Venom & Sand

Venom & Sand

#2 in the Exploits of Roger Fee

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by Dai Alanye

Cover design — 13thTribe

Copyright 2013, 2019 — Dai Alanye

Edition 1.25

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This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. If you wish to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you are reading this book and did not download it, or it was not downloaded for your use only, please return to your retailer and purchase your own copy.

Venom & Sand is an original work of fiction. All characters, locations and incidents are creations of the writer's imagination. With the exception of possible satirical references, any resemblances to actual happenings or to persons living or dead are strictly coincidental.

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Thanks to Morris Kenyon, Jon Silverthorn, Lynn Clayton and others too modest to accept personal credit… you know, such as my parents.

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Whoa there, pardner. Have you read the first tale in the series, Blood & Dirt? If not, hurry to your favorite bookseller and start the Roger Fee series with it. Peruse Blood & Dirt, then read…

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Venom & Sand

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Chapter 0 — I Knew It!

I'd made a mistake accepting this job—had known so at the start. Ascetica owned a dangerous reputation.

And in the second place I had sworn off this kind of mission. But the love of money is the root of all evil, it's said—and I can attest the truth of that, though in my case the result is more on the order of rotten luck.

The sun hovered high and hot despite gathering clouds and darkness. The wind whistled and wailed through the pans, and in the distance that threatening high-pitched keening began to overcome the wind noise, as if the creatures were working themselves up for an assault.

Who would have predicted such a thing—a revolt against all-conquering mankind?

I turned toward the other five. No more guns and gas, I shouted over the noise. Not effective enough, and we need to save ammo for the trek out. Have to kill them the hard way—no other choice.

Flack glared, and Pristina swiveled to sneer at me, her voice harsh and expression bitter. "Who elected you general? S'your damn fault we're here instead of safe."

She was right in a way, but it was her fault too. And the others—they resented my taking over leadership, I was sure, but they all shared in the blame as well.

You could have walked back, you stupid trollop! No point saying it aloud. Why continue to quarrel when we were about to battle for our lives? And my unwilling companions were readying themselves, taking their places—perhaps we stood a chance.

Oh-oh. The sharp sounds were rising, claws clicking against rock… and the terrible shrilling.

I knew I shouldn't have taken this job, half a mill or no. I knew it!

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Chapter 1 — Beware the Batte

The partly-underground room was stuffy and spartan, the seats uncomfortable, and the speaker, Gwenneg whatsisname, droned his lecture with a European accent I couldn't place. The orientation material itself was pointless, repetitive and largely unnecessary. Great effort was required to stay awake, nor did I always succeed.

But some instinct now made me sit up and pay attention.

"The policy of the Multi-World Council is to suppress exploitation of this planet, retaining its virgin ecology. And here I might as well repeat: No Terran organisms of any kind are allowed to infest the blazing deserts of Ascetica—which is why your belongings are checked and sanitized, and why you have been required to undergo a thorough cleansing of both external and internal body parts.

"As for the opposite, bringing Ascetican organisms to Earth, you will soon learn how undesirable that must be.

But enough of the regulations, eh? He stretched and cleared his throat. "You've all heard of the Shrieking Spider, the most notorious of Ascetican fauna. These are vaguely similar to the misnamed Camel Spider of the home planet, which are properly called Solifugae—that is, fugitives from the sun.

"There are significant differences, however, including that these creatures show no disinclination to hunt by night or day. And while Solifugae can give a painful nip, they are of slight danger to humans. Eremitae, on the other hand, are strongly—though usually not fatally—venomous. The worst danger is that their bite initially injects a nerve-deadening compound. A mammal—to which class humans belong—could, if predated while heavily sleeping, undergo significant tissue liquefaction without waking. We do not, therefore, advise the use of illicit drugs or artificial sleep-aids. Even prescription pain-deadeners are proscribed.

"But your Two-person Environmental Short-term Shelters—TESS—are proof against their entry, so long as you remain alert in the matter of fastenings, and always pack the TESS securely in its sack when not in use.

"Again—Camel Spiders, to use the popular name, are quick-moving compared to other Terran arthropods but Eremitae are considerably faster. With all their legs they should be! Heh-heh-heh. Still, be not concerned—a person in reasonably good physical condition, given a fifty yard start, will almost always outrun them, for they tire rapidly. This is another reason why we insist on assuring the condition of your health.

"In addition, always be sure you wear your kevlon/TFE outer garments, which will hinder any attempt by the hermits to gnaw through. Protective headgear and face shields are also strongly recommended, despite the heat.

"To anticipate your questions, the kevlon/TFE fabric offers considerable ballistic protection, will deflect rain in the unlikely circumstance of a shower, and temporarily protect against the severe Ascetican sandstorm, allowing the wearer several minutes to attain the shelter of one's tent—as we informally refer to the TESS.

"But what, you say, of those instances where a person has no fifty yard edge? Ah! The first rule is to stay well away from the hermit's potential hiding place—rocks, vegetation, pits in the soil. And if you should encounter one hidden in what otherwise seems open space, the creature will require a certain amount of time—and noise—to dig out. Besides, they don't generally attack something as large as a human. After all, they weigh less than two kilos, and with legs extended are never larger than a good-sized serving platter.

"On the other hand, they are all too easily irritated. No—no questions, please, until the orientation is complete. No! I'm sorry, but we've found this by far the more efficient method. Most of your concerns I'll probably cover in the balance of the program.

Now then, what sort of backup defense is available, eh? You have probably heard there are various renegade humans on Ascetica who lurk outside the bases, not only specifically here at Gobi but at other MWC bases as well. These people, regardless of lengthy prison terms which await them upon capture, linger in vehicles outside the bases, utilize the occasional oasis, and generally survive by some means—including smuggling, no doubt…

No doubt whatsoever, Mister Gwenneg whatsyername. The MWC, recently formed, was composed largely of ex-UN employees, doubtless bringing with them much of the corrupt social culture of the latter organization.