12 July 2074, Dubai, The Arabian Caliphate – A thunderous explosion rocked the Arabian night as the 78 story First Caliphate Building erupted in fireball before collapsing in on itself. The building, owned by Wuxing, was one of the few superstructures to survive the massive Tsunami’s of last summer. Officials do not believe that damage caused by the tidal wave made the building structurally unsound. “We are convinced,” said a Wuxing spokesperson, “that a large bomb or series of bombs were placed in the basemen of the building – below the water line. Our divers are searching for evidence of the sabatoge.”
The buildings demise did not seem to sadden Wuxing officials, who stoically noted that while the loss was terrible, few lives were lost and that the building is fully insured against terrorists acts. Some analysts have noted that the building’s demise may actually be a boon for Wuxing – as it was only 60% leased. The destruction of the building marks serious blow, however, to Horizon, who both held the insurance policy for the building and had headquartered a large software development contingent there.
Horizon stocks fell 8% on the news and Wuxing stock remained even.
reporting by Al Simmons of the Wall Street Journal