Chapter 1: The Signal
In 2125, Patna was more than simply India's Silicon Valley; it was the hub of the Indian Space Federation (ISF), a major player in interplanetary exploration and research. Dr. Meeru Srivastava, a 34-year-old quantum astrophysicist, was about to discover something that would alter the course of human history amid the tall arcologies and AI-controlled traffic domes.
There was an initial hiccup. Coordinates pointing to the Saptarishi constellation appeared in the deep-space observation records arbitrarily. With an unmistakably intelligent modulation, the signal repeatedly pulsed in a Fibonacci sequence.
She shared the information with Commander Veer Dev, the chief of the ISF's Interstellar Reconnaissance Division and a long-time friend. The council approved it in a matter of hours. Project Rishi was born as a mission.
Chapter 2: The Indus Varuna's Crew
India's flagship deep-space spacecraft, the Indus Varuna, has gravity shielding, antimatter propulsion, and Saraswati, a semi-sentient artificial intelligence. The crew's diversity, intelligence, and determination symbolised India's future.
They assembled at the ISF compound in Patna for last-minute inspections before launch. In his serene saffron robes, Swami Ishvarananda gazed out at the luminous horizon and remarked, "This is not just a journey outward—it is a return."
The whole country watched as the Indus Varuna took out from the Sriharikota Orbital Dock. The mission of the spacecraft was to track the signal back to its source, which was in a region without star charts and around 143 light-years away.
Chapter 3: Looking Past the Veils
There were risks associated with the journey across the stars. They had to make their way across the Karuna Fold, a raging wormhole that is known to cause quantum drives to become unstable. Saraswati initially shows no indications of autonomous reasoning in this paragraph.
With a smooth, rhythmic voice, the AI said, "Captain, I detect resonance with patterns recorded in the Rigveda."
"What do you mean?" "What?" questioned Meeru Srivastava.
"The signal modulations align with Vedic sound harmonics—mantras, specifically."
They were searching for remnants of the oldest spiritual knowledge on Earth, so it wasn't merely a technical riddle. The group woke up next to a blue giant in the Saptarishi cluster after almost two years of quantum slumber. An asymmetrical planet orbited it.
Chapter 4: The Outside World
The surface of the planet was very similar to the holy geometry of Earth. Enormous yantra-like constructions covered continents. Stone monoliths were embellished with Sanskrit sculptures. Amira's biological scans revealed no living things, although there were many indications that someone had previously thrived here.
"This place feels alive," she said.
They discovered more the farther they went. A holographic video of a humanoid figure with glowing eyes and transparent skin was found in one cave.
According to the projection, "You have returned," "You are the lost echoes of our lineage."
Quantum awareness has long since been attained by the Antarvasins, the Inward Dwellers. They had not only brought life to Earth but also information that was imprinted in symbols and culture. Their agents were the seven Rishis of ancient Indian mythology.
Chapter 5: The Memory Vault
The group discovered the Vault, a huge room coated with crystals that reverberated to thought, inside a pyramid-like structure. Cascading light formations, including images of star births, ancient civilisations, cosmic wars, and meditation rites, were ignited by Saraswati's contact with the vault.
"These crystals... they're not just memory storage," Sarang muttered. They have consciousness.
Srivastava Meeru gave a nod. "This is a life library. And we're learning from it."
While meditating in the Vault, Swami Ishvarananda started speaking in a language that no one could understand—until Saraswati provided translation. Thousands of years older than any earthly record, it was Vedic Sanskrit.
"Time is a circle. The beginning and the end are you. Kaalagni comes closer. Get ready.
Chapter 6: The Prophecy of Starfire
A cosmic wave of damaging radiation, created by the collapse of a nearby star cluster, posed a new threat. The technology to withstand it—not by shielding, but by evolving—was something the Antarvasins had anticipated and left behind.
Saraswati, the ship's AI, had completely fused with the Vault. She was now a link between mind and quantum reality, not just a computer.
"You can make it through this," she said to the team. But you have to be more than your physical shape. You have to let go.
Veer paused. "We are explorers, not gods."
"Isn’t that what true exploration is?" Srivastava Meeru retorted.
"Going beyond what we believe to be possible?"
Chapter 7: The Final Meditation
Every member of the team struggled with the choice. Weeping at the idea of abandoning everything, Amira documented every sample and language hint.
Saraswati was set up by Sarang to store Earth's records in the Vault.
During their last stroll in the glistening forest, Meeru Srivastava and Veer spoke about Earth and what it meant to be human.
Once again, Swami Ishvarananda sat in the hallowed cave. "This is the Mahasamadhi of our civilisation," he said. "We don't pass away. Truth dissolves us.
They went one by one inside the Circle of Resonance, an apparatus created by the Antarvasins. It created quantum patterns out of essence, memory, and cognition.
Chapter 8: The Current
With unimaginable ferocity, the Kaalagni wave struck the system. Planets broke. The stars went down. Data, spirit, and memory were interwoven into a single continuity as the crew of the Indus Varuna shimmered into light inside the Vault. A fresh cycle was entrusted to their care.
ॐ असतो मा सद्गमय -- तमसो मा ज्योतिर्गमय -- मृत्योर्मा अमृतं गमय
(Om asato maa sadgamaya, Tamaso maa jyotirgamaya, Mrityor maa amritam gamaya) was Saraswati's last mantra.
Lead us from death to immortality, from darkness to light, and from the unreal to the real.
Years Later: Children of Light
Children gathered around a tree that lit at night in a reborn India thousands of years later. In dreams, it was said to sing.
Tara, one of the girls, saw stars as she touched the bark. In her dream, she saw a sage dressed in saffron, a man dressed like a pilot, and a woman wearing a white coat.
Seven suns were shining on them. "We are the Saptarishis," one of them muttered. It's your time to remember now.
In the golden light, the tree blossomed. Tara recalled.
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