Read Online Diggers: The Sharp Edge of the Universe by Shannon Heather, Jerrett James - Free Book Online Page B

the teeth of the auger. “Awww, space dust! The glass is getting caught in the teeth. Dirt and water, even the different clays, churn out as the auger turns, but the glass is getting caught.”
    “Yep,” Reggie said. “Might be melting too.”
    “So we’re what? We're stuck?” Mikayla began to pace in tight circles again. “Ohmygosh. Ohmygosh.”
    Reggie touched her arm, “'S okay.”
    Mikayla gazed at his massive hand and then into his eyes, and she didn’t pull away or look like she might throw up, the way she did the few times Finn got too close.
    Well, Finn thought, I made my first discovery. My best friend likes my arch enemy—and she likes him too.
    Mikayla calmed down and stopped pacing and twirling her hair. But Finn didn’t know if he agreed with Reggie's assessment of their situation. As a matter of fact, he felt pretty certain Reggie would be wrong. Nothing about this seemed okay.
    “Looks like our only option is to keep going forward.” Finn looked out the back dock bay window at the Space Station, so close it almost felt like he could reach out and touch it. He turned toward the motionless auger and the inky darkness beyond its tip, and tried without success to quiet his fear.
    “Yep,” Reggie said.
    Reggie pressed START and the auger began to spin, slowly pulling them farther into the blackness. Finn blew out a heavy breath and slumped into the navigator seat next to Reggie.
    This qualified as the worst idea he’d ever acted on—and he’d had a lot of bad ideas—but none of them ever seemed hopeless. Except this one. He envisioned the memorial service they’d conduct on the Space Station. He wondered if his mom would be able to think of a single good thing Finn had ever done. Mikayla’s dad would probably keep naming things after her, Reggie would probably be honored with some medal—given to his parents, of course—for Digger valor in the face of certain death, and Finn would get….
    “Ennis Finnigan Mallory O’Reilly!” Maggie’s voice boomed over the DUMP Com. “What exactly do you think you're doing?”
    “There’s a message for Mr. Finnigan O’Reilly,” ELAINA purred.
    Finn slid to the floor, then quickly jumped to his feet. The sound of his mom's voice using his full name caused him to shake from head to toe.
    “I…well, we…it…but— What ?” Finn stammered. Mikayla stood next to him, trying to stifle giggles. She kept mouthing his first name over and over.
    “Well?” Maggie’s face had colored a deep crimson—almost dark violet.
    Finn felt his knees go weak. Maggie was the only person in the universe who could make him stand up straighter and not even have to be in the same room.
    “It’s not his fault, ma’am.” Mikayla stepped into view.
    “Mikayla.” Lee Fishborne’s voice sounded like he’d just sucked helium. “Princess?”
    Finn snorted, “Princess?” He widened the view finder and counted the only six faces on the entire Space Station capable of making him want to hide under his seat.
    “Well, it’s Finn’s fault we’re here, but he didn’t force us to come,” Mikayla said. “We came on our own.”
    Somehow Finn didn’t think her confession would help him get out of this situation.
    “You little…Digger brat.” Lee Fishborne’s thin face turned the same dark red as Maggie’s. “You disgusting little piece of trash! Get back here with my daughter. When I’m done with you, they won’t even let you be a janitor !”
    “What did you just say?” Maggie’s chest puffed out and she gave Lee Fishborne a hard wallop, sending him flying and squealing out of the picture. Finn felt hot waves of embarrassment beat his face as he helplessly watched his mom chase Lee Fishborne out of the screen. She didn’t even yelp or twitch when she received a few dozen zaps from the bully chip.
    “Don’t…you… ever call my son….” High-pitched male screams came from somewhere outside of the view finder, and Finn watched his dad and Quinn dive