They broke hyperspace only fifteen minutes later, and McKay saw that they were closing in on a large planet that was easily as blue and green (from above, anyways) as Earth. Ian checked the HUD, and then looked over at the astrophysicist.

"Last chance, Doc."

McKay scowled, and looked at the planet once more. He was tempted! Very tempted. But he was also unwilling to spend the rest of his life waiting on a rescue that wasn't going to come.

"You're sure there's no Stargate on the surface?"

Ian nodded.

"The only one is that one…"

And he pointed towards the Stargate McKay hadn't noticed, floating lazily in space ahead and below them.

"Then I really don't have any choice…"

"I could try to send the SGC your location before I board Anubis' ship…" Ian offered, unwilling to be responsible for the man's death if something really did go wrong. Which he pretty much expected was going to happen. Which was why he was so determined to have the ZPM as a backup explosive device.

"In a radio burst that Anubis – or anyone else could intercept," McKay said, shaking his head. "Then they'd be all over me, and wouldn't I just make a fine host for some Goa'uld somewhere?"

Since Ian agreed, he didn't bother to answer, and McKay sighed.

"We'd better get going, then. Wouldn't want my death to take any longer than necessary."

"Don't be so pessimistic," Ian told him, entering in the address to the next destination on their extremely scenic-routed journey through the space between Earth and Atlantis. "We might get lucky and fly apart before we even get there."

Before McKay could ask him what he meant, they were heading through the gate, and only when they rematerialized on the other side did the astrophysicist scowl and look over at Ian, who was reaching for the ZPM and getting painfully out of his seat.

"What was that supposed to mean?"

"What?"

"The whole comment about flying apart? I thought this ship was safe."

"It is. Under normal situations."

Now McKay frowned, because Ian was stretched out on the floor of the gateship, his head vanishing under the front console – along with the ZPM.

"What are you doing?"

"Making up some time."

"How?" He didn't need the answer, though. He was, after all, almost as smart as he told everyone he was. "You're hooking that thing up to our propulsion system?"

"And the shields," came the muffled reply. "We'll need them to compensate for the extra shear…"

"Are you…" he didn't bother to finish the question, mainly because he already knew Ian was out of his mind. This was just further proof. "Will it work?"

"Of course."

McKay stared at the bloody tear in Ian's shirt as the boy worked, his own injury forgotten until that reminder simply because of the other terrible notions that had been shoved at him one after another since they'd entered this little coffee can of horror called a gateship.

"Are you sure?"

He had to ask. Even though he knew what the answer would be before Ian even spoke.

"We need to make up some time," the New Yorker told him. There was the sound of a panel being removed, and something clattering to the floor, and then silence as Ian presumably hooked the ZedPM to whatever he was hooking it up to. McKay normally might have been curious to watch, except for the whole certain he was going to die any minute thing. Finally, Ian poked his head out from under the console and staggered back to his feet – without the ZPM.

"As near as I can figure, Jack and the others are only an hour or so out from Earth by now. We need to be ready by the time they hit the atmosphere, because that'll probably be when Anubis acts."

"We're never going to make it to Earth in an hour," McKay told him.

"We'll make it." Ian sat back down in his chair and pressed the button that activated the hyperdrive. "We have to."

The ship jumped forward, and even the inertial dampeners weren't able to keep them both from feeling the shudder that went through it at the magnified acceleration.

OOOOOOOOOOO

Jacob woke them a little under half an hour until they arrived back in their home solar system. This gave them enough time to wake up completely – since he'd pretty much figured the last thing they wanted was to go into this thing sleep fuzzled – and also gave them a chance to decide on any last minute plans or preparations.

Jack paced the length of the little ship, trying to work out the kinks that sleeping on the floor had given him.

"How long, Teal'c?"

"We will drop out of hyperspace in 23 minutes, O'Neill."

"And then we'll be pretty much screwed if that cloak doesn't work," Jacob said. "There's no way we'd have a chance if Anubis catches us trying to get past his ships."

"I'm not worried about the cloak," Sam said, confidently. "Ian knows what he's doing. I'm more worried about this weapon we're supposed to find."

"I am unconcerned that the weapon will be where Ian Brooks assured us it is," Teal'c said, proving that he was listening in on the discussion.

Sam smiled.

"I'm sure it's there, too," she agreed. "And I'm sure that this ZPM will help us get to it in time."

"But…?" Jack asked.

"But the rest of the Ancient technology doesn't work for the Goa'uld or the Jaffa, so I'm pretty sure this weapon will be the same…"

"I'm not a Goa'uld or a Jaffa," Jack reminded her.

Her smile widened slightly. If anyone knew he wasn't, it was her, after all.

"I'm more worried that the weapon – or whatever else is down there with it – will sense Teal'c – and Dad's – symbiotes."

"And won't turn on?" Daniel asked.

She shrugged.

"It might not… Not of the weapon decided that an Ancient was being coerced by a Goa'uld… or something."

Jack frowned.

"So what do we do? Keep Teal'c and Jacob in the ship?"

"Yes."

"No." This was from Jacob, who was scowling. "We want to see this thing."

"Badly enough to risk the world?" Jack countered. "Maybe the universe if we fail and Anubis continues on to bigger and more terrible things?"

"That's not going to happen, Jack," Jacob snapped. "And you know it. Sam can-"

"Sam just told you what she thought," Jack reminded him, abruptly. "And I agree with her. You and Teal'c will stay with this ship when we get through the ice."

"But-"

"Besides, we might need you to help relay to Hammond once we get through. I have a feeling Anubis isn't going to just sit around and let us do what we're going to do when he realizes we're here with an alien spacecraft – especially a Tok'ra one. We might need a diversion."

"I will remain on this ship, O'Neill," Teal'c assured him. He wanted to see the Ancient weapon, too, but he would wait. The reasoning was sound and he had known Samantha Carter/O'Neill more than long enough to know that she was undoubtedly correct. He hadn't even considered it.

Jack nodded, and everyone looked at Jacob, who scowled.

"Fine. I'll stay, too."

"Good."

"But I'm not going to like it."

"We'll take lots of pictures," Jack promised.

Jacob wasn't amused.