Execute!

[grhawi]

Isn't it just too obvious that pressing the "execute" button is a way to control the security system?

I think so.

So what does the "execute" button do?

Please feel free to speculate.

[Enigma-X]

If you look closely he only types in numbers then execute.

[Lost_Mommy]

yes, but what does it do? I don't remember the monster/security system running around while Jack and locke were wireing up the dynomite, which would be about the time he hit the execute button, so what did it do??

[NYLostFan]

If it was the security code to the security system...wouldn't it have gone off when they blew the hatch?

I mean there would have been something that went off to let him know the security system had been breached right?

[artynmay]

yeah but after he pressed Execute, he washed up, did his exercise, there was at least 3 different scenes of that, had a shower, made some kind of shake, it wasnt in real time so he might have pressed Execute when locke was being dragged into the hole

[NYLostFan]

yeah but after he pressed Execute, he washed up, did his exercise, there was at least 3 different scenes of that, had a shower, made some kind of shake, it wasnt in real time so he might have pressed Execute when locke was being dragged into the hole

I see your point...just seems kind of silly to get up and turn ON your security system....I get up and turn mine OFF . Maybe that's why it didn't go off when they blew the hatch...he had dissarmed it?

[pftsobfreak]

^ ^ Right, maybe "execute" triggered the whole thing to grab Locke and all that stuff.

[andrew]

maybe the "execute" button was the old "enter" button on newer computers/keyboards.

does anyone know if old computers/keyboards used execute instead of enter?

[artynmay]

i always thought it was Return

[mclouf89]

I have an old Apple IIe computer from the late 80's. The computer that Desmond uses looks identical and so does the operating system he is using. However, the keyboard on an Apple IIe has a Return key, not an Execute key, though the original Apple II may have had an Execute key. The keys looked like they had some sort of plastic coverings on each of them. I know none of the Apple II's had that. Also, later when Jack enters the main room, you can see old mainframe computers in the background from like the 50's and 60's.

[pftsobfreak]

i always thought it was Return

You're right. My family has an old dinosaur computer in the storage room. And the keyborad says "Return"

[UConnBigO]

I doubt he called the system to grab locke, he woke up and opened his eye to the sound of a beeping, as in, he had to enter something in quickly, because he sprung out of bed to do it

hey maybe he uses all those computers as an alarm clock, and he enters the numbers to turn it off!!!

just kidding, but i dont think he conjures up the monster to do things, because we didnt see any monitors showing him whats going on, how would he do that by guessing?

[galligirl]

Wasn't the beeping that we heard at the beginning the SAME beeping we heard when Michael, Walt et al heard/saw the "ship" on the radar. Of course it ended up being "The Others". It sounded the same to me. That's why during the opening scene, I thought we were going back to the raft. Maybe he's controlling "The Others"? Just an idea, who knows. This was a great ep.

[Trace_Amounts]

Yeah, the beeping sounded the same to me as the radar on the raft.

[James]

Maybe he is reporting in at the request of someone, though I do agree 'execute' is highly suspicious and makes the most sense ot be involved with the security system. It could be like in the movie Dr. No, where agents would communicate to their superiors and report their status.

[James]

Wasn't the beeping that we heard at the beginning the SAME beeping we heard when Michael, Walt et al heard/saw the "ship" on the radar. Of course it ended up being "The Others". It sounded the same to me. That's why during the opening scene, I thought we were going back to the raft. Maybe he's controlling "The Others"? Just an idea, who knows. This was a great ep.

Maybe they don't like the beeps used in the SFX library or the show editors accidently used the wrong beep.

[shred]

You're right. My family has an old dinosaur computer in the storage room. And the keyborad says "Return"

This is leftover from the olden days of electric typewriters where the key was used to "return" the carriage in order to type a new line. I seem to remember something with "execute" on it somewhere in the deep dark distant past...can't put my finger on it (bad pun.)

[beachcomberjim]

As for controlling the security system and having it go after locke, I really dont think he even knew they were there. To me this looked like daily routine ho hum, im just doing what i always do, which if you thought you were under attack or was monitoring what they were doing, and sending the monster after them, I think he would have been paying alot more attention to monitors, or at least seem a little more intrested in doing other things rather then a workout a shower (oh im having guests i guess i better clean up!!! lol) Whatever the numbers and execute button does is something that he does daily along with all the other routine things we saw.

[Tao]

Obviously the beep was to alert him that the security system needed to be deployed. He probably doesn't know where anyone is, so he just executes it. It's obviously a pretty eleborate system, so who knows how it finds people. IMO he thinks that the outside is the enemy and to make sure he's safe he deploys the security system to get rid of whatever is on the island.

[phill]

he would have had to do it every 108 interval so perhaps this is why he seems to have no day/night awareness cos it dont matter - he has to be awake every 108 intervals anyway.