the way it had come. Walt became less comfortable, now that he was alone and still shackled to the bulkhead.

"Hey Jacob, can't you stick around and talk more?"

There was no answer.

"Richard, are you out there? Jacob's gone."

Still no answer. Walt closed his eyes, half-expecting this to be a dream. He clenched his fists, figuring that driving his fingernails into his palms might wake him up. But he was definitely awake, stretched out, ninety-nine percent nude, and shackled hand and foot to the wall. What made it most annoying was that he had shackled himself up. He strained at his bonds, and was frustrated that he was secured to a solid place of an otherwise dilapidated vessel.

Okay, this is for real. How long till the plane comes? It leaves at 2:15, and it was about eight hours – oh no, there's a time zone difference. What's that, another six hours? I'm going to be here till next morning!

Walt let out a growl of frustration, and then concentrated, "If anyone can hear me, delay Flight 815. I am not going to stand here for another twenty-three hours for nothing!

The hours passed, and Walt became increasingly agitated. He got up on his tiptoes, and shook his hands and feet, anything to alleviate the dull ache spreading through his body. Every time, after a few minutes his strength would give out, and he would settle back on his heels, his spine stretched with his arms straight over his head. For some reason this was more annoying than the other times he had been trussed up, because of the length of time and the fact that he couldn't really relax, like when he was on his back. Even being hogtied by Danielle wasn't so bad since he could move and had a chance to free himself by finding the handcuff key.

Eventually darkness came. Trapped inside the ship, no light struck Walt's eyes, and he might as well have been blindfolded. Calculating that it was about departure time for Flight 815, he made one last attempt: "If anyone can hear me, delay Flight 815!" He then relaxed, though his body stayed in place due to the position of his shackles. All that moved was his chin dropping onto his chest. He passed out, wondering what it would be like when, or if, he woke up.

The group of survivors enveloped in the black smoke felt something indescribable. Then the smoke formed one last image, of Walt shackled to the interior bulkhead of the Black Rock.

"Oh the poor kid!" exclaimed Kate. "Can't he ever catch a break?"

"Quiet," demanded Ben. "Can you sense something?"

Hurley chipped in, "Yeah dude, it's like … he's trying to tell us something. Can't tell what."

A voice that had been silent all the time in the black cloud spoke up. Richard had been taken aboard the freighter with Sawyer, Juliet, and the others left behind, but had nothing to say until this point. "I believe he's telling us to delay the original plane flight."

"I think that's right," added Sun. Soon Jack, Kate, and Sayid were agreeing.

"Remember your constants, that I told you about on the flight to Chad? It sounds like it may be enough just to remember the person before the flight departed."

"Sure, I remember seeing Walt at the start of the flight," said Hurley.

"Of course, Jin is my constant," contributed Sun.

"The best I can do is Rose," commented Jack. "We didn't talk much, though."

"Any little bit may help," encouraged Richard, who was starting to take charge.

Kate added, "The only one I knew was that Marshal Mars. If it will help, I'll try."

"I'm afraid I won't be of help here," remarked Sayid. "I did not talk to anyone before the flight. I barely got on because someone reported me as a possible terrorist when I left a bag near her …" An image flashed through Sayid's mind. "Wait, that was Shannon! I did speak to her."

"Very good. Now everybody concentrate, "do whatever it takes to delay the flight."

September 22, 2004: At 2:14 pm Sydney time, a panting and sweating Hurley was the last to board Oceanic Flight 815. He spotted Walt playing his Game Boy, smiled, and gave the youngster a thumbs up sign. Walt smiled back, and meant to resume his game, but his mind was thinking, Why did he give me that sign?

At 2:15 pm, Flight Attendant Cindy Chandler announced that Oceanic 815 was about to depart. She reminded the passengers to make sure their seat belts were fastened, and sat down and strapped herself in her chair at the front of the business class section. Walt's mind was still buzzing, and looking up, saw Hurley occupying two seats a few rows away reading a comic book. Then the thought struck: I have to delay the plane!

When Michael's head was turned, Walt quietly unbuckled his seatbelt, and then leaped out of his seat, jumping over Michael.

"Walt, what are you doing!?" Michael grabbed for Walt's arm, but Walt knocked it away with his other arm, and broke free as Michael was still strapped in by his seatbelt.

"I have to go!" offered Walt as explanation as he bolted down the aisle and into a lavatory, slamming the door shut and locking it behind him.

Cindy saw the commotion and notified the captain, Frank Lapidus, with an intercom located in the wall by which she had been sitting, that a passenger had jumped up and was not in his seat. As airline regulations stipulated that a flight must not depart under these circumstances, Frank took his hand off the throttle and let the plane idle. He grumbled, and then thought about the voice he had heard the night before, and wondered if this could be related.

Shannon looked back to see what was going on. She was about to complain to Boone, sitting next to her, when she spotted Sayid several rows behind her. Something buzzed in her head. I have to help that kid delay this plane. She frantically searched for her inhaler, and didn't find it. "Boone, quick, give me my inhaler!"

Boone already had the inhaler for Shannon's asthma in his hand, anticipating her request. What he did not expect was for Shannon to drop it in the aisle, as if on purpose. She bent over to pick it up, just as Cindy was hurrying down the aisle. Cindy tripped over Shannon and fell in a heap.

Shannon apologized profusely, explain, "I'm so sorry, I have asthma and I need that." She reached down for it, and pushed it under the seat across the aisle. She got out of her seat, both to help Cindy up, and then block her and JD, the male flight attendant who had help carry Locke onto the plane, from getting past her in the aisle as Shannon then got on her hands and knees, groping for the inhaler. The incident took a good two minutes, much longer than had been necessary. Shannon finally got back in her seat.

"That was mighty clumsy of you," remarked Boone. "And I've never heard you apologize so much. What's gotten into you?"

"I … I just felt like I had to. I don't know if you can understand."

"Shan, you're acting crazy..." Boone followed Cindy's progress, and noticed Locke sitting glumly in another seat. He shook his head, trying to clear it. "Uh … that's all right. Sometimes you just have to do stuff."

Jin held Sun's hand, and gazed into her eyes. They both smiled, and then the buzzing rang through Jin's head. I have to help delay the departure.

JD helped Cindy, who had been shaken up, back to her seat. "Cindy, are you all right? Let me take care of this."

"I'm okay, that was just strange. I guess that woman has a serious condition of some sort."

As JD strode down the aisle, Jin grabbed the folded plastic card with the emergency instructions written on it from the back of the seat cushion in front of it. Just as JD passed by, Jin dropped it, unfolded, onto the floor, causing JD to slip and fall. Jin acted mortified and sprang out of his seat, helping JD up, and blocking his way while apologizing profusely – in Korean. After a minute of animated conversation where neither man understood anything the other said, JD put his hands on Jin's shoulders and guided him back into his seat.

Sun was alarmed, asking in Korean, "Jin, are you all right?"

Of course also in Korean, Jin responded, "I will be, as long as we stay together. I promise I'll never leave you."

During the exchange, Michelle, the female flight attendant who had helped JD carry Locke on board, caught up. She picked up the fallen flight information card and stuffed it back in the seat cushion pocket where it belonged. She then followed JD to the lavatory door. JD rapped loudly on the door.

"Young man, you have to get out of there."

"Leave me alone! Just give me a minute!"

Michelle told JD that she would speak to the boy's father, and went around to the other aisle to speak to Michael. But before she got there she was interrupted by Marshal Edward Mars. This ringing in my ears … I have to ask her something.

"Ma'am, what is the problem?"

Michelle did not appreciate being interrupted, but this man had a look of authority on him.

"Just a child ran into the lavatory. Sorry about the delay of your flight. It will be taken care of quickly."

"Well, if there's trouble and I can help, just let me know."

Michelle moved on, and Kate, in handcuffs, glared at the Marshal sitting next to her.

"What's the matter, you have to be in charge of everything? Need an extra set of cuffs for the kid?"

"Just shut up. I just felt like I needed to ask."

Michelle finally reached Michael. "Sir, that is your son in there right? Could you please help us talk him out?"

"I'm sorry about my son. He's upset about moving to the United States with me, and I'm not sure he'd even listen to me."

"Please try sir; we prefer not to have to jimmy open the lock."

Michael got up, and followed Michelle, but was interrupted by Rose. She was sitting between Bernard on her right, and Jack across the aisle on her left. This sound in my head – I have to interfere. "Please don't be too hard on the child. I think he's really scared."

Michael didn't appreciate the interference of a stranger, but this was not a good time to snap. He should be scared of me after pulling this stunt. "Yes ma'am, sorry about his behavior, he's been through a tough time recently. I'll get this over with immediately."

Michael strode off behind Michele, while Rose looked back and forth between Bernard and Jack.

Bernard asked, "Rose, honey, are you okay? You sounded like something came over you."

"I think something did come over me. I can't say what though."

Michael finally got to the lavatory. "Walt, come out of there this instant!"

"Leave me alone! I just need a minute. Geez!"

"If you're not out of there in one minute we're breaking this door down!"

Michael looked at JD. "Is that what we'd have to do?"

"No, I have a key. We can open it from the outside." JD looked at his watch.

A minute later, Michael shouted, "Your minute's up. Open up!"

Walt didn't respond, and JD put his key in the lock. When Walt heard the jiggling of the key, he flushed the toilet, even though he hadn't had to go, and opened the door.

"What is your problem?"

"You are the problem. You went before we boarded, and you're holding up hundreds of people. Now let's get back to our seats." Michael grabbed Walt's arm.

Scrambling for every second, Walt protested, "Shouldn't I wash my hands?"

Michael rolled his eyes. "Make it quick!"

Walt took as much time as he could, even turning the faucet the wrong way while turning it off. Then he was practically dragged back to his seat by Michael, who had to fasten Walt's seatbelt. Michael kept a tight grip on Walt's arm.

Cindy was finally ready for the announcement. "Oceanic Airlines apologizes for the inconvenience. The situation is under control, and there is no need for alarm. We are just fifteen or sixteen minutes behind schedule."

Frank pulled back the throttle and Flight 815 rolled down the runway, and then took off into the air. For six hours the flight was uneventful, and then without warning the radio went completely dead.

"What the ..?" exclaimed Frank as he turned to the copilot sitting next to him.

"I can't believe it. How could that happen?" the copilot Seth wondered, alarmed. "What should we do?"

"We have to make for the nearest airport that will accommodate a plane this size. In this case, that would be Suva, Fiji."

"But that's three hours from here, and way off course!"

"We don't have a choice. We're ten hours from LA. Hang on."

Frank smoothly turned the plane to the north. Over the open ocean at night, none of the passengers realized the change in course. Then as dawn broke, something went horribly wrong.

"The electrical systems are all malfunctioning. Manual control only. We're losing altitude!" As the plane shook, Frank turned on the "Fasten your seatbelts" sign. Everyone was in their seats except for Charlie, who was in a lavatory trying to snort some heroin. She banged on the door, and a few seconds later, Charlie came out, but not before flushing the rest of his stash down the toilet. He staggered to an empty seat, and he and Cindy sat down and strapped themselves in their respective seats. Oxygen masks dropped out of their compartments. Many of the overhead bins opened, and a metal suitcase came flying out of one and hit Edward Mars in the head, knocking him out. Kate took advantage to fish the key to her handcuffs out of his pockets and free herself. Another jolt and the handcuffs went flying somewhere else. The hull of the fuselage groaned, and creaked, and buckled – and barely maintained its integrity.

"We're going to hit that island!" Frank shouted to Seth.

"There's no island here on the charts," remarked the copilot.

"Can't help that. There's no place to land. Brace for impact."

The plane descended toward the middle of the Island.

"Is that a ship down there? How on earth could it have gotten there?"

Frank had no time to answer as Oceanic Flight 815 smashed into the Black Rock. Instantly a tremendous mass of black smoke enveloped the plane and the ship. The smoke expanded rapidly, covering the Island in a matter of seconds. But it didn't stop there. It continued to expand at a phenomenal rate in every direction, and within minutes had covered the Pacific Ocean, and then the surrounding continents, and finally the entire world.