Chapter 1

The village was silent. Each house had open windows, curtains billowing in the light wind. Only the first rays of the sun gave light to the forlorn place, but even in the light it couldn't be called cheery. There was a distinct air of abandonment and suffering that lingered in every open doorway and every time a tree rustled, seeming to speak to one another.

A crunch pierced the silence as four humans came quietly towards the village. The leader, Colonel Sheppard, shifted uncomfortably and moved into the sunlight. Another man, Ronon Dex, held his gun at the ready while the woman, Teyla Emmagen, moved warily. Lastly, Doctor McKay pulled up at the rear looking at a life-signs detector.

"This place is uber-creepy," Sheppard muttered. He turned to McKay. "You got anything?"

"Nope," McKay replied. "It's just us. Whoever the villagers were, they must have gone."

"A while ago," Ronon cut in, kneeling down. "These tracks are almost faded from the previous rain."

"You know what I'm thinking?" Sheppard continued.

"Michael," McKay, Ronon and Teyla said at the same time.

"This has to be one of those other labs Michael was talking about on New Tarana," McKay said, his voice taking on a hint of excitement. "If we could just find it…"

"I get it," Sheppard nodded. "Can you find any radiation or electrical interference nearby?"

McKay pulled out another device from his vest pocket and fiddled around with it for a second. "Got nothin'."

"Yet," Sheppard told him. "Let's take a look around and see if we can find anything out."

The team split up and took separate areas. Teyla moved to a house and slipped inside, holding her gun up in defence. She moved up the stairs slowly, examining the contents. It seemed that the people here left in a great hurry. There was evidence of a scuffle, things taken hastily from cupboards and a handprint made from dry blood on the opposite wall. Blood marks splattered the ground and there was evidence that someone had been dragged along the ground, back downstairs. Teyla followed the blood trail and found a pool of blood in the kitchen of the house, presumably where the body had lain. Then, strangely enough, another handprint appeared on the ground and bloody footsteps shuffled unevenly from the scene and outside. A shiver ran down her spine and she reached for her radio.

"Colonel Sheppard," she said, "I have evidence of a scuffle. There are blood prints all through this house. Be advised, something came in here and killed someone. It might still be around."

"Any evidence of what it was?"

"None. What have you found?"

"Something pretty similar, only a bit more gruesome."

Sheppard had gone to the village Hall to find answers. His boots had crunched on the leaves outside ominously, and he didn't know why he wasn't willing to make so much noise. It was like a ghost town. He moved up the stone steps and through the open doors, briefly noting the claw and blood marks on the thick wooden door. Inside it was a similar story. Blood coated a painting on the wall and muddy footprints covered the ground. A lot of people had come inside, judging by the direction, milled around for a bit then left. However some of the footprints led further into the building. Sheppard followed them and found a small, well-fortified room near the back. Its door had been ripped off its hinges and more muddy footprints led inside, accompanied by massive blots of dried blood all over the walls.

People had tried to hide in the Hall, and something had come in and killed them.

Teyla contacted him and told him of the building she was in; how there was evidence of a fight and lots of blood.

"I reckon villagers tried to hide in here, but something came in and killed them," Sheppard radioed Teyla. "I've got blood and muddy footprints everywhere. But no bodies."

"I will keep searching. There might be a clue as to what happened to the villagers in another house."

"Be advised to take caution," Sheppard said quickly. He then contacted Ronon. "Ronon, you found anything?"

Ronon went to the outskirts of the village and scanned for tracks. He found a lot of footprints leading into the forest and the occasional blood smear on a tree. It unnerved him, and he wasn't sure what to make of it. These footprints should have washed away a while ago so there must be something more to it. The only way they wouldn't have washed away is if there were a lot of people walking this way…

"Ronon, you found anything?"

He tapped his radio. "I got a lot of tracks leading into the forest and blood on the trees. I think the villagers were either taken this way, or snuck this way."

"Why's that?"

"There's no evidence of running. The length of these tracks indicates that they were moving very slowly. And I mean very slowly. There are scuff marks from where feet were dragged in the ground."

"That's so creepy." Ronon could swear he felt Sheppard shudder through the radio. "I'll contact McKay now; you get Teyla and meet us in the square. She's in the houses."

"Sure thing," Ronon said, tapping his radio again. He stood up and headed back into the village, searching the windows for Teyla. His progress was stopped from a radio from McKay.

"Guys! I found it!" McKay said through the radio.

"Where?" Sheppard asked.

"There was this hatch behind the Hall and I went down there. I hit the jackpot. All of Michael's data on his experiments is here. You have to come down here."

"Acknowledged," Sheppard replied. "Ronon, Teyla, you heard the man. Get down here."

Shortly after, the four of them stood inside a small space only a few feet underground. McKay was at the only terminal. As well as the terminal, there was an operation table and several cabinets filled with syringes and other medical equipment.

"So, what happened?" Sheppard asked.

"I'm not entirely sure," McKay replied. "It appears that before he experimented with the Iratus Bugs and biology, he went for a virus. This is his log that records his progress in the creation of the virus. It was a failure."

"Did it say why it was a failure?" Ronon asked.

"No! I just assumed, since there are no people here, that it was a failure. I'm not even up to that part of the log yet!"

"Okay, okay," Sheppard groaned. "Just get on with it. I'll radio Weir and ask for assistance."

"We should get a team of Marines out here," Ronon said. "There might still be villagers alive and more manpower means we can find them easier."

"Good idea." Sheppard clapped McKay on the shoulder. "Ronon's with me. Make sure you don't blow anything up while we're gone kids."

"Yeah, yeah," McKay muttered.