Secret Daughter for the Alien Dad

Chapter 1

Lila

         “This should be fun.” A smile stretches over my face as I run my eyes over the looming military base towering before me. I stand with a leg mounted on a large pipe, near an opening that I’ll soon be climbing into.

The pipe isn’t your typical system one finds underneath their bathroom sink. This one is so thick that it’d take five of me to fully encompass it. I’m resting on only a mere section of it, checking just how much of it I can see before it disappears beneath the ground level of the base.

A blanket of darkening purple hangs high over the evening sky, casting a fitting, unwelcoming glow on the landscape.

The base itself boasts a large watchtower, surrounded by tall buildings and a dome structure. If I was an enemy trooper this close to the military site, I’d be quaking in my boots. But I’m a maintenance worker who’s about to get her hands dirty and her overalls stained, and that, to me, is always a good time.

“Fun, you say?” chuckles a coworker as they come up beside me. “Lila, you’re something else entirely. Can’t you hear all those blasts and machinery whirring away in there?”

“Don’t be scared, Lokara,” I reply, smirking at the Kalei native. I shine a flashlight into the narrow opening of the pipe, spotting the end of the ladder as it hits the base of the interior. Caked in grime and mold, it has certainly seen better days.

I turn at the sound of struggling coming from behind me, noticing Lokara fumbling with a power panel.

“What’s the problem?” I ask.

“We need to shut off the power source before we step foot into the pipes, but this damn thing won’t budge!”

I squint at the lever, seeing the safety lock is in place. I glance humorously at Lokara as I turn off the power with ease. She rolls her eyes.

“Always the problem solver, aren’t you?” she remarks.

I pull my hair back, tying it into a high bun.

“Gotta be to get to where I want to go,” I reply. “Come on then, let’s get in there.” I begin the descent into the pipe, disappearing into a tunnel of darkness that opens up as I reach the bottom. Even though I’m not scared, not being able to see either end with the flashlight ignites an ominous feeling within me.

As I give my equipment belt a quick once over, the sound of a ringing comms device comes from the surface. Lokara’s faint voice mumbles a few words before she approaches the opening.

“Lila, I’ve been called to go do an emergency job elsewhere.”

“No problem. I can do this one solo.”

“Are you sure? It might be dangerous going in alone,” she says, sounding concerned.

“Don’t worry about me. I work better by myself anyway,” I answer in a brash, confident tone.

“Alright.” She laughs. “Don’t venture too far.”

“Will do.”

With that, I’m left by my lonesome. Taking a deep breath, I switch on my flashlight and head deeper into the ducts. To anyone else, working with no company in the darkness might be chill-inducing, but it’s something I've grown accustomed to.

Each time I pull a solo job, it reminds me of the day I turned eighteen and I left home to throw myself into the real world. I've looked after myself since then, so working independently is no big deal for me.

Ever the adventure seeker, I had sought out Glimner and have remained here in the hopes of building my career. Fixing the electricity flow to this moon’s military base would certainly look good on my record.

After a few twists and turns through the seemingly endless pipes, I come to the main fuse connecting the flow to another power source. Whistling a merry tune, I open the panel and assess the problem, spotting a few burnt-out wires.

Some soldiers Glimner has if they can’t fix such a simple problem, I think to myself, laughing as I get to work. Soon, the clanging and banging of tools and equipment rings out echoes that bounce between the walls. The sight of dirt on my hands is always a glorious one.

Within a matter of minutes, my work is done. I fixate the panel door back on, tightening its screws and wrapping up another successful job. I’m damn good at what I do, and I’m proud of it.

My field isn’t for the weak, but that’s why I was called to the military base. I’m the best of the best, and I know that for a certain fact. The thought of my aspirations for the future never fails to excite me.

“Lila Clancy, civil planner… That has a nice ring to it.” I chuckle. “Maybe then I can prove to myself that I had it in me all along.” I begin packing up my gear and fastening my tools to my utility belt.

I never felt the need to answer to anyone but myself, but in turn that only made me self-critical. It’s as if there’s another Lila to always keep an eye on, but it keeps me performing as well as I do.

After a quick verification check on everything, I’m content enough with the job to call it a night. As soon as I turn, a low groan murmurs through the pipes, causing me to freeze. An unwelcome chill ignites goosebumps up my arms.

A tingle itches its way down my neck, like the scurry of a hundred insects. The groan comes again, and for a moment I think there’s something in here with me.

Maybe Lokara was right, I shouldn’t have ventured so far deep in here. I throw a hand to the handle of my hammer, while I press the other against the pipe lining. A wave of relief comes over me when I feel the force of the wind coincide with the groaning.

Must be a storm, I think as the sounds become fiercer. Relief leaves me just as quickly as it had arrived as I realize the storm likely means I’m trapped in here. I again feel its ferocity through the pipe walls.

Judging it to be far too strong to leave the pipe, I grasp the possibility I’ll likely be staying out for the time being.

“Maybe Lokara can come pick me up,” I mutter, reaching for my comms device. All that comes from it is the crackling of static. “Well, that’s just great.” I sigh, leaning against the wall. “So much for a simple problem.”

Stuck with no choice but to wait it out, I shine a flashlight down the way from where I came. Something about the moaning of the wind coupled with the almost endless darkness only glues me to this position. Checking the other end, there’s another opening that likely leads into the parameters of the base itself.

I’m hardly going to enter the damn place itself. Suddenly, I don’t feel so safe anymore, knowing that at any moment, someone could come down through that opening. No one but the patrol guard out front knows that I’m out here, and by now he’s likely forgotten about maintenance being carried out underground.

“This isn’t good,” I say shakily. “They might think I’m some type of spy or something. Fucking storm couldn’t have come at a worse time.” I didn’t wish to think about what the soldiers here would do to an unwelcome visitor.

My flashlight snaps up to the opening near me, dread surging as I hear someone banging at it.

“You’ve got to be kidding me!”

The hole opens, bringing with it a blast of wind and rain that intrudes the pipes. Covering my eyes, I spot a pair of boots descending the ladder.

“Close that entryway!” I yell. “Don’t let that damn storm in here!” At the same time, my hands hover over my tool belt as I pray this person doesn’t try anything. A tall man reaches the bottom and slowly turns around.

Holy…

The man standing before me is a Kaleidian, at least seven feet tall. His green eyes dilate as I shine the flashlight upon him. I marvel at his light teal skin, horns jutting out of his forehead like two jagged teeth. Behind him, his tail swishes around in quick movements, which I guess is from irritation.

His flawlessly straight posture makes the Kaleidian seem like a walking skyscraper, and he only grows taller as he approaches me. His uniform gives his position away as a member of the military.

Is he here to save me? Or am I about to have a problem?