Did Ben Plant The Wreckage?

[D-Roc]

Not a theory as such, more a speculation.

After watching The Economist last week and discovering that Ben has access to $3.2 Million Dollars (and probably much more), I'm beginning to wonder whether he didn't plant the fake Oceanic 815 wreckage in the Sundra Trench.

We know that he has the money and, the access (passports) and 'connections' (i.e. man-power) to the outside world to make such a feat possible. He also knew the manifest, thus duplicating the identities of those who were on board. All that leaves is the 'motive' - which also seems to be viable, since he more than anyone wouldn't want people finding the island, so it makes sense for him to plant a fake wreckage in an attempt to throw people off the scent. The end of The Economist also suggested that in the future he will continue to protect the island by going after those who are trying to find it (etc), and help Sayid to 'protect' his friends (possibly meaning those still on the island, or the Oceanic 6).

As I said, more speculation than theory at the moment. I'll see where this one takes me.

[D-Roc]

So, this looks to be highly possible

I'll update this for my own records soon, but I will say that I also think he could have faked the wreckage using replication (see the Casimir effect - ala his "this (rabbit) didn't have a number on it, did it?")

[monster-eats-pilot]

After 'Ji Yeon' I'm thinking maybe he did yes.

That's exactly what it is. Now here's the funny thing. This black box comes from Oceanic Flight 815. A salvage vessel recovered it from the bottom of the ocean. It took a considerable amount of Mr. Widmore's resources to procure it. It was found with the wreckage of the plane, along with all 324 dead passengers. (to Sayid) That's not the complete story, as you are well aware, Mr. Jarrah, given the fact that you're standing here, breathing. The wreckage was obviously staged. Now can you imagine what kind of resources and manpower go into pulling off a feat of that magnitude? Faking the recovery of a plane crash? Putting 324 families through a grieving process based on a lie? But what's even more disturbing... where exactly does one come across 324 dead bodies? And that, Mr. Jarrah, Mr. Hume, is just one of the many reasons we want Benjamin Linus.

[D-Roc]

I really need to update this thread after recent eventful episodes. I'll also reply to your post soon

[monster-eats-pilot]

Originally Posted by monster-eats-pilot

After 'Ji Yeon' I'm thinking maybe he did yes.

That's exactly what it is. Now here's the funny thing. This black box comes from Oceanic Flight 815. A salvage vessel recovered it from the bottom of the ocean. It took a considerable amount of Mr. Widmore's resources to procure it. It was found with the wreckage of the plane, along with all 324 dead passengers. (to Sayid) That's not the complete story, as you are well aware, Mr. Jarrah, given the fact that you're standing here, breathing. The wreckage was obviously staged. Now can you imagine what kind of resources and manpower go into pulling off a feat of that magnitude? Faking the recovery of a plane crash? Putting 324 families through a grieving process based on a lie? But what's even more disturbing... where exactly does one come across 324 dead bodies? And that, Mr. Jarrah, Mr. Hume, is just one of the many reasons we want Benjamin Linus.

I dont remember posting this

EDIT: oh wait yes I do I remember laughing at Mr Hume

[The_abbott]

Yes, yes he did. I can confirm he used some sunflower seeds combined with human DNA and planted them at the ocean bed and it grow to be a plane crash with dead people inside.

[D-Roc]

Originally Posted by monster-eats-pilot

After 'Ji Yeon' I'm thinking maybe he did yes.

That's exactly what it is. Now here's the funny thing. This black box comes from Oceanic Flight 815. A salvage vessel recovered it from the bottom of the ocean. It took a considerable amount of Mr. Widmore's resources to procure it. It was found with the wreckage of the plane, along with all 324 dead passengers. (to Sayid) That's not the complete story, as you are well aware, Mr. Jarrah, given the fact that you're standing here, breathing. The wreckage was obviously staged. Now can you imagine what kind of resources and manpower go into pulling off a feat of that magnitude? Faking the recovery of a plane crash? Putting 324 families through a grieving process based on a lie? But what's even more disturbing... where exactly does one come across 324 dead bodies? And that, Mr. Jarrah, Mr. Hume, is just one of the many reasons we want Benjamin Linus.

Nice quote

I realise you've changed your mind since, but I still think that Ben may have planted the wreckage. Or to be more precise, i'm thinking that he 'magic-boxed' a duplicate. It's been said by Ben himself that the magic box allows 'anything you imagine' to appear. We can also assume that utilising this ability was one of Dharma's vested interests on the island - as we see they somehow managed to get a Polar Bear to the Tunisian dessert - was it also 'magic-boxed' there. Is using the 'magic-box' a way to not be 'enslaved by time and space'?

It would seem likely from my POV, as it could also explain Tom's comment about 'some of them' being able to come and go from the island? Did we have a 'duplicate' Tom existing and indulging in the 'real world' via the means of the islands 'magic box'? Unlikely, but possible imo.

Regardless of the Tom and Polar bear business, I do believe that it *is* possible for the island (and those with a deep enough connection with the island) to replicate or duplicate things. i would even go as far as to say that this ability is not giverned by time and space - which means that such duplications can appear anywhere in the world - perhaps being sent to a specific destination, or perhaps random. Eitherway, i think that time and space is not King when up agains the islands box of tricks.

I guess Ben also has to have a 'motive' to duplicate (or whathaveyou) the wreckage - I'm think that he has just as much motive as Widmore has in not wanting anyone 'else' to find the island. By resolving the worlds interesting in the missing airliner, Ben might have thought that this would stop the pursuits of those who 'believed' that the airliner wasn't 'missing'...but 'Lost' (on 'the' island).

I'm thinking th the documents Tom gave Michael are faked - they didn't exactly look convincing..neither is the idea that Widmore purchased 300 odd dead Thai bodies and dropped them at the bottom of the sea. How did he know that no-one would retrieve those bodies? Decomposed or not, people would demand that their loved ones were retrieved.

Incidently, another possible clue that Ben duplicated the wreckage by means of 'hocus-pocus' (Cazimir effect?) is the fact that Colleen was buried at 'sea' - could Ben be the one who symbolically buried all of the 815'ers at 'sea'. It's actually quite an eerie thought..that the Losties are dead (their duplicated selves)..yet alive. Reminds me VERY much of Charlie's comment to Hurley in The Beginning of The End:

"I am dead...but i'm also here.."