Fail-safe

From Lostpedia

Fail-safe

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First Introduced

"Live Together, Die Alone"

Owned by

DHARMA Initiative

Found by

Kelvin

Used by

Desmond

The fail-safe was a mechanism in the Swan which, when triggered by a key, would terminate the electromagnetic buildup which the protocol was meant to discharge. It was located in a crawlspace in the station, accessible via a grate in the floor. Kelvin, drunk and looking for an escape from pushing the button, revealed the fail-safe to Desmond, saying that it was the only way out, and that it would make it "all go away".("Live Together, Die Alone")

Key

The fail-safe key on Kelvin's neck

On the day of the system failure that coincided with the crash of Flight 815, Desmond acquired the fail-safe key by ripping it off of Kelvin's neck, after having accidentally killed him. The key had the Swan's logo on it, and Desmond kept it inside his copy of Our Mutual Friend. It is unknown to what degree most members of the DHARMA Initiative knew about the fail-safe key or the mechanism itself. So far, only Kelvin and Desmond are known to have had knowledge of either.

Activation

After Locke had caused another system failure by destroying the computer and preventing the Numbers from being entered, Desmond retrieved the key from his book and triggered the fail-safe mechanism, finally terminating the electromagnetic system. Following this action were the events of the discharge, including the implosion of the Swan station, the sky turning purple, and Desmond becoming unstuck in time.

An unofficial, common fan-made fail-safe key replica, a large number of which were once sold on eBay

Cultural references

Fail-Safe is a 1964 film directed by Sidney Lumet about a fictional Cold War nuclear crisis, and the US President's attempt to end it. The catch line on the original movie poster reads, "'Fail Safe' will have you standing on the brink of eternity!" [1]

See also

• Electromagnetism
• Discharge
• The Swan

Unanswered questions

For fan theories about these unanswered questions, see: Fail-safe/Theories

• What is the function of the fail safe?
• How much of what Kelvin told Desmond was the truth?
• Have any of the Island's unique properties been affected by the failsafe?
• What would have happened if the key was not turned?
• Why did the island react similarly when Desmond turned the key and when Ben turned the Frozen Donkey Wheel?