Distress signal/Theories

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Theories about Distress signal

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Stated as questions or possibilities (avoid question marks, "Maybe", "I think", etc). More appropriate for another article. Illogical or previously disproven. Proven by canon source, and moved to main article. Speculative and lacking any evidence to support arguments. Responding to another theory (use discussion page instead). This does not include responses that can stand alone as its own theory. Usage of an indented bullet does not imply the statement is a response. See the Lostpedia theory policy for more details.

Calculations of the duration of Rousseau's transmission

• 30 seconds between iterations indicates that the signal started broadcasting on April 15, 1988.
• Assuming that Rousseau's transmission was terminated after 17,550,446 full iterations at exactly 12:00:00pm on December 23,2004 :
  • A duration of 30 seconds per iteration means that the transmission had a total duration of 16 standard years, 253 days, 21 hours, 43 minutes and was activated at 2:17:00pm on April 17, 1988.

Other Theories

• The numbers loop was the same transmission heard by Leonard Simms and Sam Toomey 16 years prior, presumably just before Rousseau changed the message.
• The threat Rousseau describes in the message is:
  • the Black smoke monster is the obvious conclusion, given events in "This Place Is Death".
  • The Whispers
  • The Polar bear
  • One or more of the Others
  • One of Rousseau's infected team members
    • Unlikely. She killed all her team in one foul swoop. It is only afterwards that she recorded the message.
  • An imaginary threat, the by-product of her possible mental instability or infection (Paranoia, hearing voices, etc.)
• The real question here is why she was able to change the transmission on the radio tower 4 years before DHARMA supposedly stopped using the thing, and why she was referring to Brennan in the present tense, when he was already dead at the time.
  • It's possible that DHARMA was restricted to only the area behind their sonic fence, and within the security of their hatches at this time, because of the actions of the Hostiles.
  • The Hostiles/Others cut off DHARMA from the radio tower before anything else; it was the first step in their plan to get DHARMA off their island by cutting off communications to the DI's allies.
    • I don't know why they'd do this, but DHARMA might have let Danielle continue broadcasting her message. maybe the radio tower was unimportant to them by this point in their research or maybe their research was taking a back seat to the conflict with the Others.
• Controlled by The Others possibly with the intent of luring others to the Island.
• The message is on a loop, with a male voice counting off the iterations between each playback. This is likely a mechanism put into place by DHARMA/The Others, rather than Rousseau herself. The purpose of the iteration count, beyond the obvious, is unknown.
  • The iteration count is to provide the outside world with a reference to the passage of time on the island, which may not be in sync with the rest of the world.
  • DHARMA may use the iterations to see how long it took the staff to figure out how to "Save the World"
• The second signal received by Hurley and Sayid on the beach may be a previously unheard part of the loop tape, or something newly added. The indication that "You must help us" may be in reference to The Others. Since Rousseau's entire team is dead (according to her), then they either did not receive help or fell victim to more of DHARMA/The Others' duplicity.
• The second signal could refer to the expedition to the Black Rock in the "Exodus" episodes with Arzt, Kate, Hurley, Jack and Locke. Danielle could have already known of the hatch, and wanted to get in there. The only help she could get was from the survivors.
  • This is obviously part of Danielle's story which she got confused. Montand lost his arm on the way to the Radio Tower. The French team must've discovered the Black Rock later and even later Danielle must've decided to return there during her recording of the distress call.
• In the transmissions she sometimes is saying simultaneously "Help us" and "They are all dead" creating confusion as to who she believes is dead. If all her team members were dead, she would be saying "Help me". Assuming that not all of her team members were dead at the time she changed the transmission, who is dead? It is reasonable that it is the people they were sent to help with the expedition.
  • "Us" may simply refer to Alex, whom Rousseau knew, or at least hoped, was still alive.
    • "Us" referred to Alex, as Rousseau stated she started sending the signal a few days before Alex was born.
      • "Us" implies she was still in possesion of Alex and this event may have ended with her abduction.
        • It is very likely since we see Rousseau is pregnant when she kills her crew, and we know she made the transmission soon after, that she is still pregnant when she makes the distress call. The "us" she is refering to is herself and her unborn baby.
          • Maybe Rousseau thinks she will find safety and shelter at the Black Rock, however she goes into labour on the way and so diverts back to her camp. It is there that in her weakened state that Ben arrives and takes her newborn.
• The DHARMA Initiative may have failed because the numbers were changed to a distress call.
• The Others have not changed the distress signal back to the numbers. Either they are unable to do this, or have no interest in doing it. Seeing that they apparently have communication with the outside world, they could be communicating the happenings on the island to their real world sponsors, and thus not need the tower any more, the message it is relaying being now unimportant.
  • The Others don't know about it, since it was controlled by DHARMA prior to the Purge.
    • Rousseau tells us herself that the Others took control of the Radio Tower and Dharma would certainly have changed the transmission back if they had access.
  • Changing the signal would have been pointless, since all signals leaving the island were being jammed by the White Rabbit station. Ben would not have bothered worrying about changing the signal back since he knew it would not be heard by anyone either way.
• The French woman in the transmission is not Rousseau. It is in fact a French-speaking DHARMA member who retreated, or was stationed at, the tower during the Purge. Brennan is likely another DHARMA member.
  • The French woman is clearly Rousseau. She makes reference to Brennan.
• It stands to reason that The Flame was capable of receiving the tower's signal, so the Others (or at least Mikhail) must have been aware of the altered transmission, and for some reason allowed it to continue. Either the Others were confident that the signal would not be received by the outside world, or they are unable to alter the signal.
  • Rousseau is an Other (though possibly not of Ben's faction, assuming such factions exist) using the transmission as cover to conceal her own agenda.
    • This is supported by the message being set less than 10 years ago theory (the purge took place after Bakunin's arrival to the island if he was not lying about that)
      • Rousseau is not an Other. We see her arrive on the island and later Charles Widmore orders Ben to kill her.
• Rousseau says 'il' when describing the threat, which in French can mean it or he. If she was one of the DHARMA (assuming she has lied about everything else she has said) then she may be referring to Ben initiating the Purge. This would also fit in with everyone being dead and she would be asking the DHARMA people off the Island to come and get her.
  • We know from "Cabin Fever" that the Purge occurred 12 years prior, 4 years after the distress signal began.
• By saying "it" she means the monster, as we saw in the "The Shape of Things to Come" how monster killed mercenaries, so we can say Rousseau and her group followed the signal and near the radio tower they attacked by monster.
  • We know know that Rousseau and her group encountered the Monster before this, however, it may've returned.
• Perhaps Brennan defected to The Others and then he started to pursue Rousseau
  • Brennan, Lacombe and Robert may've become 'Others' when they went into the Cerberus Vent, however by the time of the recording of the transmission Rousseau had already killed him.
• I believe that pretty soon we'll find out that when the oceanic six returned, they are in the past and Hurley ends up having to record the numbers on the transmission for Danielle and company to hear and follow to the Island.
  • Nope. Hurley doesn't go anywhere near the Radio Tower. Besides, why would he record the Numbers he is so afraid of?
• The keys are the keys to the Radio Tower. There is someone or something outside that Rousseau is afraid of and she wants to lock the door so he/it can't get in... however she cannot because the keys are missing.
• Brennan was dead by the time the recording was made. Rousseau didn't make the recording until after she killed Robert. Brennan died before Rousseau's lover. However Brennan still could've taken the keys before his death. It is only later after Rousseau has killed him that she realises that he took the keys. Whoever or whatever is outside is not Brennan.

v • d • e Theories about the science expedition Theories in general Crew Brennan • Montand • Nadine • Robert • Danielle Rousseau Items Rousseau's music box • Rousseau's maps and notes Events Distress signal

v • d • e Theories about Events Pre-crash events Basra incident • Collapsing deck accident • Tampa job Arrivals to the Island Theories in general Mid-air break-up • Sailing race • Science expedition • Naomi's arrival • Henry Gale's balloon Dreams and visions Theories in general Claire's dream • Desmond's flashes • Eko's dreams • Locke's dream Various Island events Distress signal • Nosebleeds • Pillar of smoke • The Whispers • WXR broadcast Others and DHARMA events The Discharge • The Incident • Lockdown incednt • The Purge • Push the button • Supply drop