Thanks again for the reviews. They're very encouraging! As for Stoko's suggestion of a Tollan-esque device like the one used on Skaara/Klorel, I was intending on having a way of telling them apart at some point, but your idea is better than what I had planned - would it be OK for me to keep the suggestion in mind for later?

Chapter 6 – Conflict Despite Intention

"Ah, great," Jack commented grimly. "Back to the infirmary."

The rest of his team followed him inside, while Dr. Frasier was leading the way. He glanced back to see two SFs standing by the doorway – no surprise there. Hammond might know him very well and have a stronger working relationship with the commander of his flagship team, but for these situations regulations ruled. Jack reminded himself grimly that it wasn't just base security that the regulations dictated, as he let his eyes cross Sam in turning back to face Janet.

I felt that. What are you glowering about?

Never mind, Einar.

Oh come now, Jack, it must have been something.

Einar! Forget about it.

Einar made no verbal reply, choosing to stay smugly silent in the new knowledge of something to ask him about later. Though the alien had been initially tentative, he had quickly gained the confidence to begin asking questions – about Jack, his team, the SGC, Earth… granted, some answers were classified and Einar gave surprisingly little resistance about that, but he knew little about human culture and so decided to ask questions whenever Jack acted or felt certain ways.

Despite the extremely invasive and unusual nature of his situation, Jack kept forgetting that Einar was there. Being human, he had lived his entire life alone in the privacy of his own mind. He thought it must be easier for Einar to keep the situation in mind, as the trapped alien was experiencing feelings and actions in a completely new body which he was not currently controlling. Surely it would be hard to forget?

Part of his own forgetfulness was probably in no small part to Einar's very low key attitude back there is his head. He only really asked a few questions and observed. If he concentrated, Jack could tell whether Einar's presence was active, watching through his eyes, or dormant in some kind of mental sleep. Aside from that, he seemed to be avoiding being a nuisance.

A sudden question running through his head at seemingly random times jerked him back to the reality of the whole crisis, and he found it a strange mix of irritation and disturbed surprise. Einar was starting to remind him of Daniel with his attentive curiosity and questioning, but the mission to Hakon had really displayed the implications of the emotional link between the two of them; they could both guard their knowledge, but they could not hide their feelings. Jack had felt Einar's anger, anxiousness and despair, while Einar had picked up on a host of Jack's everyday sentiments - respect, fondness, boredom, irritation, wry sarcasm… the latter appeared to be of great interest and amusement to the curious alien.

Janet motioned for Jack to sit, and he resignedly complied to let Janet examine his arm.

"Any pain, Colonel?"

"Nope," he declared, "just a bit of an ache. I've been worse."

"Then you're healing just fine," Janet smiled. "It could have been a lot worse, sir. I suppose that's an upside to you being stubborn."

Jack smirked, and made to stand back up and leave. Janet stopped him and fixed him with a firm, no-nonsense gaze.

"Sorry, Colonel, but your under both doctor's and General's orders to stay in the infirmary."

"Doctor's?" he echoed incredulously. "But I'm fine, Doc! I can understand Hammond wanting to keep me in one place under guard, but -"

"In light of your condition with the Einar entity, I've recommended that you should stay here so your neurological state can be monitored. Just in case something unexpected happens."

Jack grumbled, but sat back down as Janet wandered to retrieve her clipboard from a trolley further down the room. The others took this as a cue to leave, giving short, informal farewells. Sam lingered, cautiously watching him as he swung his legs up onto the bed and settled in for a day of boredom. He didn't seem to notice. She turned to leave.

Jack's hand gently grasped her elbow, halting her retreat: "Carter… thanks for before… from both of us."

"It's no problem, sir," she smiled warmly, and as he realised what he was doing, he shifted uncomfortably and drew his hand away. "See you tomorrow."

So it's something to do with Major Carter, then?

Jack frowned, watching Sam leave.

Shut up.


Deep into the early hours of the morning, Daniel had made his way down to the infirmary ward, rubbing his eyes and yawning. He found Jack asleep, and one of the technicians further down the ward was having his hand bandaged by a nurse, but there was no sign of Janet anywhere. The archaeologist spotted a shaft of light from under the door of her office, and assumed she was there, keeping close to her patients.

He padded carefully to the medical bed, and gentle tapped Jack's shoulder: "Jack?"

The man's eyes blinked open, and he sat up abruptly. He held Daniel's gaze for a few silent moments, before looking at his hands and flexing the fingers, almost experimentally.

"Uhm… Dr. Jackson, yes?"

"Einar?" Daniel guessed.

The alien nodded.

"I thought you were giving Jack control?" he stated guardedly.

"So did I," Einar admitted ruefully. "Why isn't he?"

"Is he awake in there?" Daniel probed, his curiosity peaking.

Einar paused and looked pensive, before shaking his head. Daniel sat down, placing the notebook he carried down on a table. The alien controlling Jack's body pondered something silently, running a hand through the steel grey hair on his head.

"Interesting…"

"What is?" Daniel questioned carefully.

"Jack was very bored and I wished for something to take my mind off…"

Einar paused and looked down solemnly. Daniel grasped his shoulder after only a brief moment of hesitation.

"We tried out a few things, to discover more about this sharing situation," Einar continued. "I know nothing about it either, you see. It may interest you – you do study people and communications, yes?"

"Of course," Daniel nodded enthusiastically. "You… go ahead."

"We already know that we share feelings… emotions… as they occur. It seems to be stronger for the mind experiencing it – the other can detect a fainter version of it but even that can be intense. We can't read each other's minds, however. Knowledge can only be shared if the owner of it is actively willing for it to be known."

"Really? Odd that it's only one and not the other as well," Daniel's mind drifted to thoughts of Goa'uld and Tok'ra.

"True. Today, we experimented with control. Jack wasn't too happy about the suggestion, but he conceded that it was best to know what can and can't be done."

"And what did you find out?"

"Jack seems to have priority. I couldn't take control from him, no matter how much effort I put into it. I could only get control when Jack let me. On the other hand, Jack found it fairly easy to wrest control back from me."

"So, how can you be in control now?" Daniel raised his eyebrows warily.

"It must be because Jack's mind is asleep and so he cannot prevent me from gaining control. I'll have to let him know about this…" Einar made a mental note. "Did you want to speak to him? I could try and wake him for you."

"No, actually it was you I wanted to see," Daniel grabbed his notebook and flipped through the pages of symbols and scribbles, holding it out at the required section and pointing to one of the Norse runes. "What does this symbol mean? I can't seem to place it, even with reverences to languages from around ancient Scandinavia."

Einar looked at the rune, sitting right next to several bold question marks in pencil, and immediately looked back to Daniel: "To design, or to organise… I think."

"Isn't this your language?" Daniel frowned suspiciously at him.

"Yes, but I only learned your language several days ago by briefly looking into Jack's unguarded mind when he was being electrocuted. Hardly the basis for perfect translation," Einar pointed out factually.

Daniel rubbed his eyes, and nodded: "Of course… why didn't I realise that?"

"You look as if you need some rest yourself," Einar grinned. "Unless there's something else?"

"You could check some of these other runes for me…"

It took only a few minutes for Einar to confirm or correct the rough translations of two dozen other runes of which Daniel had been doubtful. The archaeologist thanked him and said his farewells, an idea forming in his mind.


"O'Neill."

Jack ceased his idle play with the yo-yo he had requested to stave off complete boredom and insanity (having long since finished off all outstanding paperwork in his ample spare time). Teal'c had entered and was marching towards him. Jack thought he looked more stern than usual, if that was possible. He liked to think he'd become very proficient at reading the almost unreadable Jaffa.

"Hey, T. What's up?" he greeted amiably.

"General Hammond has called a briefing to assess a suggestion made by both MajorCarter and DanielJackson. I have been sent to escort you to the briefing room."

It was then he noticed the zat tucked into Teal'c's belt. No chances were being taken – it explained his friend's slightly more formal and strict demeanour.

"Ah," was all Jack could manage.


Hammond scanned over the SGC-headed paper, a printout of Daniel and Sam's proposal outlined on it. Across the table, Jack was regarding the paper with similar surprise and distaste.

"Are you two seriously suggesting we actively sanction an alien entity to have control of an Air Force Officer!"

"General, with the information we both have, we're not making much progress. Einar has first hand knowledge of both the language and the technology we're dealing with," Daniel pleaded.

"I'm hitting dead ends with the reactor, sir," Sam admitted. "I only have half an idea of how the technology is put together."

Hammond fixed the pair with a withering, disbelieving gaze.

"For all we know, he could attempt to sabotage the reactor, Major. It is just far too dangerous to have this entity in control of Colonel O'Neill."

"I concur with GeneralHammond," Teal'c declared. "There is too great a security risk."

Jack waved his hand in the direction of the General and Teal'c: "Thank you! There is no way I'm letting this thing take me over."

'Thing'? I resent that.

Quiet!

"Jack, he hasn't given us any reason to not trust him, has he?" Daniel reasoned.

"Daniel," Jack warned in a threatening tone. "That's not the point…"

"Jack, just listen! If you want to get Einar out of your head as soon as possible, we're going to need his help," the archaeologist snapped.

"Then you can ask him through me," Jack retorted lowly.

Sam winced, and leaned past Daniel to raise an eyebrow ay her CO: "Do you really want to be stuck in the middle of discussions about naquahdah reactors and Norse runes, sir?"

"Not really," he stated, defeatist.

"Major, exactly how much difference will it make?" Hammond sighed.

"General, anything he can tell us will be a big help," Sam appealed. "And it'll be much easier if we can talk to Einar directly."

The General paused thoughtfully, tapping his fingers on the file. As much as Jack seemed to hate the idea, he knew that deep down he must prefer it to being stuck in the mountain with Einar in his head, unable to go offworld, or even home to his cabin.

"I can accept the proposal on the condition that it is for a limited amount of time per day, and Colonel O'Neill is kept under guard whenever Einar is in control of him."

Jack glowered at his team as he was ordered to relinquish control for three hours per day: Sam and Daniel for coming up with the scheme, and Teal'c for making no further protests on his behalf.

Your companions are correct, Jack. I could really help.

This had better be worth it.