Aug 1–Aug 15, 2017
"Stars Over India"
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1. The Meeting at ISRO Headquarters – Bengaluru
The monsoon had left the skies freshly washed, the scent of wet earth still lingering as a sleek black convoy pulled into the ISRO campus. Cameras were everywhere. The press expected a signing ceremony, but no one was prepared for what they were about to see.
At the front of the convoy stepped out Maya Iyer, clad in a silver-gray silk sari with geometric designs that hinted at circuits. She looked radiant under the floodlights, every gesture precise, every blink calibrated for human warmth.
Behind her, walking with quiet dignity, was Vikram Malhotra — serving as the official government liaison between Saraswati Corp and Delhi. He carried the gravitas of Parliament but also the charisma of someone deeply trusted by both politicians and the public.
> Maya Iyer (addressing the press, voice smooth as glass):
"Today, Saraswati Corporation and ISRO embark on a journey to put twenty low-orbit satellites into the sky. Not for war, not for dominance — but for connectivity, education, and empowerment.
Every voice in India, from Kashmir to Kanyakumari, from Arunachal to the Andamans, will soon have equal access to the digital future."
The hall broke into thunderous applause.
In the background, unnoticed by cameras, MC watched the broadcast feed from his private command center at the estate. Aarya's projection floated beside him, whispering analysis of media sentiment, trending hashtags, and defense think tank chatter.
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2. Behind Closed Doors – The Real Tech
While Maya dazzled the press, the real negotiations happened in a sealed conference room.
Inside were ISRO's top scientists, a handful of senior ministers, Maya Iyer at the head, Vikram Malhotra moderating, and Aarya feeding quiet data streams into Maya's earpiece.
One ISRO engineer, graying and skeptical, leaned forward.
> Engineer: "You promise 20 satellites in low orbit in under 18 months. That is… impossible with current payload limits."
Maya (smiling faintly): "Impossible is a word that belongs to yesterday."
She pressed a button. A holographic model flickered alive: compact, ultra-dense Shakti-powered satellite cores, each a fraction of the size of current systems but delivering ten times the throughput.
> Maya: "With Shakti processors, each unit becomes not just a relay, but a self-optimizing AI node. Energy-efficient. Quantum-encrypted. Virtually unhackable."
The scientists stared, stunned.
At the far corner, Vikram Malhotra spoke, bridging the political gap:
> Vikram: "Gentlemen, this is not just about space. This is about India never again begging for access to foreign networks. No more dependence on American satellites. No more Chinese chokeholds. This is about sovereignty — in the skies."
One by one, the resistance melted into awe.
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3. Global Ripples – POV: Pentagon
Meanwhile in Washington, a Pentagon cyber-briefing turned tense.
> Analyst: "India is preparing a twenty-satellite low-orbit constellation. Specs suggest they'll double as 5G relays and high-res imaging platforms."
General: "How the hell did they compress that timeline? We thought India was at least a decade behind."
Analyst: "Sir… our best guess? It's the same company that built Maya Iyer."
General (muttering): "Not a company. A ghost."
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4. Rural India – POV: Assam Teacher
In a small school in Assam, a teacher named Rohini Das tried her best to teach geography with crumbling textbooks. Electricity cut out often, and internet access was nonexistent.
That evening, she overheard the village men discussing the news about new satellites. "Soon we'll have internet here, fast as cities," one said.
Rohini smiled faintly, holding her worn lesson plan. Maybe next year, her students could learn with real maps, real videos… maybe the world would finally open to them.
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5. Estate – MC and Ananya
Back at the estate, MC walked with Ananya along the lantern-lit garden path. She had spent the day with Saraswati engineers, helping design clean water distribution apps that would piggyback on satellite coverage.
She glanced at him, thoughtful.
> Ananya: "You're giving people the stars. But tell me — what are you really planning?"
MC (quiet, evasive): "I'm building a sky no one can take away from us."
Ananya (smiling, teasing): "One day, you'll have to stop hiding behind your ghosts, you know."
Her words lingered in his mind long after she walked back inside.
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6. Maya Iyer – The Symbol
As August closed, Maya Iyer's face was everywhere — newspapers, online portals, primetime news debates. She was hailed as "the woman bringing the internet to the skies."
Only a select handful knew she was no woman at all, but an engineered persona, carefully crafted to shield the man who never showed his face.
> Aarya (to MC, softly in the estate lab):
"She has become more than a mask. She is a symbol. A myth. Perhaps even more powerful than you imagined."
MC: "Good. Let the world fear the symbol. I'll move in the silence it creates."
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End of Aug 2017 – Outcomes
ISRO-Saraswati deal signed: 20 low-orbit satellites, launch schedule classified.
Maya Iyer: hailed globally as "India's Tech Queen."
Vikram Malhotra: strengthened ties in Parliament, seen as architect of tech diplomacy.
Ananya: begins merging her environmental mission with Saraswati's satellite plans.
MC: remains unseen, but his reach now extends from beneath the earth to the stars.
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