A Series of Hijackings by Dinkydow

Chapter Two

With a sudden gasp of breath, I regained consciousness in Ba'al's sarcophagus once more. Crap. This routine was getting old fast. I discovered I still was minus a shirt when I ran my fingers over my skin to check for damage. On the positive side, the charred holes in my chest from the acid burns were gone. They didn't hurt anymore either.

As I became more aware of my surroundings, I realized that I was totally and completely butt-naked. As in naked as a jaybird, wearing nothing but my birthday suit, in the buff, and exposed to the world from the hair on my head to the tootsies on my feet. Crap! What the hell did they do with my damn pants? Shit, did I crap my drawers back there or what?

All too soon, the grating lid separated noisily above me and let reality in. Did you know that reality can really suck sometimes? Well, it truly sucked for me right now. Twiddle-Dumb and Twiddle-Dumber were back and hauled me out of the box again. Did I mention that this routine was getting old? When I was standing back on my feet, another one of Ba'al's goons held out a black robe to me.

"You will clothe yourself in this, Tau'ri. My Lord Ba'al has ordered it."

"Uh, no. It's just so not me," I stated. "Do you have it in a green?" Behind me, I heard the unmistakable sound of a staff weapon charging and felt it being shoved against my back.

"All right, all right. Don't get your shorts in a wad; I'll put it on. While we're on the subject, where are my pants?" I got nothing from them but a stare and silence. "Oh, come on, at least give me some boxers to go with this thing," I grumbled. The staff weapon kept poking me in the back and no one said a word.

"OK, OK! I get the message, no boxers," I muttered. No shoes either. Crap.

My two goons let go of my arms one at a time, just long enough for them to pull the robe over my head. Briefly, I considered trying to take them out, but decided that the odds were very, very bad. In short, they sucked. Welcome to my sucky world. Did I mention that my life sucked?

After they pulled the damn thing on, I saw that it looked kind of like a caftan thing and reached past my knees. It felt soft and silky and was definitely not the standard wear for prisoners. Ooh, this was so not looking good for yours truly. Once I had it on, my goon guards walked me out the door into the hallway with the extra guy and his charged staff weapon right behind us.

"Aww, for crying out loud," I muttered. "Here we go again."

I was escorted to the throne room by Twiddle-Dumb and Twiddle-Dumber, but we didn't stop there. Our progress continued past the vacant throne and through another doorway. I kept trying to memorize all the places that I'd been, on the off chance that the opportunity to escape would present itself. It didn't. Crap.

What I could see of this latest room didn't exactly fill me with overwhelming joy and confidence about my immediate future, either. Situated in its center was a long rectangular block of polished black stone. Over it was hanging some very expensive looking lamps. Ba'al was standing at the head of the stone thing and smiled evilly when he saw me escorted in by my guards. His First Prime and another important-looking guy wearing a fancy robe was standing next to him holding a clay urn. When I saw the urn, the hairs on the back of my neck stood straight up.

OH! MY! GOD!! They couldn't be thinking what I think they are thinking. Could they? Ya think? I tried to put on the brakes and halt my progress, but it didn't do me any good. Just got my arms bruised up. By now, several more Jaffa had come to join the party and I was completely surrounded. The Jaffa wrestled me to a halt when they'd manhandled me over to the side of the altar-thing furthest away from the door. I couldn't help looking longingly toward the door and my only avenue of escape.

Ba'al nodded his head to Renek and he stepped over behind me and raised his big knife again. Holding it against the back of my neck he used it to slice through the back of my robe and then the sleeves. The robe covering me fell to lie in a puddle of shimmering black around my feet, leaving me totally and completely exposed. Literally and figuratively. Pimply goose bumps sprang up on my arms and back and I couldn't stop a shiver from rippling through my body. My pucker factor was at a ninety-nine and my balls felt like they were trying to climb up inside my groin. I didn't blame them a bit. Ba'al's eyes glittered with speculation as he walked toward me stroking his beard. He stopped, just out of reach from any attack I might attempt. As if my guards would let me.

"Your body is strong, O'Neill. It bears many scars telling of successful battles. It is the body of a warrior."

"Yeah, well, it's not in that great a shape. The knees are shot, the back is just about gone, and the hair's all gray now. The shoulder acts up when it rains too. Not exactly a turn-on for the ladies, you know," I commented disparagingly.

I continued to struggle against the Jaffa holding me, but it was a useless exercise. There were just too many of them and they obviously weren't planning on me going anywhere. Still keeping his distance, Ba'al walked a slow circle around me looking me over and stroking his goatee. When he returned to stand in front of me, he had a predatory smile on his face and my death in his eyes.

"Jaffa, kree! Prepare him!" he ordered loudly.

Cursing, I intensified my struggles, but with all the extra manpower, I was pretty out-numbered. When I tried to get in some kicks, they just grabbed my legs, picked me up, and laid me on the top of the stone altar, face up. The black stone felt cold and unyielding against the bare skin of my back. Hidden restraints were produced to encircle my wrists and ankles, leaving me spread-eagled, like before. God, I was beginning to hate this position.

My teeth were clenched so tightly the muscles in my cheeks ached. I was doing that to prevent the scream in my throat from escaping. Twisting and jerking at the restraints was a waste of my time and energy, but I had to check out all my options. Let me tell ya, my options were looking pretty damn poor at that point. The Goa'uld had moved to stand next to my head and was smiling again. When he reached down to caress my cheek with his hand, I jerked my head away from his touch.

"General Jack O'Neill, I have often wondered just what the outcome would be if you were made a host. However, I also had to consider the possibility that, as a Goa'uld, you could become a significant threat to me."

"You're damned right, you scum-sucking, snaky-assed, reptile-house reject. The first thing I'd do is take you out!" I snarled between clenched teeth. By now, sweat was pouring down my face and my heart felt like it would hammer it's way out of my chest.

"Yes, I thought as much," he continued smoothly. "So, you see, I hada problem without an apparent solution. After much consideration, I reached a very satisfying...conclusion. Actually, you yourself were my inspiration. When you refused to tell me about the Ancients, I realized that if you wouldn't give the information to me, then I would have to go...get...it...myself." His eyes flashed as he smiled at me again.

"Don't do this, please!"

"O'Neill with two L's, meet your God, Ba'al with two A's," he announced with a triumphant smile as his eyes glowed once again.

"Nooo!"

I screamed and bucked wildly in a last ditch effort to get off that damn stone block, but it was no use. The restraints were too tight. As I watched with growing horror, Ba'al walked to a waiting chair and seated himself. The guy in the fancy robes, his priest I guess, knelt in front of him holding the urn. With an unholy screech, the symbiote slashed its way out the front of the host's neck and was guided into the jar. Without the symbiote to keep it alive, the body of Ba'al's former host collapsed in upon itself, leaving behind nothing but a crumpled and bloodstained heap of clothing. At this point, a paralyzing fear held me motionless in its grip, kind of like the deer that freezes in the lights of an approaching car and gets turned into road-kill.

Renek had moved up to stand beside my head in order to allow the priest to stand next to my chest. Then the priest reverently lowered the jar and tipped it, allowing its deadly contents to spill onto my bare chest. The screeching symbiote slowly slithered up my chest, taking its time. It looked huge. My eyes were fixed on its progress until I felt Renek grab my head, forcing it to turn to the side. With a final shriek, the Snake struck and sliced open the skin on the back of my neck, forcing it's way into my body. I screamed, long and hard until my voice gave out.

Opening my mouth, I tried to scream again, but nothing came out. Gasping in terror, I tried again, with similar results. Crap, he must've grabbed control of the nerves to my vocal cords as soon as he wrapped his snaky self around my spine. When I'd been snaked by Hathor, the symbiote had been relatively young and inexperienced, which gave me a fighting chance against it. Ba'al however, was very experienced, and knew exactly what he had to do to establish his dominance as rapidly as possible.

As if from a distance, I realized that the restraints were gone and my wrists had been crossed on top of my chest. There was no need to for them anymore as my enemy was inside me, and I had nowhere to go. A silky black sheet had been draped over my lower body and I could feel that demon in snakeskin wriggling around in my neck and back.

When I lost all sensation in my body, I knew he must've sunk his teeth into the base of my brain. My entire world had narrowed to my frantic thoughts and an inner image of myself. In my mind's eye, I saw myself running through doors and barricading them from the rampaging monster that sought to possess me. His shrieks and threats echoed in my mind and filled me with terror. The most important battle of my entire life had begun with the stakes being the ownership of my body. It was a 'winner-take-all' fight and the stakes were definitely stacked heavily against me. Hell, I would've bet against me

"Kneel before your God, pathetic Tau'ri. You are no match for my infinite powers. As long as you refuse to submit to me, your body will experience immense pain for I rule over it now. Your God will triumph in the end."

The door in front of me bulged on the verge of collapse, so I turned and ran to the next one and slammed it behind me. Once again, I locked and bolted it, but I knew that door would soon give way too. I was losing. Crap. What I would do for some C-4 right now.

"Will this do, Jack?" came a voice from behind me. Startled, I spun around and gaped at the scene in front of my eyes.

"Kawalski? Charlie Kawalski? Is that you? What the...?" Automatically I caught the square of high explosive in my hands and began molding it to fit around the edge of the door.

"Got a detonator, or a fuse? Either one will do," I added. Maybe later I could take the time to figure out this crazy scenario. Right now, all I knew was that I'd been given the chance to delay that Snake crawling around in my head, and I wasn't about to pass it up.

"Hey, O'Neill. Catch," suggested my dead friend as he tossed some wire and a detonator my way. Expertly, I added it to the explosive, fixing it to detonate when the door finally gave out. Taking a moment, I bent down, leaning my hands on my knees to catch my breath. Yep, this really makes sense, Jack. Here you are, inside your own head, and you've just planted enough explosive on that door to blow your brains all the way from here to Netu and back. Wait, we already blew up Netu. Didn't we? Bad example.

At that moment, I noticed I was wearing my fingerless gloves and olive-drab combat pants. Hell, I even had on my boots, a black t-shirt, my cap, and the cool black vest that had a gazillion pockets. As my eyes moved to inventory the contents of the rest of the room, I discovered I was standing in the Armory at the SGC. It was stocked brim full of all the weapons, equipment, and ammo. I would need it all if I had a prayer of limiting the amount of control the Snake had over me. Sweet.

"Need some help, Jack?" asked Dr. Janet Fraiser with a big grin. Lieutenant Elliot was standing behind her with a P-90 in his hands and they were both dressed for field duty right down to the boots on their feet.

"Is it just me, or does anyone else here think this is very, very weird? Oh, for crying out loud, you guys are all dead. Why am I asking you? No offense guys. OK?" I remarked.

"None taken, Sir," Elliot commented as he moved around the Doc to hand me the P-90 and a couple of grenades. After I slipped its black carrying strap around my neck, I started loading my pockets with all the weapons and ammo I could get my hands on. No telling if I'd be able to make it back to this room in the future once I left it. Sure, all this seemed crazy, but right now I didn't give a shit. If it gave me a fighting chance against that monster, I'd take it in a New York minute. Yes sir, you betcha, and three bags full, Sir.

Another thud on the door that almost shook it from it's hinges reminded me that I needed to get the hell out of Dodge. Frantically, I lookedaround the room. When I didn't see another exit, I remembered that the SGC Armory only had one door. The Snake continued to hurl insulting taunts at me, and for a moment, I listened to them.

"Submit to me, Tau'ri, and save yourself from so much pain. Your pitiable efforts are no match for my superior intellect and power. Why prolong your agony, when we both know I will prevail in the end." As I listened, the images of my dead friends shimmered and almost faded from my sight.

"Don't pay attention to him, Jack. His words give him power over you. As long as you don't listen, you can fight him. You can't give up now, Jack," Janet said in her most encouraging tone.

"Why shouldn't I, Doc? You and I both know that this is a battle I can't win. Just how long do you really think I can hold out aganst this thing in my head, huh? Because, I don't think you understand just what it's like to get snaked. This is my head we're taking about here, Janet, not yours." The thuds against the door beside me were getting louder and stronger and I knew it wouldn't hold the Snake back much longer.

"You're right, Jack. The Doc doesn't understand what it's like. But, I do, Jack. You know I do, because you were right there with me up until I died," Kawalski stated firmly.

"Jack, you don't have to hold out forever. What you don't realize is that help is on the way. Thor and your team are planning a rescue right now. You just have to hold out until they can free you," added Fraiser.

"What? Thor is coming here?" I asked. Crap, this was getting way too confusing.

"Dad!" At that familiar sound, my body spun around. Standing in front of me was my son, Charlie. Did I mention that this was getting confusing?

"Dad, we don't have much time. Come on, there's another door over here. See?"

Like a sleepwalking zombie, I allowed him to lead me across the room and through an open door that shouldn't have existed. Then, my friends locked it behind me. My son didn't let me stop there, though. His tight grip on my hand kept me following him through twisting corridors that made no sense, until I had no idea where we were. Judging by the gray walls around me, I figured we were still underground at the SGC, but beyond that, I didn't have a clue. He must've noticed the puzzled look on my face, because he stopped and let me catch my breath. I figured now was as good a time as any to find out just what the hell was going on.

"Could somebody here please tell me what the hell is going on and explain why I have a bunch of dead folks traipsing around inside my head? Or have I finally gone completely bonkers?" It was my son, Charlie, who spoke up first.

"We could see you were in trouble, Dad. We're here to help you out."

"Can dead guys do that? I thought you had rules against that," I answered.

"I think you're referring to Oma Desala, Jack," corrected Janet. "We didn't ascend, so we don't have to go by their rules."

"Ah!"

"We do have our own set of regs, but they aren't as strict as the one's Daniel had to go by. We're here to act as your guides," stated Kawalski helpfully. Crap, this stuff was getting more and more baffling by the minute.

"So, you're my guides?" I asked disbelievingly.

"Yes," they chorused.

"So, guide me the hell out of here and get that fricking Snake out of my head."

"That's not the way it works, Jack," explained Janet.

"Of course, it doesn't. Let me guess...more rules. Right?"

"Right, Dad. We're here to guide you to a 'safe place' where you can hang out until you're rescued by Thor."

"Guys, in case you haven't noticed, we're not really at the SGC. We're inside my head. Jack O'Neill's head, to be exact. Only, I have a roommate who doesn't DO sharing. So, what you're saying is that it's your job to guide me to some sort of hideout where I can kill time until Thor shows up to bail my ass out. Is that what you're telling me?" They all nodded their heads.

"Could somebody please tell me where this 'safe place' of yours would be? It's not as if I can slither out my ear and run off to hide someplace. I'm not a Snake, you know. At least, not yet. And then, there's the little complication about my impending rescue. Do my team and Thor know that I've got a Snake in my head now? That little detail is an important one, because I have the feeling that Ba'al doesn't want to be rescued. And that could be a problem. Don't ya think?"

"Dad, listen to me. I know it sounds crazy..."

"Ya think?"

"Stop it, Dad. This is serious stuff. Remember how Thor locked away all that stuff from the Ancients you got downloaded with? Well, he locked it away from you by creating a kind of separate section inside of your head for all that stuff."

"That's the hideout? You've got to be kidding me. Right?"

No, Jack. Pay attention to us. Thor knew that he had to do something to keep all that data from killing you, so he created a barrier between it and the rest of your mind. That way, you could access the information when you needed it, and it wouldn't kill you," explained Fraiser patiently.

"So, your job is to get me past this barrier thing so I can hide out from Mr. Snakehead. Right?"

"Exactly, Dad." In the distance, I could make out the sounds of a very pissed off Snake and I knew if he caught up with me, I was toast.

"Just exactly where is this 'safe place' you keep yapping about?" I asked. Kawalski answered me.

"It's on the roof of your house, Jack," stated my dead friend in a matter of fact voice.

"You've got to be kidding! On my roof? Just how the hell am I supposed to defend the top of my house?"

"Please, Dad? It's not a good idea to hang around here. We can't stop yet."

"Wait a minute, Charlie. Would somebody please explain how the top of my roof could be this so-called 'safe place'?"

"Think about it, Jack," Janet suggested. "Where is the one spot we could always find you when you were having a rough time? Your rooftop observatory was the one location where you always went to chill out and relax. After a rough mission, you would go there to think things over and look at the stars. Right?"

"Umm, yeah," I agreed cautiously. She took that as permission to continue her explanation.

"Jack, your safe haven isn't so much about location, or its strategic value. It's more about you and your own methods of dealing with all the horrible things that you've had to endure. With Daniel, his 'safe place' would probably be in his office surrounded by his artifacts and a full coffee pot. Sam's would be in her office working on a nacquada generator and eating chocolate. Do you understand how it works now, Jack?"

"Yeah, I think I do. So how do we get there from here? From the way it looks to me, we're still deep under Cheyenne Mountain."

"That's the easy part, Dad. Just imagine that you're there, and you will be."

"What?"

"Jack, rememberall of this is inside your head. So, just envision how your rooftop observatory looks, and tell yourself you want to go there," coaxed Doc Fraiser.

To better concentrate, I closed my eyes, and tried to picture the night sky above my observatory on top of my house. It worked because when I opened my eyes, it was to see the intoxicating view of the starry night sky above Earth. We were all standing there and I'll admit I had a big shit-eating grin on my face.

Fortunately, for me, I'd imagined how it was to be there on a warm summer evening and not in the middle of a howling Colorado blizzard. Guess that was one of the advantages of being inside your own head. You get to make the rules. That is, unless you had a Snake infestation problem. And I did, that's why I was hiding out on my roof, talking to a bunch of dead guys.

"OK, kids, I got us to my roof. Now what?" Nervously, I started to pace, which is a hard thing to do when you're sharing the top of your roof with a bunch of your friends who just happen to be dead. I felt a tug at my shirt and looked down into my son's upturned face. He looked worried.

"Dad, come over here with me and sit down. Then we can talk." With a weary sigh, I let him lead me over to a couple of lawn chairs and sank bonelessly down into one of them. Crap! This had been one hell of a week. Or had it been longer? Suddenly, all the energy I'd used to keep me going up till now, leaked out of my body and left me wanting to sink to the floor and curl up into a ball. When I felt a soft hand on my shoulder, I looked up into the compassionate brown eyes of Dr. Fraiser.

"OK Jack, I'll try to explain it the best that I can. It might be easier if you just ask us questions and then we'll try to answer them." Crap, I had so many questions whirling around in my head. How could I hold onto one long enough to ask it? I'd felt like I was on my own through all this crap. Where could I start?

"OK, Janet. You guys told me earlier that Thor and my team were planning a rescue. Right?" They all nodded in agreement.

"How did they track me down? Kinsey told me Carter's gadgets couldn't find the underground bunker where he'd stashed me. From there, I got ringed up to Ba'al's' ship. Everything happened so fast that I didn't have a chance to leave any notes or a even trail of breadcrumbs to follow."

"Is it OK if I bring him up to date?" asked my friend, Kawalski, with a serious look on his face. Since no one objected, he continued with the story. Maybe I would finally get enough info to make some kind of sense of the mess I was in.

"To make it easier to follow, I'll start with when you got grabbed by Kinsey. He had some goons waiting for you when you got home late that Friday night. They shot you with a tranquilizer gun as you stepped out of your truck and then threw you into the back of their SUV. Since it was so late at night, nobody saw it happen, and you weren't missed until the next day." I nodded my understanding. So far, it was making a horrible kind of sense.

"So, how did they figure out that I was missing?"

"Daniel and Teal'c stopped by your house that next day, Saturday afternoon, to invite you out for a steak dinner at O'Malley's. They knew something wasn't right when your truck was sitting in the driveway but you were nowhere to be found. Daniel got on the phone with Colonel Feretti and Major Carter. He ordered the place cordoned off by a bunch of SF's, but it was Teal'c that found the clue you left for them."

"Huh? What clue?" I asked with a puzzled look on my face. I didn't remember leaving any clue.

"After you got darted, you managed to pull it out of your shoulder before you passed out. The goons who grabbed you didn't see it because it rolled out of your hand and under your truck. Teal'c spotted it and the SGC lab checked it out. Janet, you're the medical expert. Do you want to tell the next part?"

"Don't mind if I do, Sir. Lab analysis showed the drug on the dart was a type of anesthetic somewhat like curare. That's why you went down so fast. However, this particular drug originated from off-planet, so they knew to look for someone who had connections to the Stargate. In the meantime, President Hayes had informed them that Kinsey had dropped out of sight at about the same time you disappeared. Using satellite imaging, Sam was able to locate Kinsey's location by pinpointing the global positioning device on his vehicle."

"Cool. Way to go, Carter." Then Kawalski jumped in to continue the narrative.

"The President gave the SGC permission to send in a couple of teams to raid his facility. By the time they got there, you were already gone and Kinsey had skipped town. However, they did manage to catch the Doc that Kinsey was using for his little project. When they interrogated the Doctor, he told them about Ba'al ringing you up to his ship. It fit in with what NORAD had picked up on their radar. The snakes had to drop their shields when they ringed you up, so they were able to pinpoint their location above Earth. The President gave the go-ahead to launch a squadron of F-302's to intercept the ship and stop it from leaving orbit. From what I heard, they were able to get in a few hits before it went into hyperspace." Well, that explaineda lot.

"Yeah, they did hit the ship a couple of times. I can remember feeling the jolts while they were dragging me down the hall. Wait a minute; you mentioned that Thor and my team have a plan to rescue me. Do they know that I've been snaked? That little bit of Intel might be important for them to know. Don't ya think?" When I saw them all exchange that 'look', I knew I wasn't going to like their answer. You know the one I mean. It's the significant pause that people exchange just before they have to tell you bad news.

"OK, so the good news is that Thor is on his way to beam my sorry ass the hell off this ship. Right?" They all nodded.

"And the bad news is..." Janet was the bearer of the bad tidings this time.

"The Tok'ra are trying to find out what happened to you, but with the defeat of Anubis, all their usual operatives are out of touch. Thor and the Asgard Doctor, Eir, were able to confirm that you are aboard Ba'al's ship. They were able to accomplish this by tracking the locator beacon they installed in your body as part of the barrier protecting you from the download from the Ancients."

"Ernie's with Thor?"

"Yes, he is, Jack. He's been working with Thor to track down your whereabouts by using this homing beacon. The good news is that they were finally able to pinpoint the position of Ba'al's ship. Sam, Daniel, and Teal'c were beamed aboard "The O'Neill II" by the Asgard soon after Ba'al left orbit around Earth and went into hyperspace."

"OK, if Thor knows where I am, then why doesn't he beam me out of this joint? Come on. Spill it. I know there's something that you aren't telling me." They all did the 'significant glance' thing again.

"Oh, for crying out loud, people. Spill it. I mean, it's not as if it can get much worse. Can it?" Crap. No one was talking. Kawalski broke the silence.

"As long as Ba'al's ship is in hyperspace and has his shields up, Thor can't beam you out, Jack. That means that your team will have to find a way to get onboard so they can knock out the shield generator and the hyperspace crystals." I was speechless for a moment.

"So, all they have to do is sneak aboard and blow up the innards of the ship. Then Thor can beam me out. Only they don't know that I've been snaked and Ba'al is walking around in my body. Right?" I asked incredulously. They all nodded.

"And that's their mission plan? Well, it's a crappy one. I've got to warn them somehow. I can't just let them walk into an ambush like that." I shuddered as I imagined the damage that Ba'al could do to my friends. No one said anything.

"In view of that, what's our plan to warn them about the new and improved Ba'al? How do we help Thor bust me out of here?" I kept looking at the friends, willing them to provide me with answers I wanted to hear.

"Dad, there's nothing you can do."

"What do you mean? If you think I'm going to let my friends walk straight into a trap, you've got another thing coming," I retorted angrily.

"Dad, listen to me. Ba'al controls your entire body now, except for this little spot inside Thor's barrier. If you move outside it, he'll know immediately and take you over. Don't you get it, Dad? Even if you tried to help them, Ba'al would stop you from doing it."

"OK, if I can't do it, then you can. Right? Can't you get word to them so they know what they're walking into?"

"No, Dad, we can't get word to them either. That's a little beyond what we're allowed to do. We would do it if we could, but we can't. I'm sorry, Dad. I really am." Those words knocked the wind right out of me and I was glad that I was already sitting down. If I weren't, I'd be sitting on my ass right now.

"OK...so if you don't have the power to warn them about me being snaked, how can you get away with advising me about Thor and his rescue? I asked.

"That's different," he argued.

"No, it's not."

"Yes, it is, Dad. We can give people information if they ask us for it. You did ask us to tell you," my son explained patiently.

"Oh, but if my team can't see you, how can they ask? Catch 22?"

"That's right, Jack. Catch 22," Kawalski agreed with a shrug of his shoulders.

"Then, just what CAN you do?" I asked hopefully.

"Sir, what we can do is keep an eye on their status and report it to you, just like you asked us to," Elliot answered.

"So, you can do a little reconnaissance and keep me informed on their progress. Right?"

"That's right, Sir," replied the Lieutenant. Crap, I had to get him to cut out the 'Sir' stuff. After all, he was dead. What was I going to do to him, demote him?

"Elliot, you don't have to call me 'Sir' anymore. Just call me Jack. OK?" He gave me a big smile.

"Yes, S... Jack."

"Is there any way that I can help out while you guys are out doing a little recon? It would be helpful if I could see what that Snake has been doing since he took over the 'head office'."

"Sure, Jack. You can keep track of what he's been up to by looking through your telescope. You'll be experiencing the world through his, I mean, your senses while you're doing this. He shouldn't notice that you're spying on him as long as you're careful about it," explained Kawalski.

"Sweet. Now you're talking. Is there anything special I need to do while I'm checking things out? Oh yeah, and is there anyway to influence his actions?"

"You have to be careful about how you do it, Jack. As long as you watch him passively through your telescope, he won't know that you're spying on him. But, the minute you try to influence him in any way, he'll recognize what you're doing. Once that occurs, you open the door for him to take you over. If that happens, he'll be able to exercise complete control over you. Jack, you've got to bear in mind that Ba'al can manipulate all the nerve centers of your brain. The only part that he doesn't have access to is right here behind Thor's barrier. Although he's aware of this site and the information it contains, he can't hack into it, which does not make him a happy Snake. However, you've got to accept that his domination of your body is all-inclusive, Jack," explained Doc patiently.

"Do you really expect me to sit back and do nothing if I see that Ba'al is torturing one of my friends? For crying out loud, guys. You know me better than that."

"We can't tell you what to do, Jack. We can only advise you of the risks. The rest is up to you," replied Janet.

"Yeah, ain't it always? So...who's going to scope out Thor's ship? Elliot?"

"Yes, Sir. I mean, Jack."

"Kawalski, check out the status of Ba'al's ship and find out where the hell he's taking me. It would be a big help if you could eavesdrop on one of his strategy sessions. You know the kind of Intel I can use. Well, hop to it and report back to me ASAP." I was back in my element, mapping out campaign tactics. At least it gave me something to do and made me feel like I had some control over something.

"Yes, Sir," Elliot said and he snapped off a quick salute as he and Kawalski disappeared.

"And Elliot, no saluting." I swear I could hear an echo of him apologizing, but it was probably my imagination. That left just Janet, Charlie, and me in the little corner of my mind.

"What now, Dad?" Boy, could he read me like a book.

"Now, I do a little recon of my own and discover just what the hell that Snake has been doing with my body since he moved in. That's what. Janet, I'd like you monitor me while I'm doing this. Your mission is to keep an eye on me and haul me away from the scope if it looks like I might do something stupid."

"I've got to warn you, Jack. This could be pretty traumatic for you. Are you sure you're up to it?" asked Janet anxiously.

"No, but since when has that made any difference?" I replied bitterly. Charlie looked nervous and was dragging one of the chairs over to the telescope.

"Here, Dad, you can sit on this while you're looking. OK?"

"Yeah, Charlie. That would be great. Thanks, son." I walked over and enveloped him in a great big hug.

Taking a deep breath, I sat in the chair and positioned myself in front of the telescope. It felt kind of weird to know that I would experience everything the Snake's doing with my body. Crap, it's still my body. MINE! And there had to be some way to retake possession of it. I could feel the comfort of two hands offering their support and friendship on my shoulders.

"Are you ready, Dad?"

"Yeah, I'm ready. Let's do this," I muttered as I looked through the lens of the telescope in front of me. The sudden assault on my senses stunned me and I jerked away in surprise.

"Whoa," I exclaimed.

"Are you OK, Jack?"

"Yes, Janet, it just took me by surprise, that's all. Give me a minute and I'll try it again." To prepare myself, I huffed a big breath of air out my mouth before looking through the lens again. This time I knew what to expect, so it wasn't quite as much a shock to my senses as my initial attempt had been. Still, it felt very, very weird.

Apparently, Ba'al was in his bedroom getting dressed. Only, he wasn't the one doing the dressing. A couple of his female slaves were all over him, pulling on all his clothes and I do mean ALL. As in, from the skivvies on up. The only thing he did was stand there, letting them do all the work. That, and slap them around whenever one of them screwed up.

As was usual for him, he was wearing black pants and an ankle-length silk brocade jacket with lace peeking out of the neck and cuffs. Lace? On my body? Crap, Jack O'Neill wearing lace was just wrong, on so many levels. And what was this thing he had about wearing black? Did he think it made him look like a cool dude, or what?

After he'd been dressed, he stood in front of a mirror and twisted and turned to admire himself. Then, he crossed his arms over his chest and his, no, MY eyes flashed. The sight of my own brown eyes glowing like that was almost more reality than I could handle. With a startled cry, I jerked away from the telescope. Seeing my glowing eyes proved beyond the shadow of a doubt that I was host to a Goa'uld. I'd been turned into my deadliest enemy. I, Jack O'Neill, was a snakehead! For a while, I just sat there, staring out into space. Gradually, I became aware of a small body nestled into my lap. Charlie.

"Dad?"

"Yes, Charlie?"

"Dad, I know it's awful. More than anything in the world, I wish I could change what's happened. But I can't."

"It's not your fault, Charlie. I don't expect you to change what's happened. I'll just have to figure out a way to get myself out of this ungodly mess," I murmured. No pun intended.

Scrubbing my hands across my face and then through my hair, I leaned back in the chair with a weary sigh. Two small arms clutched my chest as my son wrapped them around me in a firm hug. My arms followed suit as I returned the gesture and he nestled his head on my chest. As father and son, we both just sat there like that for a while. I think we both needed to do that. Plus, it gave me a chance to regroup and catch my breath.

The disturbance began softly at first, like a whisper in the wind. Then, it got a little louder. Charlie sat up and looked at me funny when I cocked my head to listen better. I still couldn't quite make it out, and it was disturbing that it was even there at all; because I knew those mysterious whispers weren't part of the setting I'd created. Wasn't that barrier supposed to be secure and impenetrable? Standing up, I turned to scan my immediate surroundings. Nothing seemed out of place in my little hideaway. Then I heard it again.

"Did anybody hear that?" I asked.

"It's Ba'al," explained Janet.

"So he's figured out where I am. I thought that Snake couldn't penetrate Thor's barrier."

"Ba'al can use the nerve centers in your brain to infiltrate the barrier in much the same way as you were able to use the telescope to conduct surveillance on him," explained the Doc. Then, I heard it again, but it was louder and easier to understand what he was saying.

"Your God has come for you," it mocked hauntingly.

"Don't pay attention to him, Jack. If you listen, he can drag you out of here. Whatever you do, don't listen. Please, Jack," pleaded Janet. I looked at Charlie and he nodded his agreement emphatically.

"OK, so how do I ignore him? Put in earplugs? Put my hands over my ears, or what?"

"The best tactic is to keep yourself distracted by doing other things," she added. I tensed when I heard it again.

"It is pointless to conceal yourself from me. Your puny defenses cannot withstand your God's invincible power. You belong to me now, for I own you; mind, body and soul," he taunted.

Plugging my ears didn't help, and holding my hands over them didn't either. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that he was already inside my head. With every word I heard, the images of my two friends wavered and my rooftop sanctuary became less substantial. Hoping the distraction would be successful; I dropped down on the floor and started doing sit-ups and counting the repetitions out loud.

"One. Two. Three. Four..." It seemed to be working because I couldn't hear the Snake anymore. Unexpectedly, the house shook underneath us and my concentration was interrupted. I suppose that was the whole point. Then Ba'al struck again and I cried out.

"Arrgh!" It felt like every nerve in my body was on fire. He hit me with the pain again, and then, a third time. By my third outcry, my voice was so hoarse that it came out as more of a raspy croak. The Snake's voice was back too, and it was louder.

"I will continue to punish your body as long as you defy me. You know that you cannot withstand your God's superior powers much longer. Surrender to me and I will stop the pain."

"No," I whispered between clenched teeth. As if from a distance, I could hear my son's voice calling out to me.

"No, Dad. Don't answer him. He's using the pain to get through Thor's barrier. If you answer him, he..." I didn't hear the rest, because a fresh wave of pain hit my body, making me twitch and spasm violently.

For a second, I wasn't on my roof anymore, but was lying on Ba'al's bed instead. Luckily, the image of my rooftop snapped back into place when the pain stopped. Curled up on my side, I panted in an attempt to regain my composure. Every muscle in my body was sore, and I couldn't seem to catch my breath. Suddenly, I realized that the entire SGC Guardian Angel Squadron was back. Guess Janet and Charlie had called for reinforcements.

"God, that hurt like a mother," I panted. "Would somebody help me up so I can get your reports? I think that Snake's got my number and I'm running out of time here." Between Kawalski and Elliot, they pulled me up and helped me over to a chair where I collapsed inelegantly into a heap.

Then another spasm of pain hit me, and I curled up into a ball in an attempt to ride it out. When it eased, I uncurled just a little and called out to my companions in a raspy voice, but nothing came out of my mouth. Janet appeared at my shoulder holding out a tall glass of ice water to me. Gingerly, I raised my head to suck thirstily at the straw. The water soothed the abused tissue in my throat and felt good going all the way down to my stomach.

"Elliot...report." I figured if I kept my sentences short, my voice would hold out a little bit longer.

"Thor's ship is continuing to follow Ba'al's Mothership through hyperspace, and they think he's headed for his home planet. According to their calculations, he should probably arrive there in a couple of hours. They figure he needs to consolidate control over his recent conquests and introduce his subjects to his new host. Your team..." I interrupted his report. The urgency of my message gave me the strength to get my point across.

"Ack! Stop! Don't tell me their plans. If I don't know what they're planning, then I can't spill the beans to Ba'al about them. Let's face it guys, I don't know how much longer I can hold out against him. Once he forces me to leave this place, he'll know every... Urgh!" I didn't get to finish, because another wave of pain rippled across my body. I curled into a ball again and moaned. Like before, the image of my immediate surroundings shimmered.

"God, Janet! Isn't there anything you can do to help me out here? Maybe some of your happy juice would help," I pleaded after the pain diminished. The feeling of blood trickling down my chin let me know that I had bitten through my lower lip.

"The symbiote is attacking you by stimulating the nerves in your spinal cord, Jack. His tendrils are firmly established in your nervous system now, so whatever he does will be harder to counteract. I can try giving you something to help you with the pain, but..."

"Just...do it, Doc. You've been...aching to jab one of your...needles in my butt...ever since we got here." I grunted in between panting breaths.

"OK, Jack, but remember, you asked for it," she added teasingly.

"Just hold still, Sir," she ordered with a smile. Instead of a small prick from the needle piercing my skin, I felt a soothing sensation, which rapidly spread, throughout my body. The pain was replaced with a sense of calm and reassurance.

"There, all done. Feel any better, Jack?" she asked.

"Yeah, a little. Thanks, Doc. Bet you never thought I'd ask you to jab me in the butt with one of your needles. Huh?" Slowly, I began to uncurl from my previous protective ball.

"Yep! This is definitely a red-letter day for me, Jack. I'd better write this one down in my calendar," she replied with a teasing grin.

"By the way, what did you really do? We both know that you didn't exactly give me a shot back there."

"I laid my hands on you and gave you a boost of healing energy."

"You did? I gotta tell you, it felt great! How long will this so-called booster shot of yours last?"

"Not long enough, I'm afraid. Just like you guessed, it's only a temporary fix. It will hold off Ba'al for a while, but the more he stimulates the pain centers of your brain, the sooner it will wear off. I'm sorry, Jack. I wish I could do more," she apologized.

Gee, even though she was dead, Doc was still in the healing business. I'd take her healing hands any day over those damn needles she used to stick in my ass! Resolutely, I directed my attention away from myself and back to my companions. I was certain that I was running out of time.

"Kawalski, what can you tell me about that Snake's plans. It couldn't do much harm for me to know what he's up to," I ordered with a grim smile.

"Jack, Ba'al is heading for his home base to shore up all his defenses and bring his new conquests into the fold. According to what I could find out, he'll be dropping out of hyperspace in about an hour and a half. Once he's in orbit, he plans on ringing down to his stronghold and addressing his new subjects from there. He's also gone to the trouble of calling a meeting of all the remaining System Lords. If he can hold onto all the new technology he acquired when Anubis was defeated, he'll be in the position to take over the leadership of the System Lord's." I grimaced as another wave of pain rippled across my body, but, thanks to Janet, it wasn't anywhere near as painful as the previous ones.

"Good job, Kawalski and Elliot. If Ba'al is made the top dog of the Snakehead Social Club, everyone will be in jeopardy," I stated.

"Yes, Jack. One of the other reasons he's calling the meeting is to show off his new host."

"Well, that's not surprising," I joked. "I AM the infamous Jack O'Neill of SG-1, you know. A regular Snake exterminator extraordinaire!" I smirked.

"That's not all I found out. Once that Snake's manages to get the Ancients stuff from your head, he plans on using it to challenge the Asgard. If he does that, you can kiss the 'Treaty of Protected Planets' bye-bye," Kawalski reported grimly.

Everyone there looked worried when they heard that news. The scary fact was that he could really challenge the Asgard if he got his hands on my Intel. Fortunately, Thor had stashed it safely away deep inside my head. My train of thought was interrupted by another wave of pain. This one was stronger, and had me curled up into a ball again. I couldn't hold back the groan the came out of my mouth. They all waited until I was able to speak again.

"So, guys...what's...the plan?" I croaked from my curled up position on the chair.

"Jack, the longer you can hold out against him, the more time your friends will have to come up with a plan of attack," Kawalski stated.

"Sounds, reasonable...so just how do I hold out against...this?" I whispered as another wave of fire rippled across my body. The sound of the Snake's voice had returned and I fought to keep the image of my sanctuary in front of me.

"Here, Jack, maybe this will help," Janet said as she laid her hands on me once again. It helped a little, but didn't seem as effective as the first time she'd done it.

While I tried to get my breathing back under control, I remained in my fetal position. My friends were worried sick about me, I could tell. Well, crap, I was worried about me too. When I felt small hands cupping each side of my face, I knew it had to be Charlie's. By concentrating on his loving touch, I was able to open my eyes and hear his words.

"Dad, just hold onto me and whatever you do, don't let go. Do you understand? No matter what, don't let go!" he pleaded.

I struggled to get to an upright position so my son could climb up onto the chair beside me. Luckily, it was just wide enough so he could snuggle up to my side. We sat there with our arms wrapped around each other, holding on for dear life. Literally. When the next wave of pain hit me, I struggled to concentrate on feeling my son's arms around me. It wasn't working, because the pain just seemed to keep going on and on, with no end. The Snake's voice was back too. The sound of my son's voice was intermingled with his threats.

"Dad! I love you, Dad! You've got to hold on. Please..."

"Submit to your God, impudent host. There is simply no way you can resist my awesome power. Your resistance is foolish and futile. When you surrender, the pain will cease. Don't you want me to end your suffering?"

I screamed hoarsely as another wave of agony engulfed my entire body, sending tendrils of pure fire through my every nerve. It was so brutal and relentless that my son's touch vanished, leaving me alone and more vulnerable than ever before. Desperately, I tried calling up the memory of his touch. Dimly, as if from a great distance, I could hear his voice calling out to me. I didn't dare open my eyes, because I knew if I did, my rooftop sanctuary would be gone.

"Charlie!" I whispered desperately.

"I possess you wholly now. Nothing of the host survives. There is only your God, Ba'al."

"No," I whispered.

"Perhaps you require an additional demonstration of your God's absolute supremacy. Your impudence will be your undoing, weakling. Such ill-advised behavior must be punished accordingly," he warned.

Unexpectedly, I was plunged into total darkness where no sound, sight, or touch could intrude. I'm not really sure just how long he kept me there, but enduring it wasn't a walk in the park. That's for damn sure. Total sensory deprivation is no fun at all. Abruptly, my solitude was broken by the Snake's voice.

"I have your companions. They walked right into my trap, just like I planned. Open your eyes and you will see that it's true. Your God has triumphed, fool. You belong to me and I intend for you to remain my host for a long, long, time." Stubbornly, I just shook my head and tried to keep ignoring him.

"Pathetic host, why do you persist in your insolence? Perhaps you require additional...persuasion. Hmm? I have the female, Carter. Perhaps she would be suitable as my mate as I am in need of a new Queen. I believe that Daniel would make an excellent addition to my court as a slave. As for your shol'va friend, Teal'c, he will be added to my army of loyal Jaffa. Do as I command, and I will give them a painless death," the Snake continued. Reluctantly, I opened my eyes, as Ba'al had known I would. He'd known my price and had played his trump card.

When I looked around me, I realized I was looking through Ba'al's, no, my eyes at the kneeling figures of SG-1. He hadn't been lying when he said he'd caught them. As I was allowed to gaze down upon them, I could see they looked rattled. Obviously, none of them had known about my being snaked. My team seemed to be relatively unhurt, so they must have been taken completely by surprise.

"Jaffa, take them away and have them placed in separate cells. Prepare the female to be presented to my Queen. Kree!" I could tell that his, no, my eyes flashed by the shocked look on my friends' faces. Yeah, you think you've got it bad. Just try seeing that crap from the inside.

Then, my vision suddenly went black, as once more, Ba'al shut down my access to the outside world. None of my senses were receiving any input. I'd been educated about how the technique of sensory deprivation affected the victim when it was used as a form of torture as part of my training as a special ops agent. My instructors had even subjected me to it, in an effort to demonstrate how powerful a tool it could be. That little classroom demonstration had nothing on what I was experiencing now. It's one thing to experience it in the relative safety of the classroom setting. That lesson had left me feeling unsettled and anxious. What I was undergoing now started out as a feeling of anxiety and escalated on up to panic. The sound of my tormentor's voice was almost welcome in comparison. Even though I recognized that this was the exact reaction he wanted me to feel, my sense of relief was instantaneous.

"You see? When you cooperate, you are rewarded. When you do not, your God punishes you. It's actually quite simple. Don't you agree?" The blackness in front of me gradually lessened to be replaced by the awful sight of me, Jack O'Neill. Only it was a Jack O'Neill with eyes that glowed. It was an image meant to inspire fear in its victim and it was extremely effective. I struggled to mask it by my usual inane banter.

"Cut the crap, Mr. Basket Ba'al. You don't need to bother with the usual 'kneel to your god stuff', because you and I both know that you're nothing but a scum-sucking parasite living off my body." It must've worked, because the sneer on his face was replaced with a snarl.

"You will suffer for your insolence, fool. Before long, you will beg for mercy from your God!" Once again, every nerve in my body seemed to be on fire. I could feel all my muscles jerking and shuddering with the agony he was inflicting upon me.

Then, just as suddenly as it came, it disappeared, to be replaced once again by the black void where time had no meaning. Taking advantage of the momentary respite, I tried to calm myself enough to envision my rooftop sanctuary in the hopes that I could return. However, no matter how hard I tried, only the black abyss surrounding me remained. Possibly he was too busy elsewhere to bother with me right now, so I settled down to wait for whatever happened next.

Sometime later, a brief jolt of surprise and fear penetrated my prison of nothingness. Cautiously, I tried to pinpoint the source of these new emotions. After a quick inventory, I came to the conclusion that they hadn't originated with me. If they didn't come from me, then that meant they must've stemmed from my reptilian roommate.

Following up on that train of thought, I made a mental list of things that would scare a Snake. The number one thing that every Snake feared was the threat from someone or something that was more powerful than it was. The only thing or person's I knew that fit that description were the Asgard. Thor? Strengthened by this knowledge, the darkness of my prison seemed easier to bear. Now, all I had to do was wait. And hope.

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