Title: The Caverns - Sequel to ‘Haggling’
Author: badly_knitted
Characters: Ianto, Jack, OCs.
Rating: PG
Word Count: 3074
Spoilers: Nada.
Summary: Ianto and Jack venture into the caverns beneath the planet’s surface, and it’s nothing like anything they could have imagined.
Written For: Challenge 231: Amnesty, using Challenge 90: Doorway. Also fits 173: Rock and 95: Exploration.
Disclaimer: I don’t own Torchwood, or the characters.
A/N: Set in my ‘Ghost of a Chance’ ‘Verse.




Following the trading party across the windswept rocks of the planet’s surface, after a hike of a couple of miles Jack and Ianto arrived with their guide at the entrance to the underground complex of tunnels and caves that was home to the planet’s inhabitants. From the headland where they’d landed the Happy Wanderer the distance had appeared much shorter than it actually was, perhaps due to the overall flatness somehow shortening perspective, but that very same flatness made for a relatively easy walk in the mild weather, despite the constant buffeting of the wind.

Six-foot high walls made of roughly worked stone blocks had been constructed to provide some degree of shelter from the ever-present wind around the entrance, which from a distance seemed to be little more than a shallow cave in the side of the only raised ground in the vicinity, a low, rocky bluff that couldn’t have been more than twenty feet high. As they drew closer though, they could see inside the cave, which went deeper into the bluff than they’d originally thought, gradually narrowing as the ceiling drew lower.

Once they passed into the shelter of the walls, they could see short flights of shallow steps had been cut into the floor of the cave either side a ramp down which the anti-grav trolleys loaded with supplies were being guided. Both steps and ramp led into a sloping passageway approximately fifteen feet wide and ten feet high, lit by evenly spaced luminous globes that hung from the ceiling like strange fruits. Framing the entrance to the passageway were two huge doors made of a dull, bluish metal.

“Are they for defence?” Ianto asked Geeschon, their guide, hoping the alien would understand. The natives’ pronunciation of Galactic Standard differed markedly from his own.

“Defence, yes,” Geeschon agreed, “but not from enemies, although they have proved useful against occasional raiding parties, pirates from other worlds.” He tilted his head in a manner denoting wry amusement. “Some people believe that because of Vissenaar’s great age, there must be wondrous treasures hidden here, great wealth, jewels and precious metals for the taking. If this is true, we who live here have never discovered the place they are hidden. In truth, we believe if there was ever such a treasure, it was taken countless aeons before our ancestors first came here and adopted this world as their home. Raiders who come here in search of wealth leave with no more than they had on their arrival, and sometimes considerably less. Some there are who never leave, their lives the price they pay for the insatiable greed they carry inside them. We are not a violent people, but though we do not have much of worth, we will defend what we have by any means necessary.”

“Raiders deserve whatever punishment they get,” Ianto said firmly. He and Jack had seen the aftermath of attacks by such space pirates, homes destroyed, crops despoiled, sometimes entire settlements wiped out, all in the name of greed. “But it not for defence against enemies, why build doors that are so solid and heavy? They look like it would take several people to move them.”

“A system of weights and pulleys mean the doors are easily opened and closed when they are not secured,” Geeschon replied. “In truth, were it not so it would take the strength of at least twenty of our strongest people to move each one. As it is, even one of our half-grown children would be able to manage then without assistance. That is important; the primary purpose of the doors is to seal the passage during the season of storms. Then the seas might be driven inland, the cave above filling with water which would rush down our tunnels and cause a great deal of damage to our homes and crops, not to mention contaminating our freshwater reservoirs. The doors prevent this.”

“One of the hazards of living on a world where the landmasses are so flat and barely above sea level,” Jack said.

“Indeed,” Geeschon nodded. “Before we were able to obtain enough suitable metal to build the gates, and to develop the technology for the pumps that now take the seawater to be purified for our use, we were forced to block the passage with rocks before the beginning of every storm season and remain below ground for the duration. Even so, water still leaked through, or so the records from that time tell us. The gates have been in place now for five generations.”

“You really built them to last,” Ianto said.

“We used the strongest and most durable metal known to science; expensive, but well worth the cost. My people need not fear the storms as we once did, and we are free to go above ground if we choose during any season, when it is safe to do so. Naturally no one ventures forth during a storm; it would mean almost certain death to do so, but we need not impose any other restrictions.”

Throughout the conversation they had continued to walk along the sloping tunnel, which curved steadily to the left. Ianto’s innate sense of direction told him they were descending in a wide spiral. That made sense; the passage must wind round and round like a corkscrew. As they went deeper, side-passages began to appear, leading off in different directions, and Geeschon explained that they led to underground power stations and water reclamation centres, as well as to the machinery that powered the ventilation system and the aforementioned pumps.

“Such machinery is best situated near the surface. Our power comes from wind and water, and most of our air is drawn from above, though naturally our crops and gardens assist in the production of oxygen. All manufacturing also takes place near the surface, where the power of the wind can be accessed directly. Each manufacturing plant produces all the power it needs to operate, rather than taking what is collected and stored for use in our homes and public areas.”

“Very efficient.” Ianto was impressed with how well everything was organised.

Lower still, smaller passages radiated away from the main one, leading to storage for tools and equipment, spare parts for machinery, and for goods being made ready for the next visit by traders. There were also bathing facilities for those coming in from fishing and other tasks carried out on the planet’s surface, or in the power stations and workshops of the upper levels.

By the time they reached the bottom of the spiral passageway they must have been at least a couple of miles beneath the surface. The sloping path levelled out and they came quite suddenly through an arched opening into a vast, domed cavern. A bustling paved plaza opened up before them, surrounded by stone benches, wide lawns dotted with trees, and beds of brightly coloured flowers. Small birds flitted from plant to plant, sipping nectar, while groups of people stood about, talking, or lounged on the benches. Everywhere was illuminated as brightly as the planet’s surface, and the light had a pure quality, more like natural sunlight than anything artificial.

Paths led off across the lawns in eight directions, most of them heading towards the walls of the cavern before disappearing into distant tunnels. Two of the pathways were wider than the rest, one going left, the other right, each passing through a massive cleft in the far off rock walls. Through the clefts, Ianto could just about make out other caverns, possibly even bigger than the one they were in.

“Left,” Geeschon explained, “leads to our food production areas, interconnected caverns where grain and vegetables and fruit are grown. Beyond those are the fields where our livestock graze.”

“You have animals down here?” Ianto asked, surprised.

“They would not survive for long on the surface, where there is little vegetation for them to eat, and no shelter. The wind has scoured away the earth so that few plants can find purchase. Our livestock are well cared for, with plenty of room to roam. We have gherkes, with fine fleeces we use in the manufacture of cloth, mokreb, meat beasts, and grink, ground-dwelling birds, bred for their eggs and meat.”

Ianto smiled to himself; sheep, cows, and chickens, or the alien equivalent. In some ways this planet was a lot like earth.

“I will arrange for you to be shown around, if you’re interested, but for now perhaps you would like a chance to refresh yourselves and rest a little before visiting the markets.” Geeschon gestured to the right and they followed him towards the towering cleft at that end on the magnificent gardens, passing beneath archways festooned with sweetly scented flowers. It made Ianto glad he and Jack didn’t suffer from hay fever.

“Where do the other paths lead?” Jack asked curiously.

“Down those are our residential and civic areas, also our medical facilities and research laboratories. My own home is along the second path to the right. Perhaps you would join myself and my life-partner there later for evening meal. I regret that I cannot invite you to reside at our home during your stay, but our children are grown with families of their own, and so we moved to a smaller dwelling, with a single sleeping chamber. As I am sure you can understand, living space here is limited; it would be inconsiderate to occupy a dwelling larger than is required, especially since we must take great care when creating more dwellings. Injudicious tunnelling could result in the collapse of existing tunnels and chambers.”

Ianto nodded. “That certainly makes sense. And yes, we’d be delighted to join you for evening meal, wouldn’t we, Jack?”

“Of course. So, where are we to stay while we’re here?”

“As I have already mentioned, we get few visitors who wish to venture down here. Nevertheless, we maintain a small guesthouse close to the markets. Our settlement stretches for many miles and sellers from the farthest reaches sometimes require accommodation overnight. You will be able to stay there quite comfortably while you visit the market and other places of interest. I recommend the water gardens and the crystal caves.”

“Both sound lovely, we’ll definitely make time to visit them.”

“Then I suggest you rent transport,” Geeschon said. “The crystal caves in particular are quite a distance.”

Both men had noticed small peddle-carts trundling along the middle of the wide pathway, occasionally passing them. They appeared to be equipped with small electric motors to assist on the steeper paths but were otherwise propelled by leg power. The seats looked comfortable though, padded and with good back support. Some had only a single seat while others had two, side-by-side.

“Thank you, we’ll do that.”

“There is a rental kiosk just across from the guest house; there you will be able to acquire a Cyclo for use during your stay. They are all equipped with a computerised system that will guide you to any destination you choose.”

“We have something similar where we come from,” Ianto said with a smile, hoping the devices were more reliable than satellite navigation. He wouldn’t want to lose his way down here. The tunnels beneath the Hub would have fitted inside this cavern with room to spare, and this was just one small part of the Vissenaarians’ settlement.

They were entering the cleft now, craning their necks to look up the towering cliffs to either side; flights of stairs with safety railings zigzagged up them from ground level to as high as they could see, and there were doorways and windows cut into the rock, many sporting window boxes overflowing with a veritable profusion of flowers. The cliffs must be this planet’s equivalent of high-rise apartments, Ianto thought. “People live up there?”

“They do. This region is particularly popular with artists and craftspeople.”

Ianto could hardly blame them; the views must surely be inspiring although all those stairs would probably put him off. Then he spotted what looked a lot like a scenic elevator rising slowly up the far wall. Okay, not so bad if they had all the modern convenience of lifts at their disposal!

Geeschon was still speaking and Ianto dragged his attention back to their guide. “Because of their proximity to our fields and orchards, the walls at the opposite end of the gardens are populated mainly by those who work with food; restaurant owners, caterers, confectioners and such. They prefer to obtain the freshest ingredients possible, and what could be fresher than buying fruit straight from the vine and vegetables at the moment of harvest?”

“What indeed.”

What Ianto had mentally labelled a cleft was in reality more of a canyon, a good two hundred yards wide with paved pedestrian walkways and a ‘road’ for the pedal vehicles, all bordered by trees and flower beds, among which were benches and tables where people could sit and eat, play games, or just chat. There were a few stalls as well, probably local residents selling their crafts. Ianto noticed what appeared to be fuel stations of a sort, placed at regular intervals along the road, where the batteries on the pedal carts could be recharged, and several kiosks were doing a roaring trade in hot foods and drinks, which only served to remind him how hungry and thirsty he was from all the walking.

“Is there somewhere near the guesthouse where we can get something to eat and drink?” Jack asked, his thoughts clearly running along the same lines as Ianto’s.

“The owner of the guesthouse provides basic meals on request, but there are also food kiosks and eateries around the edges of the market where more varied fare can be obtained. Forgive me; I have been so enjoying showing you our settlement that I have neglected to offer you refreshments.”

Geeschon turned off the footpath onto the springy grass, leading Jack and Ianto over to one of the kiosks and ordering for the three of them, tall glasses of a refreshingly fruity cold drink that reminded Ianto of a raspberry smoothie, and plates of crisp little pastries filled with something savoury that melted in the mouth. They sat at one of the nearby tables to eat, enjoying both the food and the sights and sounds of their surroundings. Some of the small birds, jewel bright in shades of turquoise and pink, fluttered down to boldly steal dropped crumbs from the tabletop before flying back up into the trees, where they sat chirruping their thanks for the welcome snack.

After they finished eating and returned their plates and glasses to the kiosk, they continued on their way though the canyon, which Ianto judged to be approximately half a mile in length. The transition between it and the cavern beyond was startlingly abrupt, the walls turning outwards at right angles. The cavern they’d been in before had seemed huge, but this one was at least twice the size, stretching for miles in every direction, and with massive carved pillars supporting a vaulted ceiling high above. Among the pillars were hundreds of stalls, each with a colourful awning, selling all kinds of things, from handcrafted jewellery, rolls of carpet, and bolts of cloth to fresh fruits, vegetables, and household items. Crowds of people were wandering among the stalls, making purchases and chatting to stallholders. The cavern looked like a cross between a farmer’s market and a futuristic version of a far eastern bazaar.

“It’s incredible!” Ianto gasped, looking around himself, wide-eyed with amazement.

Geeschon seemed pleased by his reaction. “Anyone with goods to sell can rent a stall; it is regretful, however, that so few outsiders visit to trade with us, bringing in items and raw materials we otherwise have no access to.”

“Well, who knows; maybe we can do something to rectify that,” Jack said. “As independent traders, we can bring in whatever you’re short of, and perhaps get a few more independents onboard. Maybe even rent a stall ourselves from time to time, trading smaller items.”

“That is a topic worthy of further discussion, perhaps at evening meal. In the meantime…” Geeschon gestured to the right. “The guesthouse.”

Jack and Ianto turned to regard a stone building, built out from the wall. After viewing the massive cliffs with all their residences, the guesthouse looked tiny, a mere three storeys tall, but solidly built, with wide windows, balconies on the upper floors, and a wooden door, painted yellow. Troughs of flowers stood along the front beneath the windows, more decorated the balconies, and looking up, they could see people on the roof, amid masses of greenery; a roof garden. So far underground, away from the abundant fresh air of the surface and dependent on the ventilation systems, plants would be more than just decoration; they’d be growing air purifiers, absorbing carbon dioxide and giving out oxygen.

“Come,” said Geeschon. “I will arrange a room for your stay, or two if you prefer.”

“One is fine,” Jack assured their guide as they followed the Vissenaarian inside.

A matter of minutes later, they were being shown into a compact but pleasant room, containing a comfortably padded sleeping platform covered with a lightweight blanket, a pile of soft, pastel coloured pillows at one end. There was a small table and two chairs in front of the window, and a closet against the side wall, next to a curtained doorway, which led to a tiny but well-equipped bathroom.

“All the comforts of home,” Ianto said with a smile.

“I will leave you to relax and refresh yourselves, and perhaps to enjoy exploring the market. I will see you again for evening meal; a Cyclo with be outside at nineteenth hour, programmed with the route to my residence,” Geeschon said, bowing.

“Thank you, Geeschon; we’ll look forward to it.” Jack returned the bow and Ianto followed suit. The door closed behind the Vissenaarian and they were alone.

Ianto flopped onto his back on the bed. “I need to work out more; my legs have had it.”

“You’ll live.”

“That goes without saying. So, are you going to freshen up first or shall I? There’s not enough room in there for both of us.”

“I’ll go first; I’m still on my feet. You rest for a bit. When we’re ready, we can check out the market.”

“Sounds good. This is turning into quite an adventure!”

“Yep! And we’ve got a whole lot more still to see.”


The End… of this part at least.