"Fair enough," Jack replied, scowling slightly. He was still uncomfortable with bucking such a direct order, but if Carter was sure... "Daniel, why don't you start."

Daniel started slightly at his name; he had been staring at the tabletop, lost in thought. "Right," he replied, clearing his throat. "In 1928, an archaeologist by the name of Langford made an extraordinary discovery in Giza."

"That's where the pyramids are," Jack interjected, mockingly condescending.

"Yes," Daniel acknowledged, throwing Jack a look. Jack shrugged and Daniel continued, rolling his eyes. "As I was saying, this discovery was exceptional. An enormous stone-like ring, large crystals placed at even intervals around it, with hieroglyph-like carvings covering one side -- it was unlike anything anyone had ever seen." Daniel's eyes were taking on the passionate sheen they developed whenever he was really getting into his subject and Jack decided to take action before they got stuck in an uber-boring archaeology lecture.

"Yes, well," he broke in, much to Daniel's annoyance, "it was really weird and noone knew what it was. Fast forward 70 years --"

"Actually, it was more like 65," Daniel corrected without blinking.

"-- 65 years," Jack continued, not missing a beat, "when Danny here comes on the scene. Apparently he's really good at translating hieroglyphics, not to mention the fact that he's just trashed his academic career by saying that aliens built the pyramids --"

"I never actually said that," Daniel interrupted again. "All I said was --"

"Daniel! Not important!" Jack stopped him. "So Dr. Langford's daughter, Dr. Langford, recruits him to translate the glyphs on the thing. Ah, but they stump even the great Dr. Jackson." Jack was warming to the tale. "Until he realizes one night that they're not hieroglyphics! They're, get this, constellations."

Sam figured that the general in full story-telling mode was little better than Daniel, so she took up the narrative. "Daniel realized that the ring, actually called a stargate based on a tablet uncovered nearby, could be dialed like a telephone. Seven glyphs are needed to dial; six to locate a point in a three-dimensional space and one to serve as a point of origin."

"So, what does it do?" Agent DiNozzo asked.

"Ah..."

"Well..."

"That's the thing..."

"The Stargate establishes a wormhole to distant planets." Trust Teal'c to be so blunt, without even batting an eye at the information that everyone else found so incredible.

------------------

There was a moment of stunned silence in which the NCIS team digested the revelation and the SGC personnel tried to gauge their reactions. Daniel was scrutinizing the table determinedly, twiddling his thumbs while he waited for the usual expressions of disbelief. Carter wore a faint smile that was probably intended to make her seem more trustworthy; Teal'c simply sat as he had been, eyebrow slightly up in amusement more than anything else. Jack stared directly at Gibbs, waiting for his response. Suddenly:

"I knew it!" Abby burst out excitedly. "There really are aliens out there!"

"Aliens are a bit of a stretch," Kate countered, keeping her tone friendly. "I mean, just because we can go to other planets," she laughed nervously, "doesn't mean there are aliens there."

"Who do you think built the things, Kate?" Gibbs asked quietly, not taking his eyes off Jack. The two seemed to be engaged in some sort of silent battle of the wills, though what the stakes were was anyone's guess.

Kate blinked and fell silent, pondering. Tony, brow furrowed, spoke up next.

"You're telling us there really are UFOs out there?"

"Well, I don't know about UFOs," Daniel replied didactically. "We usually identify them rather quickly; not too many of them fly; and they're people, not objects. But, yes, they are 'out there.'"

"Forget 'out there,'" Jack scoffed. "Teal'c, take off your hat."

The large man obliged, pulling off the black ski cap to reveal his golden tattoo. Kate gasped softly, Tony blinked several times, and Abby's eyes widened in fascination. Gibbs merely raised an eyebrow and Ducky -- well, Ducky was Ducky.

"How extraordinary," he breathed, leaning forward. "I suppose molten gold is poured into a fresh cut? Likely a ceremonial knife is used; it would seem to be quite an occasion. Was it some type of rite of passage? Many African tribes similarly mark their adolescent boys as a symbol of manhood --"

"Duck," Gibbs stopped the doctor before he could really get going.

"Oh. Yes. My apologies."

"No problem, Dr. Mallard," Jack smiled. "At least your stories are interesting."

"Hey!"

"Did I say your name, Daniel?"

"Um, can I ask a question?" Tony broke in, raising his hand slightly as if in a classroom.

"That's what you're here to do," Jack answered. "Fire away."

"Well, all this is really interesting," Tony started hesitantly, "but what exactly does it have to do with the case? We were told a Marine was murdered."

"An excellent question," Jack crowed, stabbing a finger at Tony. "Daniel, I would love to hear your answer."

Gibbs frowned slightly, wondering at the background of the loaded comment. Perhaps it had to do with their earlier argument?

"Well," Daniel explained, "it doesn't pertain directly to your case, at least as far as we know. But we," he threw a look at Jack, "felt that you would be better off knowing the whole picture from the beginning. Sort of, ah, contextual evidence, you might say."

Jack snorted. "'Contextual evidence'...leave it to a linguist..." he muttered under his breath.

Gibbs' frown deepened. A government agency -- and one with an enormous secret, at that -- willing to put all the cards on the table from the get-go? It was unusual, to say the least.

"So," Jack exclaimed, clapping his hands on the table and standing. "Ready to do your thing?"

Abby stifled a grin, sneaking a look at Gibbs before commenting wryly, "Take me to your crime scene."