" The Variable" ~5x14~ 

Act 1

[Off-Island, 2007 - In a hospital, Desmond is rushed down a corridor on a gurney after being sh*t by Benjamin Linus.]

[Woman speaking indistinctly over P.A.]

MAN: He's coding!

[Man speaks indistinctly.]

MAN: g*n wound. He's crashing!

DOCTOR: Bay 7. Now!

PENNY: Is he gonna be okay?

DOCTOR: You're gonna have to wait here, ma'am.

PENNY: Where are you--where are you taking him? What's happening?

DOCTOR: Please, ma'am, wait here. We'll let you know as soon as we know anything.

PENNY: Well, what's happening? Is he gonna be okay?

DOCTOR: We're going to do everything we can. Please just wait.

CHARLIE HUME: Daddy! [Sniffles]

PENNY: He's gonna be okay. He's gonna be okay. [Cries]

[A few moments later, Penny is in the hospital waiting room with her son, Charlie. A woman approaches.]

MS. HAWKING: How old is your son?

PENNY: He's 2.

MS. HAWKING: [Sighs, moving closer] He has his father's hair.

PENNY: I'm sorry. Do I know you?

MS. HAWKING: Uh, no, but your husband does. I'm Eloise Hawking, and I believe it's my son's fault that Desmond has been sh*t.

PENNY: Your son is Benjamin Linus?

MS. HAWKING: [Scoffs] Good lord, no. My son is Daniel Faraday.

[Title card: Thirty Years Earlier]

[On-Island, 1977 - Daniel climbs out of the sub, needing assistance with his luggage.]

FARADAY: Hey, can I get a hand with this?

MILES: Yeah, yeah.

[Miles assists Daniel. Indistinct conversations from the other end of the dock.]

MILES: Dan.

FARADAY: Hey, Miles. Long time no see.

[Moments later, Pierre Chang is speaking to the group.]

DR. CHANG: All right, ladies and gentlemen, you know why you're here. I wish you could all get a good night's sleep, but, uh...

MILES: [Whispers] What the hell are you doing back here, Dan? Once you left for Ann Arbor, I figured you'd gotten rich, invented the DVD or something.

CHANG: The shuttle will pick you up at the motor pool...

[Miles indicates a facsimilie of the DHARMA Initiative new recruits photograph that includes Jack, Kate, and Hurley.]

FARADAY: [Whispers] This is what I'm doing back here. When did they get here?

MILES: A few days ago. It's weird, huh? LaFleur managed to--

FARADAY: We don't have time. I need you to take me to Jack's right now, okay?

[Knock on door. Jack puts a shirt on and opens the door.]

FARADAY: Jack. How did you get back here?

JACK: Faraday? What the--

FARADAY: How did you do it?

JACK: Whoa.

FARADAY: How did you get back to the Island?

JACK: Where have you been?

FARADAY: I was--I was just at DHARMA headquarters in Ann Arbor. I was doing some research. What's more important right now... how did you get back here to 1977?

JACK: [Sighs] What's going on?

MILES: Don't look at me. I just carried his luggage.

FARADAY: Jack, how?

JACK: Uh... we were on a plane, and then--

FARADAY: Who told you to get on a plane?

JACK: As a matter of fact, Dan, it was your mother.

FARADAY: [Sighs] And how did she convince you, Jack? Did she tell you it was your destiny?

JACK: Yeah. That's exactly what she said.

FARADAY: Well, I got some bad news for you, Jack. You don't belong here at all. She was wrong.

Act 2

[Flashback - A young boy is playing classical music on the piano, a metronome is clicking loudly. A woman appears in the doorway and watches him. Metronome continues ticking. She enters the room, visibly upset. The boy finishes playing and turns to her.]

BOY: What's wrong, mom? Didn't you like it?

WOMAN: [British accent] I loved it. It was beautiful, Daniel.

[Metronome continues ticking. She sits beside him.]

ELOISE: Daniel... do you know what destiny means?

DANIEL: No.

ELOISE: Destiny means that, if one has a special gift, then it must be nurtured.

[Eloise stops the Metronome.]

ELOISE: How many beats has that metronome counted since you started playing?

DANIEL: 864.

ELOISE: Your gift, Daniel, is your mind--a mind that is meant for science, mathematics. And it's my... job to keep you on your path. So... unfortunately, there's no more time...

[Eloise eyes the keyboard.]

ELOISE: ...for distractions.

DANIEL: But I want to keep playing the piano. I can do both. I can make time.

ELOISE: If only you could.

[Eloise closes the cover on the keyboard.]

[On-Island - Daniel rushes out of Jack's house with Miles following him.]

FARADAY: Miles, I need you to bring me to the Orchid. Can you drive me right now? Please?

MILES: Yeah, yeah, sure. I guess.

FARADAY: Thanks. Come on. Let's go.

[They get into a jeep. Jack exits his house.]

JACK: Faraday! Wait up!

[Engine starts.]

FARADAY: Miles, come on. Jack, we'll be right back.

JACK: Hey, what did you mean, you mother was wrong? Daniel!

[They drive away.]

FARADAY: I just--I just have an errand to run. Be right back!

[Knock on door. Sawyer picks up his g*n and cocks it, then opens the door.]

SAWYER: Yeah?

JACK: Faraday's back.

SAWYER: What do you mean Faraday's back? Why?

JACK: I have no idea. He came in on the sub, and he woke me up. He--he started talking nonsense, and then he took off for the Orchid.

SAWYER: I'd love to trade theories about this, but I'm a little busy right now.

[Sawyer goes to close the door, but Jack stops him.]

JACK: What are you busy with at 6:00 in the morning?

JULIET: James, tell him.

SAWYER: [Sighs deeply] Get in here.

[Jack enters the house and Sawyer closes the door.]

SAWYER: Phil--one of my security guys--got himself a videotape of me and Kate taking the kid out to the Hostiles.

JACK: And where's the tape?

SAWYER: With Phil.

JACK: And where is Phil?

[Sawyer opens a closet to reveal a gagged Phil tied up inside.]

SAWYER: Phil, Jack. Jack... Phil.

[At the Orchid, Miles and Daniel are sitting the stationary jeep. Daniel is looking at his journal.]

MILES: Are we... waiting for something?

[Vehicle approaching. It's Dr. Chang in a DHARMA van.]

FARADAY: Right on time.

[The van stops and the driver turns off the engine. Van doors open and close as they get out.]

FARADAY: I'll be back in ten minutes.

[Daniel is flicking through his journal as he takes the elevator down into the station.]

TONY: So what do you want me to do?

DR. CHANG: You're gonna do nothing. If you drill even 1 centimeter further, you risk releasing that energy. If that were to happen... then God help us all.

SEALS: Hey! You need a hard hat down here.

[Daniel puts a hard hat on, picks up a t*nk and puts it over his shoulder. As he walks through a tunnel, he bumps into Pierre Chang by accident.]

DR. CHANG: Watch yourself!

FARADAY: Sorry, sir. Won't happen again.

[Man speaks indistinctly.]

MAN: Come on. I'll grab the rest of his stuff. Let's go.

[Some men lift an injured worker on a stretcher and carry it away.]

TONY: [to Daniel] Did you hear that? Time travel. How stupid does that guy think we are?

[Tony walks away. Daniel catches up to Dr. Chang.]

FARADAY: Dr. Chang? Dr. Chang? Do you have a second, sir?

DR. CHANG: [Sighs] I suppose.

FARADAY: I just came in on the sub with the Swan team. We actually met three years ago, I'm Daniel Faraday.

DR. CHANG: Yes. Yes. Uh, you arrived with LaFleur. I remember.

FARADAY: Right.

DR. CHANG: What can I do for you?

FARADAY: I need you to order the evacuation of every man, woman and child on this Island.

DR. CHANG: And why would I do that?

FARADAY: A man is on a stretcher as a consequence of the electromagnetic activity that your drilling unleashed down here.

[Metal thud.]

DR. CHANG: Which is now contained.

[Pierre gets into the elevator and Daniel follows him.]

FARADAY: It's contained down here. But in about six hours, the same thing is gonna happen at the site for the Swan station, only the energy there is about 30,000 times more powerful, sir. And the accident... it's gonna be catastrophic.

DR. CHANG: That is utterly absurd. What could possibly qualify you to make that kind of prediction? Hmm?

FARADAY: I'm from the future.

Act 3

[Outside the station, Pierre walks to the DHARMA van. Daniel is in the distance looking at his journal.]

FARADAY: Dr. Chang, wait! Will you wait one second, please? Wait one--one second.

DR. CHANG: Yes, yes, you're from the future. You heard me talking about time travel. Now you've had your fun. Good for you.

FARADAY: No, no. Please, Dr. Chang. Just look at my journal, please. [showing him the journal] Look at these equations. Some of them won't be discovered for another 20 years. Dr. Chang--

MILES: Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey, Dan! Leave the man alone. Sorry, Dr. Chang. I think he had too many drugs on the sub--

FARADAY: Dr. Chang... Miles is your son.

DR. CHANG: Excuse me?

FARADAY: Think about it. A Chinese man named Miles--the same name as your baby--shows up with me from the future. You--you really think this is all coincidence?

DR. CHANG: Is this true?

MILES: No.

DR. CHANG: Please... stay away from me.

[Pierre gets into the van.]

FARADAY: Dr. Chang...

[Engine starts. He drives away.]

FARADAY: Dr. Chang! If you--

MILES: Hey! Hey! Hey! Are you out of your mind? What are you doing?

FARADAY: I'm just making sure that your father does what he's supposed to do.

MILES: And what's that?

FARADAY: You'll see.

[Flashback - Outside Oxford University, Daniel and Theresa exit. Daniel is wearing a graduation gown and cap. Eloise is waiting for them on the lawn.]

FARADAY: Hi, Mom. I want you to meet Theresa.

THERESA: [British accent] Dan's told me so much about--

MS. HAWKING: Pleased to meet you. Well done, Daniel. Ah...

THERESA: [Chuckles] You must be so proud of him.

MS. HAWKING: Daniel, I thought we could celebrate your accomplishment with lunch. There's a nice restaurant nearby. I reserved us a table.

FARADAY: We would love to. [Chuckles]

MS. HAWKING: [Sighs] Actually, I was hoping it would be just the two of us. [To Theresa] You do understand, don't you? It's just that I don't get to see my son very often.

FARADAY: Mother...

THERESA: I understand. It's okay, Dan. Really.

[Daniel and Eloise are seated at a table in an Indian restaurant.]

MS. HAWKING: Is there something bothering you, Daniel?

[Sitar playing.]

FARADAY: You were so rude to Theresa.

MS. HAWKING: [Chuckles] was I?

FARADAY: Theresa is my girlfriend.

MS. HAWKING: She is your research assistant. You should be focusing your energies on your work.

FARADAY: On my work.

MS. HAWKING: Yes. That is what is important.

FARADAY: Yes. You've made it abundantly clear. Why would I waste my gift on a woman--

MS. HAWKING: I'm sorry to tell you, Daniel, but you're not going to have time for relationships. The women in your life will only be terribly hurt.

FARADAY: What does that mean?

MS. HAWKING: It means that your work will always comes first, that's all.

FARADAY: Only because that's what you always push me to do. You pushed and you pushed and you pushed. And when will it be enough, Mother? When? I'm the youngest doctorate ever to ever graduate from Oxford. I just got a new 1.5 million pound research grant. What else do I have to do?

MS. HAWKING: A grant? That's wonderful! From whom?

FARADAY: I don't know. Um... some industrialist. Widmore, I think. Charles Widmore.

MS. HAWKING: [Chuckles] I don't want to fight with you, Daniel. That's not why I came.

FARADAY: Why did you come?

[Eloise produces a small, flat gift box and presents it to Daniel.]

MS. HAWKING: To congratulate you. Good luck, Daniel. And I do hope you know that I mean that.

[Faraday opens the box to find a blank journal with an embossed leather cover. Inside, the handwritten inscription reads, "Daniel, No matter what, remember, I will always love you. Mother".]

[On-Island - Jin, Hurley, Kate and Jack are gathered at Sawyer and Juliet's house, who are also present.]

SAWYER: [Sighs] All right, people. Party's over. I know y'all just showed up. The rest of us have been here for the past three years. This is our home. The last thing I wanna do is leave. But we ain't got no choice.

HURLEY: Well, that dude in the closet--I thought he worked for you. Can't you convince him that it was all, like, a misunderstanding?

SAWYER: I punched the man in the damn face, Hugo. What am I supposed to say--"My fist slipped"?

KATE: How much time do we have before someone realizes he's gone?

SAWYER: Not enough.

JULIET: So where do we go?

SAWYER: [Sighs deeply] We only got two options. We can either commandeer the sub, get the hell off this Island before anyone knows we're gone, or we can head back in the jungle, start from square one.

JIN: I'm not getting on that sub if there's a chance that my wife is still on this Island.

HURLEY: Yeah, me neither. After all we did to get back here? And now we're just gonna run off again? It'd be kinda wishy-washy.

SAWYER: Right. That's two votes for square one. Anybody else wanna--

[Knock on door.]

SAWYER: Hold your horses. Be right there.

[Sawyer picks up his g*n and answers the door.]

FARADAY: [Sighs] Hey, James.

SAWYER: Welcome to the meeting, Twitchy. Good to see you again. Pound cake's in the kitchen. Help yourself to the punch. [To Miles, in a lowered voice] Is he still crazy?

MILES: It's on a whole new level, man.

SAWYER: [Sighs] Great.

[Door slams.]

FARADAY: Jack, I'm sorry I was rude before, but what I came to do is of critical importance to everyone in this room. Does anyone know where I can find the Hostiles?

JULIET: Why do you need to know that, Daniel?

FARADAY: [Sighs] Because one of them is my mother. And she is the only person on this island who can get us back to where we belong.

Act 4

[Flashback - A sh*t of the fake Oceanic 815 wreckage is on the TV. Daniel is crying as he watches it.]

NEWSCASTER: [On TV] This haunting footage comes to us from the Christiane I, a salvage vehicle in the Indian Ocean.

CAROLINE: How do you want your eggs, Dan?

NEWSCASTER: [On TV] For more than two months, it's been scouring the depths of the Sunda Trench off Bali...

CAROLINE: So what happened? They found that missing plane?

NEWSCASTER: [On TV] ...in search of the long-missing Oceanic Flight 815.

CAROLINE: Dan?

NEWSCASTER: [On TV] Late last night, the Christiane deployed two remotely operated vehicles, or ROVs...

CAROLINE: Dan...? Dan, why are you so upset?

NEWSCASTER: [On TV] ...that verified what the national transportation safety board had long feared...

FARADAY: I don't know.

NEWSCASTER: [On TV] ...that the commercial aircraft...

[Knock on door.]

NEWSCASTER: [On TV] ...on September 22nd, 2004...

[Daniel's carer opens the door.]

CAROLINE: You have a visitor, Dan.

[Daniel exhales deeply.]

CAROLINE: Would you like some tea?

WIDMORE: That would be lovely. Hello, Daniel.

[Daniel stands. Charles Widmore is in the room.]

FARADAY: I'm sorry, sir. I don't... D--did Caroline tell you I have a condition that affects my memory?

WIDMORE: Just... don't be embarrassed. We've never met. My name is Charles Widmore.

FARADAY: Charles... Charles Widmore from... my research grant? [Gasps] It's very nice to meet you, sir. Please, sit down. Um...

[Widmore moves a magazine from a seat and sits down.]

FARADAY: Mm, a bit of a mess. I meant to thank you before I... before I left Oxford.

WIDMORE: You mean, before you were dismissed.

FARADAY: [Cries softly, voice breaks] I tested it... I tested it out on myself first.

WIDMORE: It's all right, Daniel.

FARADAY: I would never hurt Theresa.

WIDMORE: Please, it's all right. That's not why I'm here. I came to offer you a new opportunity.

FARADAY: N--no, I... I'm sorry. I--I can't. I don't think I--I can... [crying softly]

WIDMORE: Did I say something to upset you?

FARADAY: It's this plane crash. I don't know why it's bothering me so much. [Whispers] it's just so sad. They're d*ad.

WIDMORE: Daniel, what if I told you... they're not d*ad? What if I told you the plane was a fake? An elaborate... [scoffs] expensive fake.

FARADAY: [Sighs] How would you know that?

WIDMORE: Because I put it there.

FARADAY: Well... why would you tell me that?

WIDMORE: Because come tomorrow, you won't remember I did. Daniel, the real Oceanic Flight 815 crashed on an island--a special island with unique scientific properties. I want to send you to the Island. It will further your research, show you things you'd never dream of. But more importantly, it will heal you, Daniel--your mind, your memory.

FARADAY: H--heal me? W--why are you doing all this for me?

WIDMORE: Because you're a man of tremendous gifts, and it would be a shame to see them go to waste.

FARADAY: [Chuckles] You sound like my mother.

WIDMORE: [Chuckles] That's because we're old friends.

[On-Island - Back at Sawyer's house.]

SAWYER: Your mother is an Other?

FARADAY: You met her, actually, when the Island was skipping, back in 1954. They were calling her "Ellie".

HURLEY: You guys were in 1954? Like... Fonzie times?

JULIET: You still haven't told us why you need to find her.

FARADAY: I just need to talk to her.

SAWYER: I thought you said we were supposed to lay low. "Whatever happened, happened"?

FARADAY: Just tell me where they are, and I'll go--

SAWYER: I'm not telling you anything, and you ain't going anywhere unless you wanna share with us what the hell it is you're doing.

JACK: Sawyer, he said he can get us back to where we belonged. Whether we go on the sub or we head back into the jungle... we don't belong here.

SAWYER: Well, I belonged here just fine till you came back, Doc.

JACK: [To Kate] You know where the Hostiles are.

KATE: What?

JACK: You and Sawyer took Ben out to them. Can you get us back out there?

SAWYER: Whoa, hold on a second. Don't say a word, Kate.

JACK: She can say what she wants to say. Kate... You made me promise to never ask what happened to Aaron, or why you came back here. But I know that reason isn't... it isn't here. [Scoffs] It's not now.

SAWYER: Whatever her reason is, helping H.G. Wells here talk to his mommy ain't got nothing to do with it. Come with us, Freckles.

[Juliet gives Sawyer a look.]

JULIET: The code for the fence is 1-4-1-7-1-7. You should take Daniel. It's over here for us anyway.

KATE: Okay. Let's go.

DANIEL: Great. Great. Thank you. Hey, Miles, can you drive us?

[Miles tosses Faraday the ring of keys.]

SAWYER: When you realize you've made a huge mistake... we'll be back at the beach, right where we started.

[Jack, Kate, and Faraday leave.]

SAWYER: All right, the rest of us--pack anything you can carry, meet back here in 20 minutes.

[Sawyer reaches a hand out to Juliet. She takes it.]

SAWYER: [Whispers] Time to go.

[Kate, Jack and Daniel are walking through the Barracks.]

KATE: These people are not gonna be happy to see us. It might be a good idea to bring some g*n. There's a g*n safe in the motor pool, but it's locked.

JACK: Good thing I'm a janitor then.

[Jack takes his keys from his pocket Daniel stops as he looks at something off camera.]

KATE: Hey, Dan?

FARADAY: I'll meet you at the motor pool. I need just a minute. Okay?

[Daniel leaves and makes his way to a young red haired girl playing on the swing set, holding a candy bar.]

CHARLOTTE: [British accent] I'm not allowed to have chocolate before dinner.

FARADAY: [Sighs] It's okay, sweetheart. I won't tell.

CHARLOTTE: My name's Charlotte. What's yours?

FARADAY: I'm Daniel. I'm new here. Listen. Do you know Dr. Chang?

CHARLOTTE: Uh-huh.

FARADAY: Yeah? Hopefully really soon, Dr. Chang is gonna ask a bunch of people to get on the submarine and leave the Island. [Voice breaks] When he does, you and your mommy... you're gonna have to leave. In case what I do doesn't work, you cannot be here. You have to leave. [the girl cries] I tried to avoid telling you this. I didn't think I could change things. But maybe I can.

[Over at the motor pool, Jack takes a medical kit and puts it in his bag. He hands Kate a g*n. Daniel arrives.]

FARADAY: Hey, how long will it take us to get up there?

KATE: Uh, it depends. We can take the road until we h*t the pylons, but then once we're in their territory, we gotta go on foot.

[Kate hands Daniel a r*fle.]

FARADAY: Okay. Uh, do you have something for a beginner?

[A DHARMA van approaches.]

JACK: Let's go.

[Kate gives Daniel another g*n.]

KATE: That's ready to go.

[Radzinsky gets out of the van with two other guys.]

RADZINSKY: What's going on here? Aren't you one of the physicists off the sub?

FARADAY: Yeah, that's right. Uh, we were just making sure that--

RADZINSKY: You're supposed to be out at the Swan site.

FARADAY: Right. Uh, there was--there was an accident at the Orchid station. [exposing his hidden g*n] Dr. Chang asked us to help.

RADZINSKY: He's got a g*n.

[Everyone but Daniel cocks their g*n.]

RADZINSKY: I just left Dr. Chang. He's at home with his wife and baby. You're lying. Now drop the g*n and get down on the ground!

FARADAY: [slowly moving away] Hey. Listen to me. Listen. You really do not understand what's happening here. You have no idea. We have no time. We have to leave. All right? So we're just gonna leave. Okay? Nobody's--no...

[Radzinsky fires a sh*t, and Daniel returns one which hits Radzinsky on the hand.]

FARADAY: Aah!

RADZINSKY: Aah!

[Jack begins to f*re at the two other guards, while they f*re back. Kate and Daniel take cover and Jack joins them.]

KATE: [to Daniel] Are you okay?

[Dozens of sh*ts are exchanged between the two sides.]

KATE: [Pants] I think we can make it to the Jeep.

JACK: All right. I'll cover you. Dan? You go, too, all right? Go, go, go!

[Jack fires back as Kate and Daniel make their way to the Jeep. Dozens more sh*ts are exchanged. Jack spots some fuel t*nk near Radzinsky and sh**t them. A fireball erupts and allows Jack, Kate and Daniel enough time to escape in the Jeep.]

RADZINSKY: Sound the alarm!

Act 5

[Flashback - Daniel is sat at a piano, playing the piece he was heard playing in the opening flashback. This time he forgets the notes and can't seem to remember. Eloise enters the house.]

MS. HAWKING: Hello, Daniel.

FARADAY: Mother.

[Keys jangle.]

FARADAY: When did you get here?

MS. HAWKING: Oh, I just arrived. I would have called you, but...

FARADAY: I would have forgotten anyway.

MS. HAWKING: I hear you have been offered a job.

FARADAY: How do you know that?

MS. HAWKING: Well, it's my business to know. I came here, Daniel, to tell you that it is very important that you say yes to Mr. Widmore... that you accept this opportunity.

FARADAY: I can't. He needs someone who can do really, really complex space-time calibrations and calculate bearings, and I just... I don't know how to do that anymore.

MS. HAWKING: Daniel...

FARADAY: Mm.

MS. HAWKING: This place he mentioned to you, this island--did he tell you that it could make you better? What if it's true? Why, then you could go on with your work. Just think of all you could accomplish.

FARADAY: You really want me to... to go?

MS. HAWKING: Yes.

FARADAY: Will... [voice breaks] will it make you proud of me?

MS. HAWKING: [Whispers] Yes, Daniel. It will.

[She fights back tears.]

FARADAY: [Sighs] Then I'll do it.

[On-Island - The Jeep arrives at the fence. Kate and Jack get out while Daniel stays seated.]

JACK: You remember the code?

KATE: Yeah, I got it.

JACK: All right, I'm gonna take a look at that.

[Jack examines Faraday's neck wound.]

JACK: Yeah, good. It's just a graze.

FARADAY: Whew.

[Kate switches off the fence.]

JACK: This is gonna sting.

FARADAY: Yeah.

[Daniel inhales sharply.]

FARADAY: Ah.

JACK: Yeah, you're gonna be fine.

FARADAY: I guess I'm lucky.

[Rips bandage.]

JACK: What's luck have to do with it? I thought you said "Whatever happened, happened"?

FARADAY: You gotta understand, Jack, this is our present. When we met, did I have a scar on my neck? No. 'Cause I hadn't been sh*t yet. We can't be so naive as to think nothing can happen to us. Any one of us can die, Jack.

KATE: Okay. It's off.

FARADAY: Thanks.

[Faraday jumps out of the Jeep.]

FARADAY: Which way?

KATE: Just a couple miles in.

[Daniel walks on ahead, checking his watch.]

KATE: [to Jack] Do you think he knows what he's doing?

JACK: I sure hope so. There's no turning back now.

[Back at the Barracks, Sawyer and Juliet pack clothes and food. Phil's muffled shouts can be heard in the background.]

SAWYER: You called it the minute those Yahoos got here. I shoulda listened to you. You can say, "I told you so."

JULIET: Maybe after we get to the beach.

[Sawyer stops her.]

SAWYER: [Whispers] Hey. [Normal voice] You still got my back?

JULIET: You still got mine?

[Alarm blaring in distance.]

[Outside, Hurley and Jin notice Radzinsky and his men walking toward Sawyer's house with their g*n. Alarm continues blaring, indistinct shouting.]

HURLEY: That's not good, right?

JIN: [Speaks korean]

[Radzinsky bursts into the house.]

RADZINSKY: LaFleur! [Panting] Where have you been?

SAWYER: Whoa, whoa, whoa. Take it easy, Stu. What the hell's going on?

RADZINSKY: I just got sh*t by a physicist, and the new recruits are helping him. We've been infiltrated.

SAWYER: That's ridiculous. Now just calm down for a minute. We can talk about this.

[Thud.]

RADZINSKY: What was that?

SAWYER: It sounded like it was from outside.

[Pounding on door. The two other guys cock their r*fles as Radzinsky goes to investigate. He opens the closet doors and discovers Phil. He instantly turns his g*n on Sawyer.]

RADZINSKY: Get down on the ground now.

[Sawyer doesn't comply.]

RADZINSKY: I said now!

[Sawyer and Juliet comply.]

[In the jungle, Jack, Kate and Daniel arrive at a stream. Kate sits and Jack throws her a bottle of water.]

KATE: [Groans] Thank you.

JACK: You need a g*n to go talk to your mother, Dan?

FARADAY: You don't know my mother, Jack.

[Drops bag.]

JACK: You ready to tell me why she was wrong? Why we don't belong here?

[Kate moves closer.]

FARADAY: In about four hours, the DHARMA folks at the swan work site--they're gonna--gonna drill into the ground and accidentally tap into a massive pocket of energy. The result of the release of this energy would be catastrophic. So in order to contain it, they're gonna have to cement the entire area in, like Chernobyl. And this containment--the place they built over it--I believe you called it "the Hatch." The Swan hatch? Because of this one accident, these people are gonna spend the next 20 years keeping that energy at bay... by pressing a button... a button that your friend Desmond will one day fail to push, and that will cause your plane--Oceanic 815--to crash on this Island. And because your plane crashed, a freighter will be sent to this Island--a freighter I was on and Charlotte was on and so forth. This entire chain of events--it's gonna start happening this afternoon. But... we can change that. I studied relativistic physics my entire life. One thing emerged over and over--can't change the past. Can't do it. Whatever happened, happened. All right? But then I finally realized... I had been spending so much time focused on the constants, I forgot about the variables. Do you know what the variables in these equations are, Jack?

JACK: [Chuckles] No.

FARADAY: Us. We're the variables. People. We think. We reason. We make choices. We have free will. We can change our destiny. I think I can negate that energy under the Swan. I think I can destroy it. If I can, then that hatch will never be built, and your plane... your plane will land, just like it's supposed to, in Los Angeles.

KATE: And just how exactly do you plan on destroying this energy?

FARADAY: I'm gonna detonate a hydrogen b*mb.

[Kate and Jack look at each other.]

Act 6

[Off-Island, 2007 - At Marina Medical Center Long Beach.]

WOMAN: [Over P.A.] Satellite pharmacy...

PENNY: Daniel Faraday? Your son is Daniel Faraday?

MS. HAWKING: [Whispers] Yes.

PENNY: That's the man who sent Desmond to Los Angeles to find you.

MS. HAWKING: That's right. I came, Penelope, to apologize. Your husband has become a casualty in a conflict that's bigger than him, that's bigger than any of us.

PENNY: What do you mean? Is Des gonna be okay?

MS. HAWKING: I don't know. For the first time in a long time, I don't know what's going to happen next.

NURSE: Ms. Hume?

PENNY: Yes?

NURSE: Your husband's in the recovery room, and he's asking for you.

PENNY: The recovery room? Is he--

NURSE: He's doing fine. Come with me. This nurse will watch your son.

[Penny leaves with the nurse. Eloise leaves.]

[In the recovery room.]

PENNY: Hi.

DESMOND: Hi.

PENNY: I thought I'd lost you.

DESMOND: I promised you, Penny. I promised you... I'd never leave you again.

[They kiss.]

[Outside the hospital, Eloise goes to get into a taxi when Widmore stops her.]

WIDMORE: Is he all right?

MS. HAWKING: Yes, Charles. He's fine.

WIDMORE: Good.

[She walks over to him.]

MS. HAWKING: Your daughter's in there. Why don't you go in and say hello?

WIDMORE: Unfortunately, Eloise, my relationship with Penelope is one of the things I had to sacrifice.

MS. HAWKING: Sacrifice? Don't you talk to me about sacrifice, Charles. I had to send my son back to the Island, knowing full well that--

WIDMORE: He was my son, too, Eloise.

[Eloise slaps Widmore. She gets in the taxi and it leaves.]

[On-Island, 1977 - Daniel, Jack and Kate walk through the jungle.]

KATE: This is a mistake. He's talking about erasing everything that's ever happened to us, Jack. It's insane.

JACK: We disappeared off a plane in mid-air and ended up in 1977. I'm getting kinda used to insane.

OTHER MAN: Well, that should be enough.

OTHER WOMAN: I think we need more water.

[They come across the Others camp. Daniel enters alone.]

FARADAY: Wish me luck.

JACK: Wait. Hey.

KATE: No, let him go. Let him go.

[One of the Others notices Daniel enter the camp and reaches for his g*n. Daniel fires two sh*ts into the ground to stop him.]

FARADAY: Back up. Step away. It's okay. Nobody move. I only want to speak to Eloise. Where is Eloise? Come on. Where is she?

RICHARD: I'm sorry, but Elo--

[Daniel turns his g*n on Richard.]

RICHARD: She's not here right now. Do we know each other?

FARADAY: It doesn't matter. I need you to take me to Eloise.

RICHARD: I--I already told you she's not here. Let's just take it easy.

FARADAY: Where's the b*mb, Richard? The hydrogen b*mb that I told you people to bury--where is it?

RICHARD: Listen to me. Lower your g*n, and we'll talk. Okay? Nobody has to get hurt here. Just put the g*n down.

FARADAY: I'm gonna give you three seconds. One...

RICHARD: Don't do this.

FARADAY: Two...

[A r*fle reports. Daniel looks down to see blood oozing from his midsection. He grunts faintly and then slumps to the ground with a thud. Behind him, a blonde woman holds a smoking r*fle aimed at him.]

RICHARD: Why did you do that?

ELOISE: He had a g*n on you.

RICHARD: He wasn't gonna sh**t me, Eloise.

FARADAY: Eloise. [Gasping] You knew. You always knew. [Panting] You knew this was gonna happen. You sent me here anyway.

ELOISE: Who are you?

FARADAY: I... I'm your son. [Gasps]

[Eloise stares at him with shock. Daniel's eyes go still.]
{"type": "series", "show": "Lost", "episode": "5x14 - The Variable"}