Power from the Blazing Stone

Alexander Augustus•www.alexanderaugustus.com

Time is running out for Merryn! In this utopic vision of the deep future of mining, a young girl and her CL500 Mining Unit are in search of fabled Cornish lithium. Follow their journey among the granite hills of Cornwall, set to a whistling chorus of curlews, as the pair traverse the pitfalls of human greed and robotic destruction to strike a balance for the common good. Will they pass the test?

Last refreshed: August 17th, 2025 at 8:50 AM ⓘ

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Episodes

Power from the Blazing Stone - Part V - Nature Comes Knocking

The conclusion of Merryn and Corin's adventure. The girl and robot reconvene with their classmates to discover the true nature of the test. “As Merryn made her way to Gwennap Pit Speaking Place, the mild night soothed her worry. The moon had not yet risen above the tors, and there was a strong wind which stirred the long grass and foxgloves, and sang through the gorse bushes which grew near the meadows. A light rain washed her. The green plovers were up and about, and their pee-wits made the lon...

Sep 17, 2021•15 min•Season 1Ep. 5

Power from the Blazing Stone - Part IV - Spirits Above, Spirits Below

Corin questions Merryn about the nature of humanity versus technology - and where nature falls in that equation. “Over the next several hours they tested a few different sites, extracting samples and looking for an elusive geothermal spring. The samples came out in cylinders of earth, in which holes, cracks, rubble or clay indicated fluid movement. As they went they found more of these signs, which led Merryn to believe they were going the right way. And though the sun was riding high beyond the...

Sep 16, 2021•11 min•Season 1Ep. 4

Power from the Blazing Stone - Part III - The Mother of Blazing Stone

Merryn tells Corin of her favourite story - The Mother of Blazing Stones - and they stumble upon a revelation. “Merryn bid the stone circle a good day and set out for the granite-crowned hills which guarded the moors to the east. The sun was rising over the heads of the highest tors and from every direction they could hear all manner of drilling, pumping and roasting going on from her classmates and their Units. The scoreboard in the sky was exploding periodically, and now read, “Nessa: 1, Arlut...

Sep 15, 2021•10 min•Season 1Ep. 3

Power from the Blazing Stone - Part II - Nightmares

Merryn reflects on the horrors of the past, and sets about planning for the future. “The eastern sky grew wonderful with dawn. As the day became brighter, a soft grey mist rose from the ground and made the moors look like a dream landscape. But young Merryn had been caught up in nightmares. She awoke inside her Mining Unit, which rocked gently on its colossal ring, humming a soothing melody. They had slept in the centre of a neolithic stone circle bearing nineteen proud granite faces, now soften...

Sep 14, 2021•11 min•Season 1Ep. 2

Power from the Blazing Stone - Part I - The Great Reboot

The adventure begins! Merryn and Corin are inducted into their most tricksy task yet! “Merryn Tregonning leapt through the humid Cornish summer night, toppled over the branches of a grasping hawthorn tree and somersaulted through sweet-smelling long grass. “Keep up Corin, we’re late!” Corin was the name of Merryn’s CL500 Mining Unit, half a ton of condensers, circuits, relays, and vacuum cells which could assemble, or disassemble, almost anything on command. The mechanisms of the Unit were encas...

Sep 13, 2021•11 min•Season 1Ep. 1

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