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Main Article Theories about
Orchid Orientation video
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Station Purpose[]

  • The Orchid is another station to use electromagnetism, as shown by the mention of the Casamir Effect [1] in the Orchid orientation film, which is the theory of electromagnetism manifesting itself as a force between conducting metals and dielectrics. This may be the source of the black smoke/Cerberus system.
  • Research into the Casimir effect [2] as mentioned in the film has led to theories that it could be used to "stabilize a wormhole to allow faster than light travel". The Island has unique electromagnetical properties that can be harnessed in this way and the purpose of the station is to explore this.
  • It is has also said that through the use of a perfect lens the "effect could be reversed causing small objects to be repelled rather than attracted". This is somehow related to how the Island cannot be found.

Orchid Orientation[]

Faulty video/machine theory

  • Comparing the earlier Orchid Orientation out-takes to this video, the out-takes look like aged and yellowed film, whereas the video appear whiter and cleaner. So the original shoot was on film, then the final edit was transferred to video tape. The fluctuations in sound are typical for an old tape and/or a VCR that has not been used is a while.
  • The movie starts to go backwards because the director/writers didn't want us to see the entire video so they made some technical problem with the tape as the excuse to end the segment.
    • The video simply had no more information on it the tape had ended. Or a part had been removed a little like the swan orientation video where part of it was missing. Because that part was missing the video had no more tape and so rewound like a normal tape would.
      • That is not the normal way a tape rewinds when it reaches the end of the tape. The video would go out and it would go into its "fast rewind". Instead it rewinds as if you were playing the tape and hit rewind, a "slow rewind".
        • The machine could just be faulty.
      • Faulty machine is supported by Locke pressing the buttons to get it to play again with no success.
        • The tape malfunction was caused by Halliwax's experiment. What we saw was all there is.
          • Ben was being facetious when he told Locke that the video would answer his questions. Ben has never answered Locke's questions about the island, but promising to is the primary way he motivates Locke to go along with his plans.
            • Really, Ben knew it would answer none of Locke's questions. He just wanted to get Locke to shut up while he worked.

Content of the video[]

We see Halliwax with his rabbit, number 15. The setting is similar, yet different from the earlier Orchid film out-takes. His female assistant has been replaced with a male technician seated at the controls. While the dialog is similar to the earlier film, there are differences. In the earlier film, Halliwax mentions how you (the new recruit) were not told the true nature of your work until now, "for the security of your family and friends".

  • In the outtake (film), an accident occurs and a duplicate of the rabbit appears on a shelf behind Halliwax before he gets an opportunity to place the original number 15 into the vault. Halliwax asks about the setting and someone replies, "minus twenty."
  • In the final (video tape), Locke never sees the result of the experiment because the tape goes into reverse search, possibly because an electronic signal caused the camera to place a signal to so on the tape.

Rabbits[]

The number 15 rabbit was supposed to be in the film, and he was going to demonstrate or talk about its relevance, but it was cut out of the film. Perhaps the rabbit was going to be a demonstration of what they actually do at the Orchid and how it can be acheived, they may have sent it through time, making it appear half way through the film. Sort of like in Back to The Future where Doc Brown puts his dog Einstein a minute in to the future just to explain the basic theory of time travel.

Misc[]

  • The shot of the man riding the bicycle is a reference to The Third Policeman, in which the scientist/philosopher DeSelby holds strange theories about the transfer of atoms between people and bicycles.
  • The orientation video Locke witnesses has been altered by the FDW magnet. The tape inside videos such as this are magnetic. When the vault began to operate, not only did it begin to send rabbit 15 back through time but caused the same effect to occur on the tape strip.
  • Chang is wearing a Swan logo as, although at the time of the Incident, the Orchid was further ahead with construction than the Swan, the actual incident caused them to rethink priorities and finish the Swan first in order to contain the electromagnetism.
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