The fail-safe was a mechanism in the Swan which, when triggered by the turn of a key, would terminate the electromagnetic anomaly. The switch was located in a large crawlspace beneath the station accessible by one of a number of grates in teh floor. Kelvin, drunk and looking for an escape from pushing the button, revealed the fail-safe to Desmond, saying that it was the only other way out, and that turning the key would make it "all go away". ("Live Together, Die Alone, Part 1")
Key
The fail-safe key on Kelvin's neck
On the day of the system failure that coincided with the crash of Flight 815, Desmond acquired the fail-safe key by ripping it off of Kelvin's neck, after having accidentally killed him. The key had the Swan's logo on it, and Desmond kept it inside his copy of Our Mutual Friend. It is unknown to what degree most members of the DHARMA Initiative knew about the fail-safe key or the mechanism itself. So far, only Kelvin and Desmond are known to have had knowledge of either.
Activation
After Locke caused another system failure by destroying the computer and preventing the Numbers from being entered, Desmond retrieved the key from his book and triggered the fail-safe mechanism, finally terminating the electromagnetic system.
Desmond turning the failsafe key under the Swan station.
Following this action were the events of the discharge, including the implosion of the Swan station, the sky turning purple, and Desmond becoming unstuck in time.
An unofficial, common fan-made fail-safe key replica, a large number of which were once sold on eBay
Cultural references
Fail-Safe is a 1964 film directed by Sidney Lumet about a fictional Cold War nuclear crisis, and the US President's attempt to end it. The catch line on the original movie poster reads, "'Fail Safe' will have you standing on the brink of eternity!" [1]
See also
Unanswered questions
| Unanswered questions |
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- For fan theories about these unanswered questions, see: Fail-safe/Theories
- Why didn't Desmond use the fail-safe when the computer was damaged in "Orientation"?
- Have any of the Island's unique properties been affected by the fail-safe?
- What would have happened if the key had not been turned?
- Why did the island react similarly when Desmond turned the key and when Ben turned the frozen wheel?
- Did DHARMA intentionally design the Swan to implode upon activation of the fail-safe (The caution notice on the fail-safe only said "SYSTEM TERMINATION")?
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