The killer surge (Electric tsunami)

This science fiction story is about the new cyber-war technique.
It revolves around a small brief-case type of gadget which can deliver several 100 million volts of A.C electricity and can generate a "Kill" signal for several minutes which can cause resonance and "fryup" all electrical appliances/transformers on the electric grid.

The brief-case can be used by cyber-warriors to connect to high tension lines in middle of desert to take down entire electrical grid of a nation and even fry up/cause malfunction of (from TVs to microwaves to washing machines to radios to all sorts of computer appliances) all electronic devices in a given area. The kill signal can overwhelm the tripping circuits, literally preventing them to earth these millions of volts of electricity.

The year is 2016, one of military contractors from a fallen super power brings this "killer" box to "soft-weapons" market. It is bought and used by many cyber-warriors to greenpeace activitits to shutdown electricity grid of nuclear power stations to oppressive regimes to cut off electricity and damage computer equipment of dissidents to even electricity companies who have cut-throat competition from private operators and who want to damage their competitor's electricitygrid and investment to countries at war - which want to destroy business/soft-targets like manufacturing machineries - automobiles, textiles, pharma, electronics, food products etc etc..

As a result, countries deploy double protection tripping grids which will "sacrifice" a buffer grid to protect the actual grid feeding their customers. Other countries start using un-manned arial drones which do surveillence of entire grid for any miscreants trying to damage their grids. Other countries do research on how to protect from sudden 100 million volt surges/spikes. Though the grid tripping happens in order of micro-seconds, still the current surge of 100s of millions of volts even for several micro-seconds is enough to cause in-rush of several KA of current to damage any equipment.

This brief case device is like a taser, it holds up 100s of millions of volts of electricity waiting to be let out instantaneously. It has enough protection to prevent itself from electric currents it creates. (I am really not sure if such a weapon would exist or feasible (to come in a small brief case size - it would require extraordinary amount of energy to be generated from this brief-case shaped device) - i was thinking more of a truck (rather than a brief case) generating millions of volts of A.C - but who knows in future developments could bring in such a weapon) or if such researches are done and governments and leaders without any wisdom sanction such war techniques which will put back advances on earth backwards - This is what i visualize)

This story is seen on side of those who suffer the wrath of the killer surge (aka electricity tsunami) or receiving end of this cyber-war. The story takes you through lives of people in a manufacturing town which is shutdown and becomes a ghost town - with livelihoods taken away because of this killer surge.

It is a very energetic industrial town with most beautiful and nicest people on earth. They are hard working and the factories are up and running producing goods worth billions of dollars every month. The amount of goods exported contributed directly to the country's GDP. Now their country has been in a tight spot with negotiations on free trade and refuses to stop shipments of automobiles to countries where demand for oil shoots up - which in turn tilts the balance of power in oil trading as oil producing countries no longer depend on big-buyers - when there is competition in market to buy oil - because of increased and new demands across the world. This tipping of balance in oil-market causes jitters in currency trading as well. So in a sense everyone is tired.

So economic powers decide to teach a lesson to this country and bring it to negotiating table and to set an example, they want to silence this industrial town (as an example) - It is going to be the hiroshima and nagasaki (an example and a war-game-changer) of industrial-cyber-war.

It is a Monday morning 10:30 AM, the manufacturing industries are in full production, kids are in schools where classes are brigthly lit, in colleges lectures are in progress, many of white collar workers are sitting in front of computers in stock exchanges, banks, IT departments, wireless network operation centers. In big hospitals, critical surgeries are in full swing. In a scan and test center, MRIs are being taken, xrays taken and even featal examinations using ultrasound are in progress. There is also an indoor sports gymnastics tournament in progress. Several TV and radio stations streaming live news and entertainment. All the metro train commuter routes are on the move, Airports are busy in takeoffs (for international flights) - Since it is a monday morning, there were more domestic travellers rather than international travellers. But there were unusually high international travellers (with many journalists) covering an international conference which just concluded the previous week. At port, there were loads of docking and undocking happening. There are these upteen number of construction sites where construction work is happening.

Then at 10:31:30, (like a horror movie) all incandescent bulbs blast out one by one. The HDTV 3D giant picture tubes in the city-center cronks out. The Computers are burned, All hospital equipment were switched to UPS - but permanently burnt. Same case with airports, ports, metro trains, colleges, schools, manufacturing plants,.. There was pitch darkness in indoor stadiums, offices - it is as if every electric appliance and electronic hardware was fried and stopped.

This story takes through eyes of following characters (I leave out the names for you to fill)

A - a 10th grade student in an important/famous school, where children of politicians and famous personalities went. In a flash all the mercury vapor/incadescent lamps burst and the pieces of glass fall on the students. The computer monitors were smoking (Story is about how they get out of the building where strong electricity static currents were on each of those metallic frames, windows and doors)

B - A journalist stuck in the airport (The air traffic control is destroyed. Emergency crew deploy the manual mode of landing jumbos and save 2 flights from disaster)

C - A automobile company weld technician in a manufacturing assembly line (The crane holding the assembly parts snap falling on several coworkers killing them. All equipments are fried and hot. Even some believe that this is "Stuxnet worm v10" unleashed on their country). Story is about how C provides an electrical insulation zone so that co-workers can get out of the facility safely.

Mrs.D - Who is in a beauty parlor trying to dry her hair (He hair fries up and the hair dryer plastic melts and molds permanently on their scalp and those surrounding her were shell-shocked). Story is about about the beauty parlor owner shows presence of mind to save Mrs.D

Mrs.E - Who is undergoing an ultrasound featal scan (Tragic death of mother and featus child) as the electric surge kills them both as well as ultra sound technician. Story is about a nurse in that facility who despite the first aid for electric shock, she could only barely save the child born prematurely.

F - Who is travelling in a metro train which is about to switch the rails to travel to different route to suburb (Which happens electronically). Story is about how F saves the fellow passengers from electricial short circuit in the metro compartment and signals to those walking in the tunnels about the fire.

G - Who works in a TV station streaming live news. Story is about how G finds a portable radio station (from his mobile unit) and helps government broadcast emergency signals.

H - Who is an electrical engineering student in a power-systems lab along with his professor who is world renowed for his research on super-conductivity and efficient/green energy grids for future. Story is about how H and his professor help cyber counter-intel zero-in on point of injection of the "kill signal"

I - Mom of gymnast who is performing on the floor in an indoor tournament. Story is about I and her mom get out of the stampede in the indoor stadium as the electric short circuit threatens to become a huge fire.

J - A stock broker in middle of busy day of trading. Story is about how J helps freeze/undo some big transactions which could have brought down the stock market that day. Some even thought this is a coordinated attack (cyber+financial) on that country.

K - A doctor doing a critical heart surgery in an ICU - where ventilator is crucial and his assistants who are struggling to keep the oxygen. Story is about how assistants of K, with their quick presence of mind, manually transport oxygen tanks and switch to manual mode of ventilator and using emergency torches from their vehicles helped doctor complete the operation in total pitch darkness.

L - A commoner (who has his day off) in the mall closer to city center and trying to cross a pedestrian signal. Story is how L feels suddenly the "feel-good materialism" around him collapses in a second with failure of all gadgets - from vending machines to escalators to traffic signals

M - A prison guard in high security prison surrounded by electrified fences. Story is about how a massive prison break happens and how M and his men with their presence of mind avert it.

N - A white collar IT worker - working for the Government data facility center - trying to take backups of data (routine monday morning). Story is about how N saves the data from corruption and DVD burn out.

O - A nuclear technician in a nuclear power plant which had been connected to the "grid" that previous day (sunday). Story is about how O isolates the nuclear plant from in-rush of current (electric tsunami) and gracefully shuts down the reactor.

P - The chief electricity officer of the power company maintaining the grid reporting directly to the government. P is in constant touch with Y to resolve the situation and ensure safety of civilians.

Q - A person working in the main bank which oversees trading across banks. Story is about how Q,J thwart a financial attack.

R - A kid playing a video game (highly electrifying) which needs full wiring across the body and other kids cheering him in the mall. Story is about how V saves R.

S - A technician on a high-speed wireless broadband microwave tower on the tower doing signal measurements. Story is about how S could feel the influx of this tsunami (some kind of telepathy) and gets down on time - to save some equipment for a makeshift network outside of electricity grid.

T - Architect overseeing construction of a 100storey building, when the crane operated by HT 440V suddenly snaps dumping the whole concrete pillar down on crowded floor of laborers. Story is about how T and his team helped save everyone out of the danger.

U - A MRI scan technician who had just placed a 10 year old girl for MRI scan and started the MRI scan readings. Story is about presence of mind of U which prevented the little girl from way too much radiation.

V - A house wife who has been cooking dish close to a microwave oven. Story is about the tragic microwave leak and exposure of this innocent women.

W - A electricity utility company person taking measurements/readings in an apartment. Story is about tragic death of this person - much to the shock of those watching him.

V - A kids-zone supervisor in a mall where kids (who are enjoying holidays are playing)

W - A gym instructor in a gym demonstrating a new fitness technique on a latest gadget. Story is about how W saves a person with pacemaker from cardiac arrest.

X - A cyber counter intel officer monitoring the incoming network traffic connected to critical facilities for viruses and worms. He is the main character in story along with H,his professor, P and Y. X unearths the puzzle of what happened and who is responsible and collects proof for providing before international press.

Y - A minister responsible for power and energy (and who is in an international conference abroad). For Y this is a wakeup call that despite warnings from counterintel, he never allowed provisions for isolating grid based on sophisticated appliances which are to be imported.

Z - A commoner on the road trying to cross the tram tracks on his bi-cycle. Tragic electrocution and death due to impact on concrete rather than due to electrocution.

(Maybe there are disaster movies on blackouts - But this one is about lethal currents destroying lives and livelihoods)

To be continued..