Desperation

Harry discovered that he wasn't very good at waiting for other people to save the day. He spent the time watching the sensor display, looking at Osiris's position. Wherever SG-1 was right then, they couldn't be seen by the ship's imaging scanners while the ship was on the ground. Harry wished that the ship was capable of detecting life signs, but eight thousand years ago, the goa'uld had not yet been capable of replicating life-detecting technology, though they had discovered ancient devices capable of it.

Seeking distraction, Harry turned to Daniel. "So, um, how did you meet her?"

The man was quiet for a moment before answering. "We were both students together," he said. "Both of us were mentored by Dr. Jordan."

"You both studied archeology?" asked Harry.

He nodded. "That's right. We studied Ancient Egypt, mostly, but we both had other interests. We interned under Dr. Jordan, and he took us on our first real expedition. We excavated a small tomb just outside of Gaza. It wasn't anything terribly special, but we were terribly excited. Sarah and I became," he paused, "close, on that trip."

"She was your girlfriend?" asked Harry.

"She was. We were together for a few years."

"So what happened?" asked Harry.

"Well, we broke up. My work got in the way of things, along with my theories."

"What was wrong with your theories?"

"Well, for one, people thought that they were crazy. I theorized that the pyramids were built long before it is generally believed that they were, at a time when the ancient Egyptians wouldn't have been able to. The crazy part came when I speculated that they had had outside help."

Harry felt a small grin grow on his face. "You mean aliens?"

"I actually never said 'aliens', and I never used the words 'landing pads'. But that's what everyone said. In fairness, I may have hinted pretty strongly about it."

"But you were right about everything."

Daniel shrugged. "All that mattered was that I sounded like a nut. No one would examine my evidence without it being a joke."

"So she broke up with you for it?" asked Harry.

"Well, I pushed her away, I guess. Our relationship wasn't going very well, and it didn't help that I knew that my publicity could bring her and my other colleagues down with me, so...I suppose I should have just left, but I couldn't. I tried to find more proof for my theories, after we broke up, and eventually I found the Stargate program."

"What's it like? What you do, I mean?"

Daniel pondered the question. "Well, when I first joined the program, I didn't even know what it was. I had no idea why the Air Force was so interested in these ancient cover stones that they had found. But then, I figured out the meaning of the stones, and they showed me the Stargate.

"At the time, we thought that it only went to one other planet, Abidos. I was part of the expedition that first went through the gate. That was when we killed Ra, by the way.

"Anyway, at the time, for me it was all about discovering something new." He smiled. "By the end of the expedition, I'd married a local woman, and was content to stay there." He was silent for a moment.

"So what happened?" asked Harry, already knowing that it wouldn't be a happy answer.

Daniel sighed. "We had thought that Ra was the last of his kind, but we were wrong, of course. He'd just wanted his slaves to think as much. With Ra dead, Apophis was free to go to planets Ra had previously owned. At the time, he was looking for new hosts for his son and wife. He took a soldier from Earth, and my wife and her brother. Sha're and Skarra."

"Is she still out there?"

Daniel shook his head. "We tried to capture her, but it didn't work out. She was killed to save my life."

"I'm sorry." Harry was almost sorry that he had asked. "So why do you do it now?"

"Well, a lot of reason's, I suppose. It's important work, exciting, fulfilling, I'm working with friends; with people who don't think I'm crazy."

They both smiled. Daniel continued, "So I spilled, now it's your turn."

Harry opened his mouth to protest, but he grudgingly had to admit that fair was fair. "Er, all right, what do you want to know?"

"Well," Daniel said, "What do you miss about Earth?"

Harry pondered the question. There wasn't much that he really missed.

"I'd have to say, the spiders." Harry finally said.

Daniel raised his eyebrows. "Are you an arachnophile?"

Harry shook his head. "They're rather annoying actually. I don't know; kind of a silly thing to say, I guess. I was just used to waking up to them. I was used to everything. I didn't like it, but now everything's different, and I don't know what to expect anymore. I don't miss spiders, but I miss waking up every morning knowing what the world had in store for me."

Harry was saved from saying anything more when Daniel's radio chirped.

"Daniel, this is Jack, do you read?" Harry became suspenseful again.

"I read, what's your status?"

"Everything went according to plan; Osiris is unconscious and bound." Harry let out a sigh of relief.

Daniel answered, "I copy that we will move to your position now."

Before he finished talking, Harry had all ready taken the ship off the ground and zoomed over to Osiris' position. Two minutes later, the team had ringed aboard.

Osiris was on the ground, her hands and feet bound by very heavy black zip-ties. Harry grinned at the sight.

"Now Harry," said Jack, "do you remember what we said we weren't going to do?"

Harry rolled his eyes. They had decided that while Harry thought that he could remove Osiris, they would keep her prisoner, and transport her to the Tok'ra to be safe.

"I know," he said. "How did it go?"

"It couldn't have gone any better. Right Teal'c?"

The large man inclined his head. "The mission did indeed go according to plan."

"Cool," said Harry.

Daniel walked into the room, and everyone fell silent. He knelt besides Sarah, and brushed the hair out of her face. He looked up. "We should move her to her room," he said.

Jack nodded and helped him carry her out of the ring room. They had already decided that she would be kept in Sam's room, bound, and sedated such that she couldn't kill the host. Harry had been told that he wasn't to go into the room with her.

"I'll set a course for Oberdad then," said Harry. He was glad that they had captured Sarah, but he knew that it would be weird having Osiris on the ship for a week. If he were honest with himself, it would probably be rather upsetting.

!

Twelve hours later, and it was the ships artificial night. Harry had woken from another nightmare. Checking his watch, he saw that it would be a couple of hours until breakfast. Disparaging the prospect of getting back to sleep, Harry got out of bed and made his way to the control room, hoping that some member of SG-1was awake to spend time with. He knew that Jack was currently guarding Osiris, but he wasn't allowed in that room. He found the rest of the team to still be asleep. He settled into one of the command chairs. He was still too tired to do anything, so he stared out the window into hyperspace.

A while later, he snapped to awareness as he heard the door close behind him. He turned to greet whoever had walked through the door, and had to dive out of the way as a blast from a zat'ni'katel shot at him. Osiris stood at the other end of the room. Harry sent out a wave of energy from his hand device, sending Osiris into the wall. He used his energy to keep her there, as though a hand were pushing firmly against her chest. He ran forward to pick up the zat, which lay at her feet.

It was one of those unrestrained feet that kicked Harry in the head, ending his concentration. He tried to bring the zat to bear, but she knocked it from his hand sending it across the room. Osiris drew an already bloody knife, and Harry pulled his own, and suddenly they where sparring again; Harry too busy reacting to her attacks to bring his power to bear. This time though it wasn't for sport. Harry felt his body move instinctually, blocking and attacking. Even so, Harry took a cut to his arm. He couldn't tell how long their deadly dance lasted, but Harry suddenly kicked the knife out of her hand and took her to the ground in two quick moves.

Not wasting a second, Harry grabbed her head and thrust his power into her. Immediately finding purchase with the symbiote, he severed her connection to the host. As he did so, he felt the familiar feeling of a connection forming between Osiris and himself. Ignoring it, he continued to push against Osiris, even as information started flooding his brain. He heard the symbiote exit Sarah before he saw it, and when the two were completely separate, Harry wasted no time in grabbing the snake and killing it as he had Isis. Panting, Harry let himself collapse, his jumbled mind becoming too much to handle, Harry slid into unconsciousness.

!

Teal'c came to with a familiar headache. He recognized the effects of a zat'ni'katel blast. His radio drew his attention, and he realized that it was what had woken him in the first place.

"Anyone that can read me, please respond."

It was colonel O'Neill's voice. He answered, "Colonel O'Neill, what has happened?"

"That snake stabbed me, I can't get up. Rouse the others, find Harry, and find Osiris."

"Understood." He shook Major Carter, who had been sleeping on the couch.

"Oh!" she said, clutching her head. "What happened?"

"Osiris has escaped. Colonel O'Neill requires medical attention in her room. I must find her and Harry Potter."

She got to her feet quickly, if not steadily. "Right, I'll wake Daniel, you go find them."

He inclined his head and left, going first to the control room. Entering he found the three beings on the floor. Osiris was obviously dead. He checked both Harry Potter and Sarah Gardener for a pulse before checking for major injuries. Finding only a cut on Harry's arm, he quickly bandaged it before he picking the boy up and carrying him to his room. Setting him on the bed he made his way to the other bedroom. Sam was tending to a grunting O'Neill.

He turned to Daniel, "How is Colonel O'Neill?"

"I'm not sure, really."

Sam spoke up. "No major organs were damaged, but he needs medical attention sooner rather than later. What's going on out there?"

"Osiris appears to be dead. The host remains alive thought both she and Harry Potter are unconscious."

"Where are they?" asked Daniel

"I have placed Harry Potter in his bed. Sarah Gardener remains in the control room though."

"I'll go see to her then," said Daniel

Teal'c nodded. "Harry Potter received an injury on his arm, I will tend to it further."

"Wait, Teal'c," said Carter, "did Harry ever mention having a healing device on board?"

"I do not believe he ever mentioned it."

She shook her head. "I guess it never really came up."

"Will he recover without one?" asked Teal'c.

She shrugged her shoulders, "If we're lucky."
!

Harry awoke to a very irritating headache. Sorting through all of that information had been taxing, to say the least. Groaning, he sat up. "Oh, Osiris was a lot smarter than Isis."

"Harry!" said a startled Sam from a chair next to his bed.

"Hm?" said a startled Harry.

"You're awake. Oh, I was getting worried there."

"How long?" Harry mumbled.

"Two days. Sarah told us everything that happened."

"Mm, is she all right?" asked Harry.

"Sarah's fine."

Harry nodded and started to get out of bed.

Sam stood up and held her hands out. "Whoa there, Harry, that might not be such a good idea. What do you need, I can get it for you."

Harry slumped back down. "Water."

"Okay, I'll be right back," said Sam.

She walked away, and Harry let his head slump into his pillow. He thought that there was something he was supposed to remember, but he couldn't think of what it was. When she came back, he drank the water greedily.

"Harry," said Sam, "is there a healing device on board?

Harry shook his head. "They only had one. I think one of them must have had it when they were captured." He started to feel drowsy again. "Hey, Sam?" I think I'm going to sleep again. Okay?" The world faded around him.
!

When next he awoke, Harry felt much better. At least, he did until he remembered what it was that he had forgotten.

"Jack!"

"Harry." This time it was Daniel.

"Is Jack okay?" Harry remembered the blood on Osiris' knife, and who exactly it had been who had been watching her.

"Harry," said Daniel cautiously, "Jack was stabbed."

Harry's face slackened. "Is… is he okay?"

"He's alive, but Harry, he hasn't had proper treatment, and we're still four days away from a Stargate. Right now, Jack is… slipping."

Harry shook his head, "No. No. We'll just have to make the ship go faster then."

"The ship's going as fast as it can right now," said Daniel.

"Well that's because the goa'uld are stupid," said Harry. "They're unimaginative, and I'm not going to let that kill Jack." He'd had this idea before he'd even met SG-1, but he had never tried it, due to the fact that it seemed crazy. But right now seemed like a crazy time. He understood exactly how his ship's hyperdrive worked, but more importantly, he could feel it. Through his hand device and his connection with the ship, he was a part of everything. He could tell that the ship had a potential for much greater speeds, the energy just had to be used in the right way. He knew that he could manipulate energy, and he thought that he could manipulate the ship's hyperspace window generator to get the effect that he wanted.

Harry reached out with his mind, through the hand device, and then into the ship. He sought out the ship's hyperdrive and connected with it. He felt the part of the hyperdrive that he needed to change, and willed the energy to flow in the way that he wanted it too, changing the crystals that controlled the engine. He felt himself being pressed back for a few seconds as the inertial dampeners struggled to keep up with the ship's acceleration.

Sam rushed into the room. "What just happened?"

Daniel gestured to Harry.

"I made the ship go faster," said Harry.

"Faster," said Sam. "How much?"

Harry delved into the system, "I think about 180 times faster."

Sam's eyes widened. "That leaves us with about half an hour." She shook her head. "But Harry, that might not be fast enough."

"What do you mean?" asked an alarmed Harry. "We can heal him; we can make him better. I made us go faster."

"Harry," Daniel said, "maybe he can make it, but Jack's only just hanging on. He could go at any time." He sighed. "Even if we do get him to Earth, there's no saying that we would be able to help him."

Harry shook his head, as though willing himself not to hear the words. "I wanna see him."

Sam looked like she was going to protest, but Daniel nodded and led him out of the room to the bedroom opposite. Jack was lying on the bed; Sarah was sitting next to him. The man wasn't conscious and he looked barely alive. His skin was pale and clammy. Harry felt his eyes water at the sight of him. He knelt by the bed and took Jacks hand.

"I was going to live with you Jack, I would have said yes." He felt a hand on his shoulder, and he turned to see Sarah looking at him with anguish in her eyes. Harry sank to the ground, crying. "He saved me, and now I can't save him."

But then, why couldn't he? Harry knew that he could mimic any sort of energy, so why not a healing device? Sure, he had never even seen one before, but he knew how it worked.

Standing up, Harry wiped off his tears, and concentrated on the theory behind the healing device. They worked on will power anyway, on the users knowledge of how to heal.

"Harry," said Daniel cautiously, but Harry didn't pay him any attention. Instead, he placed his hand over Jack's wound. A light appeared, and both Harry and Jack gasped. The light penetrated into the wound, mingling with the damaged tissue. Harry could actually feel the wound heal as he directed it to. Feeling his work done, Harry released the energy, and would have collapsed if hands from behind hadn't steadied him.

From the bed, Jack gasped and tried to sit up, before realizing that he couldn't. His eyes fell on Harry.

"Hey, you're awake," he said.

"Yeah," said Harry, a laugh in his voice.

"That's good." The man closed his eyes and drifted to sleep.