0244 - 2025.09 The crystal caves

Life on Mars was always a bit of an oxymoron. Primitive. Ancient. Not very H.G. Wells at all. So the early settlers became miners for more than one reason. The hollow magma tubes became underground settlements that provided natural protection from the endless solar radiation while also being spacious enough for industrial scale farming.

Building the domes of science fiction was incredibly expensive when everything had to be shipped from Earth. No same day delivery options on the order form.

Naturally, when living underground, one explores that environment and it wasn’t long before easily extracted minerals were found that had economic value back on Earth. Soon enough, after basic refining, the ships that brought more settlers and the necessities for life returned with full holds.

Interplanetary trade had begun. Visionaries who had risked trillions were vindicated and inevitably got richer.

As, to a lesser degree, did those living on Mars. With that came boldness, and the Law of Unintended Consequences. The frontier mentality and a gold rush land grab saw many pushing the limits of common sense, the pull of riches overriding sanity.

While many ranged away from the poles, where most of the water was, and claimed unreasonably large mining leases, two young miners dug closer to home. Short of stature, lacking the resources to move to equatorial regions but not lacking in the confidence of youth.

A small hole became a large hole, a large hole became a cave, a cave became a cavern, a cavern became a vast chamber. Taking inspiration from the limestone wonders back on Rsrth, they named the largest the Temple of Baal, without considering the significance of worshipping a false god, for there were no gods on Mars.
Earth.

Full of silica crystals rather than stalactites and stalagmites it was geologically of little value. But, they thought, we could make it a tourist attraction, have guided tours and make it a unique wedding ‘cathedral’.

On paper it looked good, thermally stable, easy access, no roaming the arid desert plains looking for potential ores and lodes in the infinite radiation of the Sun, hunkering down in the rare but blisteringly abrasive dust storms. A fortune could be made slowly and surely, with low risk to self.

Lights strategically installed, sparkling off the millions of tiny multi coloured crystals, it was very impressive. An observation platform completed the installation, and they invited a select group for their grand opening. It was just a viewing as this was Mars and they still had to wear space suits. The flaw in their plan was the lack of breathable air.

So they would have to defer the idea of being a function centre until they could properly ventilate their magnificent space. Until then it was like a cave trip of old, with tours and light shows, while wearing protective garb. Fortunately their glittering attraction was popular, a stark comparison to mission brown subterranean homes, and the ochre red plains and dusty mountain ranges that was the Martian surface.

Their dreams never deserted them, the fortune would just take a little longer to accumulate, as oxygen was expensive and the cavern was huge.

Entrepreneurs are problem solvers. Let’s enclose the observation platform, with glass panels. That’s easier to ventilate. We can build small cabins, for romantic getaways, ditto. All small steps towards the grander vision. So they progressed, the future never in doubt as a rising population ensured their growing popularity.

Although it took three Mars years - nearly six Earth years, but who’s counting - they had their first “helmet off” event. Champagne, finger food, music. A great success, nearly. Two guests fainted, complaining of “bad air” as if it was a Victorian melodrama. With no certification to rely upon, this could be reputation destroying, and having reinvested all profits they were locked in. No choice then, they would investigate.

Down on the lower levels, there was always a risk of heavy gases pooling. Perhaps with their first large crowd there was too much carbon dioxide, if so simply fixed. But alas, no, they were half right. Carbon monoxide, mixed with some sulphur. They could smell it, the fainting guests were right. Fixing was easy; the problem was finding where it came from.

After several days of looking they found, hidden under a small overhang, a narrow tube. Their cavern was not sealed, an end point. There was more!

Sensing further opportunity, they set out to explore, wriggling through the tube. Sure enough, deeper still, another cavern, millennia old.

And different.

Very different.

The crystals were larger, almost artificial, and oh! so slippery. Covering the whole interior they made no inroads from their entry hole, and prepared to turn back for ropes and more equipment, for just as the crystals were super low friction so they seemed hard as diamond.

This would be the icing on their cake if they could fix the bad air problem.

Taking a last look from the edge of the opening, they stopped talking. Can you feel that? One asked, knowing there was an unmissable vibration. Yes, replied the Other, and there’s something else; Turn off your lights.

The space did not plunge into oblivious darkness. There was a luminescence. From the torchlight? No, it was everywhere, an unearthly green-yellow. And on the far side, brighter, the source of the vibration.

This was not natural, they were in the caves of Moria. The home of the Balrog. For the first time in their lives their confidence was replaced by fear.

Technique: #digital
Theme: #abstract
Highlight colour: #green #black #yellow

Series: #space #mini-sci-fi