Barracks/Theories

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Theories about Barracks

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Theories may be removed if ...

Stated as questions or possibilities (avoid question marks, "Maybe", "I think", etc). More appropriate for another article. Illogical or previously disproven. Proven by canon source, and moved to main article. Speculative and lacking any evidence to support arguments. Responding to another theory (use discussion page instead). This does not include responses that can stand alone as its own theory. Usage of an indented bullet does not imply the statement is a response. See the Lostpedia theory policy for more details.

The content below was moved from the Barracks Theories page.

Name

• The barracks was nicknamed Pala, a reference to the utopian city in Aldous Huxley's novel Island. Pala Ferry is the port of entry
• The barracks is named Apollo, as all the station names are somehow related to the god.

Origin and Purpose

• After the Purge ended with the death of most of the DHARMA Initiative employees, the Others took over the barracks as their own home.
• The Others were here long before the Dharma Initiative arrived. The Others are descendants of 19th century Utopian socialists, who set sail for the "right" island over 100 years ago
  • Some, like Ben, have been there their entire lives... others (like Juliet) were recruited recently to achieve specific goals after the purge.
    • Ben wasn't there his whole life. He was brought there by his dad during his late childhood. He was born somewhere neer Portland.
  • Now the Others have taken over the DHARMA Initiative's agenda, with their own culture-centric spin to it.
• The barracks are also part of the DHARMA projects, as all houses are pretty much the same and there are no lock on the doors (we should mention B.F Skinner)

Also see: DHARMA Initiative/Theories

Access to the Barracks

• The Others may have access to another form of transportation to get to and from the Barracks; for example, the subterranean conduits mentioned on the blast door map and the DHARMA cabling map.
• When Dr. Mark Wickmund states the occupants of the Pearl should proceed to the Pala Ferry in order to be brought to the Barracks when their duty is over, it is possible this was done by the occupants boarding the Galaga and it going to the lake at the Barracks form there.

The submarine appears to dock at the Pala Ferry on the Island's coast, or in a smaller lake/wharf that The Others have in the Barracks. It likely travels through an underground channel to the coast. This explains the need for submarines, Ethan's comment about a bumpy last part(traveling through a channel isn't easy), and why, if the barracks is in a crater in the center of the Island, it wasn't a 2 day walk back to the coast. Also, it may be that DHARMA used to dock the Galaga at the Pala ferry dock, where a smaller submarine (maybe called the Pala) would take them to the Barracks. This also explains the Pearl's orientation film, where "you will return to the Pala ferry, which will take you back to the Barracks."

Location of the Barracks

• According to Ben's maps the barracks is just slightly south of the Pearl. Perhaps the reason the Pearl inhabitants must return to the Pala ferry is to give the illusion that the island is huge and that everything is far-flung.
  • Or it could be to maintain security integrity.
  • If the Pearl inhabitants crossed the island, they might have seen the pile of capsules they'd sent through the tubes.
• Comparison of the Blast Door Map to the DHARMA cabling map shows that the "?" area (previously thought to be The Pearl station) is actually the Barracks. Location in the center of the Island surrounded by mountains is consistent with the image on the Blast Door Map. Inability to explore the Barracks area due to the sonic fence would explain the "?" designation.
• The village described in the article, the village in which the DHARMA Initiative members lived, the village now inhabited by the Others, the village in the crater on the main island, the village described in the article on the barracks, is not the barracks at all. That village is on the main island. So is the Pala Ferry Dock. So is the Pearl Station. If one can drive a VW Bus from the Village to the Pearl, why would one have to take a ferry to get back? Perhaps...
  • The barracks is actually on the Hydra island.
    • Karl told Sawyer that they didn't live on Hydra island, that's just where they work.
  • People lived in the barracks during their three week tour of duty in the Pearl Station, so as to be removed from contact with the other members of the the DHARMA Initiative. Or...
  • People who worked in the Pearl Station were part of a different group, permanently separate from the rest of the members of the DHARMA Initiative. But at any rate, it makes no sense that the barracks and the DHARMA village would be one in the same.
    • That would explain why the Pearl logo has a reversed color scheme from other stations, and also the reason why it seems to be built from spare parts.

Purpose of the Barracks

• It seems like the "Sonic Fence" is not for keeping people out of the barracks, it was made to keep people trapped inside. Dharma also created "The Hostiles" to scare them. Remember the Dharma-branded theatrical glue. Similar to the movie "The Village".
  • This is also supported by the fact that the keypad which Juliet uses to switch the fence back on in "Left Behind" is on the Otherside from the Barrack, implying that the people who utilise it are on the outside.
    • The keypad is on the inside of the fence. Kate & Juliet are heading back to the Barracks when they are pursued by the Monster. But then it is possible that there are keypads on the outside under removable panels.

Food

• After Locke finishes a chicken from Ben's fridge, Ben places the scraps back in the fridge. There is special attention brought to this. Is it possible that the food drops to the Island have stopped (because of the explosion of The Flame and The Swan) and food is becoming scarce?
  • The Losties got ahold of the last DHARMA drop - it could be the Others weren't expecting that.
• Why does the DHARMA Initiative brand all its food (not to mention equipment and personnel?)
  • This could also be a production thing -Instead of having to go to every company to get liscences to use their product and pay royalties, they make their own.
    • Why not make up more brands, like they did with the Apollo Bars?
  • The DHARMA Initiative was a secret project, so if they had supplies of Herhey's chocolate, Kellogg's cereal, and other brand name foods sent to the island, it wouldn't so secret. Since they have their own brand of food, they don't have to explain to these big companies why they need all this food, which keeps it a secret.

Jack

• Jack was living in Colleen and Danny's old house after they died.
  • Why would there be cameras in their house?
    • They could have been installed just for Jack.