I HAVE OTHER FRIENDS!
Actually I do have a theory about the hatch and Desmond.
What do we know?
-There is some kind of virus on the island, messing with some people, turning them into others. Ethan was possibly one of them, as was the boat dudes who kidnapped Walt. Rousseau claimed her crew also got sick, and she was forced to kill them. It's also possible Locke and Boone got the sickness as well. Hmmm....
-There is a radio tower near the hatch, though we have not seen it yet. Rosseau says her team arrived on the island from hearing it's broadcast of the numbers. The nutso dude Hurley met also claimed the numbers affected him. The numbers are special, and they appear on and in the hatch. But what about the tower, and why do the others control it, and why haven't they messed with Rousseau's transmission.
-The security system is black smoke, which makes a moaning-roar, and also makes clanking, gearlike noises.It uproots trees, creates holes, and was seen around the plane crash. It also chews people, but doesn't eat them. The pilot was 'chewed' and ghost Shannon also was chewed. Locke has stared it down (perhaps more than once) and feels safe around it. The security system wanted to drag Locke underground, where the hatch could be... hmmm.
-Aside from the plane crash, there are also 2 boat crashes (the Black Rock slave/mining ship from the 1880s+ and Rousseau's boat), the Nigerian Drug Plane, and perhaps however else the Others came to the Island. The island cannot be that unlucky, especially with a cable (which probably wasn't Rousseau's) sticking out of the ground into the ocean, the radio tower, and the hatch.
-Locke, Walt, Claire's son Aaron, Jack's Dad, and Ethan all seem to have super powers. Locke can walk, but still can't feel his legs. Walt is a frickin mutant, I'm shocked professor X hasn't found that Krakoa yet, Aaron freaked out a psychic, and seemed to be desired by Ethan, who was fucking awesome. Jack's Dad is a zombie, though maybe he is a ghost.
-The desire for the boy. At first, Claire's baby seemed to be a target, but the Others want Walt. Did they want Aaron, or was it to distract the survivors so they could snatch up Walt. What Charlie and Claire suffered with Ethan may have been forgotted, but it's important. What is Walt, and what is Ethan. Michael and Locke seem to be the figures to shape Walt's life now, one light, one dark. Alot of people saw it describing the nature of Locke and Jack (the doctor), but I see it as Locke and Michael. Both have things to offer Walt, and one is light skinned, while one is dark skinned.
Now with all those and many more freaky things going on, we're introduced to Desmond. A chance (or maybe not) encounter with a young Jack reveals that Desmond is intelligent, and is training for something. Next we see of him, he's on a creepy island, perhaps protected by a security system made of deadly man-eating smoke, and is alone. After downloading a high quality version of the episode, and looking at other's observations, I've recored the following fucked up shit:
-A lack of a handle on the hatch, and the lack of a ladder. Desmond was meant to stay there a long time. The elaborate light system is also creepy, especially since Locke saw it prehatch opening, and Kate vanished once seeing it after the hatch was opened.
-The magnetic thing in the hatch, causing the gun key around Jack's neck to float. Is it a nuclear reactor, or something else? It's affecting the compasses on the island, and perhaps the atmosphere as well. Magnets are powerful in altering reality, and there seems to be a doozy in the hatch. Whatever it is makes alot of powet, gives Desmond a 'sun' underground, and still remains strong after 20 (?) years of service.
-The technology in the hatch is old. While a washer and trashcan are from recent years and can be bought around the country, the rest is some old stuff. No Windows on his computer, faded plastic, giant servers... Desmond's been there a while. The 'biodome' also featured alot of old technology. Desmond even used a record player, maybe he never got cassettes... The numbers show up again, and Desmond enters them into the computer when the hatch is blown.
-QUARENTINE! This could mean Dessie is sick, except it's on the inside of the hatch. Desmond also is taking shots something, inscribed with the familiar number string. The injection style is quite old, and the bottles are faded.
-A mural painted of spraypaint reveals the number 108, which is the sum of the numbers when added together, and has massive religious signifigance around the world. Lookit up. The mural also features figures, slightly similar to a 'mural' seen on the rocks on the season finale when Sayid and Charlie are chasing down Rousseau. Some people say it's just seagull shit...
-Demond is also alot different than when he met Jack, or is he. Locke seemed unafraid, but Kate's absence is troubling. What was Desmond training for and why is he there? Locke's references to Pandora's box might hold water, especially after the fucked up shit that Americans and Europeans did (and still do) on small islands in the pacific.
Sidenote: Noted on the 'offical fansite' of Driveshaft is a curious article about one of the passangers of flight 815. He was the worlds top scientist dealing with nanotechnology. Quite odd, considering nanites could be the black mist.
Who is Desmond and what is the purpose of his Island setup? What is so special about Walt and Aaron? Why is Locke now Locke, and what is his purpose. What are the Others?
I dunno. I can't wait to find out though ^_^. I am shocked ABC could distribute this, but it's great. Not many things make me think this much, it's like reading a good book, or studying history. I love it.
My theory for Desmond and the hatch is this:
Desmond was selected to guard something on the island, a Pandora's box. The box isn't man made, and extremely powerful. He was dropped off there, and guards it inside the hatch. The object exerts it's influence above the surface as well, affecting others. The Others are a product of it, Jack's Dad, and the survival of the Middle section passengers as well. Locke can walk because of it, and Walt and Aaron's destiny revolve with it. When Pandora opened her box, Hope remained inside. The hatch is open, but hope is inside of it. Desmond is a key, but not the whole puzzle.