Fresh off Elara’s latest tale, I turned my attention to the next Wattpad story for the month, the latest entry in Transformation. To date, I’ve detailed the arrival of two of the three pilots heading out to their world’s colonies. By process of elimination, only one pilot has yet to reach her destination. As a result, it’s time for Giselle to take center stage.
With each of these three installments, I wanted to highlight something unique for each pilot. For Giselle, it didn’t take me long to isolate the aspect of her arrival I wanted to explore. This story follows one of the quieter consequences of the growing political conflict. Large decisions may be made in council chambers, but the pressure created by those choices reaches far beyond the people making them. When influence begins spreading through official systems, even a single arrival can carry more risk than it first appears.
This installment turns to Webb as she reaches Caderth under circumstances that leave little room for comfort. Her arrival is not marked by ceremony, welcome, or certainty. Instead, she steps into a situation where caution matters, distance feels dangerous, and every choice must be weighed before she moves forward.
At its heart, this story is about the uneasy moment before an investigation can begin. Giselle has a task ahead of her, but first she must take stock of where she is, what she has been told, and how much she may have to face alone. Before any answers can be found, she has to decide how carefully she can step into Caderth’s capital.
Excerpt of Buried in Stone
Giselle rolled her head as her ship’s cockpit sealed behind her. Licking her lips, she circled the craft and kicked each anchor tethered to the harsh stone outcropping. When she finished the circuit, she slapped the craft’s hull, closed her eyes, and listened for anything loose. She left her fingers on the vessel and released a pent-up breath.
Nothing answered her touch. Even the faint warmth clinging to the ship began slipping away, leaving the craft as quiet as the outcropping holding it. Giselle kept her hand there. Her thumb traced a shallow scratch near the cockpit’s frame, one she had sworn to buff out upon arrival. Fine grit blew across her fingertips, filling in the mark.
With a grunt, she glanced back at the path she’d taken. Her fingers curled once against the hull before she pulled them away. “Be a rock.”
Dust crawled over the landing struts and gathered along the cockpit seam. The next gust dragged a veil of grime about the ship, dulling its edges until the metal blurred into the surroundings. Giselle scraped one boot through the fresh drift, smearing her own tracks before she turned from her ship.
Wind rushed through the alley, whipping her hair across her face. She tucked the loose strands behind an ear as the ground rattled beneath the next powerful blast. When it faded, dust scattered from the stone walls, thickening the haze until it blocked the sun from the canyon far overhead.
She hurried to her pack, hauled it over a shoulder, and retraced her path through the crevice. When she reached its end, she ducked back and pulled out her tablet. Once she found a secluded hollow beyond the bend, she opened the latest intelligence regarding Caderth’s security. When she finished the last file, her head fell onto the rock wall as she swallowed a curse.
She drew her knees close and tapped the tablet against her forehead. “Darvin, couldn’t you have secured more information for me? You dropped enough problems for me to chase. You didn’t have to tell me there’s a better than zero chance you won’t be able to open a corridor when I need to leave.”
With a grunt, Giselle rose to her feet and slung her pack on her shoulder as she glanced back down the snaking path. She kicked her heel against the stone as she opened the message from Darvin. His face filled the display a moment before his voice crackled through the speakers.
“Giselle, if I didn’t get a chance to speak with you after your arrival, Liam and his allies have tightened every planet’s security net.” His lips drew into a harsh line as he shook his head. “We spoke in very broad terms about your goals prior to your departure. However, now that you’ve arrived, you’ll need more detailed information. You have to embed yourself in the colony so you can perform your investigation.
“Your task is to uncover whatever the Caderth government is doing on behalf of Liam’s agents. But above all else, avoid port officials, the colony’s offices, and anyone serving its leadership. If Liam’s people control half of what we suspect, official channels will bury you in delays at best and arrest you at worst.”
Giselle paused the video and ran her fingers through her hair. She rubbed her chin as she inched back to her ship. After several tense heartbeats, she stopped and resumed Darvin’s message.
To continue reading the story, click here to head over to Wattpad.