Carter had contacted the SGC and advised them what had happened. Landry had wanted to send through more SG teams to help in the search, but she'd convinced him to wait until they were sure of what they were dealing with. If another SG team came through and they saw whatever it was Mitchell had seen then they'd also be at Layonna's mercy.
The trio headed back to the structure, intent on searching for the missing man. Whatever it took they would find Mitchell and bring him home, because they never left a man behind without checking all exploring all contingencies. They were on alert now, and would take every precaution, but they would also do what SG1 did best. They'd work together and find out what was behind the disappearance of the Talosians and Cameron Mitchell.
They reached the clearing and stood listening, aware that the sounds that had been missing seemed to have returned. The breeze blew across the area, rustling through the branches of the trees and driving away the oppressive heat that built during the latter part of the Talosian day.
"Teal'c keep an eye on things out here while Daniel and I check the inside of the sanctuary," Carter said and moved toward the entrance. She knew how the locking mechanism worked and quickly touched her fingertips in the manner she seen the elder Talosian dignitary use. There was a whirring sound, but the barrier remained in place as she tried several times.
"Maybe it only reacts to male DNA," Jackson said and placed his fingers against the strange lighted disk with the same results as Carter. "Okay, so that doesn't work."
"It could work like the ATA gene in Atlantis," Carter suggested.
"You think the Talosians could be descendants of the Ancients?" Jackson asked as Teal'c joined them.
"It's possible, but unless we find a Talosian we'll have to wait until it's safe for another SG team to come through the gate," Carter answered. So far the ATA gene therapy hadn't worked for her and sometimes she wondered if it had to do with Jolinar. Daniel had never tried having the ATA gene injected, instead he seemed to rely on the things he'd learned from his ascension. He might even have residual DNA from that time and was able to use things he'd experienced during his time as a priest of the ORI. There were times like this, when she wished things were less complicated.
"Colonel Carter, perhaps we should check the city," Teal'c suggested.
"It'll take us an hour to reach the city on foot," Jackson said.
"It'll be dark in a couple of hours," Carter said and looked around. "We need to let General Landry know where we're going."
"I will return to the gate and then meet you at the city's main building."
"All right, but be careful," Carter warned
"Indeed," Teal'c said with a simple gesture of his head before turning and leaving the duo alone.
"We better get moving," Carter suggested and led the way toward the path that would take them to the Talosian city.
SG1SG1SG1SG1
Mitchell had no idea how long he'd been out, but it was long enough for his wounds to be tended and his uniform to be replaced by a pair of dark green pants that had a drawstring at the waist. His chest was bare except for the bandage that covered the wounds on his chest and when he rotated his shoulders he felt the tug of the wounds on his back.
Cam sat up on the edge of the cot and looked around the small room. The walls were made of wood and dirt while the floor seemed to be formed by some kind of stone and mortar. There was one door at the center of the wall directly across from him and no windows. The room was lit by a skylight over a dozen feet above his head. Even if he stood on the cot there was no way in hell he could reach it.
Mitchell stood and looked down at his bare feet, cursing silently that his captors were smart enough to take away his shoes. He stood up, walked slowly to the door and looked at the handle. He reached for it, surprised when the door opened easily and bright sunshine made him blink. Cam stepped outside, glancing up at the strange sky over head.
The sun reminded him of a blood orange, red at the center and bright orange around the outer edge. The sky stretched out above him, its color a sickening blend of green and brown that reminded him of dying grass at the end of a long hot spell on earth. The trees swayed with the breeze, but the leaves were not the green he would normally expect, but an opaque yellow with purple veins that bulged as if they were truly alive and filled with an undulating mass that was ready to explode.
Cam wrinkled his nose at the stench permeating from everything around him. Even the ground beneath his bare feet seemed alive and he fought to move forward. It felt like his feet were mire in the thick sludge, but he needed to find out more about his surroundings and figure out a way home.
Mitchell turned when he heard movement behind him. He was shocked to find the hut he'd been in wasn't the only one in the clearing and that there were several people present who stared intently at him. There was a hunger in their eyes as if he had something they needed as they walked toward him with a mournful cry of rage.
"Whoa!" he said and held up his hands to warn them off, but they moved until he was completely surrounded by the people whose faces were paler than the first snowfall that covered the earth in a pristine blanket of white. The eyes were wild, the cheeks gaunt, and the bodies could only be described as emaciated. "Back off!"
"Help me..."
"No...no help me..."
"Who are you people?" Mitchell asked, backing away from the ones in front of him until he felt hands touching him.
"He should be mine. I have been here the longest! I am so hungry for life," a man said and tried to push past the others. His face was pockmarked and riddled with wrinkles. He was bent at the wist and wore clothing as the rest of the group, only his looked almost threadbare. "Let me touch him."
"No!"
Mitchell recognized the voice and turned to find the people parting so that she could walk past them. The woman looked as if she'd spent her life at a spa. Her skin was smooth, her eyes filled with life, her fact as beautiful and flawless as the morning sunrise back home. God, he missed home and suddenly felt as if he'd been away forever.
"You are not to touch him," Layonna warned and took Mitchell by the arm. "He is not for you and you will not do anything to harm him. He belongs to the Mastyque."
"What the hell," Mitchell cursed as his stomach churned. He stared at the hand covering his forearm and frowned at the burning itch that seemed to engulf his nerves.
"It will take time for you to adjust to your new environment, but when you do you will be able to function as you should."
"I don't plan on being here long enough to adjust to anything," Mitchell vowed.
"You are strong and stubborn," Layonna said and smiled at the man before her. "That combination will either kill you or make you a God."
"I seen enough people who think they are Gods, so that analogy won't work. My Grannie used to say my stubborn streak would get me killed so perhaps she's right. Either way I'm not staying here."
"Are all the people of your world like you?"
"No, some are worse, but they usually end up in prison or on the wrong end of a bullet," Mitchell said and could hear the mournful cries from the people still surrounding him.
"Is that a threat, Colonel Mitchell?"
"Take it however you want," Mitchell ordered and tried to push past her, but stopped when he saw the shadow of fluttering wings at the edge of the clearing.
"Colonel, I told you that you cannot leave here."
"And I told you I've heard that before. You got me here and where there's a way in there's got to be a way out," Mitchell said and looked at the people standing around.
"The pathway you traveled only goes one way..."
"You don't mind if I check that out for myself...even if you do I'm going to do it anyway," Mitchell said and pushed past the woman. He frowned when he saw two figures standing at the back of the crowd. There was something oddly familiar about them and he shouldered his way through the gathering until he reached the duo. They looked like the homeless people on the streets of New York, but their eyes were filled with fear as they stared at him.
"Colonel Mitchell, how did you get here?" Callisia asked.
"I could ask you two the same thing? What the hell happened to you?" Mitchell asked.
"We were brought here after your team left the meeting ground. Please, you have to help us get back to our home," Teronis told him.
"Colonel Mitchell is here for the same reason you are," Layonna stated. "He was chosen by the serpent and will remain in servitude. He is not capable of making the trip back to Talosia."
"Lady, you have no idea what I'm capable of," Mitchell snarled and saw the creature perched on a decayed stump near the last 'cabin'. The wings were spread wide as the beak-like mandibles worked together to create a sound that sent Cam and the others to their knees. "What the hell is that?"
"If you anger them, they will retaliate," Layonna told him, smiling as she looked at the winged serpent. "You do not understand the history of Talosia, Colonel, but these people do and they will turn against you when the time is right. Do not turn your back on them."
"Why did you bring us here?" Mitchell asked once the sound had died down enough that he could stand without being off-balanced.
"I did not bring you here...they did."
"You seem to know a lot about them," the colonel observed.
"I have lived my life amongst the creatures and I understand what they are. You are not of this world, but you will come to realize that this is where you belong."
"I don't think so," Mitchell snapped and shifted past her when she tried to stop him.
"Do not go past the line of trees, Colonel," Layonna warned.
Mitchell ignored the woman's warning as he brushed past Callisia and Teronis. He could feel them watching is every movement, but his attention was solely on the creature perched above him. It flapped its grotesque wings creating a strong wind that forced Cam to shield his eyes from the debris lifted from the ground. He heard the strange sound, but this time it came from everywhere and he struggled to cover his ears as he forced one foot in front of the other.
"You are making a mistake, Colonel Mitchell!" Layonna warned. She looked up as the serpent lifted off its perch and slowly circled the clearing before swooping down toward Mitchell.
Cam could feel the change in the air as the force of the wind engulfed him and sent him to his knees. He tried to get back to his feet, but felt something sharp tear at his shoulders and force him to the ground. He lifted his head and turned slightly as the creatures beak pressed deep into his shoulder. He cried out as it dug deeper and lifted him from the ground. He hung from its talons as the serpent slowly circled the Talosians before dropping him to the ground. Darkness was a welcoming embrace as pain sliced across his back and he gave into the welcoming void.
SG1SG1SG1SG1
Carter and Jackson reached the outskirts of the Talosian city and glanced at each other before continuing to make their way toward the inner sanctum. Nothing moved in the streets, not even a speck of dust as the air hung heavy on the streets. The Talosians hadn't shown them any pets, so the absence of any kind of animals didn't surprise them.
"Whatever happened seems to have effected everyone," Jackson observed and looked at Carter who seemed to be lost in thought. "Sam, what is it?"
"I'm not sure, but if it had something to do with what Cam was seeing, why didn't we see it?"
"I don't know, but I'd bet it has something to do with Layonna. We need to find her," Jackson offered.
"I know, but where do we start?"
"Well, there's no way we're going to be able to search the city on our own, but without knowing why Mitchell was affected we can't chance bringing any more teams here," Jackson observed.
"We need to have Carolyn send through the equipment we need to do more tests. Whatever effected Cam could be something as simple as the air," Carter explained.
"Nothing's ever that simple when it comes to Mitchell," Jackson said.
"Colonel Carter, have you and Daniel Jackson reached the city?"
"We're here, Teal'c, and from what we've seen it's deserted as well," Carter answered through the mic on her shoulder.
"I have updated General Landry and should be there in under an hour. He said he would talk with Dr. Lam about what equipment to send through the gate."
"We'll be here, Teal'c," Carter said and nodded to Jackson when he motioned toward the street. It was eerily silent as they moved deeper into the city, painfully aware that they had no idea what had happened to the Talosians.
There was no sign of violence, no evidence that the Talosians had been killed, but that didn't mean anything. The people who lived in the city had been at war with the people across the river for as long as they could remember.
"Did you notice there are no animals?" Jackson asked.
"The Talosians never kept pets that we now of, but I did notice there were no birds or other animals," Carter observed.
"So whatever happened to Mitchell and the Talosians also affected the animal life," Jackson said.
"Do you remember where the lab was located?"
"Near the park at the center of the city," Jackson answered.
"Maybe we can find some answers there," Carter said and headed toward the building that housed the labs.
SG1SG1SG1SG1
"Bring him inside," Layonna ordered as the serpent released Mitchell's unconscious body. She stepped toward the cabin that he'd been placed in before and waited for Teronis and another man to carry the injured man inside. The wounds from the talons were not deep, but the one to the right shoulder would require special care. The creature's beak carried a poison that could kill if left to fester in an untreated wound, but she would not allow that to happen.
"Should I bring your things?" Callisia asked, head bowed as she spoke.
"Yes, and bring me the Tabeya root," Layonna ordered. "Place him on the bed and leave."
Layonna smiled once she was alone with the injured man. She reached out and touched her fingers against his forehead and felt the fever she knew would continue to rise. There was nothing she could do to stop that, but at least she could keep it from killing him as long as she kept it under control. She ran her fingers through his hair and pressed both hands against his temples before gliding her fingertips down his cheeks to his neck. She felt the pulsating heat beneath her skin and closed her eyes, relishing the beat of blood within his body.
"I have brought the things you need," Callisia said.
"Put it on the table and leave."
"Should I prepare the Guliska?"
"Yes, but do not bring it until I send for you," Layonna ordered. The Guliska was a thick stew made from the roots of the dead Liska trees that encircled the area they lived in. It would be used by the Talosians to keep themselves alive in this realm, although what they did here could hardly be called living. Still, when offered someone like Cameron Mitchell, the residents of the realm could very well reward those who were brought here.
Layonna worked to remove the garment that covered Mitchell's upper body and eased him onto his stomach. As she guessed the wounds were superficial, although the creature had dug it's beak deeper than she first thought. Cleaning it with the Tabeya root would be a painful process, but it needed to be done if he was to retain use of the arm. She reached for the thick pliable vines attached to the posts of the bed and tied them around Mitchell's ankles and wrists.
Layonna stood and moved to the table and picked up the root. Callisia had also brought her hot water and clean bandages and she placed them closer to the bed before returning her attention to the root. The Tabeya tree was no more of a stunted bush, but the part of the root needed to treat a serpent's wound was deep under the ground. It took careful digging not to damage the undulating bone-like structure that held the only antidote for the toxin.
Layonna reached for a sharp knife and took it and the root back to the bed. She sat on the edge and held the root above the wound before cutting along the skeletal structure. She knew once the thick brownish fluid touched the wound it would bring Mitchell back to consciousness and smiled when he tried to pull away from her.
"What the hell is that?" Mitchell cried out and tried to move, but his ankles and wrists were bound, effectively limiting his movement as whatever the woman was smearing into his wound burned as if on fire.
"It will neutralize the serpent's venom, Colonel Mitchell, without it you could lose your arm. Now, be still or I will have to repeat the treatment," Layonna warned.
"Sonofa..." Mitchell cried out as her fingers probed the wound. "You're not digging for gold back there!"
"I am almost done, and then you will rest until the serpent calls for you," Layonna told him.
"Sure, but if he calls he just might get a busy signal," Mitchell snarled and tried to escape his bonds.
Layonna continued the treatment and soon heard his breathing even out as the sedative effects of the root lulled him to sleep. He would stay that way for several hours, allowing her the time she needed to visit with her minions. She leaned forward and kissed the wound before covering it with what was left of the root and left the small cabin.
TBC
