Mountains of Memories

The right opportunity didn't present it self until they where back in New York. Shaw was sitting in his office, located at the top of the building. It was a fabulous office with exclusive furniture and the far wall was one big window with a panorama view of Manhattan. He had just put down the phone after a long call and was rather pleased with himself. Without knocking Tessa stepped in. She closed the door and sat down in the chair across from his desk.

"What was Shaw Industries doing on the Hindu Kusch fifteen years ago?"

At first Shaw didn't answer, but then he meet Tessa's penetrating eyes.

"I had them looking for an artifact that they didn't find."

"What artifact?" She demanded.

"It wasn't really so clear. The writing just said that it was powerful. Why do you ask?"

"If it exists I know where it is."

"Really?"

"Yes."

"How would you know that? How did you know that my company was present there at that time? Have you been going over the company's history?"

"A person can only answer one question a time. I went over everything involving Shaw Industries a long time ago, but then I did not lay any weight at the fact. It was not until recently that I came across a tablet describing the artifact and it's location that I realized that I had been there. After leaving the cave I meet a robed convoy escorted by Shaw Industries. You should know that you were very close to finding that cave."

"Now there was something I didn't know about you. Anything else I need to know?"

"You know everything that you need to."

"Good. When do you think that I should book the flight to Kabul?"

~o~

It was early in the morning when they stepped of the plane and into the city with most land mines in the world. Kabul was a city marked of war. Tessa had a sinking feeling in her stomach, her face even stonier than usually.

Outside the airport waited the car they had rented. The Landrover had clearly seen better days, but it still looked better than most of the cars driving on the street. Tessa placed herself in the driver's seat while Shaw collapsed in the passenger seat. He was suffering from a serious case of jetlag and fell asleep before they had left Kabul. The hours passed slowly as they drove over bad dirt roads.

Most of the time Shaw slept and Tessa battled with the part of her that wanted to turn back and get the hell out of this country, the part that wanted to be any were else. Memories had flooded her mind as soon as she stepped of the airplane. When she had driven past the stone rubles of what had been a hotel, it had taken all of her will power to not get sucked into one of her most traumatic memories. Tessa hadn't been able to push them away, but at least she remained aware of the present.

~o~

It was a party for the rich people, for the important people. Politicians, businessmen and foreign diplomats like mum and dad. They were mingling, as they always did. Even though the country practically was at war the elite kept up the facade that everything was like it used to be.

She sat on a armchair that was slightly to big for her. She was bored. They had already been there for hours and it didn't seem like the party would stop any time soon. Above came the familiar sound from bomb planes flying over the city. Something was wrong about them. They didn't sound like they used to, first faint, then stronger, explosions when the bombs hit other buildings and then fainter again. This time the roar kept getting loader. They was headed this way. No, they were above the hotel. Tessa jumped up from the chair and ran towards her parents. She knew what was going to happen. From then on she didn't forget anything.

~o~

Eventually they reached the site where the convoy had been ambushed. Tessa stopped the car and stepped out. She could see how everything had been fifteen years ago. The robbers, the soldiers and her thirteen years old self. The images of the past merged with the present.

"We walk from here." She started going up the mountain.

"Then let's get going." replied Shaw. He grabbed their rather large backpacks and followed her. Once he caught up to Tessa he threw her large pack into her arms.

"Carry your own bag."

Tessa smiled crookedly. "And here I thought someone would be a gentleman and carry a week woman's little bag."

Shaw laughed. "And I didn't think you had a humor!"

"I don't. Sometimes people just find me funny."

Shaw laughed even harder and he was still chuckling when they reached the cave opening.

~o~

Tessa got out her flashlight and so did Shaw. His body was tens knowing that inside that cave was something that would make him even more powerful. He was drawn to power as a moth was drawn to the light. Tessa felt uneasy when she saw that nothing had changed since she was there the last time.

"It's exactly as the tablet described it!" Shaw whispered in aw, looking at the wall paintings.

"I know." answered Tessa as she ventured past the pile of stone under which she had found Xavier. A narrow path went into the mountain.

They walked deeper and deeper down, getting closer to the mountains heart by every step. First walked Tessa, closely followed by Shaw for which it became harder and harder to walk the smaller the tunnel became. Luckily for him they emerged into a large chamber before it would have been impossible for him to squeeze any further. The walls and floors were covered in cuneiform script. In the center of the room was a platform and on the cave ceiling right above was its twin.

"Wow!" Shaw exclaimed.

Tessa touched the writing on the wall.

"Looks like we are going to be here for a while."

"Fine with me."

They started putting up the portable spotlights that they had brought in their packs, filling the chamber with light. Through the small passage they had been unable to have the bags on their backs so they had pushed the backpacks in front of them. Now Shaw passed his time unpacking them while Tessa translated. After a few hours he was extremely bored.

~o~

"What does it say?"

"It explains how it works and what it does. Its purpose was to be a bridge to a different reality, specifically to the Omniverse. Accordingly to these writings the Omniverse is the first reality from which all others can be manipulated. It is the place between all dimensions."

"I see why you find it interesting. From that place I could rule not only one world but all. Brings the term total world domination to a whole new level."

"I do not think that it would be you that ruled it. Apparently it is run by Roma, also called the lady of the northern skies, and her father."

"Let's go there anyway. Perhaps it's time that someone overthrew them."

"That would not be a great idea. If activated the machine causes all worlds to shake and eventually break the balance between different realities, destroying most, if not all worlds."

"We would just use it once. How much damage could be done?"

"A lot." Tessa stepped up on to the platform and stood face to face with Shaw. She was significant shorter but seamed just as powerful as him, if not more.

"We can not risk it."

"How do we activate it?" Shaw's voice was filled with a sense of iron.

"There is no record of that and if there were I doubt that I would tell you. We were meant for this world and no other."

A faint buzzing noise had started when Tessa stepped up to the platform and it had steadily increased to the point that it was impossible to ignore. Slowly they were surrounded by a shining light that grew brighter and brighter until everything started shaking.

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Author's Note: Yet an other chapter and things are starting to happen. Sorry for the one day late update, but my Internet was down yesterday. Hope you will continue reading and perhaps leave a review, feedback is always good.