Daniel Jackson and Samantha Carter groped along the walls while using their feet to feel the ground in front of them. The darkness was absolute now and the flashlights no longer worked. Something had drained them of their power, leaving them no choice, but feel their way around and listen for anything that might signal they were no longer alone.

"How far do you think we've come, Sam?" Jackson asked.

"I have no idea," Carter said and pressed the light on her watch, not really surprised when it didn't work.

"Maybe we should go back," Jackson suggested.

"And do what? The tunnel is blocked and we have no idea how badly. At least this way..."

"Did you feel that?" Jackson asked.

"Don't you mean smell that?" Carter said and wrinkled her nose in disgust.

"Whatever it is we're getting closer to it."

"Didn't the Talosians mention something about a bad smell?"

"I think so," Jackson agreed as they continued on, hoping the underground trail led them to their missing friend. It wasn't long before he realized it was no longer completely dark and he could see shapes and outlines ahead of him. "Sam, be careful."

"I know," Carter said of the dangerous drop ahead of them. "Stay as close to the left side as you can."

"I hear you," Jackson said as he stepped onto the ledge and sent debris toward the bottom. It seem like forever before it stopped, and when it did it sent out a shimmering veil of translucent material that seemed to intensify the stench surrounding them. He ignored the smell, forcing himself to breathe through tightly clenched teeth.

Carter ignored the mounting nausea as she carefully made her way across the treacherous terrain. She could hear Jackson behind her and knew he was having the same trouble breathing the rancid air as she was. The stench was more than just a strong odor as it also bothered her eyes and she had to wipe the tears away in an effort to clear her vision.

"And I thought being sprayed by a family of skunks was bad."

"You were sprayed by a family of skunks?"

"The last time Jack took Teal'c and I to his cabin. Teal'c made the mistake of thinking they were cats."

"Oh, God, I can just imagine what he did," Carter said. Teal'c rarely showed it, but there were times when he showed just how much of an animal lover he was. He'd once found a stray puppy while visiting her home and had not rested until the dog had a new home with an older couple who had no children. The thought of the Jaffa trying to pet a skunk family made her chuckle softly. "So what did he do?"

"He reached down to pet one before Jack or I could stop him. The animal sprayed him and we took off for the cabin. We didn't want to let him in, but by the time we remembered to lock the windows it was too late. Jack couldn't use the cabin for a couple of weeks after that," Jackson explained.

"Tell me Jack had tomato juice on hand?"

"Not enough. We ended up driving to that little store near town and when we walked in the few people that were there started fanning their hands in front of their noses. Mrs. Thomas came out from behind the counter and told Jack he could put in his order from outside while she collected every can of tomato juice she had. This young man walked out of the store with his five year old son and looks at Jack with a smile and told him that kitties didn't have white stripes down their backs."

"That must have gone over well," Carter said.

"Not when everyone else started laughing. Jack was not a happy camper," Jackson told her.

"I bet he wasn't," Carter said, smiling at the image of Jack, Teal'c and Daniel being sprayed by a skunk family. She frowned, and held up her hand to stop Jackson when she heard sounds up ahead.

"What's wrong?"

"I don't think we're alone anymore," Carter answered and continued across the divide.

SG1SG1SG1SG1

Teal'c quickly found the Talosians gathered around the strange statue near the building he'd entered with Carter. Janolia had seen them coming and assured the others that they were safe and that they were there to help.

"You have returned," Janolia said when Teal'c and his friends moved closer.

"I have brought help, Janolia. This is Dr. Lam and she is skilled in medical knowledge. Tell your people she is here to help them," Teal'c advised.

"They don't need to be afraid of us, Janolia," Lam explained when she saw the other inhabitants shy away from her.

"I know, but they are weary of strangers now," Janolia told her and turned to what remained of her people. "these people are friends of Colonel Mitchell. They are here to help us."

"Help Tyrina...she is still changing," a young, male Talosian said as he held a child in his arms.

"Sharon, help me set up near the statue," Lam ordered and knelt beside the couple. "What's your name?"

"I am called Chalshin. Tyrina is my mate...please help her."

"I will do everything I can to help her," Lam said and examined a patch of scaly skin on the woman's exposed abdomen. "When did you notice this?"

"It started in the serpent's realm. Please make it stop before it is too late."

"I'll need to take some blood from her...from all of you. Are you showing any signs like this?"

"No, I was not gifted with the sight like she was."

"The sight?" Lam asked.

"It is said that a few are unable to see the creatures from the realm and we are sent back once the others have changed. I do not want to stay here without Tyrina. Please help her," the Talosian said.

"Janolia, how many of your people returned with this type of marking?" Lam asked.

"I will find out," the woman answered and moved to the others.

Lam could hear her askin her people and soon had four people laying beside Tyrina and her mate. There were patches of scaly skin visible in several area and pain clouded their eyes as she examined them. She gave orders to the people who'd come through the gate with her and hoped she had the resources and knowledge needed to help them.

"Janolia, where are Colonel Carter and Dr. Jackson?" Teal'c asked.

"They went into the forbidden building to search for an entrance to the serpent's realm. They seek Colonel Mitchell," the woman answered.

"Dr. Lam, I will leave SG4 with you," Teal'c told her and turned to the SG team. He quickly told the team to stay and protect Dr. Lam's team while he took SG5 with him.

"Teal'c be careful, but if you find anything that could help me find out what's happening to these people..."

"I will send word," Teal'c assured her and led the way toward the building. They'd brought equipment that might be useful in gaining access to any part of the tunnel that was inaccessible. Major Tucker was carrying a supply of explosives, including C4 in his backpack while the others had technological equipment that might be used on the consoles.

"Teal'c where's the console Colonel Carter was working on when she opened the access doors?" Sargeant Ryan Thomas asked.

"Colonel Carter was working on the one in the corner," Teal'c answered and moved to the opening he and Carter had gone through earlier.

"I'll stay here and see if I can figure out how this thing works," Thomas said.

"Very well, Sargeant Thomas. I will take the rest of the team and search for Colonel Carter and Dr. Jackson," Teal'c said and motioned for the others to follow him.

"Teal'c be careful," Thomas said.

"Indeed," the Jaffa said and stepped into the darkness.

SG1SG1SG1SG1

The world around Cameron Mitchell was not defined by the scents and scenes, but by the pain that now dominated every fiber of his being. It told him when to breathe, when to move, when to cry out, and when to scream. His body arched upward on the bed and the sound of shifting bones grating against each other reminded him of the changes his body was undergoing.

Even his mouth seemed to be wrong, his tongue no longer able to fit inside while his teeth edged over his lips. He could hear Layonna and smelled her breath as she placed her mouth against his.

"You will make a magnificent Serpent, Colonel Mitchell. You will do as I bid you to do and since you chose not to accept my offering I will leash you and treat you as my pet. The Mastyque are all powerful and were it not for the legends we would be treated as Gods..."

"That's what...what they all say," Mitchell ground out, annoyed that he found it hard to form words.

"You should save your strength, Colonel Mitchell...the worst is yet to come and when it is all over you will be trapped in a serpents body. Usually we wipe the memory to allow the converts to adjust to their new lives, but I believe I will allow you to retain that part of who you are. I will enjoy watching you suffer while you are forced to stay at my side."

"Nev...never happen."

"Sh, relax and let the changes take away your human side."

"No..." Mitchell screamed as she pressed against the bony protuberances that had once been his spine. He thought his screams were echoing through the surrounding dead foliage, but the sounds were not quite his own. He realized there were other serpents nearby, and felt a strange kinship to the creatures.

"You can feel them now can't you, Colonel Mitchell? Embrace you new kinsman and know you can never go back to the way you were," Layonna whispered and ran her fingers down his spine. She enjoyed the way he tensed beneath her fingers and the rough edges of the newly formed scales. "You will make a fine serpent, Colonel Mitchell, and you will learn to bow to my kind."

"Go to hell!" Mitchell ground out as his body dropped back onto the bed. He breathed through his nose, nausea churning through his gut as fire raged inside him. Her fingers pressing down on his lower back sent daggers of pain throughout his lower limbs and he convulsed as his visions blurred. Darkness surrounded him and drew him down, but he silently prayed Layonna was wrong and he would find his way home before the changes were complete.

SG1SG1SG1SG1

Carter reached the end of the tunnel and motioned for Jackson to stay where he was while she checked the area just outside the opening. It was dark, but there was enough light to see they were no longer near the Talosian city. The smell was stronger than ever now, while a strange fog seemed to cover the ground in front of her. She could hear what sounded like cries of pain coming from all directions, some more intense than others, but all of them sent chills down her spine.

"Can you see anything?" Jackson asked from behind her.

"It's dark...mostly shadows, but I think there's a village of some sort nearby."

"We need to find out if Mitchell is there," Jackson said.

"I know, but we won't be able to help him if Layonna finds us here," Carter told him, shifting back when she heard something above them. "I think that could be one of Layonna's serpents."

"I hope it's not Mitchell," Jackson observed.

"Janolia wasn't afraid of the serpents...maybe we should try to communicate with them," Carter said.

"How? We can't even see them."

"Maybe things are different here," Carter suggested. "I can sense something nearby...something circling overhead."

"Even if we can see them how do we communicate with them?" Jackson asked.

"I don't know, but we won't know anything until we try," Carter said and stood up with Jackson at her side. She held her P90 in her hands, ready to use it if necessary as they stepped outside. Something flew high overhead, but it was the lighting was too dim to make out what it was.

"Sam, you were right...those look like cabins of some kind," Jackson said of the strange looking buildings not far from the tunnel entrance. "Mitchell could be inside."

"I know, but we need to be careful," Carter warned.

"You were told what would happen should you defy the laws of this realm."

"No, we were told not to defy you, Layonna, and I'm afraid we don't take kindly to having our friends taken from us," Jackson snapped.

"Your friend is one of the chosen. He saw the creatures of my realm and is already changed."

"We'll find a way to bring him home," Carter said.

"He will die if you take him from here. This is where he belongs now."

"I don't believe that. The Talosians who returned are fine and Mitchell will be too," Jackson said and tried to find the woman whose voice grated on his nerves.

"The Talosians who returned were not meant to be here and neither are you. I will have you killed if you..."

"NO!" the cry came from one of the cabins and was soon echoed by the creatures above them.

"Mitchell!" Jackson called and was shocked to see the man stumbling from the cabin nearest him.

"What did you do to him?" Carter shouted and lowered her weapon as she rushed to Mitchell's side, aware of the changes that had taken over his body, but it was the deep pain in his eyes that had her turning her gun on Layonna. "I will kill you for this!"

TBC