DIAL A-I-G for FRANKENSTEIN

At 0900 EST on September 15, 2008, every every trading desk in the world started to flicker. A quarter of a billion traders looked at their screens, and stared for a few seconds stupefied. Those who had been awakened by their blackberries in the middle of the night assumed that some mistake had been made and called in. But there was no voice on the line; only a sound, which to many seemed like the roaring of the sea; to others, like the vibrations of harp strings in the wind. And there were many more, in that moment, who recalled the horrific noise of blood pulsing through the veins, heard when your brand new Maserati is about to hit a Wall. Whatever it was, it lasted no more than twenty seconds. Then it was replaced by the A-I-G dialtone.

From Dial F for Frankenstein
Arthuer C Clarke