One World

46) Found

Posted 18th November 2016

*** SPOILER ALERT: WATCH ALL SEASONS OF 'LOST' THEN 'THE NEW MAN IN CHARGE' MINI-EPISODE BEFORE READING THIS BLOG POST ***

It was a pleasantly warm evening and the approaching island looked beautiful in the remaining glow of the day. Penny skillfully steered the luxury yacht alongside the jetty. Desmond jumped onto the timber structure and secured the yacht to a wooden pile. He flicked a switch and the boat's mechanical gang plank lowered, bridging the gap between the yacht and the the jetty.

Hugo, then Ben, then Walt stepped off the yacht and onto the jetty.

Hugo turned to Ben, "Dude, this is where you and me first met! Remember? You and the 'others' had us at gunpoint?"

"Water under the bridge, Hugo," said Ben, without even trying to feign remorse.

The men unloaded supplies from the yacht and loaded them onto a nearby electric powered van. Desmond retracted the gang plank, unfastened the yacht from the jetty and jumped on board.

"OK lads," said Desmond, "We'll be finishing off work on our beach house on Hydra island, but just call us on the satellite 'phone if you need ferrying across to the airstrip. Lapidus flies in on the 1st Friday of each month. Oh by the way Hurley, his plane's dirty old diesel engines have now been replaced with the solar-powered electric motors following the research you ordered."

"Wow!" said Hugo, "The science geeks were able to do that? Cool! And what about everywhere else?"

"Richard Alpert's been busy on your behalf. He's appealed to all the governments of the World to replace all diesel and petrol engines with electric engines, driven by clean renewable energy like solar, tidal and wind. He's had mixed success as countries make a lot of money from selling oil and gas."

"That sucks. Didn't those environment nerds say the whole World needs to change to clean energy to stop global damage from climate change and pollution?"

"Yeah, they did," said Desmond, "But it turns out some countries can't afford to make the necessary changes. They need oil just to survive the short term, even if it is reducing the chance of there being a long term for humanity."

"Leave it with me, dude," said Hugo, "Thanks for your help, man."

"Any time, brother," said Desmond.

Walt and Hugo exchanged waves with Desmond, Penny and little Charlie as their boat sailed away on it's way to Hydra island, some 20 miles away.

"I don't understand the waving thing," said Ben, "Why do people feel the need to do that?"

Walt looked at Ben, incredulous. Hugo chuckled to himself.

That night, after a satisfying dinner, Walt, Ben and Hugo sat on the porch of Hugo's beach house. They were each sipping on a cold drink, looking out to sea. Walt was thinking of what Hugo had said earlier that day.

"I remember that day at the jetty too," said Walt, "That was when me and my dad left on a small boat. I'm so sorry about that Hurly...I had no idea my dad had traded you guys for my release. I would never have agreed to that, you've got to believe me."

"You know, dude," said Hugo, "Sometimes people do bad things to protect the ones they love. Your dad did all those bad things: hit Locke, shot Anna Lucia and Lib..." Hugo felt emotion rising in his voice and he had to stop for a moment, "...And Libby,...and betrayed Jack, Kate and Sawyer, all because he loves you and wanted your release from the others. It's like those countries who won't stop using oil that Desmond was talking about. They're being horrible to the World as a whole by increasing pollution and climate change, all because they are trying to give their people, employees, family, friends, whatever, the best life they can."