Ellie looked back at Jack as she let the Jaffa escort her from the room. She smirked to herself at the sleepy confusion on his face and tried to imagine how odd it would look, watching yourself walk away.

Of course, that just gave her proof that her little ruse was working.

If they want Jack O'Neill, they'll get Jack O'Neill. Calming his fears took a lot of effort; tapping into healing skills she rarely had a need to use. But manipulating the surroundings to appear as Jack…well that was surprisingly easy.

Doesn't completely explain what's going on…yet. But this way, she could get information.

And no one would get hurt.

Hopefully…

The trio made their way through the building, walls and hallways blinking and fading as they walked past. She was sure the original trip took longer, but this wasn't real.

Apparently whoever was in charge of the charade was in a hurry.

Upon reaching the apparent destination, she was thrown back onto a wall, secured there by some sort of gravitational force. She got a moment to look around as the Jaffa left, before the supposed ringleader walked in. And as Ellie got a look at him, she had to stop herself from laughing out loud.

As much as I hate to think it, please let there be more than this…schmuck. This can't be what he's afraid of…

The man that stood before her was…well…posh. That's the only word she could come up with. But it fit. He had an overpowering air of arrogance, the utmost belief that he was awesome and he wanted everyone to know it.

And the look on his face said he was going to enjoy every second of what was to come.

But this wasn't Ellie's memory. It was Jack's. So she could see the cracks, see the hesitations of the players. She could see how everything flicked and flashed, like an old film reel.

The memory played on, all the action happening in a haze, as she remained pinned to the wall, her host standing in front of her smiling his cocky smile.

She saw the knives flying towards her, felt the faint echoes of pain they brought with them. Then the acid, every drop singeing through. She watched as Jack was pulled down and put in the glowing box, over and over – now dead, now alive.

She watched, but didn't react. She couldn't. But something told her Jack wouldn't have either.

Not if it was really him on that wall.

But, if it were someone else going through this torture…

The man's smile disappeared as he realized the charade was not going as planned. He walked behind the table, consulting a screen or monitor of some sort. He began clicking away at some sort of control panel. As he clicked, the playback of memories shifted. It was now on some sort of fast paced cycle, cycling through what appeared to be a lifetime's worth of memories.

Specifically – bad memories.

All she could see was a blur of motion, random sounds breaking through.

A gunshot. A woman screaming.

Crying. Pleading.

Urges to hold on. Don't let go.

They ran together, a jumble of thoughts and emotion. For even a casual observer, it was almost too much.

And then everything stopped.

Ellie blinked, trying to clear her sight, the sudden silence ringing in her ears. She looked up, again, at the man to find him glaring angrily at the screen – all macho-suprematism vanished. He found her gaze, eyes burning with frustration.

"These are not memories from you."

It was a statement, not a question. She felt it better to say nothing.

"Your mind…it's not here." He looked back and forth between her and his screen, growing more confused and frustrated by the minute. "You do not exist! What is this?!"

Ah! A question.

Ellie managed to hop down gently from the wall and approached the man. She grinned to see him take a hesitant step back.

"This? This is what I like to call taking advantage of a situation. A little information gathering." She looked down at the control center to see a random system of knobs and dials, the screen showing a flow of data. "So this is your dirty little secret? Trap them in a terrible memory and what? Interrogate? Probe?"

The man seemed to be slowly gaining his nerve back, regaining the step he had taken. He seemed to have gotten some reassuring news from his little console, which was now quietly beeping.

"No concern for you. We will adapt. You may have managed to cross the timeline, but you cannot hide your mind forever."

Ellie grinned as she slowly faded back to her own appearance.

"Who's hiding? You want memories? I'll give you loads."

The panic from the unexpected arrival – and rapid departure – of the two not-so-Asgard visitors was finally calming down as Daniel walked into the infirmary. Sam was where he'd last seen her, still sitting at Jack's side. Ellie was on a bed further down.

Carolyn had checked both of them in the briefing room, and then after they had been brought down. She assured them that both Jack and Ellie were fine – aside from the fact that they were unconscious. It wasn't a coma or concussion or anything worrisome.

They simply seemed to have fallen asleep.

That's all she could tell them – they were dreaming, deep asleep.

The real problem was that she couldn't wake them. And she didn't know why.

"Hey Sam," Daniel said quietly, resting a hand on her shoulder. She patted it, never taking her eyes off Jack. "No change?"

"No. Nothing. He's just…asleep. Ellie has been moving a bit, her EEG readings have been fluctuating on and off. But Jack…he's just…asleep. Peaceful." She smiled at the slight grin on the sleeping man's face. "Must be a nice dream."

Her smile faded. Daniel was right there with her – Nice dream or not, wake the hell up Jack!

"Cam has another set of guys going through the base, just in case. Doesn't look like there's any sign of our…visitors."

The monitor connected to Ellie flashed and beeped as her brain activity spiked again. Daniel peered over and found her eyes fluttering rapidly. A nurse came over to inject something into her IV, but it didn't seem to make a difference. She shook her head as she walked back to make a note in the chart.

"They keep trying to give her something to slow down the activity. So she doesn't burn out," Sam offered, casting a passing glance of concern over at the girl. "It doesn't seem to work. Her body just kicks it out."

"Could something happen? I mean, we don't even know what happened to knock them out."

"I guess it would depend on what the activity was," Sam replied, turning back to look at Jack. "I don't think it's anything to worry about."

"Sam…" Daniel knew she didn't want to consider the girl as anything more than a stranger come through the gate. But this blasé reaction…

"No, Daniel, I don't mean it like that," she said, noting the disapproving tone in her friend's voice. "I mean I honestly think whatever she's doing, she's doing on purpose. That's why she's rejecting the sedatives." She looked up at Daniel to find him still looking unconvinced. "She knew they weren't Asgard."

That got him.

"You think…? You think they were these…Unknowns?"

"I think whatever let Ellie through to us knocked out whatever defenses keeping the two realities hidden. So, yes, I think the Unknown finally found us."

Mitchell paced the control room gazing every so often down to the gate. As many times as he had marveled at it, found it incredible and awe-inspiring, there were almost as many times that he found himself cursing it.

This particular instance was the latter.

As the final search team called in the all clear, he quietly cursed under his breath.

Where the hell'd they go?!

He rogered up over the radio, setting up random patrols and standing down the search teams. He made a general announcement over the PA system to have everyone stay alert.

"Alright Walter. Keep your eyes peeled. I'm gonna swing down to the infirmary, check up on the general." He patted the sergeant on the back and had a foot poised over the first step when the alarm sounded.

"Uh…Colonel…"

Mitchell swung back around.

"Go ahead Walter. Say it."

"Unscheduled off-world activation," the sergeant calmly reported through his microphone, iris closing shut in front of him.

The control room was quiet, calmly awaiting the wormhole to engage. Cam watched as the security team made their way to positions along the ramp.

Finally, the whoosh of sound connected. He turned to look down at the monitor, silently ticking through the teams currently off world.

The IDC that finally popped did not belong to any of them.

It was SG-1's.

Walter turned to look at Mitchell, his questioning gaze looking for a command.

"Open it."

"Sir…?"

"Do it Walter." He walked over to the microphone and called to the gateroom, "Security standby."

Walter looked like he was going to question again, but turned instead to open the iris.

He didn't know why he was so certain, but Cam knew it would be okay.

Unless of course it's more formerly dead folks…

No sooner was the thought complete when he got a clear look at the two individuals walking down the ramp.

He'd never met them while they were alive in this timeline, but he remembered them clearly from when they had walked through from another.

Asgard are one thing. But Janet Fraiser and Martouf the Tok'ra…?

Cam reached for the phone, quickly dialing.

"Get me General Carter."