Playing with Fire: When Multiple Systems Cross Critical Thresholds Simultaneously

This paper introduces a multi-phase modeling framework for cascade events arising from cross-system threshold breaches. By integrating recursive feedback theory, temporal decay models, and substrate coupling across physical, information, and political domains, the analysis tracks how localized disruptions propagate into global systemic failures. Illustrated via a plausible Strait of Hormuz scenario, the framework establishes clear intervention windows, saturation dynamics, and long-range feedback risks. Rather than synthesizing existing crisis typologies, this work proposes a substrate-agnostic modeling scaffold for forward-looking analysis under uncertainty. It is offered as a conceptual framework, not a computational model; algorithmic detection methods for cascade phases and substrate couplings are identified as directions for future work. The proposed Universal Energy Field (UEF) model is generalizable to crises in finance, ecology, and geopolitics, providing a novel toolset for systemic foresight. Version update: This release includes final structural refinements, including corrected title punctuation, improved typographic rendering, clarified methodology scope, and formal disclosure of AI system use. No changes have been made to the core argument, examples, or analytical framework.