Author's Note: Hello all, thanks for continuing to read my story. We are moving along in time, it's aound 0945 Colorado time and 1145 EST, just to help you keep up.
Chapter 9
General Hammond wearily made his way to the elevator. It felt like it had been a very long day and it was only 0950. He'd been up in NORAD for hours, organising and arguing over the best course of action to keep the President safe. He shook his head as he remembered some of the crazy ideas that some eager Lieutenant Colonels had had; he'd never heard anything more ridiculous than taking the President back to DC – now - wearing a bulletproof vest.
He took a deep breath as he pushed the button to call the elevator. The President was on his way to Louisiana, to the Air Force base at Barksdale, in fact, he was almost there. Now they had a major decision to make but that decision rested on what they decided to do with the President's press core. The reporters had been with the President in Florida and were all trusted members of the press but there was a major question as to whether they should continue with the President, especially if he were to come to Colorado.
On the one hand, the White House advisors were having serious issues about separating the press from the president, issues of not hiding him and making him available to the public. Hammond and the other senior Generals, on the other hand, had no problem with getting the President away from the press and into the most secure facility in the country – namely the SGC. And there was no way that the Press could come here. General Hammond shuddered at the thought. He imagined that on top of the serious crisis on the East Coast, the sight of aliens or a spinning ring that could send you across the galaxy would stop the presses. He actually assumed that Colonel O'Neill would think it was a good idea to go public today as the news might get buried in the tragedy that had occurred.
He paced around the small box as it travelled down through the mountain to the briefing room. He'd called the Colonel from up top and organised a meeting. O'Neill had informed him that everything was set at the Alpha site and that the supplies were ready to go with the first group of the country's leaders that arrived. On that point, NORAD had just been contacted and a plane carrying them had landed at the nearby airfield.
The Generals had decided, though, not to use the gate immediately. There were many in the group who didn't yet know about the program and it was decided that they'd be safe enough in the facility without having to go through the 'gate. While Hammond had no problem with the President making the decision to tell these people about the program, he didn't feel that it was his job to tell them.
The elevator reached its destination deep in the mountain and General Hammond exited briskly. He passed Walter who, with a nod, fell into step behind the General.
"Sir, everyone's waiting in the briefing room. The Alpha site will be dialling in in 15 minutes for an update. Teal'c is due back in 10 minutes. Oh . . . and no one can find Dr Jackson." He succinctly brought his CO up to speed.
"Very good, Sergeant. Let's go to the briefing. We'll deal with the missing doctor later."
Hammond and Walter walked into the briefing room and everyone around the table rose as their commanding officer entered the room. O'Neill and Carter were at the top end of the table, sitting on either side of the top chair, which they'd left vacant for Hammond. Dr Frasier was there, sitting to Sam's left. The leaders of SG-2, 3 and 4, were sitting to Jack's right in numerical order, which usually amused Jack, but this situation stopped any joviality. Finally, at the bottom of the table, sitting one seat down from Janet and looking very unsure of himself, was the youngest member of the SGC - Dr Julian Beckworth.
Dr Beckworth was a trained counsellor and had been shocked when he'd been assigned to a mountain, thinking that he'd really wound someone up to get the posting. He'd been even more surprised when, only last week, he'd been briefed on the real work done under Cheyenne Mountain. His role was to spend time getting to know the people who worked there and provide a listening ear if it were needed. Today, however, he was to be going to the Alpha site with some very powerful people who'd had been in the middle of a terrorist attack. He may need all his training to deal with this one incident.
"Please, sit down," Hammond said as he unbuttoned his jacket and sat down. "Colonel, report."
"Yes, Sir." Jack stood and moved to the flipchart. "Sir, I've briefed the Alpha site and they're ready to receive anyone who needs to go. After a discussion with Dr Frasier and all those concerned, we've compiled a list of the extra supplies needed for the group. As we speak these are being stockpiled in the Gateroom, ready for transportation. At the moment, Sir, we're as ready as we can be." He sat down, the flipchart pen still in his hand.
"Very good, Colonel." Hammond looked perplexed, "What was the chart for?"
Jack looked at his superior for a few seconds then he answered with a steady voice. "Well, you never know when something will need to be explained in more detail, Sir." Sam smiled at him; he'd been so uncharacteristically worried about this. She wasn't sure why. He'd mumbled something about being used to battlefield scenarios but not evacuating Presidents . . . well, at least without being able to fire a weapon at the enemy.
"Right . . . well . . . good work, Colonel. The Generals upstairs have decided that the politicians will remain in the upper levels of the SGC. There've been no more attacks in the last few hours and so it's been decided that they don't need to know about the SGC and what we do here . . . unless something changes, of course. But we'll worry about that if and when it happens. However, the extra medical supplies you've gathered will be useful for the group. So, Colonel, can you set up the suites on Level 15, suitable for around 30 people? SG-2 and 4 will assist you."
Hammond turned to look at each of the others as he gave them their orders. "Major Carter, can you take charge of the Gateroom while I return upstairs? And Dr Frasier, can you take care of the extra medical supplies? Beckworth, you're to make yourself available to anyone who needs to discuss this morning's attacks. SG-3, you're on security detail for the group. Make your way to the surface and take one of the buses to meet the plane at the airfield. Any questions, people?" Hammond looked around at all those assembled.
"No, Sir," Jack replied, "Except we can't find Daniel, who'd be really useful right about now."
"Have you used the security cameras to try and follow his last movements?" Hammond asked, and was then confronted by several red faces. Clearly his top people had had other things on their minds, as that thought hadn't even occurred to them. He huffed a small laugh as the Colonel glared at the others around the table, in particular at his 2IC. "Very well, people. Let's get moving. Dismissed!"
Hammond rose and walked out of the room to go back upstairs. The SG team leaders filed out to gather their teams and follow Hammond's orders. With a quick glance in Sam's direction, Jack left to check the footage from the security cameras to see if he could locate Daniel, while Janet and Sam headed for the Gateroom.
AN: so decision made - no announcments of the SGC- couldn't do that in this story felt it was to disrespectful to the day. Thanks for reading, feel free to leave a comment or simply wait for the next chapter.
