The Stargate shut down abruptly moments after SG-1 emerged from the liquid blue event horizon with Jack O'Neill in the lead. The colonel didn't even break stride as he strode from the room with the rest of his team on his heels.

Dr. Jackson stopped only long enough to inform General Hammond, "Jack's been exposed to high doses of radiation."

Hammond looked up at the control room and ordered, "Have a medical team meet them and inform Dr. Frasier of the situation."

Davis nodded down to his commanding officer as he grabbed the phone on the desk in front of him.

"What happened, Daniel?" Hammond asked as the two men jogged to catch up to the other three members of SG-1.

"Details are sketchy, sir" Daniel admitted. "Jack was observing some Colonan scientists while the rest of us were touring the city."

"Stay back," Jack commanded as he stepped back from the orderly who came towards them from the opposite direction. "Don't touch me."

"Let's get him scrubbed down. Do we know what kind and how much?" Janet asked as she caught up with her more long-legged colleague.

"It was a device housing an unstable radioactive variation of naquadah. We think his right hand was exposed to the equivalent of over 8-9 grades of neutron radiation resulting from direct contact. Full body exposure of over seven," Carter informed the doctor unable to keep the emotion from her voice.

"Oh my god," Janet moaned before putting her own emotions to the side to care for her friend. She led him into the infirmary leaving the others standing in the hall.

"Doctor?" Hammond asked Frasier's retreating back.

"It's a lethal dose, sir" Carter explained to their commanding officer as she turned back towards them with tears in her eyes..

An hour later, General Hammond entered the briefing room where the three uninjured members of SG-1 sat waiting at the conference table. "As you were. Dr. Fraiser tells me there's nothing more we can do for Colonel O'Neill at the moment. In the meantime, tell me what happened," he said.

The three teammates traded a look before Daniel shrugged and Carter began to speak. "Well sir, as you know from our initial reports, Colona is one of three major countries on 4C3. What we'd learned since our initial contact is that they seem to be at a similar stage of development to that of the United States in the 1940's. Geo-politically there is obvious mounting tension between the nations," she explained.

Daniel interrupted, "Like our Cold War, sir."

Carter nodded before continuing, "The Colonans discovered their Stargate approximately 15 years ago. Unearthing it along with a number of Goa'uld artifacts in what appears to be an ancient temple."

"Their knowledge of the Gate is still limited," Teal'c added.

"But their interest is strong. When we told them what we could offer, they were eager to share any technologies they were developing that could potentially be offered in exchange," Carter said. She described their meeting with Jonas Quinn.

"He's an advisor to the High Minister," Daniel explained. "Their equivalent to our President. As we understand it, Jonas was responsible for overseeing the research from an ethical perspective. He had several degrees from their most honored education institution. Social Studies, Ancient Colonan history…He was a nerd, sir. He and Jack got along great," Daniel joked sarcastically before explaining what they knew of the Colonan experiment. He finished his explanation of the Colonan experiment by saying, "They were making a bomb sir."

Carter qualified Daniel's description by saying, "They were far from achieving a deliverable weapon but if successful it would have been as powerful as a Naquadah enhanced nuclear warhead."

Teal'c said, "The Colonans claim they were under the threat of oppression from their neighboring nations and the weapon would only be used to ensure their freedom."

General Hammond said, "Sounds like a situation we would have to be very careful about getting involved in."

"Yes sir," Carter agreed.

"I'm not sure we need to worry about that, General" Daniel said.

"How so?" Hammond asked.

Daniel said, "I don't think they want our help any longer."

"Something to do with how Colonel O'Neill was exposed to that much radiation?" he asked.

Carter said, "We were touring the city. Jack was at the research facility with Jonas. He was observing their naquadria experiments. He wanted to assess the situation more closely."

Daniel objected, "Still, we don't know…"

Hammond demanded, "What do you know?"

Daniel cast a sideways look at Sam knowing how difficult it would be to say these words aloud.

"Sir, they're claiming Colonel O'Neill sabotaged their research," Carter said.

"They're lying, General," Daniel argued.

"I also do not believe this to be true," Teal'c said adding the weight of his own statement to that of Dr. Jackson.

"They let us bring him back home on compassionate grounds," Carter said quietly.

"The fact is, they just didn't want us around there anymore," Daniel admitted.

"But they are demanding that he be returned to face the charges if he survives," Carter told him bitterly.

"What does Colonel O'Neill say happened?" Hammond asked. The three members of SG-1 traded a look which clearly indicated they weren't really sure. "Let's find out then shall we?" the general commanded as he rose from the conference table and led the others back to the infirmary.