The Discharge, chronological
Electromagnetic Anomaly Detected
The Discharge occurs after Desmond triggered the Fail Safe in The Swan. A huge, blinding white glow covered The Island during this event, and the sky turned a violet colour. This was mentioned by Claire and seen briefly by the viewers. The island also shakes as a result of this, and a painful buzzing sound is also heard.
The apparent force discharged was powerful enough to lift the heavy quarantine door into the air. The door fell back several seconds later, almost crushing Bernard and Claire. Other objects were also seen to erupt into the sky and fall with impact on the ground.
This event was apparently detected by the men at The Listening Station, who in turn reported it to Penelope Widmore.
Theories
- The discharge may have turned the sky purple and lit up the sky because the discharged caused an aurora borealiseffect.
- The discharge was some kind of explosion, possibly killing Eko, Locke and Desmond, still remaining in the hatch.
- Teleported The Swan to another location, leaving a large Crater, possibly the site of the first Incident
- The discharge was not an explosion, but just that - a magnetic "discharge." No pyrotechnics were in evidence, and this would still explain the hatch door falling into the camp. (See also: Gauss gun)
- The discharge was the Electromagnetic Anomaly picked up by Portuguese researchers at the end of Live Together, Die Alone.
- Strangely affected Charlie and, if they are still alive, Locke, Desmond, and Eko. The effect could be the sickness, or something as-yet unseen.
- If discharge indeed has an effect on humans, it is possible that a greater number of people might be affected by it, like residents of the survivors' camp, or maybe everyone on the island.
- Will directly/indirectly lead to the discovery of the island and/or the rescue of the castaways. Locke says he "Saved us all" after smashing the computer in The Swan.
- The discharge may be an Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP). If it is, it will most likely render all unshielded electronics on the island useless.
- The electromagnetic generator may have the opposite purpose of what people are lead to believe. It may maintain a low-emission "containment cloak" (or bubble) around the island, obscuring it from satellites and observance by passing traffic. The timer -- functioning as a deadman's switch -- may indicate (as the Hieroglyphs hint) that all of the scientists on the island have died. In theory, when this happens, the generator cycles up in order to tear down / reverse the cloak, revealing the island. During Live Together, Die Alone, the generator appears to reach AND MAINTAIN a peaked power output. Outside, as the islanders cover their ears, there is no explosion - only a sound/light show which subsides (likely with the emergency shutdown). Operators would have likely been safe in the operations room with the blast doors down. As well, the keyswitch Desmond activates is accessible from this room, labeled "Caution - System Termination" which appears like an industrial emergency shut down if the generator runs cataclysmically out of control, rather than to destroy anything. Henry Gale is quoted saying to Locke, "God doesn't know how long we've been here. He can't see this island any better than the rest of the world can."