On an alien-occupied mining moon, a human resistance cell enters a buried conversion nursery to recover a juvenile before the alien grafting process completes.

The enemy ambushes, disables, converts, and tracks through altered bodies — and the child they bring back may be part of its listening network.

Comms fail inside the biomass-choked refinery tunnels, the exfil route collapses, and every corridor narrows the chance of returning alive.

But something is not right with the kid…

This is “The Hybrid Child” by Sascha Schmidt.