Ascension. Saksaywaman. Shard of eternity. Alexander Zubkov

come to terms with his lost opportunities, Matthew regained his indestructible willpower and the powerful energy of the physical world. Instantly sketching a plan for today, he glanced at his watch.

      «Quite decent for a phone call», – he decided, dialing his friend's number.

      – Good morning, Matthew, – a gentle female voice came over the phone.

      – Good morning, Linda. Sorry for calling so early, but the case is very urgent and cannot wait.

      – Somehow I'm not surprised, – she laughed. – That's your trademark. Quick, all at once. Are we ahead of schedule this time, too?

      – No. It's much more leisurely now. The only thing is to leave as early as possible, and the work itself is quite painstaking and measured.

      – I'm intrigued, – she admitted without false modesty. – Will you enlighten me now, or should we meet?

      – You know I don't like unnecessary chitchat on the phone, – Matthew answered. – Is it convenient for you in the morning, or are you busy?

      – With my love for my profession I'm always busy, but for you I'll cancel all business. My work, unfortunately, does not bring the expected income, and in this respect you have never disappointed me.

      – That's reassuring, – Matthew smiled. – The more so, the case I want to offer you offers the prospect of a very decent income, of course, based on the result. Shall I come to your place, or shall we have breakfast in the restaurant?

      – Do you really think a girl could refuse to go to a restaurant with you? – Linda laughed again. – Do you remember one time?

      – Who should I invite but you? – Matthew was surprised. – You know I'm a recluse at heart. I appreciate our friendship, believe me, and I'd give a lot for it.

      – Come on, – she confused, not without pleasure. – Where to go?

      – You're insulting, – claimed Matthew. – I'll pick you up in an hour. Do you have time to get ready?

      – Of course. I'm waiting.

      Matthew got out of bed and made his way to the climbing frame installed right in the sleeping room. He had developed this habit since high school, and it must be said that it had helped him out more than once. After his fifteen-minute workout, he hailed a cab and headed for the shower.

      A gray morning enveloped the still quiet city as Matthew rode in the car. Overnight, the sky had completely given up the rest of the moisture to the earth, leaving it on the roadway, which slowed things down a bit.

      – Would you be so kind as to turn off the music, please, – Matthew asked the driver.

      – Do you like silence? – the driver nodded understandingly and turned up the volume.

      – Yes. Besides, it's a lot to think about.

      The driver did not dare to interrupt any further, which allowed Matthew to concentrate on the conversation to come. He comfortably sat in the back of the car and concentrated his attention on the cityscape flashing by outside the window, after thinking over the main details of the conversation. Multi-story buildings were buried in the greenery of densely planted trees and shrubs. The first pedestrians were already beginning to appear in the streets.

      «Sooner or later it will all turn into a jungle, – Matthew thought. – The trees will completely take over their territory, the buildings will collapse, and everything will be as it was long ago before us modern humans. The wild animals will come back here again and reign over their land. And in time, someone of intelligence will explore these places, and try to understand those who lived here long before them. Our nature, our architecture, our thoughts. At first, explorers will marvel and wonder how those who lived on the planet could have built such tall and grandiose buildings. And a little later, there will probably be misunderstandings and smirks from such primitive logic of thought as ours. Although this is a rather optimistic prognosis, it’s quite possibly the most attractive one for our home planet. Maybe it will all be buried under tons of sand and dust, where no living organism can penetrate. Or it will end up at the bottom of the ocean, and our homes will become a haven for unseen creatures swimming among them. And in time, perhaps, it will all sink into centuries of ice, which will preserve the memory of us for many millennia. Yes. All this has already happened. It is there now. And it will happen again. How many times? Most likely, and the wisest will not find an answer».

      The car, meanwhile, was approaching its destination, and willy-nilly the driver had to get his client out of his philosophical contemplations.

      – Approaching, – he told briefly. – Is this the final destination, or are there any other requests?

      – Yes, – Matthew answered, coming out of his pensive state. – Wait here. In about ten minutes I'll come down with my companion, and you'll take us to the Chameleon Restaurant. It's not far from here. Do you know it?

      – Of course, – the driver nodded. – I'll be waiting.

      – Thank you, – Matthew said as he got out of the car.

      He went up to the third floor and rang the doorbell. Linda did not keep him waiting long and opened the door with a radiant smile.

      – Good morning! Please come in, I'm almost ready.

      – You look just gorgeous, – Matthew marveled, kissing the girl's hand. – Well, you always do, don't you?

      – I have to hold your own with a man like you, – Linda laughed, blushing a little. – Sit down on the sofa. I'm almost ready.

      She waited until Linda had finished packing and then they walked to a waiting cab.

      – So, – Linda began after fifteen minutes, taking a seat at a table in the restaurant. – I'm so impatient.

      – Believe me, I'm in a hurry to share the information myself, – Matthew assured her, taking his seat across from her, – but let's order something to eat first, because we probably won't be able to eat properly today.

      – Sure, – Linda nodded, pushing the menu aside. – Just a glass of orange juice for me.

      – An extra order of shrimp and a pitcher of fresh orange juice, – Matvey turned to the waiting waiter.

      – Aren't you afraid to order like this, without warning, – Linda asked apprehensively. – I don't want to see you like last time.

      – Thank you for reminding me, Linda. I'm a frequent visitor here, and they know my cooking habits. Everything I order is seasoned only with salt, no seasoning, so there's no problem.

      – That's good, – she said with relief. – You haven't seen a doctor since then, have you?

      – They all say the same thing: either medication, or elimination of the foods to which I am allergic. I have eliminated foods, but nothing works against seasonal allergies, not even medication.

      Linda thought about it.

      – It was a pity, of course. So many healthy foods had to be excluded from the diet.

      – It's not so bad when you think about the attacks, – Matthew answered and smiled. – But let's not talk about sad a thing, that’s not why we came here.

      – Yes, I'm sorry, I just remembered our last trip to the restaurant.

      – Yes, it's sad to remember, – Matthew flinched a little. – But let's get to the point. I've been commissioned to investigate ancient structures in South America. There is no doubt that they are not natural creations. Definitely they were built by intelligent beings. Hence the emerging tasks. The first and most necessary are to find out their true age. When exactly were they built? That's what I need you for. The second is to determine their purpose, as well as to try to figure out the technology of their construction. Here I will work on my own, though I do not exclude the possibility that your clear mind can be of invaluable assistance in this matter.

      – South America…– she repeated thoughtfully, staring into space as if remembering something.