Waves

Title: Waves
Series Title: Fallout
Series Order: 5
Author: Ladyholder
Fandom: NCIS, Stargate SG-1, Stargate Atlantis, JAG, Criminal Minds
Challenge: Q2 Big Moxie 2026: Fusion/Crossover
Relationship: Tony DiNozzo/Jack O’Neill
Warnings: Character Bashing, Canon Typical Bullshit
Word Count: 5448

 

“Dr. Jackson, based on the papers that have been published from the SGC, you’ve written extensively about the cultures that you’ve met as part of SG-1. How many of those cultures have analogs here on Earth?” the host of the late-night talk show they were enduring asked with a smile. “And would we know them if there are any?”

“Are you asking if any of the cultures we’ve met through the gate have counterparts here on Earth?” Daniel asked.

The talk show host nodded before waving his hands to encompass everything. “Yes. We’ve been told that the Goa’uld took people from around the globe to be slaves on planets far away from Earth. How many of them come from cultures we would know?”

“A lot of them, Andy. We’ve met Egyptian, Mayan, Chinese, and Minoan based cultures, to name a few. We have learned a great deal about what the corresponding cultures here on Earth may have looked like at the time they were removed from this planet,” Daniel said easily. He looked like he was relaxed as he sat in one of the armchairs they’d been offered when they’d walked on stage.

“Oh,” Andy said, eyes wide. “Are there pictures?”

“We have pictures and video,” Daniel assured. “And I can say with a great deal of certainty that the visual look of those off-world cultures matches what we know from them here on Earth. Also, the sounds, smells, and tastes of those cultures have been recorded. Things that get lost to history due to the ephemeral nature of art, we’re able to get information on them. Now, they aren’t a full one-to-one example of what is here on Earth, but they are close. And that’s priceless.”

“It does sound like it is,” Andy agreed. “What kid doesn’t want to learn more about Egypt?” He sounded fascinated, and Jack kept a weather eye on the interaction to make sure that Daniel wasn’t pushed too far. “Has the SGC set up the database so people can read about this? Maybe see some of the videos?”

“We have,” Daniel said with a smile. “Each department collected all the unclassified internal research papers that we have on file, so that they could set up a searchable database. We plan to make the knowledge the SGC has on the various cultures we’ve met easily accessible. The cultural database will be a stand-alone kind of thing, so no one will be able to use it to access anything they shouldn’t, but it will be updated regularly by authorized parties at the SGC. This will be outside of the database that the SGC has for mission reports.”

“That sounds like it could be fun,” Andy said with a smile before frowning. “I look forward to exploring it when it’s available. Do any of the military write research papers?”

“We have a lot of military scientists at the SGC,” Jack said with a nod. “We all contribute to the collective database that the SGC maintains. So, when Daniel mentions ‘scientists’, he means both the civilian and military members who contribute to our understanding of the galaxy.”

“From how you responded, it sounds like you’ve contributed to that database, too, General O’Neill. Is that correct?” Andy said with a smile.

“I have, several times,” Jack confirmed. “And a couple of my astronomy papers aren’t classified, so they will be in that database Daniel mentioned. I also have various mission reports available for review as well.”

“Do you worry about how credible other scientists find these papers?” Andy pressed. “I know that Dr. Jackson still has questions aimed at him by people outside of the SGC. Do you think that will carry over to the other scientists at the SGC?”

“No. Daniel and the other scientists at the SGC have proven themselves, many times over, at the SGC. They have all proven to be thoughtful, compassionate, and ethical scientists who report the facts they see as facts. Those who question their credibility need to think long and hard on why we would keep them on,” Jack said firmly. “Because we don’t tolerate the people who can’t meet those criteria.”

“Okay,” Andy paused for several seconds before he looked at the agenda he had printed out. “Right. Do you think that people will be able to go through the stargate to see other planets?”

“Like tourists?” Jack asked. When Andy nodded, he shook his head. “No. It’s still even odds that when we go through the gate, we will face someone who wants to kill or capture us. None of us is comfortable with the thought of taking civilians into a possible situation like that.”

“No, the thought of that isn’t great,” Andy allowed. “But Dr. Jackson goes out?”

“I’ve been part of SG1, the flagship, first contact team since it was formed,” Daniel said evenly. “I’ve been fully trained in how to handle myself for years, and I’m not sure I actually qualify as a civilian anymore. Jack?”

“Technically, you are because you’ve never joined the military. Realistically? No. You’re just as much of a soldier as Colonel Carter is. Just without the oath of office,” Jack said. He glanced at Andy as the man gaped at them. “To even qualify for consideration to be a part of an exploratory team, prospective members, civilian or military, have to go through a very intensive training course that teaches them how to survive out in the galaxy at large. If the prospect passes, they are placed on the list of people who are available to be selected by the team leads. That list is also used when we need to mobilize for emergencies.

“Because I’m sure you’re going to ask, yes, we’ve had people commit crimes on the other side of the stargate. When it’s found out, all members of a team get treated the same, civilian or military. No one is above the law. Which means that if they are found to be guilty and charged with a crime, we will make sure that justice is served.”

“No free rides then, just because someone is a civilian,” Andy said. He checked his list again, and Jack cocked an eyebrow at him when he looked up. “People have been charged?”

“Yes. And those files that aren’t classified are available for review,” Jack said. He had taken Tony’s advice to talk to JAG to heart and consulted Chegwidden to figure out how to handle the issue. That had been a very productive afternoon.

“Thank you for confirming that, General,” Andy said. “Are you open to answering some questions as well?”

“Certainly,” Jack said with a small smile. Like fuck he wanted to, but this whole thing had been designed to show the SGC in a favorable light. So.

“How many planets have you been to?”

Jack hummed softly as he tried to remember. They’d figured that out somewhere around year five, and he’d only added to his total since. “I think I’m over two hundred? Does that sound right, Daniel?”

“I think I passed four hundred a few months ago, so I believe you’re around there, yes,” Daniel agreed. He shrugged when Andy looked at him with a question on his face. “I go through the gate several times a week. Often to visit our allies, but I am still a part of SG1, and we’re still one of the first contact teams. As part of that team, I’ll hit at least one new planet a month. Two or three are more common.”

When his phone buzzed in his pocket, Jack pulled it out and checked his messages. “Ah. Colonel Carter checked for us. I’m at 361, and Daniel, you are actually at 523.”

“When did I pick up the extra planets?” Daniel asked, peering at Jack’s phone. “Never mind. I’ll ask Sam when I get back to the Mountain.”

“That’s a lot of planets,” Andy said. “Are all of them suitable for human life?”

“Well, the ones that were settled started that way,” Jack said. “Not all of them still are. Some have had natural disasters that destroyed them, some were destroyed due to wars between different Goa’uld lords, and on others, people just died for reasons we never figured out.”

“Most of the time, the planets are in good shape, environmentally speaking,” Daniel cut in. “The populations aren’t huge, and the Goa’uld tend to take decent care of the planets under their rule because they want to keep them producing for as long as possible. Mercenary self-interest leads them to keep everyone healthy.”

“That sounds depressing,” Andy said slowly. “But it does lead to my next question: Are the Goa’uld really that bad?”

“Yes. They are. Goa’uld wear humans like meat suits. They don’t ask for permission, they just take,” Jack explained. That point had been made by Bregman several times in his documentary. “Slavery as it’s understood here on Earth is the least of what they do.”

“That’s not good,” Andy said. He looked at Daniel and Jack before he pressed forward. “You said that they wear humans like a meat suit?”

“Goa’uld burrow into the brains of their victims, either through the mouth or through the back of the skull. Once inside the body, they send out filaments that slide along the nerves and synapses and basically take over the central nervous system and hijack everything, including the immune system. They are the ones driving the body, not the person born in it,” Jack said shortly. “There’s no way to override them, because they have control of everything.”

“Gross,” Andy said on a shudder. He looked vaguely green, and Jack sympathized. He didn’t want to think about it either, but he couldn’t forget what he’d learned about the process. Gross was an understatement.

“Very. Let’s move on. If your audience wants to know more, they can search the scientific database we’re building,” Jack suggested. His phone buzzed again, and he glanced down at it. “Right. Colonel Carter states that the database is about 48 hours out from coming online.”

“That’s amazing,” Andy said with a smile. “I know what I’m going to be doing then.”

“You and the rest of the planet. I hope we’ve got enough bandwidth,” Daniel said with a frown.

Andy looked at his list before shooting Jack a look. “General, per the first press conference the SGC held, you’re dating a federal agent, correct?”

“Yes,” Jack said. He and Tony had an ongoing conversation concerning their relationship being pulled further into the public eye, and they both had agreed about what could be said.

“How long?”

“My partner and I have been together for over 5 years now,” Jack said.

“So, you and Dr. Jackson never dated? It’s been noted that you’re very comfortable around each other,” Andy said with a shrug when he raised his eyebrow at the question.

“I have never considered Daniel to be a romantic partner,” Jack said with a smile. “As much as I value Daniel as a friend and colleague, we aren’t romantically compatible at all.” When Daniel burst out laughing, Jack just grinned before shaking his head. “We’d kill each other.”

“In less than a week,” Daniel agreed. He carefully wiped his eyes before turning back to Andy. “I was widowed a few years into my time at the SGC. It took a while before I was willing to try again. Dating wasn’t easy, but I am seeing someone now and have for the last 2 years.”

“Are you willing to share who?” Andy asked.

“My partner is part of the SGC,” Daniel said with a grin. “Vala is okay with being known.”

“That would be Vala Mal Doran? She’s a member of SG1 as well, correct?”

Daniel nodded. “She is.”

“That has to make work easier,” Andy said

“It does. We spend a lot of time together, so it can be tough when work bleeds over into our relationship. Or when our relationship bleeds over into work. But we spent a lot of time talking everything out. We still have our issues, and we’re not going to say we don’t,” Daniel shrugged. “It’s a work in progress like everything else.”

“Right,” Andy said. “And you, General?”

“Tony and I have talked a lot about the SGC and the secrets I had to keep when we started dating,” Jack explained. “None of those conversations were easy, but we put the work in to make sure that our relationship wasn’t hurt. We’re in a much better place now.”

“I expect that helped when you got shot last month,” Andy said. He glanced down at the cane that Jack had placed by his chair and winced slightly. “I’m sorry, that was terribly abrupt.”

“It was, but there’s not really any clean way to say it,” Jack agreed. “And yes, those conversations did help during that situation. Daniel went to the NCIS location where Tony works to request that he be allowed to see me while I was being treated in our medical department. I appreciated having him there.”

“I know I would appreciate having my significant other by my side if I were in the hospital, too. How did he take you being shot?” Andy asked.

“Not well,” Jack said. Tony had gone after the nutjobs who had shot him and managed to find every single one of them. They had been religious extremists who were convinced that any possible chance that ‘foreign’ religions had actual gods went against their version of their own god. And since Jack was the face of the SGC, he needed to die for bringing that fact to their attention. He did not understand the insanity. “He was with me for the first week, and then he had to go back to work for NCIS. We’ve spent time together since, but neither of us begrudges the other their duty.”

“So, Agent DiNozzo doesn’t work for the SGC?” Andy asked. He checked his notes again and made a startled sound. “I’m sorry, I just reread my notes. They state that he works for the Naval Criminal Investigative Service. What do they do?”

“They protect our sailors and Marines when crimes are committed against them, or by them,” Jack explained. Tony was going to be irritated at this twit, he was sure. “And just to make sure there are no questions, yes, the Air Force has our own version. They are the AFOSI, or Air Force Office of Special Investigations. The Army has the CID, or Criminal Investigation Division. All of which the SGC has worked with at one point or another because we have all of the branches of military in our ranks.”

“That’s got to be interesting. I didn’t know all four branches could work together like that,” Andy said. “It must make things very interesting at times.”

“It can. And there are five branches. The Coast Guard is also a branch of the military. And yes, we do have some in our ranks. They are seconded to some of our spaceships,” Jack explained. “The SGC started out being staffed by Marines and Air Force, and as the years went by, we’ve added the Navy, Army, and the Coast Guard. We’ve also hosted some military members from our allied nations to teach them the ins and outs of Gate travel.”

“That’s amazing,” Andy said. He glanced over at Daniel and focused on him. “Dr. Jackson… How do I put this? How diverse are your departments?”

“Are you asking if we have people from around the planet?” Daniel asked. When Andy nodded, he grinned. “Yes. We’ve got scientists from all over the globe in the science departments at the SGC. The lead scientist for the Atlantis mission is Canadian. His second is from Czechoslovakia. My second is Egyptian. We’re firmly multinational, and we’re not going to change that.”

Andy blinked slowly at that. “That’s amazing. Why?”

“Why do we have so many nationalities represented at the SGC?” Daniel asked. He didn’t wait for Andy to respond before pushing on. “Because we recruited the best and brightest scientists in their fields. Some declined to join us, and that’s okay. They had work they were doing elsewhere, and they made discoveries that have helped humanity. And we’re good with that.

“But our requirements for working at the SGC meant that we looked all over the globe for open-minded people who could help us defend the planet, make open-minded discoveries, and were willing to work in secret for possibly decades because we didn’t know when the program was going to be revealed,” Daniel finished. “Citizenship was rarely a consideration.”

“That’s very interesting,” Andy said. He sounded faint, and Jack had to suppress a smirk. Daniel and his soapbox were always fun to watch when he wasn’t the target of it. “Since I’m sure people are curious, are you hiring?”

Daniel laughed softly and shook his head. “No. We’ve not had any increases to our budget, and that means that we’re not able to hire at this time. We’re still working to get all of our current projects completed, and the most urgent one is getting the scientific database completed in time so we can share what we discovered with the world. Once that’s online, we’ll be looking to see what else is on our plate.”

“General O’Neill, how about you?” Andy asked.

“The military half of the SGC doesn’t actually hire,” Jack said with a wry grin. “We do transfer people into our command, though. But at this time, we’re like our civilian departments. We don’t have the budget for new people. That may change soon, but so far, we’re still working off of last year’s budget.”

“That doesn’t sound good,” Andy observed. “Why?”

Jack thought about what the talking points he’d been given and decided to… tweak them slightly. “Our operational budget is given to us by Congress and supplemented by the IOC for use by our multinational operations. Those budgets are locked in place. There have been meetings taking place to determine what we need and how to get us extra funds to be used to make up for any shortfalls. I do not have an ETA on when that decision will be made. So, we’re working with what we have and doing our best to get our ships back into service, to allow us to meet our obligations through the stargate, and continue the science we’ve started researching. We’ve made do for years, and that will continue until further notice.”

“Ah,” Andy said. He looked vaguely flummoxed and glanced down at his list of questions. “Well, it looks like we’ve hit the end of my list of questions. Thank you, gentlemen, for appearing on our show today. I can honestly say that I learned a lot, and I hope our viewers did as well.”

“You’re welcome, Andy,” Daniel said with a warm smile.

“It was our pleasure,” Jack said. He didn’t try to smile since Daniel had told him many times that smiling when he didn’t want to made him look like a serial killer.

“And CUT!” the director behind the camera called.

Jack pulled the mic off his lapel and set it on the table before he stood up. “Thank you again for asking questions that were on topic. That was honestly one of the more enjoyable interviews I’ve sat through since we got revealed.”

“Agreed. Much better than some of the ones I’ve been through, too,” Daniel agreed. He set his own mic down and reached over to shake Andy’s hand. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome, Doctor, General,” Andy said. He carefully shook Daniel’s hand and nodded at Jack when he didn’t offer his own hand. “I learned a lot. We’ll let you know if we get any pushback regarding this episode.”

“Sounds good,” Jack agreed. He waited while Daniel got up before guiding him out of the studio. He held his peace as they walked outside towards the car that his security team had standing by for them to get in. When they settled into the back of the SUV, Jack blew out a long breath. “I hate doing those.”

“You’re getting better at them,” Daniel said, patting his shoulder in sympathy. “Paul, do you have my coffee?”

“You finished your cup right before you went into the studio, Daniel,” Davis called over his shoulder. “There’s a local coffee shop on the way to the highway that we can hit to get you a cup. Unless you want us to swing by a Starbucks?”

The words that fell out of Daniel’s mouth weren’t in English, and Jack honestly had no idea what language they were. But. Curse words had their own rhythm, and he enjoyed listening to Daniel let loose, even if he couldn’t understand the words. When he finally switched back to English, he started to laugh. “The independent shop, please. Starbucks is gross.”

“And everyone thinks you’re the nice one,” Jack teased.

“Hah! Shows what they know,” Paul muttered as he directed the driver to the shop.

“I can’t say anything, can I?” Daniel asked.

“Not after that performance, no,” Jack confirmed.

“Damn it.”

 

 

“How was your day, honey?”

“Oh, my God. Please don’t say that!” Jack exclaimed as he walked into Tony’s condo. He set his cover on the table Tony had set up next to the door and emptied his pockets into the bowl set aside for his use before kicking off his shoes. His gun would go into the gun safe in the bedroom a bit later.

“Why not?” Tony asked through his laughter. He leaned out of his kitchen and smirked at him. “Mine was full of paperwork. Very little drama.”

“Mine was destroyed by having to do a talk show because the brass wants Danny and me to be the faces of the program,” Jack said sourly. He walked over to kiss his partner before filching a slice of cucumber. “What’s for dinner?”

“Beef Koftas, rice pilaf, tzatziki, and Greek salad with a red wine vinaigrette,” Tony said. “I’ve also got naan.”

“Sounds delicious. I’m going to change out of my uniform before I get anything on it,” Jack said. He pressed another kiss against Tony’s lips before heading into the bedroom. It took him only moments to change out of his uniform into a set of sweats and a t-shirt before slipping on a pair of house shoes. “Fuck, I hate suits.”

“I love my suits,” Tony called. “Dinner in 5 minutes.”

“Sounds good. And you do look great in a suit!” Jack called. He went out and set the table for them before snagging two glasses and wagging them at Tony. “Beer? Or soda water?”

“It’s Friday, we’re not expected anywhere, and I’m not on call. I can have a beer,” Tony said after several seconds. He was plating up their meals, and Jack could feel his stomach rumble at the smells. “There’s some in the fridge.”

“Excellent,” Jack said with a smile. He put the glasses at their places before pulling the beers out and popping the tops off. “That smells awesome.”

“I like it. It’s pretty easy to make, and it stores well for reheating. Well. Not the tzatziki, but that will taste good with a lot of the stuff I have planned for the next few days,” Tony said as he set their plates down.

“You may not have much in the way of leftovers after this,” Jack said after he tried his meal. It was rich, full of flavor, and delicious. “Then again, maybe I’ll save enough to have some for lunch and eat it in front of Danny.”

“Rude,” Tony said with a smile. “If he steals your lunch, I’ll laugh.”

“I’d serve him decaf if he did,” Jack muttered before taking another bite of his food. He groaned slightly at the taste. “I wonder if I can get the mess to make this?”

“It’s a simple set of recipes to scale up or down, so they should be able to do it without issue,” Tony said. He tucked into his salad with a hum of satisfaction. “I did good.”

“You did,” Jack agreed.

Conversation between them lapsed as they concentrated on their meals. When they finished, Jack collected their dishes and cleaned up while Tony went to noodle around on his piano. It was domestic on a level that he hadn’t been able to enjoy in years.

When he was finished in the kitchen, he headed into the living room to occupy the couch. He had some reports piled up to read, and that was always more enjoyable when Tony was playing. Thankfully, everything was on his tablet, so he was able to move through the ‘pile’ at speed. Everything was going great until he got to the packet from Atlantis and opened the report Sheppard had flagged as the most urgent.

“Oh. Fuck,” Jack said as he looked at the author of the report he was getting ready to read. “Uhm….”

“Jack?” Tony asked, startled. He pulled the fallboard down to cover the keys before spinning on the bench to look at him. “Anything I can help with?”

“No,” Jack said with a sigh. “I’m just a bastard and forgot to tell you about someone.”

Tony leaned forward and frowned at him. “Who?”

“Well, I call him Junior,” Jack said with a wry grin.

“You called Teal’c’s Prim’ta ‘Junior’. I didn’t think I was going to get an introduction to that,” Tony said. He eyed Jack closely before he sighed. “I’m not going to like this, am I?”

“No, I don’t think you are. I know I didn’t,” Jack said. “And no, I’m not going to introduce you to a Goa’uld symbiote, ever. Anyway. I know you read up on our allies, so I’m sure that the briefing packet touched on the Asgard.”

“Roswell Greys, who are super advanced and hit us up for dumb ideas,” Tony said promptly. “Borrowed the Norse pantheon to play with. Huge heads, use cloning to live forever, and have really nice ships that you want to steal, and they gave us transporter tech.”

“Right. All of that is true.” Jack rubbed the back of his head with one hand and tried to figure out how to put everything. “Some of them seemed to have borrowed more than the names. Some borrowed character traits. For good and for bad.”

“Given what I know of the Norse pantheon, that’s not reassuring,” Tony said.

“It’s not,” Jack said grimly. “A few years ago, I was kidnapped out of my bed, and by the time I was found, it was several days later. It had taken time for the SGC to figure out that I was missing because someone had taken my place, and from every indication, he was me. The problem was, he was physically 16 years old.”

“What in the hell? How did that happen?” Tony asked.

“1 got cloned,” Jack said bluntly.

“Cloned?” Tony asked. He frowned as he tried to slot the new information into place. “The only party that produces cloning is…”

“The Asgard,” Jack confirmed. “Specifically, I got cloned by a rogue Asgard named Loki. He had been working on the degeneration issues that the Asgard have with their own cloning. Their cloned bodies break down quickly, and none of them are in any way healthy; they don’t have a clean idea of what their genetics used to be. Loki believed my mix of Ancient and Human genetics could provide a clue to help them generate a clean sample to clone off of, and he wanted to research that. Consent wasn’t something he looked for.”

“So, he cloned you?” Tony demanded. “How is that logical?”

“Not a damn clue, but he did. And my clone was born dying. Loki hadn’t bothered to make a good clone, just a clone so he could hold onto me as long as he could. And because of various shit that has happened to me, my clone looked like a teenager despite mentally being in his mid-40’s. Everyone believed that he was me because that’s not the weirdest thing that’s ever happened to us,” Jack said. He took a deep breath and pushed on. “Eventually, things got figured out, and Thor fixed my clone so he wouldn’t die of the instabilities that had been baked in from the cloning, then he stripped some shared moments of their emotional components so Junior could function, and he went on to live his life.”

“Memories of us? Of your family?” When Jack nodded, Tony stared at him for several seconds. “Did he keep your name?”

“He’s still Jonathan O’Neill, but his middle name is Daniel,” Jack said. “I don’t claim him as a son because that’s weird, and both of us twitched when it was suggested. If pressed, we’re cousins.” Jack took a deep breath and then pushed on. “When the Ori attacked us, I had to command the battle, so I needed someone at the Antarctic Outpost who could operate the Ancient equipment that is keyed to the ATA genome. Because Jon is genetically me, he got dropped in the command chair to operate it and help shoot down the Ori ships. He was down there for the full length of the battle.”

“Well, that sounds like his presence was an advantage, but where is he now?” Tony asked. He stared at his partner and raised an eyebrow at him when he hesitated. “Jack?”

“Jon is on Atlantis, with our other resident aliens,” Jack said slowly. He tapped the tablet in his hand and frowned down at it. “He’s a Marine now, so he was easy enough to reassign.”

“How’d he take that?”

“Not well. He wasn’t happy with being picked up for Outpost duty, but he knew it might happen after we confirmed that the ATA genome was a legit thing. To be shipped out to Atlantis? I got an earful,” Jack winced as he remembered that conversation. “Anyway. He’s written a report on Atlantis, and it’s scathing.”

“That’s unusual,” Tony said slowly. “I’m guessing he’s enlisted?”

“Ha, no. When Thor fixed him, he aged him up to look like he was 18, and he went to the Naval Academy so he could go into the Marine Corps. He’s a 2nd Lt at this point. Sheppard was thrilled to get him,” Jack said with a snort. “And then let him lose on his command and told him to audit the whole damn thing.”

“Oh, John had to know things were wonky if he was willing to invite that kind of an investigation,” Tony said with a wince. “How bad was it?”

Jack waved the tablet and huffed. “I haven’t read it. But looking at the metadata, it’s 300 pages, with about a dozen subheadings and AVI files. I already know this is going to make my head explode because Sheppard’s been bitching about stuff since Atlantis got back in contact, but if Jon’s gone this far? It’s bad.”

“Bad like it’s going to need NCIS?” Tony asked.

“From what he put in the email? I’m going to say yes.”

“Fucking fantastic.”

“Right?” Jack stared down at the tablet in his hand before looking back up at his partner. “Jon has all my memories up until four years ago, so he knows you, but…”

“We were on that long break because the world was imploding for you and me was trying to juggle an undercover assignment and MCRT,” Tony finished. He flashed Jack a wry grin when he nodded. “I did the math. Four years at the Academy, and that would put when Jon showed up right about in the middle of that mess.”

“Yeah,” Jack agreed. “It wasn’t a great time.”

“No. So he’s got memories of me, but the emotions of them have been stripped out, and he’s also had four years building his own memories and experiences, separate from you,” Tony said slowly. Jack watched as his partner picked over the information he’d provided and slot it into place in his mental jigsaw. He just had to hope that when Tony was done with that, he still had a partner, because this, on top of the alien issue, might be the straw that broke the camel’s back.

He glanced down at the tablet and reread the letter that Jon had sent.

Sheppard said that he’d get this to you without changing anything or drawing attention to it. You need to get someone to look over the books for this place because shit isn’t adding up, and I need more help to figure it out. All I’m sure of is that Sheppard, McKay, and their handpicked people are good. Everyone else out here? Not great, old man.

Fuck this didn’t bode well.