It's Always the Same in the End (Richard)

[Benjamin Linus]

Ben put his hands in his pockets as he strode down the hall, knowing full well that Richard wasn't likely to be in his office. Richard was rarely ever there, seeing as he was the high school version of The Chosen One.

Bitterly, Ben mused on that little analogy. He'd done a lot for this school - a lot of things that some of the teachers would rather forget happened. A lot of things that would haunt a lesser person for the rest of their lives. But that was all for the enigma that was the school's principal, known only by Jacob. Ben recalled an old student who wondered why Jacob only had one name. What was it she said? Oh yes. "Does he think he's Beyonce?"

Ben didn't miss that student very much.

His shoes squeaked a bit on the tile. It had been cleaned, in preparation for the onslaught of students that would come through the doors in a day or so. This meeting was of the utmost importance. Jacob would surely be delivering some important instructions, via Richard.

I still don't get why Richard has to deliver them.

Ben didn't question, though. He just brooded.

He finally reached the door to Richard's office, and knocked curtly. One, two, three. Ben stepped back, taking a deep breath. Despite how he felt about Jacob's preferences in personage, he did genuinely like Richard. He was soothing, the calm before the storm. The two worked well together - something, Ben thought, Jacob must've known when he chose jobs.

[Richard Alpert]

The knock on the door made Richard jump a bit. He was deep in thought and was in the middle of finishing a ship in the bottle. A lot of patience and a steady hand was required for this interesting hobby. He loved the feeling he got when it was finished. There was special place on the wall shelf behind him to place it when he was finished. It was a slave ship made of dark colored wood. After he was finished with this, he would either start the pirate ship or finish that puzzle of the two cute furry kittens that was thrown in the on the corner table. 500 pieces that were mostly white and black, also the occasional blue or yellow pieces that were thrown in for the eyes. Of course there was a little bit of pink for the noses and mouths.

“Come in” Richard said. The door slowly opened and Richard was meet with a familiar face. “Hello Ben, how can I help you today. “ responded Richard.

As Ben answered, Richard reminisced back to when he first met Ben. He was a scared child, running from an uneasy childhood and chasing a ghost of his dead mother. Richard explained to Ben to be patient, that he would get an opportunity to leave the present misfortune in his life and to start anew. Now and then, Richard likes to imagine Ben as that vulnerable little boy that he found in the middle of the jungle those many years ago.

Richard wondered if Ben was slightly jealous of him. Jacob only relayed information and directions, through Richard. Nobody else on the island has even seen Jacob. Even though Ben works under Jacobs leadership, he was a semi-leader. Ben occasionally gave orders to Richard, when the time needed. Richard had no problem fulfilling those orders and he respected Ben as a fellow colleague.

[Benjamin Linus]

"Come in."

Ben took this as a pretty explicit invitation to enter, so he slowly opened the door, glancing at Richard's desk, noticing that he, once again, was working on a ship in a bottle. Richard had the kind of patience and meticulousness to be able to count that as a hobby. Most people would throw the thing across the room after a few minutes. Not Richard. He emanated serenity.

“Hello Ben, how can I help you today?"

Ben looked to Richard. He had been distracted by a half-finished puzzle with a lot of brown fuzzy things lying in the corner of Richard's desk. (A puzzle of squirrels?) "Hello Richard. The ship in a bottle is coming along well."

Enough evasive maneuvering. Ben cleared his throat, more as a precaution than an attempt at importance. His throat had suddenly gone dry. It always happened when Jacob was brought up.

"...The first day of school is tomorrow," Ben reminded him. "I'm sure you know that. I'm also sure that... that Jacob is aware of that." Hopefully Richard got the hint there. He maneuvered back to a more mild topic. "Everything is ready. The students are coming in tomorrow, landing on the beach. Juliet is leading the assembly tomorrow afternoon. Classes start the day after. Same as it's always been."

Ben recalled when he thought Richard's life was the most glamorous thing he could ever imagine. That was long ago - long before there was even a school on the Island's grounds. He was what, ten? Why was he remembering that right now?

"...Surely this class will turn out a bit more... satisfactory... than the last batch of students," Ben murmured.

[Richard Alpert]

“Jacob knows when school is scheduled to begin, Ben. He is the one who set the date. This group of students was hand picked by Jacob. He believes that they will greatly benefit the Island and this school.” responded Richard.

Richard was kind of miffed that Ben suggested that Jacob’s choice of potential students might not work out so well this year. When Jacob chooses someone to be a student here, he evaluated every possible detail of their lives and actions. Lists were made, checked and rechecked, updated with the correct information and then finalized. Since the first day Richard met Jacob and became his personal advisor, very few mistakes made it past the watchful eye of Jacob. Everything Jacob does is for a reason, a reason that is not always made clear to Richard.

Jacob gives Richard specific instructions to follow, one of them was to keep a close watch on Ben. Richard has observed on many occasions how Ben has interacted with the new students and how sometimes he was a little condescending at times. The rumor around the school is that he was creepy and should be avoided at all costs.

“For me personally, the first day of class is always very exciting. This year for English 101, we will be reading Carrie by Stephen King. I know its not one your favorite books, but it seems to be very popular with the students and Juliet likes it too.” said Richard.

“So, what is in store for students in Latin this year? The poetry of Catullus has always been one of my favorites especially Poem IV.” As Richard made that last remake, he picked a battered book on his desk and said to Ben. “Let me recite it for you...”

“Phaselus ille, quem videtis, hospites, ait fuisse navium celerrimus, neque ullius natantis impetum trabis nequisse praeterire, sive palmulis opus foret volare sive linteo.

Et hoc negat minacis hadriatici negare litus Insulasve Cycladas Rhodumque nobilem horridamque Thraciam Propontida trucemve Ponticum sinum, ubi iste post phaselus antea fuit comata silva; nam Cyrotio in iugo
loquente saepe sibilum edidit coma.

Amastri Pontica et Cytore buxifer, tibi haec fuisse et esse cognitissima ait phaselus, ultima ex origine tuo stetisse dicit in cacumine, tuo imbuisse palmulas in aequore, et inde tot per impotentia freta erum tulisse (laeva sive dextera vocaret aura, sive utrumque Iuppiter simul secundus incidisset in pedem), neque ulla vota litoralibus deis sibi esse facta, cum veniret a mari novissimo hunc ad usque limpidum lacum.

Sed haec prius fuere: nunc recondita senet quiete seque dedicat tibi, gemelle Castor et gemelle Castoris.” When Richard finished speaking he close the book and placed it back on his desk.

“In English, it means…”

“That boat which you see, guests, says that it was the swiftest of ships, nor the speed of any sailing plank
it was unable to surpass, whether with oars work may have been, or with a sail.

And it denies that the menacing Adriatic's shore denies this, or the Cyclades Islands and famous Rhodes and the rough Thracian Propontis or the pitiless Pontic sea where that afterwards a boat before was a leafy forest; for on a Cytorian ridge, with talking leaves it often spread whistling.

Pontic Amastris and boxwood-bearing Cytorus, to you, that these were and are very known the boat says: from its farthest beginning, it says that it stood on your peak, dipped its "oars" in your water, and thence through so many unruly straits, bore its master (if left or on the right winds called, or if a favorable wind
fell upon each foot at the same time), and that not any vows to the gods of the shore were made by it when it came from the most recent sea right on to this limpid lake.

But these things were before: now in hidden repose it is old and dedicates itself to you, twin Castor and twin of Castor.” Richard explained.

[Benjamin Linus]

Ben didn't expect to be berated for his simple introductory sentence. Of course Jacob knew when school was to start. He was just trying to avoid going from point A to point B without an explanation. But Richard did say that Jacob thought that this new group of students was going to be a huge boon to the Island. He said that last year, before all the students... well, it wasn't pretty. The results of manipulation and an unstable mix of high school goers resulted in what strongly resembled a battle royale, without the rules part.

Ben got a little sick just thinking about it. Jacob didn't predict that, Richard didn't predict that, and Ben sure as hell didn't expect or predict that. He hoped that Jacob really had a leash on things this time.

“For me personally, the first day of class is always very exciting. This year for English 101, we will be reading Carrie by Stephen King. I know its not one your favorite books, but it seems to be very popular with the students and Juliet likes it too.”

True, Ben didn't like Carrie very much. He preferred The Stand to all of King's other works. But he wasn't one to condemn Juliet. He simply shrugged.

"It's kind of an ironic introduction to high school," Ben noted. Well, it was. "It's an interesting choice, to say the least." Ben was glad that Richard had moved away from the subject of Jacob, even though that was all Ben wanted to know about. Ben respected Richard too much to try and divert the conversation again. If Ben needed to know something, surely Richard would tell him.

Ben listened serenely as Richard spoke, with great eloquence, the fourth poem of Catullus. Ben had heard the poem spoken many times before, usually on tape by some Latin scholar, but Richard gave it a life that most people would never be able to muster. But Ben picked up on the inner darkness alluded to in the poem. The ignorance of the people, who ignored the will of their gods and didn't offer prayer for their good fortune, but, with the poem, were trying to explain that they were now fully devoted to the twins, Castor and his nameless brother. Ben always had a disdain for those sailors. Begging for mercy, honestly begging for it (not as an act), rankled him.

"The poetry of Catullus is very beautiful," Ben agreed, "but it's a bit too advanced for the new students. The sophomores will have to tackle that very poem, though." Ben glanced back at the strange puzzle in the corner, electric blue eyes flickering briefly back to Richard's impossibly young face.

"...Do you have any thoughts about the new students? You must have read the files," Ben added quickly.

[Richard Alpert]

“I have read the files and came across the names of a couple of students that may cause some trouble.” “My suggestion is that you keep an eye on the following students: Ms. Austen, Mr. Ford, Mr. Pace and Ms. Cortez.” “Someone recently told me that you had a confrontation with those students.”

Richard remembered that confrontation well and had to hold back a chuckle when he thought of it. Especially when Ben said to Mr. Ford "And what are you doing here, Mr. Ford? Did Miss Austen summon you with the mighty power of her freckles?"

“You need to give the students the correct guidance, if you want them to be at their full potential.” said Richard.

While Richard was waiting for a response from Ben, he tried to finish the ship in the bottle. He picked up a pair of tweezers that was on the desk in front of him.

Richard wanted to know what was Jacob’s plan for the students, as well as Richard’s purpose here at Oceanic High School. Richard had a lot of patience with tasks that required a steady hand and an attention to detail. He also was patient with those around him, even though they could be irritating at times. He felt that he could not what any longer for the answer, but knew that he would have to wait for Jacob to tell him when.

[Benjamin Linus]

“I have read the files and came across the names of a couple of students that may cause some trouble. My suggestion is that you keep an eye on the following students: Ms. Austen, Mr. Ford, Mr. Pace and Ms. Cortez. Someone recently told me that you had a confrontation with those students.

“You need to give the students the correct guidance, if you want them to be at their full potential.”

Ben thought of how he was supposed to respond to that, as Richard resumed work on his ship-in-a-bottle, tweezers at the ready. Ben knew he wasn't ignoring him; on the contrary, he was just biding time, waiting for Ben to reply.

Ben had never been one to give correct guidance. Even when Ben meant well - like the education and raising of his daughter - something always managed to go wrong. And when he didn't mean well... let's just say Ben liked to walk through the chaos and act as the only sane man, "rescuing" those with manipulation and lies, turning people against each other in an effort to test them, bring out the best in them.

Or, as more often happened, bring out the worst in them.

"You can forgive me for wanting to test them, right?" Ben finally said. "...Their full potential might not be enough for them to survive."

There. He'd alluded to it. To all of the its. He turned away uneasily.

"I don't want a repeat of last year."

[Richard Alpert]

“Ben, have more faith in Jacob’s decisions‘.” “When it comes to the well-being of this school, Jacob knows what he is doing.” Richard responded.

Richard did not want to come across, as reprimanding as well as Ben does not want it to sound that he was questioning Jacob.

“Jacob and I do not have a problem with any test that you may give to the students.” “That is if any of them survive your test.” “When I test them it will not be a standard grammar test.” Richard exclaimed as he pointed to a cardboard box that contains: a baseball glove, a book of laws, a vial of sand, a compass, a comic book and a knife.

I hope, this year will be better than the last.” “Well, I better put the ship in the bottle away and start finishing up the student’s assignments for this semester.” “There cannot be any more delays.” “I like talking with you Ben and you are welcomed to come by any time.” said Richard.