Chapter 10
Hundreds of sealed culture dishes littered the lab tabletop; each one numbered, labeled, and entered into the computer. Stacked in various piles of location, species (human or Krahn), and time, the daunting task of finding the proverbial needle in the haystack appeared hopeless. Tapping the 'enter' key on his laptop, Carson wearily studied the next slide available and blinked.
"Carl, look at this," he muttered, shifting the pages to bring up a prior sample and setting it in comparison with the most recent. The scientist was instantly at his side, joined by Havis. "This is Connor's blood work taken during her recent physical, before our arrival." He flipped the screen to another sample. "This is from before she left with the major to go to the other city. And this," he gestured to the latest sample, "was taken an hour ago."
The three men peered closer at the blotchy images on the screen and then turned to glance towards Connor, where she and her team were seated at another table entering data into the Krahn system. She felt their stares immediately and looked up, "What? Did you find something?"
Havis gestured her over to join them, pointing to what Beckett had discovered. "These are your samples…" he started to say but found himself nudged to the side as she took over the keyboard.
Her fingers flew as she brought different screens to view of both she and Brae's information, discovering the women's were similar in appearance. She then brought up Havis' and noticed that his most recent was different from theirs. "What does this mean?" she asked, her color shifting to an orangish yellow.
Carson leaned over her shoulder to bring up the latest data from the two Krahns that brought back the first samples, "Your exposure rate has been gradually increasing. When was the last time you were down in the tunnels, or over to the other city before taking Dr. McKay or Major Sheppard?"
"A couple of weeks. A month at most. I don't have any work in that area. The other city is Master Linton's jurisdiction; I only go over when he requests my assistance."
"I thought as much. Now look at the data from your team members who got sick." The Atlantis physician switched the images, showing a more drastic change. "They went directly over, without wearing any protective gear. From what I've been able to discern, the other city has a much higher level of the disease in its system. So your team didn't have any time for their bodies to naturally acclimate to the increased level."
Carson stood straight, stretching his tired back, and paused a moment to contemplate what may be happening. "For over 11,000 years, the 'plague' has entered your environment in slow, gradual increments through the air, water, and filtered through the mountain itself. What if, when you wore the suit, it didn't protect you entirely, but permitted the higher level to gradually seep into your own body?"
Havis took over, noticing the distress in his wife's color. "It appears similar in degrees to the natural changes we've experienced over the millennia. But for some reason, this change is occurring at a much greater rate."
"Aye. The major said he and Marlton were checking the sealed exits of the upper level when he stopped communicating back to me. What if they discovered that one of the exits had been opened? What if the other city has been gradually exposed for a longer period of time and now they are in the midst of the next genetic metamorphic cycle?"
Dr. Turner nodded in agreement. "You might not have to look for an antidote for this city. Instead, a gradual increase of the other city's environment into this one will allow the cycle to continue here without the damaging effects of a blunt exposure."
Havis and Connor glanced at one another in relief before realizing that this didn't solve the problem for their guests. "We still need to find your antidote so that you may return to Atlantis."
SG: A
The tunnel was dark, and close to a hundred feet long, before Marlton and Sheppard exited out from the hidden passageway into the bright afternoon sunlight. Both men stopped and stared in awe down the treacherous mountain to the lush forest that climbed high in untouched glory, spreading out like a great coniferous carpet below them. And when they turned to admire the peak above, they were surprised to discover that they were only half way up the steep slope. Jutting rocks eventually disappeared underneath a heavy snowcap covering the crest, surrounded in a thick layer of clouds and fog. It was hard to imagine that this was a dead planet. That no living thing could survive on the surface…except for the worn trail leading away from the mouth of the tunnel into the distant tree line.
"Major?" Marty sounded bewildered as he took in the new environment surrounding him. "Major, I have never been outside of the cities and am uncertain in how to proceed." It was clear that he was waiting for Sheppard to take the lead.
Unfortunately, that was the last thing on the weary officer's mind. He was in an unknown location without a weapon, his usual backup was heaven only knew where, and that feeling of 'puke or die' that earlier had been a nagging uncomfortable constant in the back of his mind, had become a relentless gong currently exploding with every heartbeat between his eyes. He wasn't sure how long he would last, memories of McKay tossing his cookies still fresh in his mind, but the one thing he did know for certain was that a hike down a mountainside dressed like some sort of blue spaceman was out of the picture.
"Marty, we need to return and get backup. It's not safe to be out here."
Relief flooded the Krahns features behind the transparent face shield, and he eagerly turned back towards the tunnel. Sheppard followed close behind, his gaze firmly focused on the ground in front of him. He didn't notice Marty had come to a sudden stop, and he stumbled when he plowed tiredly into the scientist's back. Startled, he took a ragged step back and stumbled once more, his sense of balance suddenly deserting him as his legs buckled beneath him. A tidal wave of darkness flooded his very being and he gasped, drawing precious air into his lungs, trying his damndest to quell the rising nausea threatening to engulf him. Puking in the moon suit would so not be a good thing.
Firm hands gripped his arms, pulling him into a sitting position, while a muffled voice from far off called his name over and over. Swallowing convulsively, he blinked his eyes open to discover two worried faces peering back at him; one in the blue hazmat suit and the other dressed in a simple Krahn tunic. Either he was seeing double because of the raging fever he suspected he had, or they weren't alone.
"Who?" he mumbled, his train of thought precariously close to shutting down.
The blue suited figure glanced to the other, "Major? Major, we must return. Can you walk?" while attempting to pull Sheppard to his feet.
He nodded slightly, the movement sending fresh waves of fire through his temple and down his neck. Two sets of hands grasped his arms, lifting him to his feet. He tried to help them, he really did, but his uncooperative body had other ideas and began shutting off systems one by one; first his legs, then his hearing, and finally his sight. Blessed darkness swamped his very being and he sagged unceremoniously to the ground.
SG: A
Beckett paced like an angry tigerbehind the gate while the others dismantled the protective drape from around the structure. He'd had a bad feeling most of the afternoon, knowing that the major had become infected and then stopped transmitting. When Marlton finally paged, stating that Sheppard had collapsed and was being transported back, the physician had been sitting at Rodney's side during one of the physicists more lucid moments. That in itself created a whole new problem, with the scientist demanding to accompany them, only to fall flat on his face when he attempted to stand after having firmly been told 'no'. His health was steadily declining and the antidote was still far from realization.
The 'whoosh' of the activated gate and the flurry of members reattaching the cover signaled to the Scott that his missing teammate was on his way. Waiting impatiently outside the decontamination unit, he watched as two figures tumbled through the event horizon, landing in a heap on the floor. One figure quickly stripped off the confining suit, revealing Marlton, who then carefully assisted the Major.
From what little Carson could see, Sheppard appeared almost completely unresponsive, with the Krahn doing everything possible to keep the ill man on his feet. Soon, both men exited out of the chamber into the gateroom, surrounded by concerned teammates. In a matter of moments, the major was whisked off to the makeshift infirmary, leaving Marlton to stand alone as the third figure came through the gate before it shut down.
TBC
A/N: Thanks to Talbert and Emergencyfan for stepping in and giving me beta help and ideas while Gaffer is on vacation. Just a few more chapters to go!