After

"History is just one damned thing after another." ~ Alfred Toynbee

1.

Friday Fish Fry – The Conversation – Knowledge From Within – Nostalgia - Of Scientists and Lawyers - The First Decision

High above the island, a single set of fading contrails marred the hazy blue sky. The plane itself was long gone; precious cargo fled back to the sane world that Hurley realized he was beginning to think of as some distant, impossible place where he'd never belonged. It didn't frighten him, but the knowledge that he wasn't frightened was still unsettling. He should be frightened, he believed. Terrified, like he was when Jack thrust the water at him. Instead, just uncertainty. The role he'd been given still felt odd in his mind, some ill-fitted robe meant for some other lost messiah. He looked at the contrails, brow knitted as his thoughts mixed together, a jumble of confusion, worry, and ideas. He shifted uncomfortably on the low, wide rock that sat on the edge of the beach.

Next to him, on another, similar rock, sat Benjamin Linus. The smaller man didn't spare a glance for the sky. Instead, he kept his gaze cast down on a small fire, a spread of thick cloth on his lap, and the fish he was busily descaling with a knife. "Islands rise and fall, Hugo; demons and gods might die, but a man's still gotta eat," he'd said when Hurley had come back from a long walk and found him up to his knees in the water, fishing with makeshift tools. He hadn't said much else since accepting the job Hurley had set out for him. In a tent some ways down the beach, Desmond still rested. He had been unconscious since his rescue.

Hurley waited until the fish was beheaded and the guts tossed into the fire. He watched Ben spear the two halves and begin toasting them, carefully. He cleared his throat. Ben tilted his head a little at the sound but still said nothing. "So... there's still a few people on the island."

"The ones that went with Locke." Ben's voice was low and flat. No verdict on their path was audible, just a simple fact. Hurley still felt defensive on their behalf.

"They were pretty scared, dude. They thought they were going to die."

Ben lifted his shoulders in a light motion, dropped them again. "They may well have died whatever they chose. I'm really not judging them, Hugo. It was a bad situation. They didn't have all the facts. Truly, none of us did."

"Not even sure I do." Hurley leaned back. "I didn't get a load of magic knowledge in my head or anything. Just... stuff. Like a sensation."

"Mm." The tone was noncommittal. The fish was turned over and the tone turned dry. "I'd kill for some cajun seasoning." Hurley shot him a look. "Just kidding." A soft sigh from crooked lips. "I don't know what to recommend there. Some might like to leave. Some might stay. There's plenty of room on the island if you're not going to be picky about their choices. Houses, caves. In fact, I know of a very nice vacant foot you yourself might be interested in. Well lived in. Some fire damage."

"I never know if you're joking, dude." He rolled his eyes. "Weirdest sense of humor."

"Assume I am. Except when I'm not." Ben shifted in his seat, moved the fish as the thinner parts began to blacken slightly. "If they do wish to leave, that presents some issues to be worked out."

Hurley shrugged. "I don't mind if they leave. I think the whole 'never leave' thing is crap. Tell people they can't do something and they freak out. Look at we did."

A tiny quirk of a smile. "Not the issue. I don't advise moving the island every time a resident wants to go shopping. Often problematic, a bit hard on the bodies of the locals apparently. Also, the landing for the departed is less than pleasant. There's still the boat, but right now it's on Hydra and god alone knows if the others stopped to moor it properly. They were likely in some rush."

"Okay. We'll get the boat, that isn't a problem." Hurley paused, surprised at himself. The words had come in a confident rush. He knew. The boat was lightly anchored. A long swim or a raft or... or even a good current and a lucky wind and the boat would be on the main island. Ben raised his head and looked at him. "Dude." The expression on Ben's face creased. "I'm alright."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah. Totally different topic. If I can ask." He watched Ben pull the fish out of the fire and lay them on a pair of separate cloths. He had to admit, it smelled great.

"Le dîner est servi. What did you want to know?" Ben didn't look up.

"What's up with all your off island stuff? Do you – you, the others, whatever - really have a network out there and all that?"

"I do." Another light shrug. "You'd like the details." He glanced up to note Hurley's nod as he handed over one of the fish halves. His head tilted slightly and his voice became clinical. A lecturer's tone. "When Dharma was removed from the island, all of their knowledge, their toys were left behind. Charles Widmore, who had been engaging in some off island activity himself, read up on some of those ideas. He was a very clever man, very tactical, and he knew the worth of a good idea. When we exiled him and I assumed the role he'd played, he took those ideas straight to a company he'd had apparently had some business with. His reputation was very good, and he was very smart about his backstory. His rise was very quick and it wasn't long before he'd managed to nest himself into a new little kingdom and give it his own name. In reflection, I'm quite sure he had it planned for a long time.

"Meanwhile, as I was settling into my new role, much as you yourself will have some current sympathy for, the notes from Jacob came unabated. Little errands. Do this. Make sure of that." A brief note of distaste. "And eventually I received notes that sent me off-island. Learn things. Go there and see."

"What'd Jacob want with you off the island?" Hurley tilted his head as Ben's expression grew dark.

"Ultimately? I think he wanted to make sure Charles never forgot the island. To goad him. My role was as hare to hound. I learned some... dark habits out there, Hugo. I learned the things that made your friends very frightened of me. And I had to, because Charles made sure I couldn't come home for some little time. I learned what it was like to be hunted. And eventually, when I came home, my daughter-" His voice dipped slightly and Hurley felt a brief shudder of sympathy. "Didn't recognize me so well any longer and Richard had formally stabilized our own little fortress off island. Mittelos." He took a contemplative bite of the fish. "We followed the example set. Took ideas, but used them more humbly. A variant of some quick-healing bandage, some genetic testing, biology. It looked very good on paper, and it should, because we made it functionally legitimate.

"The island and its people has a presence as a very small, very private bioscience firm with a minor army of lawyers, multiple bank accounts, and a nearly invisible management team that is often away 'on business.' The scientists and doctors we hire never ask questions because we pay very well and their work often goes to good ends. The lawyers know better than to ask. And they are paid very well. Money is not an issue, Hugo."

Hurley decided not to press about the ones who came to the island, like Juliet. Not then. "And I bet you're the CEO."

"No." The reply was quick as Ben turned his head to regard Hurley. "Just one of the assistants. We put Jacob's name in the major seat. It was a private joke Richard and I had. One of few."

"Is that everything?"

"Of course not, Hugo. I have more than a few separate contacts of my own." More dry humor in the voice. He finished his fish with delicate caution, wiped his fingers on the cloth, and set it all aside. "You're contemplating something."

Hurley stayed quiet for a while, not yet responding, as the sun began to set and birds began to call through the jungle. Ben watched him, watched the ocean, and waited.

"We should camp up, dude. Gather up the others in the morning." Hurley barely caught the sight of Ben tilting his head in agreement in the soft gloaming. "We'll get the boat. Send them back, whoever wants. Get Desmond home to his kid. That'll be good." He paused, took a deep breath. The bright blue eyes flickered to his face, questioning. He blurted out the rest. "And I'm gonna send you with them all. If that's alright!"

Blank puzzlement. "Wh-"

"Not forever or anything, dude!"

"I-"

"And I don't need you to hurt anyone or anything, we're not gonna do that anymore!"

"Hug-"

"So I want you to promise me that you won't." Hurley finished in a rush. Ben wasn't trying to speak anymore, just sitting there with his head cocked, eyes wide, and crooked lips slightly parted. "You promise?"

"...I promise. Hugo, what." He stopped. "Am I going to get interrupted again?" He blinked once, then again, rapidly. "I am comfortable assuming this isn't like the tale I just briefly outlined, but what exactly do you think sending me out there is going to accomplish? What do you want?"

Hugo sat for a moment, mouth open, expression as confused as Ben felt. He knew what he wanted, but the explanation was harder to get across. "I want to help people, dude."

The response started as weird puff of exasperated breath. "If the next words out of your mouth are 'spa resort', I'm walking into the ocean." Ben's voice wasn't particularly serious, but the eyes were still wild and baffled.

"Spa resort." Ben immediately stood up. "I'm kidding!" He sat down again. "Can you stop staring? It's freaking me out."

"How the hell do you think I feel?"

"Look, you'll be right back. I just kinda want a sense of what things are like out there right now. I want you to check on Mittelos or whatever and make sure all your stuff's okay. Then you'll come back and tell me what you think and what's going on. And." He paused. "This is really important."

"Hugo."

"I want you to check on my folks. I want them to be okay. But you don't tell them where I am, don't approach them if you don't got to. Not yet. There's still going to be news and stuff following them and they don't need to be weirded out more. I want your lawyers to help them with that. Like... guardian angels and stuff."

Ben looked down, licked his lips and nodded. "That sounds more than fine, Hugo. I can do that. I'm not sure Hume will enjoy my company as we depart, as the last I saw him we were on poor terms, but I'll manage. It's not his problem. But what's the goal?"

"Spa resort." This time, the joke drew a wry, tired glance from the small man. "No, really. Just work with me on this. I'm crap at explaining, but I'm working on an idea. I really do want to help people. That's the entire thing. But I can't do it from here if we're locked away." Hurley dropped his own head to contemplate his shoes.

"I don't think we should be like that anymore. But I gotta think about some stuff first."

"All right. Whatever it is, Hugo, I'm in." He tilted his head in polite acquiescence, the eyes lidding in contemplation.

"Good, dude." He managed a smile. The conversation had gone a lot better than he'd thought it might. "That's great. Have a good night, get some rest."

"And you." Ben dipped into the shadows, leaving Hurley to his still-churning thoughts.