On June 21 2021, American softwar programs mutate and go haywire, destroying the global Internet within hours. Communications and economic transactions flatline, causing havoc across the globe, and bringing most advanced economies to a halt.

Thousands of deadly accidents involving nuclear plants, factories, energy grids, satellites, ships, networked cars and other modern metasystems bring the death toll to nearly 134,000. American NADAN Wall reduces the damage in North America, but the Wall eventually collapses too.

President Haldeman declares limited martial law to contain the chaos, and elite troops are recalled from Asia to enforce the Security Acts against Americans. Hundreds of urban centres are declared 'Federal Territories' to ease martial law and encourage central re-organization.

Warring armies grind to a halt around the world as chaos takes over.

Megacorporations hire mercenaries by the ten-thousand and establish safeholds and enclaves to protect their holdings and employees from looters, gangs and fanatical militias.

Central government in Russia collapses, but within a year is replaced by a theocratic Orthodox/military/FSB triumvirate.

Mitteleuropa chafes under German domination, and takes this opportunity to destroy the offices of hundreds of German corporations and agencies. European Legion troops kill thousands of rioters when commands become garbled because of the NetCrash.

By late 2021, Protocol and Vatican computers have become safe havens for data from across the planet. Long-distance networks on Mars and on the Moon are least affected because of their limited connections.

Increased global birth defects from radiation and new diseases encourage hundreds of millions of couples to adopt eugenic drugs and modifications. American GCC Birth Enhancement Acts passed to encourage selective reproduction.