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Welcome to Students Incorporated, a podcast exploring the topics of business, education,

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technology and design.

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I'm your host, Mr. Jason.

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Join me weekly as my team and I produce content that's informative, positive, fun and uplifting.

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Episodes include student conversations, interviews with thought leaders and inspirational stories

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with an international flavor.

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This podcast is created and produced with the help of students from the International

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Community School of Bangkok.

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Hello and welcome back.

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I'm Mr. Jason and today I'm joined by our guest, Mr. Joe Run, a technologist who works

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in the fields of AI and data science.

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Then for segment two, we'll continue with part six of our story, The Secrets of El Dorado.

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But before we get into segment one, let's get our quote of the day and hear some headline

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news.

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Our first story of the day comes from Smarty Pants, which is an AI powered chatbot Mr.

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Jason created using OpenAI's LLM API.

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We asked Smarty Pants to give us a quote about the impact that smart machines and AI have

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on our lives.

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So it's just talking about itself here.

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Now here's what Smarty Pants said, artificial intelligence is not here to replace humans,

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but to complement humans and enhance human abilities.

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Together we can achieve unimaginable feats and create a future where a man and machine

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can work seamlessly together in harmony.

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This quote suggests that the relationship between humans and AI will be somewhat symbiotic

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and highlights the potential for AI to augment and extend the range of human abilities rather

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than serving as a replacement for human labor and thought.

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It seems that Smarty Pants suggests that the integration of AI into various aspects of

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life and work can lead to unprecedented levels of achievement, innovation, and efficiency.

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Harmony suggests a future where humans and machines can collaborate and leverage each

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other's strengths.

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And that's our quote of the day.

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Now onto some headline news.

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With the rapid development of AI and concerns regarding it, the US and UK governments have

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signed an MOU to develop rigorous testing for AI systems.

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The joint collaboration between the UK's AI Safety Institute and the US's new AI organization

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will exchange research information regarding AI testing and the capability of their technology

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as well as sharing research on the capability of current and new AI technologies to further

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both parties' understanding of AI.

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Alongside both the US and UK's decision to regulate and restrict AI models, this agreement

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will help determine which AI models pose a threat to national security.

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On our next news, featuring special guests such as the CEO of OpenAI, Her Majesty Princess

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Beatrice and Japanese Vice Minister for International Affairs, the annual AI for Good summit this

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year on May 30th to May 31st in Geneva will focus on the topic of meeting the UN SDG goals

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in time through the help of AI technology.

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Through workshops, keynotes, discoveries and many more activities throughout the summit,

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participants will be able to learn about how AI can be utilized for the betterment of life

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on Earth and connect with like-minded individuals or leaders in the AI industry.

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Onto our last news for today.

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Microscope and OpenAI have announced plans of a supercomputer they are developing that

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could cost up to $100 billion.

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The supercomputer, named Stargate, would be the final part of a five-phase series of supercomputer

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installations and could launch as early as 2028.

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Stargate would have an astounding amount of computing power but would require several

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gigawatts of power as a consequence of its power.

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Microscope and OpenAI have considered nuclear power as a way of powering their supercomputer,

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showing how much money and effort these companies are willing to sink in in order to further

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their AI technologies.

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And that ends our headline news.

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We are back for our first segment and we have a special guest named Mr. Jaron with us today.

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We will get to hear his journey into technology and then get into the topic of AI and where

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the future may be heading.

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Premi will get us started with our first question.

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Can you introduce yourself and tell us what you do for a job now?

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Um, yeah, my name is Jaron.

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I currently I am a director at CJ Express Group.

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I run this technology innovation group at CJ.

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We are working and building things related to data AI to help with the retail business.

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Can you share with us what initially drew you into the field of technology and more

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specifically into artificial intelligence and machine learning?

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So I like to play with toys.

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When I was younger I tried to break things and then it started off with when there was

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basically I have to pick the screen that I have to attend during the college.

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So that's when I picked the electric engineering.

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So hoping that I could get to play with different kind of technology.

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Over the course of time I guess my work has been related with my senior project.

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I did something with the Eero network which at that time I don't even know what that

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AI was about.

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But it was interesting to see how I became right at the simple mathematical model and

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the idea of learning using algorithms to learn from data and then evolve into something.

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It becomes embedded everywhere in the application around us.

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What have been some challenges you've faced so far in your career?

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So I think it's at a different stage of my career right in the past if I were in the

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technical.

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Right now I'm more in the management.

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When I was doing the technical most of the time I pretty much just try to pick up and

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learn things so that I can work on the thing that I get assigned to do.

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But when I become more doing more management I think a lot of the issues that I have to

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deal with on a daily basis is a little bit more on trying to clear the blocker, try to

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deal with different people issues, try to make sure that all the coordination is sorted

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out.

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It's just a different stage of your career where you have to deal with most of the time

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I think eventually I guess the underlying thing is dealing with people.

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That makes sense for sure.

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And on the flip side as we've talked about challenges you've faced so far in your career,

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what would you consider to be some of the achievements or milestones in your career

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so far?

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Achievement I guess is more about getting to learn new things and getting out of it.

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One other thing that I kind of think might be the highlight of my career was pretty much

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when I was working in the US as a part of a team to do IDF detection modeling to detect

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fraud, basically people stealing somebody else's ID and then try to get tax return.

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So we kind of saved the IRS which is basically the tax agency in the US, a number of millions

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of dollars.

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I think that was pretty much I would say that's the highlight.

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The other part was pretty much when I came back to Thailand in 2016, I basically kind

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of helped build the team, the data science team.

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It was at that time it was quite early in Thailand to have that kind of capability.

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We became sort of like a good brand, you know, a company that helped with the service.

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We became better known among the people in the industry about like if you want to build

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data like AI, then people know what service is about.

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So those are probably two of the highlights that I had.

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Along the data science field of what you talked about, what would you say are some common

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misconceptions about AI and machine learning that you encounter?

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Well, people probably get a lot from the movie, right?

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AI could do everything for you, could solve everything.

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I think that's a lot of my misconception, right?

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You have to define the problem for AI to solve.

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You have to provide the data on that specific domain for the machine learning to learn from.

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So it's not like the ready, everything is automated, everything.

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Most people still have that notion from the movie, right?

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It can work a lot, it can do everything.

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Yeah, for sure.

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I do think that's definitely a misconception that we do see that most people still believe

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in everyday life.

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And moving on, what do you believe are some important ethical considerations in the development

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and application of AI and machine learning?

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Yeah, I think that AI technology is one of the technologies that deal with decision making.

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So when you add AI and empower as part of your decision making, it sometimes could buy

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at your decision.

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For example, if you have a model where you want to give the loan to the people, right?

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If your data has, say, for example, like a race or nationality, the data in the past

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might tell you that, you know, like in the past majority of the people who got loan rejected

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are the people who may be African-American, right?

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If you use that type of data into your model, you're going to get a lot of respect.

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And once the model sees that the person is African-American.

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So that's the kind of thing that, you know, it's a buy-ass that could happen.

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And even some of the application could be like, so for example, the diagnostic of cancer.

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If you say you have a model that predicts that, yeah, this looks like this particular

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skin, this piece of skin looks like a cancer, would you let that, you know, would you, if,

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say, when you try to build it, you know, if the accuracy of the model say it's 80%, would

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you just let the model tell you that this is, you know, 80% chance of being having a

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cancer?

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Or would you have it with the judgment of the people?

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So I think how you use it come into play as well on how you manage the ethical of the

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AI machine.

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How do you see AI and machine learning transforming our everyday lives in the next five years?

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I think it's already there, right?

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That's kind of your life, right?

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When you do a Google search, all the data that underlying is under the Google search

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engine, it's pretty much, it's basically built by, you know, it's the machine learning

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and AI is running behind it.

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Or you take a picture and then you, you know, I think we tried one time, right?

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We take a picture of a flower and then all of a sudden it just went out and then searched

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for the name of the picture.

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It's not also AI, right?

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Autonomous driving, right?

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You could drive a car, you let the car drive by itself, that's AI.

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So it's already everywhere, right?

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So I think the thing that will change in the next five years, I guess it's probably the

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role of the new like all this GPT related thing, right?

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Anything with language, anything with this new model that will become, make your search

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for knowledge or understanding around the world become easier.

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And also, it's going to give you a lot more to explore, I guess.

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There's a lot more that you can do.

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Yeah, for sure.

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And I think it's like really impressive to think back to where we were, say, like five

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years before and to see like how much we've come now.

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And it's definitely an exciting age that we live in.

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And how do you envision the future relationship between humans and machines involving, especially

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in the workplace and in our personal lives?

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It will become more interesting.

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I guess the interaction of people, human and everything will become more intertwined.

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I still hardly imagine that, you know, soon you'll be talking to a bot that could answer

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or have a character, just like the thing that you've seen in the movie, right?

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Kind of like, you know, whatever that is.

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A dog can speak, a robot dog can speak.

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The intelligence, the thing that could interact with you around.

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So you were saying how soon intertwined technology would be with humans.

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Are there any emerging technologies or innovations within AI and machine learning that excite

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you the most and why?

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Yeah, I think that GBT thing is quite exciting.

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I think in general, I'm just hoping to see more on how this becomes part of your life,

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right?

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And I'm still waiting to see how the sum of those augmented reality, all these meta worlds

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come to play.

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I think it's been quite a hype last year, but I haven't seen anything materialized yet.

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I guess it's because of probably the infrastructure readiness is not there.

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But yeah, I think the current general class of what we call this generative AI, right?

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Chat, GBT, all this thing that could generate, you know, and could convert text to image

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to video or could either convert video into text, whatever that is translation.

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I think this is actually how you utilize it and application of this is actually quite

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an exciting area.

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Yeah, for sure.

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I think generative AI or like especially like the different mediums of information that like

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technology has allowed information to be processed by the different mediums is definitely very

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exciting.

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And finally, usually like to end our segments by seeking advice from our guests.

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So our last question for you is, what advice would you give to young professionals or students

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who are aspiring to enter the field of AI and machine learning?

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We're going to be living in a world where all this embedded robot or embedded Internet

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ends around you, right?

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You probably will.

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When you go to school, you definitely will get to learn all this outside.

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It's by different kind of things, you know, calculus, statistics, programming, these are

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the three core at least subject if you're going to be doing anything with AI machine

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learning.

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But at the same time, don't forget that you need to learn how to communicate, right?

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The soft skill, how you learn about the society, how you understand the psychology, because

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everything at the end of the day, what if you're going to be in this area or whether

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you're going to be in this area or not, right?

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What you should try to understand is what would this type of technology would have an

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implication in your life, right?

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Because it changed the way people live.

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It definitely is going to change the people how individually will live.

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But when you look at it as a whole, it will change the whole, how it will shape the whole

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society as well.

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So how would that affect every piece of things?

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Those are the kind of areas.

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I think, you know, as you progress in your career, in your study, I think it's interesting

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type of questions that you want to explore because one way or the other, it will definitely

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affect your life.

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And you want to always be prepared, right?

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How you navigate this change of basically the technological impact.

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So this will be something I would definitely highly recommend that, you know, don't forget

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anything about soft skills, communications related stuff that you should explore so that

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it will make you well rounded.

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Sure.

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Thank you so much for that insightful advice.

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And thank you so much again for joining us on our show.

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And that ends segment one of this episode.

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Stick around as we continue with part six of our story, The Secrets of El Dorado.

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Part six is titled The Underground Network.

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We'll be right back after this short PSA.

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Attention all high school students.

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Don't miss out on the opportunity to support your fellow classmates at the upcoming High

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School Tri-Sport Eagles Night.

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Come out and cheer for our talented athletes as they compete in basketball, soccer and

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volleyball.

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Join us this Friday from four to six p.m. in the arc to show your school spirit and

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help lift our athletes to victory.

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Let's fill the stands with the sheers, high fives and positive energy to help our team

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succeed.

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So grab your friends or your school colors and come be a part of the excitement at the

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High School Tri-Sport Eagles Night.

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Let's show our support for the hard work and dedication of our ICS athletes.

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We'll see you there.

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We are back for our second segment and we will continue with part six titled The Underground

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Network.

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But first, Rebecca will give us a quick recap from our last episode.

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In the previous episode, we find Ethan and Professor Hawthorne on Rob's Peak.

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Their day out exploring three separate old gold mines revealed several significant findings,

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which included an unknown element from mine site number three.

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Their discoveries hint at a hidden connection between the old mines, the manuscript Professor

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Hawthorne has and Chen's handwritten note.

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Meanwhile, at the reservoir, Sierra and Ava overhear a suspicious conversation from a

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secret group of people that seem to be important.

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Staying out of sight, they attempt to discreetly capture a photo of the group while recording

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the group's conversation.

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However, their spying takes a turn for the worse with the top of the picnic table they

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were standing on breaks with a loud noise.

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Sierra and Ava have to quickly hide before being seen.

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Thank you, Rebecca.

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And without further ado, let's get back into our story where we join Ava, Lily, Sierra,

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Ethan and the Professor.

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We're back with Ava and Sierra having left off as the top corner of the picnic table

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they were standing on broke with a loud cracking noise.

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The people in the meeting room go immediately silent, now aware that someone is outside

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possibly listening to their entire conversation.

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Ava and Sierra quickly pick themselves up off the ground and run to the backside of

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the small building which faces the spillway side of the dam.

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There is a short five foot drop off to a narrow ledge which runs along the entire length of

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the top of the dam.

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Below this narrow ledge is a 60 foot drop off almost straight down to the bottom of

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the spillway.

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Without thinking, they quickly and carefully climb down onto the narrow ledge.

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They did this to hide from whoever was coming out of the building to see what the noise

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was.

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The girls have to be careful not to slip.

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If they did, they would fall straight down to their death.

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Thankfully, the wind is light and the ledge is dry.

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They press their bodies firmly against the side concrete.

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Ava breathes heavily, catching her breath.

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Her feet are firmly planted on the ground and she looks at Sierra.

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Look at Sierra, she thinks to herself.

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Don't look down, don't look down, don't look.

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Suddenly, Ava hears the sound of the people in the meeting scurrying as they walk around

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above them and around the building, stretching for the source of the noise.

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Sierra presses her fingers to her lips, signaling to Ava to be quiet.

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She also hopes Ava knows that they have to be super still and careful not to fall as

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their backs and hands are pressed up against the exposed side of the spillway.

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Sierra grabs Ava's hands and squeezes it, almost as if saying, We can do this together,

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just hold on and don't move.

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As Ava and Sierra stand there in silence and not moving for what seems like forever, they

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suddenly hear some voices from up above, not for their whip, maybe from the small parking

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lot.

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Didn't the visuals in the meeting sound like they're all getting into their cars, starting

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their engines and driving away?

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Ava looks at Sierra next to her and mouths, or my car.

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Meanwhile, Professor Hawthorne and Ethan had wrapped up their time on Robb's Peak by

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exploring all three old gold mine sites.

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They had been on the mountain longer than intended as it was now getting dark.

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However, the day wasn't a total bust as the professor had made an interesting discovery

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in the third mine.

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So he thinks.

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After making their way back where the professor had parked his Bronco, they decided to take

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the south road back to town, even though it will take an extra 30 minutes.

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The south route back to town runs right by the reservoir where Ethan's tracking device

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shows Lily to be, and where Ava and Sierra most likely are as well.

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Professor Hawthorne tells Ethan, If your tracking device shows that Lily is still at the reservoir

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by the time we get there, let's stop and meet them.

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Maybe we can regroup and catch up on what's been happening.

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While driving back, Ethan keeps an eye on his device screen, which shows him that the

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device he put in Lily's backpack is still located at the reservoir.

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Ethan also notices that the vehicle behind them has been following them since they left

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the mountain.

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Ethan thinks to himself, could this vehicle be following us?

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Ethan's not sure if Professor Hawthorne notices the car, but decides to keep it to himself,

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especially when the professor turns into the reservoir access road and the car behind them

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continues straight.

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The car does not follow the professor and Ethan onto the reservoir access road, which

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leads to a parking lot by the dam.

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However, Ethan turns around and looks south the backside window as they turn onto the

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access road to get a look at the car behind them as it passes by.

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Ethan notices that it is black and dark blue and has a different style license plate than

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a standard California tag.

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Finally, Professor Hawthorne and Ethan reach the reservoir parking area by the dam and

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spilled way.

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According to Ethan's calculations and his tracking software, this was the area Lily

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was to be.

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The professor steers his Bronco into the small parking area and parks it near the small building

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next to the dam and spillway.

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Meanwhile, Sierra tilts her head, eyes silently questioning Ava whether they were ready to

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try and climb out of this position somehow.

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But first, they needed to figure out if the people were gone.

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Ava gives her a thumbs up, naughty.

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Okay, phew, that was close.

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We can talk now, I think they're gone.

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Let's…

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Ava is cut off by the word of a car engine that seemed to just enter the parking lot.

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Sierra feels chills down her spine.

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Oh no, she thought they were safe with the people being gone.

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One of the cars must have come back.

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Sierra takes a deep breath before succumbing to the silence again.

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They must be quiet.

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Ava and Sierra hold their breath as they hear footsteps approaching, crushing the gravel

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in the parking lot, louder and louder.

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They do not hear voices at first, but as the mysterious people get closer, they're able

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to make out what they were saying.

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Something about mines and gold, something about drones.

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Ava's eyebrows scrunched.

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Who are these people?

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The voices sound familiar.

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Sierra, as it turns out, has been trying to do the same thing, figuring out who the people

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were.

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Suddenly, Sierra whispers to Ava, I think that's Ethan and the professor.

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I think you're right, Ava whispers back with a smile.

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Taking a chance, Sierra shouts out, Ethan?

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Professor?

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We're stuck over here, on the ledge over the spillway.

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We can't get up ourselves.

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Can't you help us get up?

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Ethan asks the professor if he hears them.

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Do you hear that, professor?

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Ethan says to the professor.

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The voices sound familiar.

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In fact, it sounds like Sierra.

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Professor Hawthorne looks over at Ethan and says, I do hear that, but I can't tell where

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it's coming from.

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Follow me, Ethan says.

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It's coming from that building.

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Ethan walks towards the small building, which sits next to the dam of the professor.

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They both notice a broken picnic table along one of the sides of the building and then

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hear Sierra's voice once again calling out.

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Hey guys, we are down here, on the ledge, Sierra says again with confidence as she is

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sure she recognizes Ethan's voice since she works for him every day in the cafe.

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Ethan cautiously moves around the backside of the building, which overlooks the spillway

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and includes a drop off that goes straight down almost 60 feet.

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Ethan looks down and sees both girls looking up at him.

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Professor, they're here, Ethan says to the professor as the professor rounds the corner

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of the building to where Ethan is standing.

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Professor Hawthorne immediately freezes as he is looking down at both Sierra and Ava,

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who are standing pressed against the ledge wall with a 60 foot drop beneath them.

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The following questions enter the professor's mind.

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How did they get themselves into this position?

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And more importantly, why did they climb down there?

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That seems like a very foolhardy thing to do.

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How are they going to get out if we didn't show up?

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And most importantly, how are they going to get out safely?

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Well, we found two of them.

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Ethan whispered to Professor Hawthorne not wanting Sierra and Ava to hear him.

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The professor nods back and says, we need to help them up before they slip and fall.

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This is a very dangerous situation and I don't want it to end up tragically.

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The professor goes on, we must not panic.

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I mean, I must not panic.

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We can't have them falling.

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The professor looks down at Sierra and Ava and says, can you turn around on the ledge

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slowly and reach your hands up to Ethan and I?

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We will grab your hands and pull you up one by one.

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Make sure you hold on to our hands really firmly, okay?

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Get a strong grip and we'll do the rest.

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Professor Hawthorne instructs the girls and Ethan, making sure his voice is level and

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calm or at least calm enough.

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Do you want me to go first, Ava?

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Sierra asked before she remembers.

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Oh, you're scared of heights, aren't you?

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What's best for you?

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If you go first or if I do, I'm good with anything.

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Uh, Ava hesitates internally telling herself to absolutely not look down.

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I'm too scared to move right now.

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Is it okay?

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Can you go first?

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Sure, of course.

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Sierra shoots Ava a reassuring smile before making sure she's pressed against the ledge.

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Sierra slowly and carefully turns herself around so she is now facing the wall, pressed

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up against it firmly with both her arms raised up.

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With her hands and part of her arms reaching slightly above the edge of the ledge, she

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is thinking that safety is only seconds away.

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She looks up at the professor and Ethan who are standing right above her and says, I'm

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ready.

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Pull me up.

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Ethan raises two pairs of arms, hoist Sierra up.

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Sierra looks confident, gripping onto the arms and holding on tight.

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Ava feels her heart in her throat.

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A blink of an eye later, Sierra is out of sight, safely off the ledge and topside.

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Her heart beats even more fiercely.

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Your turn, Ava.

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Are you ready?

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Ethan shouts out.

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No, Ava screams inside her head.

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Instead, she croaks a smile.

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Okay.

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She hears her rapid breathing and in a distance, she hears Sierra shouting words of encouragement.

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She follows what she saw Sierra do earlier.

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Turn around slowly and cautiously raise her arms, hands and arms up high.

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Ready?

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All right.

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The professor says, hold on tight.

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Ava swallows, channeling all her remaining strength to hold on.

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She lets out a scream as she feels her feet being lifted off of the ground.

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Her feet dangle in the air now.

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In the realization, she panics.

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Ah, she screams.

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And in the haze, as all logic and reason slip into pure fright, faintly you registers her

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sweaty palms slipping away from the grip, slowly, slowly, slowly, slipping away into

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Ava's sides back down on the ledge, her feet barely catching again.

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Ooh, that was too close for comfort.

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Let's try that again, Ava.

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Only this time, dry the palms of your hands off and your pants first.

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We got you, professor says.

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Sierra can only imagine what was going on on the other side of the ledge.

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Remembering how scared Ava can be with heights, she remembers the technique their friends

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use when Ava panicked.

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Ava, stop!

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Sierra yells out.

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She hopes this would snap Ava out of her panic.

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Calm down.

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Listen to me, okay?

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Breathe in.

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One, two, three.

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Breathe out.

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One, two, three.

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Okay, good.

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Stay with me, Ava.

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Ava breathes in and out, focusing on following what Sierra tells her to do.

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She ignores the sensation of being in air, rising up and up in the possibility of what

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could have happened.

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00:30:51,760 --> 00:30:52,760
No, don't think about that.

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She scolds herself, instead focusing on Sierra's clear voice, instructing her to breathe in

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and out.

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Breathe in and out.

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Breathe in and out.

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You can open your eyes now, Ava, Sierra says.

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00:31:03,680 --> 00:31:04,680
Good job.

473
00:31:04,680 --> 00:31:05,680
We're alive.

474
00:31:05,680 --> 00:31:10,360
Ava takes a deep breath and opens her eyes to see her standing in front of Sierra.

475
00:31:10,360 --> 00:31:14,400
She can tell that her feet are firmly planted on the ground once again.

476
00:31:14,400 --> 00:31:19,360
She tackles Sierra into a hug, thanking her for her calm voice and encouragement.

477
00:31:19,360 --> 00:31:24,320
She also thanks Ethan and the professor for their steady hands and for showing up when

478
00:31:24,320 --> 00:31:25,440
they did.

479
00:31:25,440 --> 00:31:29,680
Professor Hawthorne says, I'm really, really glad Ethan and I found you out here tonight

480
00:31:29,680 --> 00:31:31,160
and that everything went well.

481
00:31:31,160 --> 00:31:36,720
Otherwise, I don't know if I would have been able to live with what thankfully didn't happen.

482
00:31:36,720 --> 00:31:40,880
Ethan agrees and is standing there in silence as he's coming down from the adrenaline rush

483
00:31:40,880 --> 00:31:43,040
that still palming through his veins.

484
00:31:43,040 --> 00:31:48,000
Alright, he glances back again to check that Sierra and Ava are safe and says, is Lily

485
00:31:48,000 --> 00:31:49,280
on the ledge as well?

486
00:31:49,280 --> 00:31:50,880
I didn't see her.

487
00:31:50,880 --> 00:31:53,480
Sierra's eyes grow wide.

488
00:31:53,480 --> 00:31:55,120
What do you mean, Professor?

489
00:31:55,120 --> 00:31:56,120
Lily's not with us.

490
00:31:56,120 --> 00:32:01,560
Ava is still a little shaken from earlier but manages to ask, wait, why did you think

491
00:32:01,560 --> 00:32:03,960
Lily was with us?

492
00:32:03,960 --> 00:32:07,400
Professor Hawthorne looks at Ethan as if expectantly.

493
00:32:07,400 --> 00:32:12,080
A few seconds later, Ethan feels the gaze of Sierra and Ava on him too.

494
00:32:12,080 --> 00:32:14,800
Uh, he says, I can explain.

495
00:32:14,800 --> 00:32:19,160
In a few words, he explains how the day before he had slipped one of the small paper clip

496
00:32:19,160 --> 00:32:22,520
tracking devices into Lily's bag without thinking much about it.

497
00:32:22,520 --> 00:32:26,380
He only wanted to test out the range of the device since they agreed that Lily would go

498
00:32:26,380 --> 00:32:30,400
to the college and Ethan and the Professor would go to Rob's Peak.

499
00:32:30,400 --> 00:32:34,880
He then went on to tell them how later on, he received a notification from the tracking

500
00:32:34,880 --> 00:32:38,200
device once he had gotten service on the mountain.

501
00:32:38,200 --> 00:32:42,280
The notification from his tracking software showed Lily's location to be here at the

502
00:32:42,280 --> 00:32:43,880
reservoir.

503
00:32:43,880 --> 00:32:47,800
Ethan then said that he told the Professor about it and that they both then assumed that

504
00:32:47,800 --> 00:32:51,280
Lily must be with Ava and Sierra at the same place.

505
00:32:51,280 --> 00:32:55,320
Together Sierra and Ava, ohhhhh, in understanding.

506
00:32:55,320 --> 00:32:57,800
Before Sierra asks, so where is Lily then?

507
00:32:57,800 --> 00:33:00,480
Does your software show she's here somewhere?

508
00:33:00,480 --> 00:33:04,760
Ethan pulls out his phone and opens up his tracking software and a map of the area around

509
00:33:04,760 --> 00:33:06,280
the reservoir appears.

510
00:33:06,280 --> 00:33:10,680
The map shows a blinking red dot showing Lily's location.

511
00:33:10,680 --> 00:33:14,800
Ethan then says while pointing to the map on the device screen, hmmm, according to the

512
00:33:14,800 --> 00:33:18,280
tracking device, Lily is here a little to our right.

513
00:33:18,280 --> 00:33:21,520
They all glance up to the right, following Ethan's line of sight.

514
00:33:21,520 --> 00:33:25,720
The small utility building that the people had been in earlier stood there.

515
00:33:25,720 --> 00:33:30,560
Ava, feeling much better now, rushes to the metal doors to enter into the small building.

516
00:33:30,560 --> 00:33:31,560
The others follow.

517
00:33:31,560 --> 00:33:34,920
Alright, we should be safe to go in, Ava says.

518
00:33:34,920 --> 00:33:48,520
As Ava said, Ava pushes the metal doors as they slowly creak to open.

519
00:33:48,520 --> 00:33:52,520
Together the group moves into the small space, which is now only dimly lit by the moonlight

520
00:33:52,520 --> 00:33:55,440
coming in through the small side of the half window.

521
00:33:55,440 --> 00:33:57,760
They quickly scan through while calling out Lily's name.

522
00:33:57,760 --> 00:33:59,240
Lily, where are you?

523
00:33:59,240 --> 00:34:00,240
Are you in here?

524
00:34:00,240 --> 00:34:03,960
Ava says with some hesitancy as she looks around.

525
00:34:03,960 --> 00:34:08,440
Ava recognizes the meeting table and the chairs that had been used up earlier by the secret

526
00:34:08,440 --> 00:34:11,360
group who was meeting in the first place.

527
00:34:11,360 --> 00:34:15,520
She also spots the chair that the mysterious person sat in, the one whose face they couldn't

528
00:34:15,520 --> 00:34:17,600
see because of the angled window.

529
00:34:17,600 --> 00:34:21,280
With every growing second, Sierra's worry grows.

530
00:34:21,280 --> 00:34:24,120
Where could Lily possibly be, she thinks to herself.

531
00:34:24,120 --> 00:34:28,680
The room is small, no other doors or spaces to hide, just a square room with some utility

532
00:34:28,680 --> 00:34:32,080
panels on the wall and the table and chairs.

533
00:34:32,080 --> 00:34:35,360
Lily was obviously not in the small room.

534
00:34:35,360 --> 00:34:36,800
Sierra thinks to herself.

535
00:34:36,800 --> 00:34:38,660
This doesn't make any sense.

536
00:34:38,660 --> 00:34:43,280
Maybe the tracking device is not working properly or maybe Lily is there around the building

537
00:34:43,280 --> 00:34:45,440
somewhere and can't hear them.

538
00:34:45,440 --> 00:34:47,480
What if she's unconscious?

539
00:34:47,480 --> 00:34:50,120
Or worse, what if she is…

540
00:34:50,120 --> 00:34:52,400
Sierra's thoughts spiral down and she knows it.

541
00:34:52,400 --> 00:34:55,280
This often happens when she's worried or anxious.

542
00:34:55,280 --> 00:34:59,560
There's got to be a switch that turns on the light, she thinks.

543
00:34:59,560 --> 00:35:01,080
Now where can that be?

544
00:35:01,080 --> 00:35:03,160
She whispers to herself.

545
00:35:03,160 --> 00:35:07,040
She fumbles against the wall until her hand finds the switch.

546
00:35:07,040 --> 00:35:12,000
The light flickers on thanks to the one fluorescent light bulb hanging from the ceiling above

547
00:35:12,000 --> 00:35:13,400
the table.

548
00:35:13,400 --> 00:35:17,640
Now scan the room for anything that could tell you where Lily is.

549
00:35:17,640 --> 00:35:19,560
She sees it, Lily's backpack.

550
00:35:19,560 --> 00:35:23,500
She sees the backpack sitting on the floor in the back corner of the room and quickly

551
00:35:23,500 --> 00:35:26,160
walks over to it and picks it up.

552
00:35:26,160 --> 00:35:29,040
Lily's backpack, Ethan exclaims.

553
00:35:29,040 --> 00:35:33,280
Ethan walks over to Sierra who is holding the backpack and reaches into the side blocking

554
00:35:33,280 --> 00:35:35,440
and says, here it is.

555
00:35:35,440 --> 00:35:37,680
This is the tracking device I put in yesterday.

556
00:35:37,680 --> 00:35:38,960
It works just fine.

557
00:35:38,960 --> 00:35:41,000
Where's Lily though?

558
00:35:41,000 --> 00:35:45,320
Sierra's voice shakes a little as she looks up at the others who are standing there.

559
00:35:45,320 --> 00:35:50,800
Eva is still squinting from the bright fluorescent lights as she says, Lily's not here but

560
00:35:50,800 --> 00:35:52,920
her backpack is here.

561
00:35:52,920 --> 00:35:56,200
Eva frowns, her mind immediately piecing together the puzzle.

562
00:35:56,200 --> 00:36:01,040
Oh no, the people who are meeting in here have her, all the Chen.

563
00:36:01,040 --> 00:36:03,720
We heard them talking about it and recorded it.

564
00:36:03,720 --> 00:36:06,280
Hold on, what people from before?

565
00:36:06,280 --> 00:36:08,480
Professor Hawthorne takes a step back.

566
00:36:08,480 --> 00:36:13,320
Eva explains how they saw the government issued cars and they heard voices eavesdropping on

567
00:36:13,320 --> 00:36:15,820
a secret meeting between several people.

568
00:36:15,820 --> 00:36:19,800
The picnic table, the loud noise from the broken picnic table, the people coming out

569
00:36:19,800 --> 00:36:24,080
to investigate and why she and Sierra had to be rescued from the ledge.

570
00:36:24,080 --> 00:36:29,240
Oh wow, the professor says, I was going to ask you both how you ended up on that steep

571
00:36:29,240 --> 00:36:33,760
ledge but got caught up worrying about Lily and if she had fallen.

572
00:36:33,760 --> 00:36:38,920
And now everything has just happened so fast, it's starting to make some sense now.

573
00:36:38,920 --> 00:36:41,040
Do you remember what they were saying?

574
00:36:41,040 --> 00:36:42,840
Were you able to see who they were?

575
00:36:42,840 --> 00:36:43,840
Even us?

576
00:36:43,840 --> 00:36:48,040
He had been quiet for a while, thinking about the day's events and wondering how compared

577
00:36:48,040 --> 00:36:51,480
to today, yesterday had been so uneventful.

578
00:36:51,480 --> 00:36:56,320
Eva nods, she then glances over at Sierra, Sierra could not stop pacing back and forth

579
00:36:56,320 --> 00:36:57,720
in her worry for Lily.

580
00:36:57,720 --> 00:37:01,680
Eva touches Sierra's shoulder saying, Sierra I know you're worried, we all are, but right

581
00:37:01,680 --> 00:37:04,080
now freaking out isn't going to help.

582
00:37:04,080 --> 00:37:08,080
How about we play the recordings we took and then maybe their conversation will tell us

583
00:37:08,080 --> 00:37:11,760
where they could have taken Lily and possibly Chen too.

584
00:37:11,760 --> 00:37:16,560
Sierra nods and sits down on one of the chairs at the table, the others do the same.

585
00:37:16,560 --> 00:37:21,560
Alright, Eva says, pulling up the recording app and suddenly feeling a shot of gratitude

586
00:37:21,560 --> 00:37:25,120
for having thought to record the conversation before pressing play.

587
00:37:25,120 --> 00:37:27,560
Here we go, this is what we heard.

588
00:37:27,560 --> 00:37:31,880
Professor Hawthorne looks down at the table as he listens intently to the recording.

589
00:37:31,880 --> 00:37:38,040
He then looks up and freezes when he hears a very familiar voice and blurt out, no way.

590
00:37:38,040 --> 00:37:40,520
Eva pauses the recording, asking what?

591
00:37:40,520 --> 00:37:44,760
That's Professor Sharpton from the science department at the college, where at least

592
00:37:44,760 --> 00:37:46,680
that sounds just like him.

593
00:37:46,680 --> 00:37:49,120
In fact, I'm sure it's his voice.

594
00:37:49,120 --> 00:37:52,880
I'd put money on it, Professor Hawthorne explains.

595
00:37:52,880 --> 00:38:00,120
Sierra exchanges glances with Eva, before both of them respond, oh, that's why.

596
00:38:00,120 --> 00:38:03,480
No wonder they thought that voice sounded familiar when they heard it.

597
00:38:03,480 --> 00:38:08,560
They had run into Professor Sharpton two days ago while looking for Chen at the college.

598
00:38:08,560 --> 00:38:12,680
Both Sierra and Eva now realize this is the man who was sitting in the chair below the

599
00:38:12,680 --> 00:38:16,120
window and whose face they were not able to see.

600
00:38:16,120 --> 00:38:18,520
This was Professor Sharpton's.

601
00:38:18,520 --> 00:38:21,920
Professor Hawthorne could not believe his ears, quite literally.

602
00:38:21,920 --> 00:38:24,840
Dumbfounded, he says, what?

603
00:38:24,840 --> 00:38:26,540
There's no way.

604
00:38:26,540 --> 00:38:29,200
He's one of my oldest friends at the college.

605
00:38:29,200 --> 00:38:31,560
He's the chair of the science department.

606
00:38:31,560 --> 00:38:34,040
We've worked together for years.

607
00:38:34,040 --> 00:38:35,820
This is impossible.

608
00:38:35,820 --> 00:38:38,200
This has got to be a mistake.

609
00:38:38,200 --> 00:38:40,240
I just can't believe it.

610
00:38:40,240 --> 00:38:45,000
Professor Hawthorne explains, his voice getting louder and louder into a shout.

611
00:38:45,000 --> 00:38:48,200
Professor, Eva says, turning to face him.

612
00:38:48,200 --> 00:38:52,920
I understand your disbelief, but why are you defending him?

613
00:38:52,920 --> 00:38:54,760
What do you mean by that, Eva?

614
00:38:54,760 --> 00:38:56,760
Professor Hawthorne asks.

615
00:38:56,760 --> 00:38:59,000
Why do you refuse to believe he's involved in this?

616
00:38:59,000 --> 00:39:00,240
It's clearly his voice.

617
00:39:00,240 --> 00:39:03,680
It's almost like you're trying to defend him, Eva rushes, feeling the adrenaline the

618
00:39:03,680 --> 00:39:07,600
way she usually does when she's on the brink of another discovery.

619
00:39:07,600 --> 00:39:09,520
What else are you hiding, Professor?

620
00:39:09,520 --> 00:39:10,520
What?

621
00:39:10,520 --> 00:39:12,000
Where is this coming from?

622
00:39:12,000 --> 00:39:13,480
What would I have to hide?

623
00:39:13,480 --> 00:39:17,640
Professor Hawthorne says, overwhelmed with the thought of one of his closest work colleagues

624
00:39:17,640 --> 00:39:23,920
being mixed up with something like this, lying, kidnapping, and who knows what else.

625
00:39:23,920 --> 00:39:30,160
Eva, calm down a little, Sira says, before turning to the professor, gently explaining

626
00:39:30,160 --> 00:39:32,400
what Eva was getting at.

627
00:39:32,400 --> 00:39:37,440
Yesterday at the cafe, you brought the manuscript with you and you could have just easily given

628
00:39:37,440 --> 00:39:39,080
the manuscript to Lily.

629
00:39:39,080 --> 00:39:42,200
We knew the way to Rob's Peak, so you didn't really need the map.

630
00:39:42,200 --> 00:39:46,200
We were thinking about why you wanted to take the manuscript with you there.

631
00:39:46,200 --> 00:39:50,680
Right, and if your bag hadn't fallen on the ground with its contents spilling out,

632
00:39:50,680 --> 00:39:52,360
would you have shown us the manuscript?

633
00:39:52,360 --> 00:39:57,160
Besides, why did you have the manuscript with you in the first place, Eva asks one question

634
00:39:57,160 --> 00:39:58,160
after another.

635
00:39:58,160 --> 00:40:03,720
Eva and Sira, you can't possibly be suggesting that Professor Hawthorne is a part of whatever

636
00:40:03,720 --> 00:40:05,240
this is, are you?

637
00:40:05,240 --> 00:40:06,240
Eden asks.

638
00:40:06,240 --> 00:40:08,400
Silence fills the room.

639
00:40:08,400 --> 00:40:10,120
They were all looking at each other.

640
00:40:10,120 --> 00:40:12,280
Here, I can vouch for him.

641
00:40:12,280 --> 00:40:15,560
If he didn't want us to know that it was Starb Tend who was speaking on the recording,

642
00:40:15,560 --> 00:40:18,640
he wouldn't have mentioned the name in the first place, right?

643
00:40:18,640 --> 00:40:23,100
Besides, on our way here, he was calling his sheriff to report Chen's disappearance.

644
00:40:23,100 --> 00:40:27,280
If he was involved in Chen's and now Lily's disappearance, he wouldn't have done that,

645
00:40:27,280 --> 00:40:28,280
would he?

646
00:40:28,280 --> 00:40:31,360
Oh, Eva says quietly, before turning to the professor.

647
00:40:31,360 --> 00:40:36,040
Professor, I'm really sorry for accusing you of being involved in that.

648
00:40:36,040 --> 00:40:40,680
I know that when I get heated, I tend to jump to conclusions, even though my job is all

649
00:40:40,680 --> 00:40:44,320
about finding evidence before making any claims.

650
00:40:44,320 --> 00:40:50,040
Though it's always been in my nature to be skeptical of everything and just about everyone

651
00:40:50,040 --> 00:40:51,040
too.

652
00:40:51,040 --> 00:40:52,600
Still though, I'm working on it.

653
00:40:52,600 --> 00:40:54,280
Sorry again, Professor.

654
00:40:54,280 --> 00:40:55,280
That's okay, Eva.

655
00:40:55,280 --> 00:40:57,140
I can understand from your perspective.

656
00:40:57,140 --> 00:41:00,720
The professor says before realizing something, hold on.

657
00:41:00,720 --> 00:41:05,740
Is that why you and Sira didn't tell us you were exploring the reservoir today?

658
00:41:05,740 --> 00:41:07,960
Because you were suspicious of me?

659
00:41:07,960 --> 00:41:13,600
Eva exchanges glances with Sira before admitting yes to the professor's question.

660
00:41:13,600 --> 00:41:15,880
That was the reason why Eva responds.

661
00:41:15,880 --> 00:41:17,740
Hmm, I see.

662
00:41:17,740 --> 00:41:20,000
And that makes sense, I suppose.

663
00:41:20,000 --> 00:41:23,920
Hopefully I've earned your trust by now, and I haven't forgotten that you do work for

664
00:41:23,920 --> 00:41:28,120
the bee and assume you are working on a story as we speak.

665
00:41:28,120 --> 00:41:29,840
The professor responds.

666
00:41:29,840 --> 00:41:32,640
Eva quickly changes the subject and asks,

667
00:41:32,640 --> 00:41:37,920
Ethan mentioned you called the sheriff's office to report Trin's disappearance.

668
00:41:37,920 --> 00:41:38,920
How did that go?

669
00:41:38,920 --> 00:41:43,720
The professor responds, well, to be honest, he didn't seem to be troubled by it.

670
00:41:43,720 --> 00:41:45,900
Almost like it was no big deal.

671
00:41:45,900 --> 00:41:50,400
By contrast, our town had a missing persons case last fall when a woman went missing for

672
00:41:50,400 --> 00:41:51,880
about a week or so.

673
00:41:51,880 --> 00:41:56,800
The sheriff's department was all over it within 24 hours followed up by a daily news

674
00:41:56,800 --> 00:41:59,960
briefings as they coordinated with the mayor's office.

675
00:41:59,960 --> 00:42:04,360
The woman was finally located safe and sound at one of her family's homes outside the

676
00:42:04,360 --> 00:42:05,360
county.

677
00:42:05,360 --> 00:42:08,440
It turns out it was all a big misunderstanding.

678
00:42:08,440 --> 00:42:12,840
So to answer your question, the sheriff's response was not what I expected.

679
00:42:12,840 --> 00:42:17,520
Maybe he's just being a little cautious so as not to repeat another media blitz without

680
00:42:17,520 --> 00:42:18,520
proof.

681
00:42:18,520 --> 00:42:23,160
He listened and jotted down the information I gave to him about Chen and then thanked

682
00:42:23,160 --> 00:42:24,160
me.

683
00:42:24,160 --> 00:42:25,520
Said he would look into it.

684
00:42:25,520 --> 00:42:26,520
That was it.

685
00:42:26,520 --> 00:42:30,120
Honestly, I'm not even surprised, Sierra says.

686
00:42:30,120 --> 00:42:36,040
I'm only worried this means that Chen, whoever he is, isn't getting the help he needs.

687
00:42:36,040 --> 00:42:37,880
And now what about Lily?

688
00:42:37,880 --> 00:42:42,440
According to what we heard from this group meeting here, they both have been taken.

689
00:42:42,440 --> 00:42:47,240
Sierra continues, Professor, should we call the sheriff back and ask if we can come see

690
00:42:47,240 --> 00:42:50,160
him and bring the recording this evening?

691
00:42:50,160 --> 00:42:55,080
We need to report Lily's disappearance now as well in the evidence what we heard and

692
00:42:55,080 --> 00:42:56,080
saw.

693
00:42:56,080 --> 00:43:00,000
It all points to something larger, something that doesn't really make sense.

694
00:43:00,000 --> 00:43:04,880
Ava and I took several photos of the group's license plates earlier.

695
00:43:04,880 --> 00:43:08,960
We could give the sheriff all of our findings and let them handle it from here on out.

696
00:43:08,960 --> 00:43:13,480
Ava could tell Professor Hawthorne was thinking as he did not respond to Sierra's question

697
00:43:13,480 --> 00:43:14,480
right away.

698
00:43:14,480 --> 00:43:19,240
So she offered another option that may allow them to gather more proof information without

699
00:43:19,240 --> 00:43:21,160
tipping anyone else off.

700
00:43:21,160 --> 00:43:26,840
Ava had very much gone into her investigation zone and was secretly wanting this unfolding

701
00:43:26,840 --> 00:43:28,200
mystery to be big.

702
00:43:28,200 --> 00:43:32,960
She was concerned for the two missing people, but she did not know them personally.

703
00:43:32,960 --> 00:43:37,720
So much of her motivation was taken or was driven by the need to solve this mystery and

704
00:43:37,720 --> 00:43:39,960
write a great set of articles for the beef.

705
00:43:39,960 --> 00:43:44,360
Ava speaks up before Professor Hawthorne could respond to Sierra's question.

706
00:43:44,360 --> 00:43:47,300
Or we could wait until tomorrow to contact the sheriff.

707
00:43:47,300 --> 00:43:51,520
This would give me time to have my colleague at the B look up the license plates we took

708
00:43:51,520 --> 00:43:52,600
photos of tonight.

709
00:43:52,600 --> 00:43:56,560
It seems that people meeting here tonight assumed there would be no other people here.

710
00:43:56,560 --> 00:44:01,080
Otherwise, they would have probably chosen a different location and not have driven their

711
00:44:01,080 --> 00:44:02,080
own cars.

712
00:44:02,080 --> 00:44:03,400
What do we know so far?

713
00:44:03,400 --> 00:44:08,960
Sierra interjects, Chen and Lily are missing, presumed kidnapped by this group or someone

714
00:44:08,960 --> 00:44:11,080
associated with this group.

715
00:44:11,080 --> 00:44:15,360
And Professor Sharpton was in the meeting tonight and did not sound very happy.

716
00:44:15,360 --> 00:44:19,880
Ethan then chimes in, Lily was going to the science lab at the college earlier today to

717
00:44:19,880 --> 00:44:23,800
work on the formula Chen had written on his notes of Professor Hawthorne.

718
00:44:23,800 --> 00:44:28,640
The same lab that Professor Sharpton oversees, and there are two sets of coordinates that

719
00:44:28,640 --> 00:44:32,800
lead to two different locations that seem to be connected somehow.

720
00:44:32,800 --> 00:44:38,160
The reservoir and Rob's Peak and the coordinates were coded using the old Chinese telegraphic

721
00:44:38,160 --> 00:44:39,680
code system.

722
00:44:39,680 --> 00:44:43,800
We seem to be missing something, something that connects these things together.

723
00:44:43,800 --> 00:44:48,000
The professor had been looking up at the half window as he was listening to the group's

724
00:44:48,000 --> 00:44:53,080
conversation, still thinking and contemplating on what to do regarding Chen and now Lily's

725
00:44:53,080 --> 00:44:54,080
disappearance.

726
00:44:54,080 --> 00:44:59,000
He is still very upset at what he had heard on the recording and especially knowing that

727
00:44:59,000 --> 00:45:03,000
the voice he recognized was Professor Sharpton.

728
00:45:03,000 --> 00:45:08,020
It sounded sinister and dark, a tone in the voice of Professor Sharpton that Hawthorne

729
00:45:08,020 --> 00:45:10,520
had never heard before.

730
00:45:10,520 --> 00:45:14,200
Professor Hawthorne looks back down at the group and it interjects,

731
00:45:14,200 --> 00:45:20,480
Ethan, you forgot that we discovered something in mine site number three today on Rob's Peak.

732
00:45:20,480 --> 00:45:25,520
Something that I had never seen before around here, a substance in the rock face.

733
00:45:25,520 --> 00:45:30,120
And the padlock was cut, which gave us access to enter the mine, which is usually not the

734
00:45:30,120 --> 00:45:31,360
case.

735
00:45:31,360 --> 00:45:36,480
I also noticed other footprints in the dirt, and they seemed fairly recent.

736
00:45:36,480 --> 00:45:37,760
Maybe just a coincidence?

737
00:45:37,760 --> 00:45:39,220
I think not.

738
00:45:39,220 --> 00:45:42,900
We should consider that all this is connected somehow.

739
00:45:42,900 --> 00:45:46,620
As the professor is still talking, he pulls out the manuscript and spreads some of its

740
00:45:46,620 --> 00:45:51,240
pages onto the table in front of the group.

741
00:45:51,240 --> 00:45:55,000
As the professor is thumbing through different pages of the manuscript, Ethan looks around

742
00:45:55,000 --> 00:45:57,680
with a slight smirk on his face and says,

743
00:45:57,680 --> 00:46:01,760
Guys, it's kinda weird how we're having our own sacred meeting in the same room the

744
00:46:01,760 --> 00:46:05,240
other group had their secret meeting a minute ago.

745
00:46:05,240 --> 00:46:08,720
So weird, it's like the bad guys meeting and the good guys meeting.

746
00:46:08,720 --> 00:46:14,960
Ava glances at Ethan with a smile and says, Yup, definitely gonna use that in my story.

747
00:46:14,960 --> 00:46:20,600
Ava then asks the professor, what are we looking for in these manuscripts pages?

748
00:46:20,600 --> 00:46:24,560
Before answering Ava's question, the professor says, I think they closed the reservoir's

749
00:46:24,560 --> 00:46:30,160
access road gate at midnight, so we need to hurry as it's already almost 1130.

750
00:46:30,160 --> 00:46:34,640
The professor sends a quick text message to his wife, letting her know he is still out

751
00:46:34,640 --> 00:46:39,700
and will be coming home soon, not wanting to alarm her of what the group had discovered.

752
00:46:39,700 --> 00:46:45,160
He leaves out all the details and why he will be later than what he had told her earlier.

753
00:46:45,160 --> 00:46:49,440
The professor then looks up at the group and says, Ok, the manuscript is not that long,

754
00:46:49,440 --> 00:46:51,200
about 120 pages or so.

755
00:46:51,200 --> 00:46:53,800
If we divide up the pages, it'll go a lot faster.

756
00:46:53,800 --> 00:46:58,920
And if I remove the pages that contain irrelevant lists of materials and supplies, the local

757
00:46:58,920 --> 00:47:04,160
shops carried at that time, and the drawn maps of the three mines on Rob's Peak, then

758
00:47:04,160 --> 00:47:07,000
we are down to about 80 pages total.

759
00:47:07,000 --> 00:47:12,360
So let's divide up the remaining 80 pages, 20 pages or so, give or take, for each person

760
00:47:12,360 --> 00:47:14,000
and go from there.

761
00:47:14,000 --> 00:47:18,040
The professor continues, scan each page as quickly as possible.

762
00:47:18,040 --> 00:47:22,520
We are looking for anything that seems out of the ordinary, information that may seem

763
00:47:22,520 --> 00:47:29,480
important to what we already know, like formulas, mentions of minerals or substances, gold or

764
00:47:29,480 --> 00:47:33,120
names and or places we don't already know about.

765
00:47:33,120 --> 00:47:37,320
I looked at this manuscript several years ago, but I didn't study it thoroughly enough

766
00:47:37,320 --> 00:47:40,040
at that time to remember every detail.

767
00:47:40,040 --> 00:47:43,920
So with the knowledge we already have, it's important we look for more clues in these

768
00:47:43,920 --> 00:47:44,920
pages.

769
00:47:44,920 --> 00:47:50,240
There's a reason this was never published and maybe we can discover why.

770
00:47:50,240 --> 00:47:51,600
The group gets to work.

771
00:47:51,600 --> 00:47:53,920
A short while later, Cira speaks up.

772
00:47:53,920 --> 00:47:56,400
I think I found something interesting.

773
00:47:56,400 --> 00:48:02,120
At least as interesting to me as I've not heard of this before and I grew up in Cloma.

774
00:48:02,120 --> 00:48:05,800
Cira puts the page on the table and points to the paragraph in the middle of the page

775
00:48:05,800 --> 00:48:11,840
and says, this paragraph has mention of a network of tunnels in and around Sutter's

776
00:48:11,840 --> 00:48:12,840
Mill.

777
00:48:12,840 --> 00:48:17,040
It also states that these tunnels were used to store significant amounts of gold that

778
00:48:17,040 --> 00:48:21,520
was discovered during the height of the gold rush in 1849.

779
00:48:21,520 --> 00:48:27,480
Cira continues, this information is contained in only two sentences on this page and the

780
00:48:27,480 --> 00:48:29,120
ink is quite faded.

781
00:48:29,120 --> 00:48:32,800
I mean, at least I think that is what the sentences say.

782
00:48:32,800 --> 00:48:36,840
Someone else can check the writing and see if that is what is actually written there.

783
00:48:36,840 --> 00:48:41,240
Ava grabs the page and looks at the paragraphs Cira is pointing to and says, yep, that's

784
00:48:41,240 --> 00:48:44,000
what it says.

785
00:48:44,000 --> 00:48:45,960
This just got even more interesting.

786
00:48:45,960 --> 00:48:50,800
Kidnapping, the secret group, and now a network of tunnels.

787
00:48:50,800 --> 00:48:55,400
I grew up in Cloma as well and I've never heard of this network of tunnels.

788
00:48:55,400 --> 00:48:58,880
Very interesting to say the least, Professor Hawthorne responds.

789
00:48:58,880 --> 00:49:04,080
If this is true, which I have no reason to believe otherwise, my guess is that someone

790
00:49:04,080 --> 00:49:06,640
does not want these tunnels to be discovered.

791
00:49:06,640 --> 00:49:11,360
I've never heard of these tunnels either, nor have I heard of anyone at the college

792
00:49:11,360 --> 00:49:13,320
having knowledge of these tunnels.

793
00:49:13,320 --> 00:49:18,200
Ethan speaks up, I may have found a connection to the Chinese symbols that were used on Transno

794
00:49:18,200 --> 00:49:23,320
on the margin of one of the pages on the manuscripts etched into the walls of the mine.

795
00:49:23,320 --> 00:49:24,320
Really?

796
00:49:24,320 --> 00:49:25,320
The professor asks.

797
00:49:25,320 --> 00:49:30,120
Ethan goes on, this page mentions that there were two brothers from China who came to America

798
00:49:30,120 --> 00:49:36,360
around 1847, maybe to work on a railroad or to be day laborers of some sort.

799
00:49:36,360 --> 00:49:40,720
Ethan continues, the next paragraph reveals that the two brothers from China who found

800
00:49:40,720 --> 00:49:44,560
work under the supervision of a man called James W. Marshall.

801
00:49:44,560 --> 00:49:49,000
Mr. Marshall, so it seems, was tasked with building a sawmill near a river from the property

802
00:49:49,000 --> 00:49:53,920
of a man named Johan A. Sutter.

803
00:49:53,920 --> 00:49:59,040
Ethan stops for a moment and looks up at the group and then continues, my assumption is

804
00:49:59,040 --> 00:50:04,880
that the river mentioned is the American River as we know it, which runs right through the

805
00:50:04,880 --> 00:50:11,080
heart of Colombo, and the sawmill mentioned is Sutter's Mill, where the first gold was

806
00:50:11,080 --> 00:50:12,080
discovered.

807
00:50:12,080 --> 00:50:16,680
Okay, this is starting to make a lot more sense, the professor says.

808
00:50:16,680 --> 00:50:20,480
This information is not known to any of the historians who have studied and published

809
00:50:20,480 --> 00:50:22,400
books about the Great Gold Rush.

810
00:50:22,400 --> 00:50:26,040
It's not my expertise, but I have read some of those books.

811
00:50:26,040 --> 00:50:30,160
The two brothers from China, a network of tunnels, only one of the three mine sites

812
00:50:30,160 --> 00:50:35,080
that seemed to produce gold, the golded Chinese characters, but how does this connect to the

813
00:50:35,080 --> 00:50:37,040
reservoir then?

814
00:50:37,040 --> 00:50:42,080
Also I found a substance in one of the shafts of the third mine that I couldn't identify.

815
00:50:42,080 --> 00:50:45,400
I collected a small sample, I need to get it tested.

816
00:50:45,400 --> 00:50:51,120
Eva jumps in with something she found, this page I have must come after one of Ethan's

817
00:50:51,120 --> 00:50:55,400
questions, as it also mentions some information about the two Chinese brothers.

818
00:50:55,400 --> 00:50:59,680
This paragraph says that the two brothers, after they found gold flakes discovered at

819
00:50:59,680 --> 00:51:04,920
their sawmill building site, the two brothers built a small cabin on Rob's Peak overlooking

820
00:51:04,920 --> 00:51:05,920
the valleys below.

821
00:51:05,920 --> 00:51:10,680
It goes on and says that between the work contracts, the two brothers would spend a

822
00:51:10,680 --> 00:51:13,520
lot of time on Rob's Peak.

823
00:51:13,520 --> 00:51:16,760
Maybe they were hoping to strike a bridge as well so they wouldn't have to keep working

824
00:51:16,760 --> 00:51:18,680
for someone else, Ethan says.

825
00:51:18,680 --> 00:51:24,200
The professor then interjects, and at that time back then, this reservoir did not exist.

826
00:51:24,200 --> 00:51:28,380
The place where we are now sitting was part of the valley region.

827
00:51:28,380 --> 00:51:31,740
This dam, the spillway, and this reservoir lake was not here.

828
00:51:31,740 --> 00:51:34,280
This all came about after the gold rush.

829
00:51:34,280 --> 00:51:39,320
However, during the gold rush, these valleys were full of makeshift campsites, worker camps,

830
00:51:39,320 --> 00:51:44,260
mining camps, which held all sorts of logistical materials and supplies that the gold rushers

831
00:51:44,260 --> 00:51:46,600
needed and used while looking for gold.

832
00:51:46,600 --> 00:51:50,320
And many of these camps were supported and run by the foreigners.

833
00:51:50,320 --> 00:51:54,600
Many of the workers in these camps came here after working on the railroad crews, many

834
00:51:54,600 --> 00:51:59,960
of which were from China, and they weren't treated well, as some of the other pages in

835
00:51:59,960 --> 00:52:01,740
this manuscript describe.

836
00:52:01,740 --> 00:52:05,840
Professor Hawthorne looks at his watch and says, we need to pack up and leave as it's

837
00:52:05,840 --> 00:52:06,900
almost midnight.

838
00:52:06,900 --> 00:52:09,680
The gate will be locked and we won't be able to drive out of here.

839
00:52:09,680 --> 00:52:12,760
Ava looks around the room and asks, what next?

840
00:52:12,760 --> 00:52:13,760
What's our plan?

841
00:52:13,760 --> 00:52:19,240
I mean, we've got some valuable new information, two people missing, and we also may be in

842
00:52:19,240 --> 00:52:20,240
danger now.

843
00:52:20,240 --> 00:52:24,740
The professor looks directly at Ava, then Sierra, and then Ethan and says, as of now

844
00:52:24,740 --> 00:52:29,520
and with this new information, I am not going to tell the sheriff yet about Lily's disappearance.

845
00:52:29,520 --> 00:52:34,080
My previous interaction with the sheriff about Chen being missing is not sitting right with

846
00:52:34,080 --> 00:52:35,080
me.

847
00:52:35,080 --> 00:52:39,300
So for Chen and Lily's sake, and for our own sake, don't tell anyone what we've talked

848
00:52:39,300 --> 00:52:40,640
about tonight.

849
00:52:40,640 --> 00:52:43,920
Let's meet at Ethan's cafe right when it opens tomorrow morning.

850
00:52:43,920 --> 00:52:48,340
Ethan, can we meet by the back door in the alley and then meet in your office?

851
00:52:48,340 --> 00:52:50,260
Add a view of the customers in the cafe?

852
00:52:50,260 --> 00:52:55,320
We need to be discreet and plan our next moves carefully, as I feel Chen and Lily's lives

853
00:52:55,320 --> 00:52:56,560
might depend on it.

854
00:52:56,560 --> 00:53:02,840
Sir, Ethan replies, come about 15 minutes before opening time at 6.45am and I can let

855
00:53:02,840 --> 00:53:05,100
you through the back door.

856
00:53:05,100 --> 00:53:06,640
Knock three times in a row like this.

857
00:53:06,640 --> 00:53:09,740
Ethan then demonstrates how they should knock on the back door by knocking on the table

858
00:53:09,740 --> 00:53:11,760
they are sitting around.

859
00:53:11,760 --> 00:53:17,800
Sierra looks around and says quietly and a little nervously, cool, we have a secret knock

860
00:53:17,800 --> 00:53:18,800
now.

861
00:53:18,800 --> 00:53:22,880
She then clears her throat and adds, I'll take Lily's backpack with me.

862
00:53:22,880 --> 00:53:27,840
As the group gets up from the table, turns out the light, exits the small room and closes

863
00:53:27,840 --> 00:53:28,840
the metal door.

864
00:53:28,840 --> 00:53:33,960
Eva is quietly thinking to herself of how she can contact Ted tonight and ask for another

865
00:53:33,960 --> 00:53:34,960
favor.

866
00:53:34,960 --> 00:53:36,880
It's a big favor and it's really late.

867
00:53:36,880 --> 00:53:41,960
This favor will involve Ted having to use his contact at the San Francisco FBI office.

868
00:53:41,960 --> 00:53:46,200
Eva really wants to know who the other people were at the bad guy meeting which took place

869
00:53:46,200 --> 00:53:47,200
earlier that evening.

870
00:53:47,200 --> 00:53:53,160
After all, she has photos of some of their license plates and a recording of their voices.

871
00:53:53,160 --> 00:54:07,080
Little does Eva know that the bad guy also has a photo of her license plate.

872
00:54:07,080 --> 00:54:08,240
And that ends part six.

873
00:54:08,240 --> 00:54:09,240
Thank you for listening.

874
00:54:09,240 --> 00:54:26,280
Tune in next episode as we continue with part seven titled Revelations and Connections.

875
00:54:26,280 --> 00:54:30,560
As we end this episode, we'd like to thank Mr. Turan again for coming on the show and

876
00:54:30,560 --> 00:54:34,340
sharing about his journey and work within the technology world.

877
00:54:34,340 --> 00:54:39,220
And as always, this podcast would not be possible without the hard work and support of our Internet

878
00:54:39,220 --> 00:54:41,400
National Student Production Team.

879
00:54:41,400 --> 00:54:47,120
All music and sound effects are courtesy of Pixabay.com, a vibrant community of creatives

880
00:54:47,120 --> 00:54:50,960
sharing copyright free images, videos, and music.

881
00:54:50,960 --> 00:54:53,400
And we are signing off until next time.

882
00:54:53,400 --> 00:55:10,080
We are your Students Incorporated, because your voice matters.