**Chapter 7 – The First Ally**
**Mumbai – 10:30 AM, Dharavi Library**
The scent of old paper and binding glue lingered in the air as Arjun stepped into the modest community library. Unlike the chaos of the city outside, this space was frozen in time—books stacked high, the creak of metal chairs echoing through a forest of wooden shelves, and the hum of ceiling fans doing their best against the heat.
He scanned the back corner.
There she was.
**Rehana Shah**.
Seated cross-legged at a desk with three books open and a worn laptop glowing faintly. She wore a faded kurti, and her hair was pulled up in a knot, loose strands escaping like defiant thoughts. Her focus was surgical.
He approached, clearing his throat softly.
She didn't look up. "I told you last time, no collaborations. I don't need another app partner who ghosts."
Arjun smiled faintly. "You also said you didn't trust corporate types."
She paused, glancing up at him. "Still don't."
"I'm not one of them."
"Yet you come in like you've got a pitch deck in your pocket."
Arjun leaned slightly on the table. "I don't want to pitch you. I want to build with you. On your terms."
That earned her attention. She sat back slightly, crossing her arms.
"You said you worked on BrainLine. That was your code?"
He nodded. "The structure, yes. The learning engine was... experimental."
Rehana studied him carefully. "It was clean. Predictive. But the reinforcement patterns—those were neural-mimic grade. Above average."
He didn't respond.
"Where'd you learn that?" she pressed.
"Let's just say... I had help from somewhere most people don't."
She gave him a skeptical stare. "You're either lying, or you're hiding something."
"I'm doing both," he said honestly. "Because this world doesn't reward truth. Only results."
She exhaled. "So why are you here?"
"Because I'm building something bigger than an app. I'm building a system. And I need a neural architect who thinks in layers—not just code. Someone like you."
Rehana was quiet.
Then, slowly, she closed her laptop. "If I say yes, what's in it for me?"
"No bosses. No dilution. Full credits. And a sandbox where you get to test things no institution would approve."
Her eyes narrowed slightly. "And what do you get?"
"A brain I can trust to challenge mine."
The silence stretched.
Then, she smiled. Just a little. "Bring me real specs. Not motivational lines."
"I'll send the secure folder by tonight."
She extended her hand. "Provisional yes."
He shook it.
---
**System World – Assignment Initialization**
Later that night, Arjun stood in the System World, reviewing the clone of Rehana—**Reh01**—who had already begun parsing through system language architecture and cognitive input models.
> \[Reh01: Neural mimicry cross-linked with energy patterns. Adaptive behaviors aligned. Optimization pending.]
He nodded.
Rehana in the real world would begin receiving structured "experiments" to test. Nothing directly linked to the system—but enough to give her the edge.
She didn't need to know the system yet.
But when the time came, he would trust her to stand at his side.
Because building an empire alone was power.
But building it with minds like hers?
That was permanence.
**End of Chapter 7**