Layonna smiled as Karberis charged the humans and felt as if victory was close at hand. There was nothing left of the once human form as the creature's body undulated as it battered the walls and raced toward its target. There was no doubt in her mind that it would kill these people and then she simply had to take back what was hers.
Cameron Mitchell was well underway to becoming a serpent and would soon find breathing difficult as his internal organs changed to suit the body he now had. He could survive here, but not for long periods of time because the pure oxygen would aggravate the inner ling of his lungs. The air in this realm would become toxic and he would die if he spent too much time here.
"Blow it now, Tucker!"
Layonna heard the female voice and realized what was happening just before the area around Karberis exploded in a massive blast or rock, fire, and other debris. The effects of the explosion reached her and she cried out as something struck her in the back and she grabbed at the wall as the ground shook beneath her feet.
Layonna heard a scream from Karberis, one she hadn't heard since she'd changed him and watched as the creature's body undulated and splint into segments. Blood and internal organs were exposed to the air and the putrid smell of decay reached her as the sickening crescendo of falling rocks subsided. She stood where she was, anger and outrage seizing control as she felt everything slipping away.
"You cannot take him away from me!"
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Carter heard the wail as the rocks and debris fell amidst the debris cluttering the floor. Dust billowed up as the tunnel collapsed behind them, burying part of the creature that had followed them through to this realm. She had no idea whether Layonna was buried behind it, or if the woman had managed to escape unscathed. She was a vindictive woman by nature, but she hoped the Layonna was taken care of, because she was as dangerous in the other realm as she was here.
"I think we stopped it!" Tucker said when the dust cloud stopped and they could see part of the creature. The eyes were open, but there was none of the light they'd seen when it first charged them.
Carter moved forward and reached out to touch it, cringing when she thought of the many horror movies she'd seen. The ones where someone said the monster was dead only to have it launch one final, fatal attack on the unsuspecting victims. She used the end of her wea-0n to prod the creature, but there was no sign that it was alive.
"Colonel, is it…"
"It's dead, Major, but leave a couple of people here to watch it until we can make sure. Send for me if there's any sign of movement," Carter ordered and turned to Jackson. "Thanks for the warning, Daniel."
"You're welcome…Carolyn and a Talosian are working on Mitchell."
"How is he?"
"He's in rough shape, Sam, but if anyone can find a way to reverse the effects it's her," Jackson observed and walked alongside Carter as they exited the building. They hurried across to where Lam and the Talosian had Mitchell lying on his side and Sam got her first look at the bony protuberances that looked like grotesque wings.
"Carolyn, how is he?" Carter asked.
"I wish I knew, Sam, but until I can get some x-rays and scans I won't be able to do much," Lam told her.
"Why don't we take him back through the gate?" Jackson asked.
"I don't think that's a good idea right now," Lam answered. We have no idea what travel through the gate would do to him and he's already showing signs of distress. His breathing is growing worse and I don't even know if I should intubate."
"Dr. Lam, there's a fully functional hospital within walking distance," Resandie told her. "I have worked out of there on several occasions and we would be able to check Colonel Mitchell and find out the full extent of the changes."
"All right…let's move him," Lam said, relieved that medical advice could be within walking distance. "Teal'c, you and Daniel take the stretcher and we have to move him carefully."
"Janolia, please supervise the others and have them bring the injured to the hospital," Resandie ordered and moved to walk alongside the physician. "There are plenty of medical supplies there and we can use the solutions for Colonel Mitchell and the others. I believe you refer to it as intravenous solution and pain management medications."
"I read the reports by the people who visited your world before, and I know everything is compatible with what we use on Earth," Lam told him and kept checking Mitchell as they moved carefully through the Talosians.
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Layonna cursed as she climbed unsteadily to her feet. The darkness was broken by the natural stones that lined the cavern walls. She knew they'd been near the end of the tunnel, but could not be sure if they'd completely crossed between the realms. If Mitchell was on the other side, then that was where she needed to be. He belonged to her now, no matter what his people or the Talosians thought.
Layonna looked at the remains of the creature whose body was nearly completely covered by the debris and turned away in disgust. It would not be long before it completely disintegrated and returned to the humanoid form it once held. She knew she had to go back through the tunnel and use another exit into Talosia. It would mean a delay in taking Mitchell back, but she would have him before the day ended.
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Shanisia flew high overhead while her two companions did the same from a lower altitude. The dead forest surrounding the area seemed to defy description and went on forever. Her eyes adjusted to the dim glow of the undergrowth as she fought to see through the grotesque shapes. Since the changes to her body neared completion, her eyesight had improved to the point where she could see the insects eating the carcass of a creature several hundred feet below her.
Shanisia swung toward the south, her wings spread wide, and her body perfectly straight as she soared toward the opening in the side of the mountain that boarded the clearing to the south. She knew Layonna was ahead of her, but she could not stop trying to find her way through to the other realm. She had to do what she could to stop Layonna from hurting anyone else, but to do that, she needed to find her way through.
She heard her companions and understood what they were telling her through a series of clicks and beeps. She stretched her neck out, turning her head at an unnatural angle until she could see what they were telling her. She spotted Layonna in the distance and flew toward her, intent on taking care of the problem, with the help of her fellow serpents.
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Carolyn Lam helped transfer Mitchel to the bed and made sure he was lying on his side. The bony protuberances in his back were beginning to disfigure the skin and muscle around his spine. She'd heard him cry out several times during the trip to the hospital and knew there was nothing she could do for him until they had more information.
Resandie had asked several other Talosians to come with them and she was quickly introduced to them. They'd all worked in varying jobs at the hospital and she was pleased to find they had a qualified specialist who could do a complete scan of Mitchell's body. It was important to find out what was going on with his internal organs.
"Dr. Lam…"
"Resandie, please, call me Carolyn."
"Carolyn, I know you've sent blood samples back to Earth, but we have a working lab here and I believe that was Beritonis' job. Perhaps, he could identify anything that does not belong in his bloodstream."
"I can do that. My wife Sharellen was my assistant and she is helping with the other patients. I will have her come with me and we can compare the samples we take form each one," Beritonis explained.
"Thank you," Lam said and moved to collect the samples they would need from Mitchell's arm. She heard him cry out and looked into his eyes as he tried to relieve some of the pain raging inside him. She brushed her fingers against his bare skin and felt the scales that were beginning to form.
"Doc…"
"I'm here, Colonel."
"Feel like…like I'm on f…fire," Mitchell managed.
"His temperature is 103," Resandie told her.
Carolyn took a stethoscope and listened to his lungs. She didn't like what she heard, and looked up at the monitors Resandie had hooked up while she was listening to his breathing. The numbers showed an increase in his heart rate, and a low oxygen level to go along with the elevated temperature. She didn't know what it was a sign of, but she did know it wasn't anything good.
"We may need to hook him up to a ventilator," Lam said and saw the frown on the Talosian's face. "We put a tube down his throat and hook him up to a machine that helps him breathe."
"Oh, yes, we have one of those here," Resandie said and brought a cart closer to the bed. "How do you know doing that will not cause more damage?"
"I don't. That's why I don't want to do it unless there's no choice. For now the best we can do is the scans and blood work. Hopefully we'll get some answers before…"
"God," Mitchell cried out as the sickening sounds of bones reshaping made him shift on the bed.
"Easy, Colonel…"
"Can't…it…God, Doc, it hurts," Mitchell managed.
"Resandie, where are your medications kept?" Lam asked worriedly.
"In a locked cabinet behind the main desk," the Talosian answered.
"Can I see what you have?"
"Of course," Resandie said and led the way out of the room.
"Daniel, Teal'c stay with him and make sure he doesn't go anywhere," Lam ordered. She followed the other man to the main desk and waited for him to unlock the door. She opened it and gazed at the unfamiliar names.
"What are you looking for, Carolyn?" Resandie asked her.
"We have several medications we use to manage pain," Lam answered.
"The pain medications are on this shelf. The strongest are on the left side and the syringes used to measure them are on the drawer beneath the cabinet," Resandie told her. "For someone Colonel Mitchell's size I would give him 10ccs of Lowarapallin. It will ease the pain and help him sleep."
"Sleep is probably the best thing for him. It would also help make the scan easier to do," Lam told him and nodded when the man took a syringe from the drawer. Once it was filled, she took it and hurried back into the room to find Jackson and Teal'c fighting to hold Mitchell down. She hurried over and grabbed a juncture in the IV line. Carolyn injected the pain medication and disposed of the sharp needle in the appropriate container.
"It should take effect pretty fast, Carolyn," Resandie explained.
Carolyn nodded and placed a calming hand on Mitchell's shoulder, relieved when the man's body relaxed and his eyes closed. She had no idea how long the drug would last, but she hoped she wouldn't have to resort to it for too long. She'd recognized the name of the drug as one of those they'd run tests on and knew it had the same effect as morphine.
"Dr. Lam, we'll be ready for Colonel Mitchell in a few minutes," Sharellen told her from the open doorway. "We would normally use a dye to give us better images, but Beritonis would rather not because of the changes to his body."
"I agree," Lam said and helped move the gurney out of the room.
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Ryan Thomas knew Marisiana and Donitalio were working together to peel back the layers of notations that had been buried deep within the Talosian computer system. They'd gone back to work as soon as the creature was declared dead and with Carter's help they'd uncovered several more files dating back to the first time the realm had been discovered between the two worlds.
They now knew for certain that it was creatures like Layonna who discovered what happened when the Talosians were taken to the other realm. If Carter was right, then Layonna was one of the earliest transformations and she'd quickly taken control of the creatures that inhabited the other realm.
Marisiana had suggested that Layonna had become bitter about the changes and had been the one who instigated the creation of a new species of serpent. Over the years they would come back to this realm and take most of the inhabitants back with them. There were several notes that spoke of Talosians trying to come back, but they usually ended in death. There were pages and pages of writing that told of how the Talosian scientists had tried to help, but there were very few successes to speak of.
"Marisiana, it appears that the ones who survived coming back did so because they were able to bridge the genetics between the two forms."
"I see that, but there were still deaths even after they did that."
"I know, but that was mostly due to the strain out on the heart, lungs, and other organs. If we can find a way to ease that strain until the victim is able to fight back then we may be able to isolate the problems and help them return…if that's what they choose to do," Donitalio observed.
"I think we can isolate the genetic anomalies, but I don't know if we'll be in time to help our people and Colonel Mitchell," Marisiana offered and glanced at the woman working opposite her. "I'm sorry, Colonel Carter, I know he's a friend of yours, but it is a longshot."
"I know," Carter agreed, but continued to work at the console with Ryan Thomas.
"We can't give up," Thomas said.
"We're not giving up, but maybe if we had more people," Marisiana said.
"We can get more people," Donitalio told her. "I can find others we work with and maybe with fresh eyes we can find out if we overlooked anything."
"Sargeant, go with him and sand word to the SGC that we need people from each of the different labs including biology and chemistry. We need to find out as much as we can about the serpents," Carter said.
"If there was some way to get a sample from one of them," Marisiana said and looked toward the area where the creature's body was covered in debris from the tunnel collapse. They'd taken samples from the creature, but it wasn't like the serpents her people had become.
"Maybe we could dig through there and go back," Thomas offered.
"We'll need more SG teams to do that and right now I'm not sure it's a good idea. Cam wouldn't want us putting anyone else in danger, but…"
"What are you thinking, Colonel?" Thomas asked.
"If we could get through we'd be able to find out much more about the passage between the realms…"
"Colonel, I found several notations on the passageway," Marisiana said and watched as Thomas and Donitalio left to find others who might be able to help them. "Most of those say that once the Talosians have crossed over the passage closes up and there is no way across."
"That's why there are so many years between each culling…"
"Culling?" Marisiana asked.
"It means they take as many as they can and leave only enough people to repopulate until they are able to come back. It's a term used when talking about the Wraith," Carter answered and saw the confusion in her eyes. "You are safe from the Wraith, but we need to find a way to make this stop."
"I thought Darishik said it was over. They could choose to return here," Marisiana observed.
"I know, but what if there are more creatures like Layonna? If she is strong enough to do all of this then imagine what four or five or even a dozen like her could do. I think it is best to close it off until your people find a way to stop Layonna's kind from taking people against their will," Carter explained.
"Is that even possible?" Marisiana asked.
"Anything is possible if you believe in it strong enough," Carter told her. She wanted to find out what was happening with Mitchell, but right now he needed her to stay focused on the task at hand. They had to find a way to reverse the changes, before it was too late for him.
TBC
