C3 - Othersville - Security Office

[Hollywood Heidi]

Security Office

Beneath the building east of the Welcome Center is an underground bunker-like security office. Access to the Security Office was restricted to authorized personnel only. A large bank of eight monitors provide live security feeds from various areas of the Barracks including the sonar fence. During tne DHARMA Initiative days, a security guard made a joke about the polar bears escaping their cages, hinting that other stations could be monitored from this location.

An adjacent room contains a jail cell (which was used briefly to hold Sayid in 1977). The room contained a security camera which apparently had picture, but no sound.

Location found in box C3 below:

Each box is 3 miles by 3 miles. It takes an hour to walk 3 miles. But also keep in mind that hiking (like that really steep hill to get to higher ground) will take a heck of a lot longer and that if you're running (like from some jungle thing), that you'll get somewhere faster.

[Hollywood Heidi]

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Day 12

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[Ariel]

Bennett stared up at the ceiling, wide awake. He felt that he should be considering himself lucky that he got to rest in an actual bed tonight instead of in a tent filled with sand and rocks, though he wished that Ben would have allowed him to sleep in the comfort of his own home tonight instead of the cell that he had got thrown in. Bennett knew that his actions had lead him to this point and that he probably deserved it. But he couldn't just sit back like everybody else and just let things happen because it's what Jacob wants. Was Jacob even real? Or was he a phony, and Ben was simply the crooked Wizard of Oz? Bennett felt like he would never know. He wished sometimes that he could run away from this life and start his own. But being surrounded by hundreds of thousands of miles of water surrounding the island, there was no where to run. For now, Bennett would accept his punishment for the night while he had a warm blanket to sleep with and a roof over his head. Somewhat, to say the least. Little did he know that the very thing he warned his leader about was being ordered to take place tonight, and there was nothing he could do to change their minds.

[Kristi Lynne]

Clutching a tray that held a plate with a sandwich and a plastic glass of soda, Juliet approached the bars of Bennett's overnight suite. She pushed it through the cutout in the bars and held it out for him. "Hey, I brought you some dinner," she offered. "Grilled cheese. Even I can't mess that up. Believe it or not, I was a once a teenager, too. Got sent to my room without dinner quite a few times." 

Juliet regarded the young man with a sympathetic head tilt. So much pressure being put on him, so much information being kept from him, from everyone. "You should eat. Don't give Ben the satisfaction of just sitting here sulking."

[Ariel]

"Hey, I brought you some dinner,""Grilled cheese. Even I can't mess that up. Believe it or not, I was a once a teenager, too. Got sent to my room without dinner quite a few times."

Bennett allowed a slight snicker to escape from underneath his frown at Juliet's words as his eyes continued to study the ceiling of the cell. Bennett knew that Juliet's heart was in the right place, no matter what Ben's orders may be for her. However, Bennett couldn't help but to feel uncomfortable with how normal Juliet was making this out to be - he knew that this was far from a young boy being sent to his room.

"You should eat. Don't give Ben the satisfaction of just sitting here sulking."

Bennett knew that Juliet would persist, and as much as he wanted to stick to his guns he fell weak to the grilled cheese that Juliet had somehow always made to perfection. Heaving a sigh of frustration, Bennett peeled himself from the top of the bed and slunk over to the bars where the tray resided in the cutout.

"Let's not pretend here," Bennett paused at the cutout as he grabbed onto the tray, peering up at Juliet as he talked lowly, "I might be the one in the cell tonight, but you're just as much of a prisoner here as I am, Juliet."

[Kristi Lynne]

"Let's not pretend here. I might be the one in the cell tonight, but you're just as much of a prisoner here as I am, Juliet."


"Well, at least my cell has indoor plumbing and a stellar sound system," she retorted, the sarcasm masking the acknowledgement that he was right. The island was a prison in many ways, cutting her off from the family that she now knew was waiting back home, and Ben so tightly held the keys to this scenic cell. Once Bennett had the tray firmly in his own hands, Juliet took a few steps back and crossed her arms.

"The fact is I chose to come here because I believed in the work. I believed in Ben," she continued, "and he believed in me. Certainly more than my ex-husband did. I know you didn't have that choice, but you have a choice now. To prove yourself to Ben. He needs to know that he can trust you."  

[Ariel]

"The fact is I chose to come here because I believed in the work. I believed in Ben,"  "and he believed in me. Certainly more than my ex-husband did. I know you didn't have that choice, but you have a choice now. To prove yourself to Ben. He needs to know that he can trust you."

The last thing Bennett wanted to do was challenge a good friend on a very personal level. Withdrawing slightly, he retreated to the bed against the cell wall and perched on the edge as he listened to Juliet's words. Staring a hole into his grilled cheese sandwich, he grimaced as she spoke of how she believed in their leader who clearly had some major faults in his decision making. Especially since the plane crashed full of survivors.

"I don't think I do have much of a choice, Juliet. I never did. I was...born into this life. This idea that every decision that's made, leader that is appointed, every rhyme and reason to this place is what Jacob wants. A powerful leader we should fear and respect, yet we've never seen. We just take Ben's word and trust it to be true...and the older I get, the more insane it sounds." Bennett couldn't take the hunger anymore, and although still agitated he took a bite and began to seek slight comfort in the morsel of gooey cheese. 

[Kristi Lynne]

"...This idea that every decision that's made, leader that is appointed, every rhyme and reason to this place is what Jacob wants. A powerful leader we should fear and respect, yet we've never seen. We just take Ben's word and trust it to be true...and the older I get, the more insane it sounds."

"And I'm sure the ancient Egyptian gods, Jehovah, the prophet Muhammad, Buddha all sounded insane at some point," Juliet countered, "but millions of people believed in them, and still do. It gave them a purpose beyond themselves." She sighed and approached the bars again, content that at least Bennett had agreed to accept the offered sandwich. 

"Ben won't be the leader forever, Bennett," she stated plainly. Of course, it was meant in the general sense, not in the sense that Ben had a cancerous tumor on his spine that was a ticking clock. "You need to be smart and play the long game. Alex is already starting to rebel against Ben, while your father is one of the most trusted people in his inner circle. So while you're sitting here with nothing better to do, think about how the people on that plane are not a threat but an opportunity." 

[Ariel]

"Ben won't be the leader forever, Bennett," "You need to be smart and play the long game. Alex is already starting to rebel against Ben, while your father is one of the most trusted people in his inner circle. So while you're sitting here with nothing better to do, think about how the people on that plane are not a threat but an opportunity."



Finishing off the sandwich, Bennett looked down at the empty plate before tossing the plate and tray to the side of him on the bed. He hated it when Juliet was right, but she usually knew what to say to make Bennett see the other side of the fence. Shuffling where he sat on the bed for a slightly more comfortable angle, Bennett finally looked up at Juliet again who was still peering right at him with that priceless look of hers that he'd seen multiple times during many of their talks, "Doesn't the deception that goes on in this place scare you sometimes? I've seen so much of it growing up, sometimes I just wonder what's really the truth and whats a lie. If my life is nothing but a....," Bennett looked away from Juliet, his twinge of anguish faced off the side to the wall as he diverted eye contact, "...Nevermind. It's stupid...You're right." Giving in at last, Bennett buckled down in his defeat. Sometimes Bennett felt so out of tune with the rest of his people, he often wondered if there was much more to his path in life other than being a pawn in a game.

[Kristi Lynne]

"Doesn't the deception that goes on in this place scare you sometimes? ...Nevermind. It's stupid...You're right."


"I usually am," Juliet retorted. Though she could only imagine how difficult it was to be in his situation. Not just the usual pangs of adolescence, but the added stress of being a double agent. "The truth is always the truth, Bennett. It's just some people aren't ready to hear it yet. You've been away from your family for over a week, away from everything that you know, and pretending to be someone that you're not. That takes a toll. But you're doing a great job. Claire and her baby are healthy, and that's thanks to you," she tried to assure him.

[Ariel]

"The truth is always the truth, Bennett. It's just some people aren't ready to hear it yet. You've been away from your family for over a week, away from everything that you know, and pretending to be someone that you're not. That takes a toll. But you're doing a great job. Claire and her baby are healthy, and that's thanks to you,"

Whether Bennett believed in the so-called 'truth' that Juliet defended Ben over or not, she was right. He had to take the pause button off and continue to play the game. He had to find a way to get a handle on his emotions before he blew the entire operation. But he couldn't help but to feel utterly exhausted from playing pretend.

"So what's next, then? We can only collect samples for so long before someone catches us, or if she survives having the baby," Bennett sighed in his surrender to the game before he inquired more of what was next to come from Juliet.

[Kristi Lynne]

"So what's next, then? We can only collect samples for so long before someone catches us, or if she survives having the baby."

"Well, that's up to Ben," she answered with a sigh. "But Claire definitely needs to be in a stable, sterile environment to ensure a healthy delivery, for her and the baby. We have a couple of weeks before the situation becomes critical. I'm sure Ethan has a plan to deliver her safely to the nearest medical facility, even if he hasn't been forthcoming about it," she added with a weak smile. As if any of them were being completely honest with each other. 

"I'll let you get some sleep. Be careful on your way back tomorrow," she advised. "G'night, Bennett." With that, she backed away from the bars again and headed toward the stairs to the outside.


*** Juliet leaves for elsewhere ***

[Ariel]

"But Claire definitely needs to be in a stable, sterile environment to ensure a healthy delivery, for her and the baby. We have a couple of weeks before the situation becomes critical. I'm sure Ethan has a plan to deliver her safely to the nearest medical facility, even if he hasn't been forthcoming about it,"

Listening, Bennett's eyes grew slightly larger as he gave his full attention to Juliet. Ethan hadn't included him much in regards to the extent of the plan, Bennett felt partly because Ethan wanted to keep their alibis as authentic and believable as possible. But a part of Bennett also felt excluded and distrusted, which led to confusion and anger. Yet if what Juliet was saying was true, this might mean that Bennett may finally have figured out the deadline to this job. 

"I'll let you get some sleep. Be careful on your way back tomorrow,""G'night, Bennett."

"Good night, Juliet." Bennett was still clouded in his train of thoughts and questions as Juliet exited the room. Laying his head back down on the pillow, he knew he had to try to get answers and talk to Ethan once he returned back to the camp.

***

[Hollywood Heidi]

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Day 13

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[Ariel]

Confusion washed over Bennett as he slowly slipped back into consciousness from his slumber. Eyes still closed, his hands slid forward to meet a blanket that had half slipped off of him in his sleep. Clearly he was in a bed...but was it his bed? Had it all been just a dream? Was he still just 'Bennett Friendly' and life would go on as normal? Fluttering his eyes open, Bennett decided to rip the band-aid of hope off to reveal...bars. He was in a cell. And his nightmare was still a reality. Bennett groaned in frustration, and rolling over he hoped to catch some more of a rest before they came to retrieve him.

[Ariel]

Harley's eyes flashed open as the burlap bag was ripped off of her head. Gasping out of fright, her gaze spun around the room as she tried to make sense of where she was. Let alone make sense of what the hell who these people were and what this place was. Another burlap bag was removed from one other in the room, and Harley heaved a sigh of relief as Vivian was revealed. "Vivian," Harley uttered breathlessly as the two girls were forced forward. Ever since their prison break attempt from what looked like a recreational room, they had been separated and interrogated before being left alone for the remainder of the sleepless night. Harley had been worried sick about Vivian and had only hoped she had survived the night. God only know what kind of crazy things these strangers were capable of. The metal cell door creaked as it opened, and Harley and Vivan were thrusted forward. Both girls landed on their hands and knees as the cell door behind them slammed shut.

"Vivan!" Harley crawled over to the other girl and threw her arms around her in a tight embrace, unaware of the boy on the cell bed looking down at them, completely motionless and shell shocked. 

[Ariel]

The sound of the security office door opening peaked Bennett's attention as he raised his head to get a good view of who had entered the room. His gaze froze with immediate horror as he noticed two friends of his father's wrestling to drag in two people with burlap sacks over their heads who appeared to be putting up a slight fight. His heart dropped just as fast as his jaw hit the floor when the sacks were removed to reveal two women who looked like they had been kidnapped. Oh shit, Bennett thought to himself as the pieces of the puzzle made sense, They brought them here.

We're done for.

Before Bennett could spout frustration or anger, he was jolted upright on the bed as the girls were thrusted forward and into his cell. Bennett's eyes of shock looked from the girls on the ground of the cell and back up to the cell door closing behind the men. 

"Vivan!"

Bennett hadn't the slightest clue of what to do, what to say. He just stared intensely at the girls shivering with fear in what appeared to be a bittersweet reunion between them as he thought about his next move. His gaze had glazed over, and the next thing he knew the two girls were staring at him with confusion washed on their faces.

"Who are you?! What is this place?!" 

Bennett's gaze still remained unmoved as he looked upon the red heads with a shallow glare, "I'm in the same boat as you. As for this place?..." Before Bennett could carry on with some sort of fabrication, the security office door appeared to open once more.

[Kristi Lynne]

Sunrise meant that the prisoner had served his sentence and was now free to go, according to Ben, so Juliet had gathered some supplies and gone to the security office to tell Bennett it was time for him to head back to the beach. But she hadn't been informed of the new occupants to his cell. She hung back, wondering how the young man would react.

"Who are you?! What is this place?!"

"I'm in the same boat as you. As for this place?..."

Bennett had enough lies and half-truths in his head for the moment, so she decided to spare him another one. "Get up, you're being moved," Juliet said harshly to him, as she unlocked the cell door. She said nothing to the women and barely looked at them; they weren't her problem.

Once she and Bennett were out of eye and earshot, she reverted to her sympathetic self. "Sorry, the less they know about you, the better," she tried to explain. "You should be getting back to the beach before they miss you." She handed him a small bag. "Claire's iron levels were low in the last round of samples. She'll need a supplement to whatever diet she's getting. This is a powder you can mix in her food or drink. It's tasteless so she shouldn't notice it. Remember, the health of Claire and her baby are our top priority."

[Ariel]

"Get up, you're being moved,"

Bennett winced slightly as Juliet snapped at him sharply, and for a moment he wasn't sure if she was serious or if her performance skills had peaked to perfection. He had a million things he wanted to say to these girls, run, was the main theme he had in mind. Bennett thought that if he painted his people as the 'bad guys' then perhaps they'd make a break for it and think twice about disturbing their settled way of life. Alas, Juliet was here to break things up before he could fabricate anything further and shed one last glance of sympathy to the young girls before pulling himself to his feet with hesitation as he followed Juliet's acting lead until they were out of sight and mind of the prisoners.


"Sorry, the less they know about you, the better,""You should be getting back to the beach before they miss you.""Claire's iron levels were low in the last round of samples. She'll need a supplement to whatever diet she's getting. This is a powder you can mix in her food or drink. It's tasteless so she shouldn't notice it. Remember, the health of Claire and her baby are our top priority."

Bennett scowled slightly, but kept his mouth shut and his opinions to himself. Juliet was already well aware of how Bennett felt about these strangers being brought into their home, and he knew that she was simply following orders just the same as himself and everyone else. "I know," Bennett affirmed that he more than understood his role with a slightly bitter undertone escaping through his speech as he grabbed the bag from Juliet, "Sorry," Bennett apologized, shaking his head as he softened his demeanor towards his friend, "It's just, I have a bad feeling about this...all of this. If the rest of their people find us, if anything goes sideways..."

[Kristi Lynne]

"I know. Sorry, it's just, I have a bad feeling about this...all of this. If the rest of their people find us, if anything goes sideways..."

"--Then it will be handled by Ben," she assured him. Any complaints she might have about their leader, and she had quite a few, still she could not deny that Ben had an uncanny knack for being at least two or three steps ahead of his opponent. Even those who were unaware that they were his opponent. "You are where he needs you to be. I understand you want to keep your distance, but you need to get closer to them. To Claire and to the doctor, Jack. Remember, they can be opportunities," Juliet advised. "They don't have to be enemies."

[Ariel]

"You are where he needs you to be. I understand you want to keep your distance, but you need to get closer to them. To Claire and to the doctor, Jack. Remember, they can be opportunities,""They don't have to be enemies."

As much as it took everything within him to comply in agreement with Juliet's statement, Bennett nodded. He truly hoped that at the end of the day, all of this would matter. That there really was a Jacob and that this was all for a greater good that would come to light someday. That their leader wasn't playing them like the Wizard of Oz.

"Those girls, what are you going to do with them?" Bennett asked as he motioned his head back towards the Security Office door. It wasn't a matter of concern for the girls' well being but for the well being of their people, and even for Juliet. He knew that he would have to go back to the beach and ignore the worries and anxiety, yet he knew that would be a difficult talk within itself.

[Kristi Lynne]

"Those girls, what are you going to do with them?"

"They'll be well taken care of," Juliet replied. "It's much safer for them here than it is out there." She wondered if that was completely true, given they had already demonstrated their desire to be non-compliant. "Now you should go." Her arms crossed in a posture that she had hoped conveyed that question time was over. 

[DarkSideCookie]

*** Ben enters in the distance ***

Ben didn't actually see more in Bennett than the rebellious teenager he obviously was, but as his role was one of the most important, Ben simply couldn't afford to act carelessly. Sure, Juliet had been tasked to send Bennett back to the beach after he had spent one night in a disciplinary measure, but Juliet was coddling the boy way too much. Sometimes he feared that she could be too talkative also.

"They'll be well taken care of,""It's much safer for them here than it is out there.""Now you should go."

"You've heard her.", Ben suddenly broke into their conversation as he approached them from behind. "So, any more questions? No?", he added with his beady eyes fixated on Bennett and almost like someone who genuinely asked for it but then answered himself before the boy could have. "Then I suggest you leave before they start wondering where you are."

[Ariel]

"You've heard her."

Bennett jumped slightly at the sharp tone of his leader, and turned around to bring him into sight. It was curious to Bennett that Ben would be slinking around these parts, so close to the unfolding scene. Usually, he was the Wizard Of Oz behind the velvet curtain, too preoccupied with pulling the strings and making the mystics happen. A sick feeling entered the pit of Bennett's stomach once more, realizing the arrival of these intruders must mean a lot more than he could possibly begin to know.

"So, any more questions? No?""Then I suggest you leave before they start wondering where you are."

Silence filled the air as Bennett's cautious gaze shifted from Ben to Juliet, and then back to Ben. With a single nod, Bennett finally tore himself away as he turned his back onto Ben and Juliet and began to head into the Jungle. He could still feel the uncomfortable feeling of the beady eyes of his leader digging into his back like claws. Ben might have a grip on Bennett now, but would it be the same story when he was to return again? Would his home ever be the same after tonight? These thoughts circled through his brain as he made his way back to the camp, reinstating his objectives of keeping close to Claire and getting closer to the Doctor.


*** Bennett exits *** 

[Kristi Lynne]

"You've heard her. So, any more questions? No? Then I suggest you leave before they start wondering where you are."

Ben's sudden words and appearance took her by surprise. Like she'd thought before, always two or three steps ahead. But she couldn't imagine he was in any hurry to reveal himself to their new guests. She regretted that Bennett received such a hostile dismissal before he left, but the boy had his orders. And the sooner he fulfilled them, the sooner he could come home.

"So this is the punishment for asking questions? A night in jail?" Juliet asked, moving far enough away that her words would be heard by the girls. "He's a teenager, Ben. It's what they do. And he's worried about what's going to happen to this place. He cares about his home, his family." 

[DarkSideCookie]

As soon as Bennett was out of eyesight, Ben suddenly let off that rigid look on his face and replaced it with something that could have been passed for a warm smile even, with which he finally turned towards Juliet.

"So this is the punishment for asking questions? A night in jail?" He followed her steps away from the girls. "He's a teenager, Ben. It's what they do. And he's worried about what's going to happen to this place. He cares about his home, his family."

"Not for asking questions.", he corrected, a little bit more strict again. "But to make sure it keeps to only questions. teenagers", Ben spoke in a way that turned this whole conversation into kind of ridicule - as if they were a married couple arguing about their different handling in educational methods regarding their teenage son. Deep inwardly, he liked that picture though. Not so much because of the teenage kid part, of course. Ben had already enough trouble with Alex, so he surely didn't need any more of that. "tend to be rebellious.", he finally finished his sentence.

[Lady Lee-o]

The escape didn't go as planned and Vivian found herself in a great deal of trouble. Separated from Harley and void of any sight, a sack being placed on her head. She knew from this moment on she had to be careful, but firm- she had to make it home back to her family. They were being moved to some room and instinctually she struggled against them. The sack removed she took in the room around her, glad to see Harley was still with her. "Vivian!" She smiled when she felt Harley hug her tight.

"I'm okay," She put on a brave smiled before it faltered when she saw the strange man before them.

"Who are you?! What is this place?!"

"I'm in the same boat as you. As for this place?..." He didn't get a chance to go on but Vivian had a hard time believing him. At least until the woman behind them spoke.

"Get up, you're being moved," And soon everyone was gone and they were alone.

[Kristi Lynne]

"Not for asking questions. But to make sure it keeps to only questions. Teenagers...tend to be rebellious."

Juliet crossed her arms over her chest and asked pointedly, "Are we still talking about Bennett?" If Ben had an Achilles' heel, it was his adopted daughter Alex. She was growing, maturing, getting too close to a boy, Karl, for Ben's liking. The more he tried to control her, the more she pulled away. And Juliet knew that terrified their leader.

"Anyway, he's on his way back to the beach. He'll do what he has to, to keep Claire healthy and safe," she advised. "But we have more pressing issues. Why are those women here and not with the other survivors?" she asked, gesturing with a nod back toward the cell.

[DarkSideCookie]

"Are we still talking about Bennett?"

Ben gave her a displeased look all of a sudden. Yet, at the same time, it was obvious that he was trying to cover it up with an ironic smile to not show off that she'd found his Achilles' heel indeed. On the other hand, it probably was exactly this astuteness of her that he liked so much about Juliet. She seemed to be one of the few persons that were not at all afraid of him or at least good at hiding it. Sometimes Ben really wished he was able to get a look inside her head.

"Anyway, he's on his way back to the beach. He'll do what he has to, to keep Claire healthy and safe,""But we have more pressing issues. Why are those women here and not with the other survivors?"

Ben wasn't even following her nod toward the cell, before launching into a quick answer, one that sounded like kind of a counterattack. "Have we finished talking about the boy? Then I suggest we go back to our jobs - all of us."

Usually, her minding his business wasn't bothering him that much, but since he knew exactly what kind of business it was that Juliet had aimed at with her comment before, he'd decided to declare their meeting closed ahead of schedule.

[Kristi Lynne]

"Have we finished talking about the boy? Then I suggest we go back to our jobs - all of us."

Once again, it was tough to tell anything from the look on Ben's face, but the caution in his words was clear. And it was too early in the day for Juliet to push her luck. Their new guests would be someone else's problem. "Fine," she agreed. "I'll be in the infirmary if you need me." She walked toward the exit and out of the security office.

*** Juliet leaves ***