Thunderstone Season 2 · Episode 8

The Mysterious Valley

1st October 1999 Season 2 Episode 8

Drought conditions in Haven are at a crisis point. Desperate to give the precious animals the best chance for survival, Arushka and the Nomads attempt to muster them from the vast, parched high country into the lowlands. A scrub fire breaks out and the frightened animals are scattering when Myah and the brothers appear offering help. Together with the Nomads they manage to put out the fire and herd the animals to a lowland area where there are still a few patches of pasture. Arushka and Noah warily agree to hear Myah's suggestions for a more permanent solution to the drought. She explains that in Silver City of 2235 their father was in charge of a weather control system and that they have landed here as a result of Rorden's fallible experiments with time-travel. Rorden unveils the futuristic blueprint for a rain machine and Noah is astounded to realise the building of such a thing is feasible. But with Thunderstone eradicated from Haven there would be no source of power gigantic enough to drive this machine from the future. Back in North Col, Becky discovers a storeroom filling with steam. She is struggling with valves and overrides switches when Liz, her mother, comes to the rescue. Something is wrong with the exhaust line, which Liz believes could indicate serious problems with North Col's foundations. In the Haven compound the Nomads are mulling over the impasse with the rain machine. Monsoon arrives with tales of a distant valley, high in the mountains beyond, where the Nomads have ever ventured. Legend has it that it is home to a huge cube of pure Thunderstone. The Nomads agree on an excursion there. They have to find out if the Thunderstone cube is more then a myth. It could be the key to saving the animals. The relentless trek upwards in the heat seems to be fruitless. The thirsty Nomads eventually find the mystical Valley of Chazon, but instead of a Thunderstone cube, there is a great lake in the valley floor. Arushka collapses by the shore in despair when she discovers that the clear blue lake is salt water.

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Season 2 · Episode 9

New Hope

Arushka, Noah and Sundance notice a curious resonance about the Valley. Even Dolly the sheepdog senses it. Noah discovers that the whole atmosphere is electrically charged. Sundance volunteers to swim and discovers a square blue object at the bottom of the lake! But how can the Nomads move the enormous Thunderstone Cube? Arushka is determined to overcome any obstacle and end the drought. She and Noah use the PH-Ts to travel back to the valley to a time before the lake filled its floor. After all, in the past Noah and Arushka have moved elephants in time, what's to stop them transporting the cube to present day Haven? Noah tunes up the PH-Ts but the cube resists the white light and Noah and Arushka find they haven't moved it at all. Clearly something bigger than the PH-Ts is required. Much of the technology required to create the rain machine is what also enables the PH-Ts. Its all to do with the manipulation of sub-atomic particles of light. If Noah could build the PH-T technology into the Beast, the Protectors' old truck now sitting in the Nomads compound, it could be converted not only into a larger time machine, but also a rain machine. First Noah must travel back to North Col and gather the components he needs. In exchange for access to the rain machine blueprints Myah insists that Rorden accompany Noah. In the Holodeck, Noah enlists Becky's help to keep an eye on Rorden. Noah sneaks down to the storeroom to assemble more equipment. But he is unaware of the dangerous fault in North Col's exhaust line. Noah and Rorden narrowly escape discovery, leaving poor Becky to face the music once again. Back in Haven, Noah contemplate the most difficult task of his life. Can he turn the Beast into an effective time/rain machine, driven by the Cube, or will Arushka's hopes for the animals be dashed forever?

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