The Ancestral Navigator

Twenty eight year old Sam Dowell, brilliant textbook author and terminal smart-ass, is cruising through life. That is, until his two best friends, Eddy and Lulu, purchase an ancestry test for him as a gift. He submits the test, unaware the government has a sophisticated ancient artifact in its possession inscribed with a genome sequence specific to one person. Soon after submitting the ancestry test, Sam is abducted and brought to a government lab because his DNA is an exact match to the artifact. The scientists in the lab are certain the artifact holds a secret, and believe Sam can unlock it. When Sam touches the artifact, the 'navigator', a being only he can see and hear, appears. The navigator claims to be a messenger from the distant past, and gives Sam an ominous warning for mankind. Sam escapes and quickly finds himself dodging Russian operatives and NSA agents with Eddie and Lulu by his side. He must stay alive long enough to determine what the ancient message means and share it with the world. The fate of mankind hangs in the balance.