Lorien, too tired for anything truly terrible, tells Katharine about a mysterious, anonymous, unsolvable set of puzzles.

Sources:

• ​⁠https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cicada_3301⁠⁠
• ​https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steganography⁠⁠
• ​https://www.npr.org/2014/01/05/259959632/the-internets-cicada-a-mystery-without-an-answer⁠⁠
• ​https://web.archive.org/web/20131125232546/
• ​http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/internet/10468112/The-internet-mystery-that-has-the-world-baffled.html⁠⁠
• ​https://www.fastcompany.com/3025785/meet-the-man-who-solved-the-mysterious-cicada-3301-puzzle⁠⁠https://web.archive.org/web/20150920023142/
• ​http://mentalfloss.com/article/31932/chasing-cicada-exploring-darkest-corridors-internet⁠⁠
• ​https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alternate_reality_game⁠⁠
• ​https://web.archive.org/web/20170802043935/
• ​https://blog.threatstack.com/cicadas-security-part-2-when-a-verified-pgp-key-takes-you-on-a-trip-to-the-desert⁠⁠
• ​https://mashable.com/archive/us-navy-codebreaker-game⁠⁠
• ​https://apple.news/AMScMZtd3RAeKfsks16t3jA⁠⁠
• ​https://www.archive.vtmag.vt.edu/sum15/ology.html⁠⁠
• ​https://www.the-independent.com/tech/masonic-conspiracy-or-mi6-recruitment-tool-internet-mystery-cicada-3301-starts-up-again-9044049.html⁠⁠
• ​https://theface.com/life/cicada-3301-the-codebreakers-still-working-on-the-internets-strangest-mystery⁠⁠
• ​https://clevcode.org/cicada-3301/⁠
• ​https://www.truesec.com/hub/blog/dissecting-the-cicada⁠⁠
• ​https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ransomware_as_a_service⁠⁠
• ​https://www.tripwire.com/state-of-security/cicada-ransomware-what-you-need-know⁠⁠
• ​https://www.ibm.com/think/news/has-blackcat-returned-as-cicada3301⁠⁠
• ​https://www.rapid7.com/blog/post/2024/08/20/selling-ransomware-breaches-4-trends-spotted-on-the-ramp-forum/⁠⁠
• ​https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darknet
• ​https://vocal.media/history/cicada-3301-the-internet-s-greatest-mystery⁠⁠
• ​https://www.alaricstephen.com/main-featured/2016/9/18/the-cryptic-crossword-that-recruited-for-bletchley-park⁠
• ​https://www.schoolreaders.org/post/could-you-have-been-a-bletchley-park-codebreaker