Here it is folks, Chapter 10. This was a fairly hard chapter to write. Getting into the Asgard mindset doesn't come naturally to me and writing Jack outside of a group setting proved difficult. Because of what's going on with him, I had to write him slightly out of character (ie- He uses BIG science words). WE all know of course that the dumb soldier persona is all a ploy to make people underestimate him... we know better =)
There had been very few occasions in recent memory where members of the Asgard race had been caught by surprise. Their highly structured existence was composed of predictable scientific research and dissertation that rarely lent itself to unpredictable occurrences.
Social affections and companionship were considered irrelevant. The Asgard were beyond such things, and preferred to focus their energies on advancement of technology to better assure the survival of their dying race.
While their altruistic nature also compelled them to assist the less advanced races in the fight against those who would oppress them, it was not out of affection but a sense of duty to the younger, less evolved beings that inhabited the same galaxy. The Asgard had found that forming attachments created uncertainty in their finely tuned order - something they did not appreciate.
The Asgard lived long lives and had even longer memories. Therefore to be surprised twice in only a handful of years was something to take note of. For it to happen to Heimdall, the lead scientist tasked to search out a solution to the Asgard genetic degradation problem, was conspicuous in that this particular Asgard had deliberately isolated himself in an effort to accelerate his research.
It did not occur to Heimdall that his isolation was perhaps a contributing factor to why his vessel was chosen over that of Supreme Commander Thor's, or any of the other vessels still in the vicinity of Halla and their new world, Orilla.
When his ship spontaneously initiated its sub-light engines, Heimdall's first reaction was to override the command and run a diagnostic program. When this did not work, he attempted to access the communications array to send out a distress signal to all Asgard ships, but his attempts proved futile. By this time, the ship had gone into hyperspace, streaking to an unknown destination through the space corridor.
His kind were not the sort to give into panic. Heimdall calmly redirected his attentions to securing the data he'd been gathering from his experiments, and downloaded it into a storage device that he could take with him should he be beamed out by a rescue Asgard vessel. This was assuming, of course, that his call for help had been transmitted, which was not all certain.
He attempted to bypass the system lockdown that had initiated when the ship had left the uninhabited solar system it had been occupying. The system was heavily encrypted with an unfamiliar algorithm. Whoever had taken control of the ship was not Asgard.
It was an odd feeling being able to leave one's body at will. If out of body experiences really did exist - if Daniel going all glowy on them and then asking Jack in a vision to let him go was any indication, he would bet good money on it - then this was probably what it felt like.
Another tick in the boxes of weird things experienced by SG-1. The funny thing was, he wasn't even the first one to go through this particular jaunt; Carter had laid claim to that particular first. It wasn't the most pleasant memory for him since he'd had to technically zat to death the woman he loved.
While he still felt emotions and had his memories firmly intact, there were no physical sensations in his non-corporeal state. The sensors in the outpost were limited and he was only able to access key systems like weapons, communication, and power. He couldn't actually see what was happening inside the dome and had no idea who was currently occupying it. He hoped it wasn't SG-1.
He left two of those systems alone and concentrated his efforts on the other. Time was crucial and the Dormata could only halt his evolution for so long. Already, he was approaching the point where the Asgard would not be able to reverse all the effects of the download.
A quick look at diagnostics he was running on himself confirmed further DNA changes. The codons were being altered and encoding new proteins. The intricate system of genetic switches were turning on dormant genes including those that had been introduced to his system by the Asgard. This pollution of alien DNA were mutating to produce cells that were alien.
He wondered briefly why this didn't frighten him. Anyone sane would be scared out of his mind, and the thought that he was no longer in full possession of his faculties worried him.
Jack had a vague idea where this was going and he'd done what he could to halt its progress, but his knowledge wasn't perfect and he wasn't entirely confident that he understood the exact trajectory of the transformation.
His only real hope of stopping or even reversing what was happening were the Asgard. But only if they got to him in time.
Heimdall's ship shot out of hyperspace just outside of Earth's solar system. The outer planets displayed on the sensors console clued the Asgard scientist as to his location. The familiar system alleviated some of his concerns as this was ally territory and familiar ground to many Asgard.
As the ship drifted towards the third planet, the ship's anti-detection system went online to prevent visual identification of the vessel. Even in high orbit, the unscreened ship could have been seen by conventional scopes used by the Humans.
Heimdall didn't have long to wait to discover the purpose of his visit. The transportation beam initiated with its distinctive whine, depositing a body into a previously empty stasis chamber.
Not a moment later, the ship maneuvered away from the planet before opening up a subspace window and leaping back into hyperspace. The whole time, Heimdall continued to stare at the being that had beamed onto his ship. It was Colonel O'Neill.
The Asgard scientist cautiously approached the encased Colonel, his head canting to the side, large dark eyes reflecting the dormant form of Jack O'Neill. He stared unblinking in curiosity, slightly awed to be in this particular human's presence.
So much of his work in the past solar cycle had involved this man and to be suddenly thrust into his company was a peculiar feeling. He'd met him in the past, but that was before Loki had performed his unsanctioned experiments and thrust O'Neill into the forefront of Asgard genetic research.
The rogue Asgard had discovered a way to regenerate cells at a predetermined point, slowing cellular senescence to halt further genetic degradation. This gave scientists like Heimdall much needed time to research solutions to their genetic breakdown. The introduced cellular mutations were at the limit of effectiveness, and the Asgard were desperately searching for a final solution. Many of his kind believed that Loki's contribution provided hope for saving their race. Heimdall felt that, while it gave them time, they were still far from the ultimate solution.
"Testing. Testing. This thing on?"
Heimdall blinked in surprise at the disembodied voice coming from the internal communication system. As if realizing his confusion, a hologram of O'Neill appeared behind him.
"Hey there little fella. How's it going?" O'Neill had his hands in the pockets of green BDU pants and was rocking on his heels. He frowned at Heimdall's startled expression. "You okay? Sorry about the whole…" he searched for the appropriate term for kidnapping and found nothing that suited him. "Anyway," O'Neill continued on. "So glad you got here in time. I think you won't mind one bit once I explain everything."
"I expect that you have good reason for this unexpected appropriation of my ship."
Jack raised his eyebrows and smiled. "Hey, that's a good one. Gotta remember that. Way better than 'Shanghai-ed'."
"What has transpired here, O'Neill?" Heimdall pointed a skinny grey finger at his motionless body.
Jack gave a dramatic sigh before answering. "Oh, you know, had another run in with a half-ascended, badly dressed, black loving, ego maniac and was forced to stick my head in one of those head sucking thingies."
"You wish for the Asgard to once again remove the knowledge of the Ancients."
"Ah, yeah, that too." Jack wandered over to the stasis chamber to study himself. "But mostly to discuss what exactly your sneaky little friend Loki did to me."
"I do not understand, O'Neill."
Jack turned away from his corporeal body to face Heimdall. "I was afraid of that."
Heimdall accessed a console and begun scanning O'Neill's body. It would take a few minutes for the diagnostic to complete and he decided to retire to the command seat while he awaited the results.
Jack followed him, knowing he would need to explain what he suspected was happening to him. In a much more serious voice, he got right to the point.
"According to the Asgard database you're the top guy - clone - whatever, in cellular evolution. This is one of the reasons why I chose you specifically to help me out with my current condition."
"In what way can I assist, O'Neill?"
"The Ancient repository not only downloads knowledge, but also triggers genetic hyper-evolution. A mutation of base genetic coding. A speciality of yours, I hear," Jack reminded him.
"Indeed," Heimdall acknowledged.
"The first symptom is increased synaptic activity. The repository attempts to evolve the recipient's brain in order to accept the unspooling of the database. But Human physiology limits further evolution. This artificial acceleration isn't compatible with our current level of development and instead of evolving to a state where ascension is possible, the body shuts down and death results."
"It is what was about to transpire when you first met our people, and it is what is happening to your body now," Heimdall pointed out with a slow even voice.
Jack raised his hand up. "Not quite. Something was different this time around. Something that wasn't present last time I took a download."
Heimdall moved his head slightly in realization. "Loki's genetic augmentations."
Jack grinned at the little Asgard. "Bingo."
Heimdall blinked at him in confusion. It always amazed Jack how well the little guys emoted with just a series of head movements and blinks. It briefly crossed his mind to explain what the expression actually meant, but dismissed that thought as quickly as it came.
"Never mind," he said with a wave of a hand, as if pushing the matter away. "The point is that Loki's hack job led to something unforeseen, and I need you to fix it."
The diagnostic console beeped at that precise moment and Heimdall moved to see the results of his scans. He shifted some control stones as he read through the information being displayed on the screens. "Interesting."
Jack hovered over Heimdall's thin shoulder trying to see what the scientist had found so fascinating. "What?"
"In order for Loki's procedure to work, he had to make certain changes to your genetic structure. Make it more robust, if you will. Human and Ancient DNA is sufficiently different to that of the Asgard that a promising result from human subjects would not necessarily yield positive results for Asgard DNA.
"Loki believed that the ultimate solution lay in creating an improved biological vessel that could hold the Asgard consciousness. Your ability to hold the Ancient database in your mind - however briefly - sparked the idea that an advanced Human/Asgard hybrid would be the key to his research."
Jack leaned further forward to glance through the Asgard text on the screen. It was Loki's research notes and most recent results of his work with Idun. He never really understood why the rogue Asgard had done what he did. Thor had briefly explained why Loki's and Idun's research was important and that it gave the Asgard more time to find a solution to their genetic degradation, but the Supreme Commander had been vague on details. He now understood why. "The little bastard was playing fast and loose with me," he muttered angrily. He turned to Heimdall with a dark expression. "Can you fix it?"
"I will certainly attempt to do so, O'Neill. While I believe that I will be able to halt the progression of the Repository, there will be permanent side-effects that I cannot do anything about. Your hybrid DNA has allowed the transformation to go further than what was possible in a normal human and the Asgard do not have the level of technology needed to reverse this progress."
Jack grimaced, before replying. "As long as these side-effects don't involve releasing one's burden and going all glowy, I'll live with it," he said making air quotes.
"Then we will proceed."
Jack deactivated his hologram and allowed Heimdall to work in peace while he contemplated what Loki had carelessly wrought. If the procedure was successful, then he would most likely not understand as fully as he did at this moment exactly what had been done to him. He figured that wouldn't matter. He'd still be really, really pissed at the little alien punk. How Thor and Heimdall could belong to the same species… well there were always those types in any race. He'd done some damned distasteful things in his time, so he wasn't one to cast… rocks.
He was probably more like the Lokis and Iduns of humanity than he was like the Thors and Heimdalls. Carter and Daniel were solidly in the latter category. His lover and his best friend were innately good inside. They didn't have to work hard on it like he did.
It was no coincidence that Daniel naturally went glowy when he did and he only hoped that when the time cames, so would Sam. He knew if anyone deserved it, it was her. Guys like him didn't deserve to go out like that, no matter how 'evolved' their brains had become. He had no idea if there was an afterlife or not, but he wouldn't cheat through genetic engineering just to avoid a more final end. If there was a grander plan, a real head honcho, then the only thing he could ask for was for his soul to be reunited with his son.
It was like he'd drifted off to sleep. One moment he'd been thinking about life, love and the meaning of the universe thing, then he was opening his eyes to an overly bright room. Spikes of pain lanced through his skull and he had to take a deep breath to stop himself from hurling.
The clear glass above him retracted allowing him to get up from the stasis chamber. He lay there for another minute, feeling the pain in his head fade into a dull throb. He clutched at his head before pulling himself up into a sitting position. Heimdall was standing beside the chamber observing him.
"Oy! My fron!" Ah, crap. He'd said fron.
"Do not worry O'Neill. It will take time for you to adapt to the activated areas in your cerebral cortex and subcortical regions of your brain."
"See, the most disturbing part of what you just said is that I actually understood it… and I do believe that you were speaking Asgard," he said, frowning at Heimdall. "What gives?"
"As I suspected, I was not able to fully reverse the effects of the repository. While synaptic activity has gone down by thirty percent, it is still well beyond the region of what is normal for humans." Heimdall walked over to the control center and brought up scans of his brain to point out the parts that were still showing abnormal activity. "I am uncertain which Ancient abilities you will retain, but from the modifications you made on my diagnostic system, it appears that in order to reach a state of Ascension, synaptic connections must reach a minimum of ninety-six percent at near zero neuron activity. You are now safely below those levels and should remain so, outside unforeseen factors."
Jack breathed out a sigh of relief. He'd been so close. The Dormata had provided that all important function of shutting down his brain to the point of coma while the synaptic connections in his brain continued to slowly increase. It would've been extremely useful if he'd been able to access the full criteria for Ascension before he'd deliberately frozen himself, but hindsight was a bitch. By the time he'd become aware what he'd done, he knew he had to go to plan B.
"So how about the Asgard part of it?"
Heimdall blinked at him confusion.
"You know? The whole being a hybrid thing… can you do something about that?" Jack elaborated. He'd removed himself from the chamber to stretch his legs and discovered that he was actually feeling great.
"I am sorry, O'Neill. What Loki did cannot be undone. It is now part of your genome and any attempts to reverse it would likely prove fatal."
Jack's shoulders slumped down, looking as if something inside him had deflated. He grimaced and looked away from the little Asgard. "Yeah… I kinda figured that. I guess I just had to ask." He shifted from foot to foot in an uncomfortable movement until something occurred to him that might just be extremely important. He squinted at Heimdall as if trying to gauge his truthfulness. "Just out of curiosity, with the Asgard genes floating around inside me, I'm not going to end up producing bald little grey guys am I?"
Heimdall turned away from him and started working on his console.
"No. Seriously. I was kinda hoping for blonde blue eyed munchkins. I doubt Carter would appreciate being surprised with an Asgard baby. Even if it turns out to be almost as smart as she is..."
They arrived in the new Asgard colony of Orilla, much to the astonishment of the High Council.
Their ship bursting out of hyperspace so close to the planet did not go unnoticed by Commander Aegir, who was charged with patrolling his new homeworld. The Valhalla instantly hailed them to inquire about the unexpected return of Heimdall's ship to the Othala galaxy.
Heimdall's succinct explanation had them standing in front of Penegal, Freyr and the Chief Archon a minute later. The sudden change in location had Jack's senses reeling. He still wasn't a hundred percent despite all appearances.
"You folks really need to warn a guy before you do that," he complained to the three Council members who were sitting up on a dais similar to the one in their previous homeworld. The decor was as clinical as ever, all greys and metals with subdued lighting. A beam of light was shining on him and Heimdall, but even with his now enhanced vision, he couldn't locate the source of the beam.
"Greetings O'Neill," Freyr said ignoring his outburst.
"Freyr! How's it going? New body I see," Jack greeted the council member with a ready smile.
"Many of us were injured in our battle with Replicators," Freyr explained.
"Well, you look great!" Jack gesticulated with his arms, making the much more still Asgard nervous. "The new body really suits you."
Freyr canted his head to the side. "We are curious about your presence here, O'Neill. Particularly in the company of Heimdall."
"Yeah?" Jack asked feigning surprise. "Me and Heimdall here-" he glanced sideways at his small companion. "go way back. Don't we buddy?"
"We do not understand," Penegal finally spoke up.
"You seemed to have moved house and I was kinda in a hurry to get in touch, so I got Heimdall here to give me a hand instead… 'cause we're old compadres, ya know? Anyhoo, he knew exactly what to do and I'm good now…" he frowned. "Mostly."
"We are concerned about how you located Heimdall's ship. His location was kept quiet from everyone apart from the council due to the sensitivity of his work," Penegal told him bluntly.
"See… it's a funny story, really. It involves a half-ascended Goa'uld; You've probably heard of him. Black cloak, oily skin, kinda spooky-"
"Anubis," Freyr said with a hint of disapproval, interrupting his description of the infamous Goa'uld.
Jack stuffed his hands in his BDU pockets and continued with his explanation. "Tried to enslave my fair planet. We kicked his butt to another plane of existence with a little help from the Ancients," he finished with a grin.
All three Council members stared at him in incomprehension before turning their attentions on Heimdall who was standing patiently next to Jack. The Asgard geneticist sighed in forbearance and proceeded to explain the whole affair as concisely as possible.
"Once again, we are in your debt, O'Neill," Freyr said to Jack with gratitude. "In giving Heimdall data from your transformation, he will be able to narrow and refine his research, giving the Asgard even more time find a solution to our problem."
"Yeah, well… next time it's your turn to save our butts," he said pointing a finger at all three Asgard.
At least that was part of the plan, but with all plans involving SG-1, something had to go completely FUBAR, and Jack ended up saving their little grey butts once more, with dire, far reaching consequences.
I actually have the next chapter written, but unedited. I can be persuaded to lean on my beta to get it done so I could post quickly ;-) As usual, many thanks to my awesome reviewers who continue to support this fic. There's quite a few of you (100+) following this story and I'd love to hear from you guys too. Reviews make me write faster!