Carolyn Lam looked around at the Talosians who seemed so lost, and silently hoped they would be able to make peace with whatever happened. She stood and watched as the sun dipped below the horizon. A cool wind blew between the buildings, and she watched the people huddle together as if they needed to know they were not alone.
Carolyn glanced at her watch, noting that seven hours had passed since Teal'c, Malone, and Tucker had disappeared down the tunnel. Ryan Thomas had been working on the console inside the building, but so far he hadn't been able to find out the full story about the Talosians and the creatures that supposedly came from the other realm.
"Dr. Lam, can you look at Flanista? He is not very well and I am afraid we may lose him," Janolia observed.
"Of course," Lam said and hurried toward the area the SG team had set up for the patients. She knelt beside the elderly man and place her hand on his forehead. The mobile monitoring equipment told her his fever had intensified and she quickly administered medication to help alleviate both the fever and his obvious discomfort. There wasn't much more she could do until Thomas broke through the barriers set up in the Talosian's computer network.
Carolyn knew the man was dying and there was nothing she could do to change that. His body was undergoing changes that he was too fragile for and the bony protuberances along his spine were inflamed. He shivered as if cold, yet the heat emanating from his body spoke of a high fever. She'd taken blood samples from the Talosians who'd returned and sent them back through the gate. It could take days before they had answers and until them it was up to her to keep them from succumbing to whatever it was affecting them.
"Will he be all right, Dr. Lam?"
"I don't know, Janolia," Lam told her softly. "I don't understand what's happening and until I do there's nothing I can do for him."
"You are doing everything you can, but I fear Layonna spoke the truth when she said we could not stop the changes," the Talosian woman said softly.
"Don't give up...we will do everything we can to find a way to help your people," Lam said.
"I am sorry for what is happening to Colonel Mitchell. Layonna should never have involved your people."
"If she hadn't...you and the others would continue to be subjected to her cruelty," Lam said and heard a harsh cry from the man as his body arched upward and white spittle spilled between tightly clenched teeth. She reacted on instinct and was glad of Layonna's help as Flanista's body grew rigid and a scream escaped his throat just before he dropped back to the pallet.
"Is he...will he..."
"I don't know, Janolia," Lam said and placed her fingers against his throat, shaking her head when there was no sign of life. She started CPR with the help of a young Talosian female, but there was nothing they could do."I'm sorry, he's gone."
"You did what you could, Dr. Lam," Janolia said and looked at the others who had turned to her for guidance.
"Will this happen to us?" Preaster asked and Lam moved to kneel in front of the young man.
"I don't think so, Preaster. Flanista was already changing when he came back from the other realm. He was old and his body was already weak," Lam explained, and wondered how bad things were for Cameron Mitchell and the others.
"What of the others...the ones who ave returned and are showing signs of the change?" Preaster asked.
"Most of them are young and strong," Lam observed. "I can't be sure, but Malika and Trayos are both showing signs of a reversal of the effects."
"Does that mean you can help them?" Janolia asked.
"I have no idea why the changes are disappearing, but as soon as I have the results of the tests I'll know better how to proceed. For now all we can do is keep them comfortable and hope it continues," Lam answered. "Try not to worry, Preaster, your mother and father are amongst those who are changing back now that they have returned."
"Thanks you," Preaster said and moved to sit with his parents while Lam and Janolia covered Flanista's body with a blanket until it could be removed.
SG1SG1SG1SG1
Shanisia Stood her ground against Layonna, but she could feel herself weakening as the woman's grotesque wings seemed to engulf everything around them. The air thickened, threatening to choke them as she shifted and tried to take the full force of Layonna's anger. She called on the others and felt them surge forward even as Layonna flapped her translucent, red-veined wings and screeched in frustration.
Layonna knew she was losing to the native Talosians, but she would never back down. She would take what rightfully belonged to her and find somewhere else to survive, even if it meant she would be an outcast. Perhaps, if she gave them the choice they would give her what she wanted, if not she would kill them all and take Mitchell by force.
"Layonna, you must know you cannot win," Shanisia said.
"Why is that, Shanisia? Do you think I should fear the likes of you?"
"Perhaps not me, but together we will stop you from continuing to hurt our loved ones...our families," Shanisia told her as the others continue to support her.
"Your families will not want anything to do with you. Do you realize you are the very creatures they have been afraid of all their lives? Do you remember hearing your families talk about the serpents? The creatures who would swoop down in the dead of night and take your children while you slept?"
"We will show them the truth. They will know that those were simply stories made up by creatures like you. The others have chosen to return to our world and Colonel Mitchell made it clear that he does not wish to be with you."
"I am sure Colonel Mitchell would agree to my terms if he knew you and the others would be freed."
"He has already made his decision and is making the journey between the realms," Shanisia told her and felt the angry her words caused as Layonna's wings set off a wave of heated air that drove her backward.
SG1SG1SG1SG1
Cameron Mitchell knew he was going to die, there was no way around it as pain shot through him. It burned through his gut as his muscles spasmed and his head felt ready to explode. The touch of Teal'c's arms against his body only intensified the effect, wreaking havoc with nerve endings and firing synapses until he wanted to scream.
"Teal'c are you all right?" Carter asked from beside him.
"I am fine," Teal'c answered. He knew he could not go on like this indefinitely and wondered if Mitchell could survive the journey across the divide that separated the two realms. He knew the man was in agony and had felt the bony protuberances that ran along his spine. He'd seen those and had expected them, but now he'd felt the shoulders shifting against him and wondered what changes were happening inside.
"Tell me when you need to rest and we'll stop," Carter told him and knew Teal'c could go on longer than the rest of them. She'd seen the changes in Mitchell and knew he was trying not to show them how much he was hurting, but right now they could not stop to deal with them. The truth was, she had no idea what to do to help even if they had the time.
"Colonel Carter, we're at the crevice," Malone called over his shoulder.
"Teal'c, are you going to be able to hold him?"
"I will hold him, Colonel Carter," the Jaffa answered.
Carter nodded and waited for Malone and Tucker to guide the Talosians across the narrow bridge that was barely wide enough for their feet. She looked at Teal'c and knew this could easily end in disaster, but there was no other way across. She nodded when he shifted Mitchell into a fireman's carry and ignored the sharp cry of pain that escaped from the man.
"Sam, what if we hooked up a pulley system of some kind," Jackson observed.
"Do we have enough rope?" Carter asked.
"I have some and I know the Sargeant does too," Tucker told them.
"Is there anything we can hook it up too?" Jackson asked.
"I believe I saw an opening in the rocks above the crevice, but it is hard to tell if it would hold Colonel Mitchell's weight," Teal'c told them.
"Try...it," Mitchell ground out as the Jaffa lowered him to the ground.
"It may not be strong enough, Mitchell," Jackson said.
"Rather die at the bottom than go back th...there," Mitchell managed and closed his eyes as his vision blurred and everything around him faded as the darkness beckoned to him. He had no idea whether he'd blacked out, but it was more likely than not that he did as Teal'c pulled him to his feet and hooked him up to some kind of harness they'd fashioned from the ropes.
"Cam, we're going to pull you across," Carter told him.
"How?" Mitchell asked. He listened as she gave him a quick explanation of what they would do and nodded that he was ready to go. "Too bad my wings aren't fully formed."
"Why?" Jackson asked.
"Could've flown across," Mitchell answered. He smiled in spite of the pain racing through him and was soon edging toward the deep crevice. It would be so easy to throw himself into it, but that would make him a quitter and his granny had always told him there were no quitters in their family. He wasn't going to let the woman down just because he faced a future as a circus act.
"Okay, Cam, we're going to start pulling you across," Carter called.
"Okay," Mitchell said, briefly wondering how she'd gotten to the other side so fast. He clenched his hands int fists as whatever they'd rigged up lifted him from the ground.
"Take it slow," Malone ordered, and reached out to help guide Mitchell across. He'd told the Tucker how to work the system from the other side and knew they would have to go slow or risk the whole thing collapsing. That wasn't going to happen, not on his watch.
"Be careful, Sargeant, the ropes are fraying because of the colonel's weight and the sharp edges," Tucker called from his vantage point on the other side.
Cam could feel the changes to his body with every move they made and nearly choked on the bitter bile that rose up in his throat. He listened to those around him, but found it hard to focus on what they were saying. He knew he was hanging over the abyss now, and lifted his head when he heard a sharp gasp from beside him.
"We need to keep going," Malone snapped and glanced toward Tucker and the Talosian males who'd offered their assistance. Between them they were pulling Mitchell across, but Tucker was right about the rope and he wasn't sure how much longer it would last. They were trying to keep a steady pace, but had to stop each time the colonel began to swing like a pendulum in a strong wind.
"Not much further," Carter said and swallowed several times when she heard the sound of rocks falling. God, she hoped it would last long enough to get Mitchell to safety. She held her breath as Mitchell swayed, dangerously fraying the rope even more as Malone reached out and steadied him. She knew one false step could send both men to the bottom of the crevice.
SG1SG1SG1SG1
Ryan Thomas continued to work on the console and was rewarded when a new file opened up and the power came on around him It was hard working with technology he knew very little about, but he took it as a good sign. He'd always been a religious man and unconsciously made the sign of the cross before opening a secondary file.
Ryan reached for the cup of hot coffee someone had brought him and took a sip before renewing his efforts to find what was hidden inside. He glanced at his watch and noted that over seven hours had passed since Teal'c and the others had disappeared through the opening. He silently cursed his inability to break through the barriers faster, but at least now he was getting somewhere.
"Sargeant, you need to eat," Lam said and placed a wrapped sandwich on the edge of the console.
"I did," Thomas told her.
"That was four hours ago and contrary to what Colonel Mitchel and the others say coffee is not a food group," Lam told him and watched as his fingers flew over the console. "Did you find anything that can help the Talosians?"
"Not yet, but I've been able to access several files, it's just going to take time to sift through this stuff."
"I'll ask Janolia if any of her people can help you," Lam said.
"Thanks, Doc, I'd appreciate any help I can get," Thomas told her and opened the sandwich.
"Make sure you eat all of it, Sargeant."
"Yes, Ma'am," Thomas said.
SG1SG1SG1SG1
Layonna knew she could not win against them, but she could not back down. It was her destiny to keep her kind alive no matter what Shanisia and the others thought. Even those who were pure, like she was, went against her. That could not happen and she knew it was time to use the secrets she had learned from her ancestors. There were other ways to cross the path between the realms, but most had been lost through the years.
"Layonna, leave now and you will be allowed to live, but if you try anything to hurt the Talosians then you will be banished to the fires."
"You do not scare me, Bariasta, but I will leave now and you have my word that I will not interfere with the Talosians," Layonna said and flapped her great wings. She soared high into the sky, circled several times and finally flew away from the clearing. She waited until the others could no longer see her before landing near a back entrance that would allow her to intercept Mitchell and the others. Once there she could take Mitchell, and if his friends tried to stop her, then she would simply kill them and be done with it.
Layonna relaxed her mind and body and returned to the Talosian shape before entering through the narrow opening. She'd learned long ago how to take control of her body, and now, unlike most of the others, she could do it at will.
The chamber she entered was large, with many bones scattered throughout the debris strewn floor. The rancid smell spoke of a recent kill and she knew her 'pet' had taken care of whoever had tried to use this branch of the tunnel. She moved toward the deeper shadows, enjoying the way the bio-luminescence made her body shimmer as if it was made of gold flecks.
She stepped toward the creature that was a prisoner of the chains she'd placed here long ago and knelt beside it. "Hello, Karberis, I trust you enjoyed whatever this was?"
The creature cowered away from her voice, but bared its teeth as she stroked it's hardened shell. Karberis had once belonged to a small group of fun-loving humanoids who'd come through the gate. She'd been fascinated with his laughter and the blue of his eyes, and taken him when the others were unaware of the danger. She'd helped him through the changes, but as time went on Karberis had become vicious and she'd had to show him just how strong she was.
"I have something for you to do, Karberis, and perhaps, if you do it, I will free you from the chains and allow you the death you crave," Layonna said. "Do you wish for death, Karberis?"
"...yes..."
"Very well, there are people in here that do not belong and they are taking something that belongs to me. I will allow you your death if you stop them from interfering and help me bring Colonel Mitchell back here," Layonna said and smiled at the thought of killing the Talosians, but she knew that would not be smart until after she had her prize. After that she would allow Karberis to kill the others before she granted him his own death. It would be fitting, since she would have Mitchell to take his place.
TBC