Flame computer

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Flame computer and video

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First Introduced

"Enter 77"

Owned by

DHARMA Initiative

Found by

Locke

Used by

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Picture of the computer.

Layout of the board when the game ends

The Flame computer was a DHARMA Initiative computer located inside the communications station the Flame. A chess game was used as a security device which, if won, would grant manual access to a video menu system showing clips of Marvin Candle giving various options for station functions. If the system determined that communications were down and sonar was inoperable, a video menu would appear telling the operator to enter 7-7 if an incursion by the Hostiles had occurred. Locke gained access to the system, reached this menu, and entered 7-7, triggering an explosion and destroying the entire station.

1 The Flame Video

The Flame Video

The video on the Flame computer had Marvin Candle giving a number of choices, corresponding to number sequences, in random access video clips. His introduction was:

Manual override achieved.
For pallet drop enter 2-4.
For station uplink enter 3-2.
For mainland communication enter 3-8

If 3-8 was entered but the satellite was not working, the following options were presented in a new clip:

The satellite dish is inoperable.
Communications are down.
For sonar access enter 5-6

If 5-6 was entered but the underwater beacon was not working, the following option was presented in a new clip:

Sonar is inoperable.

The combination of entering 3-8 with a failed result and entering 5-6 with a failed result led to another clip:

Has there been an incursion on this station by the Hostiles?
If so, enter 7-7

If 7-7 was entered, C-4 charges placed around the structure would be ignited on a time delay, destroying the station in an explosion.

Trivia

It appears that Marvin Candle had a prosthetic left arm in these video clips.
In a likely prop or editing continuity error, the shown move list did not correspond to the two board positions shown in sequence. Although this could be what Mikhail was referencing when he said the computer cheats, it was more probably a simple prop error.

Cultural references

Cultural references in Lost (direct references only)
Art • Books • Cars • Games • Movies and TV • Music • Philosophy • Religion and ideologies • Science

The finish to the chess board was from a match between Anatoli Karpov and Garry Kasparov from the 1985 World Championship. In that match, called the "Brisbane Bombshell" Kasparov, playing black, defeated Karpov in 40 moves. Incidentally, that game did not end in checkmate, but in a resignation by Karpov. The board, as shown on the show, had two valid moves for the computer. (Games) Game replay and details. The game is considered one of the greatest of all time, because young challenger Kasparov, with the disadvantage of the black pieces, had to defeat then-champion Karpov to take the title. Karpov, playing with white, needed only a draw to retain his championship. Having to win with black when your opponent only need draw with white is considered the most difficult task in chess between two evenly matched players. Kasparov won by "maintaining the tension" of the position over 40 moves and not allowing a simplification into a drawn ending.

Unanswered questions

Unanswered questions
Do not answer the questions here. Keep the questions open-ended and neutral: do not suggest an answer. More details...

For fan theories about these unanswered questions, see: Flame computer/Theories

Did 7-7 cause the explosion? What else was activated by 7-7?
Was the manual override activated by winning the game, or by winning with a particular sequence of moves?
Why did the DHARMA Initiative deem it necessary to hide important manual override functions behind a virtual game of chess, which could only be accessed after beating the game, and which could take much time to do so?

With this said, the game did say "Manual" override achieved, which suggests that there is another way to access the functions, possibly a code which the DHARMA staff may have been given.