00:00it's all right i'll find something else to do all right oh let's go let's go hang on the computer
00:03oh i'm not really into computer games mate no forget computer games call up the chat menu
00:09the what chat menu you get to speak to heaps of people you've never met before
00:13what for todd oh just for laughs you'll go up the modem like that it's easy no it sounds
00:18complicated no just follow the instructions i've got some study to do for tech anyway
00:22glenn in here can't get rid of you good morning todd hi yeah i'm coming i'll catch you later
00:30so are you going to spend the day playing computer games yeah that and i've got a bit of study
00:34to do
00:35not a lot else to do around here not when you're disabled
00:42oh what's the matter toddy i can't find fred who's fred just this guy i've been rapping with on the
00:48chat menu he's really cool we'll just leave a message for him on the bulletin board well how do
00:56hey oh in a minute
01:01are you still glued to that thing you'll turn into a prize ball soon todd yeah i was hoping fred
01:06would
01:06have seen my message strange way to conduct a friendship yeah but it's still a friendship
01:12yeah i feel like i know him really well we've been talking every day for weeks that's why it's so
01:16strange he hasn't been in touch well maybe he's got bored with all this computer stuff no no something
01:23must have happened to him he wouldn't just lose touch without any reason well he's probably found
01:28someone more interesting to talk to oh thanks no no i mean someone his own age with a name like
01:34fred
01:34he'd have to be pretty old yeah that's probably a false name a lot of people on the chat line
01:38make
01:39up names sort of like call signs oh and what's your pen name huh barney no i don't think he's
01:45old
01:45not with the language he uses i mean it must be about our age well tell him that there's this
01:52gorgeous girl here eager to talk to him that'll get him that will get him moving for sure oh but
01:58it's unethical to give false information no but i can leave a message on the bulletin board if
02:05you're desperate no thank you i already have someone else in mind who has a lot better things
02:12to do with his day than play with computers yeah who's the unlucky guy oh as if i tell you
02:17it'd be all over erin's bruna flash oh excuse me you can talk no i think i'm gonna leave another
02:23message maybe if i mark it urgent we'll do it later because i need your undivided attention
02:31todd yeah in here mate mrs daniel said you'd be home for lunch i wanted to see if fred picked
02:39up my message or not fred you're back oh at last
02:54what does it mean well it means i want to meet him
03:14what's happened now i think he just hung up on me what is it with this guy
03:26yo yeah in here paul oh hi joe is gran home no she's gone out and you're doing your homework
03:32even though she's not here to hassle you todd this is the perfect opportunity to slack off
03:37oh no fear i'm into the chat line ah i spoke to you soon so met anybody interesting
03:44hey this guy named fred we're getting on really well but for some reason he's giving me the cold
03:49shoulder just want to find out why oh maybe the lines are jammed or something no he's got access
03:54he got through before but he hung up on me oh no i'm all good luck yeah all right i'll
03:59see you later
04:09so
04:15so
04:16so
04:40Oh, hang on, don't go.
04:52What are you doing?
04:54Oh, I'm trying to contact a friend through the computer.
04:56How's this sound?
04:58Here I sit, alone and blue, waiting for some news from you.
05:02Electrons whirr and I feel odd.
05:04Come in, Fred, and talk to Tom.
05:07Who's Fred?
05:09I'm not sure exactly, but he's got a great sense of humour.
05:12What's white and stands in the corner?
05:15I don't know.
05:16A very naughty fridge.
05:19Oh, I love it, that's one of Fred's.
05:21Yeah, that's pretty funny.
05:23Yeah, I'm trying to think of something to send to him.
05:25Do you know any good jokes?
05:26I can never remember them.
05:28Oh, I've got him again.
05:29Who?
05:30Fred, he's answered my letter.
05:32What letter?
05:33Through the computer.
05:35Dear Todd, thanks to electricery, I got your message finally.
05:41If that's the way to get your kicks, I liked your poem Megabits.
05:45Oh, how do you contact this friend of yours?
05:48Well, I use the modem to call up the bulletin board and leave messages for Fred.
05:52He just contacts the computer mailbox and answers them.
05:55Oh, that all makes perfect sense.
05:59Does Fred still go to school?
06:02No.
06:02No, not anymore apparently.
06:04Well, what school did he go to?
06:11Oh, he went to St. Teresa's.
06:13Oh, but that's an all-girls school.
06:21Wow, Fred's a girl.
06:23I mean, her real name's Rebecca.
06:26Ah, the plot clickens.
06:28Hey, I contacted Fred again.
06:29Oh, yeah?
06:30How is he?
06:32He's a she.
06:33Well, Fred's short for Rebecca.
06:35Oh, gee, that makes sense.
06:37Oh, she's great.
06:38She reminds me so much of Cody.
06:40Same sense of humour.
06:41Funny way of looking at things.
06:42She's great.
06:45Oh, great, you like Stephen King.
06:51Eh?
06:53Stephen King?
06:54Josh, I wasn't talking to you.
06:55I was talking to Rebecca.
06:56Oh.
06:56She likes Stephen King books.
06:58Gee whiz.
07:00Listen, mate, haven't you run out of things to write yet?
07:02No, she's just starting to open up.
07:04We're getting into some personal stuff.
07:06Oh, yes, yes.
07:08Like what?
07:09Well, I know she's 17.
07:11Mm, very personal.
07:13And look, she likes cats.
07:15Oh, whoa, cats?
07:17Stephen King?
07:18So much in common, brother.
07:21Josh, I'm trying to find out what she looks like.
07:30I bet I can guess what your next question is.
07:34Haven't you got somewhere else you'd rather be?
07:35No?
07:41Well, what does that mean?
07:49Love is blind.
07:52Would you shut up?
08:04Maybe she'll agree to see me now that I've softened her up a bit.
08:08Nah.
08:09Nah.
08:10She probably lives in a dark basement somewhere.
08:12Yeah.
08:13Only speaks to other weirdos through the computer.
08:17Come on, Rebecca.
08:20Ah, there we go.
08:21She's weakening.
08:22Can't resist my charm.
08:23I wouldn't get too excited, Casanova.
08:26She probably only loves you for your typing.
08:34So what's the verdict?
08:35Oh, she doesn't call back, yeah?
08:37Oh.
08:38Well, I'd say she probably needs more time to think.
08:42I hope I didn't scare her off by being too pushy.
08:45No, no, no.
08:45She'll come around.
08:46She's probably just shy.
08:47I hope so.
08:49Mate, you're a rat, aren't you?
08:50I am not.
08:51You aren't too.
08:53You reckon I'm nuts falling for Phoebe?
08:55You've gone all googly over someone you've never even met.
08:57I have not.
08:58Well, I guess I could do if we eventually meet.
09:02Oh, no, she reminds me of Cody and I get a feeling about her.
09:06Yeah?
09:07I get that same feeling sometimes.
09:10You're a sleep bag.
09:11Well, what are you going to do if she doesn't tie it back?
09:13Oh, she will.
09:14I know she will.
09:15Why are you so sure?
09:16Because she feels the same about me.
09:20How am I going to find Rebecca's address?
09:23It could take forever.
09:24I want to find her now.
09:25Well, I don't like your chances there.
09:29Hang on.
09:30You could hack into Saint Teresa's computer files, couldn't you?
09:34Oh, don't be stupid.
09:35Well, why not?
09:36You've done it before.
09:37Yeah, and think about the trouble it got us in.
09:40Yeah, but it's not as if we're going to be doing anything wrong.
09:42We just want to have a peek.
09:43No!
09:44Anyway, you're forgetting something.
09:46What's that?
09:46Saint Teresa's has to be a Catholic school.
09:49They wouldn't be linked to the state school computer systems.
09:52Oh.
09:53Rebecca Huxley.
09:54Oh!
09:55Bingo!
09:56I know the Huxleys are in the telephone book.
10:00Clifton Street, Anson's Corner.
10:04Josh, you are a genius.
10:06So I keep telling you.
10:07So now what?
10:08Well, I might head down to Rebecca's house.
10:11You know, get dressed up very snazzily.
10:13I introduce myself casually and insist on taking her to wherever it is she goes during the day.
10:25Yes?
10:25Mrs Huxley?
10:27What can I do for you?
10:28I was wondering if I could see Rebecca.
10:30We haven't actually met yet, but we've been chatting through the computer line.
10:33We're sort of friends.
10:34I see.
10:36I'm Todd.
10:37I'm Todd.
10:37Todd Landers.
10:38But if this is a difficult time...
10:40I'm sorry, Todd.
10:42It was sweet of you to call, but I'm afraid you're too late.
10:46Rebecca died last night.
10:49She died?
10:52Please, won't you come in?
10:55That's the way it is with terminal illness.
10:58It's like a clock running out of time.
11:02One day, the clock simply stops.
11:07I'm gonna miss her.
11:09A lot.
11:11She loved that computer.
11:14She died early this morning in Erinsborough Hospital.
11:19Listen, how about we get back onto the computer and see if anybody interesting's on the line?
11:26No, thanks.
11:28Todd, look, there are a heap of people out there wanting to be friends.
11:33People like Rebecca.
11:35Yeah.
11:37Yeah, I know.
11:38But I can't.
11:40Not yet.
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