Distress signal/Theories

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Main Article Theories about
Distress signal 		Main Discussion
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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
    • The Whispers
    • The Polar bear
    • One or more of the Others
    • One of Rousseau's infected team members
    • An imaginary threat, the by-product of her possible mental instability or infection (Paranoia, hearing voices, etc.)
  • 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.
  • 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" implies she was still in possesion of Alex and this event may have ended with her abduction.
    • "Us" referred to Alex, as Rousseau stated she started sending the signal a few days before Alex was born.
  • 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.
    • 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.
    • 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)
  • Rouseau 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 refering 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.
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