She wouldn’t last long without topping up her water supplies. If she died, she wouldn’t find her friends. And her friends might be in dire need of her help.

She had to take the risk.

It probably would have made sense for Romy to mix the questionable river water with the water she carried with her to dilute any harmful effects. But she didn’t want to waste a drop of the water she knew was safe.

Romy decided to try a small sample. She scooped water into her hands, peering down at it before taking the plunge.

The water hurt her teeth. It was cool and . . . sweet. She’d never tasted anything so amazing!

If this was what acidic was like, it wasn’t so bad. Romy made herself stop after a few mouthfuls—more than she’d initially intended to drink.

She paced up and down beside the calm pool as she waited to see if she’d become sick. As the minutes went by, she began to wonder if the water was safe. Romy knew that some areas of the world—the low-lying countries like Brazil and Mexico—were more severely affected than others. Maybe this part of the Earth wasn’t as bad to begin with? It could’ve been missed by the research teams. There were only three teams, after all. And they had a whole planet to cover.

If the water was safe—and if she could find her knot and somehow contact the Orbitos. . . . What news! And maybe, maybe, the other soldiers could all come down. Imagine the fun their knot would have around here once they reunited. Knot 27—on planet Earth. It was her greatest dream come true.

By dusk, she still hadn’t experienced any ill effects.

Romy took two sips from her own water anyway before setting up her little tent some way back from the riverbank.

Of more concern were the layers of smoky grime covering her body. The hand exposed to the river remained unblemished and free of irritation. Romy peeled off her orange ventilation suit and dipped it in the river. She scrubbed the material against itself in an effort to dislodge some of the dirt. The result wasn’t too shabby. The river bubbled enticingly as she draped the spandex garment over a wiry shrub.

Romy had a strong desire to jump into the river herself. Removing her underwear, she scrubbed both pieces and used them as a sponge to wash the rest of her body.

Rinsing her underwear once more, she put the wet undergarments back on, leaving the orange garment to dry over the shrub.

Her hair. The strands, usually silken, were limp with sweat and dust. Romy couldn’t swim and it looked too deep to touch the bottom. But she could still dip her head in. Wait until Deimos heard what she’d done! Romy chuckled thinking of his reaction.