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  OTHER BOOKS BY GARETH WORTHINGTON

  The Children of the Fifth Sun Trilogy

  Children of the Fifth Sun (Book 1)

  Children of the Fifth Sun: Echelon (Book 2)

  OTHER BOOKS BY GARETH WORTHINGTON AND STU JONES

  It Takes Death to Reach a Star Duology

  It Takes Death to Reach a Star (Book 1)

  In the Shadow of a Valiant Moon (Book 2)

  FORTHCOMING BY GARETH WORTHINGTON

  A Time for Monsters (2021)

  AWARDS

  It Takes Death to Reach a Star

  2019 IPPY Bronze Award Science Fiction

  2019 Feathered Quill Gold Award Winner Science Fiction

  2018 Cygnus Award First Place Ribbon Dystopian Science Fiction

  2018 Dragon Award Nominee Best Science Fiction Novel

  2018 New York Book Festival Winner Science Fiction

  2018 Readers’ Favorite Honorable Mention Science Fiction

  Children of the Fifth Sun

  2019 Eric Hoffer Award Honorable Mention Science Fiction

  2019 Eric Hoffer Award Grand Prize Shortlist

  2019 Eric Hoffer Award First Horizon Finalist

  2018 London Book Fesitval Winner Science Fiction

  2018 Killer Nashville Silver Falchion Finalist Science Fiction

  Children of the Fifth Sun: Echelon

  2018 Hollywood Book Festival Winner Science Fiction

  Children of the Fifth Sun: Rubicon

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

  Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Copyright © 2020 Gareth Worthington

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system now known or to be invented, without written permission from the publisher, except where permitted by law.

  The publisher is not responsible for websites (or their content) that are not owned by the publisher.

  ISBN: 978-1-64548-003-7

  Published by Vesuvian Books

  www.vesuvianbooks.com

  For mum.

  You never know how strong you can be,

  until you must be.

  Author’s note.

  The seed of this story began when I was 14 years old. At the time of writing this I am 39. While the three books weave together the ancient world and science fiction, at the heart of this story is a lifetime of personal experiences, good and bad. Much like my twenty-odd years of writing Children of the Fifth Sun, the story itself spans a similar timeline, reflecting my own growth – from manic depressive and suicidal to a man whose entire life and priorities were changed by the birth of his children.

  Beyond the action and the intrigue in Children of the Fifth Sun, if there was one thing I would want the reader to take away from this series it is this: if you think you do not matter, you’re wrong.

  Your life touches many others and what you made people feel will long extend beyond your death. I once believed I would march through life, and if I died it wouldn’t matter. I was wrong.

  No-one is an island. And I do mean no-one.

  So, choose how you want to live and thus how you will be remembered. In the end, it’s all we have.

  Well, that and perhaps a book or two we wrote.

  Table of Contents

  Author’s Note.

  Key People In The Series

  Key Huahuqui In The Series

  Key Places And Organizations In The Series

  Prologue

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Epilogue

  About The Author

  KEY PEOPLE IN THE SERIES

  Prof. Alexander (deceased). Mastermind behind the original Huahuqui cloning project. Conspired with General Benjamin Lloyd to release all information on the Huahuqui to the public in an attempt to save humanity through their bond. Died in a Chinese airstrike.

  The Doyen. Leader of Nine Veils. Little is known of him, other than he wishes to bring humans as far into the ‘divine light’ as possible and believes the Huahuqui are the key. He will stop at nothing to realize his vision.

  Chris D’Souza (deceased). Best friend of Kelly Graham, brother to Izel Graham and son of Alejandro D’Souza. Died in a cross fire while the Green and Red Society attacked Area 51.

  Alejandro D’Souza (deceased). Archeologist and linguistics expert. Father to Izel and Chris D’Souza. Died of cancer.

  Tony Franco. Ex-NSA field agent turned private gun for hire and long-time friend of Jonathan Teller.

  Carmen Graham (deceased). Daughter of Kelly Graham and Izel Graham. Died at the age of three in a tragic accident.

  Izel Graham (deceased). Wife of Kelly Graham, sister of Chris D’Souza and daughter of Alejandro D’Souza. Committed suicide when her daughter Carmen died having fallen down the stairs.

  Kelly Graham (deceased). Nature photographer and freediving champion recruited by Freya Teller for a secret mission. Became telepathically bonded to K’in and fathered a son, KJ, with Freya. Died trying to save Victoria McKenzie from her destructive bond with the Huahuqui known as Wak.

  Kelly Graham Junior (aka KJ). Son of Kelly Graham and Freya Teller. First child to be born of a human who was bonded to a Huahuqui, KJ has special telepathic and wound-healing powers. Bonded to the Huahuqui known as K’awin.

  Matthew Lauder. Commanding officer of a US military station in Africa. Long-time friend of Kelly Graham, and new friend of Freya Teller.

  General Benjamin Lloyd (deceased). General in the US Army and godfather to Freya Teller. Tasked with leading the original Huahuqui cloning program. Disenfranchised, he sought to hide K’in from the world. Died saving Freya from an attack by Aum Shinrikyo.

  Victoria McKenzie. Former naturalist for the BBC and long-time friend of Kelly Graham. Killed by an attack by Chinese military controlled by the Green and Red Society; then resurrected by the US government using the Huahuqui’s regenerative DNA. Bonded to a weaponized Huahuqui, Wak, and driven mad, Victoria was responsible for the death of Kelly Graham. Now possibly affiliated with the Nine Veils.

  Svetlana. Nenets tribe member bonded to the Huahuqui called Ribka. Childhood friend of Kelly Graham Junior. Abducted by the Nine Veils from Antarctica.

  Masamune Sagane (aka the Shan Chu [deceased]). Japanese leader of a rogue faction within the Green and Red Society. Responsible for various attacks on the USA and trying to still K’in. Believed to be controlled by the Nine Veils. Killed by Jonathan Teller and Sasha Vetrov in Mexico.

  Freya Teller (nee Nilsson). Former officer of a clandestine organization tasked with studying and weaponizing a cloned Huahuqui (see K’in). Mother to Kelly Graham Junior and wife to Jonathan Teller, Freya is now retired and suffering the last stages of Huntington’s disease.

  Jonathan Teller. Former naval officer and now an agent of the NSA. Husband to Freya Teller. A specialist in the Huahuqui, he and Freya set up Alpha Base to protect the Huahuqui and their bonded children.

  Lucy Taylor. Now President of the united states, Lucy many times jeopardize
d her political career to Freya and Jonathan Teller’s mission to protect the Huahuqui.

  Nikolaj Teller (formerly Yermalov). Son of Minya Yermalova. After his mother’s death he was adopted by Freya and Jonathan Teller. He is bonded to the Huahuqui called Chernoukh.

  Sasha Vetrov (deceased). Russian intelligence officer who worked with the NSA to find and bring down the Shan Chu. Dies at sea protecting the Huahuqui and Nenets children from an attack by Aum Shinrikyo.

  Minya Yermalova (deceased). Historian and linguistics expert who helped decipher an ancient artefact for Freya Teller. Mother of Nikolaj, she died when her boat was attacked by Japanese terrorist group Aum Shinrikyo.

  KEY HUAHUQUI IN THE SERIES

  K’in. Original clone of the corpse found frozen in Siberia. Became the focal point of a covert war between world governments and clandestine organizations. Bonded to Kelly Graham and died saving Freya Teller during a Mexican stand-off between the Chinese and American forces.

  K’awin. A female Huahuqui found in Siberia, who immediately bonded to Kelly Junior when he was a young boy.

  Ribka. A male Huahuqui, with a distinctive blue stripe running down his back, found in Siberia who bonded to the Nenets girl Svetlana.

  Chernoukh. A male Huahuqui, with black gills, found in Siberia who bonded to Nikolaj Teller.

  Wak (deceased). A US black-boxed experiment that resulted from bonding human and Huahuqui DNA. Became bonded to Victoria McKenzie, causing her to devolve. Wak was killed by Freya Teller in Teotihuacan.

  Freckles (deceased). A female Huahuqui found in Siberia who never bonded with a human. Died saving Freya Teller in an Antarctic storm at sea.

  KEY PLACES AND ORGANIZATIONS IN THE SERIES

  Alpha Base. Base of operations for the Huahuqui and their bonded humans (collectively the Stratum). Scientists live here trying to understand the bond. Some military personnel also live here to ensure the safety of the Phalanx.

  Aum Shinrikyo. Japanese cult whose mission was to bring about the end of days. Under the control of the Nine Veils.

  Green and Red Society. A secret Chinese Society with close ties to the Yakuza and the Triads. Membership varies from opium dealers to college professors. The guiding principles of the Green and Red Society seem to be split. Rogue members under control of the Shan Chu tried to destroy the USA and take control of the Huahuqui K’in. Believed to be under the control of the Nine Veils.

  The Nine Veils. Ancient cult responsible for manipulating most of the world’s historic events all to favor their ambition: restore the Huahuqui to a place of power. No-one has been able to find the base of operations.

  Teotihuacan. Mesoamerican archeological site believed to originally be a place where humans and Huahuqui lived in harmony.

  PROLOGUE

  Location: Washington DC, USA

  For the second time that morning Kelly Graham Junior’s skin prickled. An electric tingle washed over him from the base of his skull to the tips of his toes. It could have been the crisp November breeze blowing through the steps of the Abraham Lincoln Memorial. It could even have been the buzz of adrenaline from finally reaching the moment for which he and his brothers and sisters had worked so hard. But, it wasn’t either of those things. Something was off; though, what he just couldn’t place.

  KJ glanced down at K’awin, his Huahuqui symbiote, who sat as always at his side. Apparently feeling him stare, she looked up with big glassy blue eyes and blinked slowly, slapping her tiny lips together. Her large cerulean gills ruffled and billowed.

  “I know girl, I feel it too,” KJ whispered, rubbing her short snout.

  Another squeal of feedback from the microphone drew KJ’s attention to the ceremony. Two paces in front the President of the United States, Lucy Taylor, addressed a throng of citizens and press who shuffled to keep warm at the base of the steps.

  “It is with no apology that I quote one of our greatest leaders in recent history, Barack Obama—albeit embellished with my own flare,” the president said.

  KJ could only see the back of Lucy’s blond-hair-covered head, but he knew she was flashing her enigmatic smile.

  “President Obama said we are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus—and nonbelievers. Well today we officially add The Stratum to our fold,” Lucy continued. “He also reminded us that we are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this Earth; and because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation, and emerged from that dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass; that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself.”

  The tingle pulsed across KJ’s skin again. This time it was strong, almost painful. He shot a glance at K’awin, who padded nervously on the spot. A quick check of the secret servicemen revealed nothing—they appeared unaware of any danger. KJ’s head swiveled back and forth as he scanned for something, anything. The enormous statue of Abraham looked down upon him and seemed to press the urgency of this hidden danger.

  “Today, not only America but our friends in Europe, China, and Russia have joined with us in this new vision of peace,” Lucy said, waving at the live feed from around the world displayed on huge screens that hung from the fluted Doric columns.

  A flash of pain pierced KJ’s brain; another consciousness interfering with his. “There’s someone else here,” he whispered.

  K’awin gave a low warble.

  Lucy turned slowly to KJ to quieten him, then back to the crowd again, without breaking her flow. “Many thousands of years ago, the Huahuqui helped us climb to the pinnacle of who we could be at that time. Then, for a while, we had to go on without them. But now, now we have a second chance and the wisdom of hindsight—”

  KJ had stopped listening. He was fixated on the small monitors, either side of the teleprompter, which displayed the simultaneous ceremonies in Paris, Moscow, and Shanghai. There was a scream from the crowd below, followed by pointing and shouting. Played out on the muted monitors, KJ watched the world leaders tumble off their podiums in a spray of blood. On the big screens, it would have been in horrific high definition.

  Without thinking, KJ crashed into Lucy and dragged her to the ground. K’awin followed, protecting her symbiote. Behind them, Abraham’s knee exploded in a cloud of powdered Georgia white marble. The crowd scattered like ants and the secret service surrounded the President before pulling KJ off and lifting America’s leader from the ground. Shielding her with their bodies, they shuffled quickly away to the armored car waiting on the circle roadway.

  “No, you need to protect KJ and K’awin!” Lucy shouted, clawing at the men’s strong arms.

  “You’re priority one, Madam President,” one of the operatives said as he pushed her head down and ushered her into the car.

  It didn’t matter, KJ wasn’t going anywhere. He needed to find the shooter. He climbed to his feet and scanned the scene, taking in as many faces as possible. The people ran and screamed and fell over one another. Placards with images of the Huahuqui were trampled underfoot while cameras on tripods and white vans with satellite apparatus were abandoned. Only one woman stood fast, her camera man pointing his equipment at her while she gave a blow by blow account.

  “Catherine!” KJ shouted. “Cat, did you see anything? Did you see the shooter?” He tore down the stone steps toward her, K’awin bounding along behind.

  “KJ!” Catherine O’Reilly called back, having ended her broadcast. “You’re okay? Oh, shit you’ve been hit?”

  KJ glanced at his arm, and for the first time noticed a clean glistening wound through the tear in his leather jacket. The gash was already beginning to seal. “I’m fine, did you see the shooter?”

  “No, where the hell is there to hide?” she replied.

  KJ scanned the tree line along the reflecting pool. There was no way the secret service wouldn’t have had that manned. His gaze followed the length of the sapphire-blu
e water, past the triumphal arches, bronze eagles and bas-relief panels of the World War II memorial, until reaching the Washington Monument pointing to the sky.

  He squinted and, using his enhanced vision, focused on a shadow near the apex that was now moving down the great stone shaft in short bursts like a lizard descending the wall of a Mexican villa. At that distance, even KJ could not discern what it was.

  “What the fuck?” he whispered to himself. KJ grabbed the camera from the shoulder of Catherine’s man and pointed it at the monument. After swinging the heavy gear about he finally found his quarry. A quick focus adjustment and there it was: a Huahuqui climbing downward with a human rider dressed in gear color-matched to the stone of the pillar. “They took the shot from there?”

  “What the hell is that?” Catherine asked.

  KJ shoved the camera back into the arms of the crewman and tore off toward the reflecting pool. “K’awin, come!” he yelled.

  K’awin raced after her companion and then overtook him. Still running, KJ ditched his jacket, mounted K’awin’s back and held on to her upper-most gill stalks, one in each hand. The creature dove into the reflecting pool and disappeared underwater. KJ held his breath, water rushing over him, until moments later they popped from the surface. He managed to take a lungful of air before K’awin plunged in again. Porpoising along at high speed, they quickly cleared the length of the reflecting pool. With a cough, KJ dismounted and launched into a sprint, splashing through the shallow pool of the memorial, through the arch and across the grass directly for the monument.

  “Hey!” KJ shouted.

  The mystery Huahuqui—a bluish color with a distinctive darker stripe from the tip of its nose down its back—froze head downward, clinging to the stone pillar some twenty feet from the base. The rider’s face was concealed in a snood, leaving only the eyes exposed. The would-be assassin and KJ locked gazes for what felt like an eternity, and his skin prickled with electricity. The killer's eyes were cobalt blue, hidden behind shapely epicanthic folds and long lashes.