01 | Follow the Data

This is an ABC Podcast.

Tang, we've been walking for hours. Let's just head back. No way! There could be one just through those trees. Come on, T. I'm cold. It's dark. We can come back another time. Mitch, we are going to find a pantheon. I know we are. Uh because of the poo? Yep. I read that the poo can attract them. Oh, Tang. What have you done? Why is there poo in my backpack? Cause I didn't want to put it in mine. Oh gross. It might stink, but it's gonna help prove that there is a panther out there. But tang.

Even if it did escape from the circus, that was decades ago. Yeah, and when we film it, we'll get so many views! But the police have told us again and again that there is no evidence. Mitchell, the police aren't gonna admit there's a panther on the loose in Macaroy. So if you are right. There's a panther out there right now? What was that? Mitch run! Wait for me! Can you see it?

Where is it? I think it went this way. Wait, we're heading to Walton? It went over here. Is it gone? Shh. Can you see it? Shh. I lost it. Hang on. Makroid. That's when we saw it. I know some of you are thinking that it looks pretty sweet. Not very scary. That's exactly why you should be scared. See? And that means Breeding. If they exist, what else could be out there that is being hidden from us? I am Tang Wei, and you, my beautiful truth squad, have been watching.

He is for truth, the only source of true news in MacRoy. Until next time, stay vigilant and question everything. Okay, it's uploading. Good show though, huh? Yeah, but we still have no evidence that cat was a panther. Alright, so now we need a story for our next show. It could have just been someone's cat. Dude, we should look into that principal Duval. What you've all thing? You know how our principal's missing and everyone says she's on long service leave.

But they're obviously lying. No, no, we have to leave that alone. Why? I have to behave or they'll scrap my scholarship and send me home. They love you. They're not kicking you out. Yeah, well I don't want to risk it. Look, I know if you get kicked out of school, you go back to the smallest town in the world. Uh yeah. But We need an idea for our next show, so it's a risk I'm willing to take. Thanks, T.

Look, it's late, I'm tired, and I got a backpack that stinks of cat poo. Panther poo. Yeah, says you. We can think of a story tomorrow. I gotta go now or I'll miss a curfew. Okay. See ya. Bye. Attention, all students. Acting principal pollock here. Putting detergent in the school pool to make a giant bubble bar will not be tolerated under any circumstances. Dude. Hey. Whoa, you sleep in a construction site last night? Huh? You're covered in dust.

Ah, yeah. I was trying to find us a story, so I rode over to the tower before school. The radio tower? Yeah. Don't you think it's weird we have that old radio tower when McRoy never had a radio station? Sure, I guess. Hey guys. Hey Zach. Nice scooter. Thanks. It's a Skyhawk 45. I'm never walking again. Oh cool. I'm doing a fundraiser. Oh nice. Yeah. It's for a charity that helps people get water.

Did you know that a billion people don't have clean drinking water? Really? Well did you know that there's panthers running wild just outside town? Scary. Anyway, wanna help? I'm raising money with a sausage roll eating competition. Cool. We'll be there. Great. Who doesn't like sausage rolls, right? Vegetarians. Yeah, good one Tang. Anyway, got a scoot and put these flyers up.

Hey Alex, have you got a few seconds? You gonna enter this sausage roll thing? No way. The canteen sausage rolls are actually rat meat. What? Yeah, cheaper for the school. Yuck. Hey dad! In the kitchen! Oh, smells good. Ready in five. In the meantime, can you have a look at our internet? Ugh, is it down again? Where's your laptop? On the table. I just got a call from Miss Durek. She said she saw you poking around the old radio towel this morning. Ugh, this desktop picture of me is awful.

I'm changing it. Tang, were you out at the radio tower this morning? Oh, you're right. The internet is useless. Tang! Okay, yes I was. But there was an important story I had to- This has to stop. You can't just wander around without letting me know where you are. What if something happened to you? In Makaroi? Yeah. I know you think this is a boring town where nothing happens. But look, this isn't a negotiation. No more abandoned buildings.

Promise me. Fine. I promise. No more abandoned buildings. I'll just look into that Principal Duval thing then. What Principal Duval thing? Dad, she's been missing for months. She's on long service leave. It's just a normal thing. Then why didn't they tell us until after she was gone? That's weird, right? No, Tang, it's not weird. There's no such thing as conspiracies. You of all people should know that since you never found one. Wow. Thanks for the support, Dad.

So everything seems okay with the router. But it's weird. The internet is still super slow. Huh? The log says it happens at the exact same time every night. What does that mean? I'm not sure. I'll talk to Mitch about it tomorrow. Something's going on. I just don't know what.

Our next competitor has finally left Computer Lab 4 to join us. Give a warm welcome to... Alex Reyes Mitch Watch it, Tang. Whoa, whoa, what's up? I've got our next story. Okay. Right. So you know how the internet is terrible at night? Yeah, it's awful lately. Well, I looked at my router logs and it craps out at the same time every weeknight. Okay. And I asked around, and it's the same for everyone. And that's it?

Someone is using a huge amount of bandwidth at the same time every night and killing it for the whole town. That's a story. It's probably just a fault or something. Dude, it's like the whole town. That's like government levels of data. That's not just a fault. I don't know, T. Sounds like a boring story, even if it is one. You're a boring story. Hello? Who's calling? Follow the data. What did you say? Follow the data. Who is this? Hello? Hello?

Could you hear that? No. Some weird voice telling me, follow the data. Ugh, fine tea, we'll do your boring story. No, I'm serious. Someone really just called and said that. Who? Check the number. Unknown. Still think it's a boring story? Didn't think so. We need to figure out who's stealing all this data. And how do we do that? Let's ask her. Alex?

Yeah, isn't she on that Maddie Talinsky thingy with you for programming or whatever? Jaffel scholarship, yeah. But she's year 12. She's not gonna help us. Uh, I think she'll listen to me. Hi Alex. Go away. But we need your help with something. Mm. T, let's go. We think that you could. Hey, Alex. Hey Zach. Oh. Sorry, um I interrupting? Yeah, we were just No, no, not at all. I'm just checking up on you after the competition.

Make sure you're feeling okay. That's really nice of you. I'm doing fine, thanks. I made you a Billingsford peppermint tea. My mum drinks it after big meals. She says it helps with digestion. That's so sweet. Thank you. No problem. I'll see you guys round. See ya. Thanks for the tea. Are you two still here? Yeah, like I said, we need your help. So you know how the internet goes down in the whole town every night?

Yes, I know about the data drop. That's why I have my own satellite internet access. So can you figure out why it's dropping out? Of course I can. Great, so what we need to know now is I didn't say I was actually going to. I've got a ton of homework to get through and I'm rostered on for kitchen duty tonight. Plus, I need to finish this stupid maths assignment for a scholarship that I'm applying for. Oh yeah. That maths part sucked. You're applying for the Jaffel scholarship?

Yeah. And you've already finished the maths part? Uh I'm applying for the maths stream though. I I can't code like you. I have to get back to work. Uh what if Mitch helps you? Excuse me? What? Yeah, then you can get on to your homework. Okay. Great. He has a total math sprain. He'll smash it out Not with the maths. You can do my kitchen duties. He'll do it. What? But dang! Okay, so what we need is Uh uh uh I already got you an address. Here. No way! Alex, you're a genius!

I know. 26 Ludana Road. Wait. You mean the bandwidth of a whole town is being used up by just one house? Seems like it. We'll check it out after school. You mean after Kitchen Judy, right? Ugh, yeah, after Mitch does your kitchen duty. Thanks, T.

This place is soaking up all the data? According to Alex. It looks totally abandoned. Oh What? Nothing. You just reminded me of something I promised my dad about abandoned buildings. Huh? Don't worry. All right, well this place is creeping me out. Let's get out of here. Hang on a sec. Why is this dump surrounded by a wire fence? Because it's condemned? Then why are there eight security cameras? That's a lot of security for an abandoned house. And the cameras have little lights.

Someone's watching. We're on to something. Carry my bag. I'll film as we go inside. Inside? I don't think Come on, there's a gap here. Wait! Come on, let's try that window. Are you sure about this? Yeah, it's cool. I break promises to my dad all the time. What? Look at this place. These rooms are massive. It doesn't look like anyone has lived here for ages. Yeah, but someone's clearly been here. Abandoned houses should be dustier and dirtier than this. Over here. Come on. What is that?

Whoa! Are you filming this? Of course! It looks like some kind of computer server. It's big. Like two stories or something. If this is a computer server or whatever, then that makes total sense for it to be using heaps of bandwidth. Yeah. This is crazy. This is actually crazy. Right? Right. Why would there be a massive computer in an abandoned mansion? Let's have a look through here. What's the matter? What is it? There's someone over there. What? Over there. Just standing in the corner.

Zach? Zack? Oh, you scared the crap out of me. What are you doing here? Hello. Zach. Are you okay? Zack? T, is he okay? Why is he just standing there? His eyes are closed. Is he sleeping? He's standing up. What's going on? Dude. You've been listening to Macaroy Uncovered, an eight part adventure series made by the ABC.

We've got heaps more podcasts you might like to listen to. If you're into real-life stories, check out Fierce Girls. It's all about amazing Australians like Cheeria Pitt and footballer Sam Kerr. The show's got sports people, scientists, artists and bush rangers. You can hear Fierce Girls for free on the ABC Listen app or podcast apps like Apple and Google.