Author's notes: To ZK: Thanks. It isn't my intention to guess who the next death will be, or try to incorporate that into this. I don't like killing characters, unless maybe if they're the bad guys, but anyone can suffer serious hardships. Actually, I was originally planning on finishing this before Season 2 starts, since the real show will have almost nothing in common with this story except maybe for Jin helping Sawyer back to the raft. Then I kept getting more ideas I wanted to put in, and I realize that won't happen now, so now I'm hoping I can finish before the next main character death, if there is one. I suppose if there is more demand I could keep going anyway, but it wouldn't feel as right using a character who is currently dead. I'd be more inclined to start a new story with the character dead at the outset. I'm more concerned that the actor playing Walt will be kicked out if the real writers aren't clever enough to account for the growth discrepancy, and created this as a possibility.
Also, I do feel I'm being true to the real show by not having the first rescue attempt succeed. The Lostaways are going to have to overcome more adversity, but they're a tough bunch.
Locke, Kate, and Jack try to reach Walt, but not all goes well.
Locke was obsessed, trying to clear the passageway past the arch that was blocked by numerous heavy rocks. The path had become narrower, so it was difficult for more than one person to work there at a time. He used the levers and shovels he had, but progress was slow. The passage was blocked clear up to the ceiling, and it looked like the roof might have caved in down the corridor. He chopped at the rocks with the claw of a hammer, sort of as an improvised pickaxe. But after an hour, he had only made about five feet of progress. He was beginning to think that Kate might have been right, and they would have to resort to using dynamite on the heavy metal door they found in the first tunnel they encountered after having descended down the hatch.
Locke was almost ready to give up when the silence was broken by three distinct sounds, as if some metal tool was hitting rock way on the other side of the rock fall. Locke was genuinely startled. Was someone trying to communicate with him? He echoed the signal, smashing his hammer hard on the massive boulders. Then there came an SOS. This was nearly unbelievable. The sounds were muffled, indicating that there was a lot of rock between the two communicating, but the intended meaning of the message was clear. Locke yelled "Hello!" at the top of his lungs, but that only brought Kate, who had been gazing at the other dead end tunnels.
"What is it?" she asked.
"There's got to be somebody on the other side of this. They just sent an SOS."
"Any idea who it could be?"
"I don't know. Perhaps Danielle? Let me try this."
Familiar with Morse code from his study of things military, Locke tapped out the message, di-dah-dah di-di-di-dit dah-dah-dah, di-dah di-dah-dit dit, dah-di-dah-dah dah-dah-dah di-di-dah; the Morse for "Who are you?" But there was no response for a minute.
"Are you sure you heard what you think you did?" enquired a now skeptical Kate.
Just then, a series of rapid strikes came through. There were far too many to be a part of Morse code. After a short pause, they heard a single sharp blow. As another series started, Locke kicked himself for not counting the number in the first series, but the current series ended after an even dozen. Then one more came, this one with an even score.
After half a minute's thought, Locke dropped his hammer in a state of utter shock. "Oh … my … God." In his previous life, he had seen any number of games with letters matched with numbers, like Battleship. He explained to Kate,
"That single blow we heard, stands for the letter 'A.' Then there were twelve, which would be 'L.' The last one had twenty, which is 'T.' The first letter I missed, but it seemed like at least twenty as well. Can you think of any four-letter words ending in 'ALT,' with the first letter late in the alphabet?"
The realization hit Kate. "Walt? How is that possible?"
"I have an idea to be sure. I'll transmit my name using the same code." Locke pounded his hammer on the closest rock twelve times, actually breaking the stone into smaller pieces in the process, helping their cause. Then fifteen, and soon he had spelled out his surname.
While Locke and Kate anxiously waited for a response, Kate asked, "How could Walt have gotten there and be sending a message? His kidnappers wouldn't allow it."
Locke answered, "What you're saying makes sense. My guess is that those Others are using him to look for something in these mines, and maybe they let their guard down for a little while since there haven't been any incidents in a month. But I can't help feeling he might be taking an awful chance sending these messages. We're not breaking through all this rock soon, so let's try to keep this short."
"I think you're right," agreed Kate.
Then another message was received. This one spelled out, "How is Dad?"
This time Kate was counting out the letters with Locke. "That does sound like the first thing he'd ask," noted Kate.
"I know what to send now," said Locke. He quickly pounded out, "Dad is OK. Be here same time tomorrow."
"Do you really think we can clear all this out in one day?" asked Kate.
"Not a chance, but what else can we do? If Walt made it to where he is now, it is likely he can do so again tomorrow. Then we can send an update. We have to give him hope, and if he is in a dangerous situation, he can leave now before the Others find him out."
Locke and Kate then went to Jack, who was resting at the bottom of the hatch, and told him of their findings. Jack was equally amazed.
"Should we tell Michael?" asked Kate.
Locke said, "I don't know about that. If this doesn't work he could be completely devastated."
Jack replied, "Michael will be furious at us for not telling him."
Locke responded, "If we get Walt back, Michael will not be furious."
"All right, let's give it a day. We can take turns clearing the debris."
Jack thought about asking some of the other men at the caves to help, but Kate shot him a glare indicating "I can do this." With her adrenalin racing at a high with a strong desire to prove herself, Jack kept his tongue. Three people would be enough for this if they could only work one at a time.
The trio let Hurley in on their newly acquired information, and informed him of their decision to take shifts and work around the clock.
Hurley mumbled, "The numbers are bad. I'm sure the numbers are bad."
"What's that?" asked Jack.
Hurley decided to answer, "Just be real careful down there, Doc. Somehow I don't have a good feeling about this. It could be some weird trap."
"We have to take this chance," announced Locke, and that was the end of the discussion.
Hurley wasn't about to stay alone outside at night, nor go into the hatch himself, so Jack and Kate walked him back to the caves at dusk. Locke and Jack returned for him the next morning. All the while one of Locke, Kate, and Jack was pounding away and levering rocks aside.
When it was time for one of Locke's shifts, he was pleasantly surprised to see that Jack and Kate had made substantial progress. They had been clearing some smaller rocks near the ceiling like they had done at the first rockslide they had encountered, and it looked like a real passage might be made within another day. With renewed fervor Locke toiled away. Kate remained at the back edge of the rock pile, pushing aside some of the rocks Locke dislodged at the top. It appeared that he was hours away from completely breaking through.
Then suddenly they heard a most unwelcome, yet familiar sound. The same sound they had heard just before they blew the hatch. It was the sound of a fuse. Someone had wedged some sticks of dynamite in a crack between the boulders. But this fuse was nowhere near as long as the one they had used a month ago.
"Run!" screamed Locke, as he scrambled back down the hill of rocks. Kate did so quite expeditiously, but Locke wasn't fast enough. Within seconds, a tremendous explosion rocked the tunnels. Locke was near the bottom of the pile, but felt an avalanche of rocks and earth surround him. He could feel his legs being pinned under their weight, and then everything went dark.