Author's Note: You know what? It's hard to write a lot of mass confusion sometimes! I hope this chapter comes out sounding okay, because there's a lot of confusion going on at once. :)

OOOOOOOOOO

"Let me get this straight…" Hammond said, pacing the floor of an improvised briefing room and glaring at the members of SG-4 who were all seated around the table. "None of you remember Ian or Doctor McKay going through the wormhole with you…?"

Colonel James and his team had watched the video several times, had actually witnessed exactly what Hammond was saying, but all four of them still shook their heads.

"No, sir. We left this morning for the Alpha site to see about getting in contact with the Asgard from a different location than Earth…"

"You left almost two days ago, Colonel," Hammond told him.

Frustrated, James shrugged helplessly.

"I'm sorry, sir. I don't have any memory of Ian or Doctor McKay coming with us. And I'm pretty sure I'd remember going someplace like Atlantis…"

Hammond sighed, wishing that Major O'Neill were here. She could probably figure out what was going on.

"So you have no idea where Ian or Doctor McKay are…?"

"No, sir."

The others shook their heads as well, equally perplexed.

"Didn't the Ancients hijack the Stargate when Ian was going to the Alpha site?" Shawn asked from where he'd been sitting off to the side with Andrew, hoping to hear some word of what was going on with Ian.

Hammond nodded, chagrined that he hadn't actually thought of that. Of course, he had a million other things to think about just then, but still…

"You think that's what happened?" Andrew asked.

Shawn shrugged.

"Unless someone else has the technology to do it… I know the Asgard don't."

And the Asgard didn't have any reason to snatch Ian anyways.

"So where do you think they are?" Colonel James asked, annoyed now that the mystery was probably solved. He hated the thought of anyone screwing with his mind - even the Ancients.

"Hopefully they're the ones who-"

A knock on the door interrupted Hammond, who turned, annoyed at the interruption. An Airman stuck his head in the door.

"Sir? You need to see this."

"What is it, Airman?" Hammond asked.

"A space ship just crashed into a farm in Iowa," the Airman told him. "It's all over the news…"

"What?"

"A-"

Another person hurried up the open door. This one was a Marine.

"Sir. Colonel O'Neill and the others have returned. They just parked the Tok'ra ship in the auxiliary parking lot…"

Hammond rubbed his face, shaking his head.

"Tell Colonel O'Neill I need to see him, immediately. I'll be in the briefing room."

There was a TV monitor set up there.

"Aye, aye, sir."

The Marine left, and Hammond, Shawn, Andrew and all of SG-4 followed the Airman to the briefing room, where all the dignitaries were standing around the monitor, silently watching what looked like some local reporter – someone who was so excited she was stuttering. And with good reason, Hammond saw, as he got the first look at the screen.

The scene was incredible. A ship that Hammond recognized as one of the Ancient's gateships was crumbled at the edge of a cornfield, a long trench behind it showing just how fast it must have been going when it crashed, and a lot of people standing around, pointing and chattering. There were emergency vehicles all over the area, with official looking people – most of them county sheriffs from the look of their uniforms – although there were also firemen, police and medical personnel.

"…in case you're just joining us," the reporter said, obviously repeating something she'd said several times already. "A strange ship that appears to be of alien designation has crashed into this cornfield in Woodbury County, just east of Sioux City, Iowa, less than an hour ago. There is no indication that this is the mothership that the-"

"Why don't we have any government officials there?" Hayes interrupted, looking at Hammond.

Since this was the first Hammond had heard about it, he didn't have an answer, but Harriman did, and he spoke up.

"We have US marshals from the federal building in Sioux City already on the way to secure the crash site, sir," he said. "And a National Guard unit on the way to the hospital that the occupants were airlifted to."

"What occupants?" Hammond asked.

"There were two people on board, General," the British Prime Minister said. He'd seen the story twice, now, since it had first aired. "It's uncertain whether they're aliens or not, however."

"The news is rather sketchy," Hayes agreed. "They're all going by what this one reporter is telling everyone – and she's only there because she intercepted the call to the sheriff that was made by the farmer."

Hammond looked back to the screen.

"Two people?"

Before anyone could say anything in response, there was a commotion at the entrance to the briefing room.

"What's going on?"

Jack and SG-1 had arrived.

"You're not going to believe this, Jack," Colonel James said, shaking his head, while at the same time smiling a greeting to Sam.

"Dave," Jack was genuinely glad to see the commander of SG-4, and he shook hands with him. "Good job on the Goa'uld ship."

"I'd say thanks if I had anything to do with it…" James said, ruefully.

"Colonel," Hammond interrupted before Colonel James could say anything else. "Get your team ready to go."

"What? Where?"

They'd just gotten back.

"Sioux City, Iowa," was the response. "Shawn can tell you what's going on while you get ready." He knew as much as anyone, after all.

Hayes turned to Harriman.

"As soon as we get confirmation on the identities of the two people from the crashed ship, I want to know."

He had to make a speech, after all, and as quickly as all the news channels were jumping on this downed space ship story, he was going to have to have as much information as he could as quickly as he could get it.

"Yes, sir."

"Downed space ship?" Sam repeated, frowning.

"Get going," Hammond ordered.

"Come on, Jack," Shawn said, knowing that Jack could be the stubborn one who might slow things down if he decided to. And Shawn definitely wanted to know if the Ancient ship that crashed was carrying Ian. "I'll explain as we go."

There was no way he was going to miss this, after all. Not if he could help it, anyways.