Authors' Note: To those few loyal readers still out there, thank you for your support. I can tell by the dwindling number of hits on the latest chapters that this tale has run on long enough, so I have decided to end it. I did my best to tie up the loose ends. Reviews were never a big concern for me, but if you have any inclination to do so now, I would appreciate it. This has been much more work than I anticipated, and I plan never to do anything like this again. I have known what my final sentence will be for several months now, and it is time to put in into electronic print. Thank you.
The Others are dealt with as the survivors make living arrangements on the beach. Walt's closing words thrill Michael.
Locke was the first to crawl over the top of the rocks that allowed passage into what was apparently the computer room. Inside were several mangled machines, mostly computers that had been damaged by the partially collapsed ceiling. Soon Locke was followed by Jack, Kate, Sayid, and Sawyer. Cautiously they made their way through piles of twisted metal and tangled wire, to the door where the security machine had sent out a tentacle had grabbed Kate a month before. She had been released her when Jack threw grenades, which in turn had caused the mudslide that had buried Walt. But now there was only silence. The security machine had only been partially repaired, but now was impotent.
"We have to keep moving," announced Locke.
At the opposite end of this room was a heavy metal door that opened onto the twenty-second, or last-but-one, corridor of the southern section of the mines. Rocks lay about the edges of this hallway, but enough of a passageway had been cleared to permit an easy passage. The quintet proceeded into the main corridor. Taking peeks into the side corridors, they saw many places where Walt had excavated the mineral his christened "otherite."
The group made their way into the central chamber. To the east where sixteen more corridors where Walt had toiled extracting the ore precious to the Others. To the west was a shallow stream, which flowed southward through a metal grate.
"I bet that's the same stream we saw at the end of the tunnel past that metal door we just came through!" exclaimed Kate.
Locke thought it over and agreed. "I'm sure you're right. The layout makes sense."
To the south of the central chamber was the corridor that led past Walt's and Alex's rooms. The group took a good look at the former, a gut-wrenching sight. The room was empty now save for the bed with chains and manacles attached to the legs, and the two chairs and small table, and some rope on the floor. At least Alex's room had a bed without chains.
Next they winded their way around a corner to the corridor Sayid and Sawyer were now familiar with. Guns drawn, they entered the various rooms where the Others had been chained or tied up. They were all still securely bound, and feeling quite miserable. One at a time, they were released so they could wash up and be examined by Jack. There were a few broken bones and some large cuts, but Jack, having taken his medical bag, was able to treat them satisfactorily.
In an hour the Others were assembled into the room next to the laboratory. With time no longer of the essence, the plane crash survivors had time to calmly chain them to heavy objects. An explanation came from the leader.
"It's like we told Walt, we were on a geologic mission here and developed some sort of disease when an experiment went bad. Our only hope for survival was to create a cure that needed a mineral found only these mines. We were gradually getting better thanks the amount Walt did mine, but we still need to process more to be completely cured."
"That doesn't give you the right to kidnap and torture children!" thundered Locke.
"We know, but that is not how the thought process works when you're suffering from this disease. All you can think of finding a cure. It was the only way. You will note that Walt and Alex aren't permanently damaged."
"It is because of that that you are being allowed to live," continued Locke. "But be prepared for a life sentence. Besides, how can you say Walt wasn't damaged when he's growing so fast?"
"We believe the rapid growth will stop in a month's time. Walt will be fine. In fact, he is in better condition now than we got him. Surely your doctor saw that."
It was Jack's turn to speak. "Sure, Walt appears to be in great shape physically, but it wasn't natural. And he has a serious Vitamin D deficiency thanks to you keeping him underground all the time with a very limited amount of that vitamin in his diet. Fortunately I caught that in time, and he will recover with enough time in the sun."
"We're sorry, we didn't realize. But what's done is done, we're glad to hear he will be okay. So what is going to happen to us?"
Locke answered, "You will be confined to a few rooms here, under permanent guard. In the event we are rescued, the appropriate authorities will deal with you. Now what about that boat; do you have more fuel for it?"
"No, we used up most of what we had left to get Walt off the raft. We needed someone of his age, and saw our last chance of survival floating away, and had to act.
I suppose we'll just stay here. Just let us synthesize more of our cure, and we won't be a medical burden to you."
That course of action was taken. Under constant guard, the Other's lab experts made enough of their substance to live healthy lives, but at the cost of permanent incarceration.
Sayid was encouraged to have access to so much new scientific equipment. "There is a chance I can doing something with this equipment, like make a radio transmitter. It may take some time, but it's a chance. We might be able to go out a little ways onto the ocean to send a signal from there."
Sayid and Sawyer took up the first shift on guard duty, though with the Others stripped of all weapons and confined to plain, locked rooms, there wasn't much to that task. Jack, Kate, and Locke returned to the hatch through the mines, a much shorter route than sailing around the island to the mountainous northern shore, and informed Jin, Sun, and Hurley, who had been waiting at the hatch entrance this whole time, of the prison arrangements.
The threat from the Others gone, and the security of the caves no longer needed, the survivors went back to living on the beach. Jin and Sun restored their tent, and Claire, Charlie, and Aaron were in another. Sayid's and Shannon's were next to each other, while Locke and Sawyer each preferred to keep a bit of a distance from everyone else. Jack, Kate, and Hurley each had their own, while Alex and Danielle got a lot of help setting up a new one of their own.
Michael and Walt were making progress on their house, cutting down trees and sawing them into logs. It would take a few days, but it was terrific having such a father-son project. As per Jack's recommendations, to slowly increase his Vitamin D level to a healthy mark Walt spent the days in the loincloths Alex made, keeping to the shade during the hours closest to noon. Walt felt a little strange, but put up with it without complaining. Vincent seemed to think it was a little odd, but it was so good to have his master back to play with every day the Labrador went along with it. Michael sensed this uneasiness and conspired with Alex on a novel solution.
The next morning when Michael woke Walt up, Walt rubbed his eyes, and gulped, and then burst out laughing. Michael was standing there in his own loincloth, larger and covering more, but still the same kind Alex made.
"I feel I need to experience what you're going through," was Michael's explanation. "Just for one day, but that should be enough."
"You're the greatest, Dad. Having you here, and Vincent, is infinitely more important than getting off this island."
"Well, I still want to get out of here some day, but it doesn't seem so urgent now."
"Same here." Walt considered for a moment, and then continued with a sentence that made Michael the happiest man on the planet.
"Dad, I want my last name legally changed to Dawson."