Alex details the history of herself and the Others.
The name "Alex" meant nothing to Walt, but her appearance was an entirely different story. She looked to be about been sixteen years old, had pale blue eyes and long, scraggly auburn hair, and a forlorn expression on her face. She was dressed in brief dark gray animal skins, revealing slender limbs, but the kind with a certain sinewy strength as if she had undergone years of hard labor in hot conditions. She hadn't been starved; her stomach was lean and firm, filled out enough so her ribs were barely not visible. But all in all, her features were startlingly reminiscent of the woman Walt had spotted early the morning he had gone on the raft; the woman whose named he had learned was Danielle. The woman he had overheard whose daughter had been missing all these years.
Walt was shaken from his thoughts by a harsh voice, "Remember all our instructions will be relayed through Alex, and do everything she says or you'll never see your friends again." There was nothing to do but go along for now, and Alex led Walt back to his room. She then explained the situation:
"These people want you because children on this island have some natural ability to detect some unusual mineral that these people claim will cure them of their disease. The children only have this ability at certain ages, approximately eleven to fifteen years old. I was born on this island, and had the ability myself, but it wasn't as strong as yours will be."
"These people are from a geological expedition that was studying minerals found in this region seventeen years ago, when some experiment went bad, and infected all of them. They have been trying to find a cure ever since. A year after that incident, a boat transporting lots of zoo animals ran into a terrible storm and crashed on this island. Almost everyone on board was killed, but my mother lived long enough to give birth to me. She and my father died soon afterward, maybe from the same disease, and I have been raised by these people ever since."
Walt realized that Alex quite likely was not told the truth about her parents, but felt is wisest to keep this information to himself until he learned more of what was going on.
Alex continued, "These people ran many experiments on the zoo animals, trying to find a cure for their disease. Almost all of the animals died in the process, but a few of them are still around. For some reason polar bears have survived the experiments and adapted surprisingly well to this climate. Only recently have these people concluded that they have found the right combination of drugs that enables some living creatures to sense the antidote mineral. Consequently the injection these people gave you is similar to what they gave the last couple polar bears. I want to warn you, there may be side effects. If you don't get any of the symptoms, you're better off not knowing what the side effects are."
"These people tried injecting me with some of their drugs, with limited success. They found I had some ability to sense the mineral, but it was not very strong. Furthermore, it took them a long while to realize that I only had the ability to sense it when none of them was near me for a whole day. Somehow their disease affects this ability; I don't know if anyone understands how, but there is overwhelming evidence that this is the case. We are not sure if I will have the same effect on you; we will find out tomorrow morning."
Alex continued, "These people are well educated, and have taught me a great deal, but the disease has made them not entirely sane. That is a dangerous combination. They are extremely desperate, and it is important that we do as they say. I should let you know that you are worthless to them in anything less than peak physical condition, so they will go out of their way not to harm you, but will do anything to scare you. They were never going to whip you a little while ago, but if you start disobeying them or try to escape, they might. Actually they'll trying something less physically damaging first, but if they feel they have to they'll do whatever it takes. And please don't ask me how I know this; I'd rather not discuss it. One more thing to be aware of: they have a twisted sense of humor."
"Now stay here, it's time for dinner. Remember you have to do as I say; if you don't, they'll punish both of us."
"That's not very fair," commented Walt.
"Haven't you noticed that these people are not exactly fair?" With that Alex left Walt alone for a few minutes.
Walt was astounded by Alex's story, and felt very bad for her. He didn't want to see her hurt, but was not about to stop thinking about how to escape, or help his father and friends rescue him. Making a run for it now would be foolish; no doubt the Others would be prepared, just like they had a guard at the bottom of the stairs in the mountain. He would have to find out all he could, and wait for his chance. In a few minutes Alex returned with a tray containing a good meal. There was meat, vegetables, and fruit, though just water to drink. Still, this would be the best meal he had recently.
Alex may have been reading his thoughts. "Remember these people want you in good physical condition, so you (and me) will be fed well as long as you cooperate. There are enough wild boars outside to provide meat indefinitely, and we have a good vegetable garden. We have found lots of vegetables will grow here, and I have worked a lot on the garden before these people discovered that you were on this island."
Thinking of Sun, Walt offered, "Hey, one of our passengers has been making a nice garden."
"Yes, we know, the Korean woman, Sun. It is fortunate for your group that she survived. These people have spent the last several weeks learning all they can about you. Since I am not a threat to them, they normally speak freely around me."
"You keep saying 'these people,' you don't have a name for them? We've been calling them "The Others," replied Walt. Then he regretted saying so; that term originally came from Danielle, and he didn't want to reveal that yet.
" 'The Others,' that seems appropriate from your point of view. It does sound better than 'these people'."
As they finished dinner, Alex instructed Walt to get ready for bed as she took the tray of food away. When she returned, she told Walt, "Now the Others have ordered me that when you sleep, one of your hands or feet have to be chained to your bed. They will usually be watching the entrance to the cave, but apparently they can't have someone there all the time at night. Now which hand or foot will it be?"
"What?" exclaimed Walt. "That's weird. You're giving me a choice as to how to be chained? What if I refuse?"
"Weren't you just listening? The Others will just make it a lot worse for both of us, and you should realize that by now. And besides, I told you that the Others have a strange sense of humor."
Walt had a hard time believing what was happening now, but eventually he decided by the look on her face that Alex wasn't kidding and that this was consistent with the Others' previous actions. It wouldn't do to make them angry right away. Sighing, he relented and got on the bed, "All right, they got me by my right hand this morning, so how's about my left foot tonight?"
Alex quickly closed the corresponding manacle around Walt's left ankle, and said, "Thank you for doing this. You'll find that it's much better to do as they ask." She then turned off a light and left Walt alone in the darkness. There would be no pillow, nor even a sheet, but it was plenty warm enough not to need the latter, and he had been sleeping in the open enough the past several weeks to be able to do without the former.
As Walt lay there, clasping his hands behind his head in an inconsequential act of defiance, he thought, "Wow, they really have her brainwashed. She seems to have to desire to escape, as if she's completely given up. Maybe she thinks she has nothing out there to escape to. What am I going to do? Guess I'll have to play along for a while, and try to convince them I'm not thinking of escaping all the time." Alex apparently was a treasure trove of information; he would have to continue finding out all he could from her. She had seemed concerned for his welfare, as if protecting him like a big sister, but maybe she was more concerned with what she thought was her own self-interest. Perhaps it was a combination of both. In any event she was the only one around who could possibly become some sort of ally.