“The number of transistors in an IC doubles every two years.” Such was the observation made by Gordon Moore, cofounder of Intel, in 1965, which came to be known as Moore’s Law - though it was more an empirical trend than an actual law.

Now, however, it seems as though something - or someone - wants Moore’s Law enforced. Semiconductor CEOs, boards of directors, and chief scientists and engineers across the world have received apocalyptic visions of the consequences if chips do not double in transistor count every two years. Nightmares of cities ablaze and a technological setback in the millennia haunt the sleeping hours of them all.

Any other group having such visions would have been dismissed by world leaders as raving lunatics. But semiconductor production is so important, and so many executives have been affected, that some politicians are taking them seriously even amid the myriad concerns they already need to address. A conference of semiconductor companies and world leaders has convened in New York City to negotiate commitments from governments and corporations to enforce Moore’s Law, and to find out the cause of this collective nightmare.

The choice is yours - make the sacrifices necessary to enforce Moore’s Law, or defy it and face the unknown consequences. But whichever path you take, beware - the secrets you uncover may be secrets better left alone.