CHAPTER 3 The Incident and ProtocolAs stated above, the DI was started in 1970. Also, according to the copyright date on the Orientation video, the incident occurred prior to 1980, or somewhere between 1970 and 1980. This incident prompted the numbers protocol to be enacted. A team of two people was to enter the numbers every 108 minutes for 540 days.From the moment the alarm sounds you will have 4 minutes to enter the code into the microcomputer processor [splice] induction into the program. When the alarm sounds, either you or your partner must input the code. It is highly recommended that you and your partner take alternating shifts. In this manner you will stay as fresh and alert [splice] utmost importance that when the alarm sounds the code be entered correctly, and in a timely fashion. Do not attempt to use the computer [splice] for anything [splice]. Congratulations, until your replacements arrive, the future of the project is in your hands.At this point, the only information we have regarding the protocol is that it is occurring at Station 3; we have no information as to whether this is occurring at the other 5 stations.You and your partner are currently located in Station 3, or the Swan, and will be for the next 540 days. Station 3 was originally constructed as a laboratory where scientists could work to understand the unique electromagnetic fluctuations emanating from this sector of the island- this says to me that the video was made for the island - it says they are "currently located" in Station 3. Why put an orientation film on the island if you were training the replacements before they went (i.e.; the replacements knew why they were going)? A couple of things that I noticed where missing from the video (either by direct omission by Dharma or by the fact that Desmond has watched and re-watched the video and has worn it out): the actual numbers that are to be entered are never mentioned and nowhere does Dr. Candle state how the pushers are to get off, or for that matter on, the island - just thatuntil your replacements arrive, the future of the project is in your hands. Nor is anything mentioned about the weapons cache. Here are my theories on the incident. I say theories because we have very little information to go off of right now. My leading theory is that the DI test subjects on the island either revolted or escaped (with the disease - remember, Danielle said that the others were the carriers) and that the protocol was enacted to keep the subjects/disease on the island (I know, I know, the major hole here is that if no one has ever left, why would Dharma worry about them getting off the island) or to keep some DI project going. To protect the project (which may or may not have worldwide catostrophic implications), Dharma (or the GHO) initiated the "numbers protocol" to run the security system that protects the project from the revolters (aka, others). This could also help to explain why the guns are needed - as the last line of defense against the others (again, I will get more into this later). A second, less attractive theory (to me) is that something happened with the electromagnetic energy on the island that somehow compromised the project and that the protocol somehow keeps things "normal". But, as we learn more about the disease (new information from the Hanso website) and the others, I tend to lose interest in this theory. Ok, back to the first theory. We know that there is a disease on the island. We also know that an incident occurred on the island. Given the information in the Hanso "cease and desist" document (aka, GHO letter) about a meningococcal disease outbreak in Zanzibar, to me it makes some sense that the original incident on our island was a either disease outbreak or that the disease carriers (others) broke out. This would also explain the "quarantine" label on both hatches - why would the DI care about, or even know about, a disease that started after the protocol was enacted, unless the disease was the incident (but does the quarantine sigh imply that the tailies hatch was also used after the incident?)? Then, once the protocol was enacted, the DI ended all studies on the island and essentially abandoned it, with the exception of the number pushers. Additionally, based on the GHO letter, action could be taken against Hanso for the outbreak in Zanzibar. Could the numbers protocol be mandated by the GHO? Could this also imply that the numbers protocol on our island is some sort of "intervention"? The army knife that Ana confiscated could indicate this. As far as the disease goes, the new information on the Hanso site states thatthis strain of the disease is particularly alarming in that it has successfully breached the simian-homo sapien barrier and appears to be mutating at a rate that demands immediate intervention(a new protocol?). This is very similar to the current threat of a new strain of flu that could make the jump from birds to humans - it would cause another global pandemic. Okay, now for some of my questions regarding the incident and protocol. When exactly did this incident occur? When exactly was the protocol enacted? What happens at the end of 540 days? No where in the video does it say how they are replaced. Again, why put an orientation film on the island if you were training the replacements before they went (i.e.; the replacements knew why they were going)? Wouldn't they already know this stuff? Unless Dharma pulled the old switch-a-roo - recruit them for some generic "scientific research mission" (sound familiar?), send them to the island and tell them to watch the video when they get there. I have always wondered if Danielle's team were the replacements. What if she went there under false pretences, crashed, never saw the video, and thus did not know about the protocol or any of the other crap on the island? She then unwittingly changed the broadcast and ended any hope of her replacements coming to the island. This could help explain Danielle's transmission to someone who she thought would know what was going on (I'll definitely get more into this).