At the same time Sheppard's team was running into its unexpected difficulties, Colonel Mitchell and her team were having similar troubles – although they, of course, didn't know that something was wrong with Sheppard's team just then. They reached the lowest opening on the Western side of the closest building – which was pretty much an entire city away from where they were going to end up. You couldn't be too careful though, and she'd learned that long before she'd blended with Talon – who was in total agreement.
The first indication she had that things were far from okay was an odd sensation that seemed to come from the very center of her being. Even as she felt it – an odd, almost gassy feeling that suddenly increased into a pressure that made it feel like she was going to blow from the inside out – she found herself falling. And she was unconscious even before she hit the floor of the corridor.
Which was when the others in the group became aware of the situation. Duck gave a muffled cry of alarm as he leaped forward from his spot in the middle of the group to try and catch Mitchell as she fell. Only to trip over one of the Jaffa when he went down just as silently.
"Son of a bitch!"
He was experienced enough not to shout, but his hissed whisper was plenty to depict just how surprised he was. Ronan was just as surprised, and he dropped into a crouch immediately, looking around for a target.
One never presented itself, though. Whatever had happened, it wasn't an ambush, because no one came after them. Still looking around, his weapon high and steady in his hand, Ronon reached down with his free hand and pressed it lightly against the neck of the Jaffa that was closest to him. As he did so, he looked at Sanchez, who was doing the same thing with Mitchell.
"She's alive."
Dex nodded.
"He is, too."
"Did you see anything?"
Ronon shook his head.
"No. You?"
Duck shook his head, too, but before he could answer Mitchell groaned softly and moved under his hand. She rolled over, eyes opening and looking around – although she didn't seem to be focusing very well.
What was that?
It took Talon a moment before he answered, and Melony sensed that he was trying to figure that out himself.
I'm not sure…
His 'voice' was weak and sounded somewhat sick.
Are you okay?
Yeah… just give me a minute"Colonel?"
This was external, and Melony looked up to see Sanchez and Ronon Dex both looking down at her, worriedly.
"Yeah…"
"What happened?"
"I don't-" She realized then that she wasn't the only one down. "What the hell…?"
Duck shrugged, helplessly.
"They went down the same time you did."
"They're alive," Ronon added. "But they're not coming around."
It only made sense, after all, that if something affected her, it would affect the others the same way.
Talon?
Beats me, Hot Shot, he told her, still shaken. She felt more than a little shaken herself, since what Talon felt she felt, too. Whatever it was, it's gone, now – but for a minute, it felt like something was trying to get inside my consciousness and overwhelm me
"You guys didn't see anything?" she asked, sitting up, but forced to prop herself against one of the fallen Jaffas. A hand along his neck assured her that he really was alive – although he didn't seem to be coming around like she had.
Ronon and Duck both shook their heads.
"Think this has something to do with what's going on in the city?" Duck asked.
She shrugged, but felt Talon's agreement with the question.
"It's too much of a coincidence for it not to be related at least."
"Cain and the others aren't out, though," Ronon pointed out.
Neither are they"Neither are you guys," she said, repeating what Talon had said for their benefit – although it was exactly what she'd have said herself. She looked down at the Jaffa once more, frowning. "But it does explain why you didn't see in Jaffa in the room when you spoke with Cain, and why I didn't see any when I called them back, either."
"If it's happened to our Jaffa here, then it probably happened to the entire population," Duck clarified.
"Exactly. And I'm going to assume it's happened to Sheppard's group as well – but we need to make sure."
She held her hand up and Ronon pulled her easily and smoothly to her feet.
"What do we do about the Jaffa?" Duck asked, looking down at them. "We can't leave them here…"
"We'll have to put them in one of the side rooms," she said after a quick conference with her symbiote. "Talon thinks they'll be safe there – as long as no one finds them – and no one's come down here yet, so we can assume they don't know we're here, yet."
Ronon nodded.
"We'll do it."
Mitchell didn't look all that steady just then, and the Jaffa all weighed more than she did.
OOOOOOOOOOO
"You know, I didn't really sign up for this kind of thing…" Shea muttered, softly.
Carson turned his head to look behind him, and couldn't help the wry smile. He didn't, either, really. The group was heading back to the room where they'd left the others, and they were all creeping near to the floor and looking around anxiously every time they passed a door or a cross corridor, zats in the hands of a couple, but no other weapons in sight. They looked like a motley crew of office geeks playing some kind of freaky hide and seek. Which wasn't that far off, really. They were definitely trying to hide.
"I didn't, either," he whispered back. "But now you know why they told you not to bring stiletto heels."
She made a rueful face.
"Very funny."
He smiled again, and then turned back to the business at hand. They weren't too far from where they'd left Grodin and the others, now.