Cerberus

Operation Stargate #6

by Herbert Grosshans

There are not many planets populated by humans at the rim of the Galaxy. Cerberus is one of those planets. It is the fourth of eight planets in the Spinner System.

The Spinner System is located near the edge of Human Space. It is far away from the regular trade routes that are frequented by humans and other races, but it is still close enough for merchant ships and freighters to visit. There is not much beyond the Spinner System, except for a few rogue suns.

Cerberus is home to seven million humans and three million Sartans. For centuries, humans and Sartans lived in peace. There was no need for either race to have an army. That all changed with the appearance of a ruthless invader from the other side of the star-gate. Without an army, the humans and Sartans are defenseless against this brutal alien race.

The Solar Union is sending Major Ethan Wolf of the ISS and Captain Gorini of the Anorian Special Investigation Service to Cerberus to find out what exactly is going on.

They discover that the peaceful existence of humans and Sartans is just an illusion. Freeland is run by gangs and the Sartans are exploited by a powerful company from Hyperion. The Union has no choice but to send in the military to deal with the invaders and the Cartel.

Excerpt

Prologue

There was nothing but frozen tundra as far as the eye could see. Ethan Wolf, Alfred Swann, and Harry Turnbull sat on their steeds studying the unforgiving land around them. Dressed in thick furs, their heads covered with furry hats, they were unaffected by the icy wind blowing from the east. The animals they rode were native to Agrar and didn’t mind the nasty weather. They stomped their splayed feet impatiently and roared, as if telling their riders to either keep going or get off.

“We might as well camp here,” Swann suggested. “We have these large rocks for cover to give us some measure of protection from the wind. No matter how far we travel today, we won’t find a better place. What do you think, Ethan?”

Wolf didn’t reply right away, trying to decide if he should agree. He didn’t see much point in carrying on, either. “Alright, Alfred,” he said. “You’re the Scout. This is as good a place as any.”

“Good. I’m glad you agree. I’m not sure about this, but it looks like a storm is coming,” Swann said.

“In that case, I’d say we dig in. These storms can get quite violent.”

“You’ve experienced one?” asked Turnbull.

Wolf turned to Turnbull. “No, I haven’t. Not here on Agrar, but a few years back, I was on an assignment on Tellus, a planet much like this one. Lots of open prairie and savannahs. And deserts. Those sandstorms were murder if you were caught in one without a place to hide. If it wouldn’t have been for the native guides we hired, my team and I may have perished when we got surprised by one of those storms.”

“I’m familiar with Tellus,” Swann said. “I spent a year there on the Scouts Outpost. The original exploration team that mapped the planet gave it a low grade. Not an ideal planet for colonization.”

Wolf chuckled. “Except for the rich deposits of Allegrum. The low grade you Scouts gave Tellus didn’t stop Starleaf Explorations from establishing several mines in the mountains. They brought in hundreds of miners by offering them outrageous wages if they settled there. In fact, they spared no expense building whole towns with rows of residential units for the families of the miners.”

He jumped to the ground, holding onto the reins of his steed. The Org shook itself, clearly happy to be rid of the weight on its broad back. “Easy.” Wolf patted the massive animal’s muscular neck. “Give me a chance to take off the saddle.”

Swann and Turnbull followed his example. They piled the three saddles onto the ground and tied the reins of the animals together. They didn’t have to worry about them running away. The Org were quite docile, despite giving the impression of being aggressive because of their immense size.

Wolf removed his facemask and took off his mittens, rubbing his hands together. “Damn cold,” he cursed. “Whose idea was it anyway to take a trek across this wonderful landscape?”

“Yours.” Turnbull also opened his facemask and smirked. “You always come up with these terrific ideas.”

“I am questioning my sanity for allowing myself to always be talked into coming with you on these vacations,” Swann said. Taking off his facemask, he sniffed the air.

“It isn’t supposed to be a vacation. It is an adventure,” Wolf informed them.

“You don’t get enough of those on your assignments?” Turnbull queried.

“That is different.” Wolf smiled. “I can’t choose the places they send me, but I can damn well choose how I spend my free time.”

“Next time we’ll go on a real vacation,” Swann said.

“What do you suggest?” Wolf was curious what Swann came up with.

“We should go to Easter. The sky is always red and not very bright. The gravity is less than one G. Rich people go there for their honeymoon.”

“Are you planning to get married?”

Swann laughed. “I hope that was not meant to be a serious question. You know that Scouts don’t get married—unless they retire.”

“Well, neither does a Union Trooper.” Wolf grinned and looked at Turnbull. “How about you, Harry?”

Turnbull grunted. “I wouldn’t get married again. Once was enough. For your information, we didn’t go to Easter on our honeymoon. That planet was a little bit too rich for us.”

“I guess that settles that,” Wolf stated with a chuckle. “Easter won’t be happening.” He studied the moon that appeared on the western horizon. “That moon is the biggest I’ve seen from the surface of all the planets I’ve been on. Perhaps that large moon is the reason for the violent storms they are having on this planet.”

“It definitely will have something to do with that,” Swann agreed.

They took shelter behind one of the large boulders nearby and broke out their rations. After eating, they got their sleeping bags and crawled into them.

The storm hit during the night. It was as Wolf had predicted. The howling wind came first and then came the ice pellets. Their sleeping bags were flexible but not soft. Their tough material protected them from the pounding of the pellets, but it could not protect them from the roaring sound of the fierce storm.

Wolf made sure his sleeping bag was closed tight. He was warm and dry inside his protective cocoon. As were Swann and Turnbull.

By morning, the storm was less severe than it had been at the onset. The wind had lost much of its velocity, and the ice pellets had changed to sleet, but it was still uncomfortable.

They decided not to wait out the storm and broke camp. The Org didn`t seem to be inconvenienced, and Wolf and his companions were dressed for the nasty weather. They had known from the start this was not going to be a comfortable trek. The severe weather was expected, and so was the terrain. It was all part of the adventure.

At least that`s what they told each other.

Wolf`s face was completely covered. To protect his eyes, he wore goggles. He was not exactly uncomfortable, but he had to admit that moving around dressed in thick furs, wearing heavy boots, and large mittens was inconvenient. However, sitting on the back of a strong animal, they did not have to exert their bodies. Had they been forced to walk, it would have made this a strenuous, possibly deadly, activity.

As they rode across the dreary landscape, Wolf recalled other journeys he and his friends had taken over the years. He was forty-three years old and in top physical shape. Would he still be able to do this in ten years? How about Swann and Turnbull? Both were his age, and both were in decent shape. Would they want to join him still? If not, he would miss that.

“Company is coming. Ten o’clock.” Swann, who had been in the lead, slowed down his Org. His voice sounded muffled behind his face covering.

Wolf looked in the indicated direction. Visibility was low because of the storm. He saw shadows coming toward them. As they came closer, they turned out to be a large group of riders on Org.

Nulgarians.

Most of the various indigenous races populating Agrar were peaceful. The Nulgarians on the other hand, were not. They were a nomadic race, traveling across the vast tundra following the herds of wild Org and shaggy One-horns on their migrations. When the herds settled down for a few months so did the Nulgarians. They did not welcome visitors with open arms, instead they attacked anyone coming too close to their tribe.

Their warriors were fierce and nasty and skilled with their diverse types of weapons, especially with the staff slings that they used to hurtle stones for long distances.

Wolf removed his laser rifle from its scabbard and melted a wide stretch of the frozen ground in front of the riders before they were close enough to use their slings. The riders brought their steeds to a halt and lined up in a wide half circle, watching the three intruders in their territory.

“What do you suggest we do?” Turnbull brought his Org to Wolf’s side. “We could try to outrun them.”

“Won’t work. They know this part of the tundra, we don’t. They could herd us into a trap.” Wolf pushed up his goggles and looked around. “I must admit, we don’t have many options. We could make a stand and burn them all, which clearly is not an option.”

“It may be the only option we have,” Swann said. “They won’t negotiate.”

“What do they want from us?” Turnbull asked.

Swann’s laugh sounded ugly. “They want our Org, our clothing, and our weapons. Imagine what they could do with three lasers.”

“They must know they’ll never get close to us,” Turnbull stated.

“Don’t underestimate them. Time is on their side. They know we’re trapped and only need to wait us out.”

“Before that happens, we could kill them all, like Ethan mentioned.”

“They know that won’t happen, because we are not as ruthless as they are,” Swann said.

“Sometimes it isn’t a good thing if your enemies know too much about you. In primitive societies, warriors would pride themselves on being known as mean, fearless, and ruthless. Their enemies needed to shake with fear just at the mention of their name.”

“Well, Harry, I don’t believe the Nulgarians are shaking in their boots,” Swann insisted. “Three years ago, they attacked and killed a team of six engineers and two Scouts from the Outpost. Ever since then, we always have at least three troopers accompany any of the scientific teams entering their territory.”

“They are trying to completely surround us,” Wolf observed. “They may even have the manpower to accomplish that.”

“Does it really matter?” Turnbull asked. “Either way, we’re fucked.”

“We are the ones with superior weapons,” Wolf reminded them. “If we have to kill most of them, we will.”

“That may be considered cold-blooded murder,” Swann argued. “It will be difficult to justify that in court. It was our choice to invade their territory. We knew the risks.”

“I believe the decision has been taken out of our hands,” Turnbull announced.

Wolf turned to see a large cigar-shaped object descending behind them and land. An opening appeared in its side, and four troopers dressed in battle gear, carrying laser rifles in their hands, jumped onto the frozen surface. They advanced toward the nearest natives and melted a sizable portion of the surface in front of them, causing the group to retreat.

Another trooper left the shuttle and walked toward Wolf and his friends. When he was close, he saluted and said, “Major Wolf?”

Wolf returned the salute and removed his mask. “Who wants to know?”

“I am Captain Song. I have orders to take you to the SUF Jupiter.”

“When?”

“Immediately, Major.”

“You mean now?”

“Those are my orders, sir.”

“What can be so important to justify cutting short my deserved vacation?” Wolf glared at Captain Song.

“I can’t say, Major.”

“Damn!” Wolf cursed. “Alright.” He dismounted and turned to Swann and Turnbull. “You heard. This is the end of our adventure. Seems we have no choice but to abandon our equipment and leave it for the Nulgarians.”

“Just as I was beginning to enjoy myself,” Turnbull complained.

“Sorry, sir,” Captain Song said. “My orders are to bring back only Major Wolf. I wasn’t informed of any civilians being present.”

Turnbull pulled off his facemask. “Now listen, Captain Song. Obviously, you don’t know who I am. I am not a civilian. I am Colonel Turnbull of the SPA, and I will be damned if I’m going to be left behind to become a victim of the most vicious group roaming this frozen nightmare. Forget about your orders. These are your new orders: You will let me and Master Scout Swann board the shuttle, and then you will take us to the Scouts Outpost. Is that clear?”

Captain Song stood like a rigid statue. He had listened to Turnbull’s outburst without flinching a muscle.

“Is that clear, Captain Song?” Turnbull barked.

“Crystal, Colonel Turnbull.” Song saluted. “Please, follow me to the shuttle, Colonel. I will deliver you and Master Scout Swann safely to the Scouts Outpost.”

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Sci-Fi

Erotica