For months, Hope Island had appeared to the outside world as nothing more than a remote, eco-rich settlement—quiet, green, and insignificant. But quiet places often hide the loudest secrets, and soon Hope Island became the center of invisible attention.
The First Spark — Anomalies in the Sky
It began with a series of unexplained atmospheric disturbances picked up by a weather satellite over the Bay of Bengal.
A faint ring of energy—too symmetrical to be natural—blinked for less than a second.
To most systems, it was noise.
To a few specialized AI monitors belonging to powerful nations, it was impossible to ignore.
A flagged alert went out:
"Unclassified energy signature detected. Coordinates: Hope Island."
Within hours, three intelligence agencies across the world quietly opened separate files on the island.
Trade Routes Whisper Rumors
Cargo ships passing near Hope Island reported odd instructions—stay 20 nautical miles away due to "marine conservation zones."
But some captains noticed:
New radar-reflective structures on the island
Impossible accuracy in weather predictions shared by the island authorities
Unusually high-speed data bursts from a location that claimed to have minimal infrastructure
A rumor began among naval operators:
"Something advanced is brewing there."
Corporate Surveillance Begins
Technology firms competing with Cosmos United noticed a pattern:
Sudden reduction in their public patents
Sudden spike in encrypted, unlisted R&D activity
Scientists who formerly collaborated with Cosmos United becoming unreachable
A think tank in Europe released a private memo:
"Cosmos United's operational silence is louder than their innovation."
Hope Island was circled in red.
Nations Deploy Their Quiet Eyes
Soon, countries began to take measured steps.
The United States
Launched a reconnaissance satellite adjustment, giving it a new orbital window directly above Hope Island.
They detected thermal fluctuations, too controlled to be natural.
China
Dispatched a research vessel under the guise of oceanic mapping, equipped with covert sonar and signal-interception hardware.
Russia
Positions a listening buoy disguised as a scientific sensor in nearby waters to track electromagnetic emissions.
The United Kingdom & France
Activated cyber-intelligence nodes to intercept any data flow to and from the island.
Neighboring Nations
India itself was split—while the government trusted Dilli, certain defense factions began quietly asking:
"What exactly is he building there?"
Media Gets a Hint
A freelance journalist analyzing satellite images spotted a strange hexagonal structure on the island—a design similar to classified defense labs.
She published a blog titled:
"Is There a Secret Science City in the Bay of Bengal?"
The article didn't go viral—
But it reached the inboxes of the right (or wrong) analysts.
Intelligence Agencies Cross-Reference Notes
Weeks passed.
Agencies began sharing fragments of findings—reluctantly, competitively, suspiciously.
A pattern emerged:
Energy anomalies
Unusual communication silence
rumors of advanced technology
Dilli's increasing secrecy
absence of commercial activity from Cosmos United
tightly monitored borders of the island
A secret meeting in Zurich among global intelligence heads concluded:
"Something is being developed on Hope Island.
Something capable of altering global power balance."
Global Monitoring Begins
From this point on, Hope Island was no longer a forgotten dot on the world map. It became:
A regular surveillance point on orbital cameras
A signal interception priority
A target for deep-sea drones
A point of interest for corporate espionage firms
A subject of classified geopolitical briefings
Every sunrise and sunset over Hope Island was now watched—
from space, from sea, from the internet, and even from within allied nations.
But none of them could detect Project Veda directly.
Only its ripples, not its source.
This uncertainty made them even more desperate to uncover the truth.
Dilli and Betal Feel the Pressure
Inside Hope Island's protected command dome, Betal reported:
"External observation density has increased by 37%.
We are being watched from seven directions."
Dilli's eyes hardened.
The world was closing in.
The quiet sanctuary of science and harmony was becoming the center of global suspicion.
And this was only the beginning.