"The Shield of Progress"
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1. Midnight Briefing – Shakti Command Center
In the underground chamber beneath Shakti Campus, holo-screens flickered with maps of India. Five glowing nodes marked the Arc Reactor sites under construction.
Arya's synthetic voice filled the room:
> "Threat probability increased to 72%. Multiple chatter signals suggest imminent sabotage at Maharashtra site."
Deepak stood in silence, hands clasped behind his back. Beside him, the newly installed table hummed with projections — drones, automated turrets, encrypted comm hubs.
> Deepak: "Then it's time. Activate Operation Garuda."
On-screen, swarms of sleek, hawk-shaped drones unfolded from hidden containers inside Prithvi Energy trucks. Their engines purred to life.
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2. The Sabotage Attempt
At 2:14 a.m., three black SUVs screeched to a halt near the half-built reactor dome in rural Maharashtra. Masked men leapt out, carrying charges of C4.
They cut through the fence and planted the explosives at the cooling conduits.
Just as the timer beeped, a piercing metallic shriek tore through the night. Garuda drones swooped down, talons flashing with stun-tasers.
Sparks flew. One saboteur screamed as a drone pinned him to the ground with electromagnetic clamps. Another tried firing his rifle — but an invisible barrier flared as a drone projected a localized plasma shield.
Within ninety seconds, the intruders were subdued. Arya's calm voice echoed:
> "Sabotage attempt neutralized. Zero casualties. Data on captives being uploaded."
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3. Shiva Shankar's Response
By dawn, news had spread of the foiled attack. Yet in his morning press briefing, CEO Shiva Shankar appeared calm, dignified, unshaken:
> "Prithvi Energy belongs to the people of India. Attempts to harm it are not just attacks on us, but on every citizen's future. We will not be intimidated."
Journalists noted his composed body language, unaware that behind the smooth voice and human eyes was a machine whose algorithms had been trained to project reassuring leadership.
But when he returned to his office, Shiva stood by the window for a long time, fists clenched. His mind replayed the footage of the C4 bricks.
> "They came close… too close. Deepak was right. We must be ready for war."
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4. Deepak's Inner Calculations
Meanwhile, Deepak reviewed the captured saboteurs' files in his private study. Arya decrypted their communications: mercenaries paid through offshore accounts linked to a Swiss firm with ties to a major oil conglomerate.
> Deepak (softly): "The old world will spend trillions to kill the future. Fine. Then I will spend trillions to protect it."
He signed a directive:
Expansion of Garuda drone fleet to 10,000 units.
Recruitment of ex-special forces for covert ground ops.
Quantum-encrypted satellites dedicated purely to Prithvi's security grid.
Prithvi Energy would now be guarded not just by workers and police, but by a private AI-enhanced defense network unlike anything in the world.
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5. A Glimpse of the Future
That night, at the Maharashtra site, workers continued pouring concrete. Above them, Garuda drones hovered silently, scanning the skies with ultraviolet beams.
A tired villager carrying food for his family looked up at the glowing machines. For the first time, he felt safe.
> "This company… it protects us like gods," he whispered to his son.
The boy smiled, clutching his father's hand tighter.
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6. Closing Scene
In his chamber, Deepak ran his hand across the bullet that had been mailed earlier. He placed it into a small glass case labeled:
"Reminder: Never Lower the Shield."
Arya's voice interrupted gently:
> "Garuda is online. They will not breach us again without bleeding for it."
Deepak nodded, eyes cold with resolve.
> "Then let the world come. For every hand raised against us, I will raise a shield of steel, fire, and will. And they will learn — India's future is untouchable."
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