187 lines
10 KiB
Plaintext
187 lines
10 KiB
Plaintext
EPISODE #7 THE ADVENTURES OF MOLLY MODEM
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In our last episode Ren and Michael the sysops of FARWEST
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BBS have mysteriously disappeared. Worried that foul play might
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be involved Molly has hired Sam Slick private investigator. We
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left our heroine in the company of Sam Slick searching for clues
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at the FARWEST premises. The search had turned up blood stains
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and a business card from the Gamma Communications Corporation.
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Slick was about to dial the phone number of Gamma Communications.
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Detective Sam Slick turned his back to Molly and picked up
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the telephone handset. Slowly he dialed the number on the
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business card. "Da numbers no longer in service! Guess it was
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nothing. Why don't ya call me in a couple of days and we'll see
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whats turned up."
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Molly quickly agreed. Her mind was having a hard time
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keeping things straight. Molly left detective Slick and drove
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back to her apartment on Dallas Road. What was very odd was
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the fact that while Slick was dialing Gamma Communications,
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Molly noticed his thumb was holding down the cradle. Why
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would he do that? Could he be trusted? Something about this
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guy was not quite on the level.
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Gamma Communications certainly needed investigating. Molly was
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certain it held the key to the disapearance of her friends. But
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this time she would have to be more careful. It would be stupid
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to fall into another trap like the one Dr. Node and Baud Job had
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set for her! Brains had their place but Molly decided that the
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next time she tangled with the likes of Baud Job, she would be
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armed! The question was where on Vancouver Island could she get a
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gun? Molly wondered if she dared contact Ben Molsson. What was
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there to loose?
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A year earlier Molly had met Ben at a computing seminar
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they were both attending. The topic of the seminar was computer
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analysis of military systems. Ben was very shy and somewhat
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secretive. He only opened up when Molly mentioned she had once
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traveled through Asia, briefly stopping in Afghanistan. In the
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end Ben confided that he was supplying arms to the Mujahadin in
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the Eastern part of Afghanistan. Many of his friends in the Hindu
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Kush had been slaughtered by the Russians. Ben had a cabin near
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the end of an abandoned logging road. This was the base for what
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he claimed was a survival school. If anyone could come up with a
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gun it would be Ben Molsson. This was a step in a new and
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frightening direction for Molly. Was she turning into a female
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RAM-BEAU?
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The next day Molly packed a lunch and dug out an old
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topographical map. Four hours and several wrong turns later she
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came to a gate covered with large crudely painted signs. "DANGER
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BLASTING"...... "VICIOUS DOGS"...... "KEEP OUT"!!!!!!
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After opening the gate Molly drove through. Her palms were
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sweating as she got out and closed the gate. Another mile up the
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track she came to a cabin set back in the trees. There was
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another sign nailed to the front porch. "MOLSSON SURVIVAL
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SCHOOL". This was it! A dog suddenly started barking. Moments
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later a heavy set bearded man came out of the cabin. "SHUT UP!
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PEEDY" he yelled striding over to Mollys car. The frown on his
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face faded and was replaced with a smile. "Holy Spit! Didn't
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think I would ever see you again. Come in. Have a beer."
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Molly got out of the car. By this time "Peedy" a large
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PitBull terrier was sniffing her leg.
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"Don't worry he won't bother you so long as I'm around."
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As they walked towards the cabin Ben recited a little rhyme.
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"Peedy the PitBull terrier is full of fun and laughs. Just don't
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turn your back on him or he'll rip off both your calves!"
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Inside the cabin was snug and comfortable. The floor was
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covered with several oriental carpets and an old bank safe sat in
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the corner. Ben waved Molly to a chair while he went to get the
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beer from the refrigerator. A moment later he returned with four
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cold cans of Fosters. He handed one to Molly and opened one himself.
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"So what can I do for you Molly? You didn't come all the way
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up here just to drink my beer?"
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Molly bit her tongue. It was hard knowing where to start. At
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last she blurted out "Some of my friends are in great danger and
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I've got to try and help them." Molly then told Ben the whole
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story from the beginning.... The stolen passwords, the BEAST,
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Farwest, Doctor Node, Baud Job and finally Sam Slick. Not one
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detail was omitted. Finally she said "Now you know why I want to
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borrow a GUN."
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"Sure Molly. I can see why don't want to meet those
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characters in a dark alley with nothing but your bare hands. I
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got a bit of hardware around. What did you have in mind? You much
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of a shot with a handgun?"
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Molly confessed that although she could handle a rifle a
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sidearm would tax her marksmanship.
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"Know what you mean. I got just the baby for you." Ben
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walked over to the safe and spun the dial. With a grinding noise
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the door swung open. He removed a bundle of oily rag. Unwrapping
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the bundle he revealed a weapon Molly had only seen in TV movies.
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"Nine m.m. UZI! Nothing like it for fire power." Ben then showed
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Molly the correct way to load the magazines and how the safety
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and change lever for fully automatic worked. "Just remember to
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use short bursts, it's like using an HST modem for the first
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time. AWESOME!!!"
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"I've got a couple of other goodies here that may come in handy."
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Ben reached into the back of the safe and brought out a plastic
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egg carton. "Ben's eggs are a hot item in Landi Kotal. The Khyber
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kids love to get their hands on these!"
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Molly looked inside the open egg carton. There were three
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pale blue eggs, six yellow eggs and two black ones. "Easter is a
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long ways away yet Ben , and I'm not much for candy" joked Molly.
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Ben smiled and picked up one of the blue eggs. He gave a
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little twist and the egg parted into two equal halves. He held
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the sections up so Molly could see the small timers. "Shaped
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charges of RDX. You can blow the turret off a tank with a couple
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of these. The Mujahadin never go out unless they have one in
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their pocket!" Ben joined the two halves and handed the egg to
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Molly. He next selected one of the yellow eggs. "See this little
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bump on the end? Hit it once on any hard surface. You have then
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got ten seconds to get rid of it. These contain a potent nerve
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gas. Similar to VX, but not deadly. It'll knock people out for
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twenty four hours. Be sure you are upwind and can get away." Ben
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closed the lid on the egg carton and returned it to the
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safe. He did not give any indication what the black eggs were
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used for and Molly thought it best not to ask. Molly carefully
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placed the two small eggs in her hand bag. Thanking Ben she
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declined his offer of assistance to help rescue her friends.
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Actions would have to proceed carefully. First a reconnaissance
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of Gamma Communications then the decision of whether to call in
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the police or Ben's one man SWAT team. At least Molly felt better
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now that she was actually making plans.
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Driving back to Victoria on the Island Highway Molly was
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very careful not to exceed the speed limit. It would not do to be
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pulled over by the police with the UZI tucked under the front
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seat. The long drive gave time to think and plan strategy. It was
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almost evening when Molly finally reached her apartment. She put
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a couple of potatoes in the oven then turned on the computer.
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While supper cooked would be a good time to check the local
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bulletin boards. Most of the numbers Molly tried did not answer.
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What could be the problem? At last Southern Cross connected. The
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familiar logo of stars appeared on Molly's screen, then a
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bulletin from Peter Freeman the sysop.
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***** NOTICE..NO FILES OR QUICK MAIL UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE!*****
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***** THE SYSTEM IS RUNNING ON FLOPPY DISKS ONLY,******
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********** DUE TO MALICIOUS INTERFERENCE. *************
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"Oh no!! It must be VonCriptic. Looks like he has attacked all of
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Victoria's boards." Molly tried paging the sysop, but without
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success. She then hit the "E" key and proceeded to send a
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private message to Peter.
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"Dear Peter, I think I know who is behind all the problems! Also
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have a feeling Ren and Michael may be in danger. Am going to
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investigate tonight. If you don't hear from me by tomorrow
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morning call the authorities and send them to Gamma Communications."
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signed......Molly Modem
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Later after the dishes were cleaned Molly dug out an old dark
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sweater and a pair black pants. A dark scarf would serve to cover
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her long blond hair. Now she was set for an evening of
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clandestine skulking. There was one last thing to do before
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driving out to investigate Gamma Communications. Molly opened the
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box of nine m.m. ammunition and proceeded to load three spare
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magazines for the UZI!...........(to be continued)
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Is our heroine going have a showdown with VonCriptic? Or is she
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going to meet up with a villan worse than Doctor Node and Baud
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Job put together? To find out stay tuned for episode eight of
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The Adventures of Molly Modem...................
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X-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-X
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Another file downloaded from: NIRVANAnet(tm)
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& the Temple of the Screaming Electron Jeff Hunter 510-935-5845
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Rat Head Ratsnatcher 510-524-3649
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Burn This Flag Zardoz 408-363-9766
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realitycheck Poindexter Fortran 415-567-7043
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Lies Unlimited Mick Freen 415-583-4102
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Specializing in conversations, obscure information, high explosives,
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arcane knowledge, political extremism, diversive sexuality,
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insane speculation, and wild rumours. ALL-TEXT BBS SYSTEMS.
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Full access for first-time callers. We don't want to know who you are,
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where you live, or what your phone number is. We are not Big Brother.
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"Raw Data for Raw Nerves"
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X-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-X
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