Black Rock/Theories

From Lostpedia

The Black Rock's final resting place

Tsunami

• It is possible that the Black Rock could have landed there through a tidal wave or tsunami. It could have simply carried the ship there and dumped it in far into the Island. Such a huge Tsunami could have also wiped out any indigenous population at that time, and would also explain why the rest of the statue is missing.

The Monster

• Upon it's arrival, the Monster decided that the occupants of the Black Rock were all in needing of judgment, and it dragged the boat inland, towards The Temple.

The Island Moved

• The Island was moved previously some time during the 1800s and surfaced from the ocean in the area the Black Rock happened to be sailing in, marooning the boat on land in the middle of the island.

The Island Grew Around The Ship

• The Island is a volcanic island (perhaps made of lava with lots of ferrous metals, explaining its magneticivity), and the Rock shipwrecked on the volcano. Later (after a bit of time travelling, natürlisch) the volcano erupted, creating The Island with the ship on top.

Who was on board

Captives

We see the skeletons in chains during the Survivor's missions to the ship, The Black Rock was transporting slaves. The captives were criminals, en route from the U.K. to Australia.

Mirror to 815 & 316

If this is a repeating pattern as much evidence suggests, there may be parallels between members of the crew of the Black Rock and survivors of both airplanes, such as a pregnant woman, prisoner(s), someone physically handicapped, a medic, etc etc.

• This may also mean that Richard Alpert has taken on his role due to the events after his landing on the island (if he indeed was from the Black Rock), and may be replaced by someone (Jack or Locke?) once these events unfold as well. It's possible this scenario has repeated itself on the island countless times in different eras.

The fates of the people on board

All dead

• Dead, and some of them are still in there as seen in The Brig.
  • Miles will reveal their story.

Not all dead...

• Dead, but brought back to life in the form of apparitions like Christian Shephard. Richard is one of them (as evidenced by his clothes the first time he meets Ben).
• A group of survivors found the area, including the frozen wheel, that is now below the Orchid station, and somehow figured out its properties. They may have subsequently used it to escape and thus move the Island.
• Magnus Hanso managed survive and escape from the island. This would explained both why the journal of the ship is in position of the Hanso family and, most importantly, how Alvar Hanso came to know the existence of the island. This is the reason he financed the DHARMA Initiative, to search for the island.

Undead

• The crew realize that the island can heal their diseases, injuries and stop aging. So they decided to stay here. The island keeps them alive to protect itself from outsiders. At some point, however, someone discovered/left the island and ever since then, the Others - the original crew of the Black Rock, defectors from DHARMA, and then their off-island recruits have been protecting it.
• The crew members of The Black Rock found a kind of fountain of youth, which explains why Richard never ages.
• Jacob is the captain of the ship. The Others follows his orders, because he is still their commander. He somewhat "phased out" from reality becoming ghost. He is forever trapped in his cabin in jungle, where this anomaly takes place.
• Admiral Anderson MacCutcheon - We see Charles Widmore drinking MacCutcheon whiskey when he is interviewing Desmond and again when Ben breaks into his flat. When he is with Desmond, he explains that Admiral MacCutcheon was in the Navy and nobody won more medals before him or since. He said that at the end of his career, he retired to the islands. So perhaps, MacCutcheon captained the Black Rock and sailed it to the island. The information Widmore knows about MacCutcheon is just another part of his obsession with the island.

The Others

• The Others are the original crew from the Black Rock

Multiple voyages

The following is based on the premise that the Black Rock sailed more often than is currently reflected in the Lost mythos.

• First voyage
  • 1845: Black Rock leaves Portsmouth; it had to have some type of cargo; no captain wants to sail with an empty bottom.
  • 1845 - 1846?: Black Rock sails around Africa past the Cape of Good Hope
  • 1847?: Black Rock departs Papua New Guinea for England via Cape Horn. Prevailing winds made it easier for sailing ships to sail east to return to England from Australia and the vicinity.
  • 1848?: Black Rock returns to England
• Second voyage
  • 1848?: Black Rock departs England
  • 1848 - 1849?: Black Rock sails around Africa past the Cape of Good Hope
  • 1850?: Journal stolen
  • 1852: Journal found.
• Other voyages?
• Last voyage
  • 1867?: Black Rock departs England
  • 1868?: Black Rock is stranded on the Island
• Notes
  • "First" is the first with which we are concerned.
  • 1866: Dynamite invented.
  • 1867: Last shipment of convicts for Western Australia departs Portsmouth, England
  • 1868: Last shipment of convicts arrives in Western Australia
  • When "Transportation" of convicts to Australia was first authorized, the British government contracted with some shipping firms that had previously been involved in the slave trade. Transportees were not treated much betters than slaves had been.

Additional

• The Black Rock is the ship depicted in the mural of the Swan station.
• The Black Rock was seeking the Island on a myth quest, or to get someone back to the island, hence the dynamite and slave chains. They built or renovated the wheel chamber.
• It is very possible that the ship seen at the beginning of "The Incident" is The Black Rock