The remaining three members of SG-1 were waiting anxiously for news regarding the surgery that was supposed to take care of the device inside their CO's head. A couple of hours, gallons of coffee and endless circles pacing later three pair of eyes expectantly looked up as Doctor Fraiser finally approached.
"Janet?" Sam inquired before the female doctor had even stepped inside the room.
Janet Fraiser raised one hand to silence them all as a smile formed on her lips. "It's done. Travis has successfully removed it and as far as I can tell, no more damage has been done to Colonel O'Neill's brain. Travis even managed to repair some tissue damaged by the spike from the device. I've already run a few tests and all is looking positive. What we need right now is for the Colonel to wake up, so I can perform a couple of additional tests, but it's all looking good so far."
"That is good news," Teal'c stated with a smile.
"So what will happen now?" Daniel asked. "Can we go and see him?"
"Yes, you can," Fraiser nodded. "He won't be awake for a while, though. When all the tests are clear, Colonel O'Neill just needs some rest to recover from the surgery and his previous injuries, but then he'll be as good as new..."
Carter sighed in relief. "What about the device? Can I have a look at it?"
"Yes," Janet nodded. "High Chancellor Travelle has ordered Dr. Travis to assist you. He's going to tell you all about it, I think."
Sam's eyes lit up with excitement. "Good. Maybe we can learn something from this. Daniel, I'll be in my lab. Let me know when the Colonel wakes up, okay?"
"Of course," Daniel acknowledged. "Teal'c, shall we?"
The briefing room was filled with General Hammond and three members of SG-1. Purpose of the briefing was to discuss everything that had happened so far and to see whether there was enough evidence to undertake steps in the direction of the NID.
General Hammond was just about to start the briefing when the door opened and Colonel O'Neill stepped inside. "Colonel," Hammond spoke up. "What are you doing outside the infirmary?"
O'Neill, with a white bandage wrapped around his head covering the surgical incision, still looked pale and exhausted. The expression he wore, however, was one of determination, and without hesitating he walked towards the table, grabbed an empty chair and sat down. "Attending to the briefing, Sir. We need to act fast if we want to catch the ones responsible."
"Did Doctor Fraiser approve your initiative?" Hammond asked against knowing better.
The Colonel shrugged nonchalantly. "She understood the urgency of the situation, Sir."
"Very well," the General sighed before turning to Carter. "Major, what have we got so far?"
"All we have at the moment is the involvement of the NID through Captain Potter, Sir. Captain Potter is the NID's most valued technician, a highly educated scientist who's responsible for all research on alien technology that our teams bring back home," Carter started. "Captain Potter had been working on an alien device for mind reading and his objective was to reverse the mechanism so the device could be used to write in a mind instead of reading from it. Apparently Potter couldn't make it work and needed help from an expert."
"The Tollan scientist, Dr. Travis," Daniel filled in. "Dr. Travis is, as we know now, an expert in brain surgery and is highly interested in mind control devices. He asked for permission to work on mind reading and writing devices, but his request was denied. He left the Tollan home world, in an attempt to get what he wanted in some other way."
"That is why the NID was in need of a spy within the SGC," Teal'c simply concluded. "This person was to search out and contact Dr. Travis to exchange the information."
"Yes," Sam nodded. "Captain Leon Williams had worked with Captain Potter in an unknown assignment before he was transferred to the Pentagon. It was all a matter of paperwork, signed by Colonel Kennedy from the Pentagon, to get him reassigned to the SGC, where he became a member of SG-9. Captain Williams easily contacted Dr. Travis off world and managed to get Captain Potter all he needed to know to continue his work."
"Do we know what Dr. Travis has been offered in return for his knowledge?" Daniel asked.
"We do not," Teal'c said.
"Maybe High Chancellor Travelle has found out," Carter suggested. "But she hasn't spoken of it."
"I haven't heard of it from her, either," General Hammond acknowledged. "So basically Captain Williams provides Captain Potter with the right schematics and instructions for him to successfully invert this alien device?"
"Yes, Sir," Carter confirmed. "Potter managed to build a prototype and tested it on a dog. The test results obviously proved to be positive and the next step was to use the device on a human body."
"Which happened to be me," O'Neill muttered.
"I'm afraid so, Sir," Sam said apologetically.
"No sweat, Major," O'Neill waved her off. "Not your fault. So where does this Colonel Simmons come in?"
"According to Captain Williams, Colonel Simmons is the one behind this, O'Neill," Teal'c said.
"But we can't be sure?" O'Neill sharply demanded.
"No, we can't. He has not as much as signed any transfer papers of the people involved in this," Carter added.
"Why do you ask?" Daniel looked at his friend.
"Well. Let's say that this Colonel Simmons has certain well hidden connections towards a for us very well known senator," O'Neill explained.
"What?" shot Carter, shocked.
"How do you know that?" Daniel interrupted, his brows furrowed.
O'Neill shrugged his shoulders. "Hey... I've got my sources. Colonel Simmons and Colonel Kennedy happen to be old acquaintances as well and I doubt it that is a coincidence."
"But we still have nothing to go on," concluded Hammond. "We're still assuming without proof."
"That's why we need a plan," the Colonel smiled. "And that's why we need to act fast."
"What are you intentions, O'Neill?" Teal'c asked.
"Uh-oh..." Daniel remarked with a smirk. "I have a feeling we're not going to like this, are we?"
"Carter," O'Neill started to lay out his plan. "Do you know anything about that second trigger?"
"Yes, Sir," she said. "Dr. Travis has told me the device is also designed to respond to a certain word."
"A word?" Hammond frowned.
"Yes. As soon as somebody within a certain distance will mention this word, as a stand alone word, or even in the midst of a sentence, it would trigger the device." Carter explained.
"And the word is?" demanded O'Neill.
"We don't know yet, Sir." Carter looked apologetically at her CO. "According to Dr. Travis, Captain Potter has programmed it, so basically it could be anything." She turned to the General. "Since Captain Potter isn't stationed here, I think it must be something you say in certain circumstances, mainly to Colonel O'Neill, Sir. I mean, that would make sense. You would be within his reach, triggering the device yourself without really knowing it."
"Hmmm, that's a possibility," nodded Hammond. "Could it be Colonel?"
"No, we all use that word too often and it hasn't set off the device before..."
"So..." O'Neill motioned impatiently. "Can't this Tollan scientist rig the program and find out?"
"I suppose..." Carter agreed. "But why is that important?"
"Because I want to pay the NID in general, and a certain Captain in particular, a little surprise visit. Williams is in custody, right?" O'Neill looked around to see Teal'c nodding. "So... Potter has no way of knowing this Travis guy has removed the device..." he made a slight gesture with his hand towards the white bandages wrapped around his head.
"And?" Daniel interrupted, impatient as always.
"And I'm not going to tell him. Instead," he pointed at Major Carter, "I'm going to tell him that Carter here, brilliant as she is, has figured the damn thing out and has managed to reprogram it. The target isn't the good ol' General anymore, but Captain Potter..."
"Wow." Daniel looked stunned.
"That could work," Carter smiled.
"Colonel, are you out of your mind?" asked Hammond.
"Well, Sir," O'Neill said triumphantly. "In this case... I'd say it's all in the mind. Anyway.... assuming that I manage to convince this Potter that he really is in trouble, maybe then he will reveal who're the ones behind this. That's why I need that word, Carter."
"I will accompany you, O'Neill," Teal'c stated simply.
"Now... I don't think so," O'Neill started to object.
"Colonel," Hammond interrupted him firmly. "I've got to admit that the plan could work. But if you want to pull this off you're going to take Teal'c along and you're both going to wear wires so we can record the conversation for evidence."
O'Neill nodded. "Yes, Sir. Carter, put Travis to work and get that word for me ASAP," he ordered.
"Err, Jack," Daniel objected, pointing at his friend's head. "What about that bandage?"
"It has to come off," Jack said. "Let Doc handle that, Daniel."
"Not necessarily, Sir," Carter interrupted. "You can tell Captain Potter that the doctors have tried to remove the device, but that they weren't able to."
"Which would be a logical explanation," nodded O'Neill. "Good thinking."
"All right, people," Hammond decided. "Let's get some results. Colonel, I want you back in the infirmary, resting. Major, arrange the equipment for Colonel O'Neill and Teal'c. I want you and Doctor Jackson in the surveillance van following them. Colonel, you have a go at 1600."
So... now it's time for Jack to take things back into his own hands, don't you agree? Let the action begin!