iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Caleb Rivers @sardonichacker.bsky.social · 22/12/2024

device type. No luck with location datar either.“ A flimsy start to begin with, but any information was better than none. “Maybe we should all meet.” Caleb looked away from the computer to capture Hanna’s gaze. “Put together all of the A.D. communication and see where that leads us?”

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Caleb Rivers @sardonichacker.bsky.social · 22/12/2024

kind of thing.” With Hanna’s phone connected to his computer, pulling up the meta data on A.D. messages proved easy enough. A frown pulled at his lips and Caleb released a frustrated sigh. “No luck. A.D. is knowledgeable enough to mask not only their number but information like —

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Caleb Rivers @sardonichacker.bsky.social · 22/12/2024

computer world.” The term was vague enough to encompass so many things, and there was something distinctly Hanna about relegating entire professions to the realm of computer stuff. “I’m a programmer, but a lot of projects ask for multiple skills like web design, a background in security. That —

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Caleb Rivers @sardonichacker.bsky.social · 22/12/2024

it just his imagination or was she refusing to make eye contact with him? Caleb set up his laptop, connecting to the wifi, and using a cord to attach Hanna’s phone. Glancing up from the screen, a smile played on his lips at Hanna’s wording about his profession. “Yes, Hanna, I still work in the —

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Caleb Rivers @sardonichacker.bsky.social · 22/12/2024

It didn’t surprise Caleb that Hanna chose not to speak with Jordan in front of him. No doubt she felt the awkwardness that seemed to grow by the moment, and that kind of personal conversation might compound the situation. “Thanks.” Caleb mumbled the word while he accepted the WiFi password. Was —

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Caleb Rivers @sardonichacker.bsky.social · 22/12/2024

screen. “Is -A switching professions, becoming an engineer?”

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Caleb Rivers @sardonichacker.bsky.social · 22/12/2024

“Ready to see inside the mind of -A?” The files had generic names that offered little details about their purpose. A quick scroll of the list revealed multiple photographs simply titled numerically. Caleb opened a random image file and a topographic map appeared on the —

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Caleb Rivers @sardonichacker.bsky.social · 22/12/2024

newly decrypted files. “Before we do anything, I’m going to make a backup. Just in case -A has gone all Mission Impossible with self-destructing in the mix.” Caleb setup a virtual machine which he would use to open the files, hopefully shielding his computer from any malicious intentions. —

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Caleb Rivers @sardonichacker.bsky.social · 22/12/2024

heavy fatigue. He was just about to broach the subject again when the computer made a series of beeps and pulled his attention back to the monitor. The program completed its mission seemingly decrypting the files on the thumb drive. “We’ve got something.” He clicked over to the folder filled with —

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Caleb Rivers @sardonichacker.bsky.social · 22/12/2024

Lack of sleep could wear down anyone leaving frayed nerves; Caleb knew this firsthand having experienced the cost of multiple sleepless nights in a row. He wanted to suggest Spencer take a nap while she was here, but from the sound of it, sleep wouldn’t easily find her even with what was probably —

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Caleb Rivers @sardonichacker.bsky.social · 19/12/2024

future messages.” Caleb set Hanna’s phone down beside the laptop, and it immediately began to ring with Jordan’s number emblazoned across the screen, which he clearly saw even as he slid the device in Hanna’s direction. “Oh, I think your fiancé is trying to reach you.”

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Caleb Rivers @sardonichacker.bsky.social · 19/12/2024

dancing around some unspoken issue, but they weren’t together anymore and the tense atmosphere meant it was safer not to comment. He settled his laptop bag on a nearby counter and went about preparing it to check Hanna’s phone. “I can install something on there, see if we can backtrace any —

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Caleb Rivers @sardonichacker.bsky.social · 19/12/2024

fatigue or stress translating into moodiness. Before he could respond, Hanna mentioned the WiFi and appeared to accept help after all. This kind of temperament change would have resulted in comment from Caleb had they still been together. He would have asked what was really going on instead of —

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Caleb Rivers @sardonichacker.bsky.social · 19/12/2024

was cool between the friends. All Caleb could hear in Hanna’s remark was resentment, and he couldn’t figure out why. She was engaged to another man. Maybe this was a hint about Spencer silently suffering and his failure to see she was troubled by -A once more? Or maybe it was the late hour and —

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Caleb Rivers @sardonichacker.bsky.social · 19/12/2024

Instead of accepting his help, which Caleb thought was the point of this visit, Hanna brought up Spencer in what felt like a passive aggressive defensive posture. Confusion clouded his thoughts. Spencer said she talked to Hanna about what was happening between them, insinuating that everything —

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Caleb Rivers @sardonichacker.bsky.social · 19/12/2024

Normally, Caleb wouldn’t turn down the offer of caffeine. Though not quite as avid a fan as Spencer, he enjoyed his daily fix(es) too. “I think I need to pass on the coffee or I’ll be up all night.” More than that, the energizing boost would only fuel his internal jitters after his meeting. —

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Caleb Rivers @sardonichacker.bsky.social · 19/12/2024

continued running in an effort to decrypt what might be an elaborate trap. -A would never be careless enough to leave precious information around. “When was the last time you had real sleep, Spence?”

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Caleb Rivers @sardonichacker.bsky.social · 19/12/2024

the thumb drive, and a cascade of questions came to mind. How exactly did Emily and Aria get these files? Did they simply stumble across the thumb drive? Had -A sent it in the form of a taunt? Were they breaking into -A’s latest lair in search of evidence? The computer hummed away as the program —

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Caleb Rivers @sardonichacker.bsky.social · 19/12/2024

his attention to elicit too many emotions she wasn’t ready to face, his hand moved away as he sat back in the desk chair. Empathy remained etched in his features as he watched her, allowing space for Spencer to either open up or collect herself in whatever way she needed. His thoughts returned to —

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Caleb Rivers @sardonichacker.bsky.social · 19/12/2024

The self-assured, quip-ready Spencer vanished before Caleb’s eyes, and some of her inner turmoil was laid bare. A warm hand shifted forward to rest comfortingly atop hers. “Hey.” He waited until their eyes met to continue. “We can avoid anything that’s too heavy right now, k?” Because it wasn’t —

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Caleb Rivers @sardonichacker.bsky.social · 18/12/2024

bag slung over his shoulder. “Let me do some checking to see if any -A Easter eggs will lead us to something helpful, okay?”

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Caleb Rivers @sardonichacker.bsky.social · 18/12/2024

professionalism took precedent over Caleb. He didn’t harbor any resentment. What happened was in the past, but a dull ache of nostalgia or proximity to old wounds reared up. Caleb indicated Hanna’s phone clasped in his left hand. “I have my laptop here.” He patted the messenger —

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Caleb Rivers @sardonichacker.bsky.social · 18/12/2024

the truth.” He had no intention of leaving. Not without answers. Briefly, he recalled the last tense conversation they’d had before he boarded a plane for Europe. When Hanna chose her job over their relationship, Caleb was gutted, but their relationship eroded little by little even before that as —

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Caleb Rivers @sardonichacker.bsky.social · 18/12/2024

Spencer—are they receiving them, too?” Familiar concerns crept up as Caleb assessed the situation. Could Spencer be concealing an issue like this? They’d all harbored secrets in the past, usually out of a misguided attempt to protect the people they cared about. “I’m going to help you, but I need —

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Caleb Rivers @sardonichacker.bsky.social · 18/12/2024

The threat caused his brows to knit together, and Caleb went through the familiar steps to see if any easy clues remained in the message’s meta data. It came as no surprise that this new -A wasn’t sloppy. “Hanna, how long have you been getting messages like this? How about the others—Aria, Emily, —

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Caleb Rivers @sardonichacker.bsky.social · 18/12/2024

the skepticism in his question. Finally, his eyes darted down to the phone in his grasp, pouring over the simple text message from -A. 𝘋𝘪𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘴 𝘮𝘦? 𝘕𝘰 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘶𝘳 𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘳. 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘢 𝘯𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘰𝘳 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘴. 𝘛𝘪𝘤𝘬, 𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘬, 𝘏𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘢. – 𝘈.𝘋. —

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Caleb Rivers @sardonichacker.bsky.social · 18/12/2024

Talk about a head spinning response as Hanna shifted between apparent evasiveness to acquiescing and offering her phone to Caleb and finally dismissing him with what sounded like a manufactured excuse. “Hanna, it’s the middle of the night. Do you really have somewhere to be?” His features matched —

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Caleb Rivers @sardonichacker.bsky.social · 17/12/2024

was hard to imagine it dropped on the street. “And how long has this been going on, Spence? How long has -A been back?”

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Caleb Rivers @sardonichacker.bsky.social · 17/12/2024

their playful dynamic, he needed some answers, not just to aid with the decryption, but to understand the whole situation. “This thumb drive, Spence, how did you get it?” The -A he knew, or at least prior occupants of that anonymous name, was not careless with possessions, so it —

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Caleb Rivers @sardonichacker.bsky.social · 17/12/2024

mite infestation, underwatering, overwatering—you name it, he’d seen it. “I spare him the details of his fallen comrades.” When Spencer peered at the computer, lines of code scrolled endlessly across the screen. Caleb monitored the decryption algorithm before turning to her. As much as he enjoyed —

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Caleb Rivers @sardonichacker.bsky.social · 17/12/2024

Conversely, the plants that found their way into his apartment arrived as gifts, but Jack was the last man standing, coming by way of an older woman who lived across the hall as a housewarming present. “Hey, Jack is a survivor.” Pride tinged the joking response because the plant had overcome a —

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Caleb Rivers @sardonichacker.bsky.social · 17/12/2024

Lofty language paired well with fancy coffee references. Some of his recent purchases may have owed themselves to proximity. Not only was The Brew a short walk away, but a bougie market moved into a long vacant store carrying with it a sizable collection of coffee from various countries. —

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Reposted by Caleb Rivers

‍ ‍𝓼𝙥𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚𝙧 𝓱𝙖𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨. @brainsandbeauty.bsky.social · 15/12/2024

‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌‌ ‌‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌‌ ‌‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ 𝐒𝐏𝐄𝐍𝐂𝐄𝐑 𝐇𝐀𝐒𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒. 𝐰𝐡𝐲 𝐞𝐧𝐣𝐨𝐲 𝐭𝐨𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐛𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐨𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐨𝐰?

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Caleb Rivers @sardonichacker.bsky.social · 15/12/2024

over to the computer, flopping down into the rolling desk chair, to monitor the decryption process.

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Caleb Rivers @sardonichacker.bsky.social · 15/12/2024

ceiling. “Don’t mind Jack.” He idly patted the plant’s pot as he passed by, holding a strange fondness for the last plant standing, gifted to him like its fallen brethren. Suffice it to say, he did not possess a green thumb. “He doesn’t bite.” Caleb traipsed —

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Caleb Rivers @sardonichacker.bsky.social · 15/12/2024

he wanted to make sure his guest settled in first. “Make yourself at home.” Jesting aside, he truly meant those words, wondering if this visit could offer a brief respite from the whirlwind that was -A. In the corner near a window, a very full, marbled pothos plant hung from a hook in the —

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Caleb Rivers @sardonichacker.bsky.social · 15/12/2024

over yonder.” Caleb gestured toward the kitchen counter where three jars of coffee beans, a grinder, and coffee maker inhabited their own caffeinated corner. He took the opportunity to unload his bag on the nearest side table. In the background, the low hum of his desktop computer beckoned, but —

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Caleb Rivers @sardonichacker.bsky.social · 15/12/2024

Caleb’s low chuckle preceded the apartment door swinging open, and he affected a gallant sweep of his arm. “Your caffeine fix awaits, hopefully strong enough for such a discerning palate.” He made sure she caught sight of his smirk before leading her inside the apartment. “The accoutrements are —

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Caleb Rivers @sardonichacker.bsky.social · 15/12/2024

was crucial and time was of the essence. “A.D. I think we both know who that might be, but it’s brazen of her to sign her own name.”

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Caleb Rivers @sardonichacker.bsky.social · 15/12/2024

unexpected, but yes, we’re still seeing each other.” Caleb avoided the word “together,” wondering what connotations that might carry for Hanna and unsure of how much Spencer disclosed when they talked. “Hanna, I need to see these texts.” If -A was back, tracking down the monster behind the mask —

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Caleb Rivers @sardonichacker.bsky.social · 15/12/2024

possible. On the cusp of inquiring further about these texts, Hanna interrupted with the uncomfortable subject of Spencer, something he’d been hoping to avoid. “Spencer and I —“ He broke off this first attempt at explaining what they were to each other before plunging in again. “It was —

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Caleb Rivers @sardonichacker.bsky.social · 15/12/2024

that always remained morphed into reality. “A.D.?” Caleb’s mind mulled over possibilities with the obvious Alison DiLaurentis coming to mind. How to broach that tender topic without upsetting Hanna remained a mystery to Caleb. Then again, he leaned toward the avenue of directness as much as —

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Caleb Rivers @sardonichacker.bsky.social · 15/12/2024

gripped him, registering plainly in his features. Was -A threatening them again? Caleb tried to gauge how upset Hanna was, but maybe it was the late hour or the distance between them that made her harder to read than usual. “-A is back.” He uttered the thought aloud, stunned that a possibility —

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Caleb Rivers @sardonichacker.bsky.social · 15/12/2024

In the last few hours, being sucked into a world that transgressed legalities dominated Caleb’s attention. That claustrophobic feeling of being out of options clung to his mind even as he’d awkwardly greeted Hanna. At the mere mention of -A, all focus on his own problems slid away, and concern —

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Caleb Rivers @sardonichacker.bsky.social · 14/12/2024

| You could always try something that’s seen less in rp. Jenna? One of the parents? Wren? Or any of the guys or the liars? If you’re drawn to a character at all, go with that. ☺️ You can always try something and then change it if you’re not feeling it.

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Caleb Rivers @sardonichacker.bsky.social · 14/12/2024

| Mona is such a great character. I hope you don’t delete! Maybe make a second character?

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Reposted by Caleb Rivers

M̶i̶k̶e̶ M̶o̶n̶t̶g̶o̶m̶e̶r̶y̶ @justariabromike.bsky.social · 13/12/2024

“i̶t̶ w̶a̶s̶ a̶l̶l̶ i̶ h̶a̶d̶ l̶e̶f̶t̶ o̶f̶ h̶e̶r̶“ A̶u̶ i̶n̶d̶e̶p̶e̶n̶d̶e̶n̶t̶, c̶a̶n̶o̶n̶ p̶o̶r̶t̶r̶a̶l̶y̶ o̶f̶ m̶i̶k̶e̶ m̶o̶n̶t̶g̶o̶m̶e̶r̶y̶. P̶l̶a̶n̶n̶e̶d̶ s̶h̶i̶p̶/ a̶r̶i̶a̶ l̶i̶l̶ b̶r̶o̶/n̶o̶ m̶i̶n̶o̶n̶s̶/m̶a̶t̶u̶r̶e̶ t̶h̶e̶m̶e̶s̶/m̶u̶s̶t̶ b̶e̶ 21+/N̶o̶ S̶m̶u̶t̶/N̶o̶ L̶e̶w̶d̶/s̶i̶j̶g̶l̶e̶ s̶h̶i̶p̶ o̶n̶l̶y̶/

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