[As the episode commences we see and hear the buzzing of an analog alarm clock with the time 8:15 AM being displayed. A man's hand reaches out, avoids the glass of water on the nightstand and shuts off the alarm and he falls back on the bed, face down. There is a WOMAN lying in the bed next to him. She awakens to the sound of a baby crying. She smiles then turns to the man lying next to her.]

WOMAN: Ah, the baby's awake.

MAN: Hmm?

WOMAN: It's your turn.

[She leans over and kisses him on the side of his head. The man moans again then tosses back the comforter that is covering him and arises from the bed. We do not see his face. He walks to another room and stands in front of a phonograph. He picks up a 33 1/3 RPM record, removes it from its sleeve, blows on it, puts it down on the spindle of the phonograph, lifts the arm and puts the needle on the record. It begins to play. It is a song by Willie Nelson entitled g*n Willie and we hear it in the background as the man walks away from the phonograph. We can no longer hear the baby crying.]

g*n Willie sits around in his underwear.

Bitin' on a b*llet, pullin' out all of his hair.

g*n Willie has got all of his family there.

Well, you can't make a record if 

[The record hits nick in the vinyl groove, bounces back and repeats the same words.]

You can't make a record if

You can't make a record if

You can't make a record if

[While the record plays the man walks to the kitchen, puts a baby bottle in a pot of simmering water to heat the contents, then sets the timer and walks away. Next we see the baby in a crib pulling up on the side rail then cooing as the man lifts the baby out of the crib. The man sits in a rocking chair is feeding the baby. Switch to a shower being turned on followed by the man standing in front of a sink, shaving. He puts his toothbrush back in the holder and proceeds to the closet to takes out clothes to wear. This when the record starts repeating and the man removes the needle, scratching the vinyl and places it back on the arm. The scene switches to the man carrying an attaché and walking down the path to a building and enters. The room is set up like a studio and there are various people dressed in tan jumpsuits with Dharma logos about the room. One approaches the man handing him a piece of paper.]

MAN IN JUMPSUIT: Morning. Here you go doc.

MAN: [handing another man his attaché] I don't need a script. 

[The man walks toward a chair as a woman meets him and hands him a lab coat which he puts on.]

MAN: Come on let's go. I don't have all day.

CAMERA MAN: Speak.

MAN IN JUMPSUIT: OK Dharma Orientation film number 2 take 1 [clack of cue board] and action.

[Man in lab coat is sitting in a chair facing the cameraman.]

MAN: Hello. I am Doctor Marvin Candle and this is the orientation film for Station 2, the Arrow. Given your specific area of expertise, you should find it no surprise that this Station's primary purpose is to develop defensive strategies and gather intelligence on the island's hostile indigenous population.

[A man, wearing a hardhat bursts into the room and interrupts the filming.]

MESSENGER: Dr. Chang! Dr. Chang!

DR. CANDLE/CHANG: Damn it! What the hell?

DIRECTOR: Cut!

MESSENGER: Sir we have a problem down at the Orchid.

[A blue and white van, with a Dharma logo on the front, is seen approaching a construction site. Dr. Candle/Chang exits the van and enters the site and takes an elevator to a lower level with the messenger. A foreman hands Dr. Candle/Chang a hard hat and they walk together down a tunnel.]

FOREMAN: Over here. We were cutting through the rock, right on your specs. That's when the drill melted. 

DR. CANDLE/CHANG: The drill melted?

FOREMAN: Uh yeah.. Three meters from the margin line on the plans. We went thru six carbon drill bits and the last one just fried. Then my operator starts grabbing his head and freaking out.

[There is an unconscious worker lying on the floor of the tunnel with a nose bleed] Dr. Candle/Chang looks at the wall and looks intently at 5 drilled holes then looks down to see the melted bit. .

FOREMAN: We sonared an image through the wall. There's an open chamber about 20 meters in behind the rock.

[Foreman hands Dr. Candle/Chang a sonar image of the chamber. Dr. Chang stares at the image and sees the teeth of a large gear. The foreman points at the image.]

FOREMAN: There is something in there. And the only way to get to it is to lay charges here and here, blast through it…..

[Dr. Candle/Chang interrupts the foreman.]

DR. CANDLE.CHANG: Under no circumstances. This station is being build here because of its proximity to what we believe to be an almost of limitless energy and that energy, once we can harness it correctly, is going to allow us to manipulate time. 

FOREMAN: [amazed] What? OK so what, we going to go back and k*ll h*tler?

DR. CANDLE/CHANG: Don't be absurd. There are rules. Rules that can't be broken.

[Focus in on holes in rock wall.]

FOREMAN: OK so what do you want me to do?

DR. CANDLE/CHANG: You are going to do nothing. If you drill even one centimeter further and you risk releasing that energy. If that were to happen, God help us all.

[Dr. Candle/Chang hands his hard hat to the foreman and walks away. The foreman walks to the injured man being put on a stretcher.]

FOREMAN: C'mon. Let's go. 

[As Dr. Candle/Chang walks back thru the tunnel he bumps into a worker carrying a large canister The worker has his head lowered so his face cannot be seen.

DR. CANDLE/CHANG: Watch yourself!

[Another bystander looks at Hurley holding the g*n and take a picture of him with a cell phone. Hurley goes back into the motel room. Sayid is trying to maintain consciousness.]

HURLEY: Sayid! Whoa! You ok?

SAYID: Get me to the car.

[Hurley gets Sayid's arm around his shoulders and helps Sayid out of the room and down to the car.]

HURLEY: Dude! Oh man! I thought this was supposed to be a safe house. We never should have left that island!

[Switch to the jungle on the island. It is nighttime. Juliet is leading the way.]

CHARLOTTE: [to Miles] Do you think he is looking for us?

MILES: Who?

CHARLOTTE: Widmore.

MILES: Took him like twenty years to find this place the first time. I'll start holding my breath now.

JULIET: Over here!

[The group gathers. They look to find a very large, deep hole in the ground.]

DANIEL: Is this the hatch?

SAWYER: It was. Blown up, just like we left it.

DANIEL: Ok, so when we are now? It is after you and your people crashed on the island.

SAWYER: You saying our camp is back on the beach again?

DANIEL: [nodding] It's possible, yeah.

SAWYER: [turning to leave] Good, I'm going back.

DANIEL: [holding Sawyer's arm] Hey, no no. It's pointless.

SAWYER: More pointless than staring at a hole in the ground?

DANIEL: We don't know when the next flash is coming. By the time you get back to the beach, the camp could be gone again.

SAWYER: Yeah well what if it ain't? Hell what if the helicopter hasn't even taken off yet? 

JULIET: We could warn them. Stop them from ever flying to that boat.

[Daniel lowers his head.]

DANIEL: That's not the way it works.

SAWYER: Who says?

DANIEL: You cannot change anything. You can't. Even if you try to, it wouldn't work.

SAWYER: Why not?

DANIEL: Time, it is like a stream. Alright, we can move forward on that stream, we can move in reverse, but we cannot ever create a new stream. If we try to do anything different, we will fail every time. Whatever happened, happened.

[Juliet, Miles and Sawyer look at Daniel.]

SAWYER: How do you know so much about this Danny boy?

[Daniel takes off his backpack and opens it. He takes out his leather bound journal.]

DANIEL: I know about this because I spent my entire adult life studying space time. I know all this because [patting journal] this journal contains everything I've ever learned about the Dharma Initiative. This, is why I'm here. I know what's happening. 

SAWYER: So how can we stop it?

DANIEL: You can't stop it.

SAWYER: Then who can?

[Daniel looks away and says nothing. Switch to the inner jungle where Locke is still lying on his back in the dark. He looks over to see a piece of the plane covered in brush. He stands up and hops a ways and leans on the fuselage of the plane which has been b*rned. It is covered in cobwebs and foliage. Locke enters to find open boxes filled with statues of the Virgin Mary. He sees a skeleton, pauses, turns and rips a piece of strap from the inside and applies it as a tourniquet for his injured leg. Locke exits the plane and leans up against it. He sees a torch flame and hears someone walking. He takes his Kn*fe out of its sheath and prepares to meet the intruder. Richard Alpert comes into view.]

LOCKE: Richard?

RICHARD: [smiles] Hey John.

[Richard approaches Locke and sits next to him.]

LOCKE: Richard what is happening?

RICHARD: What is happening is you're bleeding to death. Here…

[Richard puts down is pack and rips Locke's pant leg open. Locke groans.]

RICHARD: I need to get the b*llet out.

[Richard takes out a Dharma med kit.]

LOCKE: How did you know there was a b*llet in my leg Richard?

RICHARD: Because you told me there was John.

LOCKE: No, no , no I didn't.

RICHARD: Well, you will.

LOCKE: It was Ethan who sh*t me.

RICHARD: Well, [puts on glasses] what comes around goes around.

[Richard pours a clear liquid onto the wound and John winces.]

LOCKE: Uhhh! [pauses] When am I? 

RICHARD: Well, John that's all relative.

[Richard continues to tend to Locke's wound. He is using a set of forceps to remove the b*llet.]

LOCKE: Wait! Wait! The noise, when the sky lit up, where did you go?

RICHARD: I didn’t go anywhere John. You went. Alright this, this is gonna hurt. It'll be a lot worse if you move, ok? Hold still. Ready?

[Richard proceeds to remove the b*llet from Locke's thigh. Locke winces and reaches for Richard's shoulder. The b*llet is removed.]

RICHARD: Hold on!

LOCKE: I don't understand. How, how did you know that I was here? How did you know where to find me?

RICHARD: I wish I had time to explain it John but you're going to be moving on soon and we need to go over a couple of things before you move...

LOCKE: [groans]Moving on?

[Locke groans in pain as Richard bandages his wound.]

RICHARD: Sorry. First thing ok. You're gonna need to clean out the wound every couple of hours and keep as much weight off the leg as you can. Alright? The island will do the rest John.

LOCKE: [interrupts Richard] But, I don’t…. 

RICHARD: Second thing, now pay attention! Next time we see each other I'm not gonna recognize you. Alright? You give me this.

[Richard hands Locke a compass.]

LOCKE: What is this?

RICHARD: It's a compass.

LOCKE: What does it do?

RICHARD: It points north John. Look I wish I had time to be more sensitive about this because it's a lot to swallow. But you need to know it in order to do what you gotta so I am just gonna say it ok? The only way to save the island John is to get your people back here, the ones who left. 

LOCKE: Jack? Kate? The chopper was headed for the boat, the boat…

RICHARD: They're fine and they're already home. So you have to convince them to come back.

LOCKE: How? How am I supposed to do that?

RICHARD: You're gonna have to die John.

[Locke looks at Richard intently. Before either man gets to say another word, the sky changes to a bright white, Locke covers his eyes and then finds himself in the jungle, leaning against a rock below the teetering plane. It is daytime. As he gets his bearings he notices his bloody hand and the compass in his palm. Switch to another part of the jungle. It is nighttime. The group with Sawyer are standing about looking around.]

MILES: So what was this thing before you guys blew it up?

JULIET: A Dharma Station.

MILES: For what?

JULIET: There was a man named Desmond living down in it. He was pushing a button every 108 minutes to save the world. 

MILES: Really?

JULIET: Yeah, really.

[The noise returns, they all start holding their heads, a bright white light appears.]

SAWYER: Son of a….

[The noise and light stop. Sawyer, Juliet, Miles, Charlotte and Daniel are standing in the same place however it is daylight.]

SAWYER: …bitch.

[They are looking around. The hole is no longer there. Foliage is all about. Juliet notices first and walks where the hole was a moment ago. As she clears away the brush, the hatch door appears, intact.]

JULIET: The hatch. It's back. I guess you haven't found it yet.

[Everyone is stunned. Sawyer quickly walks away from the group.]

MILES: [to Sawyer] Hey, where ya goin'?

SAWYER: Back door. I'm getting some supplies.

[Sawyer continues into the jungle.]

DANIEL: James, wait, not a good idea.

SAWYER: The sky can flash all it wants but I ain't starting over Dilbert. I ain't rubbing two sticks together to start a f*re and I ain't hunting damn boar. There's Dharma food, beer and clothing. And I'm getting Desmond to let me in one way or another.

DANIEL: That's not gonna work my friend.

SAWYER: Yeah? Why not?

DANIEL: Because Desmond didn't know you when he first came out of there. That means you never met which means you can't meet. 

SAWYER: This would all be fascinating if I was listening to ya.

DANIEL: How do you know Desmond is even in there? Think about it, it could be anybody.

SAWYER: I don't care who's in there.

DANIEL: Wait. Wait.

[Sawyer starts banging on the metal door.]

SAWYER: Open the damn door!

DANIEL: It won't work.

SAWYER: Sure it will. You open up! It’s the ghost of Christmas future!

DANIEL: No one, no one is gonna answer.

SAWYER: Open up! Open the damn door! Open the door! 

DANIEL: Please? You're wasting your time.

SAWYER: Open up I know you can hear me!

DANIEL: If it didn't happen, it can't happen.

[Sawyer continues to struggle to open the door.]

SAWYER: Open the door!

DANIEL: It can't happen! You can’t change the past, James!

[Sawyer stops and quickly turns around. He grabs Daniel by his shirt and pulls him right up to his face.]

SAWYER: Everyone I care about just blew up on your damn boat. I know what I can't change.

[The two men look at each other as Juliet approaches them.

JULIET: [to Sawyer] We should get back to the beach. It’s been a long day.

[Sawyer glares at Daniel and slowly turns around and starts walking to the beach. Juliet follows him.]

MILES: Why are we going back to the beach if there's nothing to go back to?

JULIET: So stay here.

MILES: [to Charlotte] That chick likes me.

[Miles follows Sawyer and Juliet. Daniel takes a deep breath and relaxes. He looks at Charlotte and notices she has a nosebleed.]

CHARLOTTE: What? What, what's the matter?

[Daniel points to his nose. Charlotte touches her nose and sees the blood.]

CHARLOTTE: Oh, I haven't had a nosebleed since I was little.

[Daniel stares at her]

CHARLOTTE: Dan, I'm fine.

DANIEL: Yeah, no, no, no. I'm, uh, of course you're fine. I'm uh nervous. The site of blood is uh…

CHARLOTTE: Well it's a good thing you're a physicist, isn't it? [turning to leave] Shall we?

DANIEL: Yeah, um, my pack, of course I left my pack back at the hatch crater. I better get it. Why don't you head back with everyone else and I'll be right behind you.

CHARLOTTE: Don't dilly dally.

DANIEL: I wouldn't think of it.

[Charlotte chuckles then starts walking back to the beach. Dan takes a deep breath, waits then runs back to retrieve his backpack. He pulls out his journal and starts flipping through the pages. He stops and intently reads it. Next we see Daniel back banging on the same door as Sawyer previously was. He begins pounding on the door.]

DANIEL: Please let this work, please. Let this work, please, please, please. Let this work.

[Daniel bangs on the door again. Suddenly the door swings open with a bang. A man exits wearing a hazardous material suit and aiming a r*fle at Daniel. Daniel puts his hands up in a defensive posture.]

DANIEL: Oh! Oh! Whoa, whoa, whoa! Don't sh**t. 

DESMOND: Then you best explain why you've been banging on my door for the last twenty minutes brutha.

DANIEL: Desmond.

DESMOND: Are you him?

DANIEL: Him? Who?

DESMOND: My replacement.

[Desmond lowers the r*fle a bit.]

DANIEL: No. I'm not. I'm not. I'm not. I'm…

[Desmond raises the r*fle and takes aim at Daniel again.]

DESMOND: Do I know you?

DANIEL: Yeah, in a way. Listen, that is not important. What is important Desmond is what I'm about to say to you. I need you to listen. You are the only person who can help us because Desmond, the rules, the rules don't apply to you. You're special.

[Desmond lowers his r*fle and listens to Daniel.]

DANIEL: You're uniquely and miraculously special. 

DESMOND: [raises r*fle] What are you talking about?

[The noise is starting again. Desmond looks up. 

DANIEL: OK listen to me. Listen! If the helicopter somehow made it off the island, if you got home…

DESMOND: What helicopter? What are you talking about?

DANIEL: Listen, I need to you listen or people are gonna die. My name is Daniel Faraday and right now me, and everyone else you left behind, we're in serious danger. You're the only person who can help us. I need you to go back to Oxford University.

[The sky starts turning white.]

DANIEL: Go back to where we met. I need you to go there and find my mother. Her name is….

[The noise gets louder. The sky gets brighter. Desmond is lying on his side in his bed, sweating and wincing. He awakens. The light is turned on. Desmond turns, breathing heavily unsure of what just occurred.]

PENNY: Are you alright?

[Desmond lies back startled and trying to collect his thoughts.]

DESMOND: I was on the island.

[Penny comforts Desmond, rubbing his shoulder.]

DESMOND: I was on the island.

PENNY: You've been off the island for three years now.

[Desmond tightly holds his head. Penny kisses his shoulder.]

PENNY: You're safe now. It was just a dream.

[Desmond turns quickly, sits up and faces her.]

DESMOND: It wasn't a dream Pen. [pauses] It was a memory.

[Penny looks at Desmond. Next we see Desmond coming out of a cabin on a sailboat as he puts on a sweater.]

PENNY: Desmond! Where are you goin?

[Desmond picks up a crank handle and walks around the deck. Penny follows him. Desmond puts the crank in an opening and starts turning it. The sails are opening.

PENNY: Des? Desmond. What are you doing?

DESMOND: We're leaving.

PENNY: Leaving to go where?

DESMOND: Oxford.

[END]

FADE TO BLACK
{"type": "series", "show": "Lost", "episode": "5x01 - Because You Left"}