What follows is a fictional portrayal of the near future – a look into a possible world. But this is a story, not a prediction.

Names, characters, places, and incidents are purely a product of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or to actual events is purely coincidental.

A most unexpected result.

April 3, 2029

QuantoCorp applied laboratory
Palo Alto, California

It was a beautiful spring morning in Palo Alto. The scientist heard neither the birdsong nor felt the sun’s early rays cutting through the fog.

He was buried deep in the bowels of the lab, badged into a secure containment area, working on an airgapped system controlling the most delicate piece of hardware ever assembled: a 480-logical-qubit quantum computer, supercooled to 5 millikelvin, significantly colder than outer space.

The matter is settled.

April 4, 2029

QuantoCorp Applied Laboratory
Palo Alto, California

The scientist was reluctant.

“I like Bitcoin,” he protested. “And this doesn’t make sense. If we do this, we kill it.”

April 5, 2029

DARPA HQ
Arlington, VA

The founder of QuantoCorp was sitting in his office with his counterpart at DARPA.

Objections are raised.

July 12, 2029

Washington, DC
Classified location

Inside a cramped bunker, the greatest financiers on the planet were engaged in a shouting match.

The community responds.

July 13, 2029

BlockRiver offices
Menlo Park, CA

The CEO of BlockRiver was in despair.

And one more thing…

October 4, 2029

NSA HQ
Fort Meade, MD

Three months later, and things had mostly returned to normal.