Lantash

The Poison

-Sam-

"We need it off this ship," Selmak says with slight panic. "Or we need off this ship."

"Can we use the escape pods?" I suggest. "Empty the ship's atmosphere while we are in them, and the life support system will refill the ship with fresh air."

"That is a good idea. There won't be any poison in the escape pods, and what little there after we enter will quickly be filtered out by environment controls." Selmak heads over to the escape pods. "Samantha, you share one with Lantash. He shouldn't be alone."

From the side, I see Pete frown at that, but he says nothing. I start picking up Narim, and Pete comes over to help. It reminds me back on the planet years ago when I was half carrying Elliot/Lantash around. Now I'm half carrying Narim/Lantash, and I'm more worried now than I was then. What if they don't wake up? We prop them up against the back wall of the escape pod.

I enter with, facing them.

"I'll get you when it's safe," I hear my father's symbiote say as the door closes.

-Lantash-

I wake up, and it's dark and confined.

"Lantash," says Samantha's voice, filled with concern

"Wha-ow!" My head, legs, and feet hurt, and I feel strange.

"We are standing in an escape pod."

Actually, she was standing in an escape pod. My feet and legs were squished under me because, well, unconscious people can't stand on their own. Now they are as the Tau'ri would say, "asleep," to the point of pain. I try to move up on them, but that doesn't work.

Samantha tries to help me stand as she continues to explain. "We are in here until the atmosphere in the ship returns. We had to clear it because it had the Tok'ra poison in it which was on the planet."

"The Tok'ra poison?" That can't be right.

"Yes."

Now I'm angry. "The Tok'ra poison! That! Again!"

"Lantash."

"What a great idea we had." I say sarcastically, referring to all Tok'ra as "we." "Let's create a poison that can instantly kill us!"

"Lantash," she repeats.

"I hate that poison!"

"I know," she says, and I notice she is covering her ears.

I realize that having someone yell while you are about an inch away from them probably isn't pleasant. "I'm sorry."

"Selmak said he'd...or she would get us out. Does Selmak prefer being referred to as a male or female?"

"Selmak usually identifies better as a female."

"How does the symbiote decide that?"

That's a good question, Narim thinks.

"Tok'ra symbiotes usually identify the same as their first host. Some though, like myself, changed their mind once they had a host of the opposite sex. Others don't care either way."

"What about you?"

"I prefer being male. It just...feels more right, and over the years I noticed that I also get along better with male hosts."

My feet still hurt, but with Samantha's help, I was able to stand up on them. The pain is easing, though I am working to help it ease faster.

"Your in control more than you were with Martouf."