Ian wasn't sure what to think. It certainly sounded like the little alien knew what he was talking about, but there wasn't any way he could know about the Ancients giving Ian that download. The Asgard hadn't been there – hell, it had been another dimension for Christ's sakes – and while Shawn knew about it, he'd only known for a couple of days, and hadn't been doing anything with Thor (much less this Loki guy) lately – and that was implying that Shawn would spout off about it, which Ian doubted he'd do.
Finally he settled for playing dumb, but was fairly certain that wasn't going to work – even as he tried it.
"What are you talking about?" he snapped – hiding his real confusion behind his very real anger, which hadn't faded a bit.
"Your kind are not the only ones who have found the dimensional doorways," Loki said, calmly.
"The what?"
Even as he asked, truly confused, he remembered reading in one of Daniel's notebooks about the dimensional doorway that SG-1 had found – although he'd personally never seen one.
"The doorway that brought another version of myself through to this dimension, where he told me all about the knowledge of the Ancients that you carry inside you."
"Bullshit."
"It is true, Ian Brooks," Loki told him. "I know about you. And I verified it myself just this morning when I watched you heal your friend. Although I do not understand how you were able to do it – or why you were so exhausted after you were done. The Ancients were able to heal others, as well, but they didn't-"
"You've been spying on me?"
That pissed him off even more. Not to mention, there was no way the little fuck was lying about knowing about the Ancients' knowledge. Not if he'd seen him healing the sergeant.
"I was confirming what I'd been told," Loki said. "I knew if it were true, that you would be the one I needed to get in touch with – to have-"
"'Get in touch with'? You kidnapped me, you stupid bastard."
"I need your help."
"That's too fucking bad."
Ian headed for the door, palming the panel that opened it. He was barely able to hide his surprise when the door actually opened, and he found himself out in a small corridor.
"Where's the door? I'm out of here."
Loki was right behind him.
"You cannot leave."
"Yeah? Watch me."
OOOOOOOOOO
Lieutenant Colonel Dave James opened his eyes when the dimmed lights of the infirmary were suddenly brightened a little more. Sleepy and disorientated, he sat up and looked around, and then looked at his watch. It was the middle of the night, but Doctor Fraiser was stalking through the infirmary with an odd expression on her face. Instantly worried that something had happened with Dobbs, James flagged down a passing medic.
"What's going on?"
She gave him a slightly forced smile.
"Nothing, sir."
He didn't believe that for an instant.
"Is Dobbs all right?"
"Dobbs?" She looked surprised by the question, which reassured him. If Dobbs had taken a turn for the worse, she wouldn't have been so surprised he was asking about him. Which meant something else was on her mind. "Yes. He's fine. Excuse me, sir, I have to get back to work."
She hurried away before he could ask her more questions, and James looked around, annoyed.
And then he saw Jack O'Neill walk through the door of the infirmary, with Jaffer and Sam, and knew something was definitely up.
"Jack!"
O'Neill looked over at his bed, and James waved him over. He watched Jack say something to Sam, who nodded, and then head his way. Even as O'Neill walked over, Teal'c and his yellow lab came through the infirmary door as well, and was followed by a slightly rumpled and annoyed looking General Hammond. Yeah. Something was going on, that was for certain.
"What's up, Dave?" Jack asked as he neared the bed.
"I was going to ask you. What's going on?"
O'Neill hesitated, but then shrugged.
"We've got a problem."
"What?"
"Ian's gone. I don't suppose you saw him leave or anything?"
"Gone? Did you check with the front gate?"
"Yeah. He didn't leave the base."
Teal'c walked over, nodding a greeting to James, who nodded back.
"General Hammond wishes to-"
"Say, Jack…" James interrupted, remembering something suddenly. "I don't suppose you checked to see if there are any Asgard in the area…?"
O'Neill frowned.
"What do you mean?"
"Earlier I woke up thinking I'd seen a flash of light. I didn't see anything else, and figured I must have been imagining it, but that's pretty much their MO, right? A flash of light and then you're gone?"
Jack nodded.
"You sure?"
"Not really…" James shrugged. "I just know what I thought I saw – and that it woke me up. But it's worth checking out, isn't it?"
Teal'c was frowning. Something you had to know him to realize.
"What time was this, Colonel James?"
James shrugged again.
"I'm not positive, really. I couldn't have been asleep all that long, though."
The Jaffa looked at Jack.
"Earlier in my quarters, Jack began to act oddly. He growled, and his ears flattened – much like they do when Asgard technology is being employed nearby."
"So you think it could have been the Asgard?" Jack asked.
"It makes sense," Teal'c replied. "Perhaps we should check the infirmary security camera to see if this flash is noticeable."
"Let's get Hammond," Jack said. He gave James a nod. "Thanks, Dave."
"Anytime, Jack. Let me know if you need help with anything else."
Yeah, like Fraiser was going to let him out of his bed to help with anything…
OOOOOOO
"You really think Thor would snatch Ian?" Sam asked about ten minutes later.
They were all crowded into Fraiser's office, the security tape installed in the player on her desk and being fast-forwarded to roughly the time that Teal'c thought Jack had started acting oddly.
Jack scowled.
"Not if he knows what's good for him, he didn't…"
"Let's not jump to conclusions, Colonel," Hammond said. "I just don't see any reason that Thor could possibly have to take Ian."
"Paperweight?" Sam asked, hoping to lighten Jack's mood just a little. He was incredibly tense, and already angry. Almost volatile. And they didn't even know that Thor was even responsible – although it certainly was the only thing that made sense. Even though it didn't.
Janet smiled. Jack didn't. His eyes were on the screen, which showed a darkened infirmary – no particular bed, just the room itself.
"Stop."
Janet stopped the tape.
"Rewind it just a little."
Even as it went in reverse, everyone who was watching clearly saw – even in the split moment of the rewind – an instant of brilliant white before the room went dark once more. Janet stopped the tape and played it in regular speed, and sure enough, the flash was there, coming from the part of the room that Ian's bed was in.
"Sonofabitch…"
Hammond looked over at Jack, looking just as furious.
"Let's get hold of Thor, Colonel. I want that boy back. Now."
