"You wanted to see me?"
Hammond nodded, waving Jack into his own office – since his had been taken over by the President.
"Welcome back, Colonel, and well done."
O'Neill smiled as he walked into his office with Jaffer at his side.
"It was nothing."
Hammond smiled, and shook his hand.
"All in a day's work, huh?"
"Isn't it always?"
Jack sat down, Jaffer putting his nose in his lap in a silent plead for attention as soon as he was settled.
"How are Ian and Doctor McKay?"
"Ian was fine until we got him on the helicopter. Now he's looking pale and green. McKay's even better than he should be."
"Oh?"
"Fraiser's pretty sure that Ian had something to do with that, but Ian won't admit to it and McKay won't tell her anything."
It was clear that O'Neill had no idea why Ian would have done anything for someone who was as annoying as Rodney McKay, but Hammond didn't press the issue.
"What about the gunshot wounds I heard about?"
Jack shrugged.
"They're not talking about that, either."
"What do you think happened?"
"I don't have a clue. If it were just McKay who'd been shot, I'd say Ian's temper got the better of him and he shot him, but there's no way McKay could have shot Ian – and Ian's been shot twice to McKay's once. Besides, I checked Ian's Glock and it hasn't been fired recently."
Hammond frowned.
"Do you want me to ask him?"
"Nah. If it's important, I'll find out one way or the other."
He did have Sam and Cassie both available to him to garner information, after all.
The General nodded, and then cleared his throat, suddenly looking a bit more tense than he had a moment before.
"The reason I asked for you to come see me was to brief you – personally – on a few things you need to know about before the official briefing with the world diplomats in the morning…"
Now it was Jack's turn to frown.
"Oh? Like what?"
"Kinsey – excuse me, Vice President Kinsey – is about to tender his resignation as Vice President…"
"Which couldn't happen to a sleazier guy," Jack said, shrugging. "What does that have to do with me?"
"It could have a rather significant impact on the SGC," Hammond told him. "Especially in light of the fact that President Hayes has asked me to replace Kinsey."
"You're kidding."
Hammond shook his head.
"He asked me today. And then proceeded to assure me that there was no way I wouldn't clear the Congressional hearings on the matter – if they even held any to debate it."
"Because of the way you handled this most recent crisis…" Jack said, making it a statement and not a question.
"Yes. And because other world saving efforts are going to be declassified sooner rather than later. Especially the ones that turn the SGC out in a favorable light."
"Which will turn you into a political tool…" Jack said, scowling. It was obvious he didn't like the idea, and couldn't believe Hammond was even considering it.
The General nodded.
"Someone's going to be," he replied. "Right now, it's Ian and McKay – and you and Sam and your team. If I accept the nod for Vice President, I can try and keep the limelight off the rest of you."
"If you didn't accept it, you might be able to anyways…"
Hammond shook his head.
"You haven't been around here, Jack. The media is going nuts. Not just ours, but everyone's – all around the world. They're anxious for someone to parade in front of the cameras."
"So where would that leave the SGC?" Jack asked. "With me in charge?"
Hammond hesitated, and then shook his head.
"That was another thing I wanted to warn you about…"
Now O'Neill's expression grew wary.
"What?"
"The diplomats are talking – and have almost convinced themselves – of the need for a new organization. A world-wide organization. One dedicated purely to defense."
"Oh?"
Hammond nodded.
"The HomeWorld Defense group would be in charge of assessing all dangers that appear from outer space."
"Which is what the SGC does," Jack said.
"The SGC will still be dealing with the dangers inherent in using the Stargate… the HomeWorld Defense would be more along the lines of protecting Earth from alien threats that appear from outside our solar system by spaceship…"
Jack shook his head, wondering whose brilliant idea that had been.
"It sounds like a waste of time to me. That's what NORAD already-"
"This wouldn't be the same, Colonel," Hammond said. "This organization would be answerable to a committee made up of representatives from several other countries as well as our own. NORAD is strictly ours."
Jack shook his head again.
"There's more…" Hammond told him. "The diplomats here already have an idea for the commanding officer of this new organization."
"Who? You?"
Hammond shook his head.
"I'm going to be the Vice President, remember? I won't be answerable to anyone but the American people. Besides, the diplomats think that whoever is in charge of this organization should be fully able to defend the Earth at any moment… using the new weapon that we now have access to."
"But I'm the only one who has ever used-" Jack stopped cold, staring at Hammond as the realization of what he was saying finally came through. "No. Absolutely not."
"The only other choice would be Ian…" Hammond said. "They want a hero. Someone who can use the weapon and who has already saved the world. You have the experience for something like this. Ian would be a disaster."
"They can find someone else…"
Hammond shrugged.
"They haven't all agreed on you… but I thought I'd warn you in advance, because it will almost certainly come up in conversation while you're briefing them in the morning and I didn't want you to be floored by the suggestion."
"I'm not going to do it."
"You might not have any choice."
"I can retire."
Hammond shook his head.
"No. You can't."