The Lost Experience clues/July 5

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Rachel Blake's Italy Post 03

http://stophanso.rachelblake.com

The situation's taken yet another turn.

I followed Mittelwerk into town this morning, hoping this would be the moment of truth... that the world would finally lay eyes on the mysterious Enzo Valenzetti.

But it wasn't to be. Pretty soon, I realized we were heading elsewhere, and I have to admit, I was more than a little confused when we pulled into the parking lot of Sanremo Mercy Memorial Hospital (at least, I think that's the translation).

Mittelwerk went into the hospital - entered the Alvar Hanso Center for Advanced Medical Sciences (yeah, this is one of those HANSO HOSPITALS) along with a couple of his black-suited minions. A couple hours later, he came out. Shook hands with a nurse, let's call her Sophia, and left.

Nurse Sophia wouldn't talk to me. In fact, she tried to usher me out. But I think you know as well as I do. Everyone has their price. Listen to THIS.

Not sure what's worse... the fact Mittelwerk just had all the blood in his body replaced? Or, the fact that I'm not really all that surprised?

Of course, the question on everybody's lips (or the one that should be) is, "WHY WOULD HE DO THAT?"

It's a head-scratcher, I know.

And, while I haven't had too much time to wrap my brain around this one, as I see it, there are at least a few reasons why you might get an exchange transfusion:

1) You have a legitimate medical condition, like jaundice or sickle-cell anemia.

Let's assume this ISN'T the case for Mittelwerk.

2) You're a crazy health-nut who has unlimited funds and access to the world's more experimental life-extension technologies.

Not TOO far-fetched, considering, but still... I think there's more to it, like -

3) You have something inexplicably wrong with your blood, maybe not a disease per se, but... If you remember, ALVAR HANSO seems to have a problem with HIS BLOOD - could whatever it is be "going around" at The Hanso Foundation?

Now, while I kinda like this explanation, the writing on the wall points to this one, as well:

4) Along with an insane number of inoculations, you're preparing your body for some sort of hell-on-earth conditions.

Yeah. So, that's all I've got. If you've got other theories, I'd love to hear them... but...

Whatever the reason or reasons for Mittelwerk's little out-patient hospital visit, if we take a step back and examine all of this, it's pretty clear Mittelwerk is going to this island he referenced in that email (see Monday's post).

Now, why an island requiring six hundred injections and an exchange transfusion would be the desired location for this SPIDER PROTOCOL eludes me. But, I think I just heard the starter pistol.

I don't know if I can stop them.

If Nurse Sophia hasn't informed on me already, it's only a matter of time before she does. I've checked out of the hotel, and I'm duct-taping myself to Mittelwerk's every move.

We can't lose him again. GidgetGirl, if you know any more, NOW is the time to tell.

The rest of you, you know the drill. Post those comments!

Links

Rachel Blake's post links to a Channel 4 VodCast page where we should 'listen' to something. At the end of the video on that page Rachel Blake makes a brief appearance surrounded by static. the words 'Navigate to the Truth' appears as well as a 'reaching out for a better tomorrow' sign, and the URL to http://channel4.com/lost. Three different voices can be heard.

• It has been alleged in comments on Rachel's blog that she is mouthing "Help me" in this video.

Go to the Channel 4's Lost website to find an hidden link just below the "forum" link along the left margin. The direct link to the mp3 between Rachel and the Nurse is here.

DJ Dan

DJ Dan's new podcast is up. To access it you need to type (any letters) in the sublymonal banner ad at the top of the page, making the word "pyramids" appear. Once you've done that, the second image along the bottom of the page will change into a pyramid and you can click it to hear the new podcast. Or just get it here

During the podcast about cults, Dan takes a call from a man named Anthony who lost his grandmother in the 1960's. He states that:

• His grandma was a doctorate at the University of Michigan
• Joined a cult called The Karma Imperative (obviously mistaken for the DHARMA Initiative)
• Ventured to a location in the South Pacific Ocean, called "The Flame"
• Never returned
  • This fits what we know about Karen DeGroot, but there could be many Michigan grad students who joined early Dharma projects.

See Transcript for details.

Theories and oservations

• The blood-replacement procedure undergone by Mittelwerk sounds similar to a procedure (allegedly) undergone by Keith Richards in 1973 when he needed to quit a heroin addiction before a Rolling Stones tour. Was Mittelwerk trying to get some sort of drug (perhaps the life-extension treatments) out of his system?