#59.12 | "Escalation" [FICTION]
The Nordic Wall ~ Surreal ~ ZIRP ~ A developing situation in Ørestad Square
Note: The following is a work of fiction and not necessarily representative of my own personal views. On January 8, I committed to writing a serialized novel, 500-words-a-day for the next thirty days. Every day, I sit down and write 500 divinely inspired words as the story unfolds in my head. Please don’t send me angry DMs or comments; I’m just a conduit for the Universe! Enjoy!! 🎉
XII. “Escalation”
When Maggie stumbles into the Jefferson’s tearoom for a very late breakfast, she knows something’s afoot. Her phone battery had died so she’d been disconnected for all of four hours which meant —nowadays— a coup, missile strike, or regime change may have already happened. Maybe even all concurrently. Such, these days, was the peril of sleeping. In the tearoom, on the television chyron, she sees reality does not disappoint.
GREENLANDERS SHACKLE THEMSELVES ACROSS NUUK HARBOR BLOCKING ENTRY TO US CONTAINER SHIPS
“Greenlanders, furious with the sale of their autonomous region by Denmark to the Americans have overnight chained themselves together in dinghies and row boats across the port of Nuuk to form a human wall, denying US container ships from docking in the harbor. This happens simultaneously while across all of Europe, protests continue into their second week, gaining traction in Copenhagen and Brussels—”
Maggie watches the anchorwoman on air describe a series of events —rallies across all European capitals, all three American stock market indices down by quadruple digits, protests in all major American cities— and cannot help but for a moment marvel in abject horror at how surreal everything is. These are headlines ripped from The Onion or The Babylon Bee. The words the lady on air is saying simply aren’t making sense.
“—so far demonstrations have been peaceful but tensions have further ratcheted as governors across Washington, Oregon, California, and New York have activated their National Guard to help maintain civil order. Meanwhile, we’ve additionally just received news that the US Second Fleet has at this time been mobilized in the North Atlantic—”
“There you are—” Maggie turns and sees its Gwen looking somehow fresh and fully energized, no trace anywhere of last night’s alcoholic rampage discernible. She hands her a cup of coffee which she gratefully accepts— “where have you been all morning? I was just about to go up to get you. Are you seeing this?”
“I am, indeed, seeing this.”
"We need to get our people out of Copenhagen, Cologne, Brussels... hell, maybe out of all of Europe.”
“We already did that weeks ago.”
“Then what is that?” Gwen points back at the television and Maggie turns to look.
“Anger at the American government has spilled over into full-on hostilities towards American companies as well. We cut now to Ørestad Square in Copenhagen where there appears to be a developing situation.”
Maggie feels her heart sink and face go pale. Six years ago, LIV Technologies had —like the rest of American Big Tech— in an era of ZIRP enabled by the geniuses at the Fed, borrowed metric tons of free money to build out huge presences abroad across all of Europe and Ørestad Square in south Copenhagen had been the hip, up-and-coming business district American big tech had essentially taken over. On television, Maggie watches the camera crew pan over a large mob of tall, skinny, very angry Danish people waving “GET OUT, AMERICA!!” posters to the square where a litany of giant, familiar American big tech logo signs hang over the building façades: Google, Microsoft, Oracle, Z, Salesforce, LIV; all their signs and glass office floors thankfully dark and unoccupied… all except for one.
Maggie puts her face in her hands. “You cannot be serious.”
Six years ago, LIV Technologies had —like the rest of American Big Tech— in an era of ZIRP enabled by the geniuses at the Fed, borrowed metric tons of free money to build out huge presences abroad across all of Europe.