Torchwood -- It's So Sci-Fi!
Title: It's So Sci-Fi!
horizonssing Challenge: Day Sixteen
Date Written: 7/25/08
Rating: PG/K+
Word Count: 694
Fandom: Torchwood
Characters/Pairings: Jack/Ianto, Gwen, Martha, Mickey, Tosh (mentioned)
Spoilers: Series 04 of Who and Series 02 of Torchwood
Warnings: None
Author Notes: Set post Journey's End. Fic from Comic Con!
"Between an immensity of land and an immensity of sky they sat there, incomprehensible, smiling at a continent."
- Douglas Adams,
Last Chance to See
"Wow! I haven't seen one of these in ages!"
Ianto looked over at Jack, who was standing in the doorway of one of the many rooms off the main hallway. He, Jack and Mickey were studying an alien craft that had crash-landed while Gwen and Martha patiently explained to UNIT that this was Torchwood jurisdiction, thank you, and they'd be sending along a report in a few days.
Mickey rolled his eyes. "There he goes again," he grumbled, turning back the control room. Ianto stood behind him and watched the new technician work and missed Tosh. She'd have adored this.
"Ianto!"
"And again," Mickey teased, looking up at him. "Don't have sex on any control panel that has buttons on it."
Ianto muttered something disparaging in Welsh under his breath and crossed the hallway. "Yes?"
"C'mere, you have to see this," the Captain beckoned him with a finger.
"What is it?" the archivist asked crossing the empty room to where Jack was. Suspended in midair was a crystal of some kind on a long thread, or more like a dewdrop caught on the thin thread of web.
"Most races call them holo-rooms, or some sort of variation thereof," he replied, reaching out to touch the top thread.
Ianto looked around as the room came to life. The walls were a slate gray, and the soft recessed lighting flickered above them. The room seemed to hum. "Seems rather science fiction to me."
"Where do you think they got the idea?" Jack laughed. "Writers come up with the brilliant ideas and then scientists figure out how to make it work. Anti-grav, holo-rooms, flying cars, encapsulated food... it all becomes a reality." He looked over at Ianto and grinned. "Well? Want to give it a shot?"
"How does it work?" the Welshman asked.
Jack smiled and raised his hands to hover just about the crystalline drop, watching it start to glow soft white from within. "You touch it and think about somewhere you want to be. This sort of reads your mind and shows you what you want to see." He turned to look at Ianto. "They're also called pleasure rooms. The crew comes in here and... well," his smile turned into a leer. "Some things remain constant through races."
Ianto laughed a little. "And what do you want to see?"
A thoughtful look crossed Jack's face and he fixed the young Welshman with a long, speculative look before reaching out to touch the tips of his fingertips against the crystal. The door slid shut with a pneumatic hiss behind Ianto, and he fought against the instinct to jump.
Around him the gray began to swirl and spin, colors starting to appear in the palette. Whites, beiges, blues and greens spun about, beautifully dizzying. Finally the whirl slowed and landmarks showed up -- sand beneath his feet, scrubby green and brown underbrush behind and a beautiful sunset before his eyes. The sun was sinking into a aquamarine ocean, orange and yellow and red streaks trailing behind. Twin moons hung in the sky and Ianto realized with a jolt in his stomach that Jack was showing him an alien planet.
"Where are we?" Ianto asked, walking down to the edge of the water. It lapped against the toes of his shoes, and he could feel the water seep through the seams, feel the sand shifting underneath the soles of his feet.
"This is where I grew up," Jack said simply, moving to stand next to him.
Ianto looked over at him in surprise and Jack smiled back, reaching down to take his hand.
"Thank you."
Jack squeezed Ianto's fingers, lifting them to kiss the back of his knuckles. "You've shown me where you grew up, it's only fair I return the favor."
They stood there for what felt like moments, watching the sunset until there was a pounding on the door. The image vanished like so much gossamer thread, leaving them standing in a gray-lined room holding hands.
The door slid open and Mickey popped his head on. "Oh hey, they're still clothed!" He pulled back and looked to the side. "Girls, you owe me twenty quid each!"
horizonssing Challenge: Day Sixteen
Date Written: 7/25/08
Rating: PG/K+
Word Count: 694
Fandom: Torchwood
Characters/Pairings: Jack/Ianto, Gwen, Martha, Mickey, Tosh (mentioned)
Spoilers: Series 04 of Who and Series 02 of Torchwood
Warnings: None
Author Notes: Set post Journey's End. Fic from Comic Con!
"Between an immensity of land and an immensity of sky they sat there, incomprehensible, smiling at a continent."
- Douglas Adams,
Last Chance to See
"Wow! I haven't seen one of these in ages!"
Ianto looked over at Jack, who was standing in the doorway of one of the many rooms off the main hallway. He, Jack and Mickey were studying an alien craft that had crash-landed while Gwen and Martha patiently explained to UNIT that this was Torchwood jurisdiction, thank you, and they'd be sending along a report in a few days.
Mickey rolled his eyes. "There he goes again," he grumbled, turning back the control room. Ianto stood behind him and watched the new technician work and missed Tosh. She'd have adored this.
"Ianto!"
"And again," Mickey teased, looking up at him. "Don't have sex on any control panel that has buttons on it."
Ianto muttered something disparaging in Welsh under his breath and crossed the hallway. "Yes?"
"C'mere, you have to see this," the Captain beckoned him with a finger.
"What is it?" the archivist asked crossing the empty room to where Jack was. Suspended in midair was a crystal of some kind on a long thread, or more like a dewdrop caught on the thin thread of web.
"Most races call them holo-rooms, or some sort of variation thereof," he replied, reaching out to touch the top thread.
Ianto looked around as the room came to life. The walls were a slate gray, and the soft recessed lighting flickered above them. The room seemed to hum. "Seems rather science fiction to me."
"Where do you think they got the idea?" Jack laughed. "Writers come up with the brilliant ideas and then scientists figure out how to make it work. Anti-grav, holo-rooms, flying cars, encapsulated food... it all becomes a reality." He looked over at Ianto and grinned. "Well? Want to give it a shot?"
"How does it work?" the Welshman asked.
Jack smiled and raised his hands to hover just about the crystalline drop, watching it start to glow soft white from within. "You touch it and think about somewhere you want to be. This sort of reads your mind and shows you what you want to see." He turned to look at Ianto. "They're also called pleasure rooms. The crew comes in here and... well," his smile turned into a leer. "Some things remain constant through races."
Ianto laughed a little. "And what do you want to see?"
A thoughtful look crossed Jack's face and he fixed the young Welshman with a long, speculative look before reaching out to touch the tips of his fingertips against the crystal. The door slid shut with a pneumatic hiss behind Ianto, and he fought against the instinct to jump.
Around him the gray began to swirl and spin, colors starting to appear in the palette. Whites, beiges, blues and greens spun about, beautifully dizzying. Finally the whirl slowed and landmarks showed up -- sand beneath his feet, scrubby green and brown underbrush behind and a beautiful sunset before his eyes. The sun was sinking into a aquamarine ocean, orange and yellow and red streaks trailing behind. Twin moons hung in the sky and Ianto realized with a jolt in his stomach that Jack was showing him an alien planet.
"Where are we?" Ianto asked, walking down to the edge of the water. It lapped against the toes of his shoes, and he could feel the water seep through the seams, feel the sand shifting underneath the soles of his feet.
"This is where I grew up," Jack said simply, moving to stand next to him.
Ianto looked over at him in surprise and Jack smiled back, reaching down to take his hand.
"Thank you."
Jack squeezed Ianto's fingers, lifting them to kiss the back of his knuckles. "You've shown me where you grew up, it's only fair I return the favor."
They stood there for what felt like moments, watching the sunset until there was a pounding on the door. The image vanished like so much gossamer thread, leaving them standing in a gray-lined room holding hands.
The door slid open and Mickey popped his head on. "Oh hey, they're still clothed!" He pulled back and looked to the side. "Girls, you owe me twenty quid each!"