Buried Treasure by Vincent Madison
Chapter 11
The Undiscovered Country
An island somewhere in the South Pacific - November 11th 1944
Jacob and Peter Black entered the base of the statue where Jacob lived. Jacob gestured to Peter to pull up a chair around the fire. He then picked something up from a shelf and brought it over to the fire. It was a rectangular metal box - about a foot long, five inches wide and six or seven inches tall. It was brown with a logo on the side - an i-ching logo with the mobius or infinity symbol in the center and the word DHARMA barely visible where the paint was faded. Jacob held it so Peter could see it clearly.
"Recognize this?" Jacob asked.
"Where did you get that?" Peter replied, looking surprised at seeing the box, but obviously knowing what it was.
"I found it." said Jacob.
"Where?" asked Peter.
"Beside the wheel." Jacob answered.
"You know what this means don't you?" Peter asked seriously.
"Well my friend - that depends doesn't it?" Jacob smiled.
"You know what I mean." Peter was getting agitated. "It's Widmore isn't it? He has figured out how to move things through space and time, and it's only a matter of time before he figures out how to move people - and you know what that will mean..."
Jacob smiled again, and walked around the fire.
"You know Peter, that you and I fundamentally disagree about that. While you think that Charles can change the future with his meddling, and you will do whatever you can to stop him, I believe that the future cannot be changed, no matter what you or Charles or anyone else does."
"I know you believe that Jacob, and I wish I could too, but I'm not willing to take the chance." Peter looked down. Jacob stopped and looked at Peter.
"It's not a matter of chance my friend - it's a matter of faith, and I'm afraid that yours is not strong enough." Peter looked up.
"What's in the box?" he asked.
Jacob opened the box and reached in. He pulled out a newspaper.
"A newspaper dated September 23rd 2008. So we know where and when it came from."
He reached in again and pulled out a smaller wooden box. He opened it and in were several kits of two injectors. He showed them to Peter. Peter opened one and read the labels.
"Do you know what these are?" Jacob asked.
"Yes." Peter replied. "They are anti-nerve agent injectors. Used when a nerve gas has been released. Widmore is trying to stop the Purge. Lucky you found these."
"Luck has nothing to do with it." Jacob stated.
"I don't understand why he sent these to 1944. What good would they be for the Purge which won't happen for almost fifty years?" Peter asked.
"You spend too much time questioning and not enough time understanding that what happens just happens." Jacob replied.
"You know, you can be annoying." Peter responded. "It's likely that either Widmore has not perfected the transfer, or something interfered with it."
"You do what you feel you must." Jacob told him.
"I will." Peter was firm. He took the vaccine and threw it in the fire. He took off the binoculars he was wearing and put them in the box. Jacob looked at him with a questioning look.
"It's to keep a balance. If you take something out, you have to put something of similar mass in, or who knows what will happen."
"Whatever you say." said Jacob, poking the fire.
"Now, let's bury this box." Peter closed it.
"Why don't you just destroy it?" Jacob asked.
"You can't just destroy things - you don't know how it will affect the timeline." Peter explained.
"But you destroyed the vaccine." Jacob pointed out.
"That's different." Peter stammered. "Not destroying it could have had a greater impact on the future."
"Again you spend too much time tinkering with things you don't understand." Jacob spoke softly.
"Let's head up to the Black Rock." Peter said. "I have to put the dynamite there. It will be needed in the future. If it's not there, the future will not happen the way it should. We can bury the box somewhere up there - maybe near the temple."
"OK." Jacob said. "I'll humor you." He picked up his walking stick. "Let's go."