About the Black Smoke monster...

[Capn_Matt]

Just a quick question about the black smoke monster...something that's bugged me for quite a while and just sort of popped back into the forefront of my mind after blitzing Lost: Via Domus.

Apologies if it's been covered already and may be a daft question to some, but does anyone know why it stays in the jungle and never goes out onto the beach or anything? I mean I know why it doesn't go towards the flame station etc (the barrier fence with those huge pillars) but I don't get why it doesn't go to the beach or anything...especially given how much it obviously enjoys kicking the living **** out of people (Eko may be missed as a character but holy crap what an awesome way to die!)

I mean...unless it's something really pants like the sunlight would dissipate the cloud so it requires the shade of the jungle canopy or something awful like that...

Any insights?

[az-phil]

Well I haven't read many threads in this forum that discussed what Smokey is either, but I'm happy to give you my two cents... :)

My initial thought was that Smokey is made of Nanobots, and I'm sticking with that thought until they show us more of Smokey.

I read a book once that was about some self propelled Nanobots gone wild, and a few interesting things stick in my mind about how the author portrayed them:

1. They stick together like a hive of bees. Their actions are driven by some simple set of rules that they are programmed with (ex. don't kill bald guys, kill big guys with sticks, stay in forest and freak people out, etc.).

2. They are solar powered, and are primarily active during the day.

3. They stay away from wind, because their simple propeller-like drives can't handle it.

If Smokey is some form of Nanobots, then 1 or 3 above might be a reason he stays away from the beach. Or it could just be some bad ass monster that hates the water. :D

[sublime815]

I mean I know why it doesn't go towards the flame station etc (the barrier fence with those huge pillars) but I don't get why it doesn't go to the beach or anything...


the flame station is on the side of the sonar fence with the smoke.(remember they got mikhail from the flame then locke pushed him through the fence to test it... it was on) the game made a mistake by putting it on the wrong side.

[bunnydixon]

well, i am curious as to why it makes that mechanical sound and lives in a burrow of sorts (is it mutated bunny15?! :p) so perhaps it can only travel within a certain distance?