"... of all our collaborators who contributed to the success of this project. Warren Horizons has always believed in international cooperation. This project proves once again we can do extraordinary things all together," flashy green tie Thomas Warren declared to the journalist interviewing him in a showroom at Warren Horizons.

Rodney McKay stopped glancing at the television in the restaurant, and looked back at Akira Sakai, seated across the table. The men were having lunch together. Akira looked good in his suit with a tie, Rodney, a bit miserable in his sportswear and with his beard.

"I can change," Rodney implored.

McKay's words made Akira feel embarrassed. "Look, Rodney... You're brilliant. I learned a lot with you. But you're... uh..." Akira cleared his throat. "Your colleagues complained about you multiple times. Rory Nelson even quit Warren Horizons for the NASA. You made two assistants cry. With your history, you didn't help Carter keep you. And believe me, she wanted to keep you."

McKay looked at his dish, sad but knowing that his former colleague was telling the truth.

"I'm sorry, Rodney," Sakai apologized.

xxxxx

McKay parked his car. The lunch with Akira didn't end the way he hoped, but honestly, the probability to come back to Warren Horizons was so low... even inexistant. Why did he think about that idea by the way? Rodney got out of the car and walked to his house. He didn't notice the young man in ordinary clothing approaching when he was about to open the door.

"Doctor Rodney McKay?"

The man with a beard jumped and swore. He turned around.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you," the young man apologized.

"Who are you?"

"Lieutenant Philip Rossberg, Air Force Office of Special Investigations." He showed an ID card to prove his identity.

McKay looked carefully. Nothing weird. The dude wasn't an agent but an expert in Art and Antiquities. "What do you want?" McKay queried, confused to be visited by an Air Force officer.

"I need your help, sir."

"My help? Why me?" Rodney was even more confused.

"Because I think you're the only one who can help me."

"What makes you think that I can and that I want to help you?" the scientist asked abruptly this time.

"Because we can't say you're very busy these days."

McKay raised an index finger and opened his mouth to retort. Nothing came out because the lieutenant was right. Crap, he did his homework.

"And I think you'll be interested in looking into these," Rossberg added in a friendly tone.

The lieutenant looked around to check that the area was clear. Then, he took something out of his jacket. What he had to show was enveloped in a tea towel. The young man lifted the upper part of the towel to show black slats. In another life, these slats made the lieutenant be hired by the top secret program. McKay frowned, perplex.

The Air Force guy looked around again, then, confided, "I found these while working on an investigation-"

"They permitted you to bring these to me?" McKay cut in, taken aback.

"To make it short, nobody cared about these, so, I borrowed them. But we shouldn't talk outside where people can see us."

McKay didn't really hesitate. He had nothing else to do. This thin officer expert in Art and Antiquities didn't look dangerous... well, for the moment... In fact, for some reason, Rodney was curious about these slats and the mystery about them. He might get in trouble, that wouldn't be the first time. Hence, he nodded and opened the door. Rossberg followed him into the house after looking around a third time.