So I assume that Ben 'wakes up' in Tunisia (2005, right?) after turning the "Frozen Donkey Wheel", which seemed to me to resemble technology from an era close to the one in which the Black Rock existed. We met Charlotte earlier this season also in Tunisia excavating the remains of a polar bear.

Are TPTB telling us that DHARMA trained the polar bears to turn the donkey wheel? We know that Dharma conditioned the bears in some way, at least in teaching them how to get food and water, is it illogical to assume that they were also trained to move the island? If you remember, Ben had a hard time turning the wheel (partially because it was frozen) but there were also holes in its spokes that seemed perfect for harnesses or something.

Another thing: Ben blew a hole in the side of the *ahem* time machine (really wish this didnt exist), so this was the first time he had accessed the wheelhouse from The Orchid, right? There must be another way in...

BTW, bump to everyone claiming that the Losties are repeating past events (you know who you are) - was totally obvious tonight. I'm just ashamed TPTB had to beat me over the head with it...

[eyekon]

Yeah, that certainly would explain how Charlotte found a polar bear skeleton in the desert with a Dharma logo on it. I'm starting to think that Charlotte's ties to the island are Dharma-related, since she recognized the logo.

I do indeed know who I am! ;)

The polar bear/wheel thing is interesting... Dang, like, what was Dharma (or whoever made that/was using it) doing moving the island constantly if that was the case? :o

What was obvious about repeating past events?

What was obvious about repeating past events?
I wanna know, too!

What was obvious about repeating past events?Put me on the list of, I want to know. I didn't get that at all.

Sorry, I also don't get how we are supposed to know they are repeating past events.

I had the same thought about the bears moving the Island... I guess one was sent into oblivion every time the Island was moved? That's what makes me think this was not a common event as that would take a lot of polar bears!

Please tell us how its obvious they're repeating past events!

I couldn't possibly explain it as well as others (simplist, suds, etc) but events on the island are almost being "reused", like the first time hey happened was for practice or something. Think of the episode where the Others ambush Jack and Sawyer in the jungle, we saw that same exact scene again this season, but under slightly different circumstances when the Losties did the almost the exact same thing to freighter folk (just one example).

I couldn't possibly explain it as well as others (simplist, suds, etc) but events on the island are almost being "reused", like the first time hey happened was for practice or something. Think of the episode where the Others ambush Jack and Sawyer in the jungle, we saw that same exact scene again this season, but under slightly different circumstances when the Losties did the almost the exact same thing to freighter folk (just one example).

I'm not sure I get it. Are you saying the Losties are becoming the Others? Because that doesn't really work since there are few "Losties" left on the Island. I really don't see how the Others ambushing Jack and Sawyer and then the Losties ambushing someone is an event repeating itself. They are on an island full of folks with hostile or ambiguous intentions. Ambushing people almost becomes a necessity when first meeting new folks. I think I'm lost when it comes to this theory.

No, I kinda get it. Christian brought to an island in a casket... resurrects. Now they're doin it to Locke. There's some of that.

I don't think anyone or anything has been down below The Orchid in a loooong time.

I definitely don't think they used Polar Bears to turn it.

I think that the Polar Bear that turned up in Tunisia was another test-subject, a test that probably went wrong.

The way I imagine it is they put the Bear in the vault, it seemed to disappear and then....it never appeared again, or rather it didn't appear where it was supposed to, it appeared in Tunisa.

Tunisia being one of those "certain special places" that Isaac of Uluru mentioned to Rose...

ISAAC: There are certain places with great energy... spots on the Earth like the one we're above now. Perhaps this energy is geological... magnetic. Or perhaps it's something else.

I had the same thought about the bears moving the Island... I guess one was sent into oblivion every time the Island was moved? That's what makes me think this was not a common event as that would take a lot of polar bears!

Please tell us how its obvious they're repeating past events!

but then it should be called the frozen bear wheel...

I definitely don't think they used Polar Bears to turn it.

I think that the Polar Bear that turned up in Tunisia was another test-subject, a test that probably went wrong.

The way I imagine it is they put the Bear in the vault, it seemed to disappear and then....it never appeared again, or rather it didn't appear where it was supposed to, it appeared in Tunisa.



I just can't see bringing a polar bear down that elevator and in to the vault in the Orchid. I agree that the polar bear thing was probably an experiment. Maybe the DI discovered the wheel, and once they found out whoever turned it disappeared, they trained a bear to turn it so they could study the effect. Why they would have polar bears there to begin with is another good question.

So I assume that Ben 'wakes up' in Tunisia (2005, right?) after turning the "Frozen Donkey Wheel", which seemed to me to resemble technology from an era close to the one in which the Black Rock existed. We met Charlotte earlier this season also in Tunisia excavating the remains of a polar bear.

Are TPTB telling us that DHARMA trained the polar bears to turn the donkey wheel? We know that Dharma conditioned the bears in some way, at least in teaching them how to get food and water, is it illogical to assume that they were also trained to move the island? If you remember, Ben had a hard time turning the wheel (partially because it was frozen) but there were also holes in its spokes that seemed perfect for harnesses or something.

Another thing: Ben blew a hole in the side of the *ahem* time machine (really wish this didnt exist), so this was the first time he had accessed the wheelhouse from The Orchid, right? There must be another way in...

BTW, bump to everyone claiming that the Losties are repeating past events (you know who you are) - was totally obvious tonight. I'm just ashamed TPTB had to beat me over the head with it...

[eyekon]


I think I understand what Eyekon is getting at when he says that they are repeating past events, so I'll try and explain (Eyekon correct me if I turn this into a train wreck...LOL)

How in the *WORLD* would Ben know about the passage behind the Orchid door, and that loading it with metal objects would blow a hole in the back of it revealing the frozen cave and wheel unless he has done all this before?? His mannerisms and actions just seemed too natural/second-nature to be doing this for the first time. I think we are going to learn that Ben has actually been through this process countless times in the past and that it has become kind of "routine" for him. Somehow, somewhere everything sort of "resets"; and he goes through this epic time and time again in order to keep the Island safe (or the world from ending for whatever reason)

Maybe, they DI brought in polar bears to turn the "frozen donkey wheel" because they could stand to work in the cold environment. Just maybe thats the sole purpose for having them on the island in the first place.

Maybe, they DI brought in polar bears to turn the "frozen donkey wheel" because they could stand to work in the cold environment. Just maybe thats the sole purpose for having them on the island in the first place.

Welcome to The Fuselage jdooger...

We know a little about what The DI was doing with Polar Bears thanks to some of the notations that either Kelvin or Radzinsky made on the Blast Door Map...

Stated goal, repatriation, accelerated de-territorialization of Ursus maritimus through gene therapy and extreme climate change

Having them work in the cold doesn't sound like too extreme a change of climate to me!!

The DI also bred Sharks and Dolphins, one of their fields of study was Zoology.

It's a good theory that the Polar Bears were used to turn the frozen Donkey wheel, but how would they have gotten one down there? Never mind getting it down the elevator and the through the passage, but what about getting it down the ladder?

I don't think Ben knowing about the frozen donkey wheel suggests he's done this before in another time loop or whatever. He's been on the Island a long time, so he could have seen this done before or been told about it by someone. He also could have been told about it by Jacob.

Yeah, I'm going with Dharma putting a polar bear in a frozen environment to turn the wheel as the best reason why Charlotte found one in Tunisia. Plus, Ben ends up there as well, which makes me think that the one moving the donkey wheel gets transported, because no one else on the island was whisked away (as far as we know) when Ben moved it. If this was the case, when did this polar bear move it?Obviously sometime after Dharma arrived.

How long would it take for a bear to decompose to a skeleton, then get buried in dirt only to be found in 2004? Especially given that Dharma started in the 70s, would that be enough time for all of that to happen?

Didn't DHARMA build The Orchid on-top of the Frozen Donkey Wheel?

And if there was another way to get to the Wheel then why did Ben have to destroy The Vault to gain access?

Not sure the Polar Bears were being used to turn the wheel. Weren't they being housed in an outdoor cage by the Hydra? I thought they were the next step up from rabbits in experiments being performed in The Orchid, but I could be wrong.

I will say that there always appears to be two groups in conflict on the Island:

DI vs Hostiles
Others vs Losties
Losties vs Freghties
Left behinds vs?

Not sure the Polar Bears were being used to turn the wheel. Weren't they being housed in an outdoor cage by the Hydra? .

When The DI was still going the Polar Bears were kept on Hydra Island, they were set free or escaped in 1992 during The Purge.

The one that turned up in Tunisia had a Hydra Collar on, had it been "employed" at The Orchid I would have expected it to have had a collar to match.

I thought they were the next step up from rabbits in experiments being performed in The Orchid, but I could be wrong

I thought the same, they started off with smaller test subjects, like Rabbits, moving up through to larger test subjects, like Polar Bears, and eventually to sending a human through...

Like Jacob?

When The DI was still going the Polar Bears were kept on Hydra Island, they were set free or escaped in 1992 during The Purge.

The one that turned up in Tunisia had a Hydra Collar on, had it been "employed" at The Orchid I would have expected it to have had a collar to match.



I thought the same, they started off with smaller test subjects, like Rabbits, moving up through to larger test subjects, like Polar Bears, and eventually to sending a human through...

Like Jacob?

Jacob seems to fit the bill. I wonder if he was an Island native who was captured by the DI and then sent through The Orchid as a test subject? That could explain why he "phases", needs "help", projects a hatred for the DI, and appears to hate technology.

No, I kinda get it. Christian brought to an island in a casket... resurrects. Now they're doin it to Locke. There's some of that.

Interesting... so maybe that's how they "raise" him (Locke)...?
100%
Jacob seems to fit the bill. I wonder if he was an Island native who was captured by the DI and then sent through The Orchid as a test subject? That could explain why he "phases", needs "help", projects a hatred for the DI, and appears to hate technology.

Notice the polar bear didn't survive his trip. If Jacob didn't, wouldn't his bones be there as well?

There has to be some other setting besides the FDW that Ben adjusted so that Tunisia is where he went... (the Orchid video bunny was moved to the same room/space). We maybe didn't see the whole process unfold.

Why did Ben have to leave the Orchid to move the island? Why was it cold and outside when Ben and Locke traveled 1/2 mile underground by elevator?

The Orchid video being on a loop... is evidence of a time loop?

Yeah, that certainly would explain how Charlotte found a polar bear skeleton in the desert with a Dharma logo on it. I'm starting to think that Charlotte's ties to the island are Dharma-related, since she recognized the logo.


"Personally-I think Charlotte is blood related to the Hanso family"

Notice the polar bear didn't survive his trip. If Jacob didn't, wouldn't his bones be there as well?

It wouldn't have survived for very long in that environment (unless they'd been very succesful in their de-territorialization experiments) but I don't think the trip itself would have killed it, it didn't kill the bunnies or Ben.

Jacob is trapped somehow, stuck, maybe they shifted his body but his mind is attached to The Island, something like that?

Given that his Cabin was surrounded by a circle of ash maybe they meant to do it?

Maybe Jacob is a prisoner?

There has to be some other setting besides the FDW that Ben adjusted so that Tunisia is where he went... (the Orchid video bunny was moved to the same room/space). We maybe didn't see the whole process unfold.

I imagined a succesful test involved the test-subject reappearing in The Vault and I thought it was only when things went wrong that test subjects appeared in places and times that they weren't supposed to?

Not that it wouldn't be very useful to be able to dial up a destination, it just doesn't seem to fit with the "dangerous and unpredictable" process that Ben made it out to be.

Maybe the longer something is shifted the less certain they can be of where it's shifted too?

Notice the polar bear didn't survive his trip. If Jacob didn't, wouldn't his bones be there as well?

There's nothing to say that the polar bear wasn't walking around after it was teleported. It could have lasted a few days stuck in the desert.
I'm curious as to if the collar itself was what sent the bear across the world. The Doc says that inorganic material should never be placed in the Vault. Does that include plastic? or is it just metal? He makes 2 warnings.

Inorganic materials would include clothes right? Desmond awoke in the jungle with no clothes after the Swan implosion.

I really don't think that a Polar bear was able to get down that elevator. No more than 2 people could have traveled in that small area. Training a wild powerful animal like that to turn a wooden wheel contained in such a small space just doesn't make sense. They could have built a machine to turn the wheel.
My guess is that the first time that the scientists placed metal into the Vault side effects occurred, such as people/animals randomly teleported off the Island.


The Orchid video being on a loop... is evidence of a time loop?

This is one of the major things that I don't understand in the episode. Why would a tape rewind itself halfway through? Is it even possible? The tape did not seem to be a normal VCR cassette, perhaps something older? Did older technology auto rewind while still playing video? Was this technology magnetically based and so affected by the experiments?

We do not know what the Polar Bears are there for. TBEL (To Be Explained Later)

The wheel was a measure of "last resort" to hide the Island. There were dangers involved but not to the person who turns the wheel. In fact, he knew when and where he would show up. His motives for lying to Locke - TBEL. They are setting up next season with Locke thinking he's the new Messiah. We'll see.

I wonder why the wheel was never updated to be automated or at least have a long pole to activate it. But I thing this suggests that he knew he would be fine.

Locke is being setup.

I too think Locke is being set up by Ben. Why did Ben tell Locke to go in when he knew Locke couldn't find it? Better yet, why not make Locke turn the wheel, and then Ben could stay on the island? Its not like Ben is a humanitarian.
Maybe there is another way to get to the wheel. Maybe it can be turned from the other side of where Ben turned it but Ben needed to get to the wheel fast so he blew a hole in the cavern where it was kept. That is the only thing that makes sense to me.
I've always felt that Ben at least seems to always know what is going to happen. Maybe he has done it all before and always will.
I think Ben might be the one who was keeping Jacob prisoner and when the frieghter arrived or after Jacob talked to Locke he had to move him. That's why the cabin is now roaming and why Jacob wasn't in it.

James

Welcome to The Fuselage jmfranc...

We do not know what the Polar Bears are there for. TBEL (To Be Explained Later)

We don't know how (or if) The DI studies in Zoology relate to The Valenzetti Equation, true.

The wheel was a measure of "last resort" to hide the Island. There were dangers involved but not to the person who turns the wheel. In fact, he knew when and where he would show up.

Ben knew where he was but he had no idea of when...

NARJISS: Good afternoon, sir.

BEN: Good afternoon. I'd like a room, please.

NARJISS: Of course, sir. Is this your first time in Tunisia?

BEN: No, but it's been a while.

NARJISS: Your name?

BEN: I'm actually a preferred guest. It should be under "Dean Moriarty".

(Ben hands her a passport. She looks through the register, then up at him in a bit of shock.)

NARJISS: Certainly, Mr. Moriarty.

(She gets him a key.)

NARJISS: May I help you with anything else?

BEN: Yes. Um, today's date is...

NARJISS: October 24th, sir.

BEN: (Embarrassedly) 2005?

NARJISS: Yes, sir. 2005.

(He shakes his head--"silly me"--and turns away.)

BEN: Thank you.

We do not know what the Polar Bears are there for. TBEL (To Be Explained Later)

We don't know how (or if) The DI studies in Zoology relate to The Valenzetti Equation, true.



Ben knew where he was but he had no idea of when...

But wouldn't Ben asking "2005?" suggest he had some idea of "when"? If he had no idea what year , wouldn't he have just asked a leading question like "two thousand and ......" hoping the clerk would finish it off for him? I think Ben had some idea of the when, just not the exact date.

But wouldn't Ben asking "2005?" suggest he had some idea of "when"? If he had no idea what year , wouldn't he have just asked a leading question like "two thousand and ......" hoping the clerk would finish it off for him? I think Ben had some idea of the when, just not the exact date.

True, maybe the fact that he was the one to turn the wheel meant that he knew he'd been shifted forward in time (clockwise Vs. anti-clockise?) just not how far forward.

I think it's pretty probable that Polar bears were used to turn the donkey wheel. The hydra collar could signify where the bear normally resides or was trained, so I have no problem with the bear not having an Orchid collar. At one point someone suggested that there may have been other entrances to the donkey wheel room - tunnels a bear could fit through. Didn't the map in the swan hatch imply the existance of tunnels that no longer existed (collasped maybe)?

I think the wheel existed long before the Black Rock, someone moved the island "under" the Black rock (by accident) trapping it. And the bunny transport room was probably built later, protecting the only entrance after the tunnel collaspe.

Since we didn't see what was on the other side of the FDW, it may be that a polar bear was able to turn the wheel, but polar bears are big and there wasn't that much room to where you could walk a polar bear around to get him to move the wheel in one direction...imo.

I was speaking about the event in the last episode of this season. He knew when - and where he was going to show up when he turned the wheel. As far his appearing in Tunisia - TBEL. Trust me.

. Why would a tape rewind itself halfway through? Is it even possible? The tape did not seem to be a normal VCR cassette, perhaps something older? Did older technology auto rewind while still playing video? Was this technology magnetically based and so affected by the experiments?

It was fairly common for tapes to automatically rewind for no reason with older technology. actually, magnetic interference could possibly force a tape to rewind, and, even more likely, erase, but it appeared to me that the reason the Orchid tape randomly went into rewind was because the technology was pretty crappy, old, and hadn't been used in a while, not to mention the tape itself was likely fairly worn and that would always be a contributing factor to such activity.

I wouldn't read too much into it as far as wacky stuff happening on the island.

I don't think anyone or anything has been down below The Orchid in a loooong time.

I definitely don't think they used Polar Bears to turn it.

I think that the Polar Bear that turned up in Tunisia was another test-subject, a test that probably went wrong.

The way I imagine it is they put the Bear in the vault, it seemed to disappear and then....it never appeared again, or rather it didn't appear where it was supposed to, it appeared in Tunisa.

Tunisia being one of those "certain special places" that Isaac of Uluru mentioned to Rose...

Yes, I agree completely. There's no way they had polar bears down there turning the wheel. "The vault" was DHARMA's way of turning the power of this ancient sacred place into a controlled experiment. But remember, Candle-man said that the experiments were both in space and in time. So sending a polar bear to Tunisia may or may not have been an accident.

How in the *WORLD* would Ben know about the passage behind the Orchid door, and that loading it with metal objects would blow a hole in the back of it revealing the frozen cave and wheel unless he has done all this before??

I assume because Richard told him all about the place and what it was used for and why. DHARMA obviously must have been doing some work in there at one point before they built the vault, and hence the parka. And I'm sure Ben made himself privy to all the DHARMA inside information with Richard's help from the outside.

The Doc says that inorganic material should never be placed in the Vault. Does that include plastic? or is it just metal? He makes 2 warnings.
The second warning was something like, "for your safety and the safety of those around you, never place any metalic objects inside the vault." The first one, I just listened to a bunch of times... he's either saying "great care must be taken to avoid leaving any organic materials inside the chamber..." or else "...to avoid leaving inorganic materials inside the chamber." I can really hear it either way. I thought it was "any organic" the first time. But he says to avoid "leaving" them there, not to avoid putting them there in the first place.

Inorganic materials would include clothes right? Desmond awoke in the jungle with no clothes after the Swan implosion.
Well certain kinds of clothes. Are you suggesting that Desmond wears polyester underwear?;)

I too think Locke is being set up by Ben. Why did Ben tell Locke to go in when he knew Locke couldn't find it? Better yet, why not make Locke turn the wheel, and then Ben could stay on the island? Its not like Ben is a humanitarian.
No, Ben is not doing anything out of the goodness of his heart (seeing as there is no goodness in his heart), but he's telling Locke the truth about this one. Turning the wheel was clearly the last thing he wanted to do -- I think he does it because he knows that Jacob will make something even worse happen to him if he continues to defy his will. It's sort of like the 10 plagues of Egypt with Ben... the last plague, that got Pharaoh to finally cooperate was the killing of his the Pharaoh's son (along with all the Egyptian firstborn). Before that the tumor and subsequent infection, and maybe before that, the pregnant women started dying from the same cause. Heck, maybe there really are 10!

But wouldn't Ben asking "2005?" suggest he had some idea of "when"? If he had no idea what year , wouldn't he have just asked a leading question like "two thousand and ......" hoping the clerk would finish it off for him? I think Ben had some idea of the when, just not the exact date.
True, he at least had a good inkling that it would be in the forward direction and by less than a year. But he was certainly not certain! And if you watch him when he first arrives in Tunisia, and the way he looks around, I don't think he knew WHERE he would be going either. Once he saw it was a desert, I think he knew, but not before. After all he had a lot of passports, and there are a lot of special places on the earth.

I'd love to get all into the possible meanings of this and that and I appreciate those who post concisely.

What it boils down to was just plain great viewing. I love that vibrating sound and that everyone we know was shown being affected by Ben's actions.

How long would it take for a bear to decompose to a skeleton, then get buried in dirt only to be found in 2004? Especially given that Dharma started in the 70s, would that be enough time for all of that to happen?


in that enviroment with sand storms and such, all his bear meat could be torn off pretty fast i'd assume.

True, maybe the fact that he was the one to turn the wheel meant that he knew he'd been shifted forward in time (clockwise Vs. anti-clockise?) just not how far forward.

Yeah, that was my thinking too, turning the wheel clockwise would cause a shift forward in time.


True, he at least had a good inkling that it would be in the forward direction and by less than a year. But he was certainly not certain! And if you watch him when he first arrives in Tunisia, and the way he looks around, I don't think he knew WHERE he would be going either. Once he saw it was a desert, I think he knew, but not before. After all he had a lot of passports, and there are a lot of special places on the earth.

When would Ben have gotten the passport/passports? I've wondered that. Could he have just grabbed them on the way out of his special room after he unleashed Smokie, or is he always carrying one around "just in case"? I would really like to know how Ben has all these passports and cash stores, which I'm sure he has off the Island too. I guess I'll just have to be patient......:rolleyes:

When would Ben have gotten the passport/passports? I've wondered that. Could he have just grabbed them on the way out of his special room after he unleashed Smokie, or is he always carrying one around "just in case"? I would really like to know how Ben has all these passports and cash stores, which I'm sure he has off the Island too. I guess I'll just have to be patient......:rolleyes:

It's the magic box explanation!

The Island itself provides Ben with everything that he needs in preparation for what he needs to do. Just as Cooper shows up so that he can be removed, along with all of his negative influences that spoil our heroes. I expect that Ben has been stashing all of his previously used provided items through the years.

Ben is working for the Island and like any good employer it provides for it's employees.

Miles realized this and asked for money. I think he'll eventually join Ben's team regardless of cash. He'll find his own purpose on the Island.
If there is nothing to motivate Miles and the Island does need him then Ben will have the money in a second.

It's the magic box explanation!

The Island itself provides Ben with everything that he needs in preparation for what he needs to do. Just as Cooper shows up so that he can be removed, along with all of his negative influences that spoil our heroes. I expect that Ben has been stashing all of his previously used provided items through the years.

Ben is working for the Island and like any good employer it provides for it's employees.

Miles realized this and asked for money. I think he'll eventually join Ben's team regardless of cash. He'll find his own purpose on the Island.
If there is nothing to motivate Miles and the Island does need him then Ben will have the money in a second.

I like this line of thinking. What purpose do you suppose he'll have on the Island? Why would the Island need Miles?

Didn't DHARMA build The Orchid on-top of the Frozen Donkey Wheel?

And if there was another way to get to the Wheel then why did Ben have to destroy The Vault to gain access?


Do we know geographically where The Orchid is in relation to The Swan? I'm wondering if the other way of getting to the Wheel was through the portion of The Swan that was sealed away with concrete?? When The Swan imploded, it left the Orchid Vault as the only other means of reaching the Wheel. Secondary protocol? Hmmm...

It wouldn't have survived for very long in that environment (unless they'd been very succesful in their de-territorialization experiments) but I don't think the trip itself would have killed it, it didn't kill the bunnies or Ben.


"But this is why i think the polar bear was there to begin with-it would have been the next logical step in the gene manipulation and de-territoirialization experiments that the bears had been involved in. They had been successfully introduced to a tropic envirement-next step would have been to see if they could be made viable to an even harsher, drier and hotter one. As for the bear being dead when Charlotte found it-haven't seen anyone state the obvious and that it was most likely killed by the indigenous people of that area. A polar bear is carnivorous and there would not have been sufficiently large enough game to sustain it there-other than people. Am willing to bet it had been partaking of two legged snacks which hadn't sat well at all with the snacks"

I think it's pretty probable that Polar bears were used to turn the donkey wheel. The hydra collar could signify where the bear normally resides or was trained, so I have no problem with the bear not having an Orchid collar. At one point someone suggested that there may have been other entrances to the donkey wheel room - tunnels a bear could fit through. Didn't the map in the swan hatch imply the existance of tunnels that no longer existed (collasped maybe)?

I think the wheel existed long before the Black Rock, someone moved the island "under" the Black rock (by accident) trapping it. And the bunny transport room was probably built later, protecting the only entrance after the tunnel collaspe.

I like your thoughts, magpie.

I was thinking about this donkey wheel in association to antipodes. An antipode is the point on the exact opposite side of the earth from another point - the place you'd end up if you were able to dig directly through the earth. During the May 19th podcast a question was asked about antipodes (around 12 mins in, if you want to listen). Carlton said that the particular ideas that this person had were not quite right, but that antipodes were "quite intriguing". The question pointed out that the antipode of Tunisia is in the South Pacific, perhaps the exact location of the island (up until the finale). So perhaps the person/animal that turns the wheel ends up on the opposite side of the planet - a journey through the center of the earth.

I was also thinking about this in terms of the other LOST areas of interest around the world. It turns out Ayers Rock in Uluru, Australia is directly opposite an area in the North Atlantic Ocean east of the Caribbean.

Perhaps travel to the island can happen between the antipodes. So perhaps the O6 will need to go the island's current antipode to get back. Will they be returning to Australia?

In addition, there could be a limited number of locations that the island can move to, and in DHARMA time they could have done it quite often with the polar bears. So often, in fact, that it has been moved from the Tunisia antipode before (explaining the polar bear skeleton). If so, Ben could know all the possible locations that the island could be, but Widmore doesn't so he has to search out each location.

Or not....

I like this line of thinking. What purpose do you suppose he'll have on the Island? Why would the Island need Miles?

I dont' think that Miles' actions are going to be particularly important, but he's already proved himself as a great supplier of information. He found Danielle and Karl without trying. Imagine what other information that he can get from all the dead people around. Adam and Eve? Nikki and Paublo? Boone and Shannon? Ana Lucia and Libby? Christian and Jacob?? He'll no doubt give any information he gets from someone else so that they can react and act in the way that they're supposed to. He's a facilitator. He will provide! Provide the information that the Island gives him. I think of him as a course correcter.

Do we know geographically where The Orchid is in relation to The Swan? I'm wondering if the other way of getting to the Wheel was through the portion of The Swan that was sealed away with concrete?? When The Swan imploded, it left the Orchid Vault as the only other means of reaching the Wheel. Secondary protocol? Hmmm...

In the video game Via Domus it is shown pretty clearly what is behind the sealed wall.

It's a large electromagnetic generator that is broken yet still active
Regardless there are tunnels still that could connect the Swan to the Orchid. It's still possible. Ben seemed to access some kind of crawl space in his own house at the Barracks, though we don't know where he went. These tunnels seem to reach quite a distance.