EPILOGUE
Day 15,330
September 24, 2063
New York City
Cassidy watched the candle’s flame dance and cast shadows over the small dining room. As the wax melted and streamed down its long sides, she thought of what it symbolized. This candle wasn’t lit to give light or chase away the darkness of night. It was lit to memorialize a day, her birthday, more specifically her seventy-second birthday.
“Oh, let me see. What shall I wish for this year,” she said out loud, a smile creasing her wrinkled and weathered skin. “Hmm, what do you think?”
Surrounding the birthday cake were framed photographs of people. Her question was directed towards a photograph of Devin.
She picked it up and ran her shaking thumb over his youthful face. “What should it be this year, sweetheart?”
Many years had passed, forty-two to be exact, since she had seen him. She never forgot that day; she regretted being in a hurry that morning. Her excitement to get out the door and rush to the airport overshadowed any thought that she’d see him again. She tried not to fault herself, how could she? She wasn’t programmed to think that way, who was? Like most Americans at that time, she lived a protected life, mostly free from the hardships of a brutal world; a life where the top complaints among people dealt with late pizza delivery or the DVR not recording the latest Dancing with the Stars. Never in her wildest dreams or nightmares could she have imagined that was the last time she’d see him.
Looking back now, she knew that if she had stayed, they’d have been together for whatever outcome. What troubled her most was never knowing what happened to him. Had he waited for her? Had he gone looking for her? Had he even survived the first Death? It was torture for her to think about him agonizing over her whereabouts only to suffer a horrible death. She hoped his demise had been swift and painless.
“Okay, I’ll wish that I meet another person, how about that?” she said to the picture.
She furrowed her brow and suddenly blurted out, “I know, I know that’s what I wish for every year, but it’s a good wish. I mean, what can be more important than that? Don’t say that, that’s mean,” she said and placed the picture down and turned away from it, frustrated. Her eyes gazed through the wide multi-paned window. The orange glow of the recently setting sun illuminated the city beyond. Living in New York was difficult, but out of all the places she could go, she felt most at home in her and Devin’s old apartment. It wasn’t easy, but she had made it as nice as possible. There wasn’t any power and the modern conveniences she had enjoyed were all but forgotten over the decades she had called it home again.
Following the massacre of Bill, Tom, Josh and Travis in Chicago, she went on alone, first to North Carolina to fulfill the promise she gave to a dying Travis. It was in North Carolina that she first saw the jets and their signature contrails. Not long after, the second virus began its lethal rampage, killing everyone. From there her travels became more about finding anyone alive.
Cassidy never looked at herself as a quitter, but the unsuccessful years of searching had worn on her. Her decision to come back to New York and settle down came as an epiphany of sorts. The years of wandering led her to a secluded beach in Southern California. Tired both physically and emotionally, she made her decision to come back. Logic told her others had to be alive; there had to be someone else who was immune to this final virus. But nothing, no one.
It had taken her another two years of traveling across the country to make it back to New York. Once back, she told herself that her stay there would be temporary. It was just a break from the travels, but the weeks turned to months then years. She became comfortable in the life she had created for herself and often remarked that she’d head back out to find people someday. However, it never happened and she fell into a deep state of depression.
Surrounded by remnants of her past, she began to play a game. She’d close her eyes and pretend she was back in the year 2020. This quickly became a daily ritual. She kept close track of the days by homemade calendars and never missed a holiday or birthday.
The apartment’s decorations and furniture remained as they had been when Devin left forty-two years ago. She would spend hours each day sitting in Devin’s office, looking at his laptop, still open like he had left it so many years before. A pad and pen sat next to it; the ink from notes and scribbles were as vibrant as when he had written them. She hadn’t cleaned anything from his desk. His mug still sat on the coaster and the last drops of coffee and dried mold clung to the sides and bottom. She’d sit and imagine him there; she’d close her eyes and let her ears hear things like the keystrokes on his keyboard or the squeak of his chair. Above his computer on the wall was a dry-erase board with more notes. Looking at them, she’d get sad; it was if he had written them an hour ago.
She tossed the cake away and cleaned up the kitchen and dining room. As she made her way towards the bedroom, a sharp pain, like an electrical shock, struck her in the chest. She clutched at her blouse and steadied herself against the wall.
“Whoa!” she exclaimed. The pain gave way to nausea and sweats. “Take a seat, Cass,” she said and slowly walked to the large leather lounge chair in the living room. Wiping away the sweat, she took a large breath but stopped when the pain surged again. This time it felt as if an elephant was sitting on her chest. Pain radiated up into her neck, jaw and down her left arm.
She had enough medical training to know what she might be experiencing but didn’t want to believe it could be that. “You just overdid it today, old girl.”
Resting her head back, she slowed her breathing and focused on calming herself. Thoughts again rushed about what might be happening, but she quickly dismissed them.
After several minutes and with no respite from the chest pain; she began to think about what this truly meant. Was this how she would die? Was today the day? How coincidental and oddly sweet to die on her birthday.
Another deep and sharp pain struck, this time causing her to tense her entire body. She couldn’t talk herself out of what was happening anymore. It was real and sitting in the chair was not where she wanted to die.
She struggled and got to her feet. Each labored step towards the bedroom felt like she was wearing forty-pound shoes. She focused on her breathing and kept it slow and shallow.
“Almost there,” she mumbled. Sweat poured from her brow and down her face. The blouse she wore began to cling to the wet skin on her chest.
She hadn’t prepared for this day and now in the midst regretted she hadn’t.
She entered the bedroom. Her bed was only a half-dozen steps away, but it might as well have been a hundred feet. She stopped and braced herself for further sharp chest pains, but none came. Instead all she felt was an immense pressure on the center of her chest. “Just a few more steps,” she said and pushed away from the door jamb. On her way to the bed, she saw Devin’s cologne on the dresser and grabbed it. She now stood above the bed. It had taken most of her energy to make it this far, so she allowed gravity to help and fell into the soft plush mattress. Her pain had increased, telling her that it wouldn’t be long. Death was coming and fast. She shifted her weight and with a trembling hand sprayed his cologne on the pillow then rested her head. She grimaced from more stabbing pain. Closing her eyes, she inhaled slowly, taking in the scent. Memories of Devin and their life together rushed forward in her thoughts. Clutching the other pillow, she drew it in and hugged it, pretending it was Devin. Tears then came; there was no need to resist. All the years of being alone began to flow. In her thoughts she saw him like he was those many years ago, young, lean, handsome. He reached out for her and she took his hand. Her body relaxed further into the soft bed. A final jolting pain struck her. Like a hot air balloon leaving the ground, she could feel herself lifting. In her mind, Devin was still there, his hand in hers. They walked together towards a bright, peaceful and warm light.
Cassidy lay in a state of half consciousness for another minute before she let out
her last breath. No one would ever find her body, because there was no one left to find her. In the years she had crisscrossed the country looking for Devin, she had wondered if she might be the last person alive. She never had confirmation of this, but as the last breath left her body, it would be the last breath a human being would take on Earth. Her species and many others had become extinct from the planet because of Horton’s plan. He had succeeded in eradicating the human race as well as all mammals. With his dark vision fulfilled, the age of man came to an end.
Time, that was all Earth needed. Time and zero influence from a species like man. After several millennia, many of man’s physical and material achievements were wiped away, overtaken by Mother Nature. If someone were to fly over the planet, they’d see some ruins but mostly piles of what were once mega-cities with towering buildings. The cities were gone; the skyscrapers that had once reached towards the heavens had all crumbled and fallen.
A few thousand millennia later, the planet began to truly heal from the pollution, carbon emissions and environmental damage done to it by the former master species.
Man rose quickly on the planet, and within a millisecond of astronomical time, he had dominated the planet and set it on a course for destruction. If one were to measure the Earth’s life using a clock, the human species would represent seconds out of twenty-four hours. Modern man would only represent milliseconds. However short man’s time was on the planet, his influence had been mighty. He had accomplished much for an animal. He not only created and built great things and had the ability to ponder and ask the great questions, he had also been one of the most destructive forces on the planet. In the brief time of man’s existence, he had come to represent beauty and ugliness, but where man would fail ultimately was due to the fact that his morality was not equal to his intelligence and creativity.
In the mere blink of an astronomical eye, humans came and went. The promise of enlightenment would never happen. All snuffed out because of a single man’s hubris and desire for power over his fellow man.
THE END
A NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR
First let me thank you for reading THE DEATH TRILOGY. I sincerely hope you enjoyed it and will continue to read other books and series I write.
I was asked a long time ago what apocalyptic scenario scared me the most. It took me all of one second to give the answer, pandemic. For me personally, I find the prospect of a deadly virus with no cure ravaging the world the most frightening situation there is. When I look at my own life and the possible apocalyptic scenarios that could befall us, I figure I can manage most of them. Whether it’s EMPs, nuclear war, cyber attacks, asteroid strikes, etc. I find the event occurs, then I’m left dealing with people; that is if I survive the initial event. What gets to me about a virus is that it’s silent, it’s invisible. You can be the most skilled and prepared survivalist, but you will never know if you are coming into contact with a deadly pathogen. You can’t see it, smell it or taste it. Yes, of course, most viruses that exist have hosts, and if you stay clear of them and wear protective gear, you’ll be safe, but still I fear a virus that will one day mutate or evolve and spread like wildfire without us being able to identify the host as contaminated.
In a world that has been ravaged by a virus, how will you know what you touch or ingest isn’t contaminated? You don’t because you can’t see it. When it comes to dealing with marauders or evil government officials, I feel I have a chance. I have training and resources to combat them if need be, but a virus that can quietly lie dormant, waiting for me to come into contact with it and bring it home scares the hell out of me.
Personally, I feel it’s only a matter of time before something truly horrible breaks out and causes great death. For my sake and yours, I hope it’s in the far distant future.
In THE DEATH TRILOGY, I created a group called THE ORDER; they are nothing more than a cabal of powerful and influential people from both the private and public sector. They hold the keys to power and have visions of total and absolute control. Sound like any groups you know? Fill in the blank, as there are several.
I know this idea is not new and I’m sure there are groups in existence who selfishly try to influence the lives of others. What I decided to do with this trilogy is give you that group but marry them to a set of principles that exist inscribed on a mysterious granite structure in the countryside of Georgia. This mysterious structure is called the Georgia Guidestones. Below I have taken information found online and put it together as a sort of reference guide. This structure does exist, that is a fact; however, what they mean is unknown. It is fascinating and scary at the same time.
All the best –
John W. Vance
THE GEORGIA GUIDESTONES
The Georgia Guidestones is a granite monument erected in 1980 in Elbert County, Georgia, in the United States. A set of ten guidelines is inscribed on the structure in eight modern languages, and a shorter message is inscribed at the top of the structure in four ancient language scripts: Babylonian, Classical Greek, Sanskrit, and Egyptian hieroglyphs.
The monument stands at the highest point in Elbert County, about 90 miles (140 km) east of Atlanta, 45 miles (72 km) from Athens, and 9 miles (14 km) north of the center of Elberton. The stones are visible from Georgia Highway 77 (Hartwell Highway) and are reached by turning east on Guidestones Road.
The structure is sometimes referred to as an "American Stonehenge". The monument is 19 feet 3 inches (5.87 m) tall and made from six granite slabs weighing 237,746 pounds (107,840 kg) in all. One slab stands in the center, with four arranged around it. A capstone lies on top of the five slabs, which are astronomically aligned. An additional stone tablet, which is set in the ground a short distance to the west of the structure, provides some notes on the history and purpose of the Guidestones.
In June 1979, an unknown person or persons under the pseudonym R. C. Christian hired Elberton Granite Finishing Company to build the structure.
The land was apparently purchased by Elbert County on October 1, 1979, although the Georgia Mountain Travel Association's history says the monument is located "on the farm of Mildred and Wayne Mullenix".
The monument was unveiled on March 22, 1980, before an audience variously described as 100 or 400 people.
In 2008, the stones were defaced with polyurethane paint and graffiti with slogans such as "Death to the new world order". Wired magazine called the defacement "the first serious act of vandalism in the Guidestones' history".
In September 2014, an employee of the Elbert County maintenance department contacted the FBI when the stones were vandalized with graffiti including the phrase "I Am Isis, goddess of love". On September 22nd (after a tip on September 11th), local blogger Van Smith reported that a granite cube inscribed with the numbers "20" and "14" had been installed in a square notch in the corner of the English language stone. Smith noted the notch's appearance in 2009. The cube was later removed and destroyed by somebody who appeared to be an Elberton official, as recorded in a video, which showed additional markings of "8", "16", "MM" and "JAM".
Inscriptions
A message consisting of a set of ten guidelines or principles is engraved on the Georgia Guidestones in eight different languages, one language on each face of the four large upright stones. Moving clockwise around the structure from due north, these languages are English, Spanish, Swahili, Hindi, Hebrew, Arabic, Chinese, and Russian.
Maintain humanity under 500,000,000 in perpetual balance with nature.
Guide reproduction wisely — improving fitness and diversity.
Unite humanity with a living new language.
Rule passion — faith — tradition — and all things with tempered reason.
Protect people and nations with fair laws and just courts.
Let all nations rule internally resolving external disputes in a world court.
Avoid petty laws and useless officials.
Balance personal rights with social duties.
Prize truth �
� beauty — love — seeking harmony with the infinite.
Be not a cancer on the earth — Leave room for nature — Leave room for nature.
Explanatory tablet
A few feet to the west of the monument, an additional granite ledger has been set level with the ground. This tablet identifies the structure and the languages used on it, lists various facts about the size, weight and astronomical features of the stones, the date it was installed and the sponsors of the project. It also speaks of a time capsule buried under the tablet, but the fields on the stone reserved for filling in the dates on which the capsule was buried and is to be opened have not been inscribed, so it is uncertain if the time capsule was ever put in place. Each side of the tablet is perpendicular to one of the cardinal directions, and is inscribed so that the northern edge is the top of the inscription. At the center of each tablet edge is a small circle, each containing a letter representing the appropriate compass direction (N, S, E, W).
The complete text of the explanatory tablet is detailed below. The tablet is somewhat inconsistent with respect to punctuation and also misspells "pseudonym". The original spelling, punctuation and line breaks in the text have been preserved in the transcription which follows (letter case is not). At the top center of the tablet is written:
The Georgia Guidestones
Center cluster erected March 22, 1980
Immediately below this is the outline of a square, inside which is written:
Let these be guidestones to an Age of Reason
Around the edges of the square are written the names of four ancient languages, one per edge. Starting from the top and proceeding clockwise, they are: Babylonian (in cuneiform script), Classical Greek, Sanskrit, and Ancient Egyptian (in hieroglyphics).
The Death: Extinction Page 14
