Chapter 9: The Children of The Gods Part 1 D

"Ten...Hut!" Colonel O'Neill and his handpicked team, along with Major Samuels - General Hammonds Executive Officer saluted the General as he walked out his office into the briefing room.

Hammond waved them down, "Gentlemen take your seats."

He looked around as everyone followed his orders and frowned at his XO, "Where is Captain Carter?"

"Just arriving, sir." Samuels replied.

Jack's eyebrow raised. "Carter?" he asked inquistively.

"I'm assigning Sam Carter to this mission." The General explained to Jack

"I'd prefer to put together my own team, sir." Jack said as he got ready to give the briefing.

"Not on this mission, sorry." Hammond replied sounding anything but, "Carter's our expert on the Stargate."

"Well sir, I already have an expert coming with us. One of my own men."

"Oh really?" came a female voice, "And who is this expert of yours?"

Everyone turned to see a blond haired woman with a short tom-boyish haircut. She walked quickly into the room moving in front of Jack.

"You must be Colonel O'Neill." She said apparently forgetting about her previous question. She continued without waiting for an answer, "Captain Samantha Carter reporting as ordered, Sir!"

Her salute was quickly returned by Jack and he answered her first question.

"My expert, as you so eloquently said, has several degrees and is a Doctor more than a few times over. He could probably blow your degrees right out the window."

"And where, exactly is this... expert of yours?" Hammond asked looking around as if he would be able to spot him at the table.

"Right here" came a familiar voice by the door. Hammond's eyes closed as he recognized Potter's voice. Apparently he wasn't the only who did.

"Potter?" Carter asked her eyebrows raising past her hairline.

"Hello Captain Carter." Harry said grinning wickedly, Carter snarled at him.

"How are you Lieutenant?" she asked, savoring the rank she had over him. Harry scowled at her at the reminder.

"We both know that the only reason why you got promoted first is because the President didn't want me leaving the country for an extended amount of time, leaving you with that mission. If it wasn't for that I would be pulling rank on you!"

Carter smiled at him, "I guess it doesn't always pay to have friends in high places."

Ignoring Carter, Harry turned to his dad and snapped a salute. "Colonel O'Neill. Lt. Harry James Potter reporting as ordered, Sir!"

Returning the salute, Jack turned to the General. "As you can see, sir, I had in mind an expert already; also, he is one of the best fighters in the force, something which is important as you know, in case anything goes wrong."

Carter opened her mouth before Hammond. "Colonel, I was studying the gate technology for two years before Daniel Jackson made it work, and before you went through. I should've gone through then. But sir, you and your men might as well accept that I am going through this time."

Jack sighed as he looked down, "With all due repect Doctor-

"It is appropiate to refer to a person by their rank, rather than their salutation. You should call me Captain. Not Doctor."

Harry snorted. "Oh c'mon Sam, I happen to remember several people you introduced yourself to as 'Doctor Samantha Carter' surely you can give the good Colonel a break."

Hammond frowned at Harry. "Lieutenant, is there something going on that I should know about between yourself and my Colonel?" Ferreti and Kawalski both sniggered, Carter had a smile on her face as both Jack and Harry looked disgusted and repulsed.

"Uh," Harry said, "No sir. Other than the fact that my name was changed from 'Potter' to 'Potter-O'Neill' when he adopted me five years ago."

There was silence. Carter gaped at him in disbelief, and while Hammond was shocked, he didn't show it.

Of the rest, only Kawalski was laughing, laughing at the faces everyone was making at the proclamation. As he calmed down, he gently closed Ferreti's mouth and whispered to him, "Flies, pal."

Carter turned to Harry, "He's your DAD!?" she asked, "How on earth did you turn out so smart?"

Harry was about to retort when Hammond finally stepped in, "Captain Carter is going on this mission, Colonel. If you still feel like you need to take Lieutenant Potter that's fine but she is going as well. Now, if you'll get started?"

Jack nodded as he picked up his notes and quickly looked through them before he began his speech.

"For those of you who are on your first time you should be prepared of what to expect." He was cut off by Carter.

"I've practically memorised your report from the first mission, I'd like to think I've been preparing for this all my life." She said, her eyes almost glowing with anticipation

Harry rolled his eyes, and whispered to her, "lost puppy" she scowled at him but was distracted by Kawalski.

"I think what the Colonel is saying is," he said condescendingly, "have you ever pulled out of a simulated bombing run in an F-16 at 8 plus Gs?"

"Yes."

There was a moment of shocked silence as Kawalski threw a shocked look at Jack who just raised an eyebrow. Harry snorted when Kawalski finished, "Well it's way worse than that."

"By the time you get to the other side, you're frozen stiff." Ferreti said, deciding to join in the fun, "Like you just been through a blizzard." He smirked before finishing, "Naked."

Carter was unfazed. "That's a result of the compression your molecules undergo during the millisecond required for reconstitution."

"Oh here we go," Jack said finally, "another scientist. General please!"

"Captain Carter's assignment is not an option. It's an order. I thought I made that clear." Hammond responded.

"I'm an Air Force officer just like you are, Colonel." Carter said forcefully, "Just because my reproductive organs are in the inside instead of outside, doesn't mean I can't handle whatever you can handle."

There was silence as Kawalski and Ferreti traded looks, Harry was looking bored while Jack was supressing a smirk.

Jack sat down as he thought over his answer before replying.

"Oh, this has nothing to do with you being a woman." He stared at her for a minute before continuing. "I like women. I just have a litte problem with scientists."

"I assume your son is an exception?" she asked scathingly, shooting a look at Harry to see how he was taking it. Surprisingly, he looked unperturbed. But then, nothing ever did shake him.

"Lieutenant Potter is not a scientist." Jack said shocking everyone, aside from Harry of course. "At least in my definition. He's a genius who knows a lot more than anyone I know. You on the other hand, are a scientist."

"I fail to see the distinction that you're making Colonel." Carter said bitingly, Jack just smiled.

"A practical demonstration then, I can do that." He said cheerfully, he had everyones attention. "Now Captain-Doctor, you already explained the effects we feel when we travel through the stargate, why don't we let the good Lieutenant take a shot at explaining."

Everyone turned to Harry who rolled his eyes, "Thanks for putting me on the spot Colonel." He said sarcastically. Jack just stared unrepentantly at him, and he gave in with a sigh.

"What Colonel O'Neill is trying to say," Harry said leaning back into his chair to get more comfortable, "is that while the reason my fellow scientist stated, is accurate, it doesn't help anyone because no one understood it. I happen to enjoy the simple words much better as they are easier to say and takes less talking. For example if Ferreti here, were to ask me why he feels frozen stiff after travel through the Gate I would answer because he was frozen stiff when the Gate was busy re-building him. Accurate and understandable."

Carter just rolled her eyes and opened her mouth, but was cut off by Samuels.

"I hate to throw a damper on your enthusiasm," He said, "but I still say the safest, most logical way to deal with this is to bury the Stargate, just like the Ancient Egyptians did. Make it impossible for the aliens to return. It's the only way to eliminate the threat."

"Except it wont work." Jack said, his tone bored as if it was obvious.

"It worked before." Hammond asked

"They know what we are now." Jack replied, "They know how far we've come. We're a threat to them. They've got ships General. Ra had one as big as the great pyramids. They don't need the Stargate, to get here, they can come the old-fashioned way."

He paused to let that sink in before continuing. "With all due repect to Mr. Glass Is Half Empy over here," snorts were prevalent throughout the room as Samuels eyebrows rose up. Jack continued. "Don't you think we should use the Stargate to do a little reconaissance before they come back, again?"

Everyone shifted as Hammond thought over his words, before sighing. "I'll give you exactly twenty-four hours to either return, or send a message through. No kleenex boxes, please." Everyone stood up and the General finished. "Otherwise, we'll assume the worst and send a bomb through."

"Understood." Jack nodded, not bothering to fight the smile that came to his face.

Scene Break

Hammond was with Carter in the Dialing Room, getting ready to dial the gate.

"Tell me about Potter," the General said, "you seemed to know him from before."

Carter smiled at him, "Well, sir. Harry and I worked together for a while already and the two of us have been in friendly competition the whole time. He's a good officer and extremely smart, the Colonel was serious when he said that Harry's a genius. He'll grow on you if he hasn't already."

Hammond sighed, "That's what I was afraid of."

Scene Break

There was a KAWOOSH as the Stargate activated, the blast door on the right slid open and Colonel Jack O'Neill filed in along with his team. Major Kawalski, Sergent Ferreti, Captain Carter, and Lieutenant Potter.

All of them were dressed in camouflage fatigues made for the desert. All of them had backpacks bigger then themselves strapped to their back.

Hammond was waiting for them by the gate.

"Try to follow orders this time Colonel."

"Sir?" Jack asked.

"This time you bring Daniel Jackson back. Is that clear?"

"Yes, sir."

After exchanging salutes, Jack turned to his team. "Move out!"

Jack stayed in the back waiting for everyone to go first. Carter hesitated, while Kawalski and Ferreti left eagerly. Harry stayed with Jack, who turned to Carter.

"Captain..." he said

"Don't worry Colonel I won't let you down." She interrupted.

"Good." He said, "Although I was going to say Ladies first."

Harry snorted as the three of them walked up the ramp, stopping just before the even horizon. Carter stood there fascinated.

"My god!" she breathed, "Look at this! The energy the gate must release to create a stable wormhole, is... astronomical!"

Harry sighed, while any wizard could easily create a wormhole, and does do so with every apparation, the gate itself was different aside from requiring a lot more power in order to travel a much greater distance. Most wizards couldn't apparate internationally, forget about somehting light years away.

He watched with growing amusement and annoyance as Carter plucked at the wormhole with her finger. Her mouth was open, "You can actually see the fluctuations in the event horizon!"

Jack rolled his eyes before giving Carter a hard shove, sending her through the gate. Jack turned to smile as Harry laughed before walking through as casually as walking through a door.

Taking a deep breath, Harry follwed.

A/N: Hooray! Next chapter on Abydos! Harry meets Daniel, and some action coming up, I'm still working on what Harry's going to do in the coming fight, suggestions are welcome! PLEASE INFORM ME OF ANY MISTAKES! And as always Happy Reading!