The Joshua Files - a complete box set: Books 1-5 of the young adult sci-fi adventure series plus techno-thriller prequel

by M. G. Harris

  First published in the UK by Scholastic Ltd., 2010

  This electronic edition published in 2014 by Darkwater Books

  An imprint of Harris Oxford Limited.

  41 Cornmarket Street, Oxford, OX1 3HA

  Text copyright © M. G. Harris, 2010

  The right of M. G. Harris to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by her.

  eISBN 978-1-909072-08-4

  A CIP catalogue record for this work is available from the British Library.

  All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this publication may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic, mechanical or otherwise, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express prior written permission of Harris Oxford Limited.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, incidents and dialogues are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual people, living or dead, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Cover design by Gareth Stranks

  http://www.themgharris.com

  Contents

  Beginning

  A History of Ek Naab: Joshua Garcia

  BLOG ENTRY: IN A FOREIGN PLACE

  BLOG ENTRY: JUST BECAUSE YOU THINK YOU’RE PARANOID DOESN’T MEAN THEY AREN’T REALLY OUT TO GET YOU

  BLOG ENTRY: REMEMBER THIS

  Acknowledgements

  Dark Parallel Copyright Page

  About MG Harris

  The Descendant Alternate Reality Game

  The Joshua Files on the Internet

  Praise for The Joshua Files

  For Ralph and Ali, who are all too close to growing up.

  He believed in an infinite series of times, in a growing, dizzying net of divergent, convergent and parallel times.

  From The Garden of Forking Paths by Jorge Luis Borges

  ‘Ek Naab’ Map design by Megan Evans from Birmingham, winner of the Joshua Files “Design a Map” competition

  A History of Ek Naab: Joshua Garcia

  Josh – what do you think of this draft? It’s for the latest update to the History of Ek Naab. Time we had an entry about you! Carlos Montoyo

  “Josh” (born 7 August 1996) is the son of Eleanor and Professor Andres Garcia. He is the grandson of Ek Naab resident Aureliano Witz Garcia, who was Bakab of Ix, protector of the Ix Codex, which is one of the four Books of Itzamna.

  Like his father, Josh grew up knowing nothing of their connection to Ek Naab, nor of the Ix Codex, which contains vital information to prevent an ancient prophecy of catastrophe in 2012.

  When Andres was reported to have died in an air crash in the jungle of Campeche, Josh began to investigate. His search for the truth led him to discover that his father had been looking for a lost book of the ancient Maya, the Ix Codex. The search led Josh to Ek Naab, but tragically cost the life of Josh’s half-sister, Camila Pastor. She died in a car crash as the two were pursued by the Sect of Huracan.

  This was the first action that brought the Sect to our attention in Ek Naab. We’ve long known of their existence as a death cult. However, the modern Sect seems to have become focused on 2012. They aim to take power where governments fall after an apocalypse.

  In Ek Naab, Josh was installed as the Bakab of Ix. He resumed the search for the Ix Codex, missing since the seventh century. (See alsoIx Codex and 2012.)

  Josh discovered that his grandfather, Aureliano, had located the Ix Codex in England, in the house of a famous Mayan archaeologist, Sir J Eric Thompson. Returning from England with the Ix Codex, Aureliano suffered an asthma attack and ejected from his aircraft, landing near the town of Catemaco. The crashed remains of his Muwan Mark I were found in the Orizaba mountain range.

  Aureliano died before medication could be sought. Tragically, a local boy was exposed to the toxic bio-defences of the Ix Codex. The boy died, and the people of Catemaco buried the book. A brujo (local witch or shaman) cast an incantation to lure Aureliano’s relatives to Catemaco, so that they might be rid of the “cursed” book.

  Josh’s search for the Ix Codex led him to Catemaco, where he recovered the book and returned it to Ek Naab.

  This remarkable feat was somewhat overshadowed by an incident some months later. Josh learned that his missing father had been seen visiting the house of J Eric Thompson. Josh broke into the house and removed Thompson’s transcriptions of the first pages of the Ix Codex.

  But Josh was unaware that a close friend was a secret agent of the Sect of Huracan. Josh was betrayed; he and the pages fell into the hands of the Sect. Josh barely escaped with his life, and was rescued by his cousin, pilot Benicio Zak, who flew Josh to Ek Naab.

  Josh and Ixchel Maria Chi Stephens, his betrothed, set off on an unauthorized investigation of a sighting of the Sect at the ruined Mayan city of Becan. They discovered a buried Revival Chamber of the ancient Erinsi, the long-extinct, mysterious “people of memory” whose writings Itzamna transcribed in his four books. The Sect had been trying to activate the Erinsi’s underground Revival Chamber, using information from the stolen pages of the Ix Codex. They failed, but vowed to try again after they perfected the Crystal Key.

  Josh and Ixchel followed a series of encrypted messages that Josh received on postcards. They led Josh to an American woman living in Mexico, Susannah St John. In 1962 Susannah had befriended a certain “Arcadio Garcia”, who left her a letter to pass on to Joshua Garcia – in 2010. Josh followed instructions in the letter to ascend Mount Orizaba. There Josh found his father, Andres, who had been missing for several months and presumed dead.

  Tragedy struck when an avalanche hit. Andres plunged to his death, sacrificing himself to save his son.

  The ruling Executive of Ek Naab now felt that Josh was at risk from capture by the Sect. However, against the advice of the Executive, Josh returned to Oxford.

  When Josh and others travelled to Brazil to represent England in the world capoeira championships, the Sect of Huracan struck again. Josh’s mother and Ixchel were kidnapped. The Sect demanded Josh in return.

  A rescue mission was mounted from Ek Naab. It failed. Josh was captured. The Sect took Josh to their headquarters in Switzerland, where he was subjected to genetic experiments. The Sect intends to steal all four Books of Itzamna, but their members only include descendants of the Bakabs of Ix. Members of the Sect therefore cannot survive the bio-defences of the other three books. The Sect’s genetic procedures on Josh were designed to introduce crossimmunity to all four bio-defence toxins. With Ixchel’s help, Josh escaped and both were recovered by Benicio.

  The experiments seem to have succeeded; Josh is our first “total” Bakab, potentially a guardian to all four Books of Itzamna. A side effect of the genetic changes means that his eyes (previously brown) are now blue.

  Josh’s mother, Eleanor, agreed that she and Josh should leave Oxford and take their place among us as we strive to solve the 2012 Problem.

  Josh and Eleanor Garcia share an apartment in Ek Naab. Josh is now a student at the Tec Preparatory School. His interests include capoeira, music and blogging. His blog is called myinvisiblecity.com – after Josh’s own prosaic name for our “invisible” community of Ek Naab.

  Not bad. A few gaps, though... Like, you forgot to mention that my mate from Oxford, Tyler Marks, was also kidnapped in Brazil!

  Also, nothing about how my dad gave me the Bracelet of Itzamna, and how it’s a time-travel device. Or that I fixed it – I guess we’re still keeping that a secret between you and me?

  Oh – no mention that Arcadio is a time traveller? That we don’t understand how Arcadio fits into the whole Itzamna mystery?

  In fact, we don’t even know – who is Arcadio?

/>   BLOG ENTRY: IN A FOREIGN PLACE

  Something was bothering me, but I couldn’t think what.

  I’d get this vibe. I might be standing in the lane, looking down towards the plaza while market stalls are still being set out. Staring at the flowers that crawl out of balconies, scatter like Christmas decorations over the streets. Or maybe I’d look up towards the blurry sky – the wire-mesh ceiling of an underground, “invisible” city.

  Ek Naab.

  I’d watch the people wandering by. I’ve lived in the city for three months, so they didn’t bother to look twice at me. Instead I finally saw their normal, everyday faces. The way they moved sluggishly, as if through smoke.

  It’s the air. In the city. It doesn’t move.

  Finally, I understood.

  There’s no weather in Ek Naab. No rain, no wind. I can barely remember what it feels like to close my eyes against a breeze.

  Then this morning I woke up with a memory of England. I remembered a cold day in Oxford, a day full of harsh, icy wind. I was playing football in the park with some friends. Tyler, Emmy; they were there. I was in goal, as always. Getting cold, really cold, from the wind.

  Not a particularly memorable day. But for some reason it is all I can think about. I can even feel the ache of cold in my ears. Thought I’d forgotten what that felt like, living in a windless city. But no. A flash of memory and there it is again. Amazing.

  Why can’t I shake the memory? It’s an ordinary day of a life I’ve left behind. I miss my friends a bit, just like you’d expect. . . It really shouldn’t be that big of a deal.

  Comment (1) from Saint_Emmy

  Yo, Joshy, JOSH? What’s this, what’s this? Thought you said you were going to close your blog down. After the shenanigans with the postcards from Mexico and all. What about all your sekrits, huh? What a drama queen. Sometimes, you know, I think that if I hadn’t seen you all beat up that morning on Port Meadow, I wouldn’t have believed anything you told me.

  You’re so lame, it kills me. Course you miss me! Go on, admit it.

  You don’t reply to texts, you don’t go on Facebook. It’s the twenty-first century. You gotta INTER-ACT.

  Reply from Josh

  Hey! I didn’t expect to see any comments here, Emmy – if you really are Emmy, that is, and not someone, oh, I don’t know, from the Sect or the National Reconnaissance Office spying on me. AGAIN.

  Comment (2) from Saint_Emmy

  National Reconnaissance Office?! Just for fun, I looked them up. You’re either mental or you think I’m Miss Gullible if you think I believe the NRO ever spied on you.

  There’s my good ol’ paranoid Josh. Course it’s really Emmy. This isn’t like that time with Mikey’s sister turning out to be your blog stalker, TopShopPrincess, and not that girl you fancied – what was her name, Ollie?

  I was in the mood to read your blog and it turns out my password still works. You’re the one who said you were gonna close it down. Don’t get weird with me.

  I wish you were still in Oxford. I miss you. (There I’ve said it.) School is such a nightmare now you have no idea. Coursework, exams, gah. It never ends. Then I get to thinking of you swanning around in Mexico, in some fancy international school going to the beach at weekends.

  You’ve been thinking about me too. Dreaming about me, even!

  So why don’t you write, hey? It’s possible to be friends with someone on the other side of the world now, didn’t you know?

  I’m still mad at you for just going off to Mexico, by the way, and no farewell party or anything.

  Ohhhh, Josh. It’s been a long time since we played footy in the park. Those days, they’re gone.

  Reply from Josh

  This is pretty strange, Emmy. I know for a fact I didn’t tell you about this blog. And you didn’t see me all beat up on Port Meadow. Did you? Unless my memory is playing tricks.

  I’m gonna take a little while to think this over. Don’t get mad if I don’t respond for a bit.

  Comment (3) from Saint_Emmy

  Whatever, dude. You sound a bit out of it. Btw, you’re not the only one whose memory is getting dodgy. I don’t remember any Tyler playing footy with us. Do you mean Tyler Marks from your capoeira?

  “Another day in the upside-down world of Josh Garcia?” a voice says, very casual.

  I’m standing on my hands on the edge of the cavernous sinkhole in the middle of Ek Naab. A face comes into my field of view.

  Benicio.

  I lower myself as slowly as possible. So slowly that it hurts. Total control at the edge of the abyss.

  Benicio looks me up and down for a second. He seems vaguely embarrassed.

  “Am I disturbing you?”

  You know you are.

  I was trying to figure out how come Emmy knows things she shouldn’t, couldn’t know. Until he broke my concentration. Yet I pause, shake my head, wipe hands on my vest. “Nope.”

  He flashes that bashful grin, the one that girls love so much, the grin that makes me want to punch him in the face.

  “Seems like it’s some kinda meditation for you, Josh. A ritual, you know? Every morning, standing on your hands at the edge of the cenote. Daring yourself to fall in?”

  I take a breath. “It’s just a capoeira exercise. Best done every day.” Our eyes meet. “I could teach you.”

  Oh yeah. I’d love to see what you’re made of, cousin.

  Benicio grins yet again. Does he want to DIE? “No manches, guey,” he drawls, with a little jab at my shoulder. Stop messing, dude. “I’ve seen you in action, man. You’d kill me.”

  I look down so he won’t see the glint in my eye. I’m as tall as Benicio now, but my arms and shoulders are bigger than his. Skinny student. Nerdy geek-boy.

  “You could always work out,” I suggest. I hope he doesn’t. How can Ixchel like him that way? He’s skin and bone.

  Benicio nods. “I should. Some of the guys have been talking about that. Ever since you got here, and all the girls started admiring the muscled look.”

  I suppress a smile. Not quite all of the girls. “Yeah, well. It takes work.”

  “Sure, I know it. Well, here I guess we’ve been a little obsessed by our studies. But since the whole Ix Codex thing . . . and you moving to Ek Naab . . . well . . . the mood has changed.”

  Something jars for a second. Why mention the Ix Codex? Seems funny to bring up the book that details a plan to save the world from disaster in 2012 in a conversation about impressing girls. I brush it off, for now.

  “Now you want to train?” I say. “Learn capoeira?”

  He nods again. “All of us in Ek Naab, we hit the books pretty hard,” he says. “And for what?” He sighs deeply. “Maybe we should have some fun now, while we still can. Concentrate on the physical, not the intellectual.”

  While we still can? He’s really not making sense now.

  But before I can ask Benicio what he’s talking about, Ixchel arrives. She’s wearing a short, black-and-white tartan skirt. They’ve become insanely fashionable in Ek Naab, ever since my mum brought a few over from Oxford. It makes Ixchel look like a cute girl from a manga comic. Fantastic.

  Every sense in my body turns its focus on her. I’m like a sunflower rotating towards the sun.

  It’s the only way I can survive. OK, she’s with him; she’s chosen the scrawny, brainy fly-boy. So I’m left only with impossible dreams, dreams that I can’t bear to give up.

  One day Ixchel will be with me.

  That’s what I’ve decided. No idea when or how but . . . one day. In the meantime I take every opportunity to breathe her in. The way she looks, her voice, the way she smells. If I ever get a chance to touch her, I remember that especially.

  Like some freakish stalker. Obsessed. I gave up trying to fight it about a month ago, when I realized that over two months had gone by during which my every waking moment was filled with thoughts of Ixchel.