** Ronnie’s POV **

Jake’s lab smells clean, like antiseptic, now mixed with the fresh coffee I’ve just brewed. Machines hum softly in the background, lights flicker across monitors, and I can hear the faint rush of water running through the filtration tanks that line the far wall. He’s somewhere behind me, muttering to himself as he retests the samples from the creek.

I’ve been here for three hours, staring at data that doesn’t make sense. The readings from the creek are unlike ...