The Death: Extinction

  On the left side of the tablet is the following column of text:

  Astronomic Features

  1. Channel through stone

  indicates celestial pole.

  2. Horizontal slot indicates

  annual travel of sun.

  3. Sunbeam through capstone

  marks noontime throughout

  the year

  Author: R.C. Christian

  (a pseudonym) [sic]

  Sponsors: A small group

  of Americans who seek

  the Age of Reason

  Time Capsule

  Placed six feet below this spot

  On

  To Be Opened on

  The words appear as shown under the time capsule heading; no dates are engraved.

  Physical Data

  On the right side of the tablet is the following column of text (metric conversions added):

  PHYSICAL DATA

  1. OVERALL HEIGHT - 19 FEET 3 INCHES [5.87 m].

  2. TOTAL WEIGHT - 237,746 POUNDS [107,840 kg].

  3. FOUR MAJOR STONES ARE 16 FEET,

  FOUR INCHES [4.98 m] HIGH, EACH WEIGHING

  AN AVERAGE OF 42,437 POUNDS [19,249 kg].

  4. CENTER STONE IS 16 FEET, FOUR-

  INCHES [4.98 m] HIGH, WEIGHS 20,957

  POUNDS [9,506 kg].

  5. CAPSTONE IS 9-FEET, 8-INCHES [2.95 m]

  LONG, 6-FEET, 6-INCHES [1.98 m] WIDE;

  1-FOOT, 7-INCHES [0.48 m] THICK. WEIGHS

  24,832 POUNDS [11,264 kg].

  6. SUPPORT STONES (BASES) 7-FEET,

  4 INCHES [2.24 m] LONG 2-FEET [0.61 m] WIDE.

  1 FOOT, 4-INCHES [0.41 m] THICK, EACH

  WEIGHING AN AVERAGE OF 4,875

  POUNDS [2,211 kg].

  7. SUPPORT STONE (BASE) 4-FEET,

  2½ INCHES [1.28 m] LONG, 2-FEET, 2-INCHES [0.66 m]

  WIDE, 1-FOOT, 7-INCHES [0.48 m] THICK.

  WEIGHT 2,707 POUNDS [1,228 kg].

  8. 951 CUBIC FEET [26.9 m³] GRANITE.

  9. GRANITE QUARRIED FROM PYRAMID

  QUARRIES LOCATED 3 MILES [5 km] WEST

  OF ELBERTON, GEORGIA.

  Guidestone languages

  Below the two columns of text is written the caption "GUIDESTONE LANGUAGES", with a diagram of the granite slab layout beneath it. The names of eight modern languages are inscribed along the long edges of the projecting rectangles, one per edge. Starting from due north and moving clockwise around so that the upper edge of the northeast rectangle is listed first, they are English, Spanish, Swahili, Hindi, Hebrew, Arabic, Chinese, and Russian. At the bottom center of the tablet is the following text:

  Additional information available at Elberton Granite Museum & Exhibit

  College Avenue

  Elberton, Georgia

  Astronomical Features

  The hole in the central column runs diagonally up through the stone and points directly to the North Star.

  The four outer stones are oriented to mark the limits of the 18.6 year lunar declination cycle. The center column features a hole drilled at an angle from one side to the other, through which can be seen the North Star, a star whose position changes only very gradually over time. The same pillar has a slot carved through it that is aligned with the Sun's solstices and equinoxes. A 7/8" aperture in the capstone allows a ray of sun to pass through at noon each day, shining a beam on the center stone indicating the day of the year.

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  John W. Vance is the author of THE DEATH TRILOGY and THE DEFIANT series.

  He is a former Marine and retired Intelligence Analyst with the CIA.

  When not writing he spends as much time as he can either in the water or with his family.

  He lives in complete bliss where the waves meet the shore.

  He can be reached at http://www.jwvance.com

  Additional books by John W. Vance

  THE DEFIANT SERIES

  THE DEFIANT: GRID DOWN

  THE DEFIANT: AN UNBEATEN PATH

  THE DEATH TRILOGY

  THE DEATH: QUARANTINE

  THE DEATH: ERADICATE