Launching Satellites from 1600s
The cold wind blew across the vast dry plains outside Dwarka's core jungle, as the towering scaffolds of a futuristic rocket base shimmered under the early morning sun. The sound of drills, turbines, and metallic clicks echoed across the base. A group of humanoid robots worked around the clock, assembling what the world would consider impossible: the launch of satellites from the 1600s.
It had been Deepak Rawat's long-held dream. To connect their hidden nation of Dwarka not only across its lands but also to space. And now, in Year 7, with the successful construction of Akasha Nagari, the time had come to look beyond Earth.
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The Mission: QuantumNet I
The project was named QuantumNet I—a network of 12 satellites designed to orbit Earth and provide a secure global communication web, climate monitoring, AI-based early disaster prediction, and orbital surveillance of emerging empires like the British, Portuguese, Ottomans, and Mughals.
These were not ordinary satellites—they were built from nano-fused carbon titanium, lighter than any 21st-century metal, packed with AI processors, solar recharging wings, and cloaking abilities that rendered them invisible to any known technology of the time—or even of the next 400 years.
Each satellite had an embedded "Ark AI"—an artificial intelligence programmed to scan, record, and transmit real-time data to the Dwarka Data Core built in the previous year.
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The Launch Site – Surya Vimana Station
Sonu led the construction of a massive underground vertical launch chamber hidden beneath a dormant volcano. The team called it Surya Vimana Station. It had multi-phase fusion engines, anti-gravity ignition boosters, and a magnetic accelerator that could eject the rocket from the chamber silently and at hypersonic speed.
The locals, who had become citizens of Dwarka, only knew it as a temple mountain called "Surya Kund." They never imagined what magic it held beneath.
Inside, scientists in futuristic suits calibrated the launch sequence. Neha's medical team ensured atmospheric conditions were suitable for human interaction, and the younger generation—Aditya, Diksha, and Kshitiza—took charge of AI-satellite interaction testing.
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The Rocket – Garuda One
The rocket was named Garuda One—a tribute to Lord Vishnu's celestial mount. Painted in deep blue with golden trims, the rocket shimmered like a mythological beast. At 120 meters tall, it was the largest ever created on Earth up to that time, capable of carrying multiple satellites in modular payload bays.
But Garuda One was special not just for its size or power—it was the first quantum fusion rocket ever launched from Earth, centuries before humanity would even conceive of such technology.
Its thrusters used plasma-ion propulsion, and its navigation was handled by an AI named Narayana, capable of adjusting the trajectory in space with zero delay using entangled quantum sensors.
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Countdown to History
On the eve of the launch, the family stood on a cliff overlooking the Surya Vimana Station. Deepak, dressed in a black kurta with a silver Rudraksha necklace, turned to his father.
"Baba, tomorrow we enter space… from the 1600s," he said, awe in his voice.
Rakesh Rawat smiled proudly. "We're not just changing history, Deepak. We are creating a new destiny for Earth."
That night, the people of Dwarka held a silent celebration. No grand lights, no public shows—it was all contained and controlled. Akasha Nagari dimmed its lights, and the satellite city below went into stealth mode.
Even the AI animals were silenced.
At 03:33 AM, the countdown began.
"3… 2… 1… Garuda One, launch!"
With a pulse of brilliant blue light and no audible noise, the rocket rose like a divine arrow into the night sky. Plasma trails shimmered like serpents of light. Within seconds, Garuda One breached the atmosphere, and the payloads began deploying.
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Deploying QuantumNet I
The first satellite, Dwarka-Alpha, activated 15 minutes after orbit insertion. One by one, the twelve satellites separated like lotus petals unfolding in space. They formed a perfectly synchronized ring around Earth.
On screens within the Data Core, real-time visuals began streaming in.
African coasts where Portuguese ships readied new fleets
Middle East deserts, where the Ottomans moved troops
The Indian subcontinent, where Mughal fortresses were expanding
Europe, caught in the early fires of its coming revolutions
And in each satellite, the AI began mapping the planet—temperature, ocean currents, population movements, military actions, disease spread, and even natural resource patterns.
Deepak stood at the central console.
"Phase 1 of global awareness has begun," he whispered.
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Integrating with Dwarka Life
The impact was immediate.
Farmers in Dwarka received real-time monsoon predictions with 99.9% accuracy.
Ships traveling from hidden ports used satellite tracking to avoid pirates or storms.
AI schools now taught children about Earth's geography, history, and geopolitics with live satellite visuals.
Artists even used orbital views of auroras and eclipses in their paintings.
Aditya worked on creating a holographic interface for residents to "visit" space by walking through virtual tunnels mapped from real satellite feeds. Children roamed in these tunnels, touching the stars, traveling through Earth's orbit like explorers.
For the people of Dwarka, space was no longer a distant concept. It was part of their daily life.
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Stealth and Security
To ensure no empire ever detected the satellites, Khushboo's team installed adaptive cloaking layers. These made the satellites shift their energy signatures based on location, hiding from any known physics-based detection.
If, by some chance, a European scientist ever stumbled upon anomalies, the AI would redirect their focus using subliminal suggestion algorithms that altered their thoughts. The future would remain hidden, for now.
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A Message from the Sky
On the 10th day after the launch, the people gathered at the Krishna Temple in Akasha Nagari. As chants echoed through the sky, a beam of light from orbit shimmered down onto the temple dome.
It was Dwarka-Alpha, sending a signal: the world is now under your watch.
Deepak looked up, hands folded.
"O Lord Krishna, we now guard Earth from above. Bless our mission."