Author's Note: A question was sent to me via the fanfiction site, but for some reason I can't reply to that person (probably a site problem, considering the way things seem to be going there right now), so I'll respond to it here. The question was that I seem to be implying McKay is an American and not Canadian, and how do I justify having him at the beck and call of the United States. At no time did I say McKay was an American. I did have Hammond point out that he is doing research with Federal grants (money from the American government) and that is why he's doing what he's told. Which is similar to the series where he's working for the Air Force (at least they're the ones paying him) so he's under their jurisdiction. Anyways, thanks for the question and I hope that clears things up in case anyone else was wondering.

OOOOOOOOOOO

The briefing was over, but Jack wasn't finished just yet. Walking beside Ian on the way to the locker rooms with the rest of SG-1, McKay and Jacob, he spoke up about the thing that was worrying him the most.

"What if you can't figure out the point of origin?"

"I'll be able to find it, Jack. Don't worry."

"But if you don't?"

"Then I figure out another way to get us home. Maybe-"

"How are you going to power the Stargate to get home?" Daniel asked, suddenly. "We're taking the Zero Point Module…"

"There's bound to be another one there," Ian said, shrugging off that concern.

"And if not?" Sam asked.

"If not, I'll make something else. Jack did it with materials found here on Earth, I'm sure I can whip something up with materials left behind by the Ancients."

"But what if you can't?" Sam asked, again.

"I can."

"Well, I feel a whole lot better, now," McKay said sarcastically, proving he'd been listening in on the conversation. "Going off into the middle of God only knows where-"

"I know where we're going," Ian interrupted. "It's in the Pegasus galaxy. The first-"

"Oh, like that means anything," McKay said. "You're not even sure you can get us home."

"I can get us back," Ian snapped. "I'm sure as shit not going to spend the rest of my life in a deserted city with you for company."

Not to mention, he'd never screw SG-4 like that. He was sure he'd find the point of origin in the city's data banks once they got there – and positive that there would be some kind of power source handy.

"What if-"

"Just shut up, McKay."

"Don't tell me to shut up, you insolent-"

"Is there a problem?"

McKay's rejoinder was interrupted by the arrival of SG-4, who had been merely told they had a mission that they would be briefed on as soon as they were ready to go. Lieutenant Colonel David James was the commanding officer of the team, and he was the one who had spoken, cutting off McKay.

"Just some clashing tempers, Colonel," Sam said, smiling a greeting to the team as they fell into step beside the others. "Have you met Doctor Rodney McKay?"

"No."

"Doctor McKay will be joining your group for this mission, Dave," Jack said. "Did Hammond brief you?"

"No. He said we'd be briefed while we geared up. What are we going to be doing?"

"You're headed for Atlantis, to find some Ancients weapons that will help us take care of Anubis once and for all."

"Atlantis, huh?"

"See?" McKay said. "He doesn't believe the place exists, either. I told you that-"

"It's there," Ian said, cutting off McKay. "I've been there."

"So have I," Sam said.

"Where is it?" Colonel James asked. "Under the Atlantic ocean like everyone says?"

"In another galaxy," McKay said, waiting for the snort of disbelief he was sure would follow.

There was a pause as the colonel looked at his men, but then he shrugged.

"Should be interesting, then."

He was used to odd things, after all, and Hammond had chosen well when he'd chosen SG-4. Ian had saved the life of its junior member – Sergeant Emilio Dobbs – and that wasn't something any of them would forget. They were willing to trust that Atlantis was there, just because Ian and Sam said it was.

McKay shook his head in disgust, but before he could say something else, Colonel James spoke again.

"So what kind of unfriendlies are we going to find there?"

"There shouldn't be any," Jack said. "According to Ian, the Ancients didn't like the Goa'uld any more than the rest of us do, so Sam thinks that they have safeguards to keep them out of their city."

"It was deserted when we were there last," Sam said as they walked into the supply room where they'd get their gear. "So you probably won't see anyone at all."

"Well, that'll make it easy to search, then, won't it?"

OOOOOOOOOO

Sam and Ian did most of the briefing as they geared up, ignoring Rodney McKay's complaints about the vest he was wearing and the weapon that they gave him to carry.

"If it's deserted, then why do I need to have a gun?" He'd asked.

"Because it might not be deserted," had been the reply, and that had effectively ended that argument.

SG-4 consisted of the usual four people. Aside from Colonel James and Sergeant Dobbs, there was Major Jim Riley, who was a short black man with a build similar to Teal'c's, and Lieutenant Adrian Martin, who was only a couple years out of the academy himself. They were confident, and self-assured, and not at all worried about the fact that they were heading to some deserted city to search for weapons of a race thought to be long gone. They drew supplies enough to last several days – just in case – and each of them (not McKay) had a P90 to go with their sidearms.

"Take care of yourselves," Jack told them. He and Sg-1 had also been drawing their supplies and gearing up for their own mission, and sharing with SG-4 what their own mission was. As far as Colonel James was concerned, theirs wasn't going to be any easier.

"You, too, Jack," James said, shaking his hand. "And good luck to us all, huh?"

"Pretty much."

They were going to need it; that was for sure.