Author's note: Over? Of course not! I'd never end a Campers! Story without an epilogue, and we're not even to that point yet

~*~

"My Lord! We found something!"

The First Prime to Frenush turned at the call and stalked towards the Jaffa that were gathered on the planet surface. They'd been looking for hours, but had nothing to show for their time, and he was certain that if they didn't come back to the ship with something there was going to be serious punishments. The gods were very good at handing out punishment.

"What is it?" He asked in his gravelly voice, pushing aside an underling that was blocking his view.

"I... I'm not sure."

The object was certainly odd. And obviously something that the Asgard had designed. Only they could come up with something so simplistic, and complicated.

"There is no power reading, My Lord."

"Then why is it blinking?"

"I am not su-"

"Is it a weapon?"

"It says it is not."

"Fool!" He leaned down and looked closely at the writing. "Why would the Asgard go out of their way to say it is not a weapon? Obviously, they could not take it with them, and hoped to convince us it is safe."

"But... it is not all that large, My Lord. Why did they not take it into their ships with them when they left?"

"Perhaps it is dangerous. Too dangerous to put on a ship?" Another surmised.

The First Prime glared, and the Jaffa lowered his head in a submissive bow. But he could be right, and the First Prime had to take that into consideration. It would be folly to take a weapon to his Master that was a possible danger.

"Keep looking!" The First Prime ordered the others as he and those that were standing nearest him stared at the device, trying to figure out what it did, and what purpose it served.

~*~

"O'Neill?"

Thor had come looking for Jack, and had found him alone in the simulator room, where he was checking out the machine, wondering just how much it had taught the boy. Shawn was asleep in the cargo bay that held their supplies, wrapped in a sleeping bag and cuddled against Sam, who was dozing as well.

"Yeah?"

Thor walked into the room, and settled himself in the simulator chair, looking at the Human with his big, dark, almost expressionless eyes.

"What do you have planned for your young friend?"

"Planned?" Jack asked. "I thought we'd head for McDonald's and maybe get a –"

"For his future. He knows about the Asgard and the Goa'uld. Your SGC has managed to keep that a secret for many years, now."

"Yeah, and we plan to keep it a secret." Jack said, suddenly defensive. "We're not going to kill him or anything, if that's what you mean. He's a little boy –"

"I did not mean that," Thor said, looking almost shocked at the suggestion. "I mean, what will become of him? Will he join your program?"

"He's a little young, Thor."

"The young learn the best, O'Neill. They are without the set mind patterns that the old tend to develop, and learn far more rapidly."

"He can't join SGC, Thor. He's too young. His parents can't find out about this. They're great people, but we can't just let-"

"I understand, O'Neill."

Jack looked at the Asgard thoughtfully for a moment.

"Why do you ask?"

"The Asgard Commanders wanted a chance to speak with him. Once we are finished relocating the Pe'aoli. They think that someone so young and intelligent could –"

"Could what?"

"Could be an asset for your race, O'Neill. If he were trained early."

"I thought I just told you-"

"Yes. He is too young, now. But perhaps later."

Jack stared at the Asgard, unsure what he was getting at, but suddenly feeling just a little angry. It was all Thor's fault that Shawn knew about the aliens in the first place, after all.

"You know... we wouldn't be having this conversation if you would stop beaming me up whenever you get a wild hair up your-"

"Yes, it is my fault that he knows, O'Neill. I take full responsibility." Of course, Shawn knew far more than O'Neill knew he knew, and that was Thor's fault as well. "I am merely suggesting that the child can be used to- "

"We don't USE our children, Thor!" Jack yelled, his temper snapping. He realized yelling might wake up Shawn, and he most definitely didn't want the boy coming in to investigate, so he put a tight clamp down on his anger, and continued in as normal a voice a he could. "We nurture. We protect. We raise them up to be the best people they can be. And then, when they're OLD ENOUGH, we let them choose what they're going to do with their lives."

"He knows what he wants to do, O'Neill." Thor said. "He wants to be like you."

"No. He thinks he wants to be like me," Jack said, although he knew Thor was dead right. Shawn was well aware of what he wanted to be when he grew up. At least he thought he knew.

"Today he wants to be like me, tomorrow he might want to be a pig farmer. Whatever he wants, though, and whatever he becomes, will not be because I forced him into it."

The little alien was quiet for a long moment, looking at Jack, who was looking right back, unwilling to be the one to back down. Not when it was something so important. And personal.

"Very well." Thor got up from the chair and headed for the door. "We will arrive in orbit around your planet in approximately three hours. Please do not break the simulator in the meantime. We will be needing it."

"I'm not going to break-"

Thor was gone, though, and Jack was defending himself to a closing door.