10:15. Cheyenne Mountain Complex, Colorado.
Colonel Jack O'Neill made his way over to the metal stairs in the SGC control room, nodding in greeting as he passed Sergeant Smith who was sat at his usual position near the control console. "All quiet?" He asked.
"SG5 are overdue a report, but only by a half hour or so. Other than that..!" The bespectacled Sergeant shook his head.
"Well," said the tall, grey haired Colonel, "don't leave the building." He made his way up the stairs and made his way down the semi-circular corridor at the top, returning the salute of one of the guards as he passed.
Jack O'Neill was a tall, lean and surprisingly fit man for someone in his mid forties. A career serviceman, he had joined the U.S. Air Force straight from graduation and, after serving the regulation time at the Air Force Academy, had worked his way through the officer ranks to his present position, Colonel and commander of SG1, the pre-eminent off world team of Stargate Command.
His length of service had been broken only once, when the death of his son had lead to the darkest time of his life, the inevitable break-up of his marriage and early retirement. His retirement didn't last that long however, as the Air Force soon re-activated his service and gave him command of the first team to go through the newly opened Stargate. Initially, he only agreed to the post because he thought of it as a suicide mission, but if the truth was now to come out, he hadn't looked back since.
The wall of the corridor he was in disappeared to be replaced by a large window with a universal map embossed on its surface. O'Neill looked through the window into General Hammond's office and saw the Texan General sitting behind his desk, the red Presidential phone clamped to his ear. At that moment the General looked up and beckoned him into the office.
"We are aware of the situation sir." Said Hammond indicating for O'Neill to sit. "Of course sir, yes! We'll contact the Tok'ra and see what they have to say..! I will! Have a good day Mr President!"
O'Neill watched as the General replaced the red telephone in its cradle. "Trouble?"
"Not really." Replied the bald and stocky General.
"Oh," replied O'Neill raising his eyebrows, "want some?"
"Jack, there's only two reasons why you would be in the SGC on your day off. Either the fish, in the entire state of Colorado, aren't biting or you got trouble."
"No dedicated work ethic then?" Said O'Neill with a brief shake of his head. When General Hammond simply returned his gaze, he continued. "I got a phone call this morning, at home sir."
"Anybody I know?" Asked Hammond.
"Maybourne!"
The Generals eyes sparkled as he raised his head slightly. "Maybourne, I might have known. What does he want?" He asked as he leaned back in his chair and folded his arms.
"Actually sir, if what he says pans out, he wants to help us."
"Help us!" Said Hammond with a snort of derision. "And what does he want for his 'help'?"
"He wants us off his back!" O'Neill raised his eyebrows again. "Me, off his back."
"And just how is he proposing to help us?"
"He wouldn't say. He wants to meet to discuss it."
"Where?"
"O'Malley's, Downtown."
"What's your take on it?"
"I think he's serious. He told me to bring Teal'c along as a measure of his good faith."
"Teal'c?" Replied Hammond with genuine surprise. After a moments consideration he looked up at O'Neill. "Ok, go see what he wants. Report back to me when you're done!"
