Not one of my better chapters, but one of those necessary filler ones to keep the story flowing. Hope it doesn't put you off complete LOL. Anyways, reviews are greatly appreciated as ever, so let me know if you want me to keep going!

Chapter 9: Interrogation

SG-1, plus a modified reactor and a portable hard drive, tramped back down the Stargate ramp. Hammond welcomed them from the control room.

"How did it go, Colonel?"

"Fine, sir – no problems for a change," Jack replied, almost jovial.

Sure, he had no interest in power generators, Norse runes or the philosophical ramifications of mind-transfer that Carter and Daniel kept going on about. He had also been forced to let Einar take over for a while to help them get the generator hooked up to the lab, only to be consigned to stay out of the way with Teal'c and keep quiet. Yet, the chance to get out of the mountain was enough to improve his mood.

"One alien database ready to pick apart!" he added.

"Debriefing in half an hour, SG-1," Hammond stated.

What exactly is 'Rome'?

It's a city somewhere else on Earth.

And how is being there relevant to these fraternisation rules? Sam seemed to know, but she was clearly still tense from my previous indiscretion – I didn't feel it was right to ask her.

It's just a figure of speech – it means while you're here, you follow our rules. I'm not getting into trouble because of you.

But I'm not an officer, O'Neill. You are.

OK, let's put it this way: keep your hands off Carter!


With the reactor long since finished and an entire database in Norse runes on their hands, Jack was shuttled back to Daniel's office with Einar back in the metaphysical driving seat. After a brief session collaborating with Carter to hook the database up to Daniel's computer (in which Jack's mind fell asleep again), Daniel and the alien were left to their work.

"It looks like it's in sections," Einar deduced, as the two of them elbowed each other for viewing space around the monitor. "You want to take the first column?"

"You're coping alright?" Daniel asked distractedly as he began scrawling down notes. "With Jack, I mean?"

"Oh, fine. We've agreed to get along until this is all over at least," Einar replied, easily translating the runes on the screen. "Though there is one thing I haven't been able to figure out…"

Daniel stopped writing in order to pay attention, taking a sip of his coffee.

"Maybe you can explain it to me," he shrugged. "It's Sam and O'Neill… they've explained this whole fraternisation regulation to me, but I get the impression there is more to it than that. If it were simply a matter of a rule they had to follow, then it would be fairly easy for them to talk about the topic. Why isn't it?"

"How did you three get onto the topic of frat regs at all?" Daniel frowned, taking another sip.

"Well, back in the lab, when the reactor was finally working, they both turned very awkward with me when I overreacted and kissed Sam…"

Daniel spat out his coffee, spilled his drink on his leg, and then toppled over as he jumped out of his seat in alarm.

Einar shook his head despairingly: "Is everyone going to react like this?"

"Yes," Daniel wheezed in pain, still sprawled on the floor of the office.

Einar pulled the archaeologist up by his arm, who brushed himself off and groaned at the coffee stains on his BDUs. Daniel now realised that Sam hadn't been exaggerating when she claimed Einar was very open compared to Jack – the alien had certainly admitted his actions very casually. He was no doubt picking up on some of Jack's emotion regarding Sam – something he was sure Jack strived to keep hidden at all costs. It was no secret to the rest of the team that there was something between them, no matter how restrained it was behind the barriers of Air Force military conduct. It remained unspoken, out of basic respect.

"Look, it's not really my place to say anything," he admitted. "I wouldn't go telling anyone else about this whole Jack-Sam thing. It's complicated enough."

"Very well. You should change," Einar gestured to Daniel's coffee daubed trousers.

Muttering to himself, he stumbled out of the office, still wiping vainly at the caffeine-infused drink spoiling his clothes. Einar finished writing down the database sections in English when the internal phone in Daniel's office rang. Shrugging, he picked it up.


"Jackson's office."

"Colonel O'Neill?" Hammond quizzed for confirmation.

"I'll wake him up."

Hammond sighed helplessly in the short silence that followed.

"Sir?"

"Colonel, please report to the briefing room. Colonel Kennedy has arrived and would like to ask Einar some questions about his technology in case it can be utilised," the General stated.

"Yes, sir. I'll head up there now. I just need to let Daniel know where I'm disappearing to."

Jack sat at one end of the table with a camera trained on him, and with Hammond and Colonel Kennedy at the other end. He recalled how Teal'c had received this informal interrogation when he had first arrived at the SGC, and he didn't enjoy the feeling of being scrutinised this way. Einar was not exempt from the sentiment.

This appears very hostile. You don't like this man.

He was willing to sacrifice my friend's life to a Goa'uld just because he had low chances of survival. How would you feel?

And this man represents your superiors? Why do you serve in the military if such people run it?

"Colonel, hand control over to Einar," Hammond ordered.

Jack nodded and obeyed. With a sour expression, Einar rested his head in one hand and watched Kennedy silently. His opinion of this man had dropped below indifference a few notches, to unimpressed distaste.

"Are we now talking to Einar?" Kennedy asked.

"Yes," he replied evenly.

"And control of the body can be switched as simply as that, almost unnoticeably?"

"Yes, but only if O'Neill allows me or if his mind is dormant. This is his body, and since I currently have no physical component myself, he takes priority."

Kennedy gestured for his aide to takes notes.

"We already know you have some understanding of this 'kurstallis' technology from your work with Major Carter on the reactor modifications. Do you have any knowledge of how these power systems can be utilised for other technology?"

"Some."

"Can you elaborate on any details?"

"No," Einar stated flatly.

"You can't tell us anything?"

"I could," the alien bit back. "I just won't."

Kennedy looked thrown. Even Hammond frowned at the rebellious tone of his voice.

"Aren't you being unreasonably selective? You won't give us information about this technology, but you were more than willing to aid Major Carter in understanding how to modify a reactor to use it," Kennedy accused.

"Selective, yes. Unreasonable, no," Einar corrected defiantly.

"Care to explain that, Einar?" Hammond interjected.

"I knew exactly how the information I provided to Major Carter was going to be used, aside from the fact I trust her. I do not trust that any information I give you will be used in a way of which I would approve. I don't know who else will be told about it, and you will certainly not tell me who will be informed."

"So you are unwilling to tell us anything about Innarim weaponry…"

"No."

"Defences…"

"No."

"Strategy?"

"No."

You know, I think I've found a side of you I actually like…


"Hey, Danny!" Jack exclaimed as he strolled back into the archaeologist's office.

Daniel jerked in surprise, nearly spilling his coffee again, "Jack?"

"Yep!" he responded. "I've found a great way to annoy Pentagon types without getting court-marshalled!"

"Which is?"

"Get Einar to do it," he grinned. "You should have seen Kennedy's face!"

"What did he tell them?" Daniel probed.

"He wouldn't tell them anything: it was great!"

"Jack, isn't it better for us if we do know about Innarim technology?" he reasoned.

"Yeah, just not the Pentagon," Jack winced. "You know what they're like – they'd fire a staff weapon at a naquadah bomb just to see how insanely kerblamo the effect is. Idiots…"

Daniel smirked and adjusted his glasses, concentrating on the screen of Norse runes once more: "OK, back to this database…"


With Einar back in control, and around 50 database entries later, Einar prodded at the screen in triumph.

"Aha! That's it! Lab Projects, reference 54.7."

"Where?" Daniel squinted at the monitor, blinking in weariness. " 'Innarim subject transferred to Stoneheim Research Outpost'…"

"Stoneheim, of course!" Einar babbled to himself. "Obviously."

"What?"

"Stoneheim was the planet where one of the most remote labs was built. It'd be the last place anyone would be likely to look for anything important!"

Einar grabbed a pen and some scrap paper, hastily drawing a gate address onto it. He handed it to Daniel proudly.

"There, now we know where to look! We can fix everything!"

Daniel looked at the gate address in his palm, and back up at Einar.

"That… seemed easier than I thought…"

Einar's expression suddenly dropped, and he groaned. He clapped one hand over his eyes and shook his head in abrupt misery.

"What now?"

"Ugh… Hammond said he wasn't letting the Colonel go anywhere with me while I'm refusing to tell them information to outweigh the security risk that I pose… we can't go anywhere anymore to transfer me back …"