If the show is in fact about time travel (which seems to be the case by ben asking what year it was and "appearing" in middle of the desert with nothing looking confused - like he just got done time traveling) The lady said it was 2005 which would be the future (or present day?) however; all that time which has already technically happened back in 2004 would not be able to happen if Whidmore or Ben dies. That ultimately I think is Ben and Whidmore's only fear is opening up some type of tear in the universe because of what they are getting themselves into - or some massive in-comprehensive effect that is inevitable if one of them has died in the future and unable to live out the past

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Ted Striker: My orders came through. My squadron ships out tomorrow. We're bombing the storage depots at Daiquiri at 1800 hours. We're coming in from the north, below their radar.

Elaine Dickinson: When will you be back?

Ted Striker: I can't tell you that. It's classified.