Romy recalled the question and drew out the folded map from inside her light jacket. She hadn’t wanted to damage the document, but it was the only way to sneak it from storage without anyone noticing. “There aren’t any windows to the supply room. The only way in is a keycard. I really don’t know how we’ll be able to get in,” she reported. “But I did find this.”

Romy spread the map on the floor, since the table was full of plates and food. The knot put their heads together over the document, staring down.

“It’s from 2021,” Phobos noted.

Thrym traced a finger over the date. “Pretty ancient.”

Elara sighed. “And a lot has probably happened since that time. How much do you think global warming changed Australia?”

The group looked at Romy.

She blinked, sitting back on her knees. “Modern Australia contains the largest inland water body in the world. I remember how excited I was when the researchers brought back the news.”

They looked down at the map. The map of Australia below them showed a mass of desert land in the centre. According to Romy’s information, a good portion of this was now a lake.

“A map isn't much help if we don’t even know where we are,” Thrym said in frustration.

She knew that one. “Jimboomba!” Romy exclaimed.

Phobos leant away, covering the ear closest to Romy.

She grinned at him, unabashed. “We’re in Jimboomba.”

Thrym put his nose close to the map, blue eyes squinting. “Jimboomba. . . .”

It took them several minutes of searching to find Jimboomba on the map.

Phobos eventually located it. “Jimboomba,” he drew out. “Am I saying that right? What kind of word is it?”

Romy inspected the map. “Aboriginal, I think.”

“Well, they certainly live up to the ‘original’ part.”

Elara snorted. “Lame.”

“You are.”

“Queensland, Australia,” Romy breathed.

Elara stared at the map. “Did you say here?” She pointed at the east coast of Australia.

Thrym nodded.

Elara was already shaking her head. “I don’t think we’re that far inland. Pass me a fork or something,” she said to Phobos. “Where’s the scale on the map?”

Elara measured the distance based on the map scale, and tapped the fork against her thigh. “Three days ago we took a patrol to the beach,” she thought aloud. “We covered a hundred kilometres in two hours to get there. This map says the route is only fifty kilometres.”

“But the route could have changed time and time again,” Thrym said. “Maybe you didn’t go directly to the coast.”

“Or the location is just different altogether,” Elara countered.

“Regardless, Atlas told me we’re in Queensland, Australia," Romy said, "so it’s safe to assume we’re on the East Coast. That means . . .” She looked up at Thrym.

He raised his eyebrows. “. . . That if we trek west, we come across the lake in the middle.”