James DiMascio, Jace for short, spends the summer getting clean at his father's house on Earth. He's been living on the street ever since the notorious drug called "Big Sug," developed by the military for bored soldiers but then smuggled to earth, has taken over his life. He's too thin, his nose is scarred from the drug's after effects, and he may have brain damage. But with the help of his father, he slowly recovers enough to visit one of the vacation planets close by: the water-based Hydro, known for its calming effects on its occupants and tourists alike, along with its dual moon system.
On the ride over, Jace meets Julian, a scared man mourning the loss of his former professor-turned-lover. He keeps his lover's ashes next to him the entire flight, and after a disastrous attempt to bury him in the planet's ocean, Julian and Jace seek solace in one another. They rent boats and surfboards, talk to the zany regulars who inhabit the planet like the Tin Man who collects trash and the local psychic Donna, all before signing up for the big surf competition at the end of their vacation.
When Julian leaves unannounced, Jace is left alone and without any mojo. Can he manage to live the clean life he's worked so hard to obtain -- even if it means being alone when he returns to Earth -- or should he stay on a planet filled with oddballs and freaks that he's used to?
