Operation Shutdown
2026--The US is no longer China’s main importer and the Beijing government is calling the entirety of its 10 trillion dollar loan in US Treasury Bonds.
Taiwan is on high alert as the ultimatum given by the Mainland for all foreign (US) ships to clear 46 nautical miles from Greater China’s shores expires within hours.
The Republican lead Congress and Senate vote for a nationalization of The Federal Reserve System. The US now faces its worse financial crises since its foundation 250 years earlier. Great Britain, which has now fully embraced the Eurozone can’t persuade its partners to bail out its former colony. Japan and unified Korea remain neutral as 90% their economies depend on the Chinese market. The Pakistan-India conflict and Russia's internal droughts/heat-waves concerns prevent these countries from intervening.
In Rome, it is the 100th day of the Papal Conclave. For the first time, a Chinese Cardinal (Named by the Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association, CPCA) is attending.
The US has one last shot: USCYBERCOM.
Four Star General Jouni Wilson, 48, Head of the United States Cyber Command has been called to the White House. The preliminary phases of Operation Shutdown (Operation Login & Operation Password) have been incrementally deployed since 2012. California developed softwares which power routers and hubs controlling 80% of the world’s Internet traffic, are coded to overload and create irreparable hardware damage (catastrophic physical failure). Triggering OSD means halting all trade and the world would instantaneously “regress” to a pre-Internet era.
Two camps develop in the Situation Room:
One is in favor of implementing OSD immediately without warning so the US could retreat into “self-sustaining mode”.
The other is to expose the catastrophic consequences of OSD to all concerned countries and negotiate a settlement.
The main argument in favor of the first solution is that the US is no longer dependent on foreign energy resources. 50% of new vehicles now run on electricity produced domestically in Canada. The rest and other energy needs are fulfilled by exploitation of high sea platforms in the Beaufort Sea. William McKinley, 25th President of The United States, is being cited for his protectionist views.
Arguments against, include US military domination and advance in software technologies as a possible means to turn around the current regression.
Launch of an EMP over the region is considered.
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SOUTH CHINA SEA, EXTERIOR DECK, USS PALIN, 2026-07-04 2000Z
The sun is rising at the southern entrance of the Taiwan Straight. US Navy Commander Roger Pearl, 59, scans the horizon through a pair of 20th century binoculars. A contingent of more than 100 PLA Navy ships are deployed 22 nautical miles from the Cost of Taiwan. Lieutenant Pete Tran Huang, 61, views the interactive live satellite image of the area on his electronic pad. A crypted feed unrolls in a side dialogue box.
Roger
(still scanning)
No words from PACOM?
Pete
No… The feed's now direct from The Situation Room...
Roger
Well... Happy 4th of July.
Peteg
(Looking at Pearl)
Same to you Commander.
Roger
Guess we're first row for the fireworks.
Peteg
(looking towards Taiwan)<br? >
You think they'll resist?
Roger
Neah... PLAN will just will just dock on schedule.
Pete
(looking back at his screen where dozens of tiny Taiwanese Navy ships form a scattered territorial line, dangerously close to the Chinese "Armada")
Wow. This is David against Goliath!
Roger
And these guys are not waiting for a reason...
Rogers looks a the rising sun.
Roger (Continuing)
We're going home Mate...
Pete looks up again and scans the Asian shores. Pensive...
Pete
Right...
INTERIOR, SITUATION ROOM, WHITE HOUSE, WASHINGTON DC, 2026-07-04 2030Z (Friday July 3, 2026, 3:30pm ET)
General Jouni Wilson kisses President Sam Gomez on the cheek before settling into a cushy boardroom seat. Around the conference table sit: The White House Chief of Staff (WHCS), The Chairman of the Joint Chief of Staff (CJCS), The Secretary of State (SOS), The Secretary of Commerce (SOC), Senator PRO, Chairman of The Senate Subcommittee on East Asian and Pacific Affairs, Congressman ALT, Chairman of The House Committee on Energy and Water Development and about a dozen t-shirt wearing aides and advizors. The walls are covered with LCD paneling displaying live feeds from the Pacific front as well as scrolling data.
Sam
(addressing Jouni)
This is your big day General.
Jouni
(smiling)
With all due respect, this is YOUR big day Mr. President.
Sam
They all start to look the same to me if you want my opinion.
(turning towards the CJCS)
So, what do we got Chief?
CJCS
(rising and moving towards the main screen showing the same image as on Lieutenant Pete Tran Huang's pad)
Well Gentlemen... (turning toward Jouni) Mrs General... The ultimatum expires in less than 9 hours... (pointing to stars intermittently flashing red and blue) these are our position. About half the Pacific fleet is parked on either sides of the straight. The red dots here are the PLA's Navy. Over 100 ships with an estimated 100,000 troops on board. Further inland, we believe that another 20,000 Special Forces are ready to be airlifted and deployed directly downtown Taipei and Kaohsiung.
(Turing towards the President)
If the Taiwanese do not offer resistance, we estimate that the deployment and control of the Island by the PLA will take less than 6 hours. If the Taiwanese hold a battle, maybe 12 hours and over 10,000 casualties... Mainly on the Taiwanese side.
Pro
(sitting to the right of the President)
And if we block them?
CJCS
This would mean launching Operation Sea Wall... Then we cannot predict the outcome as other fronts would inevitably open.
Pro
(looking at the CJCS)
But this is what we signed up for... We must have an estimate.
CJCS
Full on confrontation on this specific front could last forever. We have the capacity to hold indefinitely. But the contingency also involves an offensive on the Mainland... Moving to Operation Kuomin Bang.
Sam
Well let's not get carried away here. (turning towards Jouni) What do you say Jouni?
Jouni
About attacking China?
Sam
No, about not attacking China. About pulling the plug.
Jouni
(she rise her head and take a few seconds before addressing the whole group)
Well gentlemen... In response to the issue raised by Secretary SOC... about the February loan call by Beijing, I have been asked to present possible alternatives to defaulting or firing off nukes.
Pro
I think you're oversimplifying General!
(turning towards the President)
If we lose Taiwan Mr. President, the only pull we have left is on Canada, Mexico and maybe Cuba... That's my point.
Sam
Let her continue Pro. Jouni...
Jouni
Thanks you Sam. About a decade ago, NTIA introduced a Rootkit protocol through FCC which covert objective was the installation of a ghost code which is now deployed on about 80% of the world's rooters and switches. We're talking main underseas and satellite switches here. Triggering OSD would result in catastrophic physical failure of these systems... Basically cutting off all communications worldwide.
SOS
(adding)
Which would instantaneously alt all international trade and get most economies to collapse.
Pro
Including ours!
Alt
(sitting on the left of the President)
Ours has already collapsed!
Jouni
(resuming)
Code name: Operation Shut Down.
TORONTO STOCK EXCHANGE, CLOSING, 2026-07-04 2100Z (Friday July 3, 2026, 4:00pm ET)
Although all securities traded in US dollars were suspended due to Independence Day observation, several Canadian energy and natural resources stocks gained up to 500% by closing.
BAY STREET, TORONTO, MINUTES LATER
A banker steps into a cab in which the transparent LED security screen displays a live newscast. The anchor, named Lloyd, is the default virtual rendition of Canada's longest-serving network news anchor in television history.
Lloyd
In a formidable reversal of fortune, seven Canadian energy and natural resources companies, saved the day at the TSX this afternoon when their stocks closed up 500% getting the Canadian index to rise by 260 points, a first positive gain since the February crash...
As the newscast continues, the banker touches the screen to switch anchor skin. A 20 something foxy French accented lady named "Speakerine" continues without pose. Sask...
Speakerine
(continuing)
...atchewan based Prairies Potash Group showed the most spectacular gain closing at over CAD $1,000 a share up 512%. Nunavut based Inu Off Shore (IOS) closed at CAD $872 up 394%. At the other end of the Pacific, the standoff continues between the two Chinas... Will the US intervene? More live from Taipei...
The Banker speed dials on his Dvice as the newscast continues.
Banker
(smiling)
I told you... 400% fucking percent man... Of course they'll pull out... I'll catch you after dark... пока!
USCYBERCOM HQ, FORT MEADE, MARYLAND
In a vast control room dedicated to major operations, a giant LED screen displays a map showing all terrestrial and submarine switches connecting the main lines of global communication. A holographic screen displays geostationary satellites above two hemispheres.
Around 25 operators are standing by as a full rehearsal is on hold, waiting for a go from the White House. The protocol is similar to one for a nuclear attack launch.
The senior officer in charge of the operation is Captain Octavio Jabbaz, a 40 something laid-back dude munching on an apple while monitoring all screens and intermittently glancing at a feed from Jouni. As he gets the go, he drops his apple core into the trash can, sits up right on his swivel chair and taps on his mike.
Octavio
(though his microphone)
OK girls... This is it. Full on rehearsal. I repeat this IS a drill... (pause) 180 seconds countdownnnn... Now!
The 3 minute countdown starts. A sequence is coordinated and broken down in sectors.
Octavio
(sarcastic, looking at his subordinate siting next to him)
Nothing better to do at the head of a holiday weekend, than to blast your own shop!
12-11-10 seconds to launch
INTERIOR, SITUATION ROOM, WHITE HOUSE, WASHINGTON DC, 2026-07-04 2115Z (Friday July 3, 2026, 4:15pm ET)
9 seconds to launch.
Jouni stands by a similar image as the one displayed at Fort Meade when the countdown reaches zero.
Jouni
(pointing to the Mediteranean)
So the initial event happens here on the only cable joining Italy to Egypt. The break has an instantaneous domino effect on all communications reaching the Middle-East and most of the Sub-Continent. Shortly after, we trigger the North-Atlantic main switches, cutting us off from everything eastward. At this point only East Asia and North-America remain wired.
(pause)
The Euro-Middle-Eastern black-out overloads satellite streams and there we go... At this point we hit those 3 spots in the Pacific and all that's left is for the Chinese to talk to themselves and maybe to half of India and Indonesia.
(pause)
No one knows how it started but all eyes are on China.
Silence...
Pro
And what do we do next?
Alt
(introducing an aide)
Sujata...
Sujata Gupta, a 30something plain looking and slightly shy woman moves her chair closer to the conference table.
Sujata
Hi, I am the executive director of the energy and water sub-committee on sustainability also known as the EWS. If many of you are not familiar with this committee it's because we've been operating under a classified Congress/Presidential order. I'm here to present a summary of our research.
(looking at her pad)
For the past 18 months, we have been working on a scenario in which the United States would be virtually cut off from the rest of the world. Here are the main points of our model. Our labor force would come from Mexico and our Energy from Canada; Agricultural resources would be optimized so that we could provide food for ourselves and our satellites (Canada, Mexico and Cuba); The Great Lakes would be secured though a Federal Act and pipelines would run sweat-water across the continent.
Time-frame from black-out to total sustainability: 12 months.
An uncomfortable silence in the room is broken when the Secretary of Commerce reacts.
SOC
But what's the point of burning all bridges.
SOS
Not to be at an unfair advantage.
The White House Chief of Staff, a man in his early sixties intervenes.
WHCS
The point Ms. Sujata and her team are making here is that we probably are one of the only world economies that could sustain itself from its own resources... Remember that our expansion was carried on over 2 major phases: Need for oil, obviously... and the subsequent post war outreach for new markets... Both these predicaments are now over. We consume 15% less oil then 10 years ago while our domestic production has increased by nearly 50% with the prospect for new untouched reserves very promising.
In terms of markets... Our trade balance has steadily decreased for the past 25 years. We borrow from our producers to buy their shit! Never made any sense to me!
At one point, this has to stop. We've been surfing this wave long enough and I think it's in the best intererst of the American people to pull the plug.
PRO
What about the external debt.
SOS
We'll negotiate!
PRO
And our rating.
POTUS
Fuck the ratings!
SOS
This was a virtual game from the beginning. We'll just be the first to lay our cards down.
PRO
This means going back to the stone-age.
JOUNI
If I may clarify something here gentlemen... Our modelling shows that new switches could be put instaled within months to replace defective ones. But what we can also predict is a trust issue where only China will be in a position to make these changes quickly and globally but where no-one will trust them. So the actual system could take years to be up and running again and trade routes will have to find alternative ways.
POTUS
Where we succeded is in creating a sense of comunity within our borders... and with our Mexican and Canadian friends... (smiling) and Cuban cousins. Everywhere else in the world, inner fights are taking their toll. With this advantage, we can flip this back our way... Even globally.
DEAD LAKE, CREE RESERVE, WOOD BUFFALO, ALBERTA
A Cree mother is walking towards the water truck with 2 five gallons plastic containers. Kids are playing on the grounds of an eery and desolate landscape.
Mother
(looking at the kids)
Come and carry the water...
Two of the kids join the mother at the water truck.
Hundreds of neatly piled up gigantic used truck tires fill the horizon.
MALECON, CUBA, SUNSET
Najwa, early forties, climbs out of the water to the setting sun. She stare at the sea for a few minutes as she dries up before climbing a rusted ladder to reach the newly renovated sea front strip.
Semi transparent LED ads wrapping the preserved colonial buildings light up intermittently the sky darkens. Battery operated Chevys and Oldsmolibes from the 50s run silently on the Malecon. As she turns on Avenida de Italia, rows of street vendors scream out their deals in Spanish. A kids offers "Star-spangled" fireworks for the evening celebrations. Najwa enters a private court and climbs few steps to reach her home. As she gets to the roof, she approaches Alexander, 56, busy talking to his Dvice.
He smiles at her her and carries on his conversation as she approaches.
Alexander
(in English)
What about the Alberta companies... Great. Listen, if we lose our lines of communications over the weekend, stay put on all stocks until Najwa flies in with instruction.