Author's Note: Once again, please remember that I'm not making any political statements with this story. It just happens to have politicians in it. (and if I left out your country, don't be too upset with me!
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One thing that a President – or any politician for that matter, no matter what part of the world that he or she is from – relies heavily on is a speech writer. A good speech can make things happen where people would never have before believed possible. Just ask John Kennedy, who with one single speech had convinced a nation that it was possible to walk on the moon, or Martin Luther King, who had convinced that same stubborn nation that all men should have the same rights, regardless of color. There were hundreds of examples throughout history, some positive, many negative, but all of them were examples of just how important a good speech was – and a good speech writer.
Henry Hayes had a good speech writer. A brilliant woman named Clara Martinez, who seemed to understand what he wanted to say, even when he wasn't exactly sure how best to say it. She could write a speech that could – and had – moved hard people to tears and filled even the most pessimistic heart with a bright patch of hope at one time or another. The only problem was, she was sitting at home in Maryland, and Hayes was under a mountain in Colorado. The last thing he'd been thinking when he'd left for Cheyenne Mountain was that he'd need a speech, after all.
So it was the other diplomats themselves that actually assisted him with the speech, each one helpfully adding what they thought might be the right touch to keep their people – and the others of the world – from panicking and making things even worse than they already were. It would be Hayes who had to actually convince those who would listen that his words were sincere, but he was good at that, and the speech that they came up with eventually seemed good enough to do the job – if not as perfect as Clara Martinez would have come up with. It was short, but held (hopefully) just enough information to be plausible and withheld enough (again, hopefully) to keep people from being as scared as they should be.
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They went up top to deliver the speech. Mainly because there was always a chance that some eager reporter might go somewhere he or she wasn't allowed, and take a picture – or worse – a video – of something that the world didn't need to see just yet. They'd know it all soon enough, once this crisis was over, after all. While the press gathered in a conference room in NORAD, the world leaders who had converged on the mountain put on their best politician faces – just enough solemnity with a hint of self assuredness – and joined Hayes in front of the cameras when they were introduced.
The President of the United States looked over the small crowd and took a deep breath that none of them could see. Looking down at the typed page his aide had placed on the podium before the introduction, he wished once more for Clara, and then cleared his throat to announce he was ready to start speaking. What little noise there had been in the room ceased immediately.
"My fellow Americans, and people of the earth. As I'm sure you all know, our air space – and that of the entire planet – has been shut down for the time being. This is due, as I'm sure many of you already suspected, to the odd ships that have been sighted in our skies the past day and a half. While none of these ships have given us any reason to believe they have hostile intentions, we felt that it would be safer for you if we didn't take any unnecessary risks with commercial and private flights."
He paused for a moment, giving those listening a chance to absorb what he'd said, and then continued – this time with carefully calculated informality.
"Now, we don't know what these ships – or the people who are flying them or sent them – are up to. The governments of the world are putting all our assets into finding out, though, and we ask that you, the people of the world, do your best to keep from panicking, and support your neighbors as they attempt to do the same. It's a scary time, and we understand that, but we also want to remind you that you have the militaries of the world protecting you – no matter which country you live in, or what part of the world you live in – and that's no small thing."
Again a pause, this time to let that sink in – and for those leaders and ambassadors behind him to nod their agreement with that statement – and Hayes continued.
"We're working on figuring out a way to establish communications with these folks now, and hope that we'll have more to tell you soon. Until then, please do your best to carry out your daily activities as you normally would, and again, try your best to stay calm. We'll give you more information as we develop it, but at this moment we don't have any time frame for an update."
He stopped, and there was actually a pause before the reporters started firing questions at him and the other leaders. Hayes ignored them all – as did the others – and they stood there a moment longer, giving the world a chance to see all of them together united, then they filed out of the room, leaving the reports to start answering questions from their own stations. By now, the speech he'd just given would already be getting translated and sent off to the affilitiates overseas.
"Not bad," the Russian ambassador said.
"Thanks." Hayes took another deep breath. He didn't mind public speaking, really, but man what a mess they were in! He looked at Hammond. "How long until Colonel O'Neill and the others get back?"
"There's no way to tell, sir. Lieutenant Brooks might even beat them back if he finds what they're looking for before SG-1 gets finished modifying the Tok'ra ship."
"Will they contact us first?"
"I'm certain they will."
"Then let's go back down and wait to hear from them."
"I hate waiting…" the British Prime Minister complained.
There were murmurs of agreement, but they didn't have any choice – and they all knew it. They started for the elevators.
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It was ridiculously easy.
Ian had given Sam and Thor as much information on the cloaking device as he could – and had shown Sam how to modify the relays on the ZPM when they found a ship with a ring device. He hadn't known enough about the Tok'ra and Goa'uld technology to show her and the others how to adapt the ring device to make it more powerful – and to make it actually cut through the ice of the glacier rather than go through the molecules of the ice – but they didn't need him to. Jacob and Selmac knew more about the Goa'uld technology than many of the system lords, and with Sam and Thor's assistance, it was only a matter of twenty minutes or so before the necessary modifications were made. Easy.
Now it was a matter of them cloaking their ship to prevent it being discovered when they returned to Earth, and that they could work on as they headed back home – not through the gate this time, unfortunately – but a direct flight, which would take them almost 18 hours, but it couldn't be helped. Hopefully Anubis wasn't in any hurry. Even better, maybe Ian would get back before that with whatever he had up his sleeve. They couldn't count on that, though, and they all knew it.
"We're ready, Teal'c," Sam called towards the bridge of their little ship.
The Jaffa engaged the engines, while Thor took the opportunity to send a distress call out to his own people. They wouldn't receive it immediately – the little ship didn't have the same communication advancements as his battle cruiser did – but it would be received eventually, and then the Asgard would know what was happening, and would be warned. Hopefully, they would have a plan of their own on how to help the people of the planet Earth without becoming victims themselves.
"We are ready to enter hyperspace," Teal'c announced, mainly to Thor since he was still fiddling with the communications.
The Asgard nodded.
"I am finished."
Teal'c nodded, and pressed a button on the main control panel, and the ship jumped into hyperspace instantly – almost as if it were just as eager to get back as its occupants were.
All they needed now was time.
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Another author's note, sorry: If someone in my forum could link this there, I'd appreciate it. I won't be online for another 12 hours or so at least. Thanks!