Children of the Fifth Sun

by Gareth Worthington

  “You want me to drive, JT?” Kelly asked.

  “No,” he snapped. “I drive.” With that, Tremaine shifted the gear and pressed the accelerator. The car grunted and choked but eventually lurched forward.

  * * *

  Kelly stared out the window. He had not been in this part of the world before and wasn’t sure what to expect. As the vehicle meandered through the streets of Vladivostok, he found it decidedly boring. Besides the odd ex-soviet statue, it seemed much like any western city he’d ever visited. In Egypt, at least things were different enough to be interesting. He huffed loudly like a bored child. Then, it dawned on him. They were moving away from the coast. “Hey, JT. Where are we going? I thought you guys parked your sub at a port or something?”

  “No, we used the ASDS to come ashore, but we needed something much more secure. This is an ex-soviet city. We’re being careful. That port deals with Korea, Japan, and China. We have a secure location.”

  “The fortress,” Freya said. “You’re using the fortress.”

  “Yes.”

  “Fortress, what fortress?” demanded Kelly. Perhaps this place was going to be more interesting than he thought.

  “That one.” Freya pointed out the car window.

  Kelly followed her outstretched arm. In the distance among the green hills, he saw several small, concrete buildings. “That? That’s not a fortress. It’s a couple of sheds.” He huffed again and shook his head.

  “You of all people, Kelly Graham, should know not to judge a book by its cover.” She stared at him, boring her point into his head. “Vladivostok literally means ‘to rule the East,’” she said. “Since the late nineteenth century, this city was designed to be a huge fortress. Originally, it was wood and mud, but before long, concrete structures were built.”

  Kelly smirked. “Was it built by three little pigs?”

  “No, smartass. Actually, it was a Colonel Velichko, ranked among the world’s best engineers at the time, who made major changes. Well, him and General Lieutenant Vernander in 1910, but—”

  “Did you read a book called, I Love Vladivostok?” Kelly asked.

  “No, I completed my thesis on the history of Vladivostok. From a military point of view, it’s very important.”

  “Look, lose the history lesson. What’s your point?” Kelly rubbed his temples to convey his boredom.

  Freya huffed. “The point is this: most of its structures can withstand heavy artillery, and it has numerous underground passages. Vladivostok fortress has pretty much no parallel in the world, which makes it the perfect hiding place.”

  “So this whole town is one giant fortress?” Alejandro asked. He’d been listening intently.

  “Yes. It’s a tourist trap now, but the General has called in a favor. It’s closed to the public for a few days,” Tremaine replied.

  No one spoke for the next thirty minutes as the car gunned up into the hills toward one of the concrete buildings. The battered, old vehicle ground to an uneasy halt. The odd collection of travelers exited and stretched their stiff limbs, grunting and moaning as they did so. The sun was bright, and the grass surprisingly green, but a sharp, stinging wind blew across the hilltops.

  “Fuck me, it’s cold,” Kelly complained. “Can we not get inside?”

  “Good idea.” Freya nodded. “Down here.” She pointed down a dark hole that vanished into the hillside.

  “Let’s go.” Tremaine marched to the front of the group and disappeared inside the tunnel.

  Freya clicked on her flashlight. “Follow me.”

  Kelly and Alejandro complied, taking up the rear of the line.

  After a long walk along the uninviting tunnel and an awkward descent down roughly hewn rock stairs, what lay before them was not what Kelly had been expecting. To start with, there were no bats. There were supposed to be bats in these places, screeching out of the dark and scaring the crap out of people. But there were none. And for that matter, it wasn’t dark either.

  Bright light bulbs on the ceiling drowned the walls in an unhealthy yellow hue. Kelly examined each room and tunnel as they passed through. Stalactites decorated the underground system, and some paths were impassable due to wide pools. The air was saturated with vapor so staying down here was not really an option, yet it was ideal for K’in, thought Kelly. The other odd thing was the old rooms were strangely lavish, echoing the zeitgeist of Stalin’s elite. Although the place was in horrible disrepair, Kelly sensed the ghosts of the past and imagined the elegance of what had been. Parquet flooring, carpets, oak-paneled walls, and gilded door handles graced the interior. Old suits of armor, telegraph and radio equipment, even dusty books by Lenin lay on the tables. The group approached a final large room. Kelly’s innards began to warm with a familiar feeling. K’in was close.

  The group stepped into a room that had once been used as a cinema, a map of Primorye now replacing the projection screen. Several chairs lay haphazardly on the floor. In the corner in a deep puddle lay K’in, quiet and solemn. Kelly stopped and scanned his environment. The General and two other men stood in the opposite corner, discussing something. He watched as Freya and Tremaine made a beeline for them. Then, he eyed Alejandro. The man was fidgeting on the spot and rubbing his hands.

  “Come with me, Alejandro. There’s someone I want you to meet.” Kelly strolled toward the creature.

  Alejandro followed.

  As the two men approached, K’in became alert. Like a dog that had waited all day for its owner to come home, he excitedly scrambled onto all fours and vaulted toward Kelly. The sheer force of the animal colliding into him sent Kelly sprawling. Alejandro jumped backward, afraid.

  K’in had Kelly pinned to the floor and was bouncing up and down on his chest, blinking furiously. Alejandro watched in amazement as, in a matter of seconds, the animal’s eyes morphed from pitch black, to a deep, oil-like purple, and, finally, to an iridescent blue. Kelly laughed and wrestled with the giant salamander.

  “Whoa, okay, Moby, chill, chill! I gotcha.”

  The ruckus attracted the attention of the others, who wandered over, curious.

  “Astonishing,” remarked the XO. “The animal has been positively catatonic the whole time. Now look at it.”

  “Yes, and look at its eyes.” The General clenched his jaw in concentration, unhappy with the situation.

  “He did that before,” Freya said. “His eyes changed and so did Kelly’s.”

  “Huh?” Kelly looked up, struggling under the powerful animal as it grappled with him. As his gaze met Freya’s, the electric blue of his eyes shone outward.

  The General leaned slightly closer to his young protégé, Wiezorek. “Keep an eye on them.”

  “Yes, sir,” the young man replied.

  After a few minutes, Kelly managed to pry himself free and clamber to his feet. He looked at each of his audience in turn. “What?”

  “Nothing, Mr. Graham. Sort yourself out and then join us in the next room. You will need appropriate gear to travel to Altai at this time of year, so we’ve taken the liberty of providing you with the necessary kit,” the General said.

  “Sure.” He patted the dust down from his clothes and marched after the group. K’in padded after him.

  “Freya, you have the device from India?” the General called over his shoulder.

  “Yes.”

  “Good. Bring it with you. I should like to inspect it.”

  “Yes, sir.” She shifted the backpack on her back, feeling for the weight of the object inside before following the rest of the group, her head hung low. Benjamin seemed cold and distant. Her heart ached.

  “What do you want me to say, Freya?” the General asked.

  “That you are pleased to see me. That I did a good job.”

  “I am pleased to see you. And the job isn’t over,” he replied.

  “This damn mission. It’s all you care about. I hope it’s all worth it in the end.” Freya turned on her heel and stormed out of the dimly lit room, barging past Wiezorek
.

  Benjamin stood silently in the gloom.

  “General?” Wiezorek shuffled nervously in the large, arched doorway.

  “What is it?” Benjamin didn’t turn to face the officer.

  “The Trekol is ready, sir. I thought you should know.” His voice trembled.

  “Good. Then we should make our way soon. We’ve spent a night down here in this atmosphere. It’s more than enough.” He turned and eyed the young soldier. “Something wrong, son?”

  “No, sir. Well, I mean, yes, sir.”

  “Out with it, soldier.”

  “May I ask, sir, what we will do about Mr. Graham? He seems quite volatile. If all of our fates rely on this creature who is connected to him, it seems the mission is compromised.”

  “I would agree with you, young Ethan. The creature has formed some sort of bond with him. Until now, it’s been beneficial to have him around. But he’s an idiot. I can’t let him fuck things up. Once we have what I’m looking for in my possession, I need him removed.” He gave a communicative nod to the young pilot.

  “I understand, sir.”

  “Good. Freya has grown fond of the imbecile, too. When it comes to it, we can’t allow her emotions to compromise the mission.” He walked past the soldier to the doorway.

  “Does she know?”

  The General halted. “Does who know what?”

  “Agent Nilsson—Freya—does she know you did all this for her?”

  Benjamin backed up to be face to face with the young man and glared at him. “What did you say?”

  “I’m sorry, sir. I meant no offense.” Ethan took a step back, pulled a small leather wallet from his pocket and opened it. Inside was a picture of a young, red-headed woman holding a newborn child. “His name’s Connor. He’s three-months old.” Wiezorek beamed with pride. “When the Chinese attacked, I had to make a choice. To make sure I did everything I could to ensure his safety. And I trust my team. I trust you, sir. I know you’re doing the right thing.”

  The General sighed. “No, she doesn’t know.” He stared the young man in the eyes. “But you are right. I would do anything for her.”

  The two men stared at each other for a few seconds, then turned on their heels and marched toward the light of the doorway.

  * * *

  Kelly stood in the cold wind, a large, down-filled coat enveloping his muscular frame. The rabbit fur-lined hood was snug around his head and face. Tremaine stood to his left. Both men stared at the Trekol—a massive, snow-white vehicle with six huge, pillow-like tires. To Kelly, it looked much like a Land Rover crossed with a caravan. Despite its huge size and ability to easily seat eight people, it only had three doors. Two side doors for the driver and front passenger and a small, rectangular porthole-like door in the rear.

  “What the frig is this?” Kelly asked.

  The Shadow Man beamed with pride. “It’s a Trekol.”

  “Well, obviously.”

  “You have no idea what a Trekol is, do you?”

  “Not a goddamn clue, JT.”

  “I have no idea what she sees in you,” Tremaine muttered under his breath. “It’s a specialized vehicle for traversing terrain in arctic conditions. Its body is made of fiberglass and can withstand temperatures from minus seventy-five to one-hundred-forty degrees Fahrenheit. This monster weighs two and a half tons. Its special tires leave no rut and don’t damage the topsoil. Hell, I could run over you, and you’d be fine.”

  “I’m sure you’d love that.” Kelly raised his eyebrows and patted his freezing body in an attempt to keep warm.

  “I’m sure I would.”

  “So what’s the deal there, JT? You got the hots for Freya or what?” Kelly kept his eyes on the truck.

  The Shadow Man took a step toward Kelly. “I was assigned to keep her safe by the General. And that’s what I do. If that means kicking your dumb ass to do it, I will.”

  Kelly turned his head to face the Shadow Man. “You’ve been doing a grand job of that. If I recall, I saved her ass several times on this little trip.”

  Tremaine inhaled, puffing up to even greater proportions.

  Kelly sighed. “Look, James.”

  The use of his Christian name took Tremaine by surprise. He held his breath.

  “I’m a dick. We both know this. But she’s been good to me. I won’t hurt her. In fact, quite the opposite. If you haven’t noticed, she’s been looking a bit despondent. Probably on account of the fact the General hasn’t been very, shall we say, fatherly.”

  “Fatherly?”

  Kelly eyed him. Perhaps he didn’t know of Freya’s relationship to Benjamin. “Well, supportive as a leader. He’s a bit blinded by this situation. He’s kinda single-minded. Anyway, I reckon if she’s got both of us watching out for her, it’s gotta be better, right?”

  The sudden change in Kelly’s attitude blind-sided the Shadow Man. He frowned, then exhaled, nodded once, and backed away.

  “Right.”

  Having seen the display of testosterone from a distance, Freya had decided to interrupt the two men. “What are you boys clucking about?”

  “Nothing,” they replied in unison.

  Freya raised an eyebrow.

  “James and I were just having a chat. Man-to-man.”

  “You’re calling him James now?”

  “That’s his name, right?” Kelly frowned at her as if he had always been so polite and friendly with the Shadow Man.

  “That it is,” she replied.

  Kelly shrugged and slapped the Shadow Man on the shoulder. “See ya in there, JT.” He sauntered toward the Trekol. “C’mon, Moby.”

  K’in came bounding out of nowhere, crashed past Tremaine’s legs and caught up with Kelly before slowing and waddling by his side.

  “That didn’t last long,” Freya said. “The politeness, I mean.”

  “He’s not so bad.” Tremaine nodded as if he were deep in some internal discussion. He then trudged after Kelly. “I’m driving,” he called backward.

  “What was that all about, young Freya?” Alejandro asked as he wandered up beside her.

  “I have absolutely no idea.”

  Location: In the Trekol, somewhere in Siberia

  The massive vehicle raced over the topography without ever slowing—not for fallen trees, or huge boulders, or anything else that stood in the way. Its enormous pillow-tires rolled over everything, which Kelly thought was particularly fortunate, because he’d never seen terrain in a country change so much in one journey.

  Through his tiny window, his gaze was met by broad and boundless views of steppes, luxuriant taiga thickets, strange desert expanses, jagged snowy peaks, and beautiful tundra. It was as if he were turning the pages of an atlas.

  As they approached the Altai Mountains, a myriad of small rivers, fed by the nearby glaciers, became ever more present, cutting through the scenery. Spruce, cedar, pine, and fir accompanied the streams, dotting the landscape.

  On their infrequent stops, Kelly took the opportunity to observe the variety of wildlife. Bear, lynx, Siberian stag, snow leopard, and hundreds of species of small birds. K’in would sit beside him and look wherever Kelly looked, mimicking his movements. Kelly had thought how much Izel, Carmen, and Chris would have loved this place.

  One thing that didn’t seem to change very much was the weather. Although there were spells of blue sky that broke through the gray, snow-laden clouds, the temperature never rose above fourteen degrees Fahrenheit, and an ice-cold wind penetrated through even the thickest layers of clothing. Kelly had taken to wearing his huge, arctic jacket even when in the truck. He was definitely not cut out for this weather. He wished to be back in Peru, Egypt, even Hell at this point seemed appealing.

  It had been more than three days of bounding over the countryside without much conversation. Freya wasn’t as vocal as usual. She only spoke when the General spoke to her. She seemed stiff and uncomfortable. Similarly, Tremaine was quiet, but then again, he never really said much at all. It was likely he
was concentrating on not crashing the vehicle. Kelly didn’t fancy driving three days in a row, so he had decided the Shadow Man deserved at least a little respect for his diligence.

  The young pilot, Ethan Wiezorek, looked downright scared. His eyes were permanently pried wide open like a rabbit trapped and hypnotized in car headlights. Perhaps more annoyingly, the infant soldier kept watching Kelly from the corner of one eye. What did the little shit want?

  Then there was Executive Officer Teller. Now this guy was funny. At least, Kelly thought so even if no one else laughed. The guy had a thing for Star Trek and would make a Kirk reference at every given opportunity. A military nerd might seem odd, but it worked. At one point in the journey, he’d told Tremaine he would make a good Klingon as he was a grumpy bastard. Kelly had snorted out loud, and even Freya had stifled a chuckle. The Shadow Man, on the other hand, had just glared at the XO and then focused back on the road ahead.

  Finally, Alejandro. The old goat was less than a foot away from Kelly yet didn’t say a word to him. Instead, he was fixated on the Antikythera mechanism, constantly playing with it, toying with it, moving the dials on the outside, and watching the others move in synchrony. On the last day of the trip, he had some kind of epiphany and waved it in front of K’in—a vain attempt to engage the animal and see if some kind of deep-seated, pre-programmed knowledge of the device existed in him. It didn’t. K’in had just stared at him with an almost human look of absolute confusion on his face. Kelly had laughed at the attempt. For a world-renowned linguist, the grumpy fucker had absolutely no idea how to communicate with the animal. Kelly had reached out and patted K’in on the head, an unspoken apology for the sheer dumbassery of his father-in-law.

  Kelly blinked away his daydream and let his eyes focus on the world outside. He hadn’t noticed, but a snow storm had completely enveloped the Trekol. The white-out forced Tremaine to slow the vehicle to a crawl, but he refused to stop completely.

  “Can you even see where the fuck you’re going?”

  “Can you not backseat drive?” the Shadow Man snapped.