The year 2025 spiraled into a full-blown shadow war for talent and technology after a seismic US policy shift suddenly froze or terminated a staggering $2.7 billion in research funding, triggering a global brain drain as allies scrambled to recruit "science refugees". This chaos created cover for physical theft—including the smuggling of dangerous pathogens into labs—and a massive cyber espionage campaign codenamed Salt Typhoon that targeted critical infrastructure across allied nations, including a major Canadian telecom. In response, Canada initiated a total strategic pivot, investing hundreds of millions in its Quantum Champions program and sovereign supercomputers to build a necessary "technological fortress" and a "sovereign shield" against escalating threats.