Daniel sat in the room Osiris had made him drag Steven into and wondered where they were going. He hoped someone noticed the ship leaving and that the SGC would be notified, considering it had appeared from nowhere in the middle of the desert. Then again when he didn't return to camp whoever Jack had watching him would let the SGC know he was missing.
He couldn't believe this had happened. He'd ran so far to get away from the SGC and a damn Gould found him anyway. A Gould that was inside someone else he cared for.
He really was poison.
A groan from his side let him know Steven was waking up, so Daniel turned to check on him.
"Stay still," Daniel said, "You got slammed into a wall. You're lucky it wasn't harder."
Steven let out a groan, "I don't feel lucky."
Daniel shrugged, "You should just stay where you are, there's no way out of here. I've checked."
Steven forced himself to sit up, "What happened?"
"I have a better question," Daniel said, "How did David actually die?"
Looking annoyed that Daniel didn't answer him, Steven replied, "I told you, a gas explosion."
"No," Daniel shook his head, "That makes no sense. Okay, better question, what were you working on?"
Steven frowned, "The Isis and Osiris Jars. They were on loan to us, and we only had them for a few weeks along with other parts of the collection. Including the amulet and tablet that we used to find the…"
"The place that proved I was right," Daniel interrupted before grimacing, "Okay, so when the explosion happened?"
"Sarah and David were working on the Osiris Jar," Steven told him, confused Daniel wasn't pushing more that his theories had been proven right, "I was in the office checking the results of the tests on the amulet. Suddenly I heard an explosion, and the building rocked, Sarah was standing outside and told me she'd headed out to get a drink when the place just exploded."
"What did the authorities say?"
"Gas explosion," Steven said, "Although I did overhear someone say it made no sense since the entire system had been just checked a few weeks before and passed the inspection."
Daniel sighed pinching the bridge of his nose, "So from that, I'm guessing they opened the jar either by accident or on purpose and the Gould took over Sarah then killed David using the explosion to cover its tracks."
"The what?"
Shaking his head, Daniel whispered, his voice breaking, "I can't do this again."
Concerned filled Steven's voice, "Do what?"
Sighing Daniel replied, "It's a long story."
"I think we have the time," Steven replied annoyed.
Daniel looked over where he'd already disabled what Sam had once shown him to be the Gould version of CCTV. Considering the ships he'd been in didn't have any way to listen in to the cell, he assumed this wouldn't either since it had been under the Egyptian sands for thousands of years.
"My lecture brought me to the attention of a woman working on a device that was found hidden under the sands of Giza in the 1920s," Daniel explained, "It was dated as over ten thousand years old and proved all my theories of the age of the pyramids to be right. But that's not the important part. Basically, it turned out to be a interdimensional gateway which allows us to travel across the galaxy where we discovered humans had been transplanted by a group of aliens pretending to be the Egyptian Gods."
"You're kidding."
"You just met Osiris," Daniel reminded him before continuing, "The Goa'uld are snake-like creatures that burrow into people, usually through the back of the neck and take them over. Making them a prisoner within their own bodies"
Steven frowned, "What do we do?"
"We pretend we have no knowledge of what she is," Daniel told her, "As well as being evil, they are egomaniacs. Osiris will want to boast and, since she hasn't killed either of us, then she wants some worshippers."
Steven grimaced, "Not sure this is a great idea."
"Trust me," Daniel told him, "Don't bow down instantly, but don't push too much that she kills you."
Jack frowned as his phone rang pulling him out of his well-earned rest. Blindly reaching out he grabbed it, "This better be important."
"Sorry, Colonel," the woman on the other side said, "But Dr Jackson is missing."
Instantly wide-awake, Jack demanded, "What happened, Mikki?"
"Two old colleagues of his appeared at the dig to spread the ashes of their mentor," Mikki explained, "They then took a jeep into the middle of the desert, Daniel followed, and we haven't heard from him in hours. I located the jeeps, but both are empty and there is no trace of any of them."
Jack swore.
"There's one more thing," Mikki said, "There were reports of a UFO being seen flying across the desert near where they disappeared."
Groaning, Jack said, "Thanks, Mikki. Let me know if he turns up."
"I will," Mikki replied, "I know you're going to look for him, so let me know if you need anything." She paused before adding, "Find him, Jack, I really like the kid."
Hanging up, Jack quickly grabbed his clothes and dressed before climbing into his jeep to head to the base.
He had a bad feeling about this.
x
"And this information is accurate?" Hammond asked after Jack explained the call he'd received.
Jack nodded, "Mikki is an old friend. She is a civilian technician who can fix basically anything. I've known her for over twenty years. I found out, purely by coincidence, that she was working at the dig he took over and she's been keeping an eye on Daniel for me for the past few years."
"I'll get these reports of a UFO checked," Hammond said, "I'm guessing you and SG1 will be making a trip to Egypt."
"I want to see where he went missing," Jack said, "But I got Walter to look into these colleagues. I suggest we send Carter to check into them. She can blend into that environment better than me or Teal'c can."
Hammond nodded, "Makes sense. I'll also contact the Tok'ra and see if they have any information. I don't expect there to be, but you never know."
"They can also keep an eye out for Daniel," Jack noted.
Frowning Hammond asked softly, "You're sure he's alive?"
Jack gave a sharp nod, "Otherwise Mikki would have found him there. Besides, this is Daniel. He doesn't die easily."
x
"Carter, I didn't tell you where he was because you would have wanted to go and try to make him come home before he's ready," Jack defended himself from his second-in-command, "Right now, we need to focus on what happened to him. Walter found that the two colleagues are Dr Sarah Gardner and Dr Steven Rayner. They worked with Daniel just before his lecture that brought him to the SGC. A few weeks ago, an explosion at the University of Chicago killed Dr David Jordan, Daniel's former mentor. We found permits for the other two to join the dig Daniel has been working to scatter the other man's ashes."
"Okay," she mused, "But if they're there then why am I going to the University?"
"Because of this," Jack said, bringing up some pictures, "These are part of the collection that they were looking at."
"Those are Goa'uld symbols," Teal'c stated.
Jack grimaced, "I know. Carter, you are our academic so will fit in with the people there, but I want you to take a member of the archaeology department."
"Dr April Owens is well-versed in Goa'uld," Teal'c noted, "And I feel that she would work well with Major Carter."
"Owens is a good call," Jack mused, "She's smart and trained with Ferretti recently in case anything comes up while you're there."
Sam nodded before she started out the room, stopping she turned back, "You think he's okay?"
"I think wherever Daniel is," Jack said, "He can take care of himself."
Daniel pulled himself off the floor, grateful when Steven caught his arm, so he didn't fall down again.
"Be insolent like that again," Osiris stated, "And I will kill you."
Daniel forced himself not to comment as Osiris turned back to the controls. Steven moved him to the ledge at the back of the room, so he had something to hold on to, and frowned.
"Why did you do that?" the other man demanded, "That was really stupid."
"I needed to check where we were going," Daniel told him softly.
Steven frowned, glancing at where Osiris was ignoring them before asking, "Why?"
"To see if it was somewhere I knew," Daniel explained, "Somewhere that I could either find us an ally or a way to get away."
"And?"
Daniel grimaced, "It's not good."
Steven checked where their captor was before asking, "How bad?"
"For you, probably not much more trouble than we're already in," Daniel assured, "For me. Okay, I've been out of the loop for about two years but the last time I was here the Goa'uld in charge…well, he hates me."
Steven hesitated before asking, "What did you do?"
"Nothing," Daniel spat out, "He on the other hand abducted my wife, put one of those things in her and after putting her through hell, left her where one of his enemies was able to torture her." Suddenly finding he couldn't breathe, Daniel whispered, "She died in my arms."
He didn't see Steven's face drain of colour, but after a moment felt the other man grip his shoulder.
"I'm so sorry, Daniel," Steven whispered.
Looking up Daniel replied, "Right now we have to stay focussed. Get as much information as possible and if I tell you to do something, you need to do it. I spent a year and a half in the field with trained Air Force officers. I'm not the same person I was, so I need you to trust me."
Steven nodded, "Okay."
x
Chulak.
The place where his wonderful wife had her life stolen from her and Daniel shivered as he stepped out the ship, not just from the cold air.
Osiris took two steps forward and smirked as several Jaffa appeared, staff weapons drawn.
"Tell Apophis that the God Osiris has returned," she stated.
"Apophis is not here," the lead Jaffa stated, he bowed his head, "Rumours are that Sokar destroyed him."
Osiris pursed her lips, "Then we shall take our revenge. Take me to the palace."
There was a moment of hesitation by the Jaffa until Osiris' eyes flashed and they dropped to their knees.
"We are at your service," the lead Jaffa stated.
Osiris turned and smirked at Daniel and Steven before noting, "Ensure my servants come with us."
Knowing better than to let the Jaffa come near him, Daniel grabbed Steven's arm and started him walking because the last thing either of then needed was to be on the other end of a staff blast.
It was likely there was a sarcophagus here, but he didn't want to bank on that, or the fact Osiris would want to bring them back to life.
Steven shivered as they were marched through the forest, "It's freezing."
"I know," Daniel replied, "If I remember correctly, we should be at the palace soon."
"I hope you're right," Steven murmured.
They fell into silence and within the next ten minutes they came to Apophis palace. Daniel felt his stomach fill with bile as the memories of his first visit to this place came to the fore. Remembering the look on Sha're's face when he first saw her as Ammonet's host, the coldness that she would never have because she was the sweetest, kindest person he'd ever known.
"Daniel?" Steven's voice pulled him back to the present.
Turning to the other man, Daniel asked, "What?"
"I don't know what happened to you here in the past," Steven said, "But you need to keep focussed on here and now."
Daniel nodded, "Sorry. Just keep your eyes open."
Rolling his eyes slightly, Steven clapped his arm before they started forward into the palace.
Jack smiled slightly at the woman who appeared the moment he stepped out the jeep.
"Good to see you, Micki," he said sincerely, "Just wish it was for a better reason."
She took his offered hand and shook it, "I was thinking the same thing, Jack. Come on, I've someone you need to talk to."
With Teal'c behind him, Jack followed Micki to a tent that had three jeeps sitting outside it. Walking in he saw a man in his fifties, of Egyptian descent who was pacing worriedly.
"Jack," Micki said, "This is Ahmed, a friend of Daniel's."
"You are Jack," Ahmed said moving and offering his hand, "He does not talk much about you, but he has on occasion."
Jack took the other man's hand, "Nice to meet you," before introducing, "This is T."
Teal'c nodded to the other two remaining silent.
"So," Jack moved them to why he was there, "What happened to Daniel?"
x
Jack gripped the edge of his seat, hoping that he remembered not to let Teal'c drive on the way back.
Falling out the jeep, Jack found the entrance to what he hoped was going to be a brightly lit tunnel where he would find Daniel sitting reading a book having lost all track of time.
It was a good dream.
Teal'c appeared beside him and handed him a large flashlight. They switched them on and started inside.
"There are some markings," Teal'c noted, "Nothing that I believe would be noted as important by someone who does not know about the Goa'uld, but Daniel Jackson would recognise them."
Jack grimaced, he looked around a little more and frowned when his eye was caught by something embedded in the wall that was glinting in the light.
"T," he called, "What's this?"
Teal'c moved to his side, "It is an activation key."
"Do I want to know what it activates?" Jack sighed.
"A ship," Teal'c stated, "And if you look up, O'Neill."
Jack did so and sighed seeing the outline of the rings above him, "Dammit. Looks like there was a UFO."
"Daniel Jackson was likely taken within it," Teal'c stated, "It is unlikely that he found and flew it himself."
Jack shrugged, "Which begs the question who was flying? Do we have another Gould on Earth."
Teal'c mused for a moment before replying, "Not anymore."
Jack sighed, "Let's get back and report to Hammond." As they started moving, he caught Teal'c's shoulder, "And I'm driving back."