415:Phase Out[II]

Malcolm leaned back in his chair, his fingers pressed against his temples. The dim room was lit only by the faint glow of a single desk lamp. 

In the last few days, he felt as though he had aged a decade. His once sharp mind now felt clouded, and the weight of recent events bore down on him like a mountain.

The attacks had not only shaken the USL's infrastructure but had also thrown the global economy into chaos. Stock markets across the world crashed, wiping out trillions of dollars in market value. 

The USL alone had seen a staggering $7 trillion in losses, comparable to the 2008 financial crisis, but unfolding at an even more alarming pace. Major industries like technology, transportation, and finance were haemorrhaging money. Entire sectors had ground to a halt, with adjusted inflation losses nearing $10 trillion globally.