"Since when do the Asgard hail us?" McKay asked as they all walked out to the control room.
"Since we put in the shielding device to keep them from beaming people out without permission," Daniel answered.
"It can do that?"
"The Ancients have been around a lot longer than the Asgard," Jack said, not bothering to hide that he was feeling pretty smug to have information that McKay didn't. The guy was such an insufferable know it all, after all, and it was nice to see him looking so impressed and surprised for a change. "It only stands to reason that their technology is more advanced."
McKay visibly started.
"It's an Ancient device?" He asked, looking at Sam and then at the workstation as they entered the room. "Where did you get it?"
"That's not important, right now," Sam said, feeling a surge of annoyance towards Daniel and Jack both. Fine for them to show off for McKay, they weren't the ones that were going to have to deal with his million questions about the technology – or be the ones to beat him back when he decided he wanted to take it apart and see what made it tick. She sat down at the computer, and looked at the readout.
"It's Thor," Harriman said, sitting in the chair beside hers.
"Let him in, Major," Hammond ordered, feeling a little smug at the fact that the Asgard had to ask now. Too bad they couldn't extend the shield around the entire planet and keep out the Goa'uld, too. Maybe Ian could think of something…
Sam palmed the device's locking scanner, and there was a gentle chime that indicated the shield was down. A moment later, with a flash of light, Thor materialized in the embarkation room. Sam raised the shield once more, and then joined the others as they headed for the door – all except for McKay, who hesitated at the workstation, obviously intending to take another peek at it.
"They're waiting for you, Doctor," Harriman said, pointedly.
They weren't waiting, of course, but he definitely didn't want McKay playing with the device, and that was a good way to get rid of him, in any event.
McKay scowled, but he followed the others, almost hitting the doorframe as he left, because he'd turned to look back at the workstation once more. Harriman made a mental note to talk to Teal'c or O'Neill about keeping McKay away from the control room before he could do something stupid.
OOOOOOOOOOO
If Thor was upset about not being able to simply beam himself into the SGC – or beam someone else out – he didn't let it show. His large eyes watched the humans as they approached, and he inclined his head slightly to Hammond.
"General Hammond. It is good to see you again."
"It's good to see you, too, Thor," the general replied.
"Is there something amiss?"
Thor was fairly good at reading humans by now – constant exposure to Shawn and Andrew had given him far more experience with the race than any of the other Asgard had, and he could tell that something was going on.
"We have a problem," Hammond said. "If you'd come with us to the briefing room…?"
"Of course."
They took the little alien to the briefing room and showed him the video taken from one of the cable networks.
"This is impossible," Thor said, watching the tape again. "The Goa'uld are not allowed by way of treaty to take any action that might upset the balances of power on this planet – or any of the protected planets."
"Well, someone was flying the ship," Jack said. "We were hoping you might have some idea of what was going on…"
Thor shook his head.
"We have only heard rumors of a power struggle among the system lords – and that was from a Tok'ra one of my people rescued from a life pod off of a destroyed mother ship. The Tok'ra are most likely the ones to ask."
"We already did," Hammond replied. "But they didn't know anything about this."
"The Goa'uld will not risk an attack on your world, General Hammond," Thor told him. "They know the Asgard will not allow it."
"So if they try something, we can count on your help?" Jack asked.
"They will not," Thor repeated. "The Goa'uld are well aware our technology far exceeds their own."
"But what about this Ha'tak?" Daniel asked, frowning. "Someone is obviously up to something…"
"I shall return to my ship," Thor said. "And search for an invasion fleet of some kind. If it was, indeed, a scouting vessel, then there will be a mother ship for the scouts to report to."
Sam nodded.
"Makes sense."
"And if you find something, you'll let us know?" Jack asked.
"Of course."
"How long will it take?" Hammond wanted to know.
He had to brief the President, after all, and it'd be nice to be able to tell him that there was nothing to worry about – at least as far as the Goa'uld were concerned. If there was no Goa'uld threat pending, then maybe the President would decide to simply tell the others that the vessel the entire world had seen was one of theirs – a prototype or something. Which probably wouldn't work, of course. Just another reason Hammond was glad that he wasn't the President and never would be.
"Not long" Thor promised, standing up. "I will contact you when I have news."
"I'll walk you to the embarkation room," Jack said, standing up. He wanted to have a quick word with the Asgard, anyways, and it wasn't like he was going to be able to just beam himself out without them lowering the shield again.
Thor obviously realized that Jack wanted to talk – or realized that whatever had kept him from beaming into the SGC before he'd contacted them was still in force – because he nodded, and gestured for O'Neill to lead the way.
"So what do we do now?" Daniel asked when they'd left.
"Wait for word, I suppose," Sam replied, leaning back into her chair. She wondered if the phone lines were still as swamped as they had been before, and wondered if she'd be able to get a call through to Nathan. She already missed Jacob terribly – although she knew that this wasn't any place for her baby to be just then. "If we're-"
The door opening interrupted her, and everyone looked over to see Ian walk through. He'd showered and changed into a clean uniform, and looked a lot better than he had when she'd last seen him.
"Sorry I'm late," he said as he walked in. "I-"
"Good, you're here," interrupted by McKay, who raised his hand slightly. "I'd like a cup of coffee. Be a good boy and get that for me, will you?"