"Good evening…"

This time he didn't call them the people of the Earth – or his fellow Americans. It wasn't so corny this way, and Hayes much preferred the simple greeting. Of course, the media didn't care one way or the other; they were just eager to know what he was going to tell them.

"We understand how anxious you all have been about the recent events, and understandably so. We want to assure you that we're already in the process of preparing for a world summit – right here in Colorado – to discuss what actions we can take to prepare our world for any such attacks in the future – now that we are all aware that we are definitely not alone out there."

He knew just by looking at them that they had a million questions for him, but he didn't give them a chance to ask any of them. However, he also knew the burning question that was on everyone's lips, and to take the attention off the summit, he answered it before they could ask.

"We are pleased to announce that we have managed to confirm the identities of the two people who crashed into the field in Northwest Iowa…"

And now the room was completely silent, as the media reacted exactly as he'd anticipated. They wouldn't ask him anything, now. All they'd want to discuss – even in their home studios with the talking heads – would be the two people he was about to make worldwide celebrities. Hayes looked down at his notes, even though he knew the names by heart.

"Lieutenant Ian Brooks is a recently graduated cadet from the Air Force Academy. A top student who…"

OOOOOOOOOOO

"I can walk."

Janet Fraiser gifted Ian with a look he knew well.

"You'll be more comfortable on a stretcher."

Which really meant that she didn't care what he wanted, and he'd do what she said.

He scowled, and watched as one of her medics pulled all the monitors that were keeping track of his progress aside and wheeled in a gurney to put beside his bed. A moment later, with the help of another medic, he was transferred smoothly over to the gurney and warmly bundled up.

"It's too hot for all these," he complained.

"It'll be chilly up on the roof," Janet told him, turning to watch as the medics repeated the process with McKay.

"I don't see why we have to fly…"

"A helicopter is the only way to medivac you two without having the media swarm us."

It was hardly the first time she'd answered that question, after all. Ian was – not surprisingly – not at all excited at the thought of being taken back to Cheyenne Mountain in a helicopter. Or any other flying machine, for the matter. The problem was, they have a handful of new questions to ask. Questions that the powers that be weren't ready to answer just yet.

"Relax, Lieutenant," McKay said as they bundled him up as well. "At least you're not flying this time."

"Screw you, McKay," Ian snapped as one of the medics went to the head of his gurney and started pushing him out the door.

Janet merely smiled.

OOOOOOOOO

They were met in the corridor by SG-1, Shawn and Andrew – who were all flying back with them. Jack was grinning.

"Congratulations, Lieutenant. You're officially famous."

"What?"

"The President just released the names of the two people pulled from the alien aircraft in the Iowa field. You and Doctor McKay here are headline news everywhere in the world right now."

"Can I have your autograph, Ian?" Shawn asked, pretending to hold out a pen and piece of paper.

Ian just scowled.

"He released my name, too?" Rodney asked, looking far more excited at the prospect than Ian had.

Sam nodded.

"Yup."

"Excellent. Now I'll have-"

"To buy bigger hats?" Jack asked, interrupting.

McKay scowled, but everyone else grinned. Everyone but Ian, who was starting to feel just a bit queasy as they reached the elevator that would take them to the elevator pad at the top of the building.

"Cute," McKay said. "You're just jealous that I'm the one getting all the publicity and you're not."

Jack rolled his eyes toward the ceiling as if asking for divine assistance in dealing with someone so annoying.

"Actually," Sam said. "You're not the only ones who will lose their obscurity tonight."

OOOOOOOOOO

"I know many of you are wondering about the air battle over Antarctica…" Hayes continued after he'd finished telling the press as much about Ian and McKay as he could without really getting into a lot of personal details. Details he really didn't have just then, but that the press would undoubtedly find out for themselves now that they had names to research. "We now have more details about that, as well…"

Not a lot of details, but more than enough to make sure they were satisfied that he – and the other governing bodies of the world – weren't actually trying to hide anything.

OOOOOOOOO

"Is this really such a good idea?" Weir asked, watching the press conference from the side with General Hammond, who seemed distracted.

"It's not going to be full disclosure, Doctor Weir," Hammond told her. "Just some of the bare bones. We'll let the media put the flesh on them by themselves."

They would, anyways. Even if they weren't even close to being correct.

"Is he going to tell them about the group that was sent to Atlantis?"

Hammond looked over at her, speculatively. He didn't know her – had barely met her only a couple of days before – but she certainly seemed to be obsessing over the Atlantis thing. Of course, he might be too if not for the fact that he had a lot on his mind – including Hayes' offer to become the Vice President.

"No, I don't believe that will come up. Not until we know more to tell than we do."

"More about the city, you mean?"

Hammond shrugged.

"Probably."

"We'd have to go there to find out…"

"We have a couple of people who have been there. They can-"

"It's not the same, though," she pressed. "The Lieutenant and the doctor were in a hurry. There's no way they could have explored it enough to know what's truly there. Who knows what we could find if we-"

"Are you talking about sending a reconnaissance team to Atlantis, Doctor Weir?"

It was her turn to shrug.

"Why not?"