The Tempest was a DHARMA Initiative station that produced, stored, and distributed a deadly toxic gas. Its location was about a day's walk north of the survivors' beach camp on the western coast. It was used by the Hostiles during the Purge to annihilate the DHARMA Initiative on the Island. It was since disabled by Daniel and Charlotte.
History[]
DHARMA Initiative[]
Very little is known about the history of the Tempest, although it was built by the DHARMA Initiative some time between the early 1970s and 1977. ("Namaste") As the station's only apparent purpose appeared to be the manufacture and study of deadly gasses, it may be that the station was constructed in response to the escalating tensions between DHARMA and the Hostiles. ("The Other Woman") Kate described the station to the other survivors as a "poison gas factory." ("Ji Yeon") It also was potentially created to study the effects of toxic and nerve gases as apart of The Initiative's mission to save humanity, protect life, and the advancement of world peace.
The Others[]
The ongoing feud with the DHARMA Initiative reached a critical point when the Hostiles seized control of the Tempest and initiated the Purge. The release of toxic gas on an Island-wide scale killed over 40 members of the DHARMA Initiative. ("The Man Behind the Curtain")
Later, Goodwin was assigned to the Tempest and was treated by Juliet for a burn he sustained while working there. Goodwin claimed the station was a power plant, but Juliet recognized the injury as a chemical burn. While picnicking and swimming on a secluded beach, Goodwin confessed that with a flip of the wrong switch at the Tempest station, he could kill every "man, woman, and child" on the Island. ("The Other Woman")
Recent events[]
Day 95 (Season 4)[]
Daniel Faraday and Charlotte Lewis, two scientists from the Kahana, abruptly left the beach camp and headed for the Tempest without explanation. Suspicious, Jack, Juliet, and Kate followed. Juliet was the first to enter the station after the scientists and, believing their motives to be malicious, tried to stop them, leading to a scuffle with Charlotte. It ultimately became clear, however, that the scientists' purpose was to neutralize the toxic gas at the station, rather than use it themselves. Charlotte claimed that they did this to prevent Ben from using the gas to kill everyone on the Island. It seems likely that they were ordered to do this by Charles Widmore as one of their first steps upon arriving on the Island. ("The Other Woman")
Layout[]
The Tempest consisted of two levels: an upper level, featuring an entrance and main corridor leading to a catwalk; and the lower level chamber, containing the computer systems that controlled the station and several large metal tank like containers. Overall, the station appeared to be cleaner and in a better state of repair than most of the other DHARMA stations.
Entrance and corridor[]
The exterior of the Tempest appeared to be a large bunker-like structure set into the side of a mountain. A large blast door emblazoned with the station logo served as the main entrance - leading into a central corridor. The corridor was long and dark with flickering lights. Speakers were placed at intervals along the walls. The corridor opened onto a catwalk that overlooked the facility's lower level.
Computer systems[]
There were two computer systems on the lower level of the station. One system's monitor displayed an interactive process flow diagram with a pressure warning, while the other appeared to control various parts of the chemical process, allowing an operator to issue commands to change the temperature, open and shut valves and vents, etc.
The latter computer also displayed the names of chemicals, such as thionyl chloride, O-ethyl 2-diisopropylaminoethyl methylphosphonite, triethyl phosphite, arsenic trichloride, benzilic acid, and N,N-diisopropyl-2-aminoethane thiol. Some of these are precursors to the nerve agent VX. VX was banned by the UN in 1993, but would have still been accessible to the DHARMA Initiative in the 1970s.
Triethyl phosphite can be reacted in the Michaelis-Arbuzov reaction (with methyl iodide) to yield diethyl methylphosphonate (DEMP). This can then be reacted with thionyl chloride to yield methylphosphonic dichloride. This chemical is only two steps away from Sarin or Soman, two other nerve gases, differing from each other only by their alcohol groups. O-ethyl 2-diisopropylaminoethyl methylphosphonite is used in binary reactions to produce VX. This binary reaction was developed in the 1980s.
Benzilic acid is used to the production of 3-quinuclidinyl benzilate (BZ), an incapacitating agent. BZ's mechanism of toxicity is essentially the opposite of the nerve agents. Arsenic trichloride is used in the production of Lewisite, a world war 1 era blister agent.
The purpose of the station appeared to be the production of many different chemical weapons agents including Sarin, Soman, VX, BZ, and Lewisite. Goodwin may have been working with Lewisite at the time he sustained his chemical burn, as this agent in particular is known for causing severe chemical burns.
The computers seemed to each be different makes and models: one appeared to be a newer computer, while the other was an old Apple II similar to the computer found in the Swan.
Computer screen[]
- The first computer screen repeated the following text:
“ |
>:set valve 21B = close >:EC22 reset >:set valve 21B = off >:set vent C = open >:master caution reset >:telnet tmpst4 >:set n-p/hgd tank cooling = MAX >:set valve BC22 = open >:set valve BC (something) |
” |
- In the end, the code was the same to last "set valve BC22 = open", but it ended with
“ |
>:set valve BC22 = open >:master caution reset |
” |
Notable visitors[]
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Picture | Name | Episode | Reason for Visit | |||||
Goodwin | "The Other Woman" | Worked there, and at one point received a chemical burn while stationed there. | ||||||
Daniel | "The Other Woman" | Went to The Tempest with Charlotte. Donned hazmat suits to protect themselves from the gas, and disabled the gas when confronted by Juliet. | ||||||
Charlotte | "The Other Woman" | Went to The Tempest with Daniel. Donned hazmat suits to protect themselves from the gas, and disabled the gas when confronted by Juliet. | ||||||
Juliet | "The Other Woman" | Followed Daniel and Charlotte to stop them, under orders delivered by Harper. | ||||||
Jack | "The Other Woman" | Followed Daniel and Charlotte to stop them. | ||||||
Kate | "The Other Woman" | Followed Daniel and Charlotte to stop them. |
Trivia[]
General[]
- Producers Carlton Cuse and Damon Lindelof confirmed on the March 10, 2008 Official Lost Podcast that the Tempest was on the blast door map. They also confirmed it was a chemical weapons facility and was what the Hostiles used to gas the DHARMA Initiative in the Purge.
- The computer keyboards in this station were a modern design, at the very least an IBM/PC AT Enhanced model keyboard, having both arrow keys and a number pad. This style was first released in 1987, demonstrating that the equipment in this station was newer than the other stations that have been shown.
- "TEMPEST" is a US government codename for the concealment of compromising emanations in part through the use of Faraday cages to contain the electromagnetic radiation of entire buildings.
- When Jin visited the Flame station in 1977, the phrase "Tempest station" was barely visible on the computer monitors behind Radzinsky as he was getting up.
- The Tempest is the only DHARMA station to appear in exactly one episode of the series. All the other stations have at least two appearances.
Cultural references[]
- The Tempest is a play written by William Shakespeare, that tells the story of the sorcerer Prospero and his daughter Miranda, who are stranded on a mysterious desert island that has mystical properties. Prospero raises a storm, or tempest, which causes a passing ship containing his enemies to run aground. Using magic, spirits and a man-beast creature named Caliban, he separates and manipulate the survivors of the wreck for his own purposes. The play ends with Prospero restored to his former glory.
- Forbidden Planet is a classic sci-fi film based on Shakespeare's The Tempest. Its storyline features many similar themes to Lost: a mysterious location, geographic isolation, immense power sources, ancient civilizations, hidden underground facilities, an invisible monster, a stranded crew of explorers, lost scientific expeditions, and deadly psychic powers.
- David Fury mentions Forbidden Planet while discussing the Monster in an interview with Lostpedia:
“ |
Metaphorically, the Monster was just the great unknown threat, the imminent danger around the corner that potentially haunts us all… Some thought of it as a monster of the id, much like in Forbidden Planet-- that maybe it appeared differently to everyone who saw it. The most tangible thought, as explained later by Rousseau, was that it functioned as a security system set up by the Island’s creators/early residents... For Locke, clearly, the Monster was the "soul" of the Island that was responsible for his "miracle." |
” |
- The Tempest DHARMA logo was a huge wave which is symbolic of a catastrophic event, much like the Biblical story of the great flood. (The Other Woman-Enhanced)
Production notes[]
- Cooper Battery, a World War II coastal defense gun battery at Kualoa Ranch on Oahu, served as the entrance to the Tempest station. [1]
- The location used for the Tempest interior was actually an abandoned dairy factory.
Unanswered questions[]
Unanswered questions |
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- For fan theories about these unanswered questions, see: The Tempest/Theories
- What was DHARMA planning to do with the toxic gas?
- How was the gas released during the Purge?
- What work are they doing at the station?
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