Ben meets back up with Richard?

[mkculpe]

If Ben is in 2007 time and he crosses to the larger island, will he run into Richard and his old crew? Or did Richard go back to 1977 with Sawyer, Juliet, Miles, Faraday, and Jin? If Richard did, then there will be 2 Richard's on the island right? And this should be a conflict of interest. I am confused on this. Someone smart please help.

[rock-lobster]

i'm guessing Richard and his merry men stayed in the present, as in the season premier, there was the flash, john and richard and co saw it, and when it was done, they were gone and john was alone.

[losttime]

Why would there be 2 Alperts? Unless he is on the hydra Island at the time the Ajira airlines crashed on the main Island than he would exist in both the yr that Lapidus, Sun, Ben and the rest of the remiaing crew are in as well as the time that Lafleur, and the rest of his group and the DI are in.. Otherwise he is in the time the Losties returned 2 with the DI

[mkculpe]

i'm guessing Richard and his merry men stayed in the present, as in the season premier, there was the flash, john and richard and co saw it, and when it was done, they were gone and john was alone.
So if they stayed in the present, then baring some disease that killed them all, they are in the same time as the people that landed with Ajira 316 right? And if this is the case, then Ben may meet back up with his people.

[Sticks]

i'm guessing Richard and his merry men stayed in the present, as in the season premier, there was the flash, john and richard and co saw it, and when it was done, they were gone and john was alone.

Richard exists in both timelines because he didnt jump with the island. there is no double of him. There's his 1977 self, who just recently had a convo with Sawyer in LaFleur, and a present time 2007 self on the Island who we havent seen yet right? So he's doing god knows what in the present time but maybe it has something to do with why the barracks are all desolate and ransacked?! IMO when the island skipped he was safely snuggling up with the other Others, haha say that 5 times fast, in the comfortable confines of the beloved Temple, which Ben said was the only 'safe' place on the island when he moved the island/turned the wheel. So what i think we all forget is that there are two totally seperate island timelines going on right now and my humble opinion is that currently the only ones who might of have run into/crossed paths with thier own doubles are the ones who jumped, during the period of time the island was skipping through time, or those i like to affectionatly call the 'flashies'. i think if Ben makes it back to the island, it will be in 2007 island timeline and he will most likely find 2007 Richard and be brought up to speed on what's been going on for the past 3 years. Now this opens another question which Erratic Pendulum brought up,(2 Bens thread) if Ben/Locke/Sun find a way to get back to 1977 then what role will old Ben have with young Ben and can he even talk to him? Does Ben even know what or if there would be consequences to doing so. If i were Ben i know i wouldn't be able to resist manipulating possibly the most important person he could ever manipulate, his young self! Maybe he does and maybe thats the 'incident' which shakes the fabric of time??? IDK Im just as curious as anybody but this incident thing better be awesome or I'm going to be pissed!! :D