3.20 The Man Behind the Curtain

Ben is born two months prematurely in a forest outside Portland. Just before his mother dies in his father's arms, she asks that her son be named Benjamin.

[On the Island, Ben looks at a doll in his tent. As Ben sits, Richard enters]
RICHARD: What you got there?
BEN: Its a birthday present. Mine just happens to be today. You do remember brithdays, don't you Richard?
RICHARD: So do you want me to bring the er tape back to Juliet?
BEN: [Puts down the doll] What?
RICHARD: The tape with your instructions for Juliet, do you want me to bring it back to the medical station?
BEN: [Slightly irate] I recorded it yesterday, before we left, I thought you already took it!
RICHARD: No.
[Ben gets up quickly and heads out of the tent]
BEN: Where's Tom? Tom! Have you seen my recorder?
[Tom's gaze is fixed farther away, and Ben looks to see what it is he's staring at. He sees Locke, carrying a body on his back approach him]
LOCKE: You said that if I killed my father, you'd tell me everything I wanted to know about the Island.
[He dumps the body-bag at Ben's feet]
LOCKE: So why don't you start at the beginning.

[Inside Ben's tent, Locke and Ben discuss matters over a glass of scotch/whisky]
BEN: I know I promised to tell you everything, John, and I wish it was as simple as me taking out a dusty old book and opening it up.
[He offers Locke a glass, but is met with a blank face. He places the glass next to him instead]
BEN: But its not that simple.
LOCKE: How about you just tell me.
BEN: You probably think I'm the leader of this little community. But that's not entirely true. We all answer to someone, John.
LOCKE: And whom might that be?
BEN: His name is Jacob.
LOCKE: OK then. Take me to Jacob.
BEN: I can't do that.
[John gets up and heads to leave]
BEN: Where are you going?
LOCKE: Hell Ben, if you don't wanna take me maybe someone else will. I'll just go and ask Richard...
BEN: Why would Richard take you? He doesn't know where Jacob is, he doesn't talk to Jacob...
LOCKE: Well who talks to him?
BEN: I do.
LOCKE: So you're the only one who talks to him!
BEN: That's right.
LOCKE: And no-one else knows where he is?
BEN: I was born here on this Island, I'm one of the last that was. Most of these people you see, I brought them here, so Jacob talks to me, John. He tells me what to do, trusts me.
LOCKE: And, no-one else has ever seen him?
BEN: That's right.
LOCKE: How convenient. You know what I think, Ben? I think there is no Jacob. I think your people are idiots if they believe you take orders from someone else. You are the man behind the curtain, the Wizard of Oz. And you're a liar.
BEN: And what might you base that theory on, John?
LOCKE: Because if you were telling the truth, your hand wouldn't be shaking.
[Ben puts his other hand over the one holding the glass, which is shaking]




[FLASHBACK]
[A young Ben walks down a jetty from the submarine with his father and a number of other people. Roger looks at an array of DHARMA boxes, vans, a boat, while Ben sees a sign saying “Namaste! The Dharma Initiative”]
WOMAN: Namaste!
[She puts a floral necklace over Roger]
ROGER: Thanks.
WOMAN: Namaste!
[She puts another necklace over Ben]
[A man greets Roger. Its the same man who stopped his car when Ben was a baby]
MALE DRIVER: Hey, welcome to the Island man! Namaste.
ROGER: Namaste, yeah.
MALE DRIVER: So, what do ya think?
ROGER: Wow this is, some place. Thanks again for the opportunity Mr. Goodspeed.
MR. GOODSPEED: Horace! Please.
ROGER: Horace.
HORACE: And this must be Ben.
ROGER: Yeah. [To Ben] Mr. Goodspeed was there the day you were born.
HORACE: Yes I was.
ROGER: He's doing us a big favour here. Gave your old man a job. [To Horace] Ah he don't say much.
HORACE: That's OK. I bet he will when he has something to say, right Ben? Hey, you hungry kiddo? Huh, huh? Great. Well I'll tell you what, after you're done processing, we'll have some lunch, how's that sound?
ROGER: Yeah thank you.
HORACE: You're gonna love it here.

[Inside a room, a group of people are being inducted. A television shows a video of Marvin Candle]

MARVIN: Welcome to the Island. For your own comfort and safety, we ask that you stay within the confines of your new living quarters. Our Barracks are surrounded by a high frequency sonar fence, to protect us from the Island's abundant and diverse wildlife. You are now a member of the DHARMA Initiative...
ROGER: [To other viewers] What kind of wildlife you think this fence is protecting us from?
MAN: Roger Linus? Roger Linus!
ROGER: Yeah.
[Roger heads to register as the video continues]
MARVIN: Every morning you will be given a new code which will allow you to cross outside the fence... there are properties on this Island that exist nowhere else on Earth. Our mission, is to study these properties for the betterment of mankind and advancement of world peace. Most of you will be working on the main (inaudible), should you be assigned... (inaudible)
[Ben looks around at staff giving injections to some individuals. A young girl approaches him]
GIRL: Hey. You're new huh.
[Ben nods]
GIRL: I'm Annie. Want one?
[She shows him an Apollo bar. Ben takes it]
ANNIE: You can have as many as you want.
[Ben then overhears Roger talking to a female member of staff. Her shirt reveals her name as “Opal”]
ROGER: Work man? What is this? Work man? I'm a janitor!
OPAL: I'm sorry Mr. Linus.
ROGER: Goodspeed told me you people were doing experiments, changing the world. I didn't come here to clean up after ya!
OPAL: Look if anything else opens up, you can feel free to apply for it.
[Roger walks away in a huff]
ROGER: [To Ben] Come on.



[Out in the jungle, a man runs. Mikhail sprints into the Others camp]
MIKHAIL: Where is Ben!!! Where is he!!!
[Ben steps out of his tent]
BEN: I thought you were dead.
MIKHAIL: I'm fortunate the pylons were not set to a lethal level.
[Locke exits the tent too]
MIKHAIL: What is he doing here?
BEN: Its all right.
MIKHAIL: He's the one who tried to kill me!
BEN: He's with us now. Where have you been Mikhail?
MIKHAIL: I encountered several of his people in the jungle. They had an injured woman with them. Apparently she had just parachuted onto the Island.
BEN: What!
MIKHAIL: Her helo crashed into water. She says her ship is approximately 130 clicks to the West of us. She has a radio telephone.
BEN: Where is she now?
MIKHAIL: I assume they have taken her back to their camp.
BEN: We'll be visiting their camp day after tomorrow, we'll take care of it then.
MIKHAIL: Day after tomorrow? We have to go now.
LOCKE: Ben's not going anywhere with you.
MIKHAIL: Excuse me?
LOCKE: He and I are going to see Jacob.
[The rest of the Others begin to murmur the name. Tom and Richard look on with shocked faces]
MIKHAIL: Please ell me this isn't true Benjamin.
BEN: [Pauses] I'm sorry I have to deal with this now, John, our excursion will have to wait.
MIKHAIL: Since when do you explain yourself to him? An outsider...
[Locke punches Mikhail to the ground and proceeds to violently beat him]
BEN: Tom! Richard!!!
[Locke seizes his attack, leaving Mikhail bleeding]
LOCKE: [To Ben] So when do we leave?
[Later, Ben and Locke collect water from a stream]
BEN: You know you didn't have to beat Mikhail senseless to make your point, John.
LOCKE: Yes I did.
ALEX: Locke.
[Both Ben and Locke turn to see Alex]



ALEX: I hear you're gonna go see Jacob. You're gonna need this.
[She holds out a gun for Locke. Ben looks on with a look of surprise]
LOCKE: [Taking the gun] Thanks.
[Alex turns to leave, but then looks back at Ben]
ALEX: [Coldly] Happy birthday, Dad.
[She leaves]
[FLASHBACK]
[Ben sits in class while a teacher discusses volcanoes. Her shirt reveals her name to be “Olivia”]
OLIVIA: So once water is added to the bicarbonate, we will get our very own volcanic reaction.
[Annie raises her hand]
OLIVIA: Yes.
ANNIE: Is that what happened to the volcano on this Island?
OLIVIA: Exactly Annie, but that was a long time ago. OK, lets get ourselves an eruption.
[The kids murmur with excitement. Olivia pours the water into the model volcano and the volcano overflows with fizzy liquid]
OLIVIA: Just add water and, voilà. Now I know its not lava but....
[The ground begins to shake. As the kids murmur, a siren sounds]
OLIVIA: OK everyone into your positions. That's right, all together. Annie, lock the backdoor please!
[Olivia loads a shotgun as Annie padlocks the door]
OLIVIA: [Sees Ben hasn't moved] Ben. Come on, honey, you gotta move. Ben!
[Outside a number of DHARMA staff are running past with guns. Annie grabs Ben]
ANNIE: Come on.
[They sit in the corner with the others]
ANNIE: Don't worry its just the Hostiles. We'll be OK.
[The DHARMA staff shout and a loud explosion can be heard]
[At night, Horace talks with Roger in his house at the Barracks. Ben listens from the next room]
HORACE: Hey man I heard you ran into a little trouble.
ROGER: We're driving back from the Flame and we hear this huge explosion. Next thing I know, there's a siren wailing, and we're driving to the middle of a shoot-out.
HORACE: Look we're having some skirmishes with the natives.
ROGER: What do you mean, natives?
HORACE: Well, we're not exactly sure who they are.
ROGER: [Throws down a beer can] Oh this ain't what I signed up for!
HORACE: Roger, I did you a favour man. You were having trouble finding work and don't forget about Ben, he's getting a quality education.
ROGER: I don't give a damn about his education. If I'm gonna get shot at I want hazard pay. I want another thirty grand.
HORACE: Calm down man.
ROGER: And don't try to tell me you don't have it, you hear me.
[Ben hears rattling at his window]
ROGER: All right get the hell out of my house.
[Ben closes his door fully and turns. Staring at him outside the window is his mother. Ben falls back, knocking over a chair. He gets up as Roger enters]
ROGER: I thought I told you to go to bed.
[He leaves. Ben looks again but his mother is no longer there. He looks at an old photograph of her in his room and cries]
[Out in the jungle, Ben loads his canteen into his pack as they prepare to head out]
BEN: Something you should know, John, before we go. Whether or not you think he's the Wizard of Oz, I can assure you that Jacob is very very real. And we're gonna go see him, and he's not gonna like it. In fact I have a feeling he's going to be very angry. And that's why my hand was shaking because this is not a man you go and see. This is a man who summons you.
LOCKE: Well I guess there's a first time for everything.
[They leave the camp, Locke looking at a bruised Mikhail as they go]



[FLASHBACK]
[Ben sits on the swings at the Barracks with Annie. He unwraps a present to find two carved wooden dolls, one boy and one girl]
ANNIE: It's us. That's you and that's me. Now we never have to be away from each other. Happy birthday, Ben.
BEN: Thanks.
ANNIE: You're welcome.



[At night, Ben arrives back at the house to find Roger asleep on the couch with beer cans scattered around the room. Ben puts a blanket over him and Roger rouses]
ROGER: [Sees the wrapped present] It's your birthday. Sorry I forgot. Kinda hard to celebrate on the day you killed your Mom. She was just seven months pregnant, we went for a hike, but you had to come early. Now, she's gone, and I'm stuck here on this Island, with you. [Pauses] Happy birthday, Ben.
[Ben rounds out crying. He goes straight to the sonar fence, hearing whispers. His mother then appears in front of him, on the other side of the barrier.
BEN: Mom?
[Ben runs toward the barrier]
EMILY: Ben, don't!
BEN: Mom!
EMILY: It's not time yet, Benjamin.
[She leaves]
BEN: Mom!!!
[In real-time, Locke and Ben trek through the jungle at night. They approach a line of what appears to be grey powder. Ben pauses and then steps over it. Locke looks at it and sniffs it]
BEN: Let's go, John. John!
[Locke follows]
[FLASHBACK]
[Ben heads to the sonar fence armed with the deactivation code. He enters it, turns the dial, and the sound of the fence buzzing dies down. He pulls out a white rabbit, and shoos it across the fence line to ensure it really is off, then runs through, collecting the rabbit as he goes. He heads into the jungle, hearing whispers]
BEN: Mom? Mom? Mom! MOM!!! Mom!!
[Ben hears the whispers, and then turns to see a younger Richard Alpert standing right by him]



RICHARD: Wo wo wo wo. Wo. Wo, hey hey, wo I didn't mean to scare you, wait. Wait, are you lost, wait.
BEN: Are you one of them?
RICHARD: One of whom?
BEN: A hostile.
RICHARD: Do you even know what that word means? What's your name?
BEN: Ben.
RICHARD: Ben. So you wanna tell me what you're doing in the middle of the jungle all by yourself.
BEN: I left home, and, I'm looking for my Mom.
RICHARD: You think she's out here?
BEN: You wouldn't believe me.
RICHARD: Try me.
BEN: She's dead.
RICHARD: Did she die here, on the Island?
BEN: No. When I was a baby.
RICHARD: Did you see her Ben, out here, in the jungle?
BEN: She talked to me.
RICHARD: What did she say?
BEN: That I couldn't come with her, she said it wasn't time yet.
RICHARD: You should go home now, your people will be looking for you.
BEN: I don't want to go back there! I hate it there. Take me with you.
RICHARD: Maybe that can happen. Maybe. But if that's what you really want Ben if that's what you want, I want you to really think about that. And you're gonna have to be very, very patient.



[In real-time, Ben and Locke approach an old shack in the jungle at night]
BEN: We're here.
[Locke shines his flash-light at Ben]
BEN: You'll wanna turn off your flash-light, John.
LOCKE: Why?
BEN: Jacob feels the same way about technology as you do.
[Locke turns the light off and they leave their bags outside. Ben reaches the door and lights a lantern]
BEN: Once I open this door, there's no turning back. You sure this is what you want?
[Locke stares at him]
BEN: So be it. [To the door] Jacob! I'm here with John Locke, we're coming in now.
[Inside Locke looks around the room. Jars stand by the window, a painting of a dog can be seen by the wall. Ben moves over to an empty chair]
BEN: Jacob. This is John. Aren't you going to say hello, John?
LOCKE: What?
BEN: [Looks to the chair] I told you he wouldn't.
LOCKE: Who, what are you talking about?
BEN: You can't see him?
LOCKE: See who?
BEN: Jacob. He's sitting right here. In this chair. [Looks at the chair] Yes I know but he insisted.
LOCKE: What is this?
BEN: You wanted the secrets of the Island, well here they are. This is the man who can answer every single.... [Looks at the chair] I am not. He made me bring him here, do you think that that was my... Sorry, may I finish?
LOCKE: You're crazy.
BEN: Excuse me.
LOCKE: You don't know anything about the Island do ya, you just, made it all up.
BEN: [Looks at the chair] Jacob please I can't hear him... if you're gonna talk over... sentences...
LOCKE: Stop. Stop. Shut up!!! You putting on a show for me? Or do you, do you really think there's someone there?
BEN: I know there's someone there.
LOCKE: You don't know anything.
BEN: I'm sorry you feel that way, John. And I'm sorry that you're too limited to see.
LOCKE: You're pathetic.
[As Locke leaves he hears a voice]
VOICE: Help... me.
[Locke turns]
LOCKE: What did you just say?
BEN: I, I didn't say anything.
LOCKE: Oh yes you did, I heard you, [raises the flash-light], you said...
[Suddenly the room takes on a life of its own. Chairs rock, glass smashes, the lantern catches fire and windows shatter]



BEN: [To the chair] That's enough, you've had your fun!
[Ben is thrust back against the wall. For a split moment there is a figure in the chair and a close-up of an eye. Locke runs out of the house. Ben follows. Pause]
LOCKE: What was that?
BEN: That was Jacob.
[The next day, Ben and Locke walk back through the jungle]
BEN: What did you hear in there, John? What did Jacob say to you?
LOCKE: He didn't say anything to me. You did.
BEN: What are you talking about?
LOCKE: There is no Jacob, Ben. I'm not gonna be taken in by the little show you put on last night. You're a fraud. And its time your people were told the truth. And this is not the way we came.
BEN: I'm taking us back another way. I wanted to show you something first.
LOCKE: I've seen enough.
BEN: You know, John, you're not wrong, some of the things I've told you, some of the things I've told everybody, are simply not true.
LOCKE: Like what?
BEN: Well, for starters, I wasn't born on this Island.
LOCKE: Then where did you come from?
BEN: That's what I wanna show you.
[FLASHBACK]
[A much older Ben is in his house, and zips up a DHARMA jumpsuit with “Ben – Work Man” stitched on. He looks at his watch, and then the doll Annie gave him years earlier, which he places in his bag. He heads outside carrying items to a DHARMA van. A now aged Roger is struggling to put pallets of beer into the back]
ROGER: Morning. OK, wait. Put it right, right down there. What's your problem now? Sure you're usually Chatty Cathy in the morning.
BEN: It's my birthday. I dunno why I keep fooling myself into thinking that one of these years you're actually gonna remember.
ROGER: Well I'll tell you what. All we gotta do this morning is run this stuff out to the Pearl station. Why don't we go up to the mesa, drink some beers. Have some, I dunno, father and son time.
BEN: I'd like that.
ROGER: OK.



[Roger drives the van up to the mesa]
ROGER: Well, you sure can't say it ain't beautiful.
[Roger drinks a beer]
BEN: Do you really blame me?
ROGER: What?
BEN: Do you really think its my fault that she died.
ROGER: What do I know.
[Ben looks at his watch]
ROGER: Why do you keep looking at your watch? You got a date? [Pauses] Listen. If it makes you feel any better, I will do my best to remember your birthday next year.
BEN: I don't think that's going to happen, Dad.
ROGER: What do you mean?
BEN: You know I've missed her too. Maybe as much as you have. But the difference is, for as long as I can remember, I've had to put up with you. And doing that required a tremendous amount of patience.
[Ben pulls out a gas mask]
BEN: Goodbye, Dad.
[Ben puts it on and then releases a gas canister]
ROGER: Ben?
[Roger struggles for breath as blood spurts from his nose and mouth]
[At the Barracks, Ben walks with gas mask on. He sees all the DHARMA employees lining the ground, all dead. He then notices Horace on a bench, and closes his eyes. Richard and the Hostiles arrive with masks on. Richard checks his watch, then removes his mask taking a deep breath. The rest of the team follow, as does Ben]
RICHARD: You want us to erm, go get his body?
BEN: No leave him out there.
[In real-time, Locke stands over a mass open grave full of skeletons, some still wearing their DHARMA jumpsuits]
BEN: This is where I came from, John. These are my people. The DHARMA Initiative. They came here seeking harmony, but they couldn't even coexist with the Island's original inhabitants. And when it became clear that one side had to go. One side had to be purged. I did what I had to do. I was one of the people that was smart enough to make sure that I didn't end up in that ditch, which makes me considerably smarter than you, John.
[John turns to strike but Ben shoots him. Locke falls into the ditch]
BEN: What did Jacob say to you?
LOCKE: Why did you do this?
BEN: Because you heard him. Now I need to know what he said.
LOCKE: Help me
BEN: John, I'm not going to ask you again. What did he say to you?
LOCKE: He said... help me.
[Ben looks troubled, and flinches for a moment]
BEN: Well I certainly hope he helps you, John.
[Ben leaves Locke lying in the ditch]