Menace of the Mists

Four Earthmen defend a remote Venusian iron mine against amphibious, centipede-like invaders whose humanlike forebodies and mandibles make them especially deadly. Shrouded in blinding white mists and knee-deep mud, the mining compound readies for a mass assault as riders on saddle-lizards and native fishmen fortify positions, summon workers, and recall past sieges while deciding whether to hold or abandon the claim. The narrative focuses on tense reconnaissance, improvised defenses, technical limits in an alien environment, and the stubborn resolve of a small band determined to deny a relentlessly adaptive swarm the materials it needs to arm itself and push humanity from the planet.