“I think so too.” Eva smiled as she brought the Goldfish up the windward slope of yet another large dune.

“Up there!” Rovender yelled.

Eva turned to see him standing on top of Otto, goggles in hand. He pointed toward the horizon. “The oasis is over there!”

Eva aimed her gaze in the direction he was pointing. In the far distance flocks of turnfins circled. She steered the hovercraft toward them and pulled the throttle back, sending whorls of grainy sand swirling about in her wake.

CHAPTER 36: BREATHLESS

Eva watched a cluster of small wandering trees meander around a muddy pool in the middle of the dark sands of the wasteland. Like a mirror reflecting the azure sky, the surface of the pool was as flat as glass, even as the occasional turnfin approached the bank and stole a quick sip. In the dampness surrounding the large waterhole, a variety of colorful lichens and mosses blanketed the desert sand.

“Now, Eva, dear,” Muthr cautioned as Eva parked the Goldfish in the shade of a low ridge. “Let me examine the mineral content of the water before you add a purification tablet and consume it.”

“Okay.” Eva hopped out and threw her jackvest onto the seat. She walked over and joined Rovender.

“One more request, Eva,” Muthr said as she opened the access hood on the side of the hovercraft. “If you could bring some water back to refuel the Goldfish, that would be good. I do not want to use up all of your hydration tablets to keep it running.”

“No problem,” Eva said, and stroked Otto as she passed him. The water bear shuffled over to join Muthr and the Goldfish in the shade.

“Otto does not want a drink?” Rovender glanced back over his shoulder as he walked with Eva.

“He said he was fine,” Eva said, padding over the damp sand toward the pool. “His herd is not far off, and he’ll be rejoining them soon where there is plenty to eat and drink.”

“Oh, I see,” Rovender said as he knelt down at the shoreline with several bottles. The large crystalline pool contained numerous rocks and sticks visible on its shallow bottom. All were coated in a fine silt. Eva flopped down and began to pull off her sneakboots and socks.

“Oh, this is going to feel so good,” she said with a giggle, and rolled her leggings up. “The sneakboots make my feet so sweaty!”

Rovender dipped his fingertips into the water and washed the grit off his face. The pattern of pores that composed his nose sensed the water. “Something isn’t right,” he whispered. He splashed more of it onto his face. “Eva Nine,” Rovender called. He stood and scanned the area. “Get out of the water, now.”

Eva had waded up to her knees. “Why? What is it, Rovee?”

“Just get out as fast as you can. Look!” He pointed to a stand of wandering trees near the pool.