The Thirst Engine

Every drop of clean water on the salt flats comes at the price of blood or barter—and Rae can no longer afford either. Her dying brother needs more than rationed sips and desperate hope. Legends speak of a buried machine, pre-collapse technology capable of pulling moisture from dead skies, hidden beneath ruins no scavenger has cracked open and lived to map. Rival factions, ruthless traders, and a warlord's armored scouts are already converging on its location. Rae has only her wits, a stolen compass, and a head start measured in hours.