[The episode opens with Frank flying the chopper. On board are Desmond, seated next to Frank and Sayid who is seated in the back looking down on the blue ocean. Desmond is looking and smiling at a photograph of him with Penny. It is a nice sunny day with blue sky and ocean all around. Frank looks at a yellow piece of paper taped to the controls. On the paper are the words "40 MILES N @ 305 7 K EAST", and a drawing showing the location of the boat. Sayid is putting on a headset and points to the paper.]

SAYID: What's that?

FRANK: Cheat sheet Faraday drew for me.

SAYID: You don't know where your boat is?

FRANK: I know where it is.

SAYID: What's that?

[The chopper is on bearing 305 and headed toward dark clouds. The chopper flies into a little turbulence.]

SAYID: Why are you flying directly into the thunderhead?

FRANK: Why don't you just sit back and let me do my job, huh?

[There is a flash of lightning accompanied by thunder. The turbulence intensifies. Sayid looks over at Desmond who is fixated on the photo.]

SAYID: Is that Penelope?

DESMOND: Aye.

SAYID: What do you expect to find when you get there?

DESMOND: Answers.

[The turbulence increases and the passengers are being bounced about. The chopper tilts about in the storm and Frank has difficulty maintaining a bearing of 305.]

FRANK: Damn it! (pauses) Hold on!

[Desmond is scared and tightly grips the edge of his seat. There is beeping and buzzing then he suddenly finds himself in a different time and place. He is lying on a military cot and gripping the edge, as he was his seat on the chopper. He is in a military barracks with many other soldiers. He notices his hair is cut quite short. A sergeant enters barking orders.]

SERGEANT: On your sodding feet! Move, move, move!

[ Desmond looks around, addled and stays lying on the cot.]

SERGEANT: What's the matter, Hume? Did you not hear me?

DESMOND: I'm sorry, sir. I was, I was having a dream, sir.

SERGEANT: You were having a dream, were you? And what were you dreaming about, that it took you so sodding long to get to your mark?

DESMOND: (pauses) I was in a helicopter, sir. And there was a storm, sir. And I don't remember the rest, sir.

SERGEANT: Well, at least it was a bloody military dream. Right! All of ya! In the yard, 4 minutes! And you can thank Private Hume for having to do it in double time. Move!

[Switch to outside the barracks and it is raining heavily.. The squadron is doing push-ups in the mud.[]

SOLDIER 1: 1! 2! 3!

ENTIRE TROOP: 3!

SOLDIER 1: 1! 2! 3!

ENTIRE TROOP: 4!

SOLDIER 1: 1! 2! 3!

ENTIRE TROOP: 5!

SERGEANT: 100 crunches! Go, go, go, go, go!

SOLDIER 1: 1, 2, 3, 4...

SOLDIER 2: (to Desmond) I hope your dream was worth this, mate.

DESMOND: Sorry brother. It's just that, I've never had a dream so vivid. It was, it was like I was actually there.

[The Sergeant walks to where Desmond is doing crunches.]

SERGEANT: Have you got something to say, Hume?

[Desmond stays quiet.]

SERGEANT: I asked you a question!

[Desmond is suddenly back on chopper. He is totally disoriented.]

FRANK: We're almost through it. I see daylight!

[Desmond becomes panicked and fumbles to unbuckle his seat belt.]

SAYID: What are you doing? Desmond! Are you alright?

DESMOND: (yelling) Who are you? How do you know my name?

[Switch to the island beach. Daniel gets Charlotte a drink of water. Jack holds the satellite phone and looks concerned. He is sitting with his hands to the sides of his forehead. Juliet is leaning against a pole pulling her hair back off her face and neck.]

JACK: Alright. They took off a day ago. Why haven't we heard from them?

CHARLOTTE: I'm going to tell you again, as I've been telling you all night, doctor. I don't know! You heard the same thing as I did when we called the boat. What makes you think I know anything?

JULIET: Because you're not worried.

CHARLOTTE: Excuse me?

JULIET: Your boat's 40 miles off the coast, it should have taken them what, 20 minutes to get there? So why aren't you worried?

CHARLOTTE: (sarcastically) Should I wring me hands together and whisper a prayer on their behalf?

DANIEL: (to Charlotte) Hey, hey, hey, c'mon. Maybe we should just, just tell them.

JACK: Tell us what?

CHARLOTTE: Dan, let's not confuse anyone.

JULIET: (sarcastically) Well, Daniel, maybe if you talk real slow, we'll be able to follow.

DANIEL: Your perception of how long your friends have been gone? It's not necessarily how long they've actually been gone.

JACK: (concerned) What does that mean?

CHARLOTTE: This is a mistake.

DANIEL: It'll be fine. It'll be fine. As long as Frank flew on the bearings I gave him. If he stayed on it, it, it'll be fine.

JACK: And what if he didn’t?

DANIEL: Then there might be side effects.

[Switch to the chopper flying. The ocean is blue and so is the sky. It is daylight. They have flown out of the turbulence/storm.]

SAYID: (to Desmond) We're at 2000 feet! Sit down!

DESMOND: What am I doing here?

FRANK: What the hell's going on?

SAYID: Something's wrong with Desmond!

DESMOND: How do you know my name?

FRANK: Hold him there, Sayid!

SAYID: I'm trying!

DESMOND: Let go of me!

FRANK: Keep him away from the stick! We'll be there in 2 minutes.

[The freighter comes into view. Frank pilots the chopper over it and lands. Desmond is in a state of panic. He is still clutching the photo of him and Penny. Sayid tries to restrain Desmond then sits back down. As Keamy and Omar run over to where the chopper is, Sayid gets a handgun and tucks it in his rear waistband. Keamy and Omar (part of Keamy’s team) are running toward the chopper.]

KEAMY: (to Frank) What are you doing back?

OMAR: Who are they?

FRANK: Survivors of 815.

KEAMY: You shouldn't have brought them here! What the hell were you thinking?

[Desmond climbs out of the chopper with absolutely no idea where he is. Other crew members are scurrying about the deck.]

DESMOND: Alright, where am I?

KEAMY: Alright, just take it easy.

OMAR: Whoa.

DESMOND: Alright, who are you people?

OMAR: Whoa, buddy. Calm down.

DESMOND: What am I doing here? Who are you people?

SAYID: My friend is disoriented!

DESMOND: (out of control) I’m not your friend! I don't know you! I don't know you!

KEAMY: When did he start doing this?

FRANK: He was fine when we took off. When we hit some weather...

[Keamy and Omar look at each other as if reading each other’s mind.]

FRANK: Hey, Faraday told me as long as I stayed on the vector...

[Keamy motions for Frank to shut up. Keamy and Omar go towards Desmond but Sayid steps between them and Desmond.]

KEAMY: Way, way, wait. What's your name, my friend?

SAYID: Sayid.

KEAMY: Okay, Sayid. Look, we're going to take your buddy down to the sick bay, okay.

SAYID: I’m going with you.

KEAMY: Let our doctor look at him first, then you can come down. You got my word on that, okay?

[ Sayid thinks for a moment, nods yes then lets Keamy and Omar go over to Desmond.]

OMAR: Alright!

DESMOND: Hey, listen to me! Thi thi this is a mistake, alright?

OMAR: Settle down.

DESMOND: I don't know these people.

OMAR: I understand.

DESMOND: No, this is wrong! I'm not supposed to be...

[Suddenly Desmond is back standing in the rain. The rest of the squadron is still doing crunches.]

DESMOND: …here!

SOLDIER 1: 20! 21! 22! 23! 24!

SERGEANT: Here? Here what? (as he walks to Desmond) What the hell are you doing on your feet? Are you finished with your crunches, because you want to run? (yells at the entire squadron) Right! Squad! On your feet! Right face! 10 kilometers! Go, go, go, go, go, go!

BILLY: Get moving! Or so help me, I'll kill you myself!

[Switch to a truck that is being loaded with ammunition by the soldiers.]

BILLY: What the hell's the matter with you, Des?

DESMOND: If I told you, you'd think I was crazy.

BILLY: I already know you're crazy.

DESMOND: This morning, when I was in the yard doing crunches, I left.

BILLY: What do you mean you left?

DESMOND: I was on a boat. And then, then I was back here, right, right where I started.

BILLY: Des, if you're trying to get tossed out of service...

DESMOND: Billy, I'm telling you the truth, Man!

BILLY: Who else was on this, boat? Anyone you recognized?

DESMOND: Penny. There was a photo. Penny was in the photo.

[Desmond suddenly stands up and walks away swiftly.]

BILLY: What? Oy, Des. Where you going?

[Desmond walks to a phone booth as he is pulling change from his pocket. Another soldier exits the booth and intentionally bumps Desmond, causing him to drop all the coins.]

SOLDIER 2: Thanks for this morning, Hume.

[As Desmond bends over to pick up the coins he suddenly finds himself back on the freighter, squatting and clawing at the deck as if he was still trying to pick up the coins.]

KEAMY: Whoa, whoa, whoa. Watch your step. Watch it.. Watch your step. Take it easy.

DESMOND: I'm not here. This, this, this isn't happening.

KEAMY: You are here. And, this is happening. Look, we're going to take care of you.

DESMOND: Wh-wh-what am I doing here?

KEAMY: It's alright, you're gonna be okay.

DESMOND: I'm not supposed to be here.

[Keamy and Omar escort Desmond to a hatch door. Omar opens the door and Keamy assists Desmond through the door. The three men walk down a corridor, Omar leading, while Keamy tries to calm Desmond.]

DESMOND: Who are you people?

KEAMY: Well, my name is Keamy, and this is Omar. I'm from Vegas and he's from Florida, but as for where we are, I...

OMAR: (interrupting) We last ported in Fiji. So at least we'll know we're still in the Pacific.

[Omar opens the door to sick bay and Keamy escorts Desmond in with his right hand on Desmond’s right shoulder. Desmond looks around and we see that the furnishings are medical and very sparse.

KEAMY: Alright, my friend. Now you just relax, okay? Now, we're gonna go get the doc, and he's gonna want to ask you some questions to help us sort all this out.

DESMOND: What...what do you mean, sort out? Wait a minute! What do you mean?

[Omar leaves with Keamy following. Keamy slams and locks the door. Desmond is banging on the door trying to get out.]

DESMOND: I'm not supposed to be here! I'm not supposed to be here! Open this door. Open this door.

[Desmond hears another voice in sickbay. He turns to see a man strapped down on a cot. He is bound by his wrists and ankles. There is a strap across his chest. He cannot move. It is George Minkowski. He is all sweaty with a crazed look on his face. Desmond backs up against a wall frightened by what he is seeing and hearing.]

MINKOWSKI: Hey, hey, hey it's happening to you too? Isn't it?

[Switch to Sayid. He is pacing and looking around at everyone and everything on the deck, with the chopper, of the freighter. He sees Keamy arguing with Frank on a middle level deck near 2 flights of stairs. Keamy goes up a flight to a 3rd deck while Franks goes down a flight to the main deck. Frank then walks to Sayid and begins to chat with him. They are walking toward the chopper.]

SAYID: What's happening to Desmond? Your friends know what's wrong with him.

FRANK: Well if they do, they're not sharing it with me.

[They stop and face each other.]

SAYID: Then perhaps you'll share how we took off at dusk and landed in the middle of the day.

FRANK: Listen. I don't know what's happening to your buddy, alright? But you gotta trust me when I tell you this. I am trying to help you.

SAYID: You want to help me? Give me your phone. Let me call my people.

FRANK: You give me that weapon and I'll give you this phone.

[Sayid hands the gun to Frank and Frank sets then hands the sat phone to Sayid. Sayid begins to walk to the back of the freighter.]

FRANK: Be quick. And don't go trying to call Baghdad. Those phones can only call each other.

[Switch to the beach. Jack is pacing at the beach camp. He is holding a sat phone as it rings. He answers the phone.]

JACK: Hello?

SAYID: Jack, it's Sayid. I'm on the freighter.

JACK: (with a sigh of relief) Are you okay? Where the hell have you been?

SAYID: Something happened during the flight, and now Desmond's in their sick bay.

JACK: Hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on.

[Jack is now looking toward Juliet. He switches to speakerphone. Juliet, Dan and Charlotte walk closer to Jack.]

JACK: Alright, you're on speaker.

SAYID: On the helicopter, something happened to Desmond. He doesn't appear to recognize me or know where he is.

JACK: (to Daniel) Side effects?

DANIEL: Well, your friend...uh, Desmond. Has he...has he recently been exposed to high levels of radiation or electromagnetism? Okay, look. Uh, we don't know why, but going to and coming from the island, some people can get a little...confused.

[Juliet, Charlotte and Jack all look at Dan baffled by what he is saying.]

JULIET: So, what? Is this amnesia?

DANIEL: No, this is not amnesia.

[Switch back to Desmond in the freighter sickbay now leaning over the man in the bed. Minkowski seems to be in a rigid stupor. Desmond begins waving his hand in front of Minkowski’s face trying to get his attention.]

DESMOND: Hey. Hey. Hey! Can you hear me? Are you alright? Hello?

[Minkowski suddenly awakens with a childish grin.]

MINKOWSKI: I was just on a Ferris wheel.

[The freighter's doctor enters sickbay and turns on the light.]

MINKOWSKI: See, Ray? I'm not crazy. It's happening to him too, Ray. And it's going to happen to you. It's going to happen to all of us. Everyone! Once we start heading to that island again.

[Doc Ray picks up a syringe and fills it with some sort of medication. He walks to Minkowski.]

DOC RAY: (to Desmond) Would you please step aside?

MINKOWSKI: No, no, Ray? No.

DOC RAY: I need you to relax for a minute.

MINKOWSKI: No, no, it's not going to stop it, Ray. Nothing can stop it, Ray. Nothing can stop it!

[Doc Ray injects Minkowski in his left upper arm. He appears to relax then falls asleep. Doc Ray turns to Desmond.]

DOC RAY: And how are you feeling?

DESMOND: (yelling) What the bloody hell is going on?

DOC RAY: I understand you're disoriented.

DESMOND: You're not going to stick me with that, brother!

DOC RAY: I (pauses) don't want to stick you with anything. It's okay. I just want to check your eyes.

DESMOND: Why?

DOC RAY: So I can help you.

[Desmond relaxes then allows the doctor look in his eyes with a small flashlight which looks like a white pen.]

DOC RAY: What’s your name?

DESMOND: Desmond.

DOC RAY: Desmond. Desmond, why don't you tell me about the last thing you remem...

[Switch back to the military base exactly where Desmond last was - bent over just about to pick up the coins he dropped. Addled he watches as the soldier who bumped into him walks away. It is still raining heavily and the ground is very muddy. He picks up the coins, enters the phone booth, inserts the coins then dials a number. Penelope Widmore answers the phone at the other end.]

PENNY: Hello?

DESMOND: Penny?

PENNY: What do you want, Desmond?

DESMOND: Uh, Penny, listen. I'm uh, I'm in trouble, and uh, I think, I think something's happening to me. I'm confused, and I, I need to see ya.

PENNY: You broke up with me and then you joined the army. And now you call with some expectation that I still care about you? Yeah, I'd say you are confused, Desmond.

DESMOND: No, no, I'm not. It's, it's, look, I've got 2 days leave starting tonight. Can I, can I, can I come and see ya?

PENNY: No! No, and don't bother showing up at the flat either cause I've moved.

DESMOND: Moved? Where?

PENNY: It doesn't matter. Look, Desmond, I'm going to go. Please, just don't call me again.

DESMOND: No! No! No, listen! Penny! Penny, I, Penny I need…

[Switch to Desmond back in sickbay with Doc Ray still holding the flashlight to his eyes.]

DESMOND: …ya?

DOC RAY: Did you just...experience something, Desmond?

[The door to sickbay opens and in walks Frank, holding the sat phone, then Sayid.]

DOC RAY: What the hell, Frank? You're not supposed to be down here, and definitely not with him!

FRANK: Sorry, doc, but I've got Faraday calling from the island, and he needs to talk to this guy.

DOC RAY: No, Faraday's not talking to my patient! Now get out of here!

SAYID: He's not your patient!

[Sayid grabs Doc Ray by the lapels of his lab coat and shoves him up against a wall.]

DOC RAY: Hey!

SAYID: (to Frank) Give Desmond the phone.

[Doc Ray reaches to his right and smacks a red button. An alarm sounds throughout the freighter. Desmond covers his ears to block out the alarm.]

SAYID: (to Frank) Give him the phone now!

[Frank hands Desmond the sat phone and Sayid closes the door. The alarm is making it difficult for Desmond to hear Dan who is on the beach.]

DESMOND: Hello?

DANIEL: (on speaker) Desmond! Desmond, my name is Daniel Faraday. We met yesterday before you took off? But I'm guessing you don't remember that. Am I right?

DESMOND: Took off? What?

DANIEL: Desmond, we don't have long to talk so I need you to tell me what year you think it is.

DESMOND: What do you mean, what year do I think it, it's 1996!

[Daniel drops his head down and sighs. Jack, Juliet and Charlotte look at each other then at Dan. They are very confused.]

DANIEL: Alright, Desmond. Desmond look, you, you gotta tell me.Where are you?

DESMOND: Um, I’m, I'm in some kind of sickbay.

DANIEL: No, no, no. Not right now, Desmond. Where are you supposed to be? Where are you in 1996?

DESMOND: Uh, eh, uh, Camp Miller. It's a, Royal Scots Regiment. It's, uh, just north of Glasgow.

[Jack goes to Dan trying to offer advice which Dan tries to ignore.]

JACK: Dan. You might wanna...

DANIEL: (continues talking to Desmond) No, no, no. I'm thinking, I'm thinking. Desmond, listen. When it happens again, Desmond, I need you to get on a train. Get on a train and go to Oxford. Oxford University. Queens College Physics Department. Alright?

DESMOND: What, why?

DANIEL: Because I need you to find me!

[ Desmond is now beyond confused. Switch to Dan kneeling on the ground looking through his backpack. He is trying to locate his journal. He is talking to himself.]

DANIEL: Where is it? Where is it?

CHARLOTTE: What?

DANIEL: My journal. My journal. I need my journal or I won't believe him.

JACK: Why does he think he's in 1996?

DANIEL: I don't know, I don't know. It's unpredictable. It's a random effect. Sometimes the split takes only a couple of hours, sometimes it's years.

JACK: Wa, wait. This has happened before?

[Dan locates his journal, gets up and reaches for the phone that Jack is now holding. He addresses Jack.]

DANIEL: The phone now, please. Thank you. (to Desmond) Desmond, are you still there?

[Sayid is still trying to hold the sickbay door shut. He is having some difficulty, On the other side of the door is Keamy who is yelling to Doc Ray.]

KEAMY: Doc? Hey Doc! Are you okay in there?

SAYID: (to Desmond) Talk to him! I can't hold them for long! (tries barricading door)

DESMOND: (to Daniel) Yes! Yes, I'm here!

DANIEL: Okay, Desmond, listen. When you find me at Queens College, I need you to tell me to set the device to 2.342.

DESMOND: What?

DANIEL: Alright, you got it? 2.342! And it must be oscillating at 11 hertz. You got it Desmond?

[Desmond opens a desk drawer and takes out a pen. Writes the numbers on the palm of his left hand.]

DESMOND: 2.342 and oscillating at 11...

DANIEL: Just remember that. 2.342 and 11 hertz, alright? And one more thing, Desmond. If the numbers don't convince me, I need you to tell me that you know about Eloise.

[Keamy and Omar push the sickbay door open and rush in.]

OMAR: (to Sayid) Hey, hey, hey! Easy, now. Easy.

[ Keamy grabs the sat phone that Desmond has to his ear. Desmond tries to hang on to the phone. Dan is still talking and Keamy is angry.]

DANIEL: Desmond! Tell me that you know about El-o..

[Switch to Desmond who is suddenly back in the phone booth at the military base. He is sitting on the floor, wedged in a corner of the booth holding the receiver to his left ear. The scene quickly changes to Desmond walking up a path on a college campus. He is in civilian clothes and wearing a leather jacket. It is the campus of Queens College. At the end of a walkway near a door, Dan is talking to a student. His hair is below his shoulders with the sides pulled back in a ponytail. As Desmond approaches him, Dan’s voice becomes clearer.]

DANIEL: …of original thinking...the opposite of, I am the one that you need to impress. I'm not impressed. So go, go try again.

[Dan hands the student a paper. The student and Dan walk in different directions. Desmond speaks to Dan.]

DESMOND: Um, sorry. Are, are you Daniel Faraday?

DANIEL: You are?

DESMOND: Uh, sorry, I'm, I'm, I'm Desmond Hume, and um, I was told I could find you here. I, I think I've...just been to the future.

DANIEL: (doubtingly) The future?

DESMOND: Yes. Uh, I ss, spoke to you there. You, uh, you told me to come here, t, t, to Oxford. To find you. You, you said you'd help me.

DANIEL: Why didn't I just help you there, in the future?

DESMOND: Sorry?

DANIEL: Why would I put you through the headache of time travel, you know? You know what I mean? It just seems a little, unnecessary. And don't you think that my esteemed colleagues could have come up with something just a little more believable, huh? Wha, what kind of a prank is that? Huh, a paradox. So uninspired.

[Dan begins to walk away from Desmond who turns around and yells to him.]

DESMOND: Set your device to um, 2.342 and, and make sure it oscillates at 11.

[Dan stops and turns to Desmond in disbelief.]

DANIEL: Okay, now, now you, you're going to tell me who told you those numbers.

DESMOND: You did.

DANIEL: No, this, this is ridiculous. If you think you...

DESMOND: (interrupting) I know about Eloise!

[Dan becomes silent. Switch to Dan and Desmond entering Dan’s college office.]

DESMOND: What, what is all this?

DANIEL: This is where I do the things Oxford frowns upon. Alright, this, this future version of me? Uh, he referenced this meeting, right? Obviously so, so I would remember you coming to Oxford, right? I would remember this, here, right now.

DESMOND: Actually, um, no.

DANIEL: No?

DESMOND: Maybe you just forgot.

DANIEL: Yeah, right. How would that happen?

DESMOND: So this, this is changing the future?

DANIEL: You can't change the future.

[Dan puts on what appears to be a lead, lined apron.]

DESMOND: What's that for?

DANIEL: Radiation.

DESMOND: Do I get one?

DANIEL: You don't need one. For prolonged exposure. I do this 20 times a day.

DESMOND: So what do you put on your head?

[Dan looks at Desmond playfully while deep in thought.]

DANIEL: Huh. Yeah.

[There are various pieces of equipment about the room. Daniel begins to turn dials and flip switches. Sounds of beeps and hums are now heard. Dan walks over to a cage and carefully takes out a white lab rat.]

DANIEL: This, this is Eloise.

[Dan places Eloise in a large, transparent bottomed, wooden maze sitting on a table. He adjusts a hair dryer shaped dome, with pale pink light in the top half, over the spot where Eloise is standing.]

DESMOND: What does this do?

DANIEL: This, if the numbers you gave me are correct, what this will do is unstick Eloise in time. Just like you.

[Dan presses a button and a pinkish light shines on Eloise. Desmond watches. After the l light stops shining on Eloise, Dan quickly removes his apron and goes to check her.]

DESMOND: What happened?

[Eloise is motionless. She is in a cell at the beginning of the maze. A wooden divider keeps her from the rest of the maze.]

DANIEL: Wait, sh shh! She's not back yet.

[Eloise starts to fidget. She becomes aware again.]

DANIEL: There she is. Okay, here goes everything.

[Dan raises the wooden divider, which let Eloise have access to the entire maze. She slowly walks into the maze then speeds up. She runs through the entire maze flawlessly. It is obvious that she is not addled.]

DANIEL: (excited) Come on. That's it, that's it, yes, yes, yes! Hah, hah, hah! Yes! Oh, it worked! This is incredible.

DESMOND: (irked) I'm sorry, how is a rat running through a bloody maze so incredible?

DANIEL: What is incredible is, I just finished the maze this morning. I'm not going to teach her to run it until an hour from now.

DESMOND: Sss, so you, you sent her to the future?!

DANIEL: No, no, no. Her consciousness. Her mind.

[Dan quickly walks to a chalkboard and begins erasing, with both hands, existing formulae and writing new ones.]

DESMOND: So, so how does that help me?

DANIEL: You? Help you? I don't understand. Why am I supposed to help you? Didn't I send you back here to help me?

DESMOND: I don't know why you sent me here! All I know about you is that you end up on some bloody island.

DANIEL: An island. What island, where, why would I go to an island?

[Suddenly Desmond is back in the sickbay of the freighter. He is trying to talk to Dan and at the same time prevent Keamy from taking the sat phone from him. The alarm is still sounding. Omar and Sayid begin to scuffle.]

KEAMY: Desmond, give me the phone!

[Keamy rips the phone away from Desmond. We can still hear Dan on the other end.]

OMAR: Hey!

FRANK: Hey, come on! Everybody relax, listen! Look! Daniel wanted to talk to the guy so we brought him the phone, that's all.

[The alarm stops ringing everyone in sickbay relaxes a bit.]

KEAMY: You let Faraday talk to him?

FRANK: He said he could help!

DOC RAY: Faraday can't even help himself.

OMAR: (to Frank) Outside now. The captain wants to talk to you.

SAYID: And I want to talk to your captain.

KEAMY: I'll be sure to let him know. In the meantime, have a seat.

[Desmond looks at his left palm where he wrote the numbers Dan gave to him. Keamy exits sickbay, slams the door behind him then bolts it from the outside. It is now Desmond, Sayid and Minkowski in sickbay. Desmond looks around for the flashlight. He picks it up off the floor and starts flashing it in front of his eyes as Doc Ray had done previously. He it trying to get back to Dan in 1996.]

DESMOND: I need to get back.

SAYID: Back where? The island?

DESMOND: He said he could help me, said he could tell me what I needed to do.

SAYID: Desmond, Desmond, can you please explain to me...

MINKOWSKI: (interrupting) Desmond? You're Desmond?

DESMOND: Do I know you?

MINKOWSKI: (still strapped to the cot) I'm George Minkowski. I'm the Communications Officer. Before they strapped me down here, all the calls to and from this boat came through me, in the radio room. And every so often, I'd get this flashing light on my console. An incoming call. We were under strict orders never to answer it.

DESMOND: So? What's that got to do with me?

MINKOWSKI: Those calls came from your girlfriend. Penelope Widmore.

[Suddenly Desmond is back in Dan’s office in 1996. He is now sitting in a wing back chair. Dan is feverishly writing on the chalkboard.]

DESMOND: What happened?

DANIEL: Whoa! Ah, you're back. And you were out almost 75 minutes.

DESMOND: Out?

DANIEL: Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. You just woof, went catatonic right in the middle of a sentence. I had to carry you to the chair. So I take it you were, you were in the future again?

DESMOND: Aye.

[Desmond is still trying to clear his head. He rubs his eyes.]

DANIEL: For how long?

DESMOND: I don't know, 5 minutes? Why does this keep happening?

DANIEL: Well, in your case, I'm guessing that progression is exponential. Each time your consciousness jumps, it gets harder and harder to jump back. I, would be careful crossing the street if I were you.

[ Desmond now notices Eloise who is now dead in her cage.]

DESMOND: What happened to her?

DANIEL: She died.

DESMOND: Yeah, I can see that. How?

DANIEL: Brain aneurysm, probably. I dunno. I'll need to do an autopsy later.

DESMOND: Is that going to happen to me?

DANIEL: The effects seem to vary from case to case, but uh...

[Desmond grabs and pushes Dan into the chalkboard which slides back to the wall.]

DESMOND: If this keeps happening, am I going to die?

DANIEL: I don’t know.

[Desmond releases Dan.]

DANIEL: I think Eloise's brain short-circuited. The jumps between the present and the future. She eventually, she couldn't tell which was which. She had no anchor.

DESMOND: Wha, wha, wha, what do you mean, anchor?

DANIEL: Something familiar in both times. All this, see this, is all variables. It's random. It's chaotic. Every equation needs stability, something known. It's called a constant. Desmond, you have no constant. When you go to the future, nothing there is familiar. If you want to stop this, th, then you need to find something there. Something that you really, really care about, that also exists back here, in 1996.

[Desmond picks up Dan’s office phone and quickly begins dialing a phone number.]

DANIEL: Uh, who are you calling?

DESMOND: I'm calling my bloody constant.

PHONE RECORDING: The number you have dialed has been disconnected.

[Desmond slams the receiver on the phone base then storms out of Dan's office. As he is going down a back stairwell, he turns a corner and falls into a wall. He is back on the freighter. He immediately falls against a counter in sickbay,]

SAYID: Hey, hey. You okay?

[Desmond now sees himself in a mirror. He has a beard and is a bit disheveled. In 1996 he has short hair and is well groomed.]

MINKOWSKI: You look a lot older now, huh? Welcome back, Desmond.

DESMOND: I need to call Penny.

SAYID: Calling your girlfriend is not our priority.

DESMOND: Listen, brother. I don't know you. But you seem to know me, so, so if you and me are friends, then I need your help. I need to call Penny, now!

MINKOWSKI: Whoa! You boys are getting way ahead of yourselves. 2 days ago, someone sabotaged all the equipment. We lost all communication with the mainland. I probably could have fixed it, but then I went nuts.

SAYID: Where's the radio room?

MINKOWSKI: It's 1 deck up. I'll take you there. Come on.

[Desmond and Sayid begin to unbuckle the straps that are holding Minkowski in the cot.]

SAYID: And how do we get out of here?

MINKOWSKI: Through the door.

[Desmond and Sayid turn quickly to look at the door and it is partially open.]

MINKOWSKI: Looks like you guys have a...a friend on this boat.

[Sayid goes to the door and looks outside. The corridor is empty. Desmond assists Minkowski out of the cot. Minkowski has a nosebleed. Desmond reaches for some tissues and hands them to Minkowski.]

DESMOND: Hey, uh, your nose, brother.

SAYID: It's clear. Let's go.

[Again Desmond is back in the stairwell where he fell against the wall. He tries to get his bearings, then stands up and continues down the stairs. Switch to Smithfield’s auction house bidding room. An oil painting of an old sailing ship, with an ornate golden frame, is on an easel. An antique leather bound book is inside a glass case next to the easel. The room contains a small audience who are listening to the auctioneer.]

AUCTIONEER: The Black Rock set sail from Portsmouth, England March 22, 1845 on a trading mission to the kingdom of Siam, when she was tragically lost at sea. The only known artifact of this journey is the journal of the ship's first mate, which was discovered among the artifacts of pirates on the Ile Sante-Marie, Madagascar 7 years later. The contents of this journal have never been made public nor are known to anyone outside the family of the seller, Tovard Hanso. We open the bidding on lot 2342 at 150,000 pounds.

[Bidding on the journal begins. People begin upping the bid. One of the bidders is Charles Widmore.]

AUCTIONEER: 150,000, sir. For 160? Do I hear 1 6, 160, sir. 170, sir. 180 on the phone. 200,000 pounds. 220,000 pounds, 240? 260,000 pounds, sir. 280? On the phone I have 300,000. 320. 340,000 pounds. 360? 380, 380,000 pounds.

[Desmond comes into view and attempts to enter the bidding room. He is stopped by an usher at the entrance.]

AUCTION USHER: This auction's by appointment only, sir.

AUCTIONEER: Do I hear 400,000 pounds?

DESMOND: Yeah, listen brother, I just need to speak to that gentleman, just for a moment, okay?

AUCTION USHER: I'm sorry.

AUCTIONEER: Sold, for 380,000 pounds to bidder 755. Thank you.

[Charles Widmore is bidder 775. He gets up from his seat and walks to the doorway.]

DESMOND: Just for a minute, alright? Mr. Widmore!

CHARLES WIDMORE: Desmond?

DESMOND: Can I have a word, sir?

AUCTION USHER: I'm sorry, Mr. Widmore, he...

CHARLES WIDMORE: (interrupting) No, no. It's fine. Walk with me.

[Widmore enters the men’s lavatory and stands at a urinal relieving himself. He continues to talk to Desmond who has followed him into the lavatory.]

CHARLES WIDMORE: Your word. Let's have it.

DESMOND: I need to get in touch with Penny. I don't know how to reach her, and her number's been disconnected.

CHARLES WIDMORE: There was a time when if you'd have asked her to marry you, I was certain she would've said yes. Fortunately, your cowardice won out instead.

[Widmore has finished his business, flushes the urinal then walks to a row of sinks. He takes a hand towel, pumps some soap into his hand and turns on the faucet. The hand towel is between his hand and the soap pump and the faucet handle. He avoids hand contact. He begins washing his hands while still talking to Desmond.]

CHARLES WIDMORE: I take it you've had second thoughts. And you'd like her to give you another chance.

DESMOND: Why do you hate me so much?

[Widmore dries his hands and leaves the water running from the faucet. He faces Desmond and while talking, takes a business card from his jacket pocket. He begins to write.]

CHARLES WIDMORE: It's not me who hates you. Here's her address. I'll let her tell you herself.

[As Widmore exits the restroom, he hands Desmond the card. Desmond walks over to turn off the faucet. As soon as he makes contact he is back on the freighter where is he still bent over Minkowski’s cot. Minkowski is now out of the bed and near the door.]

MINKOWSKI: Desmond? I know...it's getting harder. It starts happening faster, too.

SAYID: Come on. Let’s move.

[They all walk along the corridor.]

DESMOND: Hey, how did this happen to you?

MINKOWSKI: We were anchored here. Waiting for our orders. Bored out of our minds. Me and Brandon, one of the crewmembers, we took out the ship's tender. We just wanted to see the island. But Brandon started acting crazy. So we had to turn around.

DESMOND: Where is he?

MINKOWSKI: In a body bag.

[They all enter the communications room. Minkowski turns on the light. Sayid starts to exam all the pulled out wires and takes a piece of equipment from its holder. The equipment has been vandalized.]

MINKOWSKI: There.

SAYID: Who did this?

MINKOWSKI: You got me. But when the captain finds out, I feel sor…

[Minkowski passes out onto a table. Desmond assists him.]

SAYID: After your call, someone has to tell me precisely what is going on.

DESMOND: Can you fix it, brother?

SAYID: I need a minute. Do you have the number to make the call?

[Minkowski falls into a grand mal seizure. Desmond lies him down on the floor and tries to hold him down so he doesn’t further hurt himself. Meanwhile Sayid picks up a red receiver with a cord/wire dangling from it. He clips the end of the wire to a battery terminal.]

DESMOND: Wake up! You've got to come back! You've got to come back.

SAYID: Desmond! Do you know the number?

DESMOND: No.

SAYID: Well, you better remember it.

[Minkowski’s seizure begins to subside. Desmond looks up and sees a calendar on the wall. Most of the boxes with the day number have an X thru them. The calendar shows it is December 24, 2004.]

DESMOND: It's 2000 and 4?

SAYID: I didn't realize it was almost Christmas. It's been..

[Sayid notices that Desmond’s nose is bleeding and points to his nose.]

SAYID: Desmond.

[Desmond reaches to his nose, taps under a nostril with a finger and notices blood. Minkowski has another seizure that is more severe than the previous one. Desmond is still holding him and trying to keep him still. Now there is blood coming from his nose, mouth and eyes.]

MINKOWSKI: No! I can’t, I, can’t, get, back!

[The seizure ends and Minkowski dies.]

SAYID: What happened to him?

DESMOND: The same thing that's gonna happen to me!

[Desmond is back laying the in lavatory at Southfield’s auction house. The faucet is still running and the sink is flowing over the edge onto the floor. He reaches up to the edge of the counter and supports himself while standing. He shuts the faucet, cups some water in his right hand and drinks from it while looking in the mirror. Desmond sees the card that Widmore handed him on the floor. He picks it up and it reads Penny’s address and exits the lavatory. Immediately we see Desmond arriving at Penny’s front door. There is a large metal square on the facade of the building showing the address as 423 Cheyne Walk. Desmond knocks on the door 3 times then opens it.]

PENNY: Desmond? What are you doing here?

DESMOND: I had to. I mean, I, I tried to call you but you, you disconnected your phone.

PENNY: Yeah, because I moved. Look, I don't know if your getting the signals, Desmond, but I'm trying to make a clean break from you, so if you don't mind I'm going to...

[Penny attempts to close the door while she is talking. Desmond stops her by holding it back with his left hand.]

DESMOND: Wait. Wwwait Pen, please wait. I just, I just need to get your new phone number, okay?

PENNY: Why would I give you that?

DESMOND: Because I, I made a huge mistake. I, I should never have broken up with you, and, I, I, I know, I know that now, and, and I'm sorry, and...

PENNY: (interrupts) Oh, don't! Just don't dare.

DESMOND: …and I understand. And I know it's, it's too late to change things, but I need to tell you something. And, and I need you to listen to me, and, I, I know it's going to sound ridiculous, but, please, Pen. I need you to listen to me.

[Penny pauses, then allows Desmond to enter her home.]

PENNY: Just, say what you need to say and go.

DESMOND: I know this doesn't make any sense, because it doesn't make any sense to me. But, 8 years from now, I, I need to call you, and I can't call you if I don't have your number.

PENNY: (amazed) What?

DESMOND: Look, Penny, just, just give me your number, and, I know, I know I've ruined things. I know you think things are over between us, but, but they're not. If there's any part of you that still believes in us, just, just give me your number.

PENNY: And what's to say you won't call me tonight, or tomorrow?

DESMOND: I won't call, for 8 years. December the 24th, 2000 and 4. Christmas Eve. I promise. Please, Pen.

PENNY: If I give you the number with you leave?

DESMOND: Aye.

PENNY: 7946 0893

[Desmond starts repeating the numbers over and over, in a whisper and deeply concentrating.]

DESMOND: 7946 0893, 7946 0893.

PENNY: All that, and you're not going to write it down?

DESMOND: It wouldn't do any good. You have to keep that number.

[Desmond approaches Penny, begging however she pushes him to then out the door slamming it behind him.]

DESMOND: You can't change the number, Penny!

PENNY: Get out! Get out!

DESMOND: Just, just, just remember, December 24th, 2000 and4!

DESMOND: Look, Penny! If you, if you still care about me you'll have to answer!

[Desmond is now outside the apartment. He continues to talk to Penelope frantically.]

DESMOND: I'm not crazy, Penny! You have to believe me! You have to, you have to...

[Suddenly Desmond is back on the freighter in the communications room. He is sitting in a chair trying to get his bearings. Sayid is still working with wiring the red receiver.]

DESMOND: …trust me.

SAYID: I do trust you. But you still have to remember that number.

DESMOND: 7946 0893. 7946 0893. 7946 0893. It's a London number!

SAYID: Excellent timing. The patch is done, but I don't know how long the battery will last.

[Sayid dials the phone number then quickly hands the phone over to Desmond.]

SAYID: I hope she's there.

DESMOND: I hope so, too.

[The phone rings about 15 times. During this time we are switching between the Desmond on the freighter and Desmond leaving Penny’s. She then appears, drawing curtains, at a window on an upper level of her apartment. As Desmond walks away with an impish grin. Penny finally answers the ringing phone.]

PENNY: Hello?

DESMOND: (pauses) Penny?

PENNY: (pauses) Desmond?

DESMOND: Penny, Penny, you answered. You answered, Penny!

[We are switching back and forth between Desmond speaking to Penny from the Freighter and Penny speaking to Desmond from her apartment. There is a Christmas tree decorated with many gifts underneath it. This switching happens in rapid succession.]

PENNY: (amazed) Des, where are you?

DESMOND: (on the brink of tears) I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm on a boat. Um, I, I've been on an island, and, my god, Penny. Is that really you?

PENNY: Yeah! Yes, it's me!

DESMOND: You believe me? You still care about me?

PENNY: Des, I've been looking for you for the past 3 years. I know about the island. I've been researc…..

[The phone call turns to static. Part of their conversation cannot be heard over this.]

PENNY: ...and then when I spoke to your friend Charlie. That's when I knew you were still alive. That's when I knew I wasn't crazy. Des, are you still there?

DESMOND: Yes, yes, I'm here! I'm still here. Can you hear me?

PENNY: Yeah, yeah, that's better.

DESMOND: (crying) I love you, Penny! I've always loved you. I'm so sorry. I love you!

PENNY: (crying) I love you too.

[The phone call is breaking up again. The transmission is starting to fail.]

DESMOND: I don't know where I am, but...

PENNY: I'll find you, Des...

DESMOND: I promise...

PENNY: No matter what...

DESMOND: I'll come back to you...

PENNY: I won't give up...

DESMOND: I promise.

PENNY: I promise.

DESMOND: I love you.

PENNY: I love you.

[After a bit of static the transmission ceases. Desmond looks at the phone in his hand.]

SAYID: I'm sorry. The power source went dead. It's all we have.

[Desmond goes over to Sayid and shakes his hand.]

DESMOND: Thank you, Sayid. It was enough.

SAYID: Are you alright now?

DESMOND: Aye. I'm perfect.

[Switch from the communications room to a view of the freighter and ocean from the sky. Switch to Daniel kneeling under a tree on the beach. The sun is starting to set. He is calm as he thumbs through his journal, back to front. On the last page is written in large, upper case, red print: "IF ANYTHING GOES WRONG, DESMOND HUME WILL BE MY CONSTANT". The word 'MY' is underlined. Daniel looks to the sky and sighs in relief. He then looks back at the page again]